Weekend Shopping

Hello!

I've been a bit slack on posting this last week but I thought I'd show you what I bought when I went shopping yesterday, It's predominantly MAC with one token NARS item thrown in!!

l-r NARS Sheer Glow

MAC 209 Brush

MAC Sea & Sky Mineralize Eyeshadow

Frankly Scarlet & Fleur Power Blush

Costa Chic Lipstick

Sheer Glow was a repurchase for me because I adore it! I haven't been able to get this for ages though because It's been sold out online and I only occasionally get to a NARS counter.

I was served by a very knowledgeable man on the NARS counter, and my instinct told me he was something more than just an MA working on a counter, the French accent also helped me, It turned out he was Benoit Dumont, one of NAR's top guys!

I actually got Sea & Sky from one of my friends as a belated birthday present and I love it because I wouldn't have normally picked up a mineralize eyeshadow, nevermind in such a vibrant blue, but it's divine!!

I've been sooo bored of all of my cheek products lately, so I decided to take the plunge and purchase a product that I've had on my wishlist for ages, Frankly Scarlet blush. It's a vibrant Claret and It's makes me come over all Snow White when I wear this! I would warn you to use this sparingly though, otherwise you might look more Clown than Fairytale princess!

Fleur Power was a split second choice, but it's lovely, It's without shimmer so It's a nice everyday blush, and the pigmentation is amazing.

I got Costa Chic with Back to MAC and It's a gorgeous colour, I was so drawn in by this I just had to get it!

Finally the 209 brush was the next brush I wanted and it's perfect for gel eyeliner!

If you want any swatches of these, just tell me below and I'll be happy to put them up!!

TBS xxx

NOTD - OPI You Don't Know Jacques!

A break away from my usual pink nail selection, but I'm enjoying the break!!

Went on in two coats and is far more wearable than I originally thought.

What do you think?

TBS xxx

All The Eyeshadow You Ever Need For A Fiver??

Ok, that might be a slight overstatement considering the audience I'm talking to here, but I may have hit upon a gem of a product!!

SCARLET & CRIMSON - In the Shadows Palette.

I bought this product completely on impulse whilst wandering through the Boots sale ailse, at 50% off it went straight into my basket.

This Ruby & Millie made palette is a beauty!

Right, shall we just stop rambling and get down to why I LOVE this little palette??

The palette contains 12 shadows, which are basically the same size as an Urban Decay pan in most of their own palettes.

The pigmentation on them is fantastic! I tested them against some of my more high end eyshadows and once swatched I couldn't tell the difference!!

To show you the fantastic range of colour in this set, I've swatched them all out:

Please blame my lack of camera skills rather than the pigmentation of these shadows, in person they're much more vibrant!

I will admit I can't see myself wearing fushcia anytime soon, but if the occasion ever arises, i'd prefer to have this little set to hand rather than pay upwards of £10 for a high end shadow.

Finally, I bought this for £5, reduced from £10, so even if I'd bought this at full price each shadow cost me less then 10p :)
This set has everything a girl could want when it comes to basic looks, it has a neutral highlight shade, a warm bronze, a darker brown crease shade, then all you could want for a smokey eye. The more adventurous are catered for, green, blue and bright fushcia!

If you're looking for a starter kit, or want a small compact set of shadows to take on a holiday without spending too much, this is for you!

Laura xxx

In & Out

IN

Clinique 3 Step Skincare System,

I've been using this for about a month now and I've seen a dramatic improvement to my skin, the tone has improved and it feels much better. I've also noticed the difference when I forget to use it too, I left it behind when I went away for a few days and my skin was not happy!

Over 100 followers,

Wow! Thank you so much for joining up :) get involved too, I love your feedback and suggestions, so get vocal people!

Lush Bath Time

I know this is a massive thing at the moment, but I think i'm addicted! Currently adoring Creamy Candy Bubble Bar & Lemony Flutter Cuticle Cream

Nude Nail Polish

After monthes of dark winter polishes, I'm enjoying fresh clean colours on my nails. I'm in love with Blissed Out by MAC. NOTD here.

OUT

Red Meat

I've been thinking about cutting out red meat for a while now, and I came to the conclusion that the majority of my red meat consumption came in terrible fatty forms, so I'm just eating Chicken, Turkey & Fish and taking the vegetarian option whenever I can.

January

It's cold, It's Dull, It needs to be over!

(http://www.weheartit.com/)

Right that's it from me! I've got my cosy socks on and I'm going to get a cup of tea, much like the photograph above!

What are your In & Outs?? Link me or right below!! xxx

ooo also -

WIN AN URBAN DECAY PALETTE!! CLICK HERE!!!

NOTD - Dior Vernis Bubble Gum

I've been on a massive nude polish kick for a while now, so as I was painting my nails last night I decided to try on a polish that has sat in its box untouched for a while.

DIOR VERNIS BUBBLE GUM 741

The name suggested a bright pink, the bottle produced a pleasant coral.

I have to say I'm absolutely thrilled with the consistancy of the polish, one coat would have been enough, but I put on two for longevity!

