MAC Cream Colour Base: Pearl

MAC Cream Colour Base - Pearl £14.50

Whilst on the search for a new face highlighter, I came across this Cream Colour Base in MAC in the shade Pearl. I am a fan of highlighters, and I love adding a bit of extra glow onto my browbone, cheekbones and occasionally on my cupids bow. I had every intention of purchasing the MSF in soft and gentle, however I wanted something that wasn't too glittery or shimmery.

This highlighter adds a gentle iridescent sheen to the skin, and gives an extra bit of glow where it's needed. I love the colour it gives as it's really subtle and the colour matches my pale skin (and still looks good with my tan too!).  It is described as a pale gold with icy shimmer. You can slightly see the sheen it gives on the swatch above after it was blended in - I love how subtle it looks without any glitter or shininess.

The only problem I have with this highlighter is that it isn't the easiest to apply. I usually just dab it gently onto the necessary areas with my finger, but it isn't too blendable and I find I have to be careful not to rub off my foundation underneath. To stop this happening, I make sure that I warm up the product before applying. I am not really a fan of applying my make-up with my fingers and always opt for a brush wherever possible, so I sometimes apply it with a foundation brush which works OK too. I am also going to try with a make-up sponge too and see how that works! I do love that this product is buildable, however I think a light application looks best!

Overall, I love the look that this highlighter gives, as it isn't at all shiny, but gives a slight glow and sheen to the skin. Having tried this, I now want to branch out to try some different highlighters and see how they compare as I don't quite think this is the 'perfect' one for me - so any recommendations will be very much welcome!

I hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine! Sadly for me I have been stuck at uni finishing off my dissertation and have missed all the glorious weather! Tomorrow I am off to my cousins wedding - and I am a bridemaid so I am veryyy excited, lets hope the weather stays the same :)

What is your highlighter of choice? Are you doing anythign nice this weekend?

As always, I love to hear from everyone!

Ali xx

Dior Hydra Life BB Cream

 Dior Hydra Life BB Cream - £41 from House of Fraser

The battle of the best BB cream seems to be ever debated and ongoing. After waiting for a while to find my perfect one, I eventually discovered the Dior Hydra Life BB cream. Combining the moisturising and sun protection elements of a skin care product with the complexion enhancing powers of a foundation, this one-step BB cream

This one product is suitable for all skin types and colours, as it blends effortlessly into the skin, adapting to your individual colour and tone. If anything, it is a little yellow in tone for me, but if you wait a few minutes after application and apply a little bronzer over the top it creates a very natural finish which is soft and velvety to touch.  As you can see in the final picture, the product has blended into my hand perfectly, adapting perfectly to my skin tone.

The coverage is pretty good, it evens out my skin tone and covers any irregularities. If you have any blemishes, all you will need is a little touch of concealer on the problem areas. I haven't found it necessary to add any powder to the skin, as the colour lasts and improves the skins moisture and hydration without adding any extra shine. One of the best aspects of this product for me, is that whilst giving a surprisingly good coverage, it feels extremely lightweight on the skin.

With an added bonus of SPF 30, I have been using this product as a sun cream whilst out in Spain and it has been so much nicer on my skin. I haven't burnt or suffered from any breakouts and my skin has remained hydrated yet flawless. This also means that this is perfect for holidays and will substantially cut down the amount of products you need to take with you!

The only downside to this product is the price, but I haven't found a high-street equivalent yet that lives up to this! Acting as a primer, moisturiser, foundation and SPF all in one, this all-in-one product is my favourite for summer.

Whats your favourite product for summer? Do you use a BB cream?

Ali xxx

YSL Effect Faux Cils Indecent Volume Shocking Mascara

YSL Effect Faux Cils Indecent Volume Shocking Mascara - £23 

Full, volumised and curled lashes is definitely my look of choice and I have found the most amazing mascara to help me achieve this! I have always been a fan of YSL mascaras and this one is no exception. 

The helix shaped brush means that the bristles curve around the wand in a spiral shape, making it different to the original YSL Faux Cils mascara, resulting in an even application on each lash. The product applies effortlessly, giving instant volume, thickness and length to the lashes alongside a long-lasting curl. The formula is of a creamy and luxurious consistency, and the sleek gold packaging also helps to add to this luxurious and expensive feel. This mascara is may be more suited to a night time look as it gives a rather dramatic effect, however, it can be applied lightly to make it more day-time appropriate. Alternatively, the original Faux Cils mascara might be better option for this.

Overall, this is everything I could ask for in a mascara, giving a long- lasting and even curl, thickness, volume and length in a few easy strokes. It is an absolute dream to apply and even though it is a little bit more expensive than high street brands, it is definitely a cut above the rest!

What is your favourite mascara? Are the High end mascaras worth it?

Ali xxx

MAC Lipstick: Plink!

On Wednesday I flew out to Madrid in Spain to visit my parents and enjoy the beautiful sunshine! One of the best things about traveling abroad by plane is the duty free make-up counters, so what better way to spend my time at the airport than looking for a new lipstick to add to my collection! As I didn't have an abundance of time to go through each lipstick, carefully choosing which one I wanted, I went for something which stood out to me that I haven't looked at before.

Knowing that I wanted a light and easy wearing summer shade, to wear on holiday and at home that would add a subtle yet warm glow of colour to the lips, I chose the shade Plink! I was torn between this and the new Cut a Caper shade from the Heavenly Creatures collection, but I decided to opt for the pinker shade instead of the coral as it was a bit too similar to my more recent purchases!

Plink! is a Lustre finish so it applies quite sheer to the lips but it is definitely build-able. Although I am not usually a fan of shimmery lipsticks, I think this is quite subtle and something which is great for a holiday to go with a more natural or bronzed make-up look. I do love the warm rosy pink tones of this lipstick and I would recommend this if you're looking for a natural and easy to wear pink shade or a nice alternative to the more baby pink colours.

What's your most recent lipstick purchase? Have you found any nice summery shades?

Ali xxx

Update...and a trip to London!

From top to bottom: One of many cool phone box artworks around London, British Flags on Oxford Street, International flags on Regent Street, Outside Belgo's, Inside Belgo's, Liberty's, Carnaby Street, Carnaby Street again!!

Hello everyone! Sorry for my lack of blogging for the past week, I have desperately needed some more hours in the day to fit it in! On the upside, I have loads of posts lined up for the next few weeks - beauty, fashion and lifestyle related! I have been sooo busy recently, for those that follow me on Twitter will already know, I have recently moved house and started my dissertation in the same week which had taken up most of my time. I am also planning my big move to London for September this year at the end of my Masters degree to begin an Internship so flat hunting has jumped to the top of my priorities!

Yesterday, I went for a shopping trip with my boyfriend in London for his birthday which only added to the excitement of it all as it is one of my favourite cities so I thought I would share a couple of snaps from the day! The weather has been so disappointing recently, it is supposed to be July so where is the sunshine!!! Luckily, we managed to avoid the rain but it was still a little overcast as you can see from the photos. We spent the day wondering around Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Carnaby Street and Shoreditch and of course, I took my camera out with me! The best part of the day was the lovely lunch we had in a Belgian restaurant, Belgo's, where I had some delicious mussels and Belgian Beer. I would definitely recommend it if you like that kind of food as it has a lovely atmosphere and it is reasonably priced too!

I hope everyone has been enjoying the 'summer' so far - if we can call it that! I would love to hear what everyone else has been up to recently!I am off to visit my parents in Madrid next week which I am really looking forward to, my duty free male-up shopping list has grown way too long already!!!

Love Ali xxx