Lancome Grandiôse: First Impressions

// Lancome - Grandiôse Mascara - £24.50 //

This mascara is one of my recent beauty buys, and I had to feature it on my blog. I've never spent so much on a mascara as I could never justify buying a high-end one when drugstore brands sell such good quality ones, however I ended up buying this spontaneously the other day after remembering hearing Tanya Burr rave about it. I'm not usually one to buy high end products on a whim as I hate wasting money, but this time I'm glad I did. I would go as far as saying this is so far the best mascara I have ever used in terms of the way it makes my lashes look. After even just one good coat they are easily comparable to false ones. The swan neck shape of the brush means you can fan out the lashes and add curl, length and volume, like most new mascaras, the brush picks up too much product on the first fe uses, but as with other mascaras once it has had time to dry a little this problem is solved. 

This product is worth the high price point, after all, as with a lot of makeup, you do tend to get what you pay for. If you are looking to find a new favourite mascara this would be at the top of my list of recommendations and I can see myself repurchasing this, I'm even contemplating buying a waterproof one in preparation for the summer already.

Thanks for reading!

Alice

xxx

Pink Pout

As promised the beauty posts are back! Its well known that the pink lip is a timeless look, and one of my favourites when it comes to lip colours. On a day to day basis, lipstick is the one product I reach for the least, and when I do I love pink shades for an effortless feel. My favourite is a dusty pink colour or a pale pink, both are natural, yet add a bit of colour to a look. Today, I thought I'd make a post on my favourite pinks at the moment; three different shades that create 3 different feels to a look.

// Clockwise from bottom left // YSL Rouge Volupte - Shade 1 // MUA (unsure of shade as they don't print it on the packaging) // Rimmel London - 006 Pink Blush //

The YSL shade is one you will probably have all seen me talk about before, so I'm not going to go on about it for ages as I have got a post reviewing it, but in my opinion it the perfect everyday dusty pink, and definitely worth the splurge!

Next the MUA lipstick is much more of a statement, its a bold deep pink and looks great in the summer and can make a simple makeup look polished and fun. The lighting 

Finally the bubble gum pink shade from Rimmel. I love this for a pop of colour without being overpowering, its a classic girly pink and looks great on most complexions!

Thanks for reading! Comment your favourite pink lipsticks down below so I can try some more!

Alice

xxx

MAC Face and Body Foundation

As requested on my instagram, I'm going to do a quick review of the MAC Face and Body foundation, which is my current favourite, and is massively hyped up by many beauty bloggers/vloggers. 

This foundation is a light to medium coverage with a slightly dewy finish. I think its perfect for summer as it gives the skin such a healthy looking glow, and isn't too heavy for those warmer days. I know that this foundation is talked about a lot, and since I've bought it I can see why. Despite being a lighter coverage than I've loved in th past, recently this foundation is the one I've been reaching for pretty much every day. I think its perfect for school, work and everyday use as its not going to look like foundation, but rather more 'your skin but better'. If you'd like to the finish, I have it on, in my last post on "Two Trends".

I do find that I need to powder more with this foundation, as I feel that it can sometimes look too dewy without a brush over. It also lasts longer with a powder thats going to fix it in place (my favourite is Rimmel Stay Matte, surprise, surprise). Personally I wouldn't recommend this for someone with oiler skin as it would probably 'slide' off the face, which is the opposite to a flawless finish, but I do think that this works perfectly on normal/dry skin and leaves it looking naturally beautiful.

To apply this foundation I just put a small drop on the back of my hand, before dotting it over my face and then using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to blend it out seamlessly.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this style of post, leave a comment below of any other products you would like me to review or any dupes of this foundation that you have discovered!

Alice xxx

Two Big Trends

Todays post is a makeup look! The two of the biggest makeup trends this summer are the orange lip and the white liner, so I decided to create a look that included the both! Just a small disclaimer, I'm not a makeup artist, or a model, so excuse any small mistakes or awkward poses also excuse the messy hair.

