Mac Virgin Isle Dupe

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Hi Girlies,

So I was going through my makeup stash the other day and realised I have a really similar product to Mac's Virgin Isle cream colour base. I love Virgin Isle so have to share this discovery! It's Max Factor's Miracle Touch cream blush in Soft Candy (07) and although it's not a perfect dupe it's definitely in the running. 

Here's the comparison...

and swatched...

L-R: Max Factor's Soft Candy applied heavily and blended and Mac's Virgin Isle applied heavily and blended 

Soft Candy does look darker in the pan but once applied they are alike. Soft Candy has more of a red tone whilst Virgin Isle is a bit more coral toned.  Virgin Isle is more pigmented which isn't necessarily a bad thing as you do have to be careful not to use too much product or hello clown cheeks! One of the differences between these two is the finishes. Soft Candy has a glossier, dewier finish when applied to the skin, both products provide that great glowy look to the skin. Although their finishes are different the colours are really similar especially once they are blended into the skin. I would give Soft Candy a B in duping, what do you think?

So if you can't get your hands on Virgin Isle or want a cheap alternative I would recommend Soft Candy for that great corally pop of colour!

Much love, 

Imogen 

NOTD: Stripey Nails

Good Morning everyone!

So I am sick again so I haven't been wearing any makeup lately so I'm back with another nail polish post. 

Being cooped up inside made me restless so I decided to jump on the nail art bandwagon by copying a WAH design. I love WAH nails and their blog is one of my favourite places to browse and get inspiration. Here is the design I ripped off.

I think I need to practice for a month straight to get to WAH level!

To create these babies I used Sticky Tape, Essie Tart Deco, Essie Van D'go, Ulta3 Lily White, Chanel Laque Brillance Extreme, Sally Hansen Nail art pen in black. 

It was a bit fiddly but I had fun doing it. My right hand is a bit dodge, straight lines are hard with your left hand! 

I am definitely going to track down some of the Model's Own & WAH nail art pens, has anyone tried them??

Happy Friday

Imogen x

Blush Crush: NYX Mauve

Hello lovely readers, 

I'm back with another blush crush. This time it's NYX's Mauve. The weather has taken a turn for the worst lately and I haven't really been feeling like peaches of pinks so I thought I would whip out this one to mix it up a bit.

Mauve is a muted rosy pink blush. I do find the name a little deceiving as the blush is more of a muted pink with almost a hint of orange (on my skin anyway) regardless I am liking this blush. I am still on the hunt for a great mauvey toned blush so let me know if you have any suggestions. 

 The texture is smooth, silky and really blendable. It's easy to apply and very pigmented, as you can see in the pic below where I have packed it on! However this blush does lack staying power but for the price I really can't complain too much.

  (Excuse the messy hair, this is it in all its natural glory haha)

It is a nice, rosy, natural looking blush.  This blush is definitely great for fair to medium skinned gals but be careful to use a light hand!

I would love to know what people's favourite winter blushes are, I think I feel a shopping spree coming on!

Imogen x

Gold Glitter Nail

Hi gorgeous girls,

I am currently battling a nasty cold so to cheer myself up and make myself feel a bit less blergh I painted my nails in gold glitter. They are delightfully tacky but have added some much needed sparkle to my day!

To get this result I applied 1 coat of Ulta3's Antique Copper polish followed by 3 coats of Ulta3's Gold Digger polish (bonus points for the name!)

I am not normally one for having all my nails covered in glitter polish but was up for a bit of fun and actually really liked it plus I got loads of compliments, yay. Are you a glitter polish fan?

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday 

:)

Asian Face Masks

There is this great little Asian beauty store near where I used to live so before I moved I stocked up on a few things including these Cantena face masks. It was hard to choose all the different types so I ended up stocking up on heaps but these are the first ones I have tried. 

These are the 8 cups of water hydrating masks and as my skin seriously lacks moisture during the cooler months these sounded perfect.

As you can see you can see the instructions say cleanse, apply and leave for 20 minutes then massage and you're done! The mask is one of those fabric type ones and it did feel a bit super gooey when I got it out of the packet but once it was out of the packet and on my face it was all good. So for your viewing pleasure I have inserted a picture of me looking my finest whilst the mask is in action...

What can I say... it's a good look!

Onto the results, it didn't irritate my skin when I used it, it left my skin appear softer, dewier, moisturised and supple, has pleasant smell and was pocket friendly plus it may have even given me a tiny bit of a glow (that's right glow!) The glow was only temporary, however over the next few days my skin did feel and look more moisturised than usual so that's a bonus. Overall it was a decent mask.

I am such a sucker for all the Asian beauty masks, I have so many more different types I am itching to try yay!

Have you tried this sort of thing??