NYX Haul: First Impressions

NYX has been a popular brand amongst American Youtubers and Bloggers so when I heard that a concession was opening up in Boots, I was very excited. I love finding new brands and testing out their makeup. I was originally only going to pick up one of the Lingerie lipsticks but I ended up getting a few bits more - I couldn't resist. The prices were really good so it was hard not to buy more. Another great thing about NYX, is that it's cruelty free!! If you read my blog, you know I'm all about cruelty free beauty so I was really happy when I saw the words on the packaging.

The first and most exciting hyped up item I got was the Lingerie lipstick in the shade 'Corset'. I also got a matching lipliner which was in the shade 'Nude Suede Shoes'. I especially love the formulation of this lipstick because it's not as dry as a liquid lipstick but it's still matte. The colour is really neutral with a tint of mauve so it looks great with any makeup look. I can't wait to get more of these lipsticks because I really love them.

Next is the XXL Lush Lashes Mascara. There were so many mascaras to choose from at NYX but I ended up going for this one because I liked the brush. You can't really see but it's really chunky and has a ball shape at the end for your lower lashes. It's great for adding both volume and length.

The only thing I wasn't really impressed with was this HD Studio Finishing Powder. It's more like talc rather than a powder so as soon as you put it on your brush, it's so light that it flies away. I wanted to get this for baking my makeup but I can't get it to stay on a brush let alone my face. I wouldn't recommend this product.

Next is the HD concealer in the shade 02 - I usually get the lightest shade but it was out of stock and I really needed some concealer. This concealer is pretty good and application is easy which I like. I've found it great for covering up blemishes. It's good for lightening under the eyes but sometime's I find it's too dry to do that. I'd still recommend it for covering any blemishes.

Like the mascaras, there were a lot of brow products to choose from, too. I spent ages looking at them but I chose this 'Micro Brow Pencil' one in the end as it came with a spooly brush and it was nice and compact for travelling. I got this in the shade chocolate. I really enjoy this brow pencil even though I'm used to using powders or wax. It gives a nice natural brow which is good for a simple, daytime look.

Finally is this gorgeous eyeshadow in the shade 'Showgirl'. I don't know what possessed me to buy another copper eyeshadow as I already have hundreds, but I did. It's a really pigmented colour and it's great for a copper smoky eye. I can't say too much about it as it's just a simple eyeshadow, but I really love it and I'm excited to use it.

So that's what I bought from NYX. What do you think of their products?

Jordan x 

Urban Decay Alice In Wonderland Palette Review

Hi everyone, so today, as the title suggests, I'm reviewing the highly anticipated Alice In Wonderland Palette by Urban Decay. It's been sought after by makeup lovers everywhere for its unique design and bold colours - but is it as good as it's been made out to be?

So inside the mystical box is a mirror and an opening which reveals a butterfly - a nice touch but to be honest, I find it takes up a lot of space and would just prefer to open the doors to the eyeshadow. The makeup actually slides out the bottom and 20 pans are revealed. There's an eclectic range of colours to choose from: ranging from magenta to teal. There's a strong mix of matte and shimmer eyeshadows.

The palette comes with the signature Urban Decay double ended brush - one side for the crease and/or blending, and one for inner corners and highlighting under the brow. Both brushes have impressed me so far and the bristles are nice and soft.

Starting with the first half of the colours - these are the ones I've been wearing the least. However, I really love 'Lily' because you think it'll be a shimmery, white colour to highlight with but it's actually got pink undertones and it's quite nice to use in your inner corners. I was really disappointed with 'Dream On' because it looks so amazing and pigmented in the pan but as you can see by the swatch - it's not. I've also been using reflection and duchess which are a lot more pigmented when on the eye.

These are the colours I can talk about a lot more as I've been using them to death. I love orange's so 'Paradox' is a dream. There's also so many brown shades to choose from so I haven't been short of choices for my crease. My favourite colour out of this palette is 'Salazen Grum' which is a gorgeous pink/red toned shimmery eyeshadow. It's so gorgeous and pigmented on. I wear this shade most days and I like to pair it with either 'Royal Flush' or 'Lily' in my inner corners. 

I was going to get some snaps of some looks using this palette but my camera just isn't high quality enough for it so instead here's some looks I've found on Pinterest which you can recreate:

Overall I'd rate this palette a 9/10. I love the colours and the application. It's also good value for money considering you get 20 colours - more than usual from Urban Decay. However, the size of it is a little inconvenient as it doesn't fit in any sort of makeup bag and you have to carry it separately which is quite annoying.

The palette is currently sold out online but check your local Urban Decay for stock!

Thanks for reading, 

What do you think of this palette?

Jordan x 

Mini Spring Beauty Haul

Once again, I've been buying makeup but it was just too hard to resist! I picked up most of these things from Beautybay, which is a site I really recommend. It's the best place to find new brands. So, of course, I needed to add to my ever growing collection and so I picked up a few more bits and bobs.

The first thing I got was this Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in the shade 1995. This is one of their most popular shades and is often referred to as the 'Kylie Jenner' lipstick. I love GC lipsticks because of their amazing texture and colours. Definitely a better, cruelty-free alternative to Mac. This colour is a bit darker to what I'd usually go for but I'm excited to try it. 

The next thing, also from Gerard Cosmetics is this matte liquid lipstick in the shade Iced Mocha. I'm obsessed with matte liquid lipsticks at the minute. The colour is so amazing and it stays on all day. One thing though, with any of these lipsticks, is that they dry your lips out so make sure to wear lip balm underneath.

