High-end Make up Wishlist

Good Morning Everyone!

Such a gorgeous, sunny morning we have today! Bright mornings like this one always make me want to dress pretty and do my makeup very nicely, hence why I thought I'd share with you all my recent beauty wishlist!

MAC Lipstick in shade Russian Red

MAC Studio Fix Face and Body Foundatin 120ml in shade

MAC Concealer Palette in shade Light

MAC Cream Colour Base in shade Bronze

MAC Cream Colour Base pan in shade Pearl

MAC Studio Fix Powder and Foundation in shade NW10

MAC Nail Polish in Quiet Time

MAC eyeshadow pan in shade Print

MAC eyeshadow pan in shade Black Tied

MAC paint pot in shade Indianwood

MAC paint pot in shade Camel Coat

MAC paint pot in shade Painterly

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

NARS Blusher is shade Super Orgasm

NARS Illuminator in shade Laguna

CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine in Shipshape

CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine in Mighty

CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine in Energy

CHANEL Illusion D'ombre in Moonlight Pink

CHANEL Les Beiges Foundation

CHANEL Sun kiss Ribbon Blush

CHANEL Infinment Illuminating Powder

Benefit Rollerlash Mascara - either one of the two

Benefit 'That Gal' Primer

Benefit What's Upp Highlighter

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Benefit Porefessional Blotting Sheets

Benefit Porefessional Blotting Stick

Benefit Porefessional Shine Control Powder

Benefit Porefessional Mattiying Gel

Benefit Dandelion Dew Liquid Blush

Benefit Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter

Benefit Dew the Hoola Liquid Bronzer

Benefit Hoola Body Bronzer

Benefit Life of the Party Kit

Benefit Maybe Baby "Baby Be Mine" Body Set

Benefit Blusher in Coralista

Are any of these products on your wishlist? Have you tried any of them already?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

BEAUTY || FACE OF THE DAY USING LUXURY AND DRUGSTORE PRODUCTS

Today I wanted to share with you my top beauty products for an every-day look. They are mostly high-end products, however, they can be easily replaced by more affordable alternatives on the high street.

I never thought that I'd find a primer that's nearly half as good as Benefit's Porefessional, however, the Clinique's colour correcting super primer is amazing. It glides onto my face making it look and feel velvet smooth and on top of that it tones down the redness of my cheeks. It's a perfect base for anyone who suffers from rosacea or any type of redness on their face.

The next product which I am obsessed with is the Esteé Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover foundation in shade 'Creamy Vanilla'. The current price of this product is £29.50 from what I can remember, but I have actually bought it for just under £15 on feelunique.com back in March when it was on offer. It is very thick and creamy in consistency but very easy to blend. You also don't need a lot of product for your whole face which is always a plus as it will last you longer. The only downside of this product is that it doesn't come in a lot of shades and the one that I use is the lightest shade that I usually wear when I fake tan or mix it with another product.

MAC's Studio Fix seems to be everyone's favourite foundation, however, I am not the biggest fan of it myself. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good foundation and it is affordable as it can last up to a year for only £21.50 that's only £1.80 per month, however, I find it too mattifying and drying for my skin type. BUT when I mix it with my Esteé Lauder foundation to create a lighter shade it works perfectly well and gives my skin a flawless finish. This way my face doesn't appear dry nor oily. I use the shade NW10 which I find slightly too pale for myself, however last time I purchased the NW15 and that was too warm for my skin tone! Maybe next time I will try the NW13 or continue to mix two shades together.

After applying the base I set it with a Chanel loose powder for extra coverage and to make my make-up last longer. I swear by this product and it lasts forever, I have over half of it left and I've already had it for over a year. I'd love to recommend this product to you all but sadly it was a limited edition item and is no longer available to buy.

So, the next step I applied my Bourjois bronzer. Loads of people boast about this product saying how good it is - I won't disagree with them as I do really like it but I wouldn't call it my favourite just yet (I haven't found my favourite bronzer yet, so if you have any suggestions please note them in the comment section below!). I usually apply bronzer under my cheek bones to make them look slimmer and when I've acquired my desired look I then apply some bronzer to the sides of my forehead to further contour my face. I then apply my favourite highlighter to the apple of my cheeks for a nice natural glow.  The product I have used to highlight is by MUA and I think the shade is called 'Iridescent Glow'.

For my eye look, I used MAC's Brûlée, Era and Naked Lunch. Firstly, I applied Brûlée across my eyelid and under my brow, then I blended in Era in my crease to add a bit of colour to my eyes. Era is an earthy brown shade which makes blue eyes pop out more, hence why it's one of my favourite colours! After I've blended in Era with Brûlée in my crease, I applied Naked Lunch across the to give my shadow that extra shimmer and make it look more glamorous! This is definitely one of my favourite looks to do as it is super simple and only takes a couple of minutes.

Of course for my eyebrows, I used one of my favourite compacts from Benefit. I have been using this product for nearly two years now and I still have plenty left. It is one of the best beauty purchases I have made and I must say that Benefit have smashed it with this product! I have tried a few different types of brow powders, but this one is my ultimate favourite.

I received a sample of MAC's new mascara with my recent order and I am in love with it! It's the False Lash Mascara in Extreme Black (Sadly it is not discontinued). It covers my lashes perfectly well, and as most of you know I have really fair lashes so it makes my eyes look bigger and there's no need for falsies as you can actually see the definition on my real lashes which look super long and thick! When I went into MAC's pro store in Nottingham last week to pick up a few things, the full-size mascara was on my list and I was very upset to find out that it was out of stock! :( To add more volume I applied a coat of Zoom Lash (also by MAC) which I wasn't so keen on when I first got it but it's grown on me a bit now.

I don't really like this eyeliner but it was the only one I had at the time - it's the Loreal's Super Liner Blackbuster. The brush applicator is too thick to handle with ease, which makes it harder to draw flicks to suit my eye shape. However, it's a good product but not my favourite. It's long-lasting, so would be perfect if it had a slimmer applicator.

For my lips, I used MAC's Cremesheen lip liner in shade 80% (discontinued) and Brave lipstick on top for an ombré nude lip. This is my favourite lip look which I find looks really good with most eye looks. I recommend this combo to everyone who loves a 90's lip - a darker liner with a pale middle. 

Do you own any of these products? What is your daily go-to makeup look?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || W7 Absolute Lash Mascara

Hey guys!

How is everyone? This week has been taking its toll on me due to excessive amounts of coursework and revision for my mock exams which are next week. I am so stressed out! But what's better to cheer me up than find this amazing beauty product from W7 for only £2.49 from my local BOYES store (It is around £8 on W7's website)?

I've never heard of this mascara until I saw it in the shop, and of course I had to buy it, not just because it looks exactly like Benefit's They're Real mascara but mainly because of the price!

So as you can see, this mascara looks identical to the Benefit's one besides the fact that it is called Absolute Lashes. I would say this mascara is an amazing dupe, even better than the one you can buy on eBay which actually has the same packaging as They're real.

Here is a picture of the mascara's wand. As you can see (if you own They're Real) it looks identical to the original. It's very easy to apply onto your lashes and covers them fully from the root with just one layer. I have really fair lashes and would say that this is one of the best mascaras I've ever used.

Here's a close up of the wand, and you can see that the bristles are made out of rubber for easier application, however they aren't too stiff so it doesn't irritate the eye.

This picture shows the finished look on my lashes. I have used 2 coats and you cannot see any blonde, yay! This mascara is truly amazing, so easy to apply and oh so affordable! I suggest all you Benebabes go and try this mascara and see for yourselves! Should you splash out on They're Real or save money on Absolute Lashes? The decision is yours! 

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || BATTLE OF THE PRIMERS - MAC SKIN BASE VISAGE VS BENEFIT POREFESSIONAL VS THE BODY SHOP INSTABLUR

One of the most frequently asked questions is 'how to get flawless skin?'. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have the answer to your question - PRIMER. Even the best foundation won't give you the same effect as it would with the use of a good primer. In this post, I will talk about three top-rated primers and what I really think about them.

Benefit Porefessional Primer Review:

First, we've got Benefit's POREfessional which was my very first primer ever. It is rated No. 1 best selling primer in the UK! So I bet all of you are thinking - is it really that good? I must have it! Let's take a look at the packaging of the product. It is in a form of a long slim tube which is easy to squeeze out. It feels like silicone when you touch it (the packaging) and is also soft when you bend it to get the product out. 

On the front of the product, it tells you what it is and what it's used for. Best way to apply this product is to use it on top of your moisturiser but only on the t-zone unless you are going for the more-than-flawless look. It definitely can dry the skin out so I'd say avoid putting too much on as a little goes a long way.

Few of the advantages of this product are that it is very silky and lightweight when you put it on. Your skin will feel very smooth and velvety in touch. This is literally the best feeling in the world, it's like stroking a puppy for the first time! It is also oil-free which means that it will reduce the appearance of oily skin and give you a smooth effect without the shine.

The instructions that come with this product are written in a few languages, which will make this a great gift for someone that lives overseas or doesn't understand English. The product itself is very soft and silky in touch and easy to apply. Just make sure that you moisturise your face and let it dry before you apply any sort of primer on your face.

As you can see it is a beige colour, however, it applies without colour on your face and doesn't seem to leave a white cast on darker skin tones either. It smoothes out pores, fine lines and wrinkles and leaves a protective, soft in touch layer on top of your skin so the foundation stays on for longer and doesn't clog up your pores. I do find that this primer works best with a satin-finish foundation.

This is by far my favourite primer and sadly I have run out of the big tube and will definitely repurchase it around Christmas time or maybe for my birthday as a little treat!

Overall rating: 9/10

You can buy this product for £29 here or the bigger size for £47 here.

MAC Skin Base Visage Review:

Next, we have MAC's Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage. I have heard many good things about this primer and have always wanted to try it out for myself and see if it's worth the hype or not. The packaging of this primer is very elegant and looks rather luxurious. The bottle is shiny and silky in touch which gives it the proper catwalk-product effect. Very simplistic design, yet super effecting. I think that it appeals to make-up geeks such as myself as it just looks so sophisticated.

Little info on what the product is and how to use it, just like the Benefit primer, it's also written in other languages. It is advised to use this product up within 6 months of the day you opened it, however, the Benefit primer lasts for up to 12 months which might be the better option if you don't wear makeup every day and are looking for products with a longer shelf life.

This primer is very luminous, it shines from left to right as if to wake your face up and give it a natural glow. The consistency is very similar to a face cream which makes it a lot easier to apply the product and spread it out evenly. You can also use this product without a moisturiser as it calms and soothes the skin while blotting out redness and oil leaving the skin shine-free but with a natural radiance. So this is a multi-tasking skincare primer that'll make a good primer for normal skin types that are lacking a bit of glow. I would highly recommend to never replace a moisturiser with a 2 in 1 product though!

Overall rating: 8/10

You can buy this product for £24 here.

The Body Shop InstaBlur Primer Review:

As you can already probably see, this is an obvious dupe of Benefit's POREfessional. The packaging looks similar and even the shape of the packaging is the same. The packaging feels really soft to the touch but matte at the same time, it almost feels like the anti-slip grip on slipper socks! It is called the 5-action perfector, we shall see if it's really that good...

The all-in-one slogan states that the product controls shine, reduces the appearance of pores, conceals blemishes, unifies complexions and extends make-up wear. Sounds pretty perfect for anyone who gets super shiny and has blemishes, right?

This is an actual translucent primer, so it should suit all skin tones and types unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients then obviously stay away or try a sample of it first. Unlike Benefit and MAC, this primer's shelf life is 24 months from the day you open it, so even if you don't use it every day you don't have to worry about it expiring after a few months which is a win-win situation yay!

As you can see the primer' consistency looks a bit curdled. It comes out in chunks and won't come out of the tube easily so you have to squeeze it out quite hard but carefully so just enough product comes out but not too much. This primer feels like pure velvet in touch, it is very similar to the POREfessional in the way it feels on the skin and smells divine! I think this might not be the best choice for you if you have sensitive skin as it might be perfumed.

Once you start applying the product you will notice that it creates a thick-ish layer over your skin which might feel slightly cakey on the skin. I would suggest spreading the product out thinly so it doesn't give you the cakey feeling.

After applying the primer in circular motions I noticed that it smoothed out my pores very well, but left my skin feeling a bit heavy. I am not the biggest fan of this product as it does rub off quite easily, but who knows it might be just because my skin type is so awkward that it only agrees with certain products?

Overall rating: 6/10

You can buy this product for £15 here.

Have you tried any of these primers in the past? If so, what was your opinion?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || Benefit Hello Flawless powder

Hey guys,

As most of you already know, I'm a big fan of Benefit cosmetics, ant it hurts me to say that I was very, very disappointed with this product. I bought Hello Flawless powder in the shade ivory "I love me" back in January and I was very excited to try this product.
The staff who helped me with my order was very lovely, they even offered for me to apply this products before the purchase to see if I like it. Overall experience with visiting the Benefit counter at Boots was amazing, as always. However, this post is about the product, not the shopping experience.

As you can all see, the packaging is really unique, and rather modern. It's cute and girly, and the metallic effect makes it look like a mirror. It isn't too big so you can just chuck it in your handbag and carry it around to reapply during the day. I would say that the packaging is a very solid 9/10. Who doesn't love Benefits packaging? All products deserve a round of applause for looking extra high end and girly.

I know I should have taken pictures before I started using this product, but I din't know I was going to use it up so fast! This is what the powder looks like on the inside. It has a compact mirror already built in, which makes it even better as you don't have to carry a spare mirror with you whenever you go out. 

This is the second section in this product, which holds a sponge applicator and a face brush. This is truly the ultimate powder which every girl dreams of having! A 3 in 1 to be exact!

This is the back of the product, showing information about the shade and mass.

And last but not least, a photograph of the product swatched on my hand. I didn't rub it in properly so you could see the texture of the powder. It is velvet-smooth and very light in touch.

Now, here we get to the important part of the review. As you can see in the pictures above, I have used nearly all of the product up and there isn't much I can do with the rest of it as it's placed around the edges. The shocking part is that I only had this product for around a month or two. Usually a powder lasts me for at least 3 months, but I used this one up much faster than any other. The most disappointing thing about this product was that it wore out far too quickly and I had to reapply it at least 3 times a day to keep my face shine-free. I will definitely never buy this product again, unless Benefit improved it's use. The product itself does not deserve higher than 4/10 :(

I hope this post helps anyone who's unsure about buying this product! If you have any questions then don't be shy and drop a comment below :) See you soon lovelies!!

Lots of love,

Maya xo