REVLON PINK POUT #30LipsIn30

We did it!!! 30 days, 30 lip posts. And breathe. It's been a little bit crazy but I'm so glad I made it. Hopefully you've enjoyed it too! Without further ado, here's the last lip product of September!

I'm finishing with something from the drugstore ie. where my heart (and my price range) is. When it comes to pink lipsticks, I have always preferred the cooler tones so I thought I would show you Revlon Pink Pout. This is a matte lipstick from Revlon, which has sort of a creamy matte texture making it quick and easy to apply. Because of the matte finish, you'll probably want to exfoliate your lips before hand as it will accentuate dry patches.

The pigmentation is there straight away, and it really does give a flawless finish on the lips. It's a great sort of barbie coloured lipstick which I love! Revlon lipsticks are an absolute must-have and I love the classic and classy packaging. The whole brand is currently on 3 for 2 in Boots so go take a look - there's loads of colours to choose from!

Okay, that's it. 30 days of lips complete. You might not be seeing any lip posts from me for a while (I'm all lipped out!), but I do have some other awesome posts planned and I'm so excited about some of them. Thanks for sticking with me this month. I feel like I'm got some serious blogging experience under my belt (48 posts in one month isn't bad!).

Did you have a favourite #30LipsIn30 post? Would you like to see this again in the future? The more feedback the better.

Thanks for sticking with me, and here's to an awesome October!

Tina xx

LAQA & CO LIB LUBE #30LipsIn30

Today I'm talking about the weirdly-named yet surprising good lip product from Laqa & Co. where they like to use the word lube in their product names - weird. Before we start, that is nail polish on my thumb - and that is why I don't wear dark nail polish like, ever.

This is a little Birchbox discovery that I liked when I got it but didn't really use it all that much - I get bold lip anxiety outside of the house (just kidding ... sort of). I love purple lip colours and this is no different. I'm making a promise to myself that I'll use this one. It really is a gorgeous creamy formula with a minty smell (not my fave but not too strong). I just adore this shade - isn't it pretty?! Product name aside, I'd recommend this one and another rediscovery point goes to the #30LipsIn30 feature. Too bad it's almost over!

Tina xx

MAC VIVA GLAM V #30LipsIn30

This is officially the latest time I've put up a #30LipsIn30 post (it's been a busy day!), but I'm getting it up just in time. MAC Viva Glam V is the last in my mini MAC lipstick collection, and is one I've really tried to love. I've not given up on it yet though.

The shade is a beige-pink which is universally flattering and just looks sort of nice. Nothing special, just a all-round great nude - there's the whole my lips but better vibe with this one. The sheer formula contains microshimmer which isn't so noticeable on the lips but it feels a little gritty on application which is where I have the problem. It just doesn't feel that great on the lips, or as you apply it.

If I can focus on how this looks rather than how it feels, I think it has potential to become a favourite. I definitely like how it looks in the lip swatch below. This is most likely a lipstick you'll see more from me in the future but as of now, I'm on the fence.

What do you think? Should I stick with it?

Tina xx

STILA STAY ALL DAY LIQUID LIPSTICK IN DOLCE #30LipsIn30

When I first received the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Dolce I wasn't overly excited about the shade which is a sort of shimmery brown but the formula - well, that I can get on board with. I'm not the hugest fan of liquid lipsticks in general, but this goes on beautifully. I would have to explain it as quite thick feeling when you put it on, but once it dries down you don't really feel it and the finish dries matte. It sort of reminds me of liquid gold on application, except this shade is more like liquid copper.

You only need one coat using the decently sized doe foot applicator and you'll be good to go. There's a slight vanilla scent (yum!) which will disappear pretty much as soon as you apply it but I enjoy it nonetheless. It'll last you a good few hours, but might need some touching up halfway through the day so it doesn't quite live up to the stay all day premise, but let's just say this taste of Stila lip products has got me itching to try more. I'd love to try out a pink, or maybe even go crazy with a red!

What have you tried from Stila? Anything I need to know about?!

Tina xx

GLOSSYBOX VS BIRCHBOX UK | September 2014

It's time for another subscription showdown! I'm facing off the Birchbox and Glossybox UK September 2014 boxes - phew, that was a mouthful! If you want to see what I got in my boxes then watch the video below... oh, and subscribe if you fancy ;)

ESTEE LAUDER PINKBERRY #30LipsIn30

Almost all of the make-up I've tried from Estee Lauder has been included in a free gift, and this Pinkberry Creme lipstick is no different. I'm pretty sure there's an offer on now in Debenhams where if you buy two Estee Lauder products, you get a free make-up bag filled with sample size products - get it while you can!

