MUA Cream Blusher in Scrummy - Review

Bonjour!

Believe it or not I don't own many cream blushers (masses of powder blushers mind but not many creams!). This is my MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Scrummy - it's one I've been enjoying for a good few months now...

I went for Scrummy because it looked like a really wearable shade - not too light, not too dark etc.  For me it works best over a BB or light foundation and I don't try to mattify as it gives a natural, dewy flush which is what I'm after with a cream blush so I don't see the point!  I just pat a little over the old apples with my fingers (I like using fingers with cream blush) but you could blend with a brush if that's your thang.   It's quick and easy to use so ideal if you just want to add a bit of colour and not faff around too much or look too made-up but you can build it up for a more intense flush.  I don't find it drying, nor is it greasy or slippery and it lasts really well - for a good few hours, if not longer, just over a BB.  You don't need to use much as it's quite well pigmented so it's easy to build up a little pop - I envisage Scrummy will be a great Summertime staple and ideal for holiday!

Swatched above and blended below - in shade on the left and full sun on the right...

I've only gone for a 'little pop' on the kite here - (every time I tried to type 'pop' it came out 'poop' - what is wrong with me!) ...

MUA Cream Blushers are a mere £2.00 so if you get on with them you can't go wrong.  I'm definitely after another shade - it's just that every time I visit Superdrug they're pretty much sold out!

Have you tried any of the MUA Blushes? What's your favourite cream blush?

Jen x

NOTD - MUA Moody Mink!

Bonjour!

I picked this up MUA polish in Moody Mink a couple of weeks ago from Superdrug ... my daughter chose the colour - so well done my girl!

A dusky, muted, mauvey colour which fits in really well as an Autumn polish. My daughter wanted to use it but when she saw it on my nails declared that it was a bit 'grey' - in other words she thinks it's a bit too 'grown up' for her - fine by me, I can keep it all to myself!  I applied my Sally Hansen topcoat here - so that's giving it some extra shine - just so you know!

This is the first MUA polish I've bought since the bottle has been re-designed with the 'new and improved' brush and all.  In the past I have found the brush quite difficult to handle within the old chunky square lid. As a complete contrast, this was pleasantly easy to apply - so they've obviously sorted it!  MUA polishes don't seem to last that long on me and yes the bottle is tiny but it's only £1 for Pete's sake! (Who is Pete anyway?).  So - next time I'm in Superdrug I may well pick a few more shades up. Why not?

Have you tried the new MUA polishes recently? What did you think?


Jen x

A Small Haul...!

Bonjour!

I actually feel half asleep today, haven't slept very well this week and the weather's been dismal - what a contrast to last week's sunshine!  On Tuesday I had both kids off school - with the teachers' strike and all.  Myself and my daughter did a little bit of shopping - think everyone had the same idea as our local shopping centre was heaving ...!

Trying to be budget friendly, we mainly stuck to Primark and Superdrug (apart from popping into Boots to restock on my Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic) and I picked up a few bits - literally a few!  Compared to some of the lovely big haul posts I've read recently this can barely be classed as a haul - more like a haulette maybe?

Cable jumper and print scarf from Primark.

MUA - 'Ever After' Matte Palette, Blush Perfection - Cream Blusher in Scrummy and Nail Polish in Moody Mink!  The palette was £4, blusher £2 and nail polish £1 - you can't go wrong!

I literally picked up Superdrug's own brunette dry shampoo as we were headed to the till - think it was reduced to £1.32 or something silly. Now that my highlights are seriously grown out I have to dry shampoo every other day so am getting through rather a lot of the stuff at the moment. I've already used this a couple of times and first impressions are ok - especially for the money!

I also bought some Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bars from Sainbury's (on offer of course!) on the way home as we had to pop in for bread and milk. Not had a bar of fruit and nut for ages - this has now been rectified!

Although I'm not on a shopping ban as such, I am trying to get into this 'shopping the stash' thing - hence the excuse of a haul!

Pilates and gym tomorrow - need to stretch it out and pump it up! Have a good weekend!

Jen x

Friday Night FOTD and Illamasqua Lippie ...

