Mac: Heavenly Creatures Collection

Mac's beautiful out-of-this-world  Heavenly Creatures Collection, inspired by outer space, hits the shops this month, and having seen these stunning promotional pictures, I have to admit I'm really excited about it.  Why not explore a galaxy far, far away with stunning Mineralise Skinfinishes and eyeshadows, and let the marbled blushes and bronzers take you on a tour of the solar system? Sounds good to me.

Mac says: Discover a whole new, gorgeous galaxy of supernova shades. On the surface they look marbleized, but on the skin they blend for stunning celestial effects. The M·A·C Heavenly Creature colour collection features 4 Mineralize Skinfinishes and 4 Mineralize Blushes, orbited by 5 Lipsticks and 5 Cremesheen Glass.

Mineralise Skinfinish

• Earthshine: Tarnished bronze with gold pearl and pink reflects
• Star Wonder: Plummy-pink with multi-dimensional pearl
• Light Year: Pinky-peach with gold shimmer
• Centre Of The Universe: Coral with gold shimmer.

Mineralize Blush

• Stratus: Amethyst and gold brown melange (frost)
• Solar Ray: Peach and gold melange (frost)
• Ring of Saturn: Terracotta and gold melange (frost)
• Supernova: Magenta and burnished gold melange (frost)

Mineralise Eyeshadow

• Aurora: Peach, green, brown melange
• Bright Moon: Grey, silver, icy-green melange
• Earthly: Beige, peach, cool brown melange
• Invincible Light: Icy white, lavender, warm gold melange
• Magnetic Attraction: Orange, pink, gold melange
• Neo Nebula: Cream, warm amethyst, warm pink melange
• Sky: green-gold, turquoise, cobalt melange
• Universal Appeal: Gold, bronze, violet melange
• Water: Yellow, lime green, blue melange

Skincare

• Mineralize Charged Water Cleanser
• Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream

Lipsticks

• Pleasure-seeker: Creamy peach (Glaze)
• Venus: Sheer yellow pink with pearlised pigments (Lustre)
• Cusp of Dawn: Beige Pink (Lustre)
• Cut A Caper: Mid-tone peach pink (Lustre)
• Fire Sign: Red pink (Lustre)

Cremesheen Glass

• Astral: Bright yellow pink
• Celestial Kiss: Pale cool peach
• Galaxy Rose: Mid-tone violet pink
• Meteoric: Mid-tone vibrant coral
• Strictly Plutonic: Mid-tone pink brown

Personally, I'm pretty blown away by the gorgeous selection of marbleized eyeshadows. I'm not usually one for purchasing individual eyeshadows, as I find that I am too indecisive and am constantly changing my mind about what shades I want to wear, plus I like to have palettes of complementary shades as I just find it a lot more practical when it comes to application. But I'm definitely willing to make an exception for these little beauties, particularly Earthly, Invincible Light and Magnetic Attraction.

But what has really drawn me into this collection is undoubtedly the beautiful selection of blushes and skinfinishes. While I have found myself wearing eyeshadow less and less over the past few years, mostly saving it for nights out and special occasions,  blushes and bronzers are way up there on my most used makeuo products, and I just can't seem to get enough of them. Mac has become a particular favourite of mine for these, and I would happily snap up every last one of their skinfinishes, including these four gorgeous offerings. In terms of the blushes, they all look hugely appealing, but due to the marble-effect, I'm unsure which of these would be up my street as I'd need to swatch them to be able to decide. Luckily, I won't have to wait long to do so, so I will certainly keep you updated on which of these treasures come home with me!

I must admit, I'm not hugely excited by the lipsticks or glosses. I'm a huge fan of Mac lipsticks, but nothing about this little lot particularly jumps out at me, and none of the shades seem to be anything hugely different from those available in the main range.

I'm quite intrigued by the skincare range though, as I have never tried anythng of that sort from Mac. I don't think I'll be purchasing any at the moment, however, as I have just ordered some Caudalie products to try out, as well as still having my trusty Liz Earle favourites, which I use every day.

Does anything catch your eye from this collection? If so, which pieces do you think will end up sneaking their way into  your shopping bag when you're not looking?

Hope everyone has enjoyed their Saturday!

xx

Mac: Hey, Sailor!

     Drumroll, please!!                     

Presenting Mac's new 'Hey, Sailor' collection, due out at the end of May! 

I am so excited about this little lot!

The whole collection is nautical-themed, from the packaging right down to the product names, and I already know that I'm going to be dying to get my hands on more than just a few of these gorgeous offerings.

