Brand Focus: MAC

If you're anything like me then your first dive into high-end or expensive makeup will have been with MAC Cosmetics. I still remember the rush getting my first lipstick, carrying around the little yellow Selfridges bag feeling fancy af, posting pictures all over Instagram like new lipstick, who dis? I also remember the slight heartbreak at spending £15 on one lipstick, HOW MUCH!? Little did I know a couple of years later I'd be spending twice that and then some with a makeup collection worth more than my car. After this time I've managed to accumulate a nice little collection of MAC product so I thought I'd take a post to talk you through the good, bad and ugly.

Bright Lips For a Dull Day

One of my goals or resolutions if you will for this year was to start rocking bright lips more often and though I absolutely love my nude shades from day to night, it's been a lot of fun pulling out a few old favourites of mine that have been far too neglected for far too long. For bright shades, it's all about Mac for me. They have such a wide range of colours in all different finishes that it's so easy to find something for everyone. Recently though I have been venturing into brighter liquid lipsticks, purely for their staying power, pigmentation and matte finish. (This girl loves a matte).

US Beauty Haul | First Impressions

Y'all know that the first thing on my mind when I landed in Florida in December was "oh my days imagine all the things I can buy in Sephora and Ulta" swiftly followed by the idea pancakes and maple bacon.  The black and white stripes were calling my name. Unfortunately due to a poor exchange rate, it actually didn't work out much cheaper to buy certain products abroad like it has in previous years so I tried to stick to things we can't necessarily get over here, haven't been released yet or are a little harder to access. This post will be a quick run down of everything with a few initial impressions, the real juicy stuff will come in the reviews to follow over the next few weeks. Ooooh the anticipation.

The Festive Makeup Menu

I just love makeup at this time of year, the colours, sparkles, reds, deep berries and dark smoky eyes. Everything screams Winter and festive, I mean, just looking at this picture I get some serious party vibes. Throughout the year generally my base remains pretty consistent. Primer, foundation, concealer and powder all stay very similar month in, month out, even in the Summer months I tend to opt for a medium buildable coverage with serious staying power. But my eyes, lips and cheeks are a completely different story. I've pulled together a few of my picks for this season that are sure to glam up any Winter/Christmas Party look.

December Beauty Haul

Tis officially the season to treat yo' self and after trying somewhat successfully to be good and save money, I caved when Black Friday hit. There's only so many emails, offers and discounts that a girl can resist. But you know what the best part is? None of these things were actually bought in the sales.

My Night Out Essentials

I'm a sucker for a night out. There, I said it. As much as I love a good night in complete with takeaway curry and a good film or two, as soon as I get that "you coming out?" text, I'm straight in the shower and throwing back a rum and coke. Whether it's a case of FOMO or just being a weak ass bitch, I just can't resist getting dolled up, having a good old dance and doing one two many shots of vodka. And since moving from my tiny little hometown with one nightclub to Manchester, I've loved going out and trying out all the different clubs and bars, as well as really switching up my look. It's almost as if I have an alter ego some nights. Seriously, last weekend I was 26 year old Isla from London who'd been married for 6 years. Don't ask. So why not share with you some of my recent night out essentials...

Send Me Nudes

Let's face it, for some of us, these are the only kinds of nudes we really want to be receiving. From pale peachy pinks, to dark dusty mauves, browns and everything in between, there's a shade for everyone, even if you wouldn't necessarily deem it a nude. For this post I've rounded up pretty much every remotely close to nude shade that I could find in all sorts of formulas and finishes, to really give you an idea of just what options you have and this isn't even a fraction of what's out there. For me, a nude lip is an absolute staple in my makeup collection. It's a look that can take you from subtle daytime to a sultry night look when paired with something like an intense smoky eye and long lashes. They're understated, chic and subtle or slightly more bold, whatever takes your fancy.

Huge Beauty Haul

As most of you will know I was lucky enough to attend the Debenhams SS16 Beauty Press Show last month in London and after looking at all the latest releases I couldn't help but treat myself to a few (ok more than a few) new purchases. I did some serious damage to my student loan, in fact it's times like these when I'm glad that I don't live in the city as I know I'd soon be well into my overdraft. A fair few of these are products that I was introduced to at the event and just couldn't wait to get my hands on afterwards, as well as a couple I'd been lusting after. Part of the reason for waiting so long before writing up this post was that I wanted to give as many of these a try as possible, so I could give a proper opinion of them as opposed to just a first impression. Not to mention I finish uni in a week so life is pretty manic right now. (I don't want to enter the real world yet, I'm not ready.)

