Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blusher in Tipsy

It's been a while, crocodiles! Hope you're all well? I've been so busy working 6 day weeks that blogging has felt impossible lately. The last time I posted, we were in the midst of a beautiful summer and now we have all of a sudden been plunged into autumn. I for one, am a big fan of Autumn - I much prefer the deep and rich berry shades for lips and cheeks but one product I am finding hard to put down is my Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Tipsy. 

My best friend recently picked this up in Sephora whilst she was in the states (she's a keeper!) and I have never been so excited by a product. Admittedly, after hearing several of my favourite guru's talking about this blush I had joined the bandwagon and I could not stop lusting after the blush. 

Tipsy is a corally orange blush that's perfect for summer, but whilst the colour is amazing, what really drew me in was the claims for lasting power as I find blush can be one of the first things to fade. The blush is extremely pigmented, so a light hand is necessary during application. Every time I apply this I feel instantly 'perky' - the colour really brightens the complexion giving you a healthy glow. As for longevity, this blush does not budge. After wearing a full face of make up for over 12 hours, I can still see the blush exactly where I left it. 

The packaging is compact and hand for travel with a mirror inside. Like most brands now, Tarte use the same colour as the product for the packaging, making it easier to find in amongst my other blushers (yes, I have that many). These blushers will set you back $26 in the states but I'm completely head over heels in love with the formula and would definitely consider stocking up on more shades.

Have you tried the infamous Tarte blusher?

American Goodies

If I could have one wish, it would be that Sephora would re-open in the UK and with it bring all the fantastic American brands that I've been so desperate to try.  Although you can get the brands on eBay, the shipping is usually more than the product itself so I've always steered clear.  Last Tuesday I was tweeted by a company called Cosmetics and Candy, telling me about their new company that sold American products and shipped them to the UK.  I was a bit dubious to begin with, but after looking and seeing so many products I'd been lusting after for so long, I placed and order and they arrived through my letter box yesterday.  

Before I get onto what I bought, I thought I'd share my experience as I know a lot of people were dubious to place orders with them.  The price of shipping is dependent on how many items you buy, ranging from £2.80 for one item to £15.05 for 24 items.  I paid £4.80 for four items which I think is a bargain, considering most UK companies such as ASOS charge £3.95 for standard shipping, and this package had a lot further to travel.  It arrived within a week and I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to pay any customs on top of my order (I wont say this will be the same with every order and the company do state that you may get a further customs fee).  Their customer service was impeccable and they also have a feature where you can request products.  I know I'll be purchasing again - especially since they've just added the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushers!

So, onto what I bought.  From left to right I purchased:

L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquer in Berry Persistent; £8.49 - I believe this is L'Oreal's answer to the YSL Glossy Stain and is similar to the new Rimmel Apocalips.  I bought this berry shade and on first impressions it applies lovely.  There are several other shades that I would like to try as well.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Peach Satin; £6.99 - This product has been around for at nearly a year in America, and it seems like Maybelline aren't planning on launching them here.  I picked up a peachy shade ready for spring and like most people, all I've done since getting it in the post is play with it.  The texture is weird but the colour payoff seems great.  

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara; £11.99 - This is a brand I've never tried but heard a lot about.  All their products are formulated without the nasties including Parabens, harsh chemicals and synthetic preservatives.  I've heard a few YouTube guru's talk about this, including Fleur so I'm hoping it's as good as the reviews claim!

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette; £11.99 - I cannot tell you how long I've been wanting to try this.  I've almost caved numerous times on eBay.  This palette is raved about among the US beauty bloggers and it's a favourite of Allure Magazine.  I'm excited to give this a try and seeing if it's really as good as they say! It comes with two concealer shades, a neutraliser and a setting powder - a great travel kit.  

There's my mini US haul. Will you be giving Cosmetics and Candy a visit?

Sephora Classic Mineral Powder Brush vs. Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki

A little while ago I posted a 'vs' blog on foundations (read here) and it went down really well.  This time I'm comparing two of my face brushes, the Sephora Classic Mineral Powder Brush and the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki.  

