2 NEW MAC EYESHADOWS

Eyeshadows are my weakness and when it comes to my makeup collection I own quite a few. Although, that didn't stop me ordering two new eyeshadows a couple of weeks ago when MAC were having 20% off online. I have been collecting eyeshadows for my 15 pan palette for what seems like forever and I was down to my last four spaces to fill. I decided to buy two eyeshadows online with the discount and then treat myself to the final two when I'm in store and have all of the gorgeous shades in front of me.  

3 BRANDS I WANT TO TRY MORE FROM

Whilst having a little sort out of my makeup collection, I realised that there are a lot of brands that I still haven't tried any products from. I read reviews on a daily basis of amazing products that I would like to try but I never seem to get round to purchasing them. Here are a few products from 3 brands that I would like to try more from. 

BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION, CONCEALER AND POWDER

I have wanted to try the Bourjois Healthy Mix range for years and after reading and watching countless reviews I have finally bought the foundation, concealer and also the Healthy Balance powder to try too. It was about time I tried something new. 

TOO FACED NATURAL LOVE PALETTE REVIEW

Too Faced Natural Love Palette-£52

Too Faced are known for their amazing products with cute packaging and this palette is no exception. Firstly, it screams Spring as it is covered in little rabbits, butterflies and flowers, some of which are embossed in velvet. I love it, it's pretty, girly and appeals to anyone.

LET'S TALK ABOUT... CONCEALER

Today we are talking concealer and I have not one, not two but three favourites to share. They're all available at Boots or Superdrug which makes them affordable and easy to get hold of if you live in the UK.

NEW BEAUTY BUYS

Who doesn't love shopping? I certainly adore shopping and can happily spend hours swatching and looking at new products and clothes. I've been pretty good until recently and haven't spent my pennies but a trip to London caused a blow out and that calls for a haul post right? 

A FEW FAVOURITES FROM MAC COSMETICS

MAC has to be one of my all time favourite makeup brands. Although it's slightly on the pricier side, the quality is great and many of their products are a firm favourite in my daily makeup routine and makeup collection. 

SUMMER BEAUTY EDIT

Although it has been Summer for a while, I have only just got round to writing this Summer's Beauty Edit. 

CONTOURING EDIT

Contouring may not be the newest trend on the block, but it is still as big as ever in the beauty community. Although I was scared to contour at first, I am finally getting to grips with it. I have found a technique that works for me and doesn't give me the dreaded 'muddy line' (I don't think so anyway...). Recently I have been trying a few products that can be used for contouring which called for a contouring edit. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: LANCÔME JUICY SHAKER

The latest buzz in the beauty bloggersphere has been caused by a new launch from Lancôme. They have created a range of 14 lip oils, varying in scent and colour which give a wash of colour to your lips. Known as the Juicy Shaker, the shade 252 Vanilla Pop* fell through my letterbox and I am in LOVE. 

NEW ADDITIONS: MY MAC PALETTE

There are three new additions to my MAC Pro-pan Eyeshadow palette. MAC eyeshadows are my current weakness and have been for some time. I love the pigmentation and formula of the eyeshadows and they are very easy to work with. When I last wrote a blogpost about my 15 pan palette, it was very popular, and now I only have 4 spaces left in the palette to fill, which is both exciting and daunting. The pro-pan refills are £10 each or £13 for a single eyeshadow.  

A PEEK INSIDE MY MAKEUP BAG

If I'm honest, I don't actually keep my make-up in a 'makeup bag'. Instead, my everyday essentials are kept in a little Muji container in the second draw of my Ikea Alex and then I choose any other products or switch them out from the top drawer. Anyway, for the purpose of this post, I have selected from my vast range of make-up bags, this pretty gold Accessorize one. The Muji container is just like a make-up bag but is much less glamourous. 

