June Loves, Likes & Loathes

It's the 1st of July meaning it's time for June Loves, Likes and Loathes. If you're new to my blog and haven't got a clue what my loves, likes and loathes posts are, I basically select a couple of products I've been loving, liking and loathing each month. I typically select 2 loves, 2 likes and 2 loathes but due to me not really disliking anything last month, I only have 1 loathe. I also added a lithe (mix between like and loathe) as there's a product I like and loathe. If you want to know what my June Loves, Likes and Loathes are, keep on reading. 

Loves

Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette - £10.00 (Palettes) & £4.50 (Lipsticks)

I'm not going to go into much detail about this palette as I did a huge review on it not long ago (can be found here) but all you need to know is that I absolutely LOVE this palette. Since buying the palette I haven't used any other lipstick as the palette is so versatile, you can wear the lipsticks alone or they can be mixed together to create a unique shade. I often mix my lipsticks as I like to be different and whenever I'm wearing one of my custom shades, I always get compliments. The lipsticks are pigmented, have great colour pay off, apply really well, are long lasting and they are VERY affordable. I also like how the lipsticks can be used on the eyes and face as well as the lips. The palette is great for Makeup Artists or anyone who isn't colour shy. 

MAC Face & Body Foundation - £26.50

I have to admit, I'm not a massive fan of MAC foundations but I absolutely LOVE Face & Body, I use it on my clients as well as myself and I will continue to purchase it in the future as I love it that much. MAC Face & Body is a water based foundation therefore it can be used on all skin types, it doesn't contain SPF either meaning it's an ideal foundation to use for photography (bridal, proms, fashion shoots etc). The great thing with Face & Body is that you can use it on your face and body (does what it says on the tin) and it's also build-able meaning you can wear it sheer, light, medium or full. Face & Body also sets once it's dry meaning it won't slip off. I love this foundation, and if you haven't tried it you need to! I also want to mention that the 'C' range would be ideal for anyone who has a warm undertone (yellow) and the 'N' range would be ideal for anyone who has a cool undertone (pink). 

Likes

MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' - £14.00

If you watch me on YouTube you'll know that I sport a winged eye nearly everyday without fail as it's become part of my everyday makeup. If eyeliner was ever banished from earth, I honestly think I'd have a mental breakdown. Whenever I wear winged eyeliner, I always use my trusty MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' to create it as it's possibly my favourite gel eyeliner. The eyeliner is creamy, smooth, applies like a dream and lasts all days without fading or flaking off. I've also had the eyeliner for a year and it hasn't dried out yet which is another good thing as gel eyeliners tend to dry out after a few months. The only negative thing I could possibly say about the eyeliner is that the colour pay off needs to be improved as I have to apply between 2-3 coats in order to achieve a true black. Other than that, I can't fault it. 

Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara - £24.00

I sad to say I loved this mascara at one point and I feel it's slowly withering its way into my loathe section. When I first bought this mascara it did an excellent job at making my eyelashes appear longer and more voluminous but after a month it's nearly dried up and now it makes my eyelashes look clumpy and thick, in the words of Melmphs, it makes me look like I have 3 eyelashes. I really like the mascara, I just don't like how it dries up after a month. If I was in the position to buy a new one every month I would but I'm not so I think I'll have to stick to my Clinique High Impact Mascara. Don't be surprised if I include this mascara in a future loathe. 

Lithe

MAC Prep & Prime Skin - £19.50

This is a bit of a funny one as I like the product, I just don't like it on me. The product itself is fantastic as it makes foundation last longer and it also helps foundation go on a lot more smoothly. Not only that but it soothes the skin, evens out skin tone, blots away excess oil and reduces redness. I used this on both my sister and her friend for their prom and I have to say that their makeup lasted all day/night, I applied it to Emily (Sister's friend) at 12pm and her makeup looked the same at 2.30am, the same goes for my sister, I applied it to her at 2pm and her makeup looked the same at 2.30am. It's a great under makeup base, it's just a shame I can't use it. The reason why I cannot use it is because it breaks me out so bad, I literally develop a face full of spots. I have really sensitive skin so I'm presuming it contains something my skin doesn't agree with. If like me you have sensitive skin, this baby will probably break you out too. 

Loathe

Inglot Matte AMC Gel Eyeliner in '77' - £10.00

I originally bought this eyeliner after seeing great reviews online. Several people were stating that the eyeliner was the blackest eyeliner they’d ever come across, as I wear winged eyeliner nearly everyday I thought I’d invest in it as I’m always on the look out for a blacker than black eyeliner. There’s nothing better than blacker than black winged eyeliner.

When the eyeliner first arrived I was in my element as the eyeliner was soft, creamy, waterproof, smudge-proof, it applied nicely and like the online reviews stated, it was blacker than black. However, it was too good to be true. I have used the eyeliner 5 times (at the most) and it’s dried up already. As the photo below shows, there’s a huge crack down the centre and it’s as dry as a bone. The worrying thing is that I own several of the Inglot AMC gel eyeliners so I’m presuming they’ve done the same. 

I'm so disappointed that it's dried up already as it is a wonderful eyeliner, I think Inglot need to re-think their formula. 

I've now told you what I've been loving, liking and loathing in the month of June, what have you been loving, liking and loathing? 

Much love,

Cole

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Colours Of The Rainbow Tag!

I was recently tagged by the lovely Gemma from Gemsmaquillage to do the Colours of the Rainbow Tag. The rainbow tag is a rather popular tag at the moment and many of you will know this as it has been floating around the blogging and Youtube world for a few weeks. The rainbow tag is such a fun tag to do and it's understandable that many people have done it. If you're not familiar with the rainbow tag, then you basically have to apply the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and also pink and multicoloured) to beauty and/or fashion items. You can either relate the colours to beauty products, fashion items or you can have a mix of the two, I chose to relate the colours to just beauty products as I wanted to keep things simple. 

So without further ado, here are my 9 colourful beauty products!

Red - MAC Lipstick in 'Lady Danger'
'Lady Danger' is possibly my most favourite red lipstick of all time and if it was ever to be discontinued, I'd literally buy 10 backups (and that's no exaggeration). 'Lady Danger' is a bright red, orange toned lipstick and it has a matte finish. If you're looking for a red lipstick that has great staying and packs a punch then this will be perfect for you! I love MAC lipsticks in general but this one really does stand out from the rest, the colour is insane, it's super duper pigmented and it lasts for hours on the lips (and that's without a lip liner!). I had to use this for my red product as it's such an amazing lipstick, if you want to see how beautiful it is, a swatch is provided at the end of this post.

Orange - MAC Lip Pencil in 'Lasting Sensation'
Now I've used this lip liner for my orange product for 2 reasons, one, it's a beautiful lip pencil and two, not many people are aware there is an orange toned lip pencil out there so I wanted to show you there is. In general, MAC lip pencils are fabulous as they're soft, they don't drag, they're easy to apply and they have great staying power. You can also wear the lip pencils alone or underneath a lipstick, but I will warn you that if you have dry lips you may want to wear a gloss on top if you're wearing the lip pencils on their own as they can be quite drying. What many people don't know is that MAC have a wide selection of lip pencils available and this is probably due to them not being openly on display. The lip liners come in a wide selection of shades, from burgundy to pink to orange. When it comes to lip liners MAC really have got it covered, it's just a shame they're poorly displayed in-store because I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't know they existed. Aside from MAC being a great place to buy funky coloured lip liners, the 'Lasting Sensation' lip pencil is beautiful, it's a perfect orange lip pencil for wearing underneath orange toned lipsticks, and I have to admit that I even wear it underneath pinky orange lipsticks! Overall I love the MAC lip pencils and I especially love the colour of 'Lasting Sensation' lip pencil.

Yellow - Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' Perfume
I didn't really know which product to use for my yellow product because I do have yellow eyeshadows and lipsticks but I only ever use them for creative purposes so I wanted to include a product I wear often.  In the end I had to opt for my Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' perfume because this is something which I use often and in all fairness it is yellow, so I think I can get away with that one. It's a really lovely perfume, especially for the summer, and it really lasts on the skin. I tend to find some perfumes wear off after a couple of hours but this really doesn't, the scent remains until you wash it off. I'm no good at describing scents which is appalling as I'm a beauty blogger but all I can describe it as is girly (what an insightful description). It's a lovely perfume with a lovely scent and if you like the other Juicy Couture perfumes, you'll like this.

Green - Illamasqua Eyeshadow in 'Pivot'
I got this eyeshadow in the Illamasqua sale at Christmas and I didn't think I'd end up loving it as much as I do. The reason I bought 'Pivot' in the first place was because it was £5, it looked like a funky colour and I thought I could chuck it in my MUA kit if I didn't like it when it arrived. Anyway, 6 months has past and it's probably the best £5 I've ever spent, it's uber pigmented, super soft, lasts on the eyes and it has immense colour pay off. What you see in the pan is what you get on your eyelid, you literally have to use the smallest amount and you don't need to layer the eyeshadow at all. I've found in the past that some bright eyeshadows need layering but this baby certainly doesn't.
Also, some of you may be thinking that 'Pivot' is far too bright and that it's not a wearable eyeshadow but let me just tell you, 'Pivot' works well with a neutral smokey eye especially if you place a small amount of 'Pivot' in the inner corner of the eye, it really does make the eye 'pop' (really hate the word but it was necessary).
It's a beautiful eyeshadow and I have to say that it's the nicest green eyeshadow I own (and I have a few!). It's safe to say that this beauty didn't end up in my MUA kit.

Blue - Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release
Not many people know what this product is so let me just explain a little bit about it. The Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release is essentially a tinted moisturiser that when blended, it adapts to your natural skin tone. It's a perfect product for those people who like wearing light weight products that give a hint of colour. The sheer tint doesn't give any kind of coverage whatsoever so it wont cover any sort of imperfection but it does give the skin a lovely healthy and even glow. I love wearing the sheer tint in summer as I find foundation too heavy to wear in the summer months, it makes me feel as if my skin cant breathe so the sheer tint is a great alternative. I love sheer tint and I'll be buying another bottle when my current one is empty.

Indigo - Urban Decay Eyeliner in 'Ransom'
Again I cheated a little with my indigo product as the only indigo thing I could find was my Urban Decay eyeliner in 'Ransom'. You can always rely on Urban Decay for cool coloured eyeliners so I knew I'd have an indigo-ish eyeliner amongst my Urban Decay eyeliner collection. Urban Decay eyeliners are brilliant (hence why I own so many), they're really soft, pigmented, glide onto the eye with ease and they stay on the eyes all day. 'Ransom' is also a fabulous colour, it's navy blue with a hint of purple, it'd definitely be a nice alternative to black if you wanted to wear something a little different.

Violet - MAC Lipstick in 'Strong Woman'
I've never been fond of purple lipsticks as I didn't think they'd suit me but when MAC released the ever so beautiful 'Strong Woman' lipstick I took a chance and just bought it, it could have been the best thing since sliced bread or it could have been an utter disaster. Luckily for me it was a winner because I was delighted to find that I in-fact didn't look like a pleb, it actually looked okay. Since buying 'Strong Woman' I have worn it near enough everyday and have suddenly grown a love for purple lipsticks, I think a purple lipstick addiction may be progressing. Even my boyfriend says he likes it best when I wear my purple lipstick and he says that it's his favourite so it must be a winner. 'Strong Woman' is a matte lipstick and like all MAC matte lipsticks it has amazing staying power and colour pay off. I love 'Strong Woman' and I'm gutted I didn't buy a backup.

Pink - MAC Blush in 'Pink Swoon'
I love MAC blushes as I personally feel they're the best on the market, they're pigmented, long lasting,  have great staying power and come in a variety of different shades and finishes. One of my favourite MAC blushes is 'Pink Swoon', a lovely pink sheertone blush. 'Pink Swoon' can be worn sheer or built up to a more intense colour which is great as you don't have to worry about applying too much, you can start off sheer and build it up. 'Pink Swoon' is ideal for me as I have no colour to my skin, if I apply a little bit to my cheeks it warms up my face a little, making me look alive as opposed to dead. 

Multicoloured - Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette
I recently did a post about my Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette so if you'd like to see an in-depth review with a trillion photographs and swatches then please feel free to check out that post. I had to use this palette for my multicoloured product because it's so funky, I mean, just look at that beauty! I was going to use one of my Urban Decay palettes but decided against the idea as they're not as funky as this little gem. The colours play lipsticks can be used on the eyes and face as well as the lips which is pretty cool and they can be worn alone or mixed together to create different shades. I absolutely love these lipsticks because they super creamy which means they're ideal for my dry lips and they're also extremely pigmented with excellent staying power. I won't go into much detail about the palette as I've done a huge review on it but all you need to know is that it's an amazing palette. And there's no denying that it's multicoloured.