So, without further ado, here is the collection, in full:

Nail lacquers in Gold Knot, Touch of Red and Vestral White 

Sun Tint SPF20 Liquid Lip Balms in Abalone, Rose Au and Sea Mist 

Lipsticks in Red Racer (bright red), Sail la Vie (bright orange), Salute! (peach) and To Catch a Sailor (frosted tan)

Lipglass in Blessedly (pale coral), Cut Loose (white gold), Orange Tempera (pale peach), Riviera Life (tangerine) and Send Me Sailing (bright red).

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Saunter, Shore Leave and Throw Me a Line

Eyeshadow in Barefoot, Crystal Avalanche, Feeling Fresh, Jaunty and Nautical

 Highlighter Powder in Crew (peach with shimmer)

Bronzer in Soft Sand (golden bronze) and Refined Golden (gold with pearl)

Powder Blush in Launch Away! (peach) and Fleet Fast (pinky coral)

Pigment in Old Gold and Naval Blue

Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Blue Stripe, Emerald Sea and Handforged

And there you have it!

On my must-have list are definitely the highlighting powder, both shades of blush, the Powepoint Eye Pencil in  Blue Stripe, the Pigment in Old Gold, Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Shore Leave, allllll the nail lacquers, alllll the lipsticks.....and that's having whittled it down to the absolute essentials! Haha.

What do you think of the Hey, Sailor! Collection? Is it your cup of tea? Which of these beautiful treats are you itching to get hold of?

Hope everyone has had the most fabulous weekend!

Mel

xx

Most Wanted

There are so many products on my beauty hit-list right now, it seems that every time I get my hands on something I want, a better or more innovative one comes along and so my list never seems to get any shorter! I am always eager to try new things, and I think I definitely do fall into the trap of trying to find the perfect everything, which is proving to be a never-ending search! 

Of course, I do have my favourites which I keep coming back to, and equally, there are a select few items which have been topping my list for a while now, so here they are.

Topshop Lips in 'Brighton Rock'

I am really enjoying the Topshop Lips products at the moment. I already own 'Infrared' and 'All About Me', and I find myself pretty much living in them. I'm keen to add to my collection and have got my eye on probably most of the shades available, but this one is really floating my boat at the moment and I cannot wait to try it!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallette

I have been dying to get my hands on this pallette for a while now but never seem to have the money spare, which frankly is ridiculous, because if you added up the cost of all the smaller bits I buy then I probably could have bought it a few times over! I loved the original Naked pallette, but this one seems to have gone one better as there are several gorgeous, rich metallic shades in there along with a selection of very wearable nudes. I don't think this choice really needs much justification as it's been big news in beauty land for a while now.

Do any of you have it? If so, which of the two Naked pallettes do you prefer?

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint in shade 'Beige 02'

I was sent a free sample of this when I purchased my Liz Earle skincare products from the website, and I fell in love with it the moment I applied it. It gave my skin a gorgeous, dewy glow and made me look really healthy and alive, and that's saying a lot for a tinted moisturiser. Personally, I have never found one before that I felt comfortable in as, despite having generally good skin, I generally prefer something that provides slightly more coverage to even out my skin tone. 

Nars Orgasm Blush and Laguna Bronzer Duo

This blush is a cult classic and after testing it, I can certainly see why.

This duo is a genious idea, allowing you to try two of Nars's best sellers in one go. Being quite pale, I am keen to try out the bronzer and I am hoping that the two together will prove to be the perfect pair.

Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick in 'Impassioned'

Once again, loving bright lipstick shades at the moment. I have always been one to concentrate more on my eyes when it comes to makeup, so I have often left my lips bare. I'm not a huge fan of gloss as I can't stand it when strands of hair get stuck to my lips on a windy day! Haha. Now that I've started experimenting a bit more with lipsticks, it's like a whole new world has opened up to me and I just can't get enough! I never used to see the point in nudes but have recently been discovering the benefits of them, too, so anything lippy is on my list at the moment!

Illamasqua nail varnishes in 'Blow', 'Wink', 'Nudge', 'Caress' and 'Nomad' (£13.50 each)

I'm eager to update my nail polish collection for Spring and I adore all the new pastel clothes that are all over the shops at the moment. However, I haven't actually seen that many pastel polish shades, until I came across these little beauts, and I think they are the perfect way to wear pastel if you don't want to go the whole hog with your outfit or feel that your skin tone generally benefits from stronger colours. Love.

They are a little pricier than I would like to spend on nail products though, so I will definitely be shopping around to see if I can find any dupes. For me, it's not a huge deal if they don't last long on my nails as I get bored quite quickly anyway!