Firstly I followed my normal base and eyebrows routine, before starting on the eyes. Firtsly i applied MAC'c Paint Pot in Painterly, before applying my bronzer softly into my crease. Net I put aline of white kohl liner to my lid and inside my lower water line, the one I use is just a cheap one from Natural Collection. Finally for the eyes I piled on my favourite mascara, the Loreal Miss Manga in Black.

To finish off the look I applied my MAC Soft and Gentle highlighter and contoured with my Benefit Hoola Bronzer, before adding the statement lip colour, MAC Morange. 

Sorry if this post seems rushed, I've never written one like it before! Thanks for reading guys, if you have any question bout my technique or the products then leave me a comment!

Alice xxx

Tiny Haul

Hi Everyone!

As is always the way I nipped into town, not intending to pick anything up, but with 3 for 2 on at Boots I decided to pick up some things that had been on my wish wishlist.

The first thing I picked up was the LOREAL Miss Manga, Mega Volume Mascara in Black. This is a fairly new release on the high street, but ever since it came out I've heard nothing but good things about it. First impressions are good, I've been using this mascara for about a week now and I love it! I've been reaching for it everyday; it gives long, voluminous lashes that are truly manga style. I wouldn't recommend this for those of you who prefer a natural mascara as the volume does tend to make the lashes slightly clumpy, but I really like the effect this gives.

Next I got the Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock Gel Liner. This is the first liner I've seen of this kind, its a gel liner that comes with a pen-style silicone applicator. I really like the concept of this liner, I makes applying gel liner much more quicker and fuss free, as theres no need to be a wizard with a tricky liner brush. The lasting power of this liner seems promising (although I've not actually tried to wear it for 24 hours), although i do find that it sometimes transfers into my crease if I'm not wearing shadows. I've heard that Benefit are due to release a liner very similar to this one and I'd recommend to give this one a try first as I dare say it will be a fraction of the price!

Finally for my 3rd 'free' product, i decided to pick up a well known beauty favourite by many beauty bloggers and bloggers. The Maybelline Instant Anti-Age, The Eraser Eye Concealer, and I'm joining on the hype. Despite me having reservations about the applicator (due to hygiene reasons), I've been totally won over.  This product provides the perfect coverage to leave your eyes looking brighter and younger; dark circles no more. I'd say apply with caution though as applying too much can look cakey.

Thanks for reading guys! I'm trying to make a conscious effort to make my posts as high quality as possible so bear with me as posting days may be a little random for a while! In the mean time, I'd love it if you could follow me on Bloglovin (link in the sidebar!).

Alice xxx

Small Duty Free Haul

So I arrived at my first hotel last night and it's got free wifi so I'm going to be able to post! 

At the airport in London I couldn't help but take advantage of the duty free discount and picked up a few things. 

There were things that had been on my list of things to try from MAC, I knew  beforehand that there was a store so I saved up! 

First thing I bought was the Face and Body foundation and so far I love it! I've heard such good things about it that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get it! 

Next I got the 217 blending brush as I've wanted it forever! Finally from MAC I got a paint pot in painterly which is a lovely nude colour, which I'm going to use as a primer. 

I then went to YSL and bought a Volupte Gloss in 19, which is a perfect pink with slight sparkle which really enhances the look of the lips and makes them look larger. 

Thanks for reading this post, sorry if it seems rushed but I'm writing this whilst waiting to go on safari! Hopefully there will be another post up tomorrow! 

Alice xx

Spring Lips

In my mind it is definitely spring now. The suns out, and so are the spring fashions. This means one thing, my makeup bag gets a new lease of life. After months of darker toned lip colours, eye shadows and blushes, the brights come out to play.

I think that bright lips are an essential part of spring trends, and this season i'll be sporting bright pops of colour and strong pink nudes. Two of the biggest colours this season are going to be 'tangerine' and pastel shades of quirky colours.

//From front to back // MAC - Viva Glam Nicki 2 // Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte Collection 101 // MAC Morange //

These three are my current spring favourites! The purple Nicki Minaj lipstick won't be for everyone but its been in my collection for over a year now and I still love it. The Kate Moss colour is the perfect pink for everyday wear, if your looking for something a little less garish. Finally MAC Morange is the perfect orange for a lost all skin tones, pus with orang lips being one of the biggest trends of S/S 14 you can't go wrong!

