Mac Correct and Conceal Palette | Review

Correct and Conceal Palette 

Out of all of the Mac products I have ever purchased, I must say, this has to be up there as one of my absolute favourites. Having been eyeing this beauty up for a while, I finally took the plunge and can safely say I have no regrets. The palette contains everything you could ever need from concealer. From the Salmon Pink shade (bottom right) to help counter act from dark circles, to the yellow shade (bottom left) to help highlight or counter against any redness on the skin.

I am still playing around with the two middle shades which seem to be providing me with a very subtle contour colour - for days when I don't have time to go all Kim Kardashian! The top two shades are obviously the most used. Your typical, everyday concealer. I tend to use NW15 (top right) for undereye circles to match the pink shade and help defuse the horrific bags! Then NC15 (top left) for spots, blemishes or any other areas needing some extra coverage.

The formula is extremely creamy making them perfectly blendable. I use a small lip brush to apply the product to my face wherever it is needed (most places) and then blend out with a concealer brush. I find a little creasing under the eye area, I get it with all concealers, but find this gives the least out of every concealer I've ever tried - and I've tried a fair few! The packaging is very sleek and compact, very easy to cart around with you with every shade in the one place! 

This palette is ideal for anyone who's skin tone may change throughout the year. You can mix shades together to find that perfect colour. Unfortunately for me, I am not one of those lucky souls who take a good tan, I stay incredibly white (maybe a little reddish from time to time) so this would be perfect to tide you over all year round! 

Lori x

Weekly Loves #10

Mac Concealer Palette Light // Lush Toner Water // Benefit Porefessional

Why Hello strangers! Sorry it has been a while but I've been having a bit of a blogging/ internet cleanse over the last few weeks. After an amazing holiday to Barcelona and the Benicassim Festival, I enjoyed having a complete internet free holiday that much I decided to extend it for a little while on returning home. Alongside that, I've also started a brand new job where I now in management and so comes a lot more responsibility. I wanted to give myself a few weeks to settle in and let my lovely little blog take a back seat. So, apologies for the break but I am back and ready to bring you lots of new fun posts!

Starting with my weekly favourites and this week brings some new loves to the table.  First off comes from Mac and it is their Pro Concealer Palette in the shade Light (obviously). I've been meaning to buy this for ages but cannot stand the customer service (or lack of) in the Glasgow store and wasn't sure if it would be too dark. Thankfully, when in London I popped into the boutique and the staff couldn't have been any nicer. The palette is absolutely fantastic and has everything you need for correcting and concealing. I have been used the salmon colour with NW 15 for under the eyes. The yellow for highlighting and lately i've been playing with the darker shades to work as a contour - jury's still out on that one!

With all the changes going on in my life at the moment, sleeping has been pretty non-existent. From time to time I can suffer from insomnia (if you have you will know how horrific it is!) and when my Mum and Dad returned home from their jet-setting holidays they brought back a little lavender pillow parcel to help you drift off. I found this to be immensely helpful in the old shut-eye department and decided to hunt down a pillow spray. Now I know some may think it weird as this product is technically a toner for your skin however, the rose and lavender infused scent really helps me to drift off. Have only used this a handful of times but I have to say it has been making a difference. Just a few spritz on my pillow and job done!

Lastly, I have recently found myself getting right back into using primer. I am one of the fortunate people to have relatively normal skin. Primer for me was always an unnecessary step added to my make-up routine. After rummaging around my drawers I found this deluxe sample of The Porefessional and decided to really put it to the test. Turning my No.7 mirror to the 5X zoom (scary! eek!) I popped the product over my T-Zone and watched my pores disappear! This has now became a staple in the morning and makes my make-up not only sit better, but lasts all day!

Thank you all for sticking around! I know I've been gone a little while but I'm definitely back.

Lori x

Weekly Loves #9

Benefit Dream Screen // Estee Lauder BB Cream //
Mac Cremesheen Glass 'On The Scene'

I was incredibly lucky with my days off last week. I managed to see the sunniest day of the week, Tuesday, and sat out the back catching some rays. Not for too long though as my pale skin can't take the heat! With the sun finally making an appearance, it was time to pull out some sun-protecting products.