"On Wednesdays We Wear Pink"

 It's officially Spring here in the UK and though that would normally bring to mind images of bunny rabbits, daffodils and sunshine, it appears that we have been blessed with nothing but rain, hail and storms. I guess there's a reason they call them April Showers! But just because the world around me isn't exactly screaming Spring, doesn't mean my makeup can't and for me no other colour gets as much wear at this time of year as a good old pink. Whether it be on my lips, eyes, cheeks or nails, pink for me just screams Spring. It's the perfect transition shade between the Winter reds and Summer corals and there really is a pink for everyone, whether you want to go full on bubblegum Barbie, pastel or muted baby pink.

4 Mac Lip Combinations

For me, nowhere quite does a lip combo like Mac. Yes, there are incredible lipsticks and liners out there from dozens of high end and drugstore brands but as my first ever expensive purchase, Mac will always have that special place in my heart. They're the liners I reach for on a daily basis and my lipsticks that see the most use. In fact, whenever I visit a store or counter I can almost guarantee you that the first place I will go is the lipsticks. And I'l leave with 15 different swatches up and down my arms and hands. In this post I've pulled together four of my liners and lipsticks that I think make a perfect pair.

Starting My Mac Palette

One thing that always bothers me about buying eyeshadow palettes is the fact that more often than not, there's at least one or two shades that I don't like or never end up using. Don't get me wrong, I love the palettes I have but it's so difficult to find one where I love absolutely every shade and will use them all on a regular basis. That's why I decided to start my own Mac palette. I love the idea of having something completely customisable, giving me the ability to swap colours in and out as I need. It's also going to eventually be full of shades that I will wear all the time that I have hand picked and organised myself. I'd never really looked at the eyeshadows in Mac as naturally I gravitate towards the blushers and lipsticks but I now completely understand the hype and I am 100% on board.

New Year's Eve Party Beauty

Though I will be spending New Years Eve as I have spent the last three years, serving pints to others who are actually enjoying their night (booo bar work), I thought I'd share a couple of my makeup picks that I've been loving recently and I would wear if I were to go out. And with every makeup look I've had this month, it's all about the glow. Dewy base, metallic eyeshadow and highlight on fleek. Because there's only so I long I feel I can get away with looking like a human glitter ball.

Festive Lips, Cheeks and Eyes

It's officially party season and what better time to crack out the super shimmery eyeshadows, glitter, intense highlight and red lips. If you're anything like me, you'll already have your Christmas day makeup planned. (Is it way too early?) But I wanted to put together a few different bits that I think will work across the festive season up until the New Year, including some adorable antlers from Asda. how cute are these? They're a nice festive addition for parties for those of you who don't feel like going the whole hog with a Christmas jumper.

Glow Getters

First things first, a warning. This is going to be a very image heavy as I wanted to include swatches of every product as well as photographs of each and let's face it, highlighters are too pretty to not take pictures of them. I've included all the highlighters I own in this post (excluding illuminating primers or anything along those lines) and I'm going to talk you through each, as well as telling you which are my favourites and why.

My New Favourite MAC Lipstick

Despite the fact that I definitely have enough lipsticks to last me the rest of my life and it would take me nearly two months to wear one per day, I couldn't resist picking up this beauty when I popped into MAC last week. I actually went in for Diva, having lusted after this shade for quite a while but instead I found myself more drawn to the shade D For Danger, part of their 2015 Matte Lip Collection.

My Current Everyday Makeup

Although I do tend to switch up my makeup pretty often, changing up everything from my foundation to my lipstick, there are products that I do like to reach for more often. Here's a quick run down of what I've been using on my face (I did forget to include a highlight, this tends to be Mary Lou Manizer by The Balm, just one tap of my brush delivers an incredibly intense glow to the cheeks). I then use Urban Decay Chill Setting Spray to keep everything well and truly locked down for the day. 

My MAC Lipstick Collection

My Favourite Five Blushers

Blusher follows close behind lipstick as one of my all time makeup weaknesses, I could spend hours swatching every shade of pink and peach under the sun until I find the right one for me but I always seem to come back to the same five over and over again. I personally tend to stick to pink blushers, with the occasional peachy tone thrown in for good measure. I just think a pink blusher is an absolute staple and with the right shade can provide that light flush to the cheeks that your makeup needs. I've chosen fives shades from my collection that I think everyone should try at some point in their life.