This lipstick was included in a free gift quite a few months ago, and it has become one of my most loved lipsticks. Pinkberry is the perfect name for this shade as it really is a pink berry. It's a gorgeous shade and formula. It glides seamlessly onto the lips and just melts into them. The shade has that berry hint which will be absolutely perfect for fall, but I loved it throughout summer as well. As this was in a free gift, the packaging is a little more basic but if you buy the full size you'll get one in luxury gold packaging - maybe I'll repurchase one in the future!

I can't believe #30LipsIn30 is almost over! Make sure you stay tuned for the final four posts coming up as we roll into October!

Tina xx

IN THE MAIL #3 - ZOEVA BRUSHES

The Zoeva brushes have been all over the beauty blogging world for a while now and although I've tried a couple, I've wanted more for a while. Previously, you had to ship them from Germany but now that they're selling on beautybay.com, it is much easier to pick up one or two as and when you need them. I've been loving my synthetic brushes lately (re. Real Techniques) as they are a doddle to clean so I went for some of Zoeva's synthetic/vegan brushes. I chose the 227 Soft Definer which is one of my favourites, and the 226 Smudger.

I have a couple of the original 227 brushes which serve as my most used blending brushes but are starting to look a little battered, so I wanted to see how the synthetic version compared. It reminds me a lot of my Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush, so if you don't want to fork out for the collection that comes in, this is a good alternative.

I found the differences quite hard to photograph (not including the colour of course), but I think I just about managed it. I've found that synthetic brushes tend to hold their shape a little better than natural haired and you can see above how the bristles of my original 227 have spread out which I actually quite like. I haven't washed the new one yet (obviously) but I imagine it will keep its shape fairly well. This means I can use it for more precise blending - so the two can serve two different purposes.



I have been wanting a short brush just like the 226 for absolutely ages. I am not lacking much in terms of my brush collection but this is a type of brush I've never owned, but have always wanted. I'm hoping that it will be perfect for dragging shadow underneath the lower lash line as the size means it's a little stiffer than a usual shader brush. It's a bit of a niche use, but as a beauty junkie, I'm more than thrilled to add it to my collection.

Both of these brushes were £5.95 from Beauty Bay, which isn't too bad as they are excellent quality. Have you tried anything from Zoeva yet? What did you think?

Tina xx

MODELCO LIP LACQUERS #30LipsIn30

I managed to get my hands on two mini ModelCo Lip Lacquers and after a couple days of testing, I'm here to give you my verdict. I've been trying out two shades, Morocco and Viva, which both give a sheer wash of colour. Morocco is a mauvey-nude and Viva is a mid-toned bright-ish pink - they both look quite natural on the lips when worn alone. The lip lacquers have a fruity smell which isn't overpowering but actually quite nice - they smell good enough to eat!

They are surprising long lasting for a gloss but do start to gather on the inner part of the lips which is definitely not my favourite thing for a gloss to do, so you'll need to stay on top of that. They're easy to chuck in the handbag and reapply on the go. I'm not sure if they're quite worth the £15 full size price tag but as a fully fledged neutral girl, I think they'll be staying in my bag for a little longer.

What lip products have you tried lately? Share in the comments!

Tina xx

BEAUTY BLENDER + THEBALM SIX CHEEK PALETTE + MORE FOR ONLY £12.95

I am all about bringing you the latest deals on my blog, and this is one I just had to mention. If you sign up for Birchbox in the next 48 hours and quote the code BBXCHEEK you will also receive TheBalm How 'Bout Them Apples? six-cheek palette for free! It seems like the Nudetude palette is out of stock but this is still an amazing deal.

Also, you are guaranteed to receive a beautyblender in your first box too! So you're getting way over £50+ worth of products for only £12.95!!

Sign up here now, while stocks last!

Tina xx

MAC JAPANESE MAPLE #30LipsIn30

We're into our last week of #30LipsIn30 and I thought I would get out another MAC lipstick before it's over! This is Japanese Maple which is a gorgeous light peachy nude in the Cremesheen formula. I really love the application of Cremesheen lipstick as they are so moisturising and creamy (duh).

This nude is perfect to pair with a smokey eye or a neutral simple one. It's just peach enough to not completely wash out my complexion but not too peach that I can't quite pull it off so I think it was a good MAC lipstick pick from myself.

I chose this one after looking at swatches and a faint memory that Jaclyn Hill had mentioned it in a past favourites video (bonus points if you can find the video!) - I swear beauty YouTubers can sell me anything.

What's your favourite lighter lipstick from MAC? I'll add it to my ever-growing MAC wishlist!