I have been dying to try out Benefit's 'Dream Screen' since I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one. I haven't wanted to waste it though as my daily moisturiser and most of my day-wear foundations have SPF in them already, don't want to go onto overload! After reading many great reviews I was hoping this wouldn't let me down and it hasn't! SPF 45++ keeps you highly protected, a matte finish which makes it perfect for applying over or under makeup - Perfect for you oilier skinned ladies. . I love this especially as it doesn't have that horrible thick feeling most suncreams do. Oil and fragrance free, everyones a winner. Plus, the packaging is just the cutest, who wouldn't want to show this off!

I have been loving wearing the Estee Lauder Double Wear BB Cream for a lighter base in the hotter weather. Yes, I included this a few weeks ago, but I seriously can't get enough! I have averted applying powder on top this week and have been seriously loving the gorgeous glow it is giving my skin. SPF 30 which is perfect for my holidays - next week, eek! - and super lightweight on the skin. For anyone looking for a healthy glow this summer, you have got to try this!

My makeup has been incredibly understated this week, less is more and all that. So a nude, glossy lip has been my go-to look. Not a known lover of lipgloss, I am doing a complete 180 and using it most days. I have been wearing Mac 'On the Scene' for a natural pinky lip colour with some added shine! I love the vanilla scents of Mac products, one of my favourites, and also the packaging on these glosses is so beautiful. Lipglass might not be for everyone as it can be quite thick and sticky however, it does last on the lips.This was part of their limited edition Christmas sets, not sure if you would still be able to find them - sorry to be that guy!

Have you tried any of these products?

Lori x

Neon Dresses

Dress // Delicious Dresses

Heading out to celebrate my best friend Kirsty's birthday at the weekend and I decided that with all of the gorgeous weather we have had over the week, it was time to bring out some brighter clothes.

Bold and bright colours are a mile away from my comfort zone but when I saw this dress, there was something about it that made me want it! I love the contrast of the pink and navy, with the neon green throughout. The puffed up sleeves are very eighties, an era which I love! Of course, this dress is also in my favourite style, the skater dress, where it flares out at the bottom - what's not to love?

I feel I am going to get lots of wear out of this dress in the summer. Very bright and lovely thin material, perfect for those (hopefully) hot summer nights.

In for a penny with this look, I kept in with the bright colours and transferred that to my make-up look too. Pulling out some forgotten pigments from models own, I went for a peachy/ pink fade on the lids which I thought really complimented my pale complexion. Originally, I went for a nude lip and found it made me look very washed out and pale, so instead I through on Mac '---' which instantly lightened my face! My hair is finally at a reasonable length where I can wear it down for longer than 10 minutes and not get annoyed. I added a slight wave to give it some texture - I don't suit clean cut!

Will you be experimenting with colour this summer?

Lori x

Weekly Loves #4

Benefit Gimme Brow // Mac Pro-Longwear Concealer //
Origins Charcoal Mask

Another week has come and passed, and now we find ourselves into June! Half way through the year and I honestly couldn't tell you where it has went. This last week has been incredibly busy for myself with birthday, events, balls and work, Lord knows how I got through! Thank goodness I'm now off work for a whopping ten days - well deserved I would say!

This week has been quite a lazy one on the make-up front. As I mentioned recently, my skin has been pretty dry and dehydrated in certain areas so I've been trying to wear less make-up and drink plenty of water - both seem to be really helping. One of the things I've cut half the time down on is my eyebrows. Usually I wear wax and powder to give me that definition on the brows however, that always takes a bit of time to get them looking nice and even. This week I've been reaching only for my Gimme Brow by Benefit. A quick swipe through the brows to add a little volume a colour - Voila! Done.

My trusted Nars Creamy Concealer has finally gave up, it was an incredibly sad affair! A while back I had purchased Mac pro-longwear concealer and never got around to using it as I just couldn't part ways with my Nars. This week, after Nars untimely passing, I pulled out this new one and so far I am loving it. Is it better than my Nars? The jury is still out, but it's certainly leaving me satisfied with covering those pesky dark circles! 

