topshop haul.

naughty me. i'm sorry, blog - i've been ever so busy. i haven't done a review/purchase post in so long and what a way to bring it back with some gorgeous products from topshop! i tried fighting it but i just can't do it anymore: i just love their products. i recently popped into the flagship store and treated myself to some meadham kirchoff nail wraps (they have vaginas on them, so now my fingers can scissor), a lip pencil in "fearless" and a matte lipstick in "all about me". i've never used nail wraps before, but i'm saving them for a special occasion so i won't be showing them to you just yet (read: i haven't figured out how on earth i put them on, so i am postponing that trouble for another time).

i admit that i am always so pleasantly surprised by topshop's products - more so than their clothes in fact. i mean, this lip pencil's shade is fantastic. i can think of at least four lipsticks i own which would go with it as it is a really standard pink. it's not gimmicky or wacky, which is what i was after. and yes, it's not a revolutionary shade by any means, but i had been looking for a shade like this for so long and nowhere else had it. the lip pencil has decent pigmentation (not like the ones by mac though, which are just crazy) and feels nice on the lips. but then again, it's not as creamy as the ones by no 7... so although i'm in love with the colour selection of lip pencils at topshop and grateful for this pink goodness in my life, in terms of formulation, they're not my all-time favourites. then again, the other brands i've mentioned are slightly more expensive, and if you're on a budget then these really are decent for the price.

sorry for the rubbish swatch.

however, the star of the show (and the reason i ventured into topshop in the first place!) is the lipstick. a topshop make-up artist follows me on twitter and had their latest campaign shot as her profile picture. i asked what lipstick the model was wearing, and made up my mind to buy it. i had never tried topshop lipstick before, and when trying out new lipsticks, going for a matte shade is high-level dangerous business. totally high risk behaviour. it's essentially jumping into the deep end, because matte lipsticks are where so many brands can often get it wrong (so wrong). but step aside, ladies. "all about me" is a loud, attention-grabbing hot pink and definitely lives up to its name. unfortunately it's a blogger's nightmare though, as i can't get a photo which accurately depicts the shade: sometimes it looks red, sometimes purple, sometimes pink! but trust me when i say that this is definitely a hot colour which would suit many complexions.

having worn it for a few days now, i can happily report the following: topshop matte lipsticks are brilliant. intense colour, coupled with staying power and a creamy formulation despite it being matte? AND CHEAP?! absolutely cracking stuff. i always go on and on about how revlon matte lipsticks must be concocted with fairy dust or unicorn hairs or something to make them so magically creamy - but this formulation definitely comes second place (which is still a compliment of the highest order). 

 i find it quite interesting how higher-priced brands still fail to accomplish creamy matte lipsticks though, and wish they'd follow suit. if topshop or revlon got their mitts on my beloved 'ruby woo' and made it creamier, i would definitely be in lipstick nirvana. so yeah, i'm pretty sure that topshop is slowly becoming my top recommendation for make-up if you want to spend less but still get great quality cosmetics.

also that perfect-looking plait on my head? not my real hair. that's right - gettin' wiggy with it. i look so tired.

face: 17 primer, illamasqua skin base foundation (10), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: maybelline gel liner, no 7 lash adapt mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).

cheeks: topshop (high five).

lips: topshop lip pencil (fearless), topshop lipstick (all about me).

back to work.

that day. that one day, post-christmas, where you have to return to society. whether it be work, school, university or a grocery shop, the 3am bedtimes and lie-ins are over and you have to become reacquainted with your worst enemy: the tube. unfortunately i am still recovering from the traumatic ordeal that is the central line, and so this will be a simple fotd post.

face: l'oreal studio secrets primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop (pop).
lips: collection 2000 creampuff lip cream (fairy cake).

review: maybelline dream touch blush.

recently i've been venturing out of my usual pink and coral blushers (hot pink, baby pink, deep pink, you name it) and going for different, more subtle shades - more towards peach and apricot. i still prefer the pinks but shades such as these are more universally flattering. i have a very yellowy olive skin tone (i'm not pale by any means, as you can tell) and so i think that because of that, i can get away with the crazy pinks. peach tones lift my complexion but in a different way which looks more natural.

my newest shade is maybelline's dream touch blush in peach. it has recently been reformulated and i have heard echoes of dismay but this is the first time i'm trying the product and so i can't comment on whether it has been improved or not. i never used to notice maybelline, but they are really impressing me this year - their gel liner has definitely been my all-time favourite make-up purchase... quite the claim.

pros? i like its texture. i absolutely hate applying cream blusher with my fingers because it just doesn't feel right and looks very blotchy half the time because the product will be so pigmented. this is so smooth and lightweight that it's really soft, and therefore feels nice to touch. it's also very easy to build up! i also like the shade, but feel that it's perhaps a little *too* natural for my liking and gets lost within my complexion - on paler skin (such as the underside of my arm), it would look absolutely delicious. (excuse how blotchy i am, i have bad circulation and bad skin).