Tina xx

REVLON COLORBURST LIP GLOSSES #30LipsIn30

For me, these lip glosses are a bit of an oldie but a goodie. You can tell that they've all been pretty well loved, and they were up there in my daily routine for a good while. I have three shades of the Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses  in Bellini, Crystal Lilac and Peony.

When it comes to these glosses, I definitely prefer to use them over a lipstick as they are not the most pigmented but they add a little shine. Bellini is a lighter peachy nude which is sort of my go-to lip shade, Crystal Lilac was one I loved to add some shine to Creme Cup from MAC, and Peony is the more sparkly of the three and fairly close to my natural lip shade. These glosses are non-sticky and easy to apply with the long straight doe foot applicator.

I think these are my favourite lip products I've tried from Revlon (well, definitely my most used). Do you have a favourite product from Revlon?

Tina xx

LAURA MERCIER LIP GLACÉ IN BARE NAKED #30LipsIn30

If you watched my blog sale haul a couple of weeks ago, then you'll have seen I purchased a lot of lip products. I've been slowly working my way through giving them a good test and today I'm shining a light on the Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Bare Naked. I've not tried much (if anything, actually) from Laura Mercier but this lipgloss is right in my comfort zone - ha. It reminds me a lot of an old Revlon favourite but I think I prefer this formula.

It has quite a bit of pigment, but it's definitely still glossy and perfect for topping lipstick. In fact, I love it on top of a little lip combo I mentioned here.

This kind of shade is one I find easiest to wear, and the little doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply the perfect amount of non-sticky gloss. I'm glad I finally got round to giving this one a chance - I love it.

Is there anything else I need to try from Laura Mercier? Let me know!

Tina xx

AUTUMN ROSE GOLD EYESHADOWS FOR ALL BUDGETS

While spring and summer come with bright colours, autumn lends to the warmer shades especially when it comes to the eyes. I personally love playing with these sorts of shades so I thought I'd get a jump start on the coming season and create an edit of my faves (particularly the more rose gold of the bunch) at all price points.

MAC All That Glitters (£10) - This is a bit of a classic in the world of beauty. All That Glitters is a soft rosy gold shade with a veluxe pearl finish laced with a gold shimmer. It makes for a gorgeous subtle sheen to the lid when worn alone, or can be amped up with a darker colour in the outer corner or crease (I like to pair it with Antiqued from MAC). It really is an easy to wear shadow which is perfect for seamlessly transitioning into the colder months.

L'Oreal Infallible in Amber Rush ($7.99) - L'Oreal's Amber Rush packs more of a punch as a pressed pigment and can be used wet or dry. Unfortunately, it's not available in the UK so I was lucky to snap one up in a US blog sale. It is a bit deeper in shade and more of a bronzey gold compared to MAC All That Glitters. The formula is creamy and easily applied to the lid. You can see it in action here.

Rimmel Kate Moss Shadow Stick in Rose Gold (£4.49) - My pick from Rimmel comes in form of an eyeshadow crayon which makes for a quick and easy application which you can even just blend out with your finger. This is probably the most gold of them all, but can be blended out quite a lot for a more subtle eye colour or even used as a base for other eye shadows.

Collection Bronze Glow Mosiac Powder in Radiant (£2.99) - The cheapest of the bunch from Collection is actually designed for the face but I love how it looks on the eyes. I like to take a blending brush, swirling all the shades together, and sweep it across the whole lid. It has a gorgeous shimmer and actually comes off fairly similar to All That Glitters. It's definitely worth picking up at less than £3 and enough product to literally last a lifetime (although I'm not suggesting you keep it that long). It's gorgeous for that bronze glow over the cheekbones too, if you're looking for something fairly intense.

L-R: MAC All That Glitters, L'Oreal Amber Rush, Rimmel Kate Rose Gold, Collection Bronze Mosiac

So, that's them all. These are the products I've been reaching for to give my eyes that rose gold autumnal shine and I love them all. Do you have a favourite fall eye colour shade? I'm sure I'll be finding a few more in my collection as the temperature drops (bring it on - I'm ready for scarves and hoodies!).

Tina xx

LUSH BUBBLEGUM LIP SCRUB #30LipsIn30

Today's featured #30LipsIn30 product is one that utterly changed my make-up routine. I'm sure there are many others like it out there, but the LUSH Lip Scrub is the first I used. I always thought lipsticks looked awful on me and that's because they were sticking to the dry patches where I hadn't exfoliated. Exfoliating your lips is such a crucial step if you want perfect smooth looking lips (who doesn't want that?!) and it's especially important if you're going for something with a matte finish. Thinking about it, I've only really been experimenting a lot more with lipsticks for the last couple of years and this product is a huge contributing factor.

The LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub is one of the cheapest I've found (not including DIYs of course) at £5.50 and it is literally flavoured sugar which you can eat! I probably use this a good 3 or 4 times a week or just whenever I need to clean up and perfect my lips. It's so easy to pick up a nice chunk of delicious lip scrub (be careful to to drop any!) and rub it across my lips. You can either wipe away the excess or lick your lips and you'll be left with the smoothest finish; perfect for any lip product to follow.

I seriously love this stuff and it's a must have in my collection. Do you have a favourite lip treatment? Let me know!

Tina xx

RIMMEL NOTTING HILL NUDE #30LipsIn30

Earlier this month, I wrote a post on Rimmel's Nude Delight which proved to be one of the most popular in my #30LipsIn30 series so I thought I would share another from the same line. I mentioned ordering it here, and have now had more of a chance to test it. I've made it no secret that I love the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick formulation. It's creamy, pigmented and comfortable on the lips. Notting Hill Nude is a darker nude compared to Nude Delight but still has that same creamy formula which I love. It's another nude that will go with almost any look; I'm not sure I like it quite as much (Nude Delight will always be one of my faves), but it's definitely one I won't hesistate to reach for.

Do you have a favourite drugstore lipstick formula? Share in the comments!

Tina xx

REVLON COLORSTAY LIP LINER IN NUDE #30LipsIn30

Nude lip liners have been all the rage lately, and while I haven't forked out for a MAC one yet, I have been getting more use out of one I already had in my collection. Considering I usually wear nude lip colours, lip liners have never featured heavily in my daily make-up routine but recently that has begun to change. The Revlon Colorstay Lip Liner in Nude is a mauvey-brown lip liner which is a great drugstore option to create the on-trend Kylie Jenner look at a budget price.

Here, I've just traced my lip outline and then filled in the whole lip using the lip liner and that's it. It's so quick and easy and I love the matte finish. Lip liners can be a little drying when worn alone, so I made sure to exfoliate my lips first or it's also great for a whole host of lipsticks - nudes, pinks, purples etc.

The Revlon Colorstay lip liners are automatic so there's no sharpener needed which just adds to the ease of application. I'm so glad this was already a part of my collection.

How do you think drugstore lip liners compare to high end? Is the higher price worth it?

Tina xx

NYX XTREME LIP CREAM IN NATURAL #30LipsIn30

I'm bringing a bit of an old favourite to you today for #30LipsIn30. Earlier, this year I was all about the lighter nudes and this was one of them (if you have a look through my old YT vids, you'll see what I mean). The NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Natural was part of a Very.co.uk order earlier this year and I'm still loving it. The Xtreme Lip Cream formula gives intense pigmentation straight away but doesn't take away any comfort. This is one of few liquid lipstick formulas I actually get along with, and always have.

It's a straight up nude which has quite a distinct plastic-y smell which I don't really mind (definitely one of the less offensive NYX smells) and leaves a bit of shine to the lips. I've found it to be quite long lasting especially since it isn't a matte formula. I've only ever tried one other shade which wasn't my fave (I recently sold it in my blog sale... which is still going here *wink wink*) but I definitely wouldn't say no to trying some other colours. Wouldn't it just be phenomenal if they started selling NYX in Boots or Superdrug?! Then I could swatch them all... I can dream.

This formula is definitely worth a go. Have you tried it? Thoughts?

Tina xx

GUARANTEED BEAUTY BLENDER IN YOUR FIRST BIRCHBOX!

I've mentioned my love for the infamous makeup sponge that is the beautyblender a few times, but I'm always sort of reluctant to rave too much considering the high price tag, but not today! You may have seen many people have been receiving the (not so cheap) sponge in their Birchbox subscription boxes this month, and you can get one too.

If you subscribe to Birchbox now for the September box, you are guaranteed to receive a beauty blender in your first box. And then it's up to you whether to keep up the subscription (I would recommend it, it's like Christmas every month!), or you can even just enjoy the one box and be said and done.

But wait, there's more. If you're a new subscriber you can use the code FREESHIP14 to save on shipping so you only pay £10.

Worth a think anyway! A nice little beauty blender (aka flawless foundation) + a sample of the solid cleanser and at least 4 other samples/full size items and possibly a few lifestyle extras too - serious bargain!

Sign up here to get your beauty blender today!

Tina xx

Edit: and they just added Stila to their Birchbox shop today! Eeeep, save up some points now!

NOT READY TO LET GO OF SUMMER?

Are you not ready to let go of summer yet, but still pretty excited for autumn to roll around? That's how I've been feeling recently and that what I was thinking when creating this tutorial. I went for the classic warm autumn shadows on the lid but snuck in a pop of blue colour on the waterline. Have a watch if you want to see how I did it!