My favourite summer trend: Celeb inspired sleeveless shirts

Hey loves!

I hope you're having a great weekend! Isn't it fab to see a bit of sun, finally?! 

Now I don't know about you guys, but lately I've been LOVING sleeveless shirts! They're effortlessly stylish, so easy to wear - not to mention keeping you cool as well :-) these stars seem to have caught the sleeveless shirts bug, too!

From L-R: Kim Kardashian, Lana del Ray, Miley Cyrus and Lauren Conrad in sleeveless shirts

Kim K has teamed hers with a pair of high-waisted olive military style trousers, while Lana Del Ray has gone for an edgier look - sporting hers with a orange sorbet shade skirt, leopard print belt and wedged trainers. Miley Cyrus looks smokin' hot with her Daisy Dukes and calf-high leather boots. Lauren Conrad has gone for an all-white look - except for the on-trend pink dip dyed ends. Love!

I've amassed a range of sleeveless shirts myself:

My collection of sleeveless shirts

I love to have a range of styles and colours, to match with different outfits :-)

Cream Sleeveless Shirt - £20 - Boohoo (now O/S)

First up is this sheer sleeveless blouse from Boohoo. This is the first sleeveless blouse I bought - I've bought many since then! Haha. I like to wear this with a pair of ditsy culottes :-) 


Mix Sleeveless Shirt - £22 - Next

Next is this coral sleevless blouse from Next. It's nice and long so it covers your bum - and features an interesting colour block look as it has a mink coloured back. I love to wear this with a pair of ice white skinnies! :-)

Sleeveless Blouse - £24 - Next

I love this shirt as it's just so comfy! It's a lovely, floaty material, and the no neck means you don't get all hot and sweaty in that area! I like to wear this with dark navy skinnies and tan loafers.

Black Sleeveless Shirt - £20 - River Island

Isn't this shirt such a bargain? I never knew River Island was so cheap! They do it in loads of different colours, from coral to cream. I chose it in black as it goes with loads of different styles and is very flattering. I like to tuck this into denim cut-offs - like I did here.

Broderie Sleeveless Shirt - £28 - Next

I'm always a sucker for the broderie anglaise trend in the summer so this shirt from Next immediately caught my eye. I love the diamond pattern detail :-) I like to wear a bold pair of coloured jeans with this, like orange or coral.

Sleeveless Blouse - £24 - Next

You may notice that this is the same style as the cream shirt above - I just loved it so much I had to buy it in this colour! The orange instantly lifts my complexion, and I love to wear it with white skinny jeans.

Are you loving sleeveless shirts like me this summer?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

What's in my bag? and make-up bag FOTD

Hey loves!

I hope you've all had a fab Tuesday :-)

I've read quite a lot of these 'what's in my bag?' posts recently - notably Laura and Estee's - so I thought I would reveal the contents of mine, too! 

The bag itself is from the last season at Next - it's now O/S. It's got loads of room to fit ALL my stuff in it, and it's one of those bags that can be worn on your shoulder or the crease of your elbow. Result!

In terms of what's included - take a peek below. I'm a bit OCD about carrying my life around with me lol!

From L-R (clockwise):

Filofax - I was given this for my birthday last year, and it's something I keep in my bag WITHOUT FAIL! I've always been a diary person and I was so happy when I got to upgrade to a Filofax. It's an essential part of my bag kit!

Sunglasses + case (just seen) - I always keep a pair of faux Ray Bans in my bag for when the sun decides to pop its head out :) I also keep an umbrella sometimes - you never know with the British weather, eh!

Make-up and beauty bag - I will go into this in more depth below, but I carry quite a lot of make-up and beauty stuff around with me as I tend to do my make-up on the train! I know, naughty. I also bring a lot around with me as I'm out of the house all day and I like to have everything to hand. Makeup bag from carboot but originally from Boots.

Tea bags (in tan purse) - I initially popped this in here as I have a mild lactose allergy and  so I included some Lactofree sachets. Since then, I've added some coffee sachets (decaf and regular) as well as some herbal tea bags. You never know when they might come in useful! Tan purse from H&M.

iPhone + headphones - Absolutely essential part of my bag kit - I use this from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. I especially like listening to the Tunein Radio app on the train, although it does drain my 3G! :-(

Wireless internet - I can't believe I still have this in here to be honest. I used it when I stayed at a relatives and I guess I'm worried that I will go somewhere that doesn't have WiFi! Lol. 