The colour of the polish appears to change in every type of light, I quite like this!

I realise that Dior nail polish is expensive, and some people don't exactly rave about the price to quality ratio, I'd happily buy myself one of these as a treat, as I think they're worth it.

(Dior Vernis RRP £16.50)

Lots of Love Laura xxx

Don't forget to enter my competition HERE you could win an Urban Decay palette!!

50 Follower Contest, Win An Urban Decay Palette! CLOSED

CONTEST CLOSED: WATCH OUT FOR THE WINNER IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS

When I began this I only expected it to reach a couple of people, so I'm so excited to be able to do a little thank you giveaway!!

It's going to be a straight random draw contest, nothing too complicated, I'll pick the winner using random.org :)

Now for the important stuff...

RULES

1 -You must be a follower of The Beauty Spark Blog & Twitter (www.twitter.com/thebeautyspark)

2- Post about the contest on your blog and COMMENT BELOW with a link to your blog!

3 -The contest is open internationally but if you are under 16, please get your parents permission as I will need your address to send you the prize!

4 -One entry per person please :)

The Contest will end on the 10th of FEBRUARY at MIDNIGHT.

ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL RECIEVE

An Urban Decay Preen Palette & Mini Primer Potion

I love all of the colours in this palette, I have one of my own and it's my favourite!

Ruby & Millie Brush Compact

You need a brush collection to go with your new eyeshadow!! I think Ruby & Millie brushes are fantastic alternatives to higher end, and this travel set will always come in handy!

(All prizes are brand new, never been used)

Good Luck Everybody & Thank You Again!!

Lots of Love,

Laura! xxx

17 Again...

When I think of 17, I initially associate it with the questionable make up choices of my early teens, bright green eyeshadow anybody??

But after a friend mentioned to me that her current favourite eyeshadow was from 17, I decided to check it out.

l-r regal, statuesque, mardi gras.

I am so impressed with these little gems, the pigmentation is fantastic, and I've been using regal over black eyeliner on my upper lash line and I adore it.

For £3.49 each, how can you say no!?

When I first swiped some of Statuesque & Mardi Gras on my hand they very much reminded me of Woodwinked and Sable.

so I put them side by side!

woodwinked/sable vs statuesque/mardi gras.

They may not be perfect matches, but if you don't want to spent £11 on a single eyshadow, I can't reccomend these more!!

They are lovely warm browns that will suit almost everyone.

I'll be paying a lot more attention to this line in future.

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

Watch this space for the next few days, my 50 follower contest will be going up!!

 Urban Decay Preen Palette

Ruby & Millie Brush Set

Just to say thank you :)

Lots of Lush

I dashed into my local shopping centre yesterday to grab a birthday present and despite my lack of time, I still managed to get drawn into Lush!

I haven't been since before Christmas, so assumed that anything half decent would be gone in the £20 sale. But I was wrong! The middle of the store was FULL of treats!

I bought myself

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar, The Comforter Bubble Bar, Jacko Bath Bomb, Melting Marshmallow Bath Melt, Mange Tout Massage Bar & Lemony Flutter Cuticle Cream. 

I opted for a Goody Bag, and look what I got!

Snow Fairy Gift Box: Angels Delight Soap, Glitter Massage Bar & Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Cinders Bath Bomb

Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb

Apple Bath Bomb (?!)

Christmas Pudding Bath Bomb

Snow Fairy 100g

I can safely say I'm stocked up on Lush for a good while now!

I'm excited to use some of the products that I've never thought to try, and Lemony Flutter already feels like it's working on my poor dry fingers.

I'll let you know what I think of all my stash as and when I use them, I had a comforter bath tonight, it's an old favourite for a reason!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

Top 5 Brushes

For me, good make up is the product of good brushes, I could have all the make up in the world and without any tools it just wouldn't work!

I've picked out my five favourite brushes, all MAC...they make up about 90% of my brush collection. BUT I'd like to say I think that Ruby and Millie brushes are great for the price too, they don't get enough praise!

MAC 187: I love this brush for powder and bronzer, I've yet to try it with foundation as the one I'm using at the moment seems to produce the best results with a sponge. This is super soft at the top but holds it shape well with the denser bristles below.

MAC 129: The first brush I ever bought from MAC and I still use it everyday, Its got a little big now, but I don't mind that, it's still in my Top 5.

MAC 239: An everyday essential for lid colour, it packs it on with minimum effort, producing maximum result.

MAC 223: My perfect crease brush, small enough to apply precise colour, this was LE, so I'm glad I got my hands on it :)

MAC 195: I originally didn't get on with this brush, instead preferring to apply concealer with my fingers, but I've realised its an amazing little brush, I use it to apply paint pots and cream eyeshadows and it's amazing for precise application to any imperfections you may have. I've been converted.

So here is my Top 5! What's Yours?!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

p.s DaintyDollyMix, Snap! Spookily similar! :)

Small Pleasures: Natural Bath Products

For Christmas, One of my wonderful friends gave me this adorable box of handmade bath bombs and melts, I just had to share it with you because look how cute it is!

