MUA Professional

MUA have somewhat recently launched the professional line. It has some really great items in it (I have yet to try them all but it's my mission for now). I have picked up some things and some are brilliant and some are okay. There isn't anything bad in it to be honest. It's a bit more expensive than the £1 line but the quality if just that little but higher and there are brilliant ideas in the line. As far as I know there are two mascaras (curling and volumizing - dont quote me), a eyeliner felt tip, some eyeshadow trios, some eyeshadow palette, nail quakes (shatter polishes). That is what is stocked in my superdrug, I think in bigger stores they have a mosaic blush (I think there is a bronzer too). I really want to say they have liquid foundation but I'm not sure at all. They also have metalic eyeshadows but I'm clueless about them.

So I have picked up the curling masacra, the primer, the Heaven and Earth Palette and a trio (I have no idea what the name is). I got the curling mascara in brown (or brown-black), the heaven and earth palette is a collection of browns and neutrals and the trio I have is also two browns and a ivory(ish) highlight colour. I want to say innocene but I could just be thinking random words right now.

I love love love love love what I have so far, bar the mascara. The masacara is good, don't get me wrong, but I just find it super hard to use the curved wand without getting it on every single but of my eye. It's just me, I'm a bit useless with things like that. The packaging really reminds me of the Loreal Lash Archietect (spelling is so not my thing) D mascara. I think it's one of the newest mascara's from Loreal. In fact when I picked it up I thought someone had dumped it on the stand and it was in the wrong place. The product itself isn't really compariable but the packaging is super super super similar.
 

The primer is good, I can't say that it's the best I've ever had (GOSH primer is the best by the way) but it most certainly not the worst (no7 Shine free primer is the worst). It's creamy unlike the gosh one and runny unlike the no 7 one. It's kind of what I wanted the no 7 primer to be like. If I had to compare it to any primer I would say it's the Witch blemish fighting primer (the name is something like that). It dont test it out for lenght of wear with other primers but it kept my make up on just fine through out the day. It's super good and I would recommend it to any one. It was also only £4.00 which is considerably cheaper than the GOSH primer at £13.99 and the No7 primer at £11.00 (I did get it for £6 with the voucher they give out to eveyone).

I think that this primer is the only thing that hasn't sold out stupidly on the MUA professional stand I just can't understand why. It's a good price and it's a good product. People, sort it out and go buy this! It's worth it (or it is to me). The MUA professional stand in my superdrug it some silly cardboard thing that needs to be replaced and I wish it was bigger and stocked more things like the blush and things like that. The stand is always empty because of the brilliant quality and the small stand and the amazing price.

I'm going to do a whole seperate post on the Heaven and Earth palette because it's that freaking awesome. Enough said for now.

The trio is what I reach for every single day. It's had the three perfect colours for everyday and they can be made more intense by using them wet (they look soo good when they are applied wet). They are very very shimmery but when they are blended nicely and applied in moderation they work for school/work/everyday. I love love love love this. This is my second fave MUA professional product that I have. The palette being the first, then the primer, then the mascara. The trio's are really compariable to the Boujouis Trio's accept I think they are much better (in quality and price). I have one of the Boujouis Trio's and I hate it. I love the colours it just dont think  the colour pay off is good and I find it really hard to work with.

I no this range ins't avaliable world wide but if you can get your hands on it, do it right now! (well wait till the shops open)

(Disclaimer - Yes, I'm trying to be witty. Yes, I am aware that it's not funny and No, I don't care so I thought I would let y'all know that)

Work Wear

work wear! by trialandtest featuring leather shoulder handbags

Sleek Nude Collection

 

I recently purchased the nude collection from Sleek Makeup at my local superdrug store. I think the offer was something to do with the new Beauty Card that they have launced so effectivly you do save a little money. The collection looks amazing!!! It's all the colours I love and all the colours that most people would wear for that everyday work/school/wearable look. Sleek it a great line and the shadows are known for their amazing quality. This collection isn't any different. The quality if still there and I love it. LOVE IT! Most of the swatches come up ture to colour and there is a good range from light to dark colours that most people can make work for them. I have swatched every colour in the Nude palette and the blush (I believe it's called Suede). This blush works so well for me and I think it would work well for most people. The packaging is mostly the same as others from the Sleek line. There is a difference in the blush packaging but not much difference. It just stands out as a limited edition rather than a permenant line. So here are my pics that I managed to take. Once again, most of the colours do show up true to reality.