EVERYDAY MAC EYESHADOWS

As you will probably know by now, I love eyeshadows. I own way too many palettes, single eyeshadows and quads. Within my eyeshadow stash, which occupies about half of my make-up draws, I have my favourites, one of which are my MAC eyeshadows. I have almost filled my 15 pan palette but within it I have a few favourites which I can see myself re-purchasing for years to come. 

BEAUTY BLOGGER INSPIRED PURCHASES

I often rely on beauty bloggers for their reviews and swatches of a product that I'd like to try. I can browse for hours reading the thoughts of my favourite bloggers before I decide to take the plunge and try it. This usually happens when I'm looking into purchasing a high end make-up product because there is often pressure when you're at a make-up counter and it definitely pays off to have spent some time doing some research. 

MY 2015 BEAUTY FAVOURITES

2015 was a great year for Cupcakes and Candyfloss, we had over 24,000 page views, celebrated it's first birthday and shared many product reviews and tutorials. This year I have tried and tested lots of beauty products, some not so great, but most I have loved and a few have become part of my daily routine. 

The Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation* has to be my all time favourite foundation. The light weight formula makes it wearable for for everyday. It's my go-to foundation for a medium coverage that lasts really well on the skin and it can easily be built up in areas you need extra coverage. I have been wearing it everyday for sixth form over the past few months as I love it and it gives a subtle dewy finish to the skin. 

On the days I have been needing a little more coverage or when I have been filming, I have been using the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation. This is a full coverage, matte foundation that feels lightweight on the skin. 

For the past year I've been following up my foundation by applying some of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on any blemishes or redness that the foundation hasn't covered. I saw on Twitter last week that Collection sells 6 tubes of this every minute in the UK and rightly so because it is a great full coverage concealer for the minimal price. 

The Soap and Glory Solar Powder is great for adding the colour and life back into your skin that you have lost from applying your foundation. I usually apply this with a duo-fibre brush in a three shape, along my temples, underneath my cheekbones and then along my jawline. 

The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are my all time favourite eyeshadow bases as they create a great base for any eyeshadow look. I can't do my eyeshadow without using them. I mostly reach for the shades 'Creamy Beige' and 'Creme De Rose' because they are neutral and add little or no shimmer to the lid. 'Creme De Rose' is a recent edition to my collection but as soon as I tried it, it became a favourite immediately. 

I love wearing eyeshadow but sometimes I don't have the time to be blending 3 different colours into the crease of my eye. On those days, I have been reaching for Mac 'All That Glitters' this is a gorgeous peachy champagne shimmer that looks amazing washed all over the lid and makes my blue eyes pop. You can see me using it in my fresh everyday makeup look here. 

I have been trying out lots of products from Billion Dollar Brows this year and a recent favourite of mine is their Mad About Brows Palette. This contains 4 eyebrow shades, blonde, light brown, taupe and raven-which is a black and also a sculpting wax. I have been applying the sculpting wax onto my brows for the past few months and then the blonde shade using a brow brush. I find this gives me natural and the sculpting wax keeps them in place all day and doesn't make your brows crunchy or waxy.

The Nars Blush 'Orgasm' has been giving a gorgeous glow to my cheeks since April. It's a pretty coral pink shade with golden glitter. Despite the horrible name, this is a wonderful blush shade and is one I reach for if not everyday. 

To add some shimmer to the tops of my cheekbones and the other high points of my face, I have been using the Mac 'Soft and Gentle' Mineralise Skin Finish. It has a very finely milled texture and adds a stunning sheen to your face. 

The Bourjois Colour Boost 'Proudly Naked' has been my favourite lip product without a doubt this year. You all know how scared I am of darker lip colours and therefore this pink-nude shade is just right for me. The formula is glossy, sheer and moisturising-everything I look for in an everyday lip product. 

What are some of your most used products in 2015? 

Lauren

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FESTIVE MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to dig out the festive party essentials. I'm always rotating my make-up bag, and I don't know about you, but there are some products which scream Christmas to me. Here's a round up of a few of my favourites.

