MAC Review and Haul

Hi guys! 

Ok so I've been gone a while, but while I've been gone I've had a totally revamp of my blog by the lovely Amy! (Check out her blog and amazing designs here!)

So while my blog has been changed and looks totally fresh now I took the chance to visit MAC, I mean why wouldn't I! I didn't really go for anything specific but I ended up with a lipstick and a gloss! I've been looking for a few nude/brown shade of lipstick for a while and I did find a few but I've found the holy grail of browns and I'm in LOVE! 

Matt lipstick-Velvet Teddy

I brought this lipstick not really knowing much about MAC lipsticks so I thought I would start out with something not too daring so decided to start with 'velvet teddy'. It's a Matt nude/brown shade which I've been looking at for a while and decided it was time to buy- and I'm so glad I did! I've been obsessed with this lipstick since the day I took it home! It's perfect for everyday use you can put it on with any makeup look and great for topping up throughout the day! It's a gorgeous texture on your lips, glides on and lasts for about an hour and a half even while I'm busy at work! 

If anyone's looking for a perfect nude lipstick then you have to try velvet teddy!

Lustregloss- Morning glory

Im not going to lie, I brought this lipstick just on impluse, not really thinking much about it, I saw the pink shade and thought it was super pretty so I brought it! I didn't really like much of it but when I put it on I fell in love! It's a lovely subtle shade that gives a lasting impression and I got compliments on it throughout the day! If your looking for something pretty for a spring glam then this is it! :)

I'm always looking for new lip products to try so leave a comment and let me know what your favourite is and what you recommend so I can try! Hope you all liked this post! 

Cree x

Liebster Award

Hi lovelies!

This is probably one of my favourite posts I've done, I've done this once before and I really enjoyed meeting new bloggers and reading their posts and i'm so happy I got nominated by the lovely Jennie! Thanks Jennie! (Check out her lovely blog here). For anyone that doesn't know what the Liebster award is, its an award that connects bloggers with 200 followers or less on their blog and gives them an opportunity to meet and chat to other bloggers!

                                          Check out my questions and nominations below,

What's the best thing you love about blogging?

I love everything about blogging from the shopping of the products to finally uploading, but the best thing would be for me is meeting new bloggers and sharing our ideas and generally chatting. I love finding new bloggers and ive made a lot of new friends through blogging!

What's your favourite type of blog to read?

That's a hard question, id have to say reviews on products. I like to hear what people have to say about different products and their opinions of them, it really helps me decide on whether ill buy them or not.

You are stranded on a dessert island and your only allowed to get on YouTube tutorials or blog posts... which do you choose?

This is a hard question aswell! I love watching YouTube videos but I think that im more connected in the blogger world and I think id definitely get more out of blogging :)

If you could use one or the other, which would it be out of eye shadow or lipstick?

Although I love eye shadow I would say lipstick, ive got a little obsession with lipstick and I think even on a bad day or when your not feeling to good a little bit of lipstick makes you feel a lot better!

Where is the place you would like to visit the most?

Id love to travel but I think at the minute it would either be New York or LA, id definitely love to visit New York for Christmas or a lovely winter holiday and LA for a lovely sunny girly holiday!

How do you get your motivation to blog?

I really get my motivation from reading other peoples posts and going on twitter! I think that when I see other amazing blog posts it really inspires me to read and write more posts!

If you could have any celebrity best friend in the whole world, who would it be?

This is an easy one! Kim Kardashian! Some people seem to have a problem with her but I totally love her! Her fashion and beauty is on point and shes just amazing! :P

Who are your favourite bloggers and why?

Oh ive got so many! Carli Bybel is always amazing and has some great makeup posts, I also love Tiffany D, shes so pretty and always doesn't always do fashion and beauty she also does interior which I love!

Boots or Superdrug?

Superdrug! Its like my second home. I really like Boots because you can buy things you wouldn't find in Superdrug but I get most of my things from there just because its cheaper and I prefer the reward system!

How much do you spend per month on blog related products?

This really depends on new products that are out in the month, for example I have spend more on January's products because I brought the naked 3 palette (view post here) and a new Maybelline foundation (click here to see post)

What was/ is your favourite subject at school and why?

Looking back I loved school but at the time I really hated it and couldn't wait to leave! My favourite subject at school was probably when I went to do my GCSE's I did a course along side them at school for fashion and textiles and I loved it, it made me realise that I wanted to carry on doing fashion!

            I hope you enjoyed my answers and here are my nominations and questions!

Questions:

1) What is your must have beauty product?

2) Do you prefer fashion or makeup?

3) What's your favourite thing about blogging?

4) If you had to go without one product for a month what would it be?

5) Your favourite YouTube guru's?

6) What are your favourite hobbies?

7) What's your favourite makeup product?

8) Your favourite social media site and why?

9) What's your favourite fashion piece for winter?

10) What's your favourite TV show and why?

Nominated bloggers:

1) Victoria Bakken

2) Strand on Beauty

3) Jessica Vannan

4) Lynell Marie

5) Beauty Lashes

6) Emmay Belle

7) Harriet

8) Cider with sophie

9) Eltoria's Secrets

10) Love. Peace. Vintage

                        I cant wait to read everyone's answers! hope you all enjoy! :)

Makeup Haul Time!

I don't think I've actually ever posted a haul and its been a while since I've actually been makeup shopping and I forgot how much I enjoyed it! I went straight to boots and Superdrug to buy a load of goodies! I didn't go shopping or anything in particular so as I walked into the shop I didn't know what to buy first! I picked up so many different products I had to put a few down! By the time I got home I realised I didn't buy that much so I'm planning on going back so expect another haul sometime soon! :)

  

List of products:
1.) Collection shimmer shade in Blushalicious
2.) Maybelliene dream satin liquid in light porcelain
3.) Real Techniques Beauty Blender
4.) Kelly Brook Quad eye shadow
5.) Kelly Brook bronzer in Bardot
6.) 17 single shadow in Darkness
7.) MUA academy brow pencil in blonde/ Natural collection lip liner in Ruby Rose and Almond
8.) MUA academy matt lipsticks in Peachy Keen and Totally Nude, Satin lipstick in shade 3
9.) Natural collection water guard mascara in black

I've always been a really big makeup shopper so I thought Id take advantage of the opening times at my nearest Superdrug!

The first place I went to was NewLook just for a browse and I found the Kelly Brooke makeup range! I really like Kelly Brook anyway and I've seen her makeup range before but I've only every brought the bronzer so I thought I would buy the blusher to match! The blusher (Bardot) is a soft pink/peach and its great for me as a natural everyday look. I also brought the collection shimmer shade (Blushalicious) and I love it! The 4 different shades complement each other so well and give off a subtle glow.

I love buying and trying out different lipsticks so when I went to the MUA academy stand in superdrug I saw they were only £1 so I stocked up! I Love Love Love the new Matte finish lipsticks! The 'Totally nude' shade is my go to shade and I absolutely love it! I haven't tried the Shade 3 satin finish lipstick yet as I forgot I brought it but the others stay on for a few hours and I only had to reapply once or twice throughout the day! Love Them!

When I was shopping in new look, I saw this quad by Kelly Brook and  fell in love with the colours! The deep emerald shade is magic on the lid and the palette as a whole is to die for! the only disappointment with it, is that there is no matte shades, as much as I love a shimmer shadow I kind of wanted the lighter green to be matte to balance out the look but it still looks great on!

Ive been looking for a pigmented black eye shadow for so long now but the one I've found have been either not pigmented enough or they've come of looking chalky, so when I was in boots and came across this shadow I had to buy it! With a pencil brush it would look great for a really deep Smokey eye for a night time look! I cant wait to try it soon!

Review: Maybelline Superstay Foundation

Im always trying different foundations so when I was searching through superdrug the other day this bottle caught my eye! After testing the sample, I always so this and I always end up putting too much on my hand, (whoops!) I decided to buy it to try out!
Ive never tried a Maybelline foundation before but id always hear good reviews so I thought id give it a shot and I love it!

I always tend to use liquid foundations because Ive got a normal skin type and this foundation I found was oil based so if you have oily skin I would stay away! I applied the foundation with my Real Techniques buffing brush (one of my favourite brushes) and it went on like a dream! The colour matched me perfectly (I went for 048 sun beige) and didn't feel like I had any foundation on! it acted like a second layer of skin and didn't feel cakey at all!

Pros:
-Soft on the skin
-Colour match
-Packaging was eye-catching
-Creamy texture
-Lasted all day
-Buildable coverage

Cons:
-Was a bit pricey
-More than one pump needed to cover a face
-could be streaky if you don't use the right brush

Overall I really like this product and I would definitely repurchase it again as soon as I runs out. My advice would be to try this product out, it didn't disappoint me in the slightest and its in the top 5 foundations ive used so far! I'm super pleased with the foundation as a whole! To order online you can buy it from Superdrug.

