Mac Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow: Pastelluxe

So, errr, I'm not normally one for glittery makeup but when I saw this little Mac Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow compact shimmering in the sunlight while I was browsing in America, I fell in pastelly, hopelessly love with it.

I do admire the way those wonderful people at Mac have tried to add a bit of normality with the cheeky little beige shade at the bottom there, but soz, it ain't pulling the wool over anyone's peepers. This is disco-ball, shimmery, pastel heaven. The set is even called Pastelluxe, and Mac describe it as giving a 'highly pearlised finish'!

The shadows aren't highly pigmented, so it was pretty difficult to swatch these as you can see. In fact, the colours are that 'barely there' that each shade is not that distinguishable from one another in my opinion. Probably a compact that sells because of how pretty it looks as opposed to the actual quality and/or variety of the shades. However, they are ideal for sweeping lightly over the top of other shadows to add a bit of understated oomph and prettiness, and I also love dabbing some on the inner corners of my eyes to brighten and open them up. I love this trick as it helps to disguise tired eyes and finds the 18-year-old youthful look in me...or so I like to think.

Alternateively, they are quite nice to wear alone for a wet-look kinda thang, as the sparkly shimmery pigment reflects the light beautifully. The shadows are also very long-lasting, staying put throughout a long day.



Swatched from top to bottom: 1. Bright champagne with pearl



3. Peach pink with pearl / 4. Light pink



4. Bright lavendar / 5. Dusty grey

What do you think of this Mac compact? How would you use it? I'd love to hear suggestions!

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Seascape Island Apothecary Body Wash and Lotion

There's nothing better than having a good pamper session; I absolutely love taking a long, hot bath or shower and then lathering myself in moisturiser, in the sincere hope that I'll end up emerging like Gisele Bündchen...never quite a reality but I suppose the softer, smoother skin is enough motivation. 

Seriously though, we invest so much time and effort in looking after our faces, splashing out on all that firming, brightening moisturiser and eye cream, but sometimes I think we probably all take the rest of our bodies for granted, so I'm really trying to remember how important it is; just one of the reasons I was over the moon to receive this luxurious Body Wash* and Body Lotion* from Seascape Island Apothecary to try out.

You might ask exactly what an apothecary is; I've seen the word bandied about via other brands (think Space.NK.apothecary), but I've never actually really known what the word means, until now *drum roll*! Historically, it's a person who prepared and sold medicines and drugs. Essentially, it's a priddy word for a pharmacist. Now, it seems like it's applied more widely to skincare and cosmetics. I like it. I like how it adds a bit of sophistication and class; it implies knowledge and experience, so on first impressions, I felt like these products were coming from a brand that knew what they were talking about and knew how best to pamper my skin.

Seascape claim they are 'inspired by the natural charm, simplicity and beauty of island living'. They're referring to the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, since their ingredients are sourced there from ethical producers. Somewhere I've never been as yet, but it definitely looks stunning. A big bonus for me is that Seascape are against animal testing, something I admittedly don't heavily look into when buying products but definitely something I am becoming more aware of and am relieved to see when I find out! Of course, it's always nice to see packaging is recyclable too - another one Seascape manages to tick off the list!

These products smell absolutely delicious; their natural fragrance is partly a result of the 100% essential oils of Jersey eucalyptus, which is used in order to stimulate circulation. I sensed a real, fresh citrussy aroma when using both of these products, so I wasn't surprised to see that they both contain lime. Lavender is also infused, so these products do leave you smelling lovely and refreshed.

The body wash is thin and quite runny in consistency, reminding me of Nivea's pampering shower oil (unfortunately no longer available). I pride myself on being completely honest in all of my review posts, so it's nice to be sent a genuinely good product to review; I am happy to confirm that this works up a real lather and a little goes a long way. After a week of trying it, I've hardly put a dent in it, so I really was super impressed to find out it will last me longer than the usual body washes I buy. Something I think really helps to justify the price.