Also these are all natural products, which I love. I'm not sure where she got them from as she said it was from a random little shop near her home, so sorry for the lack of information there!

Orange, Cinnamon and Ginger.

This one smells just like Christmas, and is an amazing spicy mix.

I want to say this is a Primrose on here, but don't take my word for it! It has a lovely fresh invigorating scent.

 

At first I thought this had lavender in it, but I'm not so sure now, again a fresh floral scent, I love how rustic and organic this one is.

I think this has Violet in it, but again i'm not 100%, they didn't come with any information so i'm just using my own (limited) knowledge on flowers!

This one is so pretty and smells divine.

I love lush but these are a really refreshing change, organic and they are helping to support a smaller business.

I'd love to find out more about them so I'm going to beg my friend where she got them from!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

NOTD - Blissed Out

MAC Blissed Out - Warm & Cosy Collection

I'm in love with this colour at the moment, it's gorgeous, the perfect peachy nude!

It was the only thing I purchased from this collection as nothing else really stood out to me, but i'm glad I did!

My only reservation is that It took three coats to get it up to this standard, but I did do it without a base coat and quite quickly so I think it may be my lack of patience rather than the quality!

It's so good to get back to a more simple nude nail when I've been constantly sporting dark winter colours.

Brand New Favourite.

Lots of Love,

Laura xxx

Return of the MAC

Hi Everyone,

On Monday night I decided on a whim to purchase a couple of items from the MAC website, one particular item I had in mind, but the rest were on a completly "in the moment" decisions.

(l-r Black Tied E/S Electra E/S Blissed Out Nail Laquer Espresso E/S)

Blissed Out Nail Laquer

This was the only thing I really wanted when I went on to the website, and It's been justified, I'm in love!

I've only tested it out on my pinky nail, but i'm going to paint them all in it tonight, the perfect nude peach.

Electra Eyeshadow

I saw a swatch of it, decided it looked pretty and bought it. Minimum thought went into this purchase, but It's fantastic so I don't care! The pigmentation is off the scale, my perfect andidote to my regular golds and browns.

Espresso Eyeshadow

But saying that, this creeped in! I've wanted a matte brown in my palette for a while to balance out the 'shimmer shimmer' of it all, and I think this will be good for a simple day look, I'm not bowled over by it, but I think it was a good choice.

Black Tied Eyeshadow

 

Behold, the product of a hasty online shopping binge. I'd like to open this section with WHAT WAS I THINKING. I've seen this so many times and always decided against it, and for good reason! Firstly I'm not a fan of chunky glitter, unless its for festive purposes. I am not Thirteen. Secondly, It is basically the twin of Urban Decay Oil Slick, which I have in about three different palettes. The only difference is Oil Slick leaves Black Tied lagging behind in terms of pigmentation. I think this is going to be used exclusivly for setting black eyeliner.

So remember ladies, think before you click!

Lots of Love Laura xxx

p.s the reason for the return of photographs is not because my new laptop has arrived, I have simply learnt how to email myself pictures from my phone, after upgrading in August...the technophobe strikes again.

Mirror, Mirror on the Dresser.

I just thought i'd share this with you all :)

I got this mirror for Christmas and I think it's the cutest thing. I've put all of my costume jewellery into the drawer that it's mounted on. It's my favourite :)

Blurry but you can see all the beautiful embossed metal on the drawer.

I might do a "Whats on my Dresser" post, what do you think?!

xxx

NOTD - Goldfingers!

Dior Vernis 708 Gold Nugget

Recently I was lucky enough to be given a bag of amazing goodies by my Dad's partner, all unused stuff that she didn't have any need for!

I've never been a fan of sparkle in nail varnish, prefering a creamy formulation, so when I first saw this I thought, pretty, but not for me.

But I decided it was the perfect festive nail and is just a little bit different to my usual spectrum of colour.

I'm now off to paint my nails in "Blissed Out" by MAC from the Warm & Cosy Collection, It came this morning and i'm in love already, all thanks to VexandtheCity's own picture, you persuaded me!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

December Favourites

I know it's January but these are my favourite types of post!!

Barry M Dazzledust in Mushroom & Old Gold.

I've been using these constantly throughout the party season to give me a festive sparkle to my eye make up without looking to OTT.

I'll post the look up here as soon as I get my new laptop delivered.


Sprinsheen Blush : I wasn't entirely convinced when I bought this, I didn't strike me as being overly "special", but my constant use of it is telling me otherwise!

MAC 223 Brush: My current brush of choice for all sorts. the perfect crease brush for me, it's more precise and is amazing with pigment. Also amazing for sweeping loose powder under the eyes to set concealer.

So these are my December favourites, the lack of photographs will be sorted as soon as I can upload onto my own laptop!

I hope you are all recovering from an overindulgent Christmas and are sticking to your resolutions!!

Also THANK YOU for getting me to 50 followers, it means the world, I'm cooking something up so watch this space!!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx