Maybelline Big Eyes Eyeliner Review

On a recent trip to Superdrug, I picked up the Maybelline Big Eyes Eyeliner. Retailing at £4.99 the Big Eyes Eyeliner is a dual ended pencil which features a nude beige on one side and a black on the other with the pencil designed to brighten and make eyes appear larger than they actually are.

To apply, you line the bottom waterline with the beige and tight line the top lid with the black. This opens the eyes, makes your lashes look fuller and eyes brighter. After a couple of uses, I found myself using the black side of the pencil to line my eyes however wasn't really using the beige for my waterline that much. Instead, I've found myself using the beige to neaten up my eyebrows as an almost dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Pencil which is designed to conceal blemishes and highlight the brows. Have to say that as a dupe it works so much better and i definitely rate it better as a highlighter than an eyeliner.

This product was a pure impulse buy as I hadn't read a single review on it before buying it and after having tested it, it's certainly worth the £4.99 price tag. What I like about products like this one, is finding multi uses for them to mix it up and get the best value for money.

Have you tried the Maybelline Big Eyes Eyeliner? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts.... let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

October Beauty Wishlist

We're finally in October and that means it's time to adjust the everyday wears and make way for a brand new autumnal make up wardrobe. I wanted to share with you the things i'm wishing for this October...

1. ghd V Lagoon Hair Straighteners - £129.00
I was given my first set of ghd Hair Straighteners not long after they first came out (over ten years ago) and the way they transformed my frizzy limp hair was simply mind blowing.
That pair of straighteners lasted for many years... until the time I stood on them, and they broke. I think it's time I invested in another pair, and how beautiful do these turquoise ones look?

2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation- £27.00

A few months ago I swatched the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation in store, and every now and then i've thought about it. I'm a fan of Urban Decay's eyeshadow palettes but haven't ever purchased a skin product from them and a foundation looks like a great place to start.

3. Kat Von D Autograph Liquid Eyeliner- $16.00
As a huge winged liner fan, I've been dying to get my hands on a Kat Von D eyeliner for quite a while and one day I may just do that. As it's not sold in the UK, I'm just gonna keep wishing that one day i'll see it in my local beauty hall.

4. NYX Butter Lipsticks - $6.00
I've heard so many amazing things about NYX butter lipsticks from online friends in the states and I'm hoping that sometime soon they'll actually make it to the UK. If you know of a dupe for this formula that is available in the UK, let me know in the comments!

5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Pencil - $18.00
Another over seas product that i'm wishing for is the Anastasia Pro Pencil which can be used as a highlighter, concealer and even eyeshadow primer. I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills products and hopefully I'll add this to my collection soon.

6. NYX Taupe Blusher- £6.00
The NYX Taupe blusher is my favourite contour product for pale skin. Rarely a day goes by that I don't contour using this product and i'm about to run out of it. So why is it in my wishlist? It's sold out - everywhere. 

7. Moschino Barbie Phone Case- £45.00
So not technically a beauty item, but as it has a mirror, it makes the list. When Moschino debuted their latest Barbie collection, the internet went crazy. This Moschino phone case may be expensive at £45.00 but boy does it look a lot of fun! 

So that's it for this months wish list! I'd love to hear your thoughts on my choices. Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

FOTD: Cherry Red Lips

I mentioned how much I was enjoying testing out the Bourjois 12 Heures Rouge Edition Lipsticks* over the past few weeks in my September Favourites Post and I wanted to share a look i'd created using the Cherry My Cherie lipstick.

Red lipstick isn't something I usually wear, as it always seems a little bit too much with my blonde hair and black winged eyeliner. Unfortunately I don't have the confidence of Marilyn Monroe or Anna Nicole Smith to wear this beautiful cherry red on a daily basis but i'm hoping that wearing it enough around the house may help me wear it out more often.

Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow - Siberia

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Eyeliner: MUA Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner & Collection 24 Hour Felt liner

Eyeshadow: Naked 2 Basics & Make Up Revolution Ionic 3 Palette

Mascara: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara*

Contour: NYX Taupe Blusher

Highlight: Make Up Revolution Ultra Blush, Sugar & Spice Palette

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this look, let me know in the comments!

Em xxx

Mac Whirl Lipliner Review

Want to know a little tip on how to get the perfect nude lip? 

I swear by Mac Whirl Lipliner. 

I previously reviewed the Velvet Teddy lipstick and mentioned how much I paired the two together, but after a few requests, I thought I'd review the lipliner too.

At £12.50 it's by no means cheap for a lip liner, but honestly, I haven't been disappointed by a Mac lip product before and I was hoping this would be no different.