Alice xxx

Spring Prime

I'm back! Im ashamed to say that it's been exactly 3 months since my last blog post. Unfortunately as it always seems to do after christmas life got in the way a little when it came to blogging and instagraming and so both have been absent from my life for a few months. I've been so busy with school recently, I'm currently revising for my AS exams in May, and the time seems to be passing far too quickly for me to keep up with! Hopefully i'll be back and posting on a regular basis, as when I get the time I love blogging!

For my first post back I wanted to show you a product I've been obsessed with ever since I bought it. The Loreal Paris Lumi Magique Primer, is a light and glowing primer that leaves your skin looking naturally luminous (hense the name) and perfectly primed.

I'm aware that I'm a little late on the bandwagon with this product, I'd seen it being raved about by so many people a few months ago but never got round to buying it until recently (it was on offer in my local Boots store and I couldn't resist). I know that this had divided opinions and I can see why. Those with oily skin would never get on with this primer. Its not going to perfect your pores or mattify your skin, its not what it was designed to do, but it does give dry to normal skin a gorgeous, natural glow.

I'm not sure how far this primer goes to make your makeup stay all day, but I'm really enjoying it for enhancing the way my skin looks! I've been using this for nearly a month now and I feel that I can now review it knowing how it really works. This is an essential for summer skin, so if your on the lookout for a new 'beauty in a bottle' product give this a try!

Alice xxx

Review: Stila Sparkle Luxe Eye Shadow Palette

Today I've got a review for you. I hate the fact that because this palette was limited edition, its no longer available because I am in love with these shades! Although this palette isn't available anymore, I'm hoping that this will let you all know a little bit about the Stila eyeshadows and about the quality of the products (since originally writing this I believe the palette is back on sale at full price). Also I know that this post is up late! After I'd made a big deal about the fact that this post was going to be up yesterday, something came up, which meant I didn't have access to my computer, so sorry about that!

I found this palette in the Stila sale, where it was reduced from £30 to £7.50, and I just couldn't resist. The price was amazing and they had lots of other great looking products reduced so I'd definitely advise you all to keep your eyes peeled for the next sale that comes along.

First of all I want to quickly talk about the packaging of this product. Its beautiful. The light blue case is dotted with silver glitter, with the classic Stila text in a silver, mirrored font. You'd probably expect the outer shell of this product to be rough due to the glitter, but its anything but, which I'm happy about as I hate the feel of glitter. The packaging also seems to be quite substantial and I expect that it provides a lot of protection to the shadows inside.

The palette comes with 3 nude matte shades and 6 cream to powder, glitter shades. I think that these colours are all really wearable despite the fact that lots of them are bright colours, as they can all work together to create either a subtle or bold look. Thats another great thing about this palette. All the shades work on sort of a mix and match basis, in the respect that they can all be used with each other, meaning that theres tons off different looks to be created with just 9 shades. 

The quality of the shadows can't be faulted. They last on the lids for a long time, even without a primer and the colour pay off is amazing. Below I've swatched wall the shades so that you can see how they look on. My favourites at the moment are Bubble Bath, Marylin and Bordeaux. Bubble Bath is the perfect base colour for me as it creates such a nice nude tone.

Finally, this palette also comes with a Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Lady Fish. I'd describe the colour of this pencil as a very deep purple, with tiny specks of pink glitter running through it. Its not a colour I'd normally buy, but I've actually used it quite a lot and it goes really well

 with all the shades in the palette. 

After buying this palette, I'm definitely going to be purchasing some more Stila products. I've got my eye on the In The Light palette and their Stay All Day liquid liner.

Thanks for reading guys, I hope that this wasn't too boring for you as I know that its annoying that this palette isn't actually available but I still hope it was a good read for you. As always I love reading your comments so please pop them below and don't forget to follow me!

Love Alice xxx

December Favourites

Hello!

So I know that this post is well overdue, and I'm so sorry for that. I kept putting it off until I could decide what to include as December was a month full of new products for me. I don't have loads of products to show you in this post, but i like to make sure that when I post a monthly favourites that they are products that I've been reaching for regularly and that they are truly favourites of mine.

