Illamasqua Blusher in 'Lover': The Review

Hi! 

Illamasqua is a brand I have been lusting after for a while now. I think Beth from Birds Words blogged about one of these blushers and ever since reading that an Illamasqua blush has been on my radar, however the £18 price tag did put me off a little; being a drugstore kinda gal, I'm just not used to forking out that amount for any kind of make up! In fact, I've only recently taken the plunge and forked out MAC prices... 

Anyway, going off topic as usual, a week or two ago, as i'm sure anyone who follow Illamasqua on Twitter knows that they had a flash 50% sale for one hour one Friday night. Every blogger and their nan must have been on that site trying to get their beauty mitts on something as the server was mental and crashed so many times! I managed, after about 40 minutes of refreshing the page, to get my hands on a blusher at the bargain price of £9! May I introduce to you my new love in life - 'Lover'. 

The packaging of Illamsaqua products are sleek, black plastic casing with a clear lid which is handy for when you have a couple of the same product as you can see which colour the blush is. I really like the shape of the blush, it's quirky, yet looks very sophisticated, and the shiny black casing gives it an air of classiness. 

The colour of this particular shade, 'Lover', is a gorgeous matte peach with a hint of coral. I have quite a few shimmery coral shades but sometimes I feel they can be a bit too much for every day wear, and matte shades seem to be much more wearable. 

The shade is quite a bit lighter than I am used to for a blush, but I love that. It means I can create a very subtle look, however I would suggest using a very light hand with this as it's very highly pigmented, and you could easily end up looking like a doll. The only downside to this product is that there is a lot of product fallout. I have found however, that if you simply dab the blush with your brush rather than sweep, there seems to be less fallout, but that's my only downfall. 

Overall, I'm really impressed with this blush, and for £9, I think I really did pick up a bargain blush. So far, Lover is definitely earning it's place in my make up bag! 

Do you own any Illamasqua blushes? Which are your favourite? 

May Favourites!

Honestly, where has this month disappeared to? I can't actually wrap my head around the fact it's June tomorrow, which means it's 30 days until my days as a University student are over and I have to move back home. Crazy. Anyway, on with this months top 10 products... 

Over exposed image or what?! Sorry!! The lighting in my room is just weird today... I'll have to retake this one and replace it at another time... 

1. Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder: I have been loving this little chocolate flavoured beaut this month, and have worn it to contour my cheekbones practically every day. It's subtle enough for everyday use and definitely one of my favourite drugstore bronzers. 

2. Benefit They're Real Mascara: I am such a sheep, and when bloggers from all around started raving about this one, in typical Gem style, I had to have it. My student budget didn't quite stretch to the £18 full sized mascara, however a few weeks ago Elle Magazine had a mini sized freebie, so I snatched it up to see what all the fuss was about. I absolutely love it and wear it most days. I shall definitely be stretching the budget for a full sized version one I run out of this! 

3. The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF 15: As we've had a sprinkling of sunny days this month, I've been reaching for a lip balm that not only will keep my lips hydrated, but will also give me protection from the sun. This little balm does just that, and has been my most used balm of the month. 

4. The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner: I have the weirdest skin. Sometimes it's oily, sometimes it's dry, sometimes it's normal. This means I constantly have to have different types of skincare available for whatever mood my skin is in. This month, it's been oily, meaning i've been reaching for my most mattifying products. This toner has been great to use before bed, and helps to get rid of the last traces of make up, whilst banishing any excess oil. 

5. Benefit Coralista: Coralista is the most perfect peachy pink toned coral blush, and I've practically wore nothing else this month. It's fairly similar to Nars orgasm, in which it's highly pigmented with a nice shimmer running through. I've been loving wearing coral lips, and this blush is the perfect companion. 

6. Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser: Did I mention I've been producing oil by the bucketload this month? Out with my normal moisturiser, and in with the mattifying one. This is great at giving my skin a matte finish, whilst also moisturising and giving my skin the nourishment it needs. This also acts as a great base for make up; I feel like I don't need a primer when wearing this. 

7: Le Mas Des Collines Lavender Pillow Spray: I've been having real trouble sleeping over the last few months. I'm a worrier, things play on my mind, and before you know it, I'm wide awake and panicking about the silliest little things that are out of my control. I picked up this pillow spray at TK Maxx for £2.99 and although it hasn't really sent me straight to sleep, it helps to create a calming atmosphere, and i've found myself spraying it not only on my pillows, but on my wrists and pulse points. If you don't like lavender scents, i'd steer clear of this as it's very strong, but I quite like it as it reminds me of my Grandma's garden when I was younger. 