Bonjour!

I went out last Friday night (well I went out for dinner with the hubby and kids this Friday just gone too but last Friday was more of a couples 'out out' and not just 'out' if you get my drift!). Anyway just thought I pop up a post with my slap for the night... really should this be entitled FOTN?  I'll just shut it and get on shall I...!

The products ...

Face
Mally Perfect Prep Poreless Primer
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealers in Medium and Deep - used medium under eyes and mixed the two for the rest of my face
Laura Geller Balance n Brighten Foundation in Tan
Bourjois Blush in Rose Thé - you can see my full review here
Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder (only used a smidgen as it was my first time playing with it!).

Eyes
Mally Evercolour Eye Shadow Stick in Antique Taupe - all over eyelid - so easy to use - stays put all day/night!
MUA Undressed Eye Shadow Palette - to highlight under brow
17 Eyeliner in Onyx (got it in a kit last year)
Revitalash Volumising Primer
Mally Instant Impact Mascara - review coming up
HD Brows Kit in Foxy

Lips
Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze - won in a Giveaway last year - sadly it's discontinued - what a shame, it's one of my favourites!

Here's the whole lot on the kite - a bit more of a half kite than usual - you can see the nose is screaming to take over the pic - ah well...!

And a quick 'awkard pose' of the outfit - both last year's H & M top and Zara jeans - what on earth has happened to the knees on my jeans - they had been thoroughly ironed although it doesn't look like it in this pic ...!

Trying to get one of me and the pooch but he had other ideas! Must have been where I got my creased knees from!


Jen x

It's a Haul Thing!

Bonjour!

Picked up a few items over the last month or so .... been making use of the current offers .... as you do...!

3 for 2 at Superdrug - got the MUA Undress Me Too palette and Sleek Make-Up Blush in Flushed (the 3rd item was a lip gloss for my daughter). Used my No 7 money off voucher on the Instant Radiance Concealer (which I've used before) and then  buy one get one half price on the No 7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in brown.

You'll see from my recent empties post here that I've finished my Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum. I wanted to re-purchase as I really like this product and  feel it's helped to keep my skin hydrated. Also wanted to try the Aqualia Thermal Light (normal/combination skin) as a day cream. But then the 3 for 2 offer had me in a quandary because although I don't need anything else - how can you walk away from the third item? After much deliberation went for Idealia BB Cream - Medium shade, it seems to have a whole host of benefits which I could do with at the moment!

Been meaning to get myself a good topcoat for ages - quick drying and longevity is exactly what I need so let's see how the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat does. Since I've recently had loads of colour/highlights in my hair I picked up the John Frieda Intense After-Colour Conditioner whilst it was on offer at Boots (think it had £2 off) and then John Frieda Shampoo and Conditioners were half price at Sainsburys that same week (the offer was still on when I called in Friday) so went for the Brilliant Brunette Multi-Tone Revealing Shampoo (which I've used and liked before) to go with it.

So that's my lot for a while - I think I need to stay away from Boots and Superdrug and ignore any vouchers but you only live once right? Maybe just the odd lippie or two wouldn't hurt and maybe a new bronzer for summer?

What have you hauled recently?

Jen x

Half-Term Haul!

Bonjour!

Me and my gal did a bit of shopping over half term - we went to Boots and Superdrug (there's a surprise) and I picked up a few items ...

Boots had their 'Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price' offer on ....

Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi Concealer in nude - £6.99 - I was actually after the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer as I've read so many good things about it - but Boots never seemed to have the colour I wanted (having been in a few times) so thought I'd give this a go - feedback to follow.

Bourjois Intuitive Liner - £6.99- I've been wanting to try out the Clarins 3-Dot Liner ever since I heard it creates the look of a thicker lash line but just can't justify spending £20 on it at the moment.  Bourjois Intuitive is meant to be a pretty good dupe (and obviously far more purse-friendly) so lets see what happens.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (dark and deep brown) - I can't live without my dry shampoo, particularly when my colour is growing out and dark roots are coming through (as they are at the moment). My hair seems to grease up so much more at the roots and this is a little life-saver.  Also adds texture and body without looking like I've tipped a tub of talc all over my barnet. Got two as they were reduced from £3.99  a can (rather expensive but it works for me) to £2.66.