Keys - Nuff said! That's supposed to be a lion on the keyring up there - and there's a Cath Kitson floral key fob, too. 

Purse - Another one of those items that I freak out about if it's not to hand! I include all my cards, cash, receipts and vouchers in here. It's from Primark :-)

Sugar free mints - To keep those hunger pangs at bay and that breath minty...! Purchased in my health foods haul.

Notepad - I write a ridiculous amount of lists. Literally, every element of my life is decided by a list lol. In fact this post was on a list! This notepad is fab for writing lists :-)

What's in my make-up and beauty bag?

This is a lovely, roomy make-up/wash bag that's easily washable with a cloth.

As you can see, it's very spacious and has a zip plus two separate compartments. Lovely!

As I mentioned, I tend to do my make-up on the train so I bring quite a lot of make-up with me when I'm on the go... and yes, that all fits in that make-up bag!

Make-up:

Top row: ELF Mirror, ELF Make up Mist and Set

Middle row: Avon MagiX Illuminator, Avon Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte, No7 Eyeliners in Brown and Black, ELF Studio Complexion Brush, ELF Blush Brush, ELF Eyeshadow Brush, MUA Lipstick, Avon Care Sheer Lip Gloss

Bottom row: No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara in Brown/Black, Avon Ideal Shade Cream to Powder Foundation in Sand, ELF Bronzing/Blush Duo, Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner, 17 Photo Flawless Primer

Mainly ELF, Avon and No7 stuff! Not to be rude - but stuff I wouldn't cry over if I lost! (as they're cheaper, not because they aren't good products - because they are, I wear them every day!)

Beauty:

Top row: Tissues

Middle row: Dove roll-on deo, Elizabeth Arden Tinted 8 Hour Lip Protectant, Perfume (Miss Dior Cherie and Kim Kardashian)

Bottom row: Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Hand Treatment, Carmex Aloe Vera Hand Gel

I love these little perfume holders - how cute are they? The Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour range is another essneital for me, too :-) 

FOTD using the products in my make-up bag:

So this is pretty much how I look every day, as I tend to do my make-up on the train and this is all I've got with me! I like to refresh my face with the ELF Makeup Mist and Set throughout the day, as well :-)

What do you carry around in your bag? 

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Bargain of the Week: 3 for 2 on Barry M Nail Paints at Superdrug - Matt White, Acid Yellow, Indigo

Hey ladies!

I don't know about you lot but the football is making me VERY stressed lol - what better way to distract myself than with blogging, of course? Haha!

I made full use of Superdrug's 3 for 2 offer on make-up recently. I picked up some make-up (which will feature in an up and coming blog post) but I also purchased some Barry M nail paints, as well. Here they are :-

 From L-R: Matt White, Acid Yellow, Indigo

I have a million nail polishes (no... really) but surprisingly, I don't have any remotely similar to the three I purchased, above.

Here they are with flash:

 Same order as above.

I immediately tested them out, and found they were almost exactly as they appeared on the bottle. 

From L-R: White, Acid Yellow, Indigo

• Matt White - This is a shade I know I will get a lot of use out of, as I don't own a plain white shade in my nail polish collection. I personally think glossy white nails look lovely with a tan - something I will have to develop! This shade will also be ideal for using in french manicures, etc. 
• Acid Yellow - I tend not to follow trends when it comes to nail colours as I know what suits me and I buy lots of similar shades (reds, corals, oranges, etc). However, I've seen this acid yellow/green shade all over the catwalk and high street recently and I couldn't resist sporting such an on-trend shade on my talons.
• Indigo - I discovered I didn't have a shade like this in my collection when I went to paint my nails for the Jubilee. I found that I didn't own a 'royal blue' shade and so this true, indigo blue fitted the bill perfectly. I own a similar shade in the form of No7 Speed Dry in Violetta, but that's much more purple-toned than this.

