ESSIE POLISH IN PRETTY EDGY REVIEW AND SWATCH

In the beautiful city that is Berlin, I picked up this gorgeous emerald green varnish, perfect for autumn. I've not had many Essie shades so I was super excited and could not wait to see the outcome. Unfortunately, I was very let down. I've had mixed experienced with my previous Essie shades and only been overly impressed by two. This shade looks gorgeous in the bottle, and does on the nails, but after many, many coats. This grass colour in Pretty Edgy is from the Summer 2010 collection.

L-R, 1st nail one coat, 2nd nail 2 coats, 3rd nail 3 coats.

As you can see the formula is very sheer on the first coat, and even through to the 3rd coat you can still see streaks. I needed 4-5 coats to get an opaque look. To get to that point is a bit of a chore though. Not only am I waiting around for each coat to be applied, it's not the quickest of drying. Even after the 2nd coat I was waiting for a while for the coat to completely dry before applying another. If I didn't know the brand, my initial thoughts would have been that this polish was very cheap. I wasn't impressed with this and it's going to the back of my collection, or even given to my younger sibling. As I said before, I find Essie very hit and miss, and this is most definitely a miss. 

Have you had any colours from Essie that didn't reach the standards you expected?

If you're interested in this polish, grab it from LookFantastic for £9.95.

DEBORAH MILANO SHINE CREATOR LIPSTICK IN LUMINOUS RED REVIEW

When the team behind Deborah Milano asked me to review a lipstick for them, I jumped at the chance. After choosing a gorgeous red shade in Luminous Red, or Shade 12, I did some research into the brand. Straight from Italy, Deborah Milano stock all the products you need from skin care down to your nails. With plenty of different products to choose from, they offer a great range of colours to suit any mood or occasion. 

When receiving this pretty shade of red, I was intrigued. I usually stayed away from glosses and matte lips are usually a staple look for me, but I was incredibly surprised with how much I enjoyed this lipstick. With the perfect amount of shine, this shade is perfect for the summer. It gives my lips a gentle glossy colour which isn't too bold, but can be built up for a more intense colour, or alternatively, muted down. I was over the moon with the formula, glides on like a dream and stays put throughout the day with the occasional top ups. It's smooth feeling on the lips and not at all sticky, which usually steers me away from any glossy lipsticks. The lipstick itself has a subtle sweet smell to it which is barely there when applied, and also has no taste. I also love the little vine-like logo on the top of the bullet, as seen below.

Overall, I am very, very pleased. The pink see-through packaging is pleasing on the eye, and has a summer feel about it. Perfect to throw in my hand bag as it's so easy to apply - even without a mirror. This is without a doubt my new beach lip shade.

Grab yours on the Deborah Milano website for £7.50*. Choose from a wide range of colours to find the perfect one for you.

THE INNOCENT FLOWER GIRL MAKEUP

I was so excited to put out on my Facebook that I was looking for models to practice some make up on, (Including flick eyeliner.. Ah!!) and I was thrilled when Laura said she'd happily take part. I used mostly high street products to achieve the look. The more expensive brands I've used are easy to find high street alternatives. I was wanting something fresh faced, calm yet still pretty and edgy. I numbed my brain with millions of ideas, but eventually settled for a classic eyeliner in a bright yet classic colour with a soft ombre lipstick.
Flick eyeliner.
Challenge.

On the beautiful Laura I used:
MUA BB Cream in Light with a L'Oreal powder on top.
Sleek contour palette in Medium to give a bit more colour to her face. I also used the darkest shade to fill in the brows.
Eyeliner in Intensify from the Louise Gray collection for Topshop. It's a beautiful bright true blue with loads of glitter.
Maxfactor Mascara.
Lovelorn and Russian Red Mac Lipstick.
Stila Convertible Colour in Gladiola.
Crystal Avalanche eyeshadow from Mac to highlight.

Here are a handful of the photos from the shoot.

MAC LIPSTICK IN SUSHI KISS FROM THE ALL ABOUT ORANGE COLLECTION

When the All About Orange Limted Edition Collection came out at Mac I was all over it. I've always been a red lippy wearer, but corals are just perfect for the summer sun. I picked up 3 from the collection; Neon Orange, Flamingo and as seen here, Sushi Kiss. I was won over by its muted coral shade and beautiful name. 

This is one of those shades that I believe anyone can pull off. I have glowing snow-white skin and this looks lovely. It's still bright enough to be noticed, but its soft shade of coral keeps it subtle. The fact that this lipstick is a Satin finish means it glides on beautifully with plenty of pigment and a creamy texture with a healthy, glossy finish. I have dry lips currently and luckily for me, it doesn't enhance or show that in the picture below at all. This little shade of sunshine lasts a long time on my lips, but needs occasional top ups after eating, drinking, and the standard stuff that wears lipsticks down. This is a gorgeous shade, and I thank Mac for that! This beautiful shade of peach is perfect for the summer days on the beach and would team with a tan perfectly.

Sold out online, but you can still pick up yours at your nearest counter if in stock, or on other various online sellers, and even Debenhams.