Laura Mercier Bare Nudes Mini Lip Glacé Set...

As I already mentioned before Space NK had the most amazing sale throughout January. So something else I was lucky enough to get my hands on was this mini lip glace set. I'm not too familiar with Laura Mercier makeup products but the hype surrounding YouTube and fellow bloggers  resulted in me buying quite a few of her products in the sale. This set was down to £15.50 from £31 so I thought what I great way to start introducing myself to the range.

So first of all how cute are these mini lip glosses? I love a miniature lip product that is small enough to fit into the tiniest of bags for a night out. I like to bring the entire contents of my makeup bag when I hit the town so these are perfect for me to squeeze into my clutch!

There are 5 shades within the set, from baby pinks to pale peaches and barely there nudes, Laura has provided a great selection. I adore the packaging, they just look like a really expensive product and the applicator makes it really easy to apply a precise amount of colour to the lips. Each gloss smells amazing, kind of like cake and it's very similar to the smell of MAC lipsticks (which I think smell and taste like cupcakes, yum!) The formula is really creamy, almost like a balm as it doesn't feel at all sticky. I have no problem wearing these out on a cold windy day as I know my hair isn't going to be stuck all over my lips! The colours are pretty sheer with a hint of colour but they look lovely on their own. If you do want to add more colour they also work really well over a lipstick, very versatile little things! Colours from L-R on the top image are Gilded Rose, Bare Peach, Bare Baby, Bare Blush & Pout.

Laura Mercier Votive Candle Sampler Collection...

Space NK has had the most amazing sale on in January! These Laura Mercier candles were 50% off, originally £42 down to £21. I first thought about buying them as a Christmas or birthday gift for someone but once they arrived I just had to keep them, oops!

There are 4 candles in total and they are a pretty decent sizes as well. Containing four different smells we have Amber Vanille, Creme Brûlée, Fresh Fig and an exclusive addition to the collection, Tarte au Citron. Each come in a 70g chocolate brown glass tumblers which are equally gorgeous. From just smelling these beauties Fresh Fig is my favourite (slightly obsessed with anything fig anyway) but the others all smell seriously delicious as well. I haven't actually lit any yet as I am in the middle of searching for a new house so think these will be perfect to use then. Have you tried any of the Laura Mercier candles? 

theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer & Cabana BOY Blush...

theBalm is a brand that I haven't particularly heard much about nor have I purchased anything from the range until now. However Alix, beauty blogger & YouTube star from I Covet Thee is a huge fan and after featuring the gorgeous Mary-Lou Manizer in her 2013 favourites, I started to sit up and pay some attention! Now Alix is super gorgeous anyway but she always looks so glowing and it's all thanks to this pretty amazing highlighter. The Feel Unique website stocks quite a fair but from theBalm's range so I was really intrigued to try some of the products. Obviously I put the Mary-Lou Manizer straight into my shopping basket and was then on the hunt for a new blusher. I have loooooads of baby pink blushers so I decided to opt for the Boy's Blush in Cabana BOY, a gorgeous dusty rose colour with a hint of shimmer. Alix has also featured a blush from theBalm in her favourites video so I knew this was going to be good. I also really wanted to buy the Bahama Mama Bronzer (mainly because I loved the name) but it's been out of stock for a few weeks now, boo!

So my order arrived the other day and I feel like thanking Alix personally for introducing everyone to theBalm. Wow am I impressed! The highlighter is without a doubt the best highlighter I own. Now I am serious hoarder when it comes to highlighters, I have everything from the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick, Dior's Amber Diamond, Illamasqua's Gleam highlighter in Aurora & MAC's Soft & Gentle. But this just beats them all! It's a real eye catcher and with the smallest amount on the tops of your cheeks really brightens you up. It adds serious dimension to your face and the champagne colour would suit just about everyone. It's so finely milled that you could sweep it over the whole face to create a sexy and youthful glow. I would even sweep it across my lids for a night out. I like to use a fan brush to apply highlighter, I just think it applies it so much better and gives a more natural look. The brush I am using at the minute is the Smashbox fan brush in 22. Swirl the fan into the product and sweep across the desired area. You could also use this brush for bronzer and blusher, it's a great all-rounder.

The Cabana BOY blush is also a really nice product, I adore the colour. It's a lovely shade for the winter especially as I am so pale, this adds just the right amount of warmth. Just like the highlighter a little goes a very long way. The colour pay off is great and it's a blusher that lasts all day, something which is very hard to find in a blusher. The packaging for both is just so cute as well, it does remind me of Benefit's packaging but the blushers are so much better, you don't have to fight with the Benefit's boxes trying to squash them into your makeup bag! Both also came with decent sized mirrors as well. So overall I am so happy with what I purchased, next on my list is to try some of the brushes and I will definitely be buying the Bahama Mama Bronzer once it's back in stock!

The Mary-Lou Manizer is £15 and the Cabana BOY blusher is £13, both can be bought here.

Also check out Alix's YouTube channel to see just how gorgeous these look.

MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara Review...

Finding a really good mascara can sometimes be a very hard task. I don't tend to purchase high end mascaras as I find Rimmel & Maybelline both offer some really great products. However after falling in love with the YSL Baby Doll mascara earlier on in the year, I found that high end makeup has a bit more to offer. My beloved Baby Doll mascara was on the pricey side, £25, although I LOVED it, I am not prepared to cough up that sort of money every other month.

So after Rhianna had launched her new collection with MAC last year I kept hearing good things about  her Extended Play Mascara. Fluer De Force in particular seemed really impressed and her lashes always look pretty phenomenal. Unfortunately by the time I got round to a MAC counter her collection had pretty much sold out. However I found out that it's actually part of MAC's permanent line (must be good!) but just wasn't in the snazzy pink and rose gold packaging, boo!

Ok so if I am honest I still prefer the YSL mascara but at £15.50, this comes in at a very close 2nd. It's a super lengthening and defining mascara which is also pretty good at adding volume to your lashes as well. Finding all 3 qualities in a mascara is pretty darn rare so I was really impressed. The brush is probably the smallest brush I have ever used but that's what makes it really good. It's really easy to reach every single lash and coats the bottom lashes nicely. I am probably the messiest gal when applying mascara (I must go through about 10 cotton buds a day to remove the mess I create all over my lids) but this wand seems to help me out a little. (Now I seem to use only 3 or 4 to clean things up!)

It lasts all day, no flaking or smudging and it still looks pretty good when I go to take to off at 11pm at night. 

Overall this is a really good mascara and a lot of people seem to agree. Lisa Eldridge and Sam Chapman from Pixiwoo have both raved about it on their YouTube channels. If your still thinking about buying the YSL Baby Doll mascara then compare my review here.

Thanks for reading, Becca...X