Swatches

Top (Left to Right): MAC 'Lady Danger', MAC 'Lasting Sensation',  

Illamasqua 'Pivot', Urban Decay 'Ransom', MAC 'Strong Woman'

Bottom: MAC 'Pink Swoon'

Video Version

I hope you liked this tag and if you decide to do it, let me know!

Much love,

Cole

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May Loves, Likes & Loathes

So it's this time of the month where I tell you what I've been loving, liking and loathing. Below you'll be able to see what I loved, liked and loathed in the month of may. I usually include 2 loves, likes and loathes but since I haven't really been loathing anything lately I've only included one loathe. Oh and I've included a lithe too, a mix between a like and a loathe! 

Loves

Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in 'Lots O' Latte' - £16.00

I have to admit, I have used my chubby stick near enough every single day since buying it. I don't tend to stick to using the same product every day as I like to use different products but I love my chubby stick so much that I honestly don't want to use anything else. I usually apply one layer of the eyeshadow, blend it out into the crease and then apply a second layer on my eyelid. This creates a lovely smokey eye and it literally takes 2 minutes to do, if that! I love my chubby stick and I'll certainly to buying more shades in the near future. Even though the chubby sticks for eyes retail at £16.00, I feel this is a fair price as they're absolutely brilliant. 
The chubby sticks for eyes are extremely pigmented, they are quick and easy to apply, they blend very easily, they don't crease, fade or budge and they can be worn alone as an eyeshadow or as a base for eyeshadow. The chubby sticks for eyes would be ideal for anyone who has little time to apply makeup in the morning and for anyone who has difficulty applying makeup.
The chubby stick for eyes are available in 12 different shades, retail at £16.00 each and they can be bought from Boots, Debenhams or Selfridges.

MAC Pigment in 'Vanilla' - £16.50

Again, like my chubby stick for eyes, I use this pigment near enough every single day. I primarily use the pigment as a highlight as I like to highlight my brow bone, cupids bow and cheekbones with it. It's a lovely cream pigment with particles of gold and it gives a lovely shimmery finish, this is the main reason why I use it as a highlight. I sometimes use it as an eyeshadow too for on the days where I just want a wash of shimmer on my eyelids.
The great thing with the pigment is that you only need to use a tiny amount due to it being so pigmented. I think the design of the pot could be a little better as I always end up covered in pigment whenever I use it which would be good if I wanted to look like a walking disco ball but funnily enough, I don't. MAC have also increased the prices of the pigments to £16.50 which is a little sneaky but then again you get what you pay for as the pigments are brilliant and you only have to use the smallest amount meaning one pigment will last you a lifetime.

Likes

Inglot Kohl Pencil in '01 Black' - £9.00

I recently bought this eyeliner when I went to London with Adam. I'd seen rave reviews online about the eyeliner about it being blacker than black and water resistant so I wanted to give it a whirl, not that I needed another black eyeliner as I literally have about 50 (and that's no exaggeration!). I can 100% say that the eyeliner is blacker than black, even blacker than Urban Decay's 'Perversion' (how is that even possible?!) the only problem is that the eyeliner claims to be water resistant, meaning it's ideal for the waterline but I'm sad to say that the eyeliner fades on the waterline after a couple of hours and it also smudges down onto the lash line which can look a little unattractive. I solely use the eyeliner on the lash line for when I want to create a smudgey grungy look and I also use it as a base for eyeshadow. I really like the eyeliner as it is blacker than black and I also like the £9.00 price tag, it's just a shame I can't really use it on the waterline. I didn't include the eyeliner in my loathes as it's a great eyeliner, just not for the waterline.