In terms of application, they're all lovely and creamy and need just 2 coats for full opacity. They aren't naturally glossy so they do need a glossy top coat to finish them off. I haven't worn them for long enough to comment on longevity but I'll keep you posted when I do :-)

You can buy Barry M Nail Paints from the Barry M website or the Barry M stand at Boots or Superdrug.

Have you bought any Barry M Nail Paints recently? Or did you make use of Superdrug's latest 3 for 2 offer? Let me know!

Lotsa love,

Sophia

xo

Weekend OOTN, FOTN and NOTN: Last minute outfit choice ft River Island and Urban Outfitters

Hey loves!

How are you all? I hope you've all had a lovely weekend :-) sorry for being a little MIA of late, I started a new job on Monday so my time's been spent getting used to that!

Fingers crossed normal blogging will resume shortly!

Here's what I wore this past weekend... It was a bit of a mad rush choosing an outfit as the weather was just SO unpredictable! I had my whole outfit planned then had to change it at the last minute as it wasn't practical :-( boo hoo!

OOTN:

Black sleeveless shirt - River Island
Denim shorts - Urban Outfitters
Black opaque tights - Topshop
Black suede/patent ankle boots - Missguided (new shoes! blog link)
Gold chain - Vintage
Gold hoops (just seen) - Primark
Rose gold watch - ASOS

FOTN:

FACE: Benefit That Gal brightening face primer, Benefit Boi-ing Concealer (02 Medium) [review], Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous foundation faker (Original), Benefit Dallas bronzer (applied using unbranded bronzing brush), Clinique Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator (02 Peach). 

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original), Sleek Storm Palette [review] (taupe and brown shades - applied using Cosmopolitan Eyeshadow brush [review]), Soap and Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Black felt tip eyeliner [review] on top lid, Avon Color Trend 2 in 1 kajal stick (Black), CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume mascara (Black) [review], Eyelure 101 false eyelashes. Benefit Brow Zings in Dark on brows.

LIPS: Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in Nude Lustre [review].

NOTN:

Rimmel Lycra Pro in 365 Beige Style

Btw... Cheers!

What did you wear this weekend? Link me up - I love to have a nosey! :-)

Love,

Sophia

xo

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat dupe! Avon MagiX Illuminator review and FOTD

Hey loves!

It's the weekend...YAY! I hope you've got lots of lovely things planned :-)

So as you guys probably know, I love finding a good make-up dupe! I found an amazing dupe in the ELF Bronzing/Blush duo recently and I've got another fab dupe to share with you all today!

The YSL Touche Eclat is favoured by make-up artists, celebrities and bloggers the world over and I'm no different. It's perfect for dotting under your eyes and on the dark/blemished sections of your face. However the £25 price tag means it's not something I can keep topped up frequently. So, when I found this amazing dupe from Avon recently, I just had to share!

Left: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #1, Right: Avon MagiX Illuminator #1

Both products are encased in the a tube, although the YSL Touche Eclat looks more luxurious with its elegant gold exterior. The Avon MagiX Illuminator is sleek black.

Left: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #1, Right: Avon MagiX Illuminator #1

Both items feature the typical wand at the end. You push the YSL wand from the bottom, whereas the Avon one has to be twisted. Both items dispense an even amount of product!

Swatches:

Top: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #1

Bottom: Avon MagiX Illuminator #1

Both shades come out very light, which is ideal for my NC15 skin. The YSL one at the top appears more yellow toned, whereas the Avon one at the bottom appears more pink toned. However, I have yellow undertones and I find both look fine on my skin.

So here's how my dark circles looked without either product, and then with a comparison of both products afterwards.

Before:

I get pretty dark circles! An under-eye concealer/brightener is an essential part of my make-up routine, and a step I simply couldn't miss!

After:

Left: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #1, Right: Avon MagiX Illuminator #1

As you can see, my dark circles have faded and my under-eye area looks so much brighter/whiter than before! I really can't see a difference between the YSL Touche Eclat on the left, and the Avon MagiX Illuminator on the right.

FOTD:

FACE: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm as primer (applied with No7 Foundation Brush), YSL Touche Eclat #1 / Avon MagiX Illuminator in Light, Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation Rose Clair (applied with ELF Stippling Brush), Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer #51 (applied with unbranded bronzing brush), MAC Fix+ to finish.