So the fist product I have to show you is my first ever Stila palette, the Sparkle Luxe Eye Shadow Palette. This was a limited edition palette and I got this in the sale so unfortunately its not on the Stila website anymore but I still wanted to share it with you because, I've used it everyday since I got it!

The pigment in these shadows is amazing although I wasn't expecting anything less from what I've heard about the brand. I'm not going to write too much about this as there will be a review of the palette up on my blog soon, but I'll say that I'm definitely going to get another Stila product after this and I'd recommend you all go check out the eyeshadow palettes!

Next up is a repurchase for me, I used this product religiously for about 7 months, a couple of years ago and for some reason I just never bought another when it ran out. The Revlon Colourstay foundation is so well known and it really is one of the best foundations on the high street. It leaves a beautiful 'your skin but better' finish which is neither too dewy or too matte. I have the one designed for oily/combination skin in the shade 150 Buff and they also do one designed for normal/dry skin, which in my opinion is what makes this foundation so popular.

For a drugstore foundation I don't think its too badly priced at around the £10 mark, which is amazing considering the quality. If you're looking for a new foundation or you just love trying out new bases like I do, then I'd say that you should all give this one a try!

In my 'Christmas Haul' post I showed you this No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser for Normal/Dry Skin that my mum got me and it's my new favourite. The harsh weather has completely dried my skin out and as my Clinique Take The Day Off balm had run out I was in desperate need of some revival. I'd been moaning to my mum so she got me this and a matching toner. This has really helped to rehydrate my face whilst giving it a good deep cleanse. I use this product to take off my makeup at night and in the morning before applying makeup. When you put this onto your fingers, it comes out as a gel like cleanser and after rubbing it into damp skin, transforms into a milky texture which is really soothing on the skin.This product is ask relatively in expensive and its from a brand I really trust.

My YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick had to be mentioned in this post, because I can't put it down. I'm not going to write much about this product as theres a more detailed review a couple of posts down, but I'd definitely say that it's a luxury product that everyone should have tried!

Next up is my Angled Shadow brush, unfortunately I've forgotten the name of the brand, but I know that its valuable on the Fragrance Direct website. I've been using this brush to fill in my eyebrows with a powder. This brush has completely changed the way my brows look. It gives me so much more control and detail that the thicker Real Techniques one I had previously been using. I think that If you're a brow girl like me then powder and a good angled brush is definitely the way forward when it comes to getting the best result.

Finally I have my Natural Collection blush in Pink Cloud. These blushers really aren't raved about enough, they are £1.99 and are some of the best I've tried. This one is a gorgeous, matte, baby pink (this photo doesn't do it justice)  and is the perfect shade for a more natural look. I love the way this looks on my skin paired with a good contour and highlight and at the price I don't think i can fault it. At £1.99 i really think that everyone should give one of these blushes a try, you never know you might have found your new favourite product. 

Thanks for reading guys! I hope you don't mind me posting so often for the last couple of days, I just keep having lots of ideas and I don't want to forget them! My next post should be up on Saturday and it will be a review! Please leave a comment below as I love to read them!

Love Alice xxx

Beauty Buys Wishlist

Hello!!

Today I decided I'd make a quick post on some beauty bits I've got on my wish list. There's a mix of high end and high street products and they are all things I've heard about via either reading blogs or on instagram. Now I'm obviously not going to go out and buy all these bits at once and I probably won't end up getting half the things on here anyway, simply because I don't have the money, but I'm going to put some things on my birthday list and maybe treat myself once in a while. I made this post using ployvore, I don't really avidly use polyvore, but I think its great for outfit and makeup planning, my user will be below the photo if you fancy giving me a follow!

wishlist by alicebuttery featuring MAC Cosmetics

So the first two products on here are both from NARS, theres the Sheer Glow Foundation and the Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've heard such good things about both products and I really want to try them out. I think I might get the concealer first as I'm still looking for the perfect one and then get the foundation when I've got the money spare.

Next I really want to get another Rouge Volupté lipstick, in a brighter colour because I'm in love with mine and I'd love to try some of the other colours.