It's actually going to be my birthday tomorrow, but sadly, I am not expecting to receive any of these goodies as I am currently over in Brazil and such products are RIDICULOUSLY expensive over here! I can't say I am too thrilled about the fact that I am going to be the grand old age of twenty-six, as this means that I will now be considered to be in my 'late' twenties. Next stop, thirty!!! Scary stuff. But in all seriousness, the alternative to getting older is not really one any of us want to have to face, so here's to being one year older!

What's on your beauty hit list at the moment? Have you tried any of these products? Would love to hear what you think.
                                                                       xx

What's in My Makeup Bag?

Benefit Erase Paste in no.2 (medium)

Mac Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 in shade NW30

L'oreal Glam Bronze powder in Blonde Harmony

L'oreal Glam Bronze Sun Radiance Trio in Blondes

Mac Mineralise Blush in Gleeful

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes in brown

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle

Collection (formerly Collection 2000) Lasting Colour Lipstick in Sweet Tart (8)

No.7 Wild Volume Lipstick in Ruby Glow

I have splurged a bit on makeup recently as I was starting to run out of so many products. I'm also the sort of person that gets bored quite easily, so by the time I've finished a foundation, I'll be on the hunt for a new one. Sometimes I do end up going back to the originals, but I really enjoy experimenting in between!

I am really loving lip products at the moment, and have bought so many lipsticks in the last month! I think I've picked up around eleven, but the four I use the most are the two I have included here, along with Topshop Lips in Infrared and Mac Amplified Creme in Vegas Volt, both of which I have talked about in recent posts.

Also LOVING the Benefit Erase Paste concealer. It's ridiculously pricey for such a small pot, but I decided to give it a try after reading about it on Zoella. I suffer from dark circles under my eyes most mornings, but this little gem does exactly what it says on the pot! Well worth the £18.50 I paid for it......it could be a bit cheaper though, couldn't it!?

In other news, my man and I have decided to move house! Our apartment is huge, with three bedrooms and bathrooms, and we were really lucky to find it at such a low price, but unfortunately, the size of it means that it's a nightmare to keep clean! It's also quite old, so we've decided we want to move to a newer and smaller place and make it really nice and homely. Let the house hunting commence!

If you would like to see any reviews of the products currently gracing my makeup bag then please say so in the comments below!

What's in your makeup bag at the moment?

Friday Favourites

I know, I know, it's Saturday! Sorry to be posting this a day late, but things have been really hectic what with Easter and family visiting! Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend!

The aim of Friday Favourites is to share, unsurprisingly, a few of my favourite beauty products and fashion items of the moment, so here goes.

MAC Amplified Creme lipstick in Vegas Volt, £13.50

I absolutely love this lipstick and just cannot stop wearing it at the moment! It's a gorgeous, creamy orange-coral and is another great shade for spring/summer. It's buildable, so you can achieve a gorgeous opaque finish, or you can apply a light layer and rub it in to your lips for a more subtle stain.

Love it!

Miss Selfridge Petites floral print playsuit, £37

My favourite Spring purchase so far, this playsuit is a really flattering cut, and I was thrilled to find it in the petites section as I'm a shortie. I usually find it hard to find dresses and playsuits in the right length for me, and most shops only have a very limited selection of items in their Petites range. I love the pastel colours of this one and will be wearing it dressed down with sandals and a skinny tan belt on hot summer days, and styling it up with a cropped blazer, heels and gold jewellery for nights out. If you want to see how I'm wearing it, I will be doing an OOTD post on it by the end of next week (camera permitting. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am currently having some issues with mine).

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail varnish in Red Tango,  £1.99, Superdrug

I didn't expect much of this cheap and cheerful nail varnish when I picked it up, at least not in terms of quality, but the bright, zingy colour was irresistible. Can you tell by now that I have a bit of a thing for orange-corals!?

Actually, these little polishes come with a graduated-tip brush, and the curved shape makes it extremely easy to paint your nails. Two coats and you are good to go.

I am also loving the gorgeous, shimmery pastel green shade (second from left), but sadly I don't know the name as it doesn't say on the bottle, and I can't find it anywhere online.

I really like the Miss Sporty colours, but I will say that they are not the most long-wearing of polishes, so are best for a quick fix.

Coral Crepe Shorts, £29, Miss Selfridge

Ok, I think my obsession with coral might be getting slightly out of hand! I didn't actually realise, until I started writing this post, that I had a running theme on the go!

But anyway, I recently picked up these shorts and they are a godsend for holidays as the material is really thin (yet not transparent, so don't worry about VPL!) and floaty, and airy. They are great with a plain white vest, and sandals for a casual daytime look. Day and night outfits post coming soon.

So that's it for the first installment of Friday Favourites! I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I'm loving at the moment.

Do you own, or have you at some point tried any of the items above? 

What did you think of them?

What are your current favourites?

xx