Shopping My Stash / #9

I prepped the skin with Clarins Beauty Flash Balm: love the 'old fashion' scent and it's rich enough to act like my daily moisturizer. I used Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid MakeUp in shade 3.0 as my base and, since I have few blemishes to cover, I set with Mac Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in medium that gives me a fuller coverage than usual.

Because I don't feel very confident with my skin lately, I also kept a minimal face and used a neutral blush like Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in exposed; these tarte blushes are definitely living up to the hype - can't wait for Tarte to become available in Uk too! I also added a touch of highlighter - Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in opal - that with its golden tone, works beautifully with exposed.

Purplish, yet with a touch of warm coral for the eyes: I used Pupa Wet & Dry Eyeshadow in 102 peach all over the lid and Neve Cosmetics Mineral Eyeshadow in dormouse dreams in the crease: these 2 colours are perfect for each other!

Finally on the lips, I kept the plumy theme with a Ted Baker lip pen or L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 101 tempting lilac.

***REMINDER: Just few days left to enter the giveaway!***

USA Swap

Last year, I did a swap with Betzy  from California (posts 1 & 2); it went really well so we decided to organize a new one. A couple of weeks ago, I received her parcel with these lovely items and loads of extras:

Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment 

I love WnW trios; quality is great, the powders blend easily and they always get the perfect color combinations. Been wanting Silent Treatment for a while - that eyelid colour is gorgeous!

Maybelline ColorSensational Lipcolor in 515 Coral Crush

Every Spring I get all obsessed around corals; this shade is perfect for day and night and very moisturizing on the lip.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in 400 Temptress

Never tried anything from CoverGirl before; packaging is cure and the colour has a beatiful sheen to it. For what I understand this brand is very affordable and I'm liking the quality so far.

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Mudslide

This is amazing, I want every colour! It's not really a lipgloss but a lip cream so the colour payoff is very good. The tingle is totally different from your ordinary plumping product; it's actually refreshing, like rubbing an ice cube on your lips, nearly numbing in that sense but not uncomfortable. It's really hard to describe but it's definitely due to the peppermint in it. If you have tried the Burt's Bees lip balm, you know what I mean.

l-r: coral crush, temptress, mudslide

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed

This colour is perfection! It would never normally go for a brownish blush but this one has got the right amount of pink to it and looks beautiful on the skin. I really don't understand why Tarte is not available in Uk, it'd do brilliantly and I'm looking forward to try more of their products.

I'm also looking forward to try the Maybelline Baby Lips and the Softlips - they are basically SPF for  your lips and I read great things about them! :)

I love overseas swaps - have you done one before?

Shopping My Stash / #1

I recently started a new job - I used to work from home for years but now that I need to go to the office, I use make up pretty much everyday.

I enjoy reading the 'shopping my stash' posts from other bloggers so I decided to start this series too... 

This past week, I've been loving wearing... not all at once, mind you! ;) ---->

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow: I wasn't really blown away by this foundation at the beginning... but I've grown to like it. It does last all day on me and the spf25 comes in handy now that is 'summer' (brackets needed for Scotland);

Mac Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in medium: I have just been using this as a setting powder to prolong the longevity of the foundation. It can look a bit cake so realllly soft hand;

As an highlighter I chose Benefit Moon Beam and kept my lip neutral with Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour spf12 in #18 Soft Nude to complement the colourful eyelook.

For the cheeks, I've been rotating between Clinique Fresh Bloom Blush in Peony, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed and Nars Blush in Sex Appeal; I forgot how pretty Peony looks! it's half highlighter so looks really radiant and fresh on the cheeks. The Tarte blush (with the Buxom lip cream below) are new acquisitions from a US swap: couldn't wait to try them out but I will share the swap in more details soon. :)

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Mudslide: as I said this is new but I already want more from this line. I've been using it as a lipgloss to top up the lipstick because it can be too brown for me and mudslide adds the perfect touch of pink!

For the lashes it's been Pur Minerals Big Blink Mascara all the way and to conceal my under-eye area:  Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in medium and Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink.

For the eyes, I've been choosing between these combos: 

1) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion + Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Palette in Brandied Bronze + Collection 2000 Idol'Eyes in Bling

2) Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr in Permanent Taupe + no7 Stay Perfect Liquid Eye Liner in Mermaid + Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil in Black Fire

3) Rimmel Scandal'Eyes Eyeshadow Stick in 003 Bad Girl Bronze + Neve Pastello in Petrolio

Do you use any of these products?