MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms

Cherry Bomb, Rouge Rumba, Coral Reef, Peach Dream

The MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms are one of the brand's latest releases, and one of my favourites. For £2, you receive a moisturising wash of colour, which lasts for a couple hours. It's as simple as that. They're similar to the popular Seventeen Supreme Shine Lipsticks, but have a little less grip. I have four out of six shades available, with the other two being Pink Lilly (baby pink) and French Violet (lilac). Each shade has a generous colour pay off for a lip balm, which fades without going noticeably patchy. I'm hoping more shades will be added to the collection in the future!

Will you be buying any of these?

The Library of Fragrance | Peach

Singular scents, especially of the peach variety, are a favourite of mine. I just didn't know how realistic The Library of Fragrance Peach Cologne Spray would smell, and I didn't think the lasting power would be anything to comment on. Well, it's pretty close to the real thing - fresh, juicy, and sweet, but not in an artificial way. The only other peach body fragrance I've tried has been from The Body Shop, and I feel like this one packs more of a punch (understandably, since TBS's offering is a mist). The lasting power surprised me because it's on par with an eau de toilette. It's still not a great amount of time, but it's longer than the mist, and I get wafts of it every now and again for up to a couple hours.

The Library of Fragrance offers a huge variety of scents, from Daisy and Chocolate Chip Cookie to Fiery Curry and Pizza. There's even Play Doh and Sushi. I would personally never go for the last four, but some of you may like smelling like those things! I do want to try the Paperback one, though. Boots have started stocking a small number of these scents, and they're £15 or 2 for £25. I actually wanted to buy Cherry Blossom as well as Peach because I've smelt it before and it's beautiful, but it was out of stock. It's back in stock now, though, so I think it'll be mine very soon.

You can view and purchase the fragrances from their website here, or from Boots here.

Playing Catch Up With Foundation

Until last year, I never used foundation. It just didn't seem to sit right on my skin. Then I started using concealer to match my freckly nose and rosy bottoms of my cheeks with the rest of my face, as well as under my eyes and on blemishes. I was using it nearly everywhere, so thought it'd be more cost effective to buy foundation. Now I'm discovering a wide range of products I've never even glanced at before, and it's exciting.

I acquired some vouchers which made the No7 foundations very affordable, so bought the Stay Perfect (£14.50) and Beautifully Matte (£13.50) ones in the lightest shade, Calico. Both have a medium-full coverage and don't feel heavy. The only difference is the Stay Perfect one is more satin than matte. Beautifully Matte doesn't feel or look as expensive, but the packaging is much more practical.

Last month, I bought the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation in 40 Light Ivory (£11.99). I was sent the Skin Luminizer a few months ago, but it was in the wrong shade, and then I completely forgot about it. I was drawn to it on that day, though. It's thick, but, again, not heavy, and it also has a medium coverage. The reflecting shimmers are very subtle, unlike Rimmel's Wake Me Up. Everyone seems to love that foundation, but my sister looked like a disco ball when she wore it!

I also bought the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in C1 Rose Ivory (£9.99). I don't know what tone my face is because I have warm freckles and rosy patches, but this looked pale, so I went for it. The colour seems fine, but what I was most surprised at was the formula. It's very runny, so I thought it was going to be quite sheer, but it's not. Its coverage is just as high as the others.

L'Oreal had a 2 for £12 offer going on in Boots last week, which was amazing, so I couldn't resist buying two more. These next ones were technically free because I used my Advantage Card points to buy them. I chose the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory (£9.99) to see if it'd be a better match for me (I think it is), and I also picked up the L'Oreal Infallible Foundation in 015 Porcelain (£9.99). You can't really tell from the photo, but it's lighter than the others, which is rare. I've used it a couple times so far, and it's probably the best match, especially on my neck. This one also has a medium-high coverage, a natural satin finish, and seems to sit and last well on my skin (I always moisturise and prime before applying makeup, though).

I still use my fingers to apply these, like I do with my concealer, because I find it looks the most natural. I'm going to try out some different techniques in the next couple of weeks, though, to see if there's a better way.

What's your favourite foundation? I know a lot of people love the Bourjois ones, but they're too dark and yellow for me. Let me know!

Makeup Revolution Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palette in Rave

I've had my eye on palettes similar to this in the past, but never ended up buying one. This was just £4, though, so I thought "why not?". There's four Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palettes in total, and from online images, they all look pretty light. Rave looks to be the warmest, Smoulder looks to be the coolest, and the other two sit somewhere in between.

I like the compact packaging, the soft, matte shade of the bronzer, the candlelight shade of the highlighter, and the warm, satin shade of the blush. They also have good pigmentation and blend well. They're a little powdery, though, which does lead to product fallout, but they're not too bad. I wasn't sure I'd like the highlighter because the shimmer's not the most finely milled, but was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the mirror half way through the day and saw how glowy I was. 

I've been enjoying using all three of these powders to give my face some warmth and dimension, after my foundation and concealer have created the blank canvas.

If you're considering placing a Makeup Revolution order, I'd recommend adding this to your basket. I've been using it more than I thought I would!

Book Haul

This is my first book haul which doesn't consist of paper/hardbacks. Granted, they weren't as exciting to receive, but they were mine within seconds, and some were very cheap.

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters—and their lively and loving community—bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.

A colleague of mine recommended this book, and the reviews were positive, so I parted with £3.49 to see what it was about. The subject of race and breaking boundaries sounds similar to The Help, which I loved, so I have high hopes for this one.

How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life. Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

This has positive reviews, but has been described as predictable. Still, I liked the sound of the story line, so didn't mind paying £1.99 for this.

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

What happens when the one that got away comes back? Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away. From the moment they met they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders… Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.

This was also £1.99, and has been on my radar for a while. I'm interested to see how the story line plays out, and hopefully it's not just another boring romance.

Hide Her Name by Nadine Dorries

This gripping follow on from The Four Streets finds the community alive with rumours and gossip after the murder which rocked it to the core. No one knows - or is saying - who did it, least of all the police, but they are not giving up their search for the truth. Somewhere, in this tight-knit Irish Catholic community, someone must know something. Someone will surely talk one day. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Kitty Doherty, pregnant with the dead man's child, is a living danger to everyone who needs to keep the secret. Her mother, Maura and best friend Nellie's grandmother, the redoubtable Kathleen, decide the girls must be spirited away quietly to Ireland to await the birth of the baby. But it isn't easy to keep a secret that big.

I haven't read the first book, but I don't think I need to in order to read this. The main reason why I bought it was because it was 39p!

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of Clearys live through joy and sadness, bitter defeat and magnificent triumph - driven by their dreams, sustained by remarkable strength of character... and torn by dark passions, violence and a scandalous family legacy of forbidden love. It is a poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit. Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, who can never possess the man she so desperately adores - Ralph de Bricassart. Ralph will rise from parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican... but his passion for Meggie will follow him all the days of his life.

I also bought this one because it was cheap (49p). Also, it has a rating of 4.19 on Goodreads from 210,167 people, so I thought I may as well give it a go!

The Letter by Kathryn Hughes

1973 - Tina Craig has one mission in life – to escape her drunken, abusive husband. She works all the hours she can to save up enough money to leave him. She spends as little time as possible in the violent household she is forced to call home, even volunteering at a charity shop at the weekend to escape Rick’s clutches. One day, whilst sorting through the pockets of a second-hand suit which has been donated to the shop, she comes across an old letter. It is still firmly sealed and unfranked. Unable to resist the pull of curiosity, Tina opens the letter. It was written on 4th September 1939. She is so moved by the contents and bemused as to why the letter was never delivered, she embarks on a quest to find out what became of the writer and his intended recipient, a journey with consequences she could never have predicted. 

1939 - Billy Stirling knows he has been a fool, but he also knows how to put things right. On 4th September, 1939 he sits down to write a letter that will change his life forever. He slips it into his jacket pocket and, with a spring in his step, and full of optimism, he heads for the nearest post box. How was he to know that his heartfelt missive would not be read for another 34 years, and then by a complete stranger? 

The Letter tells the story of two women, born decades apart, but whose paths are destined to cross and how one woman’s devastation leads to the other’s salvation.

This was £1.15, and the way it goes between the past and present reminded me of The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes, which I loved.

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day. But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are. Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

This was also purchased because it was cheap (79p), but I'm intrigued by the story line because I haven't read many books like it.

What books do you recommend reading?

MUA Makeup Academy | New In

MUA went quiet for a while, but they're back with some of my favourite releases to date. The Whipped Velvet and Sweet Sheen collections have just been released, with the Sweet Sheens priced at just £2 each, and the Whipped Velvet products at £3. I bought mine from Superdrug's website, rather than the brand's, because I also wanted some other bits and delivery was free.

I bought the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms in Cherry Bomb and Coral Reef (£2). I've already worn these, and really like them (it's hard to mess up a tinted lip balm, to be fair). The colours are beautiful and shimmer free, they have a decent amount of pigment for a tinted lip balm, they're moisturising, and leave a glossy sheen. I may have to pick up the other shades!

I then added the MUA Luxe Whipped Velvet Blushes in Chichi, Ritzy, and Spry to my basket (£3). I swatched these this morning, and was pleasantly surprised. I thought they were going to be a really soft powder, but they're actually cream blushes which dry down to a velvet finish.

I also bought the MUA Luxe Whipped Velvet Lips in Chichi and Ritzy (£3). These remind me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and Collection Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Creams. Like the name suggests, they feel light, like they've been whipped, and have a soft velvet finish.

The Whipped Velvet collection also includes a pink (Rococo) and lilac (Hedonic). I really like the packaging - it's simple, but not as cheap looking as previous products, and I like the round blush pots more than the rectangular ones they have.

So far, these are my favourite products I've bought from the brand in a long while, but I'll be reviewing them in depth after I've used them a little more.

Will you be buying anything from the new collections?