THE KILLER EYE COMBO

I recently bought a new single eyeshadow from Maybelline. I don't usually buy singles as palette are more convenient but I was really drawn to their ColorShow Eyeshadow in 23 Copper Fizz. I'd been using it on it's own most of the time but I decided to pair it on top of a cream eyeshadow and I am obsessed with the look...

LOVING NUDE LIPS?!

Nude isn't something that I usually associate myself with in terms of lip colours. I go bold or go home on a very much everyday basis. All about that bright pink lip all year round! So I have shocked myself by finding a nude lip combo that I'm totally obsessed with. Even my mum was shocked to see me without bright lips the other morning to go to work.

So what is this magic combo...

I have been using Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in 'Eastend Snob' to line and fill in my lips. I absolute love this formula of lip liner. I have Red Diva too and I'm actually on my second one of that. I prefer it to traditional pencils as it's more of a crayon so a lot softer on the lips and easier to fill in.
Everyone is also going crazy for the overdrawn lips look recently (I get the impression that this is due to a Kardashian girl but I know very little about them...) but this liner is so easy to use to go slightly over the natural lip line.
I then go over the top with the new Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Nude Delight. I am obsessed with these pencils! I have 3 colours and they are amazing. They are so soft and creamy, they last ages and so incredibly pigmented. They don't drag on the lips and they're not drying and I think they're only about £3 or £4! Bargain.
The Maybelline pencil looks awful on me on its own but under the Rimmel liner, I love it!

I also really love the Rimmel liner just on its own (photo below) but it's not as long lasting on it's own, especially after food and drink. Still, very pretty and I think I have become a nude lip convert! Who am I?!

Are you more a nude or bold lip person? And have you tried either of these products?

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES

I realise I always say this but apologies for the photo quality! I wanted to have this post up before we actually hit March so I had to race with the amount of daylight left when I got home from work and this was the best I could do. I think I may have to buy myself a new camera, this one is pretty old now.

So another month over and quite a few favourites for it...

Boots Tea Tree Facial Scrub | Sleek Au Naturel Palette | ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer | Topshop Lipstick 'Beguiled' | ELF Blush 'Peachy Keen' | Avon Nailwear Pro 'Romance' | Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo '40 Permanent Taupe' | Rimmel Apocolips 'Big Bang' | L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara | Maybelline Color Show Nail Varnish 'Latte' | Ecotools Eye Shading Brush

I was dying to get the Au Naturel Palette for so long and finally managed to pick one up and I've been using in pretty much all month. Particularly loving the colours Nubuck, Bark and Regal and also been using Noir a lot instead of liquid liner for a softer look.

I did a review of the ELF concealer which you can read here. Cannot recommend it enough. Cheap and great quality!

The ELF blush is such a pretty colour. I couldn't get any swatches that show up on the camera because it's a very light colour but it has a lovely shimmer to it and I wear it more so as a highlighter or when I'm having a lazy make up day.

My mum gave me the Avon nail varnish and I've never used one of theirs before but I was so impressed with the amount of time this lasted before it started chipping. I used Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri top coat on top which is supposed to be anti-chip but because of work this isn't really the case for my nails. But this really lasted, very impressed!

I picked up the Maybelline Color Show polish after reading Fleur de Force's blog here. I love nude nails and I didn't realise how cheap these polishes were. I'm pretty sure it was £2.99! It does make you seem like you have mannequin fingers but I really like the look. I tried to do the blue tips that Fleur did but I was less successful with that..! I picked up the majorly hyped Colour Tattoo because Maybelline was on buy one get one half price when I got the nail varnish. I got the shade 'Permanent Taupe' because I thought it'd be most neutral. Not sure about the 24 hour part but with primer it lasts me a full 9 hour shift. It's great for blending with other eyeshadows or on its own. Been wearing it alone when I've been rushing to work and with it being more cream based, there's no fallout so I don't even have to tidy up my face; just run out the house so I'm not late!

I think the Tea Tree scrub from Boots own range is my absolute favourite of the month. Can't remember the price but it was very cheap. I was having a bit of a spot nightmare so I panic bought tea tree stuff. Very impressed! It's left my face feeling fresh and smooth and I am just so pleased. I also bought the toner from the same range but I'm trying to force myself to finish my current one before starting that.

The Topshop lipstick is something I've had for going on a year, I think, but I've found myself reaching for it a lot this month. Topshop lipsticks are brilliant. They're pigmented and they last. The colour of this one is very similar to the Kate Moss from Rimmel one in 107 however Beguiled isn't a totally matte shade. I'm wearing it in this post.