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion Original, Sleek Storm Palette (taupe and brown shades), Soap and Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Black felt tip liner on top lid, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick Black on lower waterline, CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara.

LIPS: Missguided nude lipgloss.

I'm so pleased I came across the Avon MagiX Illuminator, however a little birdie tells me the item has now been discontinued :-( If you have an Avon lady nearby, take a look in one of their Clearance brochures as there's often where discontinued products are found.

Next, I really want to try the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer! I've heard great things about it and it's much cheaper than the YSL Touche Eclat. Until then, I will continue looking for some good YSL Touche Eclat dupes!

Have you tried the YSL Touche Eclat, or come across a drugstore dupe for it that I should try?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Savers Bargain Beauty Haul ft. Pure, St Moriz, Elegant Touch and Collection 2000

Hey ladies!

How are you all? Isn't the weather just HORRID!!! I hate it! :-( I got my old riding boots and faux barbour jacket out today for the first time in MONTHS - boo hoo! :-(

Anyway, more to the point - I popped into my local branch of Savers recently and nabbed a couple of bargain beauty items. In case you don't have a Savers near you, but it's basically just like a Wilkinsons, but they stock some discontinued make-up etc as well. 

Here's what I picked up:

From L-R: Pure BB Cream in Light, Cuticle Sticks, St Moriz Tanning Mitt, St Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse, Elegant Touch Classic French X-Short False Nails, Collection 2000 Waterproof Skyscraper Mascara

Pure BB Cream (Light) - £1.99

I've been eyeing up BB creams for almost a year now, but I've yet to actually give into the hype and buy one. I've read so many good things about a few different brands, including Garnier, Clinique and Sanctuary Spa, but personally I prefer a more medium-full coverage (especially at the moment, as my skin is covered in blemishes!) so I thought for just £2 I could give BB creams a whirl and see what I thought.

Here's the Pure BB Cream in Light swatched on my hand (left without flash, right with flash) and the bottom swatch is the BB cream blended into my skin:

Sadly, this product is WAY too dark for my skin! :-( Although it is the lighter shade out of the two, it's way too orange for my NC15 complexion. The product itself looked OK - it was a bit of a mission to get out of the tube, but if you're looking to try a BB cream and you're darker skinned than me, this product may be suitable for you.

 Cuticle sticks - 99p

These are an essential item in my nailcare routine :-) I apply cuticle cream and then push my cuticles back with these. I go through them quite quickly as the end of the stick needs to be nice and sharp, so I was really pleased when I found them in Savers for just 99p! Bargain :-D

St Moriz Bronzing Mousse (Medium) - £2.99 and Self Tan Application Mitt - £2.99

Usually I just wear Garnier gradual tan, but when I've got a special occasion coming up like a night out or a birthday, I like to go a little extra glam and wear some fake tan! I've tried different brands in the past like St Tropez and Fake Bake so I'm looking forward to seeing how St Moriz compares. The thing I don't like about it is that it's coloured, so you can't exactly apply it in the morning and go out during the day - it has to be left to develop overnight, which isn't great when I'm staying round the fella's! I also picked up a fake tan mitt as my Body Shop one is getting rather old and tattered to say the least!

Elegant Touch Classic French X-Short Nails - £2.49

I don't usually sport fake nails, but when I do, I wear Elegant Touch. This is the exact design I usually wear, as they're short and natural looking. These usually retail for £6+ each in Superdrug so I was thrilled to find them in Savers for half the price! I instantly popped them into my basket and I am thinking about purchasing some for 'back up', too!

Collection 2000 Skyscraper Waterproof Mascara - £1.49

Finally, I picked up this Collection 2000 mascara on a complete whim. Normally I read a hundred different reviews and swatch something loads of times before I buy it, but with this I thought I couldn't go wrong for a quid!