Sephora Classic Mineral Powder Brush #45

I picked up this brush whilst in Spain in June. I'd heard a few great reviews and wondered if I'd like it more than the Sigma F80.  It was around €16 (£13) when I bought it which I thought was reasonable. Although the name suggests this is for use with mineral products, I use this with liquid foundations.  The brush is soft to touch but I find that when I apply product it can feel a little scratchy but not to the point where you can't stand it.  It's great at buffing in base products for a flawless finish - my favourite foundation in conjunction with the brush being MUFE's HD foundation.  Unlike the Sigma F80, this is a rounded kabuki and is far fluffier and a little less dense.  The bristles are synthetic meaning that they clean easier and because this brush isn't so dense, I find it dries within a couple of hours.  

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

I've had this brush for around 10 months now and I love it.  It was £14.99 from Love Makeup, who stock a lot of the Sigma brushes.  This is a great liquid foundation brush, the bristles are extremely soft and glide over the face nicely, creating a flawless finish.  I really like using Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua with this brush as it gives the perfect finish and helps to achieve a higher coverage.  As you can see, the bristles on the F80 are more tightly packed, making the brush far denser in comparison to the Sephora.  As well as foundation, I also find I can use this brush with my concealer and also it's great at getting under my eye area with my YSL Touche Eclat.  The synthetic bristles mean that again, it cleans fairly easily, although as I've used it quite a bit, it's stained now. Might be time to get a replacement! This brush takes a long time to dry, I washed all my make up brushes yesterday morning and when I took this photo's a day later, the middle bristles were still a little damp.  

Both brushes have pro's and con's but are great at general base make up application.  For a smoother feeling, all around product brush the Sigma F80 is great but if you'd rather one brush for one job then the Sephora is equally as great.  The only downside to the Sigma brush is the time it takes to dry whereas the Sephora brush takes a lot less.  Right now I'm reaching for the F80 as I feel I can do it all - foundation, concealer and under eye concealer in one but I do fluctuate from time to time to the Sephora brush.  

Unfortunately the Sephora brush is extremely difficult to get hold of in the UK - it's time they came back to the UK and opened up some stores!

Have you tried either brushes? 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

The term 'BB' cream has always been a familiar one to Asian countries and up until a year ago, a product concept that always intrigued me. BB creams, or Blemish Balms as they are also known are a type of base that is supposed to blur imperfections and promises a flawless base.  Since 2011 a lot of companies in the UK have jumped on the bandwagon, Garnier being the first and now high street beauty chains such as L'Oreal, 17 and now Maybelline have brought out their own take on the famous Blemish Balm.  

I took the plunge and decided to try the Maybelline version which was £7.99.  It claims that it is an 8-in-1 cream, promising skin benefits such as evening of skin tone, blurring imperfections and leaving a glowing, fresh faced finish.  It also contains a high SPF of 30 which is an added bonus.  

On first impressions, the colour looked far too dark for my skin and I'd bought the lightest shade.  Once I applied it to my face, the colour seemed to match up but I found it didn't really do much.  I could still see imperfections that should have been 'blurred' and my skin tone was still all over the place.  I wasn't expecting a medium - heavy coverage, in fact I don't like that in any of my bases, but I expected a lot more.  It feels lovely on the skin and does leave a dewy finish which I like but it looked more like I'd popped on some moisturiser rather than a skin base.  

To begin with, I was using my Sigma or Sephora brushes to apply the product and many of the reviews written said they'd found that fingers worked best for application.  I've now tried both and neither work any better.  I guess I expected more from a product that has been quite popular but maybe BB cream just isn't for me!

How do you apply the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream?

A Spanish Beauty Haul

If you read my Sephora Wish List post (here) you would have known that as well as the blazing sun, I was excited to visit the local Sephora.  I was finally able to get my hands on some long sought after Make Up Forever products, as well as some other bits that had been high on my wish list for a while.  I also visited the duty free shop at Malaga airport too.  I posted a photo on Instagram of my Sephora bag (which, yes, I kept...) and was asked to write up a haul post, so without further adieu.  

SEPHORA

I wasn't in the market for a new primer, even though both my Porefessional and MAC Prep and Prime were running low.  While the make up artists - who by the way were extremely friendly and helpful - were trying to match me up, they used this green primer (shade #1) to neutralise the pink undertones in my skin. I would have said no to it, but they showed one side with and the other without it.  The side without the primer was distinctively orange, not a good look so needless to say I was sold on the primer.  