Eucerin Even Brighter Day Moisturiser - £22.50

I recently received the Eucerin moisturiser and I have to say I wasn't really expecting anything great from it as my skin tends to hate moisturiser but I have to say that since using it, there has been a massive improvement in my skin. My skin hasn't reacted to it in any way, shape or form, if anything, my skin loves the stuff! As you all know, I have really dry, lizard like, skin which prevents me from wearing some foundations as they tend to stick to my dry skin but since using the Eucerin moisturiser, my skin hasn't appeared to be flaky or dry. I've been able to use any foundation that I want to since using the moisturiser. My dry skin has improved and my red thread veins don't seem to be as obvious.
I can't comment on the brightening aspect or the sun spot reducing aspect of the moisturiser but what I will say is if you have dry skin, you need to try this moisturiser. It really has worked wonders for me.
Another great thing is that the moisturiser is fragrance free, sinks into the skin and it doesn't leave residue on your skin.

Lithe (Like/Loathe)

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in '24/7' - £1.99

Okay so I didn't know whether to put this in my likes or loathes because I like the colour but I loathe the product, hence why I created my own word 'lithe', it's a mix of the two. I really like the colour of the nail polish as it's uber bright and summery but the nail polish itself is rubbish. The nail polish applies streaky, you need at least three coats and it chips after an hour. I know it's only £1.99 but I don't expect a nail polish to chip after an hour, I really may as well have thrown £1.99 on the floor.

Loathes

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in 'Vanilla' - £21.00

I really don't know what else to say other than this concealer is absolutely diabolical. The concealer is meant to be long lasting and crease proof but it's about as crease proof as crepe paper. I have applied this concealer using my fingers, a brush, a sponge and countless other methods but nothing seems to work. The concealer literally lasts around 30 minutes and then it's creasemania from then onwards. I also feel it lacks radiance, there's absolutely nothing radiant about the concealer, and it doesn't cover my lovely bags either. The only positive thing I have to say about the concealer is that it has a nice consistency. I have well and truly wasted £21.00.

Left to Right: 'Lots O' Latte', '01 Black', 'Vanilla' (Pigment), 'Vanilla' (Concealer)

Video Version

I hope you liked my loves, likes and loathes and if you have any questions about any of the products I've mentioned please feel free to ask away!

Much love,

Cole

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My Makeup Collection

It's been a while since I filmed my last makeup collection so I thought I ought to do an updated one. My makeup collection has changed massively since I did my last one and I think that's mainly due to having my room decorated, I've got brand new furniture so have changed the layout of my makeup collection. Not only that but I'm a bit of a makeup collector (or should I say makeup addict) so as you can imagine my collection has grown quite a bit, it also doesn't help being a Makeup Artist (hello 35% MAC discount!) 

I store my makeup in the Ikea Malm 6 draw chest which sounds pretty hefty but as you'll see from looking at the photographs below, I need A LOT of storage. 

I store my everyday makeup brushes in these cute little Sigma containers, they quite roomy so fit in a lot of brushes which is handy for me! I keep my spare (unloved) brushes in a separate bag just so I don't mix up the two sets. 

The top left drawer is my face drawer and in there is foundations, concealers, highlighting pens, eye/lip/face primers, lip balms, skincare and other bits and bobs like cotton buds and cotton wool pads. 

The top right drawer is another face drawer and in there is blushers, bronzers, powders, sculpting creams, skin-finishes, highlighters and setting sprays. 

The second drawer is basically my palette and lip drawer, in there is lipsticks, lipglosses, lip stains, lip paints, lip pencils, eyeshadow palettes and eyeshadow quads/duos.

The third drawer is my eye drawer and in there I keep eyeliners of all different sorts, cream eyeshadows, powder eyeshadows, pigments, glitters, mascaras, eyebrow products, eyelashes, misc products including eyelash glue, glitter glue, tweezers, eyelash curlers and sharpeners. 

The fourth drawer is mainly dedicated to my hair products because as you all know I'm also a Hair Stylist as well as a Makeup Artist. In the fourth draw I store my tongs, straighteners, conical wand, hair dryer, bun rings, clips, pins, brushes and other hair things. I also keep my SFX makeup and kit foundations in that drawer too. 

The final drawer is full random things including my makeup/fashion/nail books, pro charts, perfume, Sigma cleansing and polishing tool, brush cleaner (IPA) and other bits.

Video Version:

I hope you all liked my makeup collection and if you have any questions about anything I've shown, please feel free to comment below! :)

Thanks for reading/watching!

Cole

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