I've became quite the face mask junkie over the last few weeks. I do have a mask that I use once a week, just for, although I don't ever get wowed with it and think it does much for my complexion. Last time I was at Origins and buying some of my products, I got a 4 pack trial of the charcoal mask. Last week, when my skin was being a pest, I pulled this out from the back of my drawer and I was completely converted to masks! Although it looks like I've stuck my face in a pile of cement, it certainly doesn't feel that way. It doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped or dried out, it gives my skin a refresher and new lease of life. Think I will need to head back to the counter and purchase the full size.

Are you a fan of any of these?

Lori x

My Summer Lip Picks

 'Fable' Illamasqua // 'Morange' MAC // 32 'Jealous Coral' YSL

With the (very) brief encounter with the sun last weekend it got me thinking about Summer time and what trends I will be leaning towards. We all know how I love my lip products and decided to show you all the shades I shall be sporting this summer.

First up comes from Illamasqua and one of my favourite lipsticks ever, not just for the moment! This is 'Fable' and is a matte bubblegum pink shade. This is definitely a gorgeous pastel shade and will make a great transition through Spring to Summer. It is super pigmented and the formula stays on for hours! They are described as 'creamy' but I'll be honest it is quite a dry/chalky texture so a good lip balm is a must! I do love matte lipstick though and I absolutely love this summery shade so that extra step doesn't bother me.

Summer just isn't the same without a bright orange lip and mine is coming in the form of Mac 'Morange'. This little beauty comes with a gorgeous vanilla scent to it, if you don't like scented makeup much you may want to see if you can tolerate this first before you purchase. As for me? Well, I love vanilla scented anything so this was a huge plus! A cream, opaque finish with a slight shine to the lips, this is not one for the faint hearted. It is much more orange on application than it appears in the tube. This was the colour used on many of the catwalks at London Fashion Week so was a sure fire for this Summer!

Last but not least I will be popping on YSL Rouge Volupte in shade 32 'Jealous Coral'. Can we take a moment to appreciated just how gorgeous the packaging of these lipsticks are? The smooth, buttery type formulas just glide onto the lips. Some may find these a little too bold but I think they are fabulous! This is a peachy-pink tone and is perfect for the season ahead. It adds such warmth to your skin and gives your lips a super glossy/ shiny finish! The perfect everyday shade.

What is your summer lip colour of choice?

Lori x

Mac Mineralize SkinFinish 'Stereo Rose' | Review

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish 'Stereo Rose' £22

Having worn this solidly for over a month now I feel it is about time that I popped up a review. 'Stereo Rose' is a re-launch for the 'Fantasy of Flowers' Spring 2014 Collection and when I saw this was making a comeback I popped the date in my diary to be sure it wasn't missed! 

It has such a velvety, soft texture and it is very pigmented so be sure to build it up a little at a time - you don't want to end up looking like a doll! This may be due to my translucent skin tone, if you have slightly darker, sallow skin you may need to work a little more. It gives off a gorgeous sheen to the face, if you are building it up you don't need to worry about looking like a disco ball. It is a noticeable glow without being over powering or sparkly, a perfect day to night blush. 

The coral/ peachy colour is the perfect shade for summer. I would say it leans more towards the peach side of things as opposed to the coral however, you can also note some golden and bronze tones running through the product adding some extra dimension. I apply it to the apples of my cheeks and top of my cheekbones for a highlight. The lasting power is great too, it lasts for a good six hours before I even need to think about a quick top up. The packaging is huge which I was quite surprised at for a blush, a generous amount from Mac meaning it is a good investment. 

If you are a lover of highlighter and a glowing face then this should be popped onto the shopping list. If not, then this may not be up your street. I personally love the product and have been getting good use of this on a daily basis.

What's your favourite MSF?