What I was in the market for however was the MUFE HD Foundation.  I was matched up to shade 117. Something I did notice about MUFE products - their shade numbers are all jumbled, they are not in numerical order from lightest to darkest, which might be something to do with the undertones in the products but it still made it confusing.  I've now used this foundation twice and I like it so far.  I will be reviewing this in a few weeks time to give it a fair trial.  

I also wanted to pick up the MUFE Full Cover concealer after hearing great things about it.  I was matched up to shade 4 (again, shades aren't in numerical order).  I've also used this twice now and on first impressions I think the packaging is great.  It has a long, thin nib which dispenses the product in small amounts, perfect if you hate wasting product because too much has come out of the tube.  

For a very long time, I've wanted to try the infamous YSL Touche Eclat.  I'd saved some euro's specifically to spend in Sephora and decided to finally cave and buy it.  I picked up shade 1 and like the other products, have used it twice now.  I really like it so far - I'm quite freckly after being in the sun everyday and I find it covers up the ones under my eyes perfectly and also illuminates the eye area.  The packaging is so luxurious - gold with a velvet 'Y' shape on the back, definitely an indulgent product.  

I picked up some Yes To Cucumber wipes as I've heard a lot of good things about them.  I find that they remove a lot more than standard wipes from Boots and they aren't that much more expensive. I might stock up on ASOS next time they have a 20% student event or something similar.  

I also managed to get the Sephora Professional Mineral Powder Brush #45.  I have yet to use this, simply because I wanted it clean for this blog post.  Like I mentioned in a previous post, YouTube guru meganisobel raves about this brush for both liquid fondation and also cream product application so I thought I would give it a go.  Because I bought 3+ make up items, I got 40% off of it, which was an added bonus.  

What I love about Sephora, is that they give samples with purchases.  I received a deluxe size Porefessional which was welcomed as my full size is running low and I love the product.  

DUTY FREE

I didn't pick up much in duty free.  I was hoping to get one of the MAC travel sets, but they didn't have any at Malaga airport.  I needed a new bottle of Stella McCartney's 'Stella' perfume, as the one I purchased in the January sales was running low.  They only had the 30ml bottles in the limited edition prints, which I didn't mind as they are beautiful.  

Whilst on the plane out to Spain I spied this Elizabeth Arden kit and decided that if I had some euro's left over on the way back I would buy it.  Miraculously Sephora didn't bankrupt me (although, it was hard not to buy everything) and I bought this kit. Another holy grail product for so many women that I had yet to try. You get the original Eight Hour Cream, the hand treatment and a lip stick which has SPF 15 in it.  

I'm looking forward to trying out all of these products and sharing my thoughts on them with you.  Are there any products in particular that you would like to see a review on? 

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Home Sweet Home

After ten lovely, ridiculously hot days in La Cala, Spain, I've returned home, slightly more bronzed than when I left.  I had such an amazing time with two of my girlfriends and I wanted to share with you what I got up to - and also to write down all my memories so that I can look back in a few months and remember myself! If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (both @NickiShepShep) you would have seen my pictures along the way of what I got up to.

After a tedious morning of packing we left for the airport and luckily our flight was on time with no delays.  We had a quick mooch around the airport, mainly seeking food (Gatwick needed to invest in a McDonalds!) and set of for Spain.  Whilst we were waiting to board our flight, I noticed Lauren Pope and Chloe Sims of TOWIE fame arriving from Marbella.  After two or so hours, we touched down in Malaga.  I don't know about you, but I know when I'm holiday when I walk out of the plane and am hit by a wall of humidity.  We arrived at my friends house at about midnight and ended up in bed at around 4am.

The first day we all got our nails done, I had acrylics put on so I wouldn't have to worry about re-painting them. We then laid out by the pool for the rest of the afternoon before heading out for cocktails in the evening.  We went to a bar/restaurant on the beach which was lovely, although it was a little windy.  They did good Pina Colada's.

 

On the Thursday, we opted for a change of scenery and went to the beach. It was HOT, about 37 degrees in fact.  After plucking up the courage (and also melting in the heat) I decided to go into the water with one of the girls. The waves were ridiculously strong and I managed to loose my beloved Ray Bans whilst being thrashed about.  Needless to say I wasn't happy, but these things happen.  We planned on popping to the shopping mall the next evening so I could get another pair.  

Low and behold my new sunglasses - I WONT be loosing these babies.  I prefer them to my original pair - the old pair, lost at sea, were candy striped and were difficult to pair with outfits at times.  These are classic tortoise shell and will go with everything and anything.  I also feel that the lenses are a lot stronger, blocking out more sunlight.  After an expensive shopping trip, we headed into Puerto Banus for dinner and drinks. We all wore heels, which I soon realised was a bad idea.  I had gotten a blister on the ball of my foot and it made it impossible to walk in the pretty heels I'd bought for the holiday.  I'm still undecided about what to do with them! I know a certain someone will be reading this shouting 'SELL THEM NICOLA' at the screen.  At least I got them in some pictures.  

We went onto a cocktail bar after dinner called 'Astral' which was shaped like a pirate ship (they even had neon green swords in the fruit) - pretty cool.  The cocktails were incredible.  They had your five a day pilled on top and the drinks were lovely.  I had a Pina Colada which was delicious - if not a little heavy!

Saturday was an exciting day. We were invited to spend the day at my friends, friends fathers five star hotel (trying saying that after a few cocktails from Astral!), El Oceano.  We were treated to some beds and cocktails by the pool and we were also in the presence of celebrity - well, Riley from Hollyoaks turned up for a few drinks and a swim.  I totally regret not asking for a photo now, but he's now following me on Twitter (bonus!)

I also found out that just outside of the hotel is where The Saturdays filmed their 'Missing You' music video and because I'm in love with them, I took a photo of the rocks... 

On Sunday, we had a chilled out day. We grabbed lunch on the Port of Cabopino, and after we took a stroll along the beach, before returning to where we were staying and heading out for the pool.  We enjoyed another lazy day by the pool Monday, resting up for Tuesday when we went to Morocco for a day trip.  

I was pretty astonished when we arrived at Andalucia to get the Ferry over. Africa seemed only five minutes away, you could see it so clearly.  After a 35 minute ferry ride (and a nap as we had to get up rather early) we were in Morocco.  The tour guide took us on a coach. First stop was for camel rides, although I must admit I was too chicken to get on one (a smart move on my part I think, as my friend nearly had one run away with her!) 

The second stop was in Tangier, where we hopped off the coach and went on a walking tour.  One of the first things we saw were snake charmers, which scared me - I'm extremely scared of snakes and the fact that there was a Cobra in front of me, didn't help this fear!

We then ate a traditional Moroccan lunch which consisted of soup, shish kabob, chicken and cous cous, as well as mint tea and some pastry smothered in a syrup.  I was surprised I ate any of it! After lunch, we made our way to the shops and we ended up in a Moroccan pharmacy, where I bought some argan oil among other things.  When we got back to Spain, we grabbed a traditional Spanish meal - McDonalds (we'd been craving it since the airport). 

 Wednesday was another chilled day at the pool, mostly tanning and reading Fifty Shades of Grey, which is an amazing book (so far anyway). On Thursday we ventured out to the shopping mall and I went shopping in Sephora.  I was like a kid in the candy shop, needless to say I spent a lot!  I mainly brought MUFE products, but some other products also ended up in my basket too.  Keep an eye out for my Spanish haul in the next few days.  

Our last day was spent soaking up as many rays as possible - which I must admit left me a bit pink (oops).  Our journey home was a bit manic, we were delayed and ended up getting home at about 3am which wasn't fun! I did however come home to two parcels, one from Amazon with One Tree Hill season 9 to complete my collection (boxsets are just like beauty products to me!) and another containing a new Nikon S3300 camera, which I won via Revlon's Facebook - bonus!

 I had an amazing time and wish I could go back again next week! A massive thanks has to go out to my friends mum for letting us stay with us - it was the best holiday I've had in a while!

What have you been up to since I've been away? It feels like an eternity since I last sat and blogged!