In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, the body lotion comprises natural shea butter and beeswax, so I felt thoroughly moisturised after applying it. It's not too thick so it rubbed into my skin really well and, again, I didn't need a lot to cover my whole body. I tend to shower in the evening, moisturising before bed so I found myself waking up feeling really pampered and soft all day long the following day, not to mention the lingering scent, which was barely there but still reminded me I was treating my skin nicely!

Over all, at £16 each or £30 for the Uplift Duo Gift Set, these could be considered quite pricey; however, when considering they'll last longer than the norm, they're from an ethical cruelty-free company, and the quality is top notch, these are definitely products I would consider treating myself to or giving as a gift to someone who loves a good pamper sesh. Delivery is free too, which helps!

Do you like the look of this body wash and lotion? Have you tried Seascape before? I'd love to hear what you think.

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*sent to me free of charge for review purposes

Makeup Revolution Amazing Volume Mascara

My name is Danielle, and I'm currently addicted to Makeup Revolution. In the last couple of weeks, I've blogged about their Amazing Lipstick in Crime (a FAB Mac lipstick dupe) and their Beyond Eden Baked Eyeshadows. Let's face it, their products are amazingly affordable, decent quality, and very varied, so it makes for lots of fun trying out different makeup without splashing too much moolah. Since I'm forever on the hunt for a great mascara, I just could not resist splashing out a whole £2 on this little beauty...

The Amazing Volume mascara is packaged relatively nicely in a classic black tube with a transparent 'outer' layer, which adds a nice touch aesthetically. The wand itself is nice and big, and it actually reminds me of the Diorshow wand, so I was looking forward to trying it as soon as I clapped eyes on it.

As with my last mascara review on L'Oreal's Miss Manga, I'll get right to the point and show you exactly what this bad boy does for my eyes. After all, it's the top way you can judge it for yourselves right?

So, here's a before and after pic so you can see the full effect. Note, as per my usual routine, I did curl my eyelashes before applying (i.e., after the first picture).

As much as the wand looks très Dior, it doesn't compare quality wise unsurprisingly; it's certainly not a bad mascara at all and I'm genuinely really happy with the finished look, but I felt it lacked in the ability to thicken my lashes and make them feel 'made up'. The wand felt as though it didn't actually have much product on it at all, so I found myself applying a few layers to build it up. 

I will say it wasn't clumpy at all and separated my lashes nicely when applying - a huge bonus and a hard thing to come by for me! It's serving as a great daytime mascara at the moment. I like to rock a different look when I'm going out, out so I think a lighter mascara in the day 100% helps with this.

Have you tried this mascara or any other Makeup Revolution products? I'd love to hear what you think!

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Titisee, Black Forest, Germany

I've never really wanted my blog to just be about beauty; it is very much about that because I do love my makeup and trying out different products, but I also like to think of it as a kind of diary that I can look back on and remember some lovely times in my life. I always start off every year willing to keep a handwritten diary but have failed to do so consistently since my school days so I am hoping this blog will help me out in that respect. This is one reason why I'm keen to write more about places I visit, experiences I, erm, experience, and generally try to appreciate the things I - and maybe we all - often take for granted.

This brings me on to a lovely weekend last May. We decided we wanted to get out and about and make the most of the lovely day, so Titisee was naturally a good option. It's just across the border from us in Germany and based in the southern Black Forest area. Not only is the lake absolutely gorgeous, but the Black Forest is where Black Forest Gateau originated from. Not my favourite cake to be honest but still a nice to try it at its source!

If you know Matlock in Derbyshire, it vaguely reminds me of there...and also attracts a fair few bikers as you can see!

We hired a little pedalo boat and headed out into the centre of the lake for a cheeky pic-nic. There's something lovely about eating strawberries in the sunshine, and doing it in the middle of a gorgeous, peaceful lake surrounded by dense forest just tops it off. Excuse my oversized sock error of course...

Some of the Black Forest scenery. I love the different shades of green!

The shore line is dotted with cafés and restaurants, making it a perfect little place for people watching and chatting over numerous cups of coffee. I could sit here all day doing...