To go with my new lipsticks, I got the Jane Iredale lipliner in the shade Spice. This is a perfect every day lipliner and goes well with most neutral shades. It's pretty much the same colour as my actual lips so I can overline them without them looking fake. 

Finally, from Beautybay, I got the pro beauty blender but I forgot to take a picture. This is a very pricey sponge compared to high street dupes but it is the best sponge I've ever used and I've tried quite a lot! It's definitely worth the money. It's so soft and it blends your makeup out so nice and evenly. I definitely recommend it. 

The last thing is from Kiko and it's the matte fusion pressed powder in the shade 04 (this is actually the lightest). This is a great powder for every day use. I only use powder over my concealer to set it as I have quite dry skin so any powder tends to dry it out. Nevertheless, it's amazing for keeping your makeup in place and it's also really good at covering up blemishes.

Have you tried any of these products?

Let me know!

Jordan x

BeautyBay.com Wishlist

Recently I've been so so obsessed with makeup and I've just bought some amazing stuff from beautybay.com (post coming soon!). Since then, I've found myself continuously browsing the website for new makeup. They have so many brands so that you can find new, amazing makeup. Without further adieu, here's my beautybay wishlist:

Beauty product
beautybay.com

Eyeshadow
beautybay.com

Makeup
beautybay.com

Makeup
beautybay.com

Makeup
beautybay.com

Long wear lipstick
beautybay.com

Eye makeup
beautybay.com

Lipstick
beautybay.com

Lip pencil
beautybay.com

Morphe Brushes 35T 35 Color Taupe Palette
beautybay.com

Stila
beautybay.com



Jordan x 

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation First Impressions

Hi lovelies! I've been moving house the past few weeks so that's why I've been so inactive on the blog but this is my first blog from my new house! Today I want to tell you about the Make Up Forever Ultra HD foundation which I've just bought. Carry on reading to find out what I think!

Make Up For Ever has always been such a popular brand especially in America and I always see US Youtubers and bloggers using it so I though I'd give it a try since I was in desperate need of a new foundation anyways (I've been using samples for the past 2 weeks oops). I ordered this foundation from Debenhams for £29 and I got it in the shade marble. I found my colour using an amazing site called matchmymakeup.com where you enter your current foundation and shade, and it gives you your colour match in a range of other foundations!

The colour marble is similar to: Mac NC15 (slightly lighter), Estée Lauder ecru and Urban Decay 2.0.

This is probably one of my favourite foundations. Although it's more on the pricy end, it's definitely worth it. It's such a smooth and light foundation but it gives maximum coverage whilst still looking natural and flawless. Unlike Mac, it's not cakey and it doesn't dry your skin out. I've also found that this foundation is the colour which matches my skin best and doesn't leave me with awful lines.

Also, when using the foundation, I've found that applying and blending concealer and contour is a lot easier and looks more flawless - I'm not sure how but it really does.

In conclusion, I'd rate this foundation a solid 9/10. It's great coverage, great colour and feels great on the skin.

Buy it here!

Jordan x

January Beauty Haul

Over the past few weeks, I've been stocking up on some makeup bits and bobs as everything had been running low and I was getting bored (shock). So I bought some lovely new things and I got some for Christmas too. So, here's what I got!

Morphe Contour Brushes

I was in need for some new brushes for my face so I picked these contour brushes so I could sculpt my face more precisely. I also needed them for my next purchase....

Buy them here

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

I already had the cream contour set so of course I needed the powder set to go with it. This kit works perfectly with the brushes to create that perfect Kim K look.

Buy it here

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter 

My boyfriend was kind enough to treat me to this for Christmas. I'd wanted it for ages after trying it at my friend's house. I love this highlighter. It gives me just the right amount of highlight and it's the perfect shade and not glittery like some are.

Buy it here

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Recently, I've stopped using Mac makeup, even though it was my favourite brand as I wanted to make the switch to cruelty free makeup. I didn't feel right using products knowing they'd been tested on animals and it was completely against what I stand for. So, I picked this Urban Decay foundation as I'd heard good things and it's cruelty free. It's not as matte as Mac but it still does the job and I really like it. I got this in the shade 2.0

Buy it here

Lush Cream Eyeshadow

This is the shade 'Happiness'. I've always wanted to try out lush makeup but I didn't think it'd be very good. However, I love this cream eyeshadow because it's so pigmented and the perfect copper colour. It's so long-lasting too.
Buy it here

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette

You can never have too many eyeshadow palettes right?? This was another treat from my boyfriend/ I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it because it has such warm and pretty colours. I love creating an orangey/red smokey eye with this palette. Let me know if you'd like to see some looks from this palette!
Buy it here

Lime Crime Venus Palette

I probably didn't need this palette but I fell in love with the shade 'Muse'. I'm addicted to red and orange eyeshadows at the moment, it's becoming a major problem. Everything about this palette is good. 10/10.

Buy it here

Lime Crime Velvetine

Last but not least, is this gorgeous velvetine lipstick in the shade 'Riot'. I'm so glad I discovered limecrime- all their products are vegan and cruelty free. Since I'd thrown out all my Mac lipsticks I needed a new one. My friend recommended this to me and I love it. I love how it stays all day and doesn't move and it's such a gorgeous colour.

Buy it here

Thanks for reading! If you want to see any tutorials or looks, let me know in the comments below.

Jordan x