Starting with base, the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation is a high coverage foundation and covers any blemishes or redness without giving the dreaded 'mask effect' to your skin. No matter what occasion, this has recently become my go-to as it's lightweight whether you're dancing, eating lunch/dinner or at a bar this will last on your skin with or without a primer. To read a full review, click here. 

If you can't justify wearing glitter eyeshadow at Christmas, when can you? The Maybelline Colour Show Mono Eyeshadow 'Copper Fizz' makes wearing glitter eyeshadow easy without the fuss of using a pigment and having the glitter fall down your face. The formula has a creamy texture and creates an almost wet look to the eye. If you fancy going for heavy eye-makeup, this will still look great packed on top of any other eyeshadows to give them an extra sparkle. 

MAC's eyeshadow 'Sable' is a great option if you're not too keen on glitter. It is a gorgeous brown shimmer with red/purple undertones and looks amazing washed all over the lid or just in the crease of your eye with a champagne shimmer on the lid. The perfect shade for this time of year.

Although I'm not a huge fan of bold lips, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick 'Scarlett Creme' is a gorgeous festive red with berry undertones. I'm going to push myself to wear it this Christmas because it is a lovely red lipstick. It has a lightweight formula and gives a satin finish to the lips. Unfortunately, due to the comfortable element of the formula, it does make the possibility of smudging and fading more likely.

I love wearing glitter on my nails in this festive period. Even though it can be a pain to remove, I think it's necessary in order to achieve the full Christmas look. I love the Accessorize Glitter Nail Polish 'Belle' as it contains chunky gold glitter. Another one of my favourites is the Rimmel Glitter Bomb Top Coat 'Midnight Mistletoe', this contains red and green glitter. Both can be applied with one coat for a simple look or you can pack on the glitter by dabbing it on top of the nail. You could do this to all your nails or just one. 

What are your festive make-up picks?

Lauren

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THE L'OREAL INFALLIBLE 24H MATTE FOUNDATION

About couple of months ago, I was in Boots, surrounded by all of the make-up stands and bright lights and the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation ended up in my basket. It has taken the beauty bloggersphere by storm so after reading countless reviews and recommendations, I couldn't wait to try and headed for the tills. I bought it amongst other products which you can see in this haul video here. 

Let's begin with the packaging, the plastic tube makes it lightweight and easy to travel with and it can easily be thrown into your make-up bag to use on the go. I personally love the fact that you squeeze the tube for the correct amount of foundation onto the back of your hand. I much prefer this to a pump which can sometimes give you too little or too much.

The formula is perfect for everyday wear. It's light weight but still gives a good coverage. If you don't have much time to get ready in the mornings, then I would highly recommend using this as the coverage is just enough to hide any redness or spots but still allows your skin to show through. Hooray, no mask effect! 

For a day appropriate coverage, I use the Real Techniques Multi-task brush as the bristles are less dense so it gives a light to medium base. For evening, or on any areas that you would like to cover, I recommend the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I've recently added this to my brush collection and I love it. It's perfect for a high coverage, flawless base and I find it much easier to build up the coverage with this brush. 

Have you tried the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation?

Lauren

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NEW IN: MAYBELLINE

Maybelline are one of my favourite makeup brands, I reach for their products on a daily basis as I know the formula of their products are great and will last all day. As usual, I can't keep away from Superdrug for too long, and it just so happened that I bought two new products on my last visit, both of which from Maybelline. 

After reading countless reviews of the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara and all of my friends using and loving it, I had to give it a go. This is one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. I know, I know, if you read back through all of my mascara reviews, then I've probably said that about every single one of them. But, I have never used a mascara before that has completely transformed my eyelashes in 1 coat, and with the Lash Sensational, it does just that. The wand is curved with small bristles on the tip and longer bristles on the outer edge which elongates your outer lashes, opening up your eyes. The formula is the perfect consistency for me and holds my lashes in place all day. 