It features one of those plastic wands similar to that of L'Oreal Telescopic, and is designed to lengthen your lashes. This is ideal for me, as I have really short, stumpy lashes! It's also supposed to be waterproof which is another plus :-)

My bare lashes are on the right, and my eyelashes using Skyscraper are on the left. As you can see, it doesn't make a massive difference, but you can see some length It certainly works in terms of longevity; my eyelashes stayed like that for hours and it was very stiff to remove! However it doesn't exactly compare to the Clinique mascara I reviewed yesterday...

TOTAL: £13

I think I made some massive savings in Savers today (excuse the pun!) and I will definitely be popping into the store in the future to pick up some more beauty bargains :-) If you're interested, here's the website - although you can't shop online unfortunately.

Have you shopped in Savers before? Where's your best place to pick up a beauty bargain? 

Let me know!
Love,

Sophia

xo

Clinique High Lengths Mascara and Long Last Glosswear in 10 Air Kiss - review and FOTD

Good evening girls!

I hope you're all like me, enjoying the Jubilee Concert right now! OMG Sir Elton was amazinggg! 

Recently my boyfriend's mum gave me a little wash bag with a couple of miniature make up treats inside. It included a mini No7 Exceptional Definition mascara which went STRAIGHT in my handbag lol as well as mini Clarins treatments. It also included two miniature Clinique products - the High Lengths Mascara and Long Last Glosswear in Air Kiss - as seen below:

 Clinique High Lengths Mascara in Black

 As I mentioned, the product is sample size but as you can see from the pics, it's a curved brush. I have to say I wasn't expecting much from this product as when you look at the brush there's like no bristles? However you just have to look at the picture below to see how wrong I was...

So here's a pic of my lashes before (naked!) and after using Clinique High Lengths Mascara:

  I was SUPER IMPRESSED!

As you can see, my eyelashes are practically non-existent, yet after using the Clinique High Lengths Mascara they look elongated and separated. I love the effect!

Here's another pic just to see how much better they look:

I am shocked that the High Lengths Mascara made such an impact on my short, stumpy lashes. I will definitely look into buying this mascara in the future! I've used the High Impact mascara by Clinique in the past and LOVED it so I may opt for the High Impact Curling Mascara that seems like the best of both worlds!

The full size Clinique High Lengths Mascara retails for £16.00 and can be purchased online here.

 Clinique Long Last Glosswear in 10 Air Kiss

 Next up is a miniature lipgloss in the shade Air Kiss. It features a standard doe foot applicator, which is my fave! Yes it's quite small, but it's perfect for popping in your handbag.

Swatches of Long Last Glosswear in Air Kiss:

(left without flash, right with flash)

 It's a really lovely, muted baby pink that doesn't feature any shimmer or glitter. 

So here's my lips before and after:

It's such a natural shade that adds just the right amount of sheen to your lips. It's really soft to apply and doesn't leave you with a horrible sticky feeling like some lipglosses do! 

The full size Clinique Long Last Glosswear retails for £14.50 and can be purchased online here.

 FOTD featuring the above products:

FACE: No7 Colour Correct Primer (applied with No7 Foundation Brush), Estee Lauder Doublewear Flawless Wear Concealer Light (applied with No7 Concealer Brush), Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation True Ivory (applied with ELF Stippling Brush), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Light (applied with Avon Powder Brush), L'Oreal Brunette Harmony Bronzer (applied with ELF Stippling Brush), MAC Fix+ to finish.

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion Original, Sleek Storm Palette (taupe and brown shades), Soap and Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Black felt tip liner on top lid, Clinique High Lengths Mascara in 01 Black.

LIPS: Carmex Original lip balm, Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF15 in 10 Air Kiss.

What are your favourite Clinique products?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser and Gentle Eye Make-up Remover review

Hey girlies!

Happy Bank Holiday Monday! I'm sure I'm not the only one who spent today at work (or the morning, at least) but I popped into town afterwards to get a feel for the Jubilee celebrations. Let's just say it was rather busy!

