Going into the store, I didn't have any particular shades in mind but I did know I wanted to try something shimmery. Previously I'd only tried Blanc Type (a matte) so I was intrigued to see what MAC's shimmer formula was like! I must have swatched around 20 of their little circular pots of beauty before I finally decided on two to take home with me; Satin Taupe & All That Glitters.


left to right:
All That Glitters // Satin Taupe // Blanc Type

All That Glitters is a truly gorgeous copper gold that I've found looks just as great washed over the lids on it's own as it is when built into a smoky eye. I generally prefer warmer toned eyeshadows so I own quite a few golds from different brands but there's something I can't put my finger on that makes this one stand out from the rest. As well as that it's lasting power is unparalleled. Satin Taupe is lovely too - to me it has more of a sheen that a shimmer to it and is the kind of shade that would look equally good on any skin tone.

These MAC eyeshadow refill pans at £10 each are an occasional treat for me and the 15 pan custom palette is something I'm enjoying building from scratch over time. The next couple of shades on my wishlist are Phloof and two matte brown shades, one darker, one lighter but I'm not sure which yet. There's so much choice!

So that's my MAC palette in it's current state! Get involved in the comments below and let me know if you have any shade recommendations & if you'd like me to keep updating you as I add more!

Which MAC eyeshadow do you like the look of?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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Clean On Me

Y'know Soap & Glory's signature scent? Well this is it in shower gel form! If you're not familiar it's a lovely mix of floral & fruitiness which I think would appeal to most people. As the name suggests, you come out of the shower smelling super fresh & clean!

Rich & Foamous

Almonds, oats & brown sugar are all part of this yummy aroma which I now know pairs with The Breakfast Scrub exfoliator, the scent I considered my favourite before trying Sugar Crush. I would definitely buy the full size of this!

Clean, Girls

And lastly, this one is quite similar to Clean On Me in that it's both fruity & floral but there's just something that little bit different. It's hard to describe but it's almost like they're sister scents!

So there you have it, my thoughts on these body washes! As a result of writing this I now really feel like trying some more from the brand so if you have any recommendations, please get involved in the comments below!

What's your favourite Soap & Glory product?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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So those are my thoughts on the ever-hyped Serozinc. Go ahead and get involved in the comments if you have any questions about it! I'd also love to know if you have any other La Roche-Posay product recommendations!

Have you tried this?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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So there you have it, my thoughts on 'The Difference A Day Makes'! Get involved in the comments and let me know if you've read this or anything similar - I'd love your recommendations!

Would you read this book?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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Before this, I'd never tried any of Collection's eyeshadows so I really had no idea what to expect. However on swatching they proved themselves to be soft, apply smoothly and offer a very decent amount of pigmentation. For £3.99 you get six warm toned, bronzey shades which you can use to easily create a handful of different looks, all within a dinky, space-saving palette. I took it with me on my trip to Cambridge and it was all I needed for the week! That's what I love most about it; you're not paying extra for four other shades you won't use - every one is very wearable.

Due to their almost creamy texture, fall out is fairly minimal but I find layering them on top of a cream eyeshadow (my favourites are the Maybelline Color Tattoos) completely eradicates that problem. It also increases the longevity of the eyeshadows although saying that, they do hold up impressively well on their own.


IVORY & MINK:

Ivory is the most sheer in the palette but it gives a beautiful, baby pink glow which looks great swept over the lids on it's own or blended with Mink as I've shown here. Mink is a champagne shade which makes a very useful & pretty addition to the palette.


OCHRE & GOLDEN BROWN:

Ochre is one of the most stunning gold eyeshadows I've ever used! It's super shimmery and pairs together well with Golden Brown for a bold smokey eye.



EMBER & NUTTY:

Ember is more than your standard shimmery brown; the pink running through it makes it gorgeously unique. Nutty is also interesting, in that it's a kinda of matte/shimmer hybrid. It somehow manages to be both (it's more of a sheen) and so it deepens up a smokey eye like a treat!

So those are my thoughts on this Collection palette. There isn't anything I'd really change about it to be honest! I know they do different shade variations so if you've tried any of them, please get involved in the comments below and let me know what you think.

What are your favourite budget eyeshadows?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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 The DETAILS

Unlike lip colours, I don't tend to really experiment with different blush shades a whole lot so I went for what's in my opinion the 'safest' option, Seductive Pink. It's an infusion of a light pink and a deeper almost purple which when swirled together create a beautifully natural yet noticeable flush - my kind of shade! I tend to favour marbled blushes as they give less of a blocky colour than plain ones do. They're also designed to allow for a lot more versatility in the sense that you can work with them to achieve a very light sweep of colour, a striking pop and anything in between.

This particular shade of Creme Puff blush looks very shimmery in the pan and when I swatch it on the back of my hand it has quite a bit of (very) fine glitter but that doesn't seem to translate when it's on your cheeks. Instead you get a glowing luminosity which I absolutely love. It's one of those blushers you can skip the highlighter with! I'm also impressed every time I use it because there's next to no fallout.

I was very tempted to go and buy some of the other shades until I double checked the price. When I bought this it was £6.99 and I mustn't have realised that was a discounted price as I've just found out they usually cost £8.99! I suppose everyone has a different budget and if you're used to paying more then these will seem like absolute bargains to you, but to me, almost a tenner for a drugstore blush seems a little steep. I probably would repurchase this particular shade again now I know I love it but I don't think I'll rush out on a whim to try some of the shades which I'm not 100% sure would suit me - y'know what I mean?

Get involved in the comments below and let me know if you've tried the Max Factor Creme Puff blushes & what you think of them!

Would you try these blushes? Should I try another shade?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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This mascara has a plastic wand and claims to make lashes look ultra long and defined. It costs £3.99.

Get involved in the comments below and let me know what your favourite budget friendly mascara is. Feel free to ask any questions too!

Would you try this?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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This was actually the first time I've ever applied makeup on camera! I wanted to keep all five items affordable for this quick & easy look, in fact they all cost less than £10 each! Watch it here:



The PRODUCTS

I've linked my reviews of each product just in case you're interested in reading my full thoughts on them!

1) L'Oreal True Match Foundation review
2) Makeup Revolution Protection Palette review
3) Maybelline Color Tattoo review
4) Collection Lengthening Mascara
5) Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm review

The TOOLS

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge review
Real Techniques Buffing Brush & Contour Brush

Get involved in the comments below and let me know if you've tried any of the products I used!

If you could only use 5 products to do your makeup, what would they be and why?

Thanks for reading,

Maeve

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