Another of the Colour Tattoo's has made it into my make-up collection. I now own four... There is no shame in that is there? Creme De Rose has filled a gap in my collection as I've been looking for a neutral eyeshadow base for a long while. When Maybelline recently bought out their two new shades, I originally thought I would pick up Creme De Nude which has a yellow undertone where as Creme De Rose is pink. But after comparing the two, I bought Creme De Rose as it is very neutral and makes a great base for paler eyeshadows, for example, MAC 'All That Glitters' or the Maybelline Colour Show Eyeshadow 'Copper Fizz'. It has a matte formula and cancels out any veins on your eye lid and primes them for eyeshadow. 

I have been wearing both of these products everyday for the past few weeks and I am very glad I now have them in my collection. 

What products from Maybelline have you been loving recently?

Lauren

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THE GLOW GETTERS

Highlighting, for me, is a step I can't miss out in my daily routine. It adds a pretty glow and luminosity to your face. Here are 3 that I regularly switch in and out of my daily make-up routine. 

The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick 'Pink Quartz' £33 is gorgeous. Not only can it be used for a highlighter by gently swirling your brush in all of the colours, but you can also use it as a bronzer or blush by selectively using the 5 shades within the brick. It contains small glitter particles which draws attention to your cheekbones when the light bounces of them. The packaging is luxurious, despite being slightly bulky, it opens by pressing a little button on the side and reveals not only the stunning shimmer brick, but also a large mirror. 

I took my first step into the world of highlighters when I received the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish 'Soft and Gentle' £24 for my birthday and since then, I have collected quite a few. I love the golden glow you can achieve with it and it is what sets it apart from any of the highlighters that I own. It looks amazing in the summer with a tan and lots of bronzer. The formula is very finely milled so it picks up on the brush easily and a little goes a long way. It is also great because it contains more shimmer than glitter so it looks very natural on your cheekbones. 

The Collection Speedy Highlighter £3.99 is the 'budget friendly' option. It is a cream highlighter in chubby stick form that easily competes with the high end highlighters in this post. It is very pigmented and gives a gorgeous glow to your cheekbones. I love how easy and quick it is to apply and I do so by rolling it on straight from the stick and blending the edges with my foundation brush. 

What's your favourite highlighter? 

Lauren

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EVERYDAY EYESHADOWS

Eyeshadows are definitely my favourite make-up product to buy. For some people it's lip products, and although I do love them too, I usually come out of Boots with an hand covered in different neutral swatches. I wear eyeshadow almost everyday and I love doing so, I find it adds so much to a makeup look. All of these shades are neutral, one-wash shades which are easy to apply. 

Every eyeshadow look has to start with a base and in my opinion, cream eyeshadows are the best. The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are a great option. They're affordable, pigmented and there is a vast colour range. My favourite shade for an neutral everyday look is 'On and On Bronze'. It's a gorgeous brown shimmer which can be worn on it's own or as a base for another eyeshadow and it will help to intensify the colour.

The L'oreal Colour Riche L'ombre Pure Eyeshadows are pigmented, creamy and easy to blend. What more can you ask for? I particularly love their formula because it's rich and feels like a cream eyeshadow on application which means it can be applied with either a brush or your finger tip. 'Cafe Saint Germain' is a gorgeous shimmery taupe and to intensify the look I apply some of 'Quartz fume' to the crease.

Maybelline never fails to amaze me with their products and they are definitely one of my favourite drugstore brands. For everyday I love their Colour Show Mono Eyeshadows, which you will have seen me rave about here. Both shades can be swept across your eyelid with no fuss and no time at all. 'Copper Fizz' is a gorgeous copper shimmer where as 'Stripped Nude' is a matte warm brown, great for adding slight definition to the crease.

MAC eyeshadows are my all time favourites. They're expensive but worth every penny. 'All That Glitters' is a gorgeous champagne with a peach hue. I love wearing it on it's own or with a matte brown in the crease. It makes blue eyes pop and gives a 'wet-look' to the lid.

What are your favourite everyday eyeshadows?

Lauren

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