So today I'm going to talk about the products I'm using on my face at the moment, namely from Superdrug's Vitamin E Skincare range. I've got their Hot Cloth Cleanser and Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, seen below:

I've been using these products for quite a few months now and I think I'm in a good position to write an accurate review. FYI I bought these products when they were on a 2 for £5 offer but I think they are quite fairly priced regardless! :-)

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser RRP £5.99

 So first up is Superdrug's take on the popular hot cloth cleanser. For those of you who are new to the hot cloth cleanser trend, you basically rub the cleanser all over your face of an evening to remove your make-up and then use a warm muslin cloth to remove it. I know what you're thinking - how does it compare to its high end counterpart, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish? Well I've tried both and I admit I don't find them that different! There's a couple of differences though:

1) The smell Superdrug Vitamin E smells more like shea/cocoa butter, whereas Liz Earle smells more like menthol/eucalyptus

2) The consistency Superdrug Vitamin E is really thick and quite gloopy, whereas Liz Earle is thinner and easier to apply

3) Removing eye make-up Superdrug Vitamin E doesn't remove as much eye make-up as Liz Earle does

I have to say I've been using the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser for many months now and I think it does do a good job. I actually prefer the smell of it to Liz Earle, and it does effectively removes my make-up. My skin's very oily and I don't find it adds to the oiliness. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to Liz Earle or you're new to hot cloth cleansers I would definitely recommend this. However I think I've just grown out of using hot cloth cleansers in general. I don't like the way I have to spread all the make-up over my face before I remove it. I think I'm going to try a cleansing oil, like MAC, or a make-up removing cleansing balm, like LUSH or Botanics, in the future - but that's just my personal preference. 

 Superdrug Vitamin E Gentle Eye Make-up Remover RRP £2.99

 I bought this product as I was concerned that the Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser wouldn't remove all of my eye make-up, which it doesn't. Sometimes I remove all of my make-up with the hot cloth cleanser and then use this to wipe of the 'remnants' around my eyes lol or sometimes I use this first (when I'm wearing a lot of eye make-up) to make using the hot cloth cleanser more manageable afterwards. Again, it has the nice shea/cocoa butter smell that I like. I find this to be slightly thinner in consistency than the hot cloth cleanser. It does remove all my eye make-up nicely, but I think I'm going to try more of a liquid solution type formula in the future. The problem is that all of the eye make up removers I use have oil in them, which I hate! I tried the Chanel one and I loved that, so maybe I will save the pennies and buy that :-) As I said, this is just my personal preference, and if you like cream formulas then I think you will like this eye make-up remover cream.

What are you using to remove your make-up at the moment? Have you tried Superdrug's Vitamin E skincare range?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Bargain of the Week: MUA £1 Lipsticks in Bare, Juicy and Nectar + reviews, swatches and FOTD

Hey loves!

I hope you're having a great Jubilee Sunday, whatever you're doing! We're putting up bunting here :-)

So, as you ladies know - I LOVE a bargain! I saw the MUA lipsticks on a couple of beauty blogs and I couldn't help but have a look myself - You can't really go wrong for just £1 each, can you?

I picked up three MUA lipsticks; Bare, Juicy and Nectar, seen below:

 The packaging is simple glossy black with the silver MUA logo emblazoned on the side. The lids of the lipstick feature the shade of the colour within, such as the nude shade on the left lid for Bare.

From L-R: MUA Lipstick in Nude, Juicy and Nectar

I couldn't wait to give these lipsticks a try! These aren't colours I would normally buy, but I thought for £1 each I'd give them a go anyway. I'd previously bought 2 of their normal lipsticks and was quite impressed! You can read that blog here. I actually SWEAR by their lipstick in Shade 11, I keep it in my handbag at all times and it's the perfect 'my lips but better' shade.

So here's my thoughts on Bare, Juicy and Nectar :-)

MUA Lipstick in Bare (Shade 14):

First up is Bare, which looks like a mauvey brown nude shade in the tube, seen above.

Bare swatches:

(left without flash; right with flash)

The lipstick appears quite different in both swatches - on the left it looks quite matte whilst the right shade (with flash) looks quite glossy. IRL it's not that glossy!

 Bare comparison swatches:

 From top to bottom:

Top - GOSH Lipstick in Darling 

Middle - MUA Lipstick in Bare

Bottom - Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in Soft Nude 

I'm not a massive fan of nude lipsticks, so I don't have that many in my collection. GOSH Darling (top in the pic) looks like your standard nude shade, leaning towards baby pink. I have to say Darling doesn't look great on me! Revlon Soft Nude (bottom one) has much more of a pinky tint, and the MUA lipstick (in the middle) looks much more nude-brown.