Sephora Wish List

I'm going on holiday in four days (eek!) and while I'm in Spain I am going to take full advantage of the Sephora.  I'm a youtube and blog addict and I always watch or read american bloggers and wish that the UK could be blessed with a Sephora.  I've compiled a wish list of things that I've had my eye on for a while, but have never really been able to get hold of.  

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

1. Make Up Forever HD Complexion Starter Kit - There is no doubt about it that MUFE is the brand that I most want to buy from. I've wanted to try the HD foundation for over a year now, and although we do have a stockist in the UK, I don't always have the time to pop into London to get matched up. This kit gives you a full size HD foundation, along with a primer, kabuki and setting powder. 

2. Make Up Forever Full Coverage Concealer - I've heard Ingrid from MissGlamorazzi talk about this product a lot in her latest videos and I'm always up for trying new concealers.  This one boasts that it it full coverage so would be a great pairing with some of my lighter foundations, to add some more coverage to certain areas, if needed.  

3. Beauty Blender - I've tried the Cosmopolitan dupe to the beauty blender and liked the finish it gave to my foundation but have since lost it.  I've read a lot of reviews on the original beauty blender and would love to give it a go. This kit also comes with a sponge cleanser which is an added extra! 

4. Sephora + Pantone 'Colour of the Year' Prism Chrome Blush in 'Apricot Brandy' - A bit of a mouthful.  I've seen this crop up a couple of times on YouTube and think it's a beautiful colour for brightening up the complexion.  I also quite like the look of the packaging too!

5.  Sephora Collection Mineral Powder Brush - I think brushes are one of my biggest beauty weaknesses.  I really like trying new ones out to get the best possible make up application.  I owe this one in particular to Meg from meganisobel who raves about this brush a lot.  

6.  Chloe Eau De Parfum Roller Ball - Chloe is my favourite perfume, but because of the price I use it on special occasions and nights out.  I always like to top up my pefume when I'm out and about but usually quite scared that I will drop my clutch with it in and smash it.  Hence why I want the rollerball version. Handbag friendly and great for top ups during the day.  I have my nephew's Christening coming up so this would definitely come in handy.  

I will also be picking up one or two MUFE Smoky Lash mascara as I LOVE mine and don't want it ever to run out.  Have you got a Sephora wish list? If so, what's on it?

New In: Recent Purchases

I had some birthday money to spend, so I treated myself last week to a few things I had, had my eye on, mostly Nicki Minaj collections (she's been getting around a bit).  

The first thing I picked up were the Nicki Minaj for OPI mini's from my local Sally's.   Most of the full size colours had sold out so I thought I'd get the best of four worlds with this pack, which was £13.49.  The standout colour for me is definitely Fly.  It's a gorgeous teal colour and it applied really nicely.  Second favourite is Pink Friday, which is a muted baby pink which gives a subtle pop to the nails.  I have yet to try the other two, but I'm sure I'll be posting a picture on Twitter before long.

I also picked up the new Viva Glam lipstick by Nicki.  If you don't already know about Viva Glam, 100% of proceeds go towards the MAC Aids Fund - a pretty good way to spend your money!  Now, I have to admit, I partly wanted to get this lipstick because it has my nick name on it (if you couldn't guess 'Nicki').  Materialistic reasons over, I am so glad I picked this up, with thanks to Charli who sent me a code so I could order the beauty early.  I wore it today and one of the girls told me it looked like I had drawn on my lips with a highlighter and there is no better way to describe it.  A lot of people have said it to be a 'true bubblegum pink' but I think the colour changes depending on skin tone. 

I have never been so excited by a mascara as I have this one.  A few weeks ago a good friend of mine told me about a website called Precious About Make Up as I kept banging on about how much I wanted to try MUFE products.  Low and behold they sold the Smoky Lash and HD Foundation.  I decided to wait until I went to Sephora in Spain during my holiday so I could be matched up but couldn't resist putting the mascara in my basket.  Unfortunately, the website were out of stock and ever since have been waiting for an order to arrive.  To say sorry for the wait they kindly sent me a sample size and I absolutely LOVE it.  I've only used it once so cannot give it  fair review but I'm excited to use it more.  The wand is a bit awkward to get hold of though.  I'll let you know my thoughts on this mascara soon!

Have you got your hands on any of the Nicki Minaj products?