Dove Heat Defence - have to admit I did just grab this as we were running out of time, thought I may as well try it at £2.99 as I'm  running low on heat protection spray being a regular user and all that!


Superdrug had 3 for 2 across cosmetics ...

MUA Lipstick - from left to right Shades 11, 13 and 1.

Just could not resist - £1 each and 3 for 2 for crying out loud! We went for the reds initially because my daughter wanted me to create a 'blood effect' around her mouth for Halloween (in the end we ended up using some red lip gloss!).  The dark nude/tawnyish shade 13 looks ideal for everyday wear.


MUA Nail Varnish ...

.... in Stormy Skies and Plum Noir - also a quid each, (picked up an extra lippie in shade 13 for my mum to make it up to 3 products) - a couple of lovely colours here with an Autumnal vibe - can't wait to get these on!

Not strictly 'half-term' - I actually popped back to Superdrug the other day and noticed these on offer at 2 for £3.79 which I thought pretty good.  I'm a terrible lip balm addict and re-apply throughout the day - can't stand the feeling of dry, chapped lips.  I've not tried Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm before but it's raved about by lovely Claire over at Another New Day so looking forward to trying out!  The tube will be ideal for shoving in my bag and the cute little tub for bedtime!

All in all quite a few bargains to be had at Boots and Superdrug - could easily get so carried away! Have you picked any bargains up recently?


Jen x

NOTD - MUA Frozen Yoghurt

Evening all ...(and a Happy Halloween!)

Hope you're all having a good half-term break - those of you who are actually having a break that is!

Following my recent (actually it was the start of the month - so not that recent) haul type thing here we have MUA Nail Varnish in 'Frozen Yoghurt' ...

Love this colour - a pretty, darkish (not in a sinister way) lavender/cornflower blue which is actually quite a bit deeper in tone than on these photos (couldn't seem to capture the depth - will have to adjust camera settings - another on my 'to do' list!). It went on easily and was opaque after two coats - it's also lovely and glossy although you also don't get that from these pics.  It did chip on the ends after a day and half - with my usual base/topcoat (only Boots own brand) but it was the weekend with all the usual cooking involved. At £1 a pot I'm not complaining but maybe need to invest in a bulletproof topcoat to help out.

I'll definitely be trying out other colours in the range from MUA - at this price it would be silly not to! My little girl wants to buy me something out of her own money for Christmas (she's so exited already!) so think we'll be going down this route sooner rather than later!

You can buy MUA Nail Varnish instore at Superdrug or directly from the MUA website here.

What do you think of  MUA Frozen Yoghurt? Which base/topcoat have you found to be the most effective?

Jen x

Review - MUA 3 in 1 Contour Pen

Bonjour!

I bought the 3 in 1 Contour Pen as part of the MUA haul the other week. I went for Gunmetal as I have a few black liners already and like the smokiness grey can add.

So here's the nib, a sort of chiseled affair as you can see.  The description on the back of the box states that you can use the three different sides of the nib to achieve different looks.  For me, with this particular shade, it only works one way, ie by using the fattest part of the nib.

A word of warning - don't press too hard on the nib as I did or it just breaks off!

Maybe it's because the colour is quite transparent once applied, on my skin tone it's no good as a liner for definition because you just can't see it.  However, used with the fattest/widest part of the nib (only applied to my top lid) it creates quite a nice wash of colour which (I hope) doesn't make me look as if I've just bruised my eyelid!  It's quick and easy (always good) to use, glides on smoothly and doesn't drag on the old (already creased) eyelid area.

I do like it, but can you even see it in the pic?  I thought I'd applied loads but maybe I just need to pile it on a bit more or try a darker colour?

For a mere £1.50 one can't complain, will maybe try the brown next and see what happens?  You can check out MUA's 3 in 1 Contour Pen here.

Have you tried this Contour Pen and which colour worked best for you?