I have to say that the quality is great, and it has amazing pigmentation, but I find that that it can be a little tough to apply sometimes as the pencil isn't the softest. I don't want to try the old warm it up with a candle trick because, well, this isn't high school and the damn thing cost more than I'd like to spend on a lipliner -  but I find regular sharpening works best and means that i'm not fighting with it so much.

I do love this shade, and I find it so much easier to get an even and accurate lipstick coating after using it, so if you're after the perfect nude lip, then this may just be the product for you.

Em xxx

September Favourites!

I can't believe September is over and we're now in October. Where has this year gone? I'm looking forward to Autumn knitwear and the cooler weather and I may also be looking forward to the odd spot of rain! My Pale Skin is officially 9 months old, and I wanted to share with you my 5 favourite things during September. In no particular order, here's what I've been loving this month.

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Cleanser

You know when you find a face wash that just works incredibly well for you? I get that feeling with the Eucerin DermoPurifyer. I use this cleanser twice a day, morning and night, and not only is it gentle but helps reduce oil protection and removes stubborn make up without the need for tugging.

Make Up Revolution Sugar & Spice, Ultra Blush and Contour Palette

The Make Up Revolution - Sugar and Spice palette barely left my face for quite a few weeks. I love how easy it is to wear and I've even become a fan of the frosted pink highlighter too.

Extrmely YSL Tuxedo Travel Palette

What I love about this palette is how many different products it contains. Mascara, eyeshadow, lip gloss, highlighter and a blusher - all in one! This palette may just be the perfect weekend wonder.

Clinique Chubby Sticks

I can't believe how long it took me to find and fall in love with Clinque Chubby Sticks, but after remembering I had a couple as free magazine gifts a few months earlier - I found them and began experimenting. Needless to say I was hooked on how easy they are to apply and wear. The Perfect sheer lipstick on the go.

Bourjois 12 Heures Rouge Edition Lipsticks*

I love the finish on these semi matte lipsticks and over the past few weeks i've been testing them out. I especially love the beautiful coral Pamplemousse shade and it works incredibly well on pale skin. 

So that's it for this month's favourites! I'd love to hear your thoughts on my picks... let me know in the comments!

Em xxx

Playing Photographer

Before Monica and I headed to the Olympia Beauty Show last weekend we met up in High Street Kensington to take some #OOTD photos for her blog. Monica is such a fantastic fashion blogger and her style is always spot on. I chose High St Kensington for the photos as the streets are so pretty and serene. We spent around 5 minutes scouting a location before we came across a little street which acted as the perfect background for the shoot. I'm really happy with the images, as even though the sun was incredibly bright, my shoulder got sore from the really heavy lens and monica had to change in a Starbucks loo and, I'm incredibly proud of the images I took of her. I must say, that it's also really helpful that she's gorgeous and looks amazing in every image.

One thing that I love about blogging is how much my photography has improved since I started. My DSLR was a christmas present from my partner and over the Christmas break, I pretty much learnt how to use it on Manual to get the most out of it.  I spend a lot of time on film sets and behind the scenes on shoots as part of my job, but I never fully learnt how to use the film or stills camera fully beyond a basic point and click as I always hired someone better to do the job for me. 

Getting over my wants and needs and starting from the basics has to be one of the most frustrating things I've done in a long time. When you're constantly working with professionals who know what you want to achieve, who are great at lighting, composition and everything in between and you're used to getting great results, having to take all of that away and have just you and a camera is hard.  I'm glad I persevered and didn't give up out of frustration because I can see the difference in my work almost every time I take the camera out now. 

I'm sure this will be the first of many Playing Photographer posts I'll be writing as my confidence levels increase and Monica and I venture out to take more photos!

To Check out the full set of images, head on over to Monica's Blog - Moth Loves

Em xxx

The £1 Berry Lipstick That's Perfect For Pale Autumn Skin.

It's official, the berry lip is the must have shade this Autumn, and after my little Lipstick Haul on Monday, I wanted to show you that you don't have to break the bank to keep up with the current make up 'trends' especially if you have pale skin like me and are slightly afraid of colour. 

I'm much more prone to splashing out on 10 budget products for fun than spending £40 on one full priced one and that's likely due to my hoarding nature - one lipstick is just not enough for me as sometimes I want to buy all of the things and of course without spending a fortune. If that's case for you then brands such as Make Up Revolution, MUA cosmetics and Collection are perfect for those instances.

The Rebel With A Cause Lipstick has a satin finish, although it is on the more slippery side of satin, which means that my advice on this shade is to go for 2 layers, ensuring that you blot in between to make enhance longevity. 

Whether you're looking for a starter berry lip, are a keen bargain hunter or are just looking for a new shade to try out. for £1.00 you can't go wrong with Rebel With A Cause and I have a feeling It'll be on my lips quite often this autumn.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the berry lip trend! Let me know in the comments...

Em xxx