best hairstyle.

there is only one con, and it is a bloody massive con: its lasting power. i usually have a combination skin type and this just won't last nowhere near as long as i would like. i can't even dismiss it due to the fact that it's a high-street brand - blushes by sleek and topshop actually cost less and still do the job. i like the colour/texture to much to say that i regret buying this product completely, but i do think that i will mainly use it if i'm having guests over or popping out for an hour or two and don't want to use any of my expensive stuff. suffice to say i'm still disappointed by it though... alongside the fact that my eye make-up is a lot crazier and more 80s than the photo above depicts, with my camera refusing to take a proper photo of it.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, benefit creaseless cream eyeshadow (get figgy), urban decay eyeshadows (twice baked and oil slick), illamasqua cream eyeshadow (hollow), max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud). 

cheeks: bourjois bronzing powder, maybelline dream touch blush (peach).

lips: sephora (no 72).

review: topshop blushes in "pop" and "high five".

i'm going to be blunt - generally speaking, topshop make-up doesn't really excite me in the least. that is, until i start playing with their blushers and coo over everything. i love their blushers to the point of insanity, purely because it's such value for money which is actually rare these days (i know my rare shit, my last read being "amazing rare things" by david attenborough; there was definitely a make-up chapter in it). it will last you forever, and costs £6. off the top of my head, £5.40 with student discount! with that, barry m's blushers are like £1 less, which i hope puts this whole thing into perspective. no cheap shimmers or glitters in these bad boys whatsoever.

this is my current collection, the top two being cream blushers and the bottom being a powder blusher.

i have a thing for cream blushers. they're more long-lasting, and when i am packing and going abroad there is no fear of the blusher falling or getting crushed with powder going everywhere (i'm sure everyone has either experienced or heard of a horror story regarding this). sadly they're more common within more expensive brands though, and any cheap cream blusher i've seen is borderline miniscule in size or unimaginative with their colour choice (yes you, max factor). gives me sadz.

ohai. my lipstick is from max factor (chili). 

THAT IS UNTIL A BRIGHT SPARK AT TOPSHOP RECTIFIED THIS. topshop have brought out three new matte shades in the past week: pop (a pinky apricot), high five (a deep pink), and powdered (a baby pink). i didn't get powdered because it was a tad *too* pink for my complexion. i think that baby pink is fantastic for lightening your complexion, but for that reason, it's one of the few shades which i think works with a bit of shimmer - just to illuminate and highlight the skin that little bit further. for that reason, the only baby pink i absolutely adore and could never betray is mac's "well dressed" - check it out. i must admit that in the picture below, pop has photographed as a pink for some peculiar reason - it's not.

  "pop" is on the left, and "high five" is on the left. 

these blushers are easily to blend and build up so you could have anything from a sheer finish to a vivid cheek. for the price, the quality is fantastic and the pigmentation is really decent. obviously high five lasted longer than pop, but i equally love both. plus with a name like high five, who can resist...?! maybe it gives you super powers a la todd from scrubs.

review: no 7 essentially natural foundation.

more and more companies are encroaching into what used to be a niche market when it comes to make-up: organic, mineral and natural being key. i like the idea of it and do certainly prioritise natural beauty products when it comes to lotions and the like, but i am also a human being and i am not blessed with a naturally dazzling face. this is why i'm not so keen on it in a make-up context. one waaaaaambulance for me please...

additionally, i also don't feel crazy about the lack of silicon in natural products. i know it's not the best thing for your skin, but it makes such a difference when it comes to application. however, the only foundation i'd ever use which falls into that sort of thing is by no 7 - and so i thought a review might be useful for others who might be hesitant about using more mineral products. if you have a lot of pigmentation, scarring or acne then i wouldn't bother with this as it is extremely sheer and has very light coverage - i couldn't ever imagine it covering flaws the same way mac studio fix fluid does. it's also not very long-lasting either, which makes it hard for me to justify its £13.50 price tag. i know, i know... i'm probably not selling it well. but - THERE IS A BUT - it is so hydrating and lovely if you have dry skin. it feels so light and makes your skin feel silky smooth, and is therefore my to-go product during the cold winter months.

that's right: winter months. it is now august. i would fall on my knees and plead with england to give me a singular ray of sunshine but i am going on holiday this week and so a breakdown has been averted...

face: no 7 essentially natural foundation (light beige).
eyes: lancome l'extreme mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop blush (neon rose).
lips: max factor (chili).

meeting with an ambassador.

shoes - topshop, dress - luella, brooch - chanel.