NOTE:I'll be posting a lot more frequently from now on and with more of health and fitness posts and posts on keeping fit on the build up to summer!

Hope you all liked this post! :)

Cree x

Review: Max Factor colour elixir stick

Hi everyone! 

I'm really sorry I haven't posted in a while I've just been super busy the past few weeks and unfortunately my blog has suffered! I'm moving house this weekend so I've been crazy busy trying to sort everything out but when I'm settled into my new house I will have a blog post explaining everything! 

Today I thought I'd do a post on a newly brought product! 

I brought the Max Factor colour elixir giant pen stick the other day and I thought I'd try it out and keep it in my kit ready for clients and I love it! 

I have the shade 'passionate red' in 36 and it's a Scarlett red colour with a shimmer running through it. It's so pigmented and very easy to use! It glides onto your lips so soft and lasts for ages! I applied it in the morning and only had to reapply once throughout the day! 

I wasn't sure what it would look like on me but I fell in love and it's so easy to carry around as a pencil and not in a pot with a brush which I love!

 It comes in so many different shades but I had to try the red first! 

All in all I love this product! It's great and simple to use and I can't wait to buy a few more! :) 

Hope you all liked this post and I have a great 10% discount on all crown brush products this September! Click on the advertisement in my sidebar and use the code 'FINS2013' to receive 10 off!  

My 6 Go To Pieces In My Kit

I hope your all having a great week and thank god its the weekend! :)
I do posts on my makeup and my kit but ive never spoke about the other items i keep in my makeup bag or kit that i use on my clients, so i thought id just talk about them. Theres quite a few bits and pieces that i put in my kit all for different reasons and purposes but ive just chosen my top 6 because i thought it would be boring if i posted a long list!

        hope you all enjoy! :)

1) Latex- Free Sponges- I use these sponges on a daily basis. I use then for everything up to powdering to blending in foundation,. I tend to use them for powdering under the eyes if i find someone has dry skin it helps control the powder a little better! I also love them because they are disposable but I always manage to find them in the bottom of my hangbag at some point! They're great in my kit and ive always got them in there because i always know theyll be of some use!

2) Water Bottle- When i first started out in makeup i heard everywheere that you had to take a water bottle of some kind out with you when you do jobs and i didnt really know what for but now i couldnt live without it! The bottle is an old MAC fix+ bottle which is really handy because its clean, small and totally re-useable! I use it for pigments, cleaning brushes, on cotton buds etc. 

3) Small Scissors- Scissors are my everything! Im always using them in my kit and even in my own makeup bag! I use them for opening packages like lash boxes and palettes and theyre most useful for chopping down false eyelashes! Love them, they are super cheap and definitely needed in my makeup box!

4) Eyelash Curlers- Eyelash curlers are pretty self explanatory, I use them for both myself (i have very short lashes) and on clients. Great for lengthening lases and blending in false lashes with your natural ones! 

5) Shine Absorbing Sheets- These for me are one of the most valuable items in my makeup bag and kit because they really do work and theyre great for everyday use aswell as on the night when out for drinks! Just blot on your skin where you feel you need to control your shine and your all set!

6) Cotton Buds- Cotton buds are definitely a must have for me in every situation involving my makeup! I use then for fall out underneath my eyes for shadow, mascara on my lid so theyre great for most things and im definitely stocking up on cotton buds all the time! 

I hope you all liked this post and feel free to comment and follow me :)

Furry nails!

Hello guys and gals!

Sorry I've been a little delayed on posts recently I've been a bit busy trying to sort out a future project I'm planning in the next few months! Ill be sharing with you what I'm planning very soon! :) 

I thought I'd just try and get up to date with a quick nail post! 

So may not know but I'm a very big nail polish fan! Last time I counted I had we'll over 60 different polishes! I love all the copies and brands and to experience with different nail arts! So I was so excited when a few months ago MUA Academy launched a new product called fur-effect nails! 

I immediately when out and brought them and I'm actually surprised at myself that I haven't done this post sooner! 

Left to right: fluffy bobbin, fuzzy fluff

I brought two pots in different colours so I could try different things with them! I thought they were so cute when I first brought them and I knew I'd have fun trying them out! They are both super furry which I didn't think they would be and it's actual fur! 

I thought I'd try the pink one out first and I loved the result! I used a technic nail polish in loganberry, which is the perfect colour!

I applied one coat on my nails and then a second one, after a few seconds, I simply rolled my nail into the tray so the fur could attach itself to the wet polish! 

It didn't take too long to dry which I was happy about and didn't slide either! 

       Finished result!