Lori x

March Favourites | Video

MARCH FAVOURITES VIDEO HERE

One of my favourite posts to write has to be my monthly favourites. I love sharing with you all of the products I have been loving over the last month. As we head into April I have lots of lovely products to share with you from the month of March. This month, I decided to change it up a little and pop my favorites post into a video for you all to watch! I started up my new YouTube channel a few weeks ago and would love you all to pop over and subscribe to keep up-to-date!

Lori x

Take the Plunge

Dress: Topshop

Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: New Look

Watch: Michael Kors

Heading out to a friends 21st birthday on Saturday night I decided I wanted to wear something a little more daring! The plunge style is back with a bang, having seen it amongst lots of celebrities I decided I was going to pull out this mustard number! I love the unusual colour, like nothing else in my wardrobe, and the ruffled petal design on the bottom is absolutely beautiful. 

The dress is plunged at both the front and back which proved quite problematic on holding it up. During the week I decided to take it to my Gran who can perform magic when it comes to fixing clothes. We opted for a gold chain across the back to hold both sides up and give me peace of mind that nothing would be on show! Who would have known it wasn't part of the dress?

I then teamed the dress with a long, hanging necklace which I tied into a knot to make it hang straight down the middle and added a clash of colour with the leopard print envelope style bag. I love this style of bag for a night out - they are huge and can fit everything in there! You can't see my feet in these photos but I wore my black, pointed Kurt Geiger heels to keep the attention firmly on the dress!

This is a little outside my comfort zone as I don't tend to wear anything where my chest is on show but I decided that I've hardly got a chest to begin with so what was the worst that could happen?! 

Going for straight hair is quite an unusual occurrence for me. Tend to just tie it in a top knot (how exciting?) or leave it down without styling it, my hair has a natural wave to it. I went for nude eyes and a bold statement lip with Mac's Glaringly Hip. I love wearing dark colours on my lips, I think pale girls can really pull them off! This was a night for a bit of sculpting on the face so I used my Sleek Contour Palette in Light.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Would you take the plunge?

Lori x

Mac Attack!

Jacket: River Island

Shirt // Tights: Primark

Shorts // Belt: Zara 

Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

Boots: New Look

Bag: Michael Kors

Yesterday was spent at the travel agents trying to organise our summer holiday! So many travel plans this year which I cannot wait for. I'm lucky if I travel twice a year, which is pretty sad really, so hoping to visit a few more places this year. Bought this beautiful mac coat from River Island on Saturday when I was in town and I absolutely love it! Mac's are versatile and never go out of fashion - definitely an investment buy! Teamed it with a crisp white shirt and denims - obviously thick black tights as it is still very cold here in Scotland! My trusty black boots (which I discovered yesterday are actually needing re-heeled, pretty badly may I add, as they make two different noises when I walk) to add the illusion of a longer leg.

After sorting out most of our hotel dilemmas myself and Craig headed off to find some lunch! We like our food! Both of us were in the mood for soup and a sandwich but couldn't find any sit in deli's around. We decided to head off to a garden centre, where else?! Then spotted The Popinjay Hotel on the corner and decided to drop in. How glad we were! The hotel is absolutely beautiful with a pianist upon entry. The staff were super friendly and very attentive and our lunch was fantastic! Soup and a sandwich was had - Hoorah!

Make-up look for the day.

Used naked 3 for my eyes and Elizabeth Arden on the lips.

Hope you like this post!

Lori x

Christmas Panto

Scarf: Gift

Top: New Look

Jeans: New Look

Jacket: George at Asda

Boots: Kurt Geiger

Bag: Paul's Boutique

Lipstick: Mac in 'Glaringly Hip' 

Yesterday I was off to the panto with the family! It is a tradition every year for me and my family every year to head off to panto land and we all have an absolute ball! The tradition started when I was seven and I was a child dancer in the pantos (I performed in them for four years, from ages seven to eleven) and every year my group would be performing on my birthday (Boxing Day) and my family would always come along to see me and the cast would sing happy birthday to me on stage! Great memories. Afterwards we headed out for dinner, this holiday season has been filled with family time which I have loved! 

This new camera loves to show off just how pale I am!

Hope you like this look!

Lori x