Here are the swatches of the palette:

The blush images can be seen here:

 I also purchased a pout polish but it seem pointless to show you. It appears nude in the packaging but just looks like a clear gloss on the lips. It's called Bare Minimum and it really in the minimum. You can't see a colour at all on the lips.

Fall (Autumn) Nails!!!

I'm not the biggest nail fan ever (I bite mine.... I know, it's like a beauty sin or something but I can't help it). I did a little research and now I bring you Fall Nail Trends (some will be cheap and some from the more expensive lines).

My inspiration for this post came from Missglamorazzi's video on Fall Nails. Check out her video here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1iSnMiBwTA&feature=feedu  

Here are my favourites of  her picks:

Essie Lady Like:

Miss Glamorazzi suggested wearing this under Deborah Lippmann's Some Enchanted Evening, which is a great pinky glitter polish.

On the Essie website the colour is descirbes as an elegant soft mauve colour, but it's currently unavalible for purchase online (on their website at least)

The second of my favourites from her selection is:  Zoya Jem.
The zoya website definatly gives more information about the polish than the essie site.  So here's what the site said:
It's described as a "dark red toned puple base with metallic dark pink highlights and subtle gold duochrome flecks. It's said to be a bold colour with vampy drama with bright sparkle and a glam rock persona. It's in the red and purple colour family and the finsih is most definatly metalic. The colour intensity is 5. The site five a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is sheer and 5 is opaque. The colour tone is listed as cool and the polish came out in the mirrors collection.

OPI (as im sure most nail brands are doing) are releasing a fall collection this year and obviously these colours are going to be bang on trend. Check out the art work and the whole collection at this link (here) The collection is called "Touring America" and here are  some of my favourites:

Color To Diner For:

 This colour is inspired by Tucson, Arizona. The OPI site says "Rain? What's that? Boasting an average of 350 sunshine filled days a year, Tucson epitonmizes the warmth and beauty of the American Southwest..."

The colour is said to be "rosy red with a side of awesome".

Honk If You Love OPI:

This colour is inspired by Baltiore, MD. The site says "Theres something eternally nostalgic about a good ol' American roadside diner. We say skip the fast food when Touring America, and opt for some countertop dining instead. This is your time to indulge, so try the grilled cheese or a slice of pie. but dress sexy (just in case).  The colour is descirbed as "delicious dark grape".


Road House Blues:

This colour is inspired by Jackson Hole, WY.  It says "These jaw dropping peaks have been called the most spectacular and awe-inspiring mountain ranges in America. with heights reaching over 7000 feet into the sky, the Teton Range is something you have to see when Touring American. This colour is said to be "R&B", OPI stating that it now stands for "Really Blue".

French Quater For Your Thoughts:

Inspired by New Oreleans, LA. The OPI site says "Also known as Vieux Carre, the French Quarter is New Orleans' oldestande most famous neighbourhood. Touring America wouldn't be complete without surrounding yourself in its elegant mix of Spanish, French, Creole and American architechture. It's enough to take your breath away. This colour gives you those "sexy grey nails".

Some of the colours in this collection don't scream fall to me but most of them do. The colours that seem sort of lost in here would have to be:

• Are We There Yet? 
• I Eat Mainly Lobster
• My Address is "Hollywood"

These colours are quite bright and for fall I would stick to the darker, more "vampy" shades that always seem a staple in any fall collections. 

One final colour screams fall to me from what I've seen and that is not just in nail polishes but in clothes and just general fall colours. That colour is Mustard.

