Try Not To ... Blush!

It's a week into blogmas and time feels like it's going so fast! I cannot believe that I started this blog nearly 12 months ago! This is my 51st post and if you didn't get the pun, it's one about blusher. I'm not the world's biggest fan of blusher, but I do like to add a bit of colour to the apples of my cheeks every now and again. I like quite natural-looking blushers so it doesn't look too heavy or fake. I have two single blushers to talk to you about and then there are a few in some sets. Let's get to it...

Okay, first up is an oldie. It's 'thrrrol' from Benefit, but unfortunately, it got discontinued! Boo... There's nothing worse than a product that you love being discontinued. Anyway, when first looking at the product, it looks incredibly light and almost too unrealistic. It has quite a lot of pigment is so it sort of acts like a highlighter too. However, when applying on top of a BB cream or foundation, it looks really nice - almost giving the face a healthy glow.

Next up is one of my all time favourite brands for blush - Nars. The single blush that I own is called Gilda and it's just SO amazing. It is rather pricy for a blush - £23 - however, it has lasted me for nearly two years now and I'm no where near hitting pan. It's a deep pink and you only need the slightest amount on your brush when applying. The good thing about Nars blushers are that they leave you with hardly any fall-out, if any. It's going straight in my basket!

So the previous Christmas, I was very lucky in the sense that my Mother was able to get her hands on the limited edition Nars - Virtual Domination palette. What a babe. She gave it to me as a Christmas present and I was just so shocked! The palette contains: 3 blushers - Sex Fantasy, Deep Throat and Final Cut (the names are rather... let's say... unusual, but the quality of product is incredible), a bronzer - Laguna and a highlighter - Miss Liberty. I think this palette was around the £50 and that's such a bargain! The bronze is full-sized and the blushers and highlighter is half the usual size of the separate products.

The blusher inside the Naked - On The Run palette is a bit to much for me, however, the palette itself is very good and handy.

Last, but by no means least, is the Urban Decay - Naked Flushed palette. This contains a bronzer, highlight and blush and the finish from the blush just completes the face.

Makeup Menu (Including me!)

This week's post is heading back onto beauty and it feels like it's been so long since I've posted about something actually beauty related. This week's post is going to be about my makeup during the weekends - afternoon and evening. ALSO, I've changed my address to www.jodiemoonblogs.blogspot.co.uk (sorry for any confusion).

So basically, this is my afternoon look. The picture is quite hard to see my eyeshadow etc, but I'll give you a run through...
Base:
To start with, I use the MAC Prep + Prime Skin as a primer. Then I use the Chanel Vitalumière Aqua foundation. To cover up spots or hide blemishes, I use the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I then go on to fill in my eyebrows with the Soap and Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush. Now this is the part where I kind of take my own path and go on to do my eyeshadow: Foxy and Tease from the Urban Decay 2 Palette and Fix from the Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette. After eyeshadow, I like to use the Soap and Glory Supercat eyeliner for my lid; followed by MAC Eye Kohl in the shade Smolder. Mascara is next and I love using the Clinique High Impact Mascara with the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara; both being in the colour black. If I think my face needs a bit of bronzer or a slight attempt to contour, I will build up a suitable amount of the Chanel Bronze Universal on the sides of my face and done either sides of my nose. I love this product because you don't need a lot on your brush and it's easy to apply. To finish my makeup, I will apply a MAC lipstick in the shade Patisserie or Modesty.


For my evening approach, I like to pretty much have a similar look, however, I go a bit heavy on the eyeshadow and do a full on contour. Also, depending on my outfit, I like to go bold on my lips and not so harsh on the blush. Again, I like to use the shades from the Urban Decay 2 Palette and for my evening look, I use Half Baked, Snakebite and Busted (all of which are pigmented... shimmayyy). Then when I use the Chanel Bronze Universal, I like to apply this a bit heavier and define my nose. I only tend to us highlighter during the evening because I like to have a more natural look in the afternoon. So for highlighter in the evening, I like to use the 5050 from the Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette.

Sorry for the selfies but hopefully, you've enjoyed my makeup menu and like the fact that it's finally a beauty related post again. Next week's blog is going to be something fashion related... Off the topic of beauty again... Whoops. Have a good Easter term if you're off!

Perfect Palettes

Perfect Palettes...
Back on to the beauty topic this week and I felt like I should talk about palettes.

There's nothing better than buying something for a new palette or getting a completely new one with gorgeous shades and pigments.

For my choice, I've chosen 2 face palettes and 3 eyeshadow palettes.

Disclaimer - Please realise that these are all my opinion and I do purchase them all or have been given them as a gift from family. I do spend quite a lot of money on make up, but that's what I enjoy spending my money on so why not?

Let's get started...
Urban Decay Naked Flushed - £22.50
Urban Decay are really doing well with their products recently. I love pretty much everything in their range and this is my favourite face palette out of it. It's not too pricy and the highlight has a slight pigment. The blush is gorgeous and the bronzer is great. I'm sure you can get other shades for different skin tones?

Benefit Peek-a-Bright Eyes - £25.50
Benefit is a bit hit and miss for me... I love their Porefessional and They're Real mascara but I'm not too keen on the Lolli Balm (total rip off for £14.50!) However, I love this eyeshadow palette. It comes with 2 small brushes, 3 eyeshadows and an eye brightener. The shades are very similar to the eyeshadows in my MAC quad...

My MAC Pro Palette - £45
The refillable compact is 4x4 and was £5; it's also available in different sizes. The 4 Pro Palette shades that I have put in are: White Frost, Girly, Woodwinked and Embarked. These are definitely my favourite shades and my Mum pretty much has the same shades as me in hers! Each Pro Palette Refill Pan eyeshadow is £10

NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette - £45 - £55
For £45 I think this palette is amazing. I think NARS was selling them for £45 originally but they sold out super quick! So Selfridges brought it out for £55. You get 3 blushers, a highlighter and a bronzer. Great for £55 right?! (some of the names of the blushers are rude so I'll leave you to see if you click on the link!) Amazingly, the palette contains the Laguna bronzer in it's full size! This is normally £27.50!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - £38
You can't go wrong for 12 shades for £38. This is my favourite eyeshadow palette that I've ever use before; trust me, there's been a few. I'm thinking about purchasing the Naked 3 but I don't think I'd use all the shades. Whereas with the Naked 2 palette, I use them all!! Amazing value for money!

Top left - Naked Basics - Urban Decay
Top right - Peek-a-Bright eyes... - Benefit
Left middle - My 'build your own' Pro Palette - MAC
Right middle - Virtual Domination Cheek Palette - NARS
Bottom - Naked 2 - Urban Decay