I've also seen the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara in Black and the Revlon Lip glosses everywhere and I'm dying to try both. I'm in need of a new mascara so this ones first on my list!

I'm really wanting a new MAC blusher at the moment, and I also want to try out a new highlighter and the Mary Lou Manizer is s beauty blogger favourite.

Recently I've become bored with my brow routine and Benefit have always had rave reviews when it comes to their brow products. The Brow Zings has been on my wish list for a while now as its just recognised as such a great product. More recently I've been hearing about the High Brow pencil which highlights and lifts the brow bone!

For saying I'm a self confessed makeup addict I don't actually own any Topshop makeup. i'm actually disappointed in myself as I've always hear amazing things about their products and they are sold at such a good price. The two products I really want to try are the Cream Blush and one of their Lipsicks.

One of my favourite all time products is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo and as long as there are colours left for me to buy they will be on my wish list, I just can't sing their praises enough and i really want more!

Finally I have two eye related products. First is the MAC 217 brush, it's the one brush that I've wanted ever since I started getting into makeup, it just seems like such a god basic brush. The last item is the Stila In The Light palette. I recently got my first Stila palette and I have become obsessed. The In The Light palette seems like such a pallet full of really wearable and versatile colours, and I've read so many good things about it.

Thanks for reading guys! I hope this post wasn't too boring for you as it was quite heavy on the writing, but personally I love reading these posts and seeing what other people are wanting.

Love Alice xxx

Small Piece of Golden Perfection

Hi Guys!

No I've not gone mad, if you're looking at the title, I've just fallen in love. I went on a lovely sales shopping spree in Leeds with my bestie and bought one if my favourite products to date. So it want actually a sale item (which defeats the point of a trip to the sales) but I've had my eye on one of these wonders for a while. 

Presenting the YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in shade 1...

MUA Palettes

Hi Guys!

So today I've got a small post on one of my favourite drugstore products, the MUA eyeshadow palettes. 

I own three of the palettes, from left to right they are: Heaven & Earth, Undress Me To and Undressed... 

Skincare Splurge

Hello Lovelies!

For the first time in my life, the winter has had a huge affect on my skin. Its completely dried up, which I found odd as if anything my skin is usually oily. When I woke up yesterday owning there were areas of skin on my face that were actually peeling. I decided that I couldn't take it anymore, so with a shopping trip already planned for the day I headed out in search of hydration. I ended up buying some higher end skincare saviours and some Boots Essential skincare items which I thought I would give a whirl.

Firstly I want to apologise for the quality of these photos. The lighting at the moment is really bad, seeing as there is pretty much no natural light at all, simply because of the time of the year. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to photos and it really annoys me when they just aren't right, but I was eager to get this post up for you.

TAG: Beauty Talk

Hey Guys!

So I've got a TAG post today! My friend Jess at jessicasbeautygarden.blogspot.com asked me to do a tag that she had created! Its all about beauty throughout the year and Christmas beauty loves and tips! So here it goes…

What products have stood out to you this year?

This year I have become totally obsessed with my MAC eyeshadows. I also think that one of the best eye products this year, for me, has been the Maybelline Colour Tatoos! The Hoola Bronzer by Benefit is a fairly new addition to my makeup collection but I am obsessed with it! Its just the best bronzer I've tried. Finally the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks are just amazing quality for such an affordable price, one should be on everyone's Christmas list!

November Favourites

Hi Guys...

I can't believe its already December, I'm starting to get excited for christmas now! I decided that I'm going to do monthly favourites on my blog so heres the first!

So this month I've been loving some of my products that are cult favourites, so this could be boring for those of you who follow me on instagram (you can follow me here). I think all of these product are worth the money and are currently always in my makeup bag. Also I apologise for how messy all my products are in the photos! I was in a bit of a rush whilst taking them.

Teeny Beauty Haul...

Hi!!

Its been nearly a week since I've blogged and the main reason is simply the lighting for photos has been so poor! Anyway, today I decided to pic up a couple of products whilst out in town.

 I picked up the Benefit Hoola bronzer and the The Body Shop 3 in One BB Cream in 00.