Two polishes that stand out to me personally are Butter London in shade Bumster. The images can be seen below with the China Glaze polish in Trend Setter. These are what I call "Marmite" colour and you either love them or hate them. On the right skin tone... I love them!

Everyday Makeup

So, this is the look that I wear on my eyes everyday for college and work. Hope this helps you discover your everyday look.

So, first up this is the look, the picture quality isn't great but hopefully it will give you an idea.

I applied this using a foundation brush that I  brought from Primark. This foundation brush is actually better than the brush that I got a superdrug, even if it is Primark.

 

Next up I applied concealer to the areas that I want to cover up, to my under eye and my eyelids. I apply it to my eyelids because I have veiny eyelids that look better when covered up.  I used Rimmel Match Perfection Concealor. It says that it's a skin tone adapting product that is also a 2 in 1 concealoer and highlighter. I have this in the sahde ivory which is 010. It comes in a tude that has a brush applicator attached but I till used the product on the back of my hand and applied it with a separate brush, also a brush from Primark. 

 

Newxt I applied my eyeshaow. This isn't essential to the look but I like a little colour on my lids. I used 3 shaodws for this look. First I applied MUA shade 17.  It's a matt colour, and it's a very light brown colour. It's barely visable on the lids but it does even the lids out and provides a great base for any other colours. I applied this with my fingers, just for quickness. 

 After I applied this all over the lid and up to the brow bone I took my eyeshadow quad from Avon. It's called colour trend and it's in the set Flirty Eyes: Bashful  Browns. the quad is made up of 4 cream shadows that would can create simple and dramatic looks. It comes in a round tube with a hidden compartment for a sponge applicator. I always find it best to apply cream shadows with my fingers so I've used the applicator for other powder shadows that I have. I used two colours from this quad. I used the first two colours that are cream and light brown. I took the cream colour and applied it to the inner corner of my eyes, just so they looked more awake and wider. I also applied a very sheer coat as a highlight below my brow bone. I used the brown to provide sheer colour to my lid. I just used this up to the cream and it gave my eyes some shimmer and a little bit more colour.

I added a little gloss to my lips just so they weren't nude but I didn't want to much colour. I used sally hansen's diamond 12 hrs lip treatment in the shade honeymoon. I applied a very sheer layer.  It's a good colour to make your lips a pop.

PIGMENTS!!

I wanted to try some pigment loose eyeshadows and I didn't want to pay stupid money for it so I got some of eBay. They were really cheap and they are good, well I think they are. They are Korean and are labelled Qiaoyan (I assume that's the brand??). They aren't the biggest pots but for the price they are great. I've got some pictures and swatches to post but the colours sometimes dont come off as they are in reality.



As you can see from the picture the pots aren't that big but they are quite full. I did have a bit of a problem getting some of the lids off and I have two colours that I couldn't swatch because I couldn't get them open.  The picture to the right is just to give you an idea about the size and look of the pigments. The top image is more the real colour of the pigment, the bottom one is much more pink than reality.


The three pictures below are the pigment colour ranges. The first one is all the colours and the other two are closer images of the colours so you can see them a little better.

Below this bit of text are the swatches of the colours. There aren't any names so here they are: 

The colours are nice, maybe a little glittery for everyday. The bright pink is kinda scary but I'd love to be brave enough to ware it. I love the pale colours, they would be great highlights and the browns are brilliant colours that I will defiantly be using for my next night out. 

The blues and the greens are nice but don't really suit me but I will give them a try. I cannot pull the black off because it's far to dark for me. I think I could get use out of most of these pigments and it's nice to have some variety to my collection. 

These two pigments are the ones that I couldn't open. I will swatch them when I can.
If anyone is looking to test out pigment use then I suggest the ebay pigments as a good cheap way to test if you like them.

Back To Black

Back To Black by trialandtest featuring a draped dress

MAX FACTOR's Smooth Effect Foundation

I wanted to try a new foundation and I choose to buy Max Factor's Smooth Effect Foundation. The shade that I decided was best for me was Creamy Ivory and is was number 45. The packageing is rather simple, it' just a squeezy tube. It's kind of expensive for what you get but I got it on offer at superdrug. I got a False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara (which I loveeee) and this foundation for £12.99. Considering the Mascara is 10.99 alone, I think I got a good deal. The packaging says that it glides on effortlessly for a smooth and even finish. It's also oil free and states that it's won't clog pores. I find that it gives a light coverage, maybe just a little more than a tinted moisturiser would.  I don't have oily skin, I have dry skin and this foundation hasn't left my skin  dry or made it oily. Overall it's not a bad  foundaiton but it's not the best either. I found some cheaper foundations that are better and more expensive foundations that are worse. So, it's ok in my conclusion.

Primark Goodies

So, I am sure that people are sceptical about cosmetics from Primark, and to be honest I was too but I saw this kits for £2 each in Oxford Street. The kit that I got was called Smoke Screen: Smokey Eye Kit. Its okay but it just proved to me that I cannot pull of black. I'm glad I didn't waste to much on something like this. The brushes are awful and it pains me that they are sooooooo awful but it's primark and I don't expect that much. The liners are ok and the shadows are pigmented and ok for the price. Overall this kit is ok but nothing amazing and buying things in this kit seperatly and in colours that you want and can pull off might be better. It may be more expensive but you will use it and it won't go to wast.

Make Up of the Day - What I'm Wearing Today

 First off I moisturised my face and applied my primer. I used the Superdrug Intense Moisture Cream for my face because the change in weather has really dried my skin out and it need as much moisture as I can get. The Primer I used was from the new MUA Profesional primer. It's decent for £4 and the size isnt to bad either. I like it and the price definatly helps matters.  I think the moisturiser was like £1.29 but it's on sale at the moment so it's normally more expensive.

 Next I applied some concelor to my blemishes. I have some major breakdowns around my mouth and chin at the moment so I applied the concelor before and after my foundation. I did this just to make sure they were covered. This isn't the best concelor but I do prefer ones that come in a liquid form. I only used this because it was the only one I had to hand. The stick formualtion makes it thick and hard to blend but it does have quite good coverage. I used one by Maybelline Cover Stick in the shade ivory. It's a little light for me but I really like the pale look compared to a tan look. I think this cost £4.99 but don't quote me on that.

I used this stick for spots and blemishes and I created an undereye concelor with and ELF All Over Cover Stick and MeMeMe's Beat the Blues highlighter. MeMeMe's range are great dupes for benefit cosmetics... the whole range is kinda a copy of the benefit range but much cheaper. I think it's avalible in both Superdrug and in Argos (that's weird I know but it can be found in the argos catalogue).

I applied the highlighter under my eye first and then added some of the ELF stick over the top. I used my finger to get the colour from the ELF stick and dabbed in under my eye. It covered the darkness there and made my eyes look brighter. I used the hight lighter because my normal undereye concelor containers and illuminator in it to brighten the eyes as well as get rid of the dark circles.The MeMeMe highlighter was £2.00 i think. I brought it as a damaged product because the lid was broken and the seal had been broken. It was perfectly new and I didn't wanna pay full price to try it out so I grabbed it while I could. It was a good deal and I swear it's impossible stuff to run out of. The Elf Stick was £1.50 but I got it when there was a 50% sale so it was 75p. Great deal. ELF always have coupon codes going so if you order from them search out a code.

Next up I applied my foundation. I used a Primark foundation brush from Primark (it's not to bad actually) and I used 2True Matte Foundation in Shade 1.  Both of these items are cheap. The brush (which is dual ended - one end is a concelor brush) was £1.50 and the foudation was £1.99 (cheaper in face because I work where I brought it and got a good discount.