Titisee is also famous for its cuckoo clocks; I must admit, I never thought I'd be one to photograph a cuckoo clock, but seeing them all in one place making their little cuc-koooo sounds isn't all that bad! They're pretty pricey but the hand-made detail that goes into them is impressive, and they seem to be very popular. I'm just not sure I could handle the noise after the novelty of having one wears off! 

One of the things I love about living here is the way the towns and villages really care about keeping their areas clean, tidy and well presented. Floral arrangements are popular here, and I don't blame them. So pretty!

Caaaake, but ashamedly no Black Forest Gateau in site. We've actually been in the past and already tried it, so this time we went for apple tart and cheesecake! As I'm typing this, my mouth is watering. Probably too much info, but you get the idea of how delish these were!

On our way home, we stopped to take in the view and I thought having a photo on a pile of logs would be fun and somehow worth capturing. A.pile.of.logs. It reminds me of the whole 'I carried a watermelon' moment. 

Do you like the look of Titisee? 

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Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipstick: Crime

I am absolutely loving experimenting with lipsticks at the moment. I recently posted about Mac's Flamingo (Lustre) lipstick, where I declared I would be braver in my bright lipstick purchases...so here I am with this little beaut from Makeup Revolution. I'm not going to lie, this is a brand I wasn't immediately drawn to as I expected the cheap cost to reflect the quality, but from the products I've tried so far, I really can't complain, no really!

I bravely went where many have probably gone before and chose the Crime shade from the Amazing Lipstick range. For me, this is pretty out there colour-wise but I love the purply shades I'm seeing around lately so simply thought 'why not?' for a measly £1.00!

I personally think it's an amazing dupe for Mac's Show Orchid, but over 90% cheaper - literally!

Here are various swatches of the lippy to give you an idea of it. Practically identical to Mac's version right?!

And here it is on my very own smackers. It's really smooth and creamy in texture, which I absolutely love. The thing that surprised me most was how long-lasting it is. It's also super pigmented, so much so that it practically stained my lips, but nothing that a make-up removing and cleansing sesh couldn't sort.

I'm afraid I'm not one of those blessed with luscious, plump lips, but you get the idea! Lots of outtake poses included, just for all-round viewing haha.

Again, as with my comments on the packaging in my baked eyeshadow post, this isn't housed in the most sophisticated of tubes (it's a little plasticky - new word - and rattly in terms of the coloured part of the lid) but it really doesn't make a huge difference to me when I'm this satisfied with the actual product.

What do you think of this Makeup Revolution lipstick? Have you tried any of them? 

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Makeup Revolution Baked Eyeshadows: Beyond Eden

I know I'm one of many, many excited ladies succumbing to the hype that is Makeup Revolution, but I simply cannot resist a bargain, and a good-quality one is the way forward in life, so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about and order some bits and bobs to try out. Could a £2.50 set of baked eyeshadows really actually be any good?

The main advantage of baked make-up products like this is the more intense and longer lasting pigmentation. Another supposed benefit is the ability to use a wet brush for a bolder look, something I appreciate since I like a darker look for nights out.

Now, onto this little beauty. First off, while the plastic transparent packaging isn't top notch, I do love the oval design of the shadows and way they protrude upwards; there's something about it that just looks GOOD and worth much more than the 250 pennies I parted with! I know looks aren't everything, but let's not lie: when a product looks appealing and more expensive than it is, it's a winner. Of course, just like all things in life, it has to actually deliver the goods to make me feel like I'm Charlie Sheen 'winning'.

Here are the swatches below, clockwise from top left. They are really quite pigmented and genuinely lovely shades, easy to apply, which impressed me considering the price. They're shimmery heaven, and the colours really complement each other. The range is pretty versatile, allowing for nice day and night looks, so I'm looking forward in trying out some different looks.

Please excuse the nice chunky vein running through the deep green shade...not the coolest look but hey ho.

What do you think of these shadows and Makeup Revolution products in general? Do you have any recommendations? 

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