8. Next Eau Bloom Eau De Toilette: I wouldn't usually stick in a perfume unless it was something special, but i've been reaching for this one a daily basis; it's definitely a favourite for this month! I'm rubbish at describing scents, but it's very light and crisp, fruity yet almost floral. It's basically the perfect Spring/Summer fragrance, and it's very cheap. I picked up this little 10ml bottle for £3.50, and I'm already half way down so I may have to pick up the 30ml bottle for £6 soon! 

9. Miracle Oil with Argan Oil: This is Aldi's version of Argan Oil, and for saying it was only £3.99, it works a treat. I've used this after every wash and it's helped to keep my hair soft and protected at the ends. I'm not sure, as my hair grows fairly quickly, but i'm certain my hair has grown a bit more than usual since using it too! 

10. Goldwell Curl Love Curl Cream: I talked about this is my The Perm That Killed My Hair & The Products That Brought It Back To Life post, and it really good after a shower on towel dried hair to keep curls in place without making them frizz out, which is a problem with my hair. I've been wearing my hair naturally curly/wavy a lot more since having my perm, and this cream has been my go-to product for a natural style. 

What products have you been loving this month? 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette | The Review.

Hi! 

First of all, an apology. I haven't blogged since the 21st. This is unusual for me, as I like to post at least once a week, but i've been so busy with final touches for my assessment, and then we had the bank holiday weekend, and then I planned to write this post last night after seeing Iron Man 3 with my friend but we ended up going for a drink and a chat afterwards so it didn't happen and before you know it, it's Wednesday and you realised you haven't even started one of the 3 reviews you wanted to do this week!   Anyway, I'm finally getting around to my first of those three reviews and that is the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. 

I have lusted over the Naked palettes for quite some time, but the £36 price tag somewhat deterred me from buying. Student loans are great, but when you're an Art Student paying for materials for your course as well as being a serial shopoholic, sometimes you have to bypass the nice stores and head for Primarni, which has meant that for the longest time i've bypassed the Urban Decay counter at Debenhams. I finally broke down and gave in just over a month ago, purchasing the Naked Basics Palette at the more reasonable price of £20. Still fairly expensive, however you get 6 eyeshadows which makes the average price per shadow £3.33. Not too shabby when you think of it that way, and much cheaper than the likes of Nars and MAC. 

The packaging is sleek and simple, but with an air of sophistication shown by it's velvety smooth rubbery casing and embossed lettering. The only qualm I have with this is that I'm scared to leave it outside of the box for fear of the case getting grubby and marked. It doesn't seem like the type of packaging that would be easy to clean. 

Inside the palette are 6, neatly presented shades showing the shade name of each, which is helpful if you wanted to buy an individual shade. The palette also has a mirror, perfect for on the go touch ups or travelling. 

Left To Right | Venus | Foxy| W.O.S | Naked 2 | Faint | Crave

The palette consists of 6 shades, 5 of which are matte. I much prefer to use matte shades so this palette really suits my tastes, and the nude colours are perfect for day to day wear, and can be built up for a smokey evening look. As far as I am aware, only 'Foxy' is available in the Naked 2 palette, Although 'Crave' is very similar to 'Blackout', also in Naked 2. Other than that the other 4 shades are exclusive to the basics palette; which is great as you won't be buying a palette of colours you already have if you own Naked 1 and 2.

Venus: Venus is the only shimmer shade in the palette, adding a touch of sparkle if needed. It's an off-white shade with a decent amount of shimmer, which looks lovely dotted in the inner corner of the eye to brighten the eyes.
Foxy: Foxy is a yellow based matte cream. As I have found with every shade in this palette, it's highly pigmented and blends like a dream.
W.O.S: Walk of shame is another cream, however this time more pink toned. I think Urban Decay have really done well with creating a nude palette to suit all skin tones.

Naked 2: Naked 2 is probably my favourite shade. A gorgeous creamy matte mushroom/taupe, it looks amazing all over the lid on it's own, or blended with a lighter/darker shade.
Faint: A deeper, almost dirty matte brown which looks great blended into the crease for a defined, smokey look.
Crave: Pure matte black. I rarely use this as I don't use black eyeshadow, however I have heard great things about this shade as an alternative for eyeliner. I'm currently rebuilding my eye brush collection so I have yet to try it, but it sounds like a good alternative.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this palette to anyone who loves a neutral eye look as this little baby has everything a girl could need!