 Next up I applied some bronzer, just to give my face some definition. I dont really wanna look tanned so I used it in moderation. I used ELF Studio Bronzer in the warm shades. You get 4 differ colours with the compact but the sections are to small to really use seperatly so I just used a brush and combined all 4. I applied it all to the areas where you would expect there to be differing colour in the skin naturally. I applied some to the hair line and just under the cheeks and chin area. I also put a little down the sides of my nose to contour it a little. The ELF bronzer was £3 orginally but again I got it when they had 50% off so it was £.1.50

 I applied a blush next. I don't really need much blush because I blush all the time naturally. I used this boxed bronzing poweder by w7 as a blush. I think it was really cheap (maybe £1.50) in savers so I snapped it up to give it a go. It's ok, not the best thing in the world but not the worst either. I used the brush that came with it but that was not so good so next time I'll use a blush brush. The shade I used was Africa. The pink tones in the shade make it okay to use as a blush. It suited me actually so I will use it as a blush again.

 Next I did my eyes. I used Loreal Color Mineral eyeshadow in shade 06. It's a nice brown and when blended well its a good all over lid colour. I used this all over the lid and then I used MUA loose shadow in brown to go in the outer corner and the crease. They two were a good combo that I used when I need a quick eye look. I took the MUA shadow underneath the eye to give a smoky liner effect. I used some liner on the water line but other than that the only thing really under my eye was the shadow. The MUA shadow was from their £1 line and is great (I mean GREAT) quality for the price. The packaging might not be the best but I don't mind when it's so cheap and such great quality.
The colour minerals shadow was £1 in poundland. That may sound weird but if you dont mind end of line stuff and discon stuff you can get some really bargins in their and the 99p shop.

 

 
After I applied the shaodws I liner my lids with VOV proffesional gel liner in shade 02, which is brown. It's dark and still had a dramatic effect it's just not as intense as black which I tend to avoid.
The liner was from ebay and cost £3.00 for a brown and black liner. There was  free brush with it but it was awful so it went in the bin. I used a bent liner brush to apply it. It's so much easier than using kohl and liquid liner. I then applied ELF mascara. This one was in brown but really had the same effect as black. This ELF mascara is double ended (one end is waterproof and the other is normal). It's not the best mascara out there but it's not the worst. It's only £1.50 normally so it's kinda a bargin. I pushed this right to the roots of the lashes so it applied some to the upper waterline (is that a thing?) and made my lashes look thicker. It made the liner more intense to..

 Once that mascara was dry I used a second masacra to give my lashes a second coat and the make them more dramatic. This time I used a NYX long lash mascara in Eletric Blue. It's a super super super good colour mascara in my opinion. It looks great alone or when it's applied over black masacra. I used it over other masacra for a more dramatic effect but it looks great either way. I cannot remember how much this cost but it was in a discount store and I think it was about £3 something,

Next I put some brown liner on my lower water line. The one I used was from maybelline but I brought it from pound land so, of course, it was only £1 and discon. It's a great pencil and it's really smooth and goes on really well without any horrible tug on your eyes.

 Next I went back to my face and applied some highlighter. This one is from Collection 2000. This was about £4 something but it's no longer avaliable. I think it was meant to be a blush because it's been replaced with new style blushes but it's a great highlighter and I used it down the centre of my nose on the tops of my cheeks and as a brown highlight. This look did need the brow highlight just to lessen the eye intensisty a little.

 

Ans last but by no means least it's lips. I'm not a great lips lover and normally go natural but recently I have been obsessed with lips sticks and added one to this look. The lipstick I used is purpley in shade (the picture doesn't give a true colour I dont think.  It goes on more purple than pink like it looks). The lipstick is from the £1 range and is super pigmented and a good quality for the price. The MUA line is amazing and the eye shadows are epic! TRY THEM. NOW!!! (if you want). Over the top of the lip stick I used a Sally Hasen gloss that I got from savers for about £2. That was for 2 glosses soa good deal I think. I love these glosses. I love the want because I perfer wands that have a brush rather than a sponge tip thing. The shade looks super light in the picture but it did match the lipstick really well and made the lips dark and matched the dark eyes that I created. 

 

If you read this up to here youre brave and lasted longer than I would if I read this. I'm sure it's full of mistakes but I'm sure it won't damage your soul. Thanks for reading (if you did) or thanks for looking a my pretty pictures. Good day y'all (maybe I'll never say that again. I just can't pull it off)