The Apocolips featured on most people's favourites last month but with them only coming out the very end of January I didn't think that was long enough to make up my mind. When I bought it I thought it'd be sticky like a lipgloss but it really isn't. You do need to make sure you do some good blotting or you end up with it all over your teeth! The applicator has a dip in it that collects the product which means you get more than enough and don't have to keep sticking it back in the tube to fully do your lips.

The Telescopic mascara... I am in love. I've always been ever faithful to Maybelline Falsies but that hasn't had a look in since buying this. I actually used the Falsies the other day and I don't think I like it anymore! Although the Telescopic doesn't make my lashes seem as thick it feels and look lighter and doesn't go clumpy if I accidentally put on too much. I have bought the False Lash effect version of Telescopic but I will try hold off til I've used this one up. Also, love the packaging. So clever!

Finally, a new brush. I've been wanting a good fluffy blending brush that doesn't cost the earth for ages and I saw the Ecotools in Boots. I love this! Blends everything together so nicely and is really soft. Also washes really well and I've not had any fallout from it either. Tempted to look into more Ecotools now..!

What have you been loving this month?

WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG

Over the last couple of months I've really started to love make-up and I've been buying a lot of it. Like most people I've had the struggle of finding foundation that actually matches my skin. I don't even want to know how much money I've spent on different ones. I have really pale skin. For the last year or so I've been using Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in 'Light Ivory' (because Ivory was still too dark...) but I still wasn't very happy with how it looks. I was always really paranoid about how my face looked.

Recently, the No.7 make-up brand from Boots launched their foundation match scheme. I saw the advert and was all "pfft, that won't work!" but my friend had it done and she recommended it so off we went to get matched up. It is amazing and I would definitely recommend getting it done if you're after a foundation that actually matches you and is reasonably priced. I ended up being "Cool Vanilla" and I really do feel so much happier with how my make up looks now.

Make up bag; Primark £2

Face:

GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer

No.7 Stay Perfect foundation in 'Cool Vanilla'

No.7 Blemish Cover concealer in 'Fair'
No.7 Instant Radiance concealer

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in '001 Transparent'

Sleek Contour Kit in 'Light'

Eyes:

Maybelline Falsies mascara in 'Black Drama'

Barry M Liquid Eyeliner

Vivo Eyeshadow Pallete in 'Bronze Me Up'

MUA Eye Primer

MUA Eyeshadows in 'Shade 16 - Matt' and 'Shade 24 - Pearl'

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner pot

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in '004 Black Brown'

Vivo Eyeliner in 'White'

Wow, writing it all down makes it seem like I put so much on but I don't wear it everything there all the time, particularly all the eye stuff. Also as you can see, I do stick to drugstore/high street brands (mainly because I can't afford to buy all of MAC.) The most expensive things there would be the foundation which was £14 and the GOSH primer is around the same but I'm quite willing to spend money on foundation if it's going to look good, be good quality and last. As far as primer goes, I don't even know how I managed without that prior to discovering it! MUA do a primer too for a couple of quid if you're not up for spending that much on it. This is my second bottle and I'll be buying it over and over again.
I probably should have got a new pressed powder before taking these photos, too! Oops!
The Falsies mascara is my all time favourite. I've easily bought it over 15 times now!

Brushes 1-5 all QVS via Superdrug:
(Powder, Foundation, Concealer & Foundation, Powder, Eyeshadow)
Brush 6 comes with Maybelline gel eyeliner pot

Again, I'd love to be able to afford Sigma or Real Techniques brushes but realistically I can't. I really like these QVS ones and I've not paid over £6 for any of those. They wash really well too. I got them from Superdrug but I'm pretty sure they're available in a few other stores too. I would love some higher end brushes though as they must be better at applying make-up for the price they are. I've recently ordered some e.l.f. brushes so I will post about those when I have them.

MUA shade 1

Barry M 'Touch of Magic'

MAC 'Impassioned'

Collection 2000 '5 Pretty Please'

Collection 2000 '6 Sugar Pink'

Rimmel '320 Funtime Fuschia'

Kate Moss for Rimmel shade 20

Kate Moss for Rimmel shade 02

Avon Colour Trend 'Passion'

Avon Colour Trend 'Doll Pink'

Topshop 'All About Me'

Topshop 'Brighton Rock'

Topshop 'Beguilded'

My name is Louise and I am a lipstick junkie. My favourites are the Kate Moss collection ones, probably shade 20 out of those two. It's such a bright pink. I definitely want more MAC ones. I treated myself to Impassioned a month or so back. I know £14 is a lot but they're so lovely. Topshop lipsticks are great too. They're not shiny but creamy and they go on nicely. Pretty much all these are various shades of pink but I'm trying to branch out and be brave and get other colours. The MUA one is a lovely red colour and Beguilded by Topshop is a very deep red/wine colour.

I never realised I owned this much until I did this post.

* I was not asked to write this post by No.7/Boots or any other mentioned brands