This photo doesn't do it justice! It stocks on great but you do have to tap off the excess to get it to how you want it! 

I thought that after a few days that it was flake off slowly but it last me about 4/5 days! I couldn't believe it! I was a hit worried and thought that it would come off so easily with day to day jobs like cleaning and washing up but it stayed on really well! 

Definitely a 5 star!! 

Love this product so much I've gone out and got the other colours! :)

You can also follow me on twitter and all blogger social networks on my home page :) 

Twitter: @kissmakeupblog

25 facts about me

  Hi guys! I hope everyone's well! 

I was on on my to meet my friend the other day and I came across a billboard/ advert that said 'things about me' and it got me thinking that it would be kind of fun to do a 25 facts about me post! 

I'm not going to lie it actually took me quite a while to do this post cause I didn't really know what to write without sounding boring, so I hope you all enjoy!

Feel free to follow me on twitter and google+, I follow back! :) xoxo

                        It's me! :)

25 facts about me:

1) I'm from Birmingham in the UK

2) I'm left handed

3) I've got 1 tattoo and 5 piercings 

4) I love working out and eating healthily 

5) my favourite animals are giraffes (I'm a little obsessed!)

6) I've been studying fashion since I was 14.

7) I want to become a makeup artist 

8) I'm moving to London to work in fashion/makeup

9) I've broken my leg with I was 6

10) I've never been abroad

11) blogging makes me extremely happy!

12) I'm constantly on my phone

13) I collect teddy bears (yes I'm a child)

14) I'm massive Disney film buff

15) I'm obsessed with friends and have to watch at least 1 episode a day

16) I'm massive football fan and support Liverpool FC

17) I've worked at London fashion week

18) I'm the biggest Michael Jackson fan ever!

19) I own at least 30 handbags

20) I've moved house 6 times

21) I'm a self taught makeup artist 

22) I adopted a dolphin when I was 10 and used to get photos sent to me

23) I have a slight obsession with the Kardashian family  

24) I have a pet cat who is 13 

25) I can't draw! 

I really loved doing this post, it was fun to just sit down and make this list! 

Hope you all enjoyed! 

I've been thinking about doing a giveaway when I get to 50 followers, let me know if it's something everyone's interested in! :) xoxo 

MUA Academy vs. Real Techniques brushes!

Morning you beautiful people! 

I thought I'd do a brush review post just to switch things up a little bit! I've been a massive fan of brushes for years and I think the basis of any makeup look is a set of good brushes, so it's only natural that I'm always buying and using brushes!

When I first started buying brushes, I first saw a stippling brush at a MAC counter and I really wanted to know what I was for and how to use it so I set out to find a brush just as good and I didn't want to spend a lot of money! So when MUA academy announced they had their own line of brushes coming out then I knew I had to buy! So I brought 2! :p 

For £3 each, I really couldn't complain! 

When I got it delivered I knew I'd love it! I wanted to try it out right away and I loved it! It leaves my foundation looking great on my skin and buffs it in lovely! If I'm in a rush I can easily use this brush for most things so it saves on brushes! When I finish doing my makeup, I always clean my brushes and set them to dry and I actually thought this brush was going to be really hard to wash because the bristles are quite far apart but I was totally wrong! The product slipped out of the brush and into my hand and was so easy to wash out!

Overall I love this brush and I've got to tell you it's definitely worth £3!! 

When I was more familiar with the stippling brush, i set out to find another one just as good and I definitely found one in the form of a real techniques stippling brush and I fell in love! 

It was everything I was looking for and more! The packaging was great , the brush itself looked good! I just fell in love. I wanted to try it straight away, so I took my makeup and reapplied it with this brush and I wanted to thank all my gods I brought this brush! It buffs my makeup in so it looks like ive hardly got any foundation on. It was a little more pricey at £13 and In some ways I think it's worth it but others I really don't! 

I think it was about the 4th time of me using it and it started to shed! I was gutted! It only happened for a week or so and now it doesn't which I found to be a bit strange! 

When I started washing it, I did notice that it was harder to clean, especially if you leave it for longer than a day! It can be a nightmare and I can sometimes spend up to 10 mins washing this one brush! 

I'm not totally sure which one i love more because I use them both in different ways! But I will say this: if your looking for a cheap alternative for a stippling brush then go for the MUA academy brush! You really can't go wrong with this brush! 

My faves for July!

 I've been waiting to do this since I started my blog and I'm so glad I can post about this now! I've seen so many different bloggers do these types of posts and I love seeing what everyone else has brought and loved! 