Bare lip shots:

As you can see, on the lips, Bare does tend to sink into any creases on your lips. It does apply nicely (it's very smooth) and is quite pigmented as well. It looks nice on the lips - it doesn't drain my face like Darling does - but at the same time it doesn't accentuate any of my features, either! If you're looking to venture into nude shades, I would definitely try this shade as it's only £1!

FOTD ft MUA Lipstick in Bare:

I think it looks quite lovely IRL, it's just not very 'out there'!

MUA Lipstick in Juicy (Shade 15):

Next up is the lipstick in the shade Juicy, which I wasn't actually going to buy in the first place! In the tube it looks very orange, but it's actually like a pastel pink shade (very hard to describe!)

 Juicy swatches:

(left without flash; right with flash)

Again the swatches look very different, I would say the right side pic (with flash) is more accurate. It's much lighter than I was expecting and it's not glossy really.

Juicy comparison swatches:

From top to bottom:

Top - MUA Lipstick in Shade 7

Middle - MUA Lipstick in Juicy

Bottom - Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in Peach

So it looks like I don't own anything similar to Juicy in my collection! The MUA lipstick in shade 7 looks much more pigmented, whereas the Revlon lipstick has a much more obvious peach tint to it. 

Juicy lip shots (before and after):

I don't think the colour of Juicy translates v well in these pics, but it's interesting to see how they look close up!

FOTD ft MUA Lipstick in Juicy:

This is definitely the most accurate pic of Juicy. If any of you have TOPSHOP's lipstick in Brighton Rock then I've heard this is quite similar. This isn't actually a shade I'd normally opt for, but I actually felt really confident wearing it. I think it's really flattering :-) 

 MUA Lipstick in Nectar (Shade 16):

Last but not least, it's the shade Nectar. I don't know why but my perception of all these shades is so different to what they actually were! I was expecting a peach sort of shade, but it's actually very coral/orange.

Nectar swatches:

(left without flash; right with flash)

This is a much more glossier formulation, compared to Bare and Juicy which are more matte. It's lovely and smooth to apply and feels like a lipbalm.

 Nectar comparison swatches:

From top to bottom:

Top - Topshop Gloss Stick in Ablaze

Middle - MUA Lipstick in Nectar

Bottom - MAC LE Surf Baby Lipstick in Hibiscus

I really don't own many orange lipsticks so these were the best dupes I could find. As you can see, Nectar looks much more orange compared to the other 2 which are much more red/blood orange.

 Nectar lip shots (before and after):

The formulation of this is surprisingly pigmented and translates very well on the lips. It's a striking coral/orange that would look fab with a tan!

FOTD ft MUA Lipstick in Nectar:

This is definitely the brightest lipstick of the bunch and is a really flattering shade. It's totally different from Juicy which is a muted coral/pinky peach. I actually LOVE Nectar and can see myself getting a lot of wear in the summer! :-)

FOTD (also wearing in all 3 pics):

FACE: Aldi Lacura Shimmering Day Cream (applied with MAC 190 Brush), Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer (dark circles), MAC Studio Finish Concealer (blemishes), YSL Touche Eclat (#1), Estee Lauder Doublewear Light Foundation (applied with MAC 190 Brush, blended in using ELF Stippling Brush), Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer (#51, applied using Cosmopolitan Blush Brush), finished with MAC Fix+

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original), Sleek Storm Palette (taupe and matte brown shades - applied using Cosmopolitan Smokey Eyes Base Brush), Soap and Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Gloss liner on top lid, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick on lower waterline, 2 coats of CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara (Black). MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Dirty Blonde on brows.

LIPS: LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub and Carmex Original lip balm to prime.

Overall, I am REALLY impressed with these 3 lipsticks! For £1 each they are amazing quality - comparable to Rimmel I'd say. I can't wait to get some proper wear out of them over the summer months! MUA is available for £1 at Superdrug or online here.

Have you tried any of MUA's lipsticks? Or are there some other bargain lipsticks I should try?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo