Brand Focus | MAC Cosmetics

This idea has been floating around in my blogger notepad for a while and now I’m finally getting round to do it! I thought I would choose a brand and let you know my favourites form their range and what to spend your money on- or what not to spend your money on. I thought I would start with MAC as I feel a lot of people don’t know what to purchase and through my own experiences there are a lot of MAC products I wished I never purchased.

 Lipsticks – Obviously these have to be number one! There are so many different shades and formulas to choose from so whether you like a bright pink or a plum and whether your into glossy lips or super matte there is something for you!

Fix + - This is a product that you’ll use up in no time because there are that many uses for it. This can be used to prep the skin, as a setting spray, a general face mist to freshen up your makeup or to wet your brush when dipping in a foiled shadow or glitter.

  MSF’s – The highlighters you need in your collection! These two are my favourites; Soft & Gentle for those of you who like a beautiful golden highlight and then Lightscapade for those that like the creamier natural highlight. Both of these are gorgeous and seem to last forever too!

   Strobe Cream – If you have dry skin or just like a glowy and dewy base then this is something that will be right up your street! This makes me look so awake and makes my makeup always look so flawless!

 Blushes – Melba is one of my favourite blushes ever, its so pigmented and just a beautiful colour. Just like the lipsticks there are many different shades and formulas to choose from so again there is something for everyone. I also love the Mineralised blushes too, they’re less pigmented but nevertheless they’re still beautiful.

Contour + Highlight Powders – These aren’t really talked about a lot and I'm not sure why! I love how these come in a pan so can just be put in a Z palette meaning you don’t have to carry around 2 bulky compacts. There also is a vary of shades for both highlight/ setting powders and contour powders so you can choose one that suits your skin tone. Both of these powders are so finely milled, aren’t chalky or cakey or muddy for that matter!

Did you like this post? Which other brands would you like me to focus on?

Paige, x

Top 5 Makeup Brushes!

When it comes to makeup brushes its hard to decide what to go for as most of them are pretty expensive and you don't know how well they perform of if they shed at all. Here are my top 5 favourites- which none of them shed!

MUR Powder brush; If you watch the likes of MannyMua and Hannah Renee then you’ll know the brushes that they use for bronzer look amazing! When I seen this and seen how similar it was to the ones that they use I thought I best pick it up. I haven’t been able to put this down since I got it, the flat front and back of it make it easy to place product whereas the soft bristles make it easy to blend it out seamlessly. Its also in the top 5 because erm look at it?!

NYX Blending Crease Brush; I definitely had to mention an eye brush in my top 5 and you cant go wrong with a blending crease brush! This one is from NYX and if you haven’t already tried their brushes you really need to! This one is the perfect size, shape and fluffiness to buff and blend the shaddow. I have a few NYX brushes but this one is definitely my favourite!

Zoeva Highlight brush; This does what it says on the handle! Its such a gorgeous highlighter brush, especially if you want that really intense look. Again this is another delicately soft brush that picks up just the right amount of product. I also love the fact that the bristles are white!

Real Techniques Setting brush; I have two of these and use them for many different things, number 1 being setting my concealer under my eyes. This is such the perfect shape as it can get right under the eye very easily. Its also so soft and not scratchy at all which is exactly what you want for a brush to be used under the eye. I also use one of these as a huge blending brush to blend out my crease and transition shade.

Real Techniques Duo Fibre Blush brush; Okay so this isn’t just for blush it can be used for almost anything, don’t let the name of it define how you use it! I do use this for mainly blusher however I’ve used it for powder and bronzer before. The fact that its duo fibre means that for the likes of blusher that could be really bright it only picks up a tiny bit of the product. I feel like when I use this no matter how bright or pigmented the blusher is I never accidently put too much on.

Paige, x

Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Highlighter

Are you really surprised that this is on my blog? I mean 1. its Makeup Revolution 2. its a highlighter and 3. ITS ROSE GOLD. 

When I seen this announced on their Instagram I didn't really feel like I needed it yet somehow I managed to persuade Katie (blog here) to come to Superdrug with me just for a "browse".. yeah right!  I swatched this and immediately fell in love.

Firstly Makeup Revolution highlighters are some of my favourites. Their cheap, pigmented and the colour selection is amazing.. I mean whats not to love? 

This is the Vivid Baked Highlighter in the shade Rose Gold Lights. I have a few of these and absolutely love them. This cost me £3 which is incredible- I'd honestly rather own all the shades than 1 highlighter from Laura Mercier or Bobbi Brown. They are THAT good. 

This is the shade Rose Gold Lights and as you can see its such a gorgeous pink with gold running throughout. If you like the NARS Orgasm blush then I'd definitely try this out. I personally wear this as a highlighter and blusher in one and it creates the most stunning and girly look. 

This is also incredibly pigmented and the swatch down below is only one swipe of the product. While its great that its pigmented you might be a little scared off however don't worry- just dust a fan brush into it and it applies lightly but still giving that killer glow. However I like to go in with a more denser brush and make sure I get that wow effect; like I said I wear it as a blush too so I feel like that allows me to apply more and wear this to its full potential. 

I also dust this over the tip of my nose and cupids bow and it still looks great, for some reason the pink doesn't really come through in those places which makes it way more wearable.

This lasts all day too and if you apply your setting spray and then apply this it just makes it glow even more. 

I can't forget to mention the formula as its one of my favourites. Its not chalky in the slightest but is smooth and extremely buttery. I also use this as an eyeshadow- especially if I'm creating a halo eye and I place this in the centre. It works incredible when used wet and also has no fallout either!

I'm so in love with this and can't wait to share it with you more!

Paige, x

The Perfect Primark Lip Combo

Everyone and their Mum have been talking about Primark makeup, in particular their lip products so of course I'm jumping on that band waggon. 

Firstly, my local Primark doesn't have that much in terms of their PS makeup so I was quite surprised when I seen LIQUID LIPSTICKS! Yes most of them were opened and there were only three shades to choose from but I was so excited I spent literally 15-20 minutes trying to find one that was unopened.

 I went with the colour 'Nude'- which I thought would be nude. If you follow me on Snapchat (thefashionwayx) then you'll of seen that I swatched this and tried it on the lips. Unfortunately it was more of a bubblegum pinky shade which was way too light for me and didn't suit my skin tone. In terms of the actual lipstick it dries fast, not fast were you can't tweak the application but fast enough were you don't have to sit and wait for it to dry. The formula of this isn't drying either and I can comfortably wear this all day unlike the NYX or Colourpop ones. The texture of this is also very thin but creamy and has no smell either. 

As for the applicator which you can see below its literally the perfect size and shape. Its a hard doe foot applicator which is perfect as I personally don't like flexible wants for liquid lipstick. It dispenses just the right amount of product too meaning I don't have to double dip- perfect for a lazy girl. 

The tip of the applicator also gets more narrow and pointed towards the end which makes it perfect for getting a precise application on the edges of the lips and makes it easy for getting right in the cupids bow. 

I then remembered that I'd picked up one of the Lip Liners too and wondered if I could pair them together and make a better, more wearable combination. This was in the shade 'Brown' and I firstly outlined my lips and then filled them in. I'm not going to lie this was a bold, dark lip which is something that I never wear. It really reminded of MAC's Whirl so if you have that give this a go and I bet they pair perfectly together! 

This applied really creamy and smooth; unlike many other budged lip liners that seem to be dry and drag along the lips. This is also sharpenable which is a huge plus! Once I apply this all over the lips I then dab the liquid lipstick over the top and blend with my fingers. It creates a gorgeous Kylie Jenner inspired look and also makes my lips appear bigger too.. huge plus!

I really love these and can't wait to try more of Primarks beauty range so if you have any recommendations then please let me know.

Paige, x

Products worth the hype

I buy so much make up and a lot of the time its products that have been heavily advertised and talked about in the beauty community, both on blog posts and YouTube. However there's nothing worse than when you pay a lot for something that's quite frankly rubbish.

Here are some of my favourite products that I genuinely do believe are worth the purchase.

Urban Decay Naked 2

I really love Urban Decay shadows and think they really are such a nice product to work with. The reason I think this palette is worth the hype is not only because of the amazing quality and pigmentation of the shaddows but also because you're really getting a lot for your money. These eyeshadows never seem to hit pan either, apart from that sneaky Booty call so your going to have this for quite some time. You can also create so many different looks and there is something for everyone with this. 

MAC Fix +

You can read my post I did about this here. This has so many purposes and can be used for any of your make up needs!

MAC Lipsticks

These are so worth the money; the colour selection is incredible and again has something for everyone. 

MAC Soft and Gentle Highlighter

Commonly in my monthly favourites this will always be a repurchase. The glitter is just enough and isn't chunky and can be used on the brow bone, inner eye corner or even as an eyeshadow! This is also a product that will last you forever.

Roller Lash Mascara

There's a reason as to why everyone uses this, it is amazing! You wouldn't be disappointed if you purchased this because it gives length and lift like no other mascara. Plus the packaging is just too cute!

Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter

This is more of a champagne colour compared to the MAC one which is gold. I'm not saying you need both but this is just as stunning. You really only need the tiniest bit and this too can be used as eyeshaddow!

Dip Brow Pomade

An eyebrow game changer. This gives such a prominent sleek look and really makes your eyebrows on point! (Laughs) With this less is more hence why I've included a picture to show how much I've used over the many months I've been using this. 

MAC in comparison to Mary-Lou

Do you agree? Which products do you think are worth it?

Paige, x

MAC Lipstick Collection

MAC lipsticks are my weakness in life, I'm constantly watching videos and reading blog posts about other girls collections and making a list of everything I want. Once in a while I'll go down my list and make a purchase and its probably one of the most exciting things to do. I mainly own mauve/ pink shades and my favourite finish is either Satin or Matte. 

Flamingo - Lustre

This was bought on a whim as its something very different to what I usually go for. This is definitely more of a 'brave' shade and would only look acceptable in summer or on holiday I personally think! This is a light coral shade verging on orange and is very sheer however when trying to build the colour up it goes patchy and clings to any cracks in the lips.

Pure Zen - Cremesheen

This is a lovely light pink/ nude. It looks great with a brown toned lip liner to create that 90's lip. However like Flamingo this clings to any cracks or dry areas on the lips so cant really be layered. 

Brave - Satin

This is such a wearable shade for everyone, its like your lips but better and isn't too in your face. Although the swatch doesn't show it its actually a very muted pink. 

Faux - Satin

This is very similar to Brave however has a look more of Snob with that blue/ purple undertone. This is still such a lovely wearable shade and isn't too over powering like I find Snob is. 

Twig - Satin

Twig is more of a darker more berry toned pink, like your lips but darker. Its not as bold as a red lip but it still stands out. You can wear this either day or night and it won't look stupid or out of place.

Pink Plaid - Matte 

This has more of a bubblegum pink look, with lots of blue undertones. Pink Plaid is very similar to Snob but sadly this is way too dry for me and I've only worn it a handful of times. 

Whirl - Matte

Whirl is completely different to anything in my collection, it has sort of a brick red appearance yet on the lips its more brown toned. This is extremely wearable and doesn't stand out as much as you'd think making it perfect for everyday wear. 

Velvet Teddy - Matte

The iconic Kylie Jenner shade! This a nude with a hint of orange however it goes on slightly brown on the lips which is so in right now. Suits everyone and every skin colour.

Mehr - Matte

This is very similar to Twig but is more of a bold pink. Although even though this is bold it doesn't look to 'out there' or noticeable. 

Do you have any MAC lipstick recommendations?

Paige, x

August Favourites

I feel like I rarely do monthly favourites any more so here's what I've been loving in August!

Tangle Attack

I did a full blogpost on this (here) so you can give that a read for a proper review! What I've been loving so much about this is the fact its so much easier than using a brush, its travel friendly and does an amazing job at de-tangling my hair. I like to take this with my when I go swimming after the gym so I can brush through my hair straight away, just after I've done that I then apply my heat protect spray and leave in conditioner. After this routine I find that when I dry my hair that its super smooth and sleek looking.

Roller Lash Mascara

I'm surprised at myself that I haven't blogged about this until now but bare with me there will be a post solely dedicated to this soon. This is probably one of the best mascaras I have ever used. I was reluctant to try it at first thinking that nothing could beat the They're Real mascara however I was really surprised! The lift and curl this gives is amazing, this lengthens my eyelashes so much that people often ask me if I have falsies on.. its that good!

Bahama Mama Bronzer

I seem to be coming back to this bronzer the most out of everything in my collection, its such a gorgeous colour that isn't too muddy or too dark. On my skin tone I think this is great for generally just bronzing up but it even suits me to contour with. I think this is a perfect colour match to Benefits Hoola and this is cheaper too! I've even used this as a crease colour, very multi-purpose!

Whirl Lipstick

I still love the whole Kylie Jenner lip colour that's still going around so when I heard that MAC was releasing a new Matte collection and Whirl was now going to be an actual lipstick I knew I had to get it. Its a very mauve brown shade and looks gorgeous on the lips. If you follow me on snapchat (thefashionwayx) then you'll have seen me wearing it to death!

Stripdown Lip Liner

I've never tried a MAC lip liner before this so I thought I may as well get one while I'm getting a new lipstick and Stripdown to me looked like something I would use a lot. It's a nude/ brown shade with more of a chestnut tinge. This looks lovely on the lips and tones down a bit to give you that 'your lips but better' effect. I've worn this with nude lipsticks/ sheer lipsticks and even dark lipsticks like whirl and it makes the lips just look flawless. I can't wait to try more liners from MAC.

What were your monthly faves?

Paige, x