 

I've got quite a few products and items that I've loved this month but I've narrowed it down to 5! 

              I hope you all enjoy! :)

1) studded small clutch bag

2) MAC mineralise skin finish in medium/ dark

3) Aloe Vera bio active skin treatment 

4) Batiste dry shampoo 

5) MAC foundation brush no. 190 

 Studded clutch bag (select, £10)

I love this bag! I've had it a few months now and almost every time in out with my girlfriends for drinks I take this bag! It looks quite small but I can actually fit quite a few things in there: my iPhone, keys, money and even lipgloss! There's a small pocket in there that is perfect for you money and there's even a long chain that connects so you can use it as a shoulder bag.

The design is a navy blue, sliver studded clutch with a skull on the opening inspired by Alexander McQueens trade make skull! 

MAC mineralise skin finish, (MAC, £24)

I love this product! More me I used to think that every powder was the same but this product is so good! I tend to have an oily t-zone but this calms it right down and gives my face and makeup a really glowing and nice finish! They come in lots of different shades and the MAC artists are super helpful and lovely! 

Aloe Vera skin treatment (Holland & Barratt £6.99)

I'm always looking for different products to help with my skin and this does it! I suffer from stretch marks (I know I'm not the only one) so I thought I'd put this into my top 5. I used this every day after my shower in the morning and then before I go to bed, I've been using this for a few months now and they are certainly fading! It doesn't leave a smell and its a clear gel that settles into your skin so beautifully and leaves your skin feel so soft and moisturised! Definitely a must buy if you suffer from dry skin or scarring! 

Batiste dry shampoo, (Superdrug, £1.50)

I've always been a bit sceptical of dry shampoos becuase I've brought a few in the past and they haven't really done anything to my hair but I brought this really cheap and I love it, this is actually my second bottle! If I don't feel like washing my hair or I'm in a rush I just spray this on my hair and it looks great! It doesn't leave my hair dry or greasy! It's great and it comes in loads of different types and flavours! 

MAC foundation brush, (MAC, £19.99)

I'm always hearing mixed reviews about MAC's brushes, some people saying they shread and other people saying their great! I was torn. So I decided to buy myself one that I knew I was going to use so it wasn't a waste of money! A foundation brush. I knew that it would come in handy as I'm always applying foundation whether its on myself or clients so it wasn't a total waste of money but I don't think I'd pay another £20 or so for another one. I love the way the bristles feel and they're shapes to be used not only on the face but under the eyes and around the nose which is perfect! It blends into the skin so well and it's so easy to clean i actually enjoy cleaning it! If you wanted a decent foundation brush then this is the one to get, if I'm grabbing a foundation brush I always go to this one! 

Hope you all enjoyed this post and don't forget to follow me on Google friend connect, I follow back :) xoxo 

Karla Powell!

             

               Afternoon everyone! 

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while now but always put it off, but as I was creating face charts this morning I thought I'd post something about them! 

I absolutely love creating face charts, it gives me a chance to be creative with makeup and sample ideas for photoshoots I may be doing! 

When I first started with face charts I was using the MAC ones cause they are the standard ones a lot of makeup artists use but then I came across Karla Powell's face charts and I had to buy them! 

I'm a massive fan of Karla's work and she's taking the makeup world by storm at the minute with her amazing fashion work and recent work at IMATS which I was lucky enough to see for myself! She is well and truly amazing and if you don't know her name, you should definitely look up her work! 

   Just a few of the images I took of Karla's     pop art work at IMATS London this year.

The face charts come in an A4 black zip up case which can be put into your bag and is great for storing all your other images in and has a zip all around the case so it can open easily.

 

Inside the case, there is 25 plastic wallets inside to hold your work, including 25 sheets of face charts to practice on! I love the quality of paper that has been used as it holds the makeup really well and super easy to apply the makeup to! 

It also has compartments on the inside to hold bits and pieces in such as business cards, pieces of paper, pens and brushes! It also has a pocket on the back cover to hold any other pieces you wish! I love this as I'm always stuffing things in so I don't lose it! 

           Back pocket of the case.

The face charts themselves are a simple but stylish design that I love! They are super versatile and can do pretty much anything with them!

If you want to check out Karla's work then you can check out her website and all of her social media sites below: 

Official website/ tumblr: http://www.karlapowell.co.uk/

Twitter: @karlapowellmua

Instagram: @karlapowellmua

Facebook: Karla Powell Makeup-Artist

If you want me to do a post on my visit to IMATS and what I though, leave a comment or let me know on twitter :) xoxo