Jen x

What the Haul.....? #1

Morning!

So where does this 'haul' thing come from I wonder - I mean - who was the first blogger to use the term and why - was it because they purchased so many items that they had to 'haul' them all home...?

Anyway ... just thought I'd share a few goodies recently purchased...

Took advantage of the recent MUA offer - bought my £8.00 worth of product (actually all came to £8.50 but who's complaining?)

MUA Nail Varnish in Frozen Yogurt - £1.00
MUA Extreme Volume Mascara in Black - £2.00
MUA 3 in 1 Contour Pen in Gunmetal - £1.50
MUA 12 Shade 'Undressed' Eye Shadow Palette - £4.00

I've been wanting to get hold of the 'Undressed' palette for a while but it's always sold out in my local Superdrug, looking forward to using this, it's a firm favourite with many bloggers - some lovely soft colours in there.  Swatches and reviews to follow (I won't be opening the mascara for a while yet - I don't think I need explain further...!).

And with the above products received a free 24 shade Immaculate Collection palette. Not that I need any more eye shadows but it was just too good an offer to resist! Some really lovely colours in this palette too - I imagine something for almost every occasion.  I really need to get back into my singing again and organise a few gigs - then I could really go to town ...smokey eyes, shimmery eyes, the world could be my eye make-up oyster.....!

Anyway - back to life/back to reality and a couple of offers on in my local Sainsburys  -

Dirty Works Bye Bye Dark Circles under-eye concealer - this was on offer in my local store - reduced from £4.99 to £3.32 so I grabbed it.  Not used it yet - but I always need a bit of help with dark-circles so let's see how I go on - will report back in due course.

Dirty Works You Soft Touch Hand Cream - selected Dirty Works products appear to be on offer at half price both instore and online so this was reduced from £2.99 to £1.49. I've not tried this hand cream before - the ingredients include Cocoa Butter and Jojoba Oil - it rubs in really easily and leaves hands feeling soft and conditioned but not greasy and with a very subtle cocoa butter scent. Now that the colder weather is here I'll be going through hand cream like cold water, so think I'll try and get another of these whilst it's on offer.

And how could I resist?  On offer at '3 for £12.00' - it would have been rude to ignore this lot...!

What would be your preference - red, white or rose?  Think I prefer white or rose but I do like a glass of red with selected meals!  Of course my hubby isn't nearly as fussy - good job seen as he ends up drinking most of  everything we get in!

So...any thoughts on the origins of the 'haul' type thing?  Who drinks the most in your house?


Jen x

MUA Bronze/Blush Palettes!

Morning!

You may be aware of the current Superdrug/MUA offer - 2 for £4.00 on selected MUA Professional - the choice is between 3 different blush/bronze palettes and/or several eyeshadow sets.


After much indecision (my friends will tell you I'm the most indecisive girl on the planet!) I ended up with these two palettes - Mosaic Bronzer/Sunkissed Glow and Mosaic Blush/English Rose. 

As you can see both the blush and bronze are made up of different sectors of colour - light, medium, dark,  and shimmer - which can be swirled together for a really pretty look.  I imagine you could carefully pick out a couple of shades with a smaller brush if you so desired or could avoid certain sectors if you wanted something more matt or shimmery! I just swirled my brush around the entire palette for these swatches.

I ended up photographing my hand inside and outside on this particular day because the sun was going in and out and it was doing my head in!

Inside with sun shining in - bronzer on top/blush below  

Outside with sun out - bronzer on left/blush on right

Back inside in shade - bronzer on left/blush on right 

Obviously I wouldn't wear this much product on my face, but I just wanted to show the difference between the two palettes. I'm an olive skintone, as you may know and both these were suitable on my kite. I only needed a small swirl because they do colour up quite nicely!  I wore the blush to work and avoided the shimmer aspect, as far as possible, for obvious reasons and used the entire bronzer on a night out when I wanted a bit of sparkle! I'm liking both of these and at £2.50 each you can't go wrong, even better with the current offer!

I can see these two coming away on holiday with me this year!

Have you picked up any MUA from Superdrug lately?

Jen x