Make Me Up Before You Go Go - Make Up Brushes and Complexion Sponges from Brush Works

The moment when you upgrade from sponge tip applicators to your first set of brushes is a rite of passage for anyone who loves make-up. And with thanks to brands such as Brush Works offering fantastic ranges at budget prices, it needn't cost a small fortune as you fine tune what style of application works best with your favourite products.

Make Me Up Before You Go Go - Make Up Bag Favourite from Lord & Berry

I've been a huge fan of cosmetics brand Lord & Berry ever since I first discovered their amazing matte lip crayons in a Glossybox delivery. Packed full of pigment, the high colour pay off stayed putt all day and became a firm favourite in my make-up bag.

I almost hugged the postman when he delivered a series of samples for me to test out, and could barely wait to tear into the envelope! Inside was a selection of lipsticks, crayons, a liner and an eyeliner pen and after snapping them in my studio, it was time to attack them with my face, but not before swatching!

Desperately Seeking Susan - Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics

I never feel like my face is properly finished until I've swept a hint of blush over my cheekbones. As well as lifting everything upwards as if by magic, it also has the power to highlight and define in one swoop. I do love the cosmetic alchemy contained within the contents of my make-up bag!

Blushers which double up as a highlighter are great as they really save on time so I was over the moon when I discovered the Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics.

Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics (£18).

One of the  things which attracted me to the product was that the founder wanted to create a range of cosmetics which acted in a face loving way similar to skincare. The Universal Blush is designed to work with your skin's natural chemistry and is a lovely golden, peachy flush created to flatter all skin tones. It's infused with Buriti Fruit Oil which is meant to help repair the epidermis and improve skin elasticity as well as reducing redness and offering UV protection.

The finely milled cake is rich and pigment heavy, with a light sweep delivering a buildable product which blends like a dream. It has a soft golden shimmer which works as a highlighter and gives your skin a natural glow without being glittery.

The only criticism is the plastic case the blusher cake is house in. Whilst the cardboard packaging is beautiful, the container itself feels like an afterthought. For £18 I'd expect a heavyweight case with a mirror and indeed, it took me to drop it just once for the cake to completely smash. I decanted it into a small pot so it's still easily usable, but a luxury priced product shouldn't have that issue.

Despite that, I would definitely repurchase the product when my current one runs out as I've found whatever stage of the seasons my face is reflecting (milk bottle pale vs lobster red despite spf 50), it naturally adapts to a shade which works for me. It's nice to not have to do the suntan colour maths under fluorescent lighting and hope for the best! As someone who suffers from skin which can be prone to both redness and dryness, it glided on and covered like a dream with no irritation whatsoever.

To view the whole range of So Susan products, you can visit their website here.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Almost Gold - A Trio of Max Factor Bargains.

I can't resist a good make-up bargain, so when Superdrug were offering a three for two promotion across Max Factor Cosmetics, I decided to indulge myself a little and try out some new items.

I'd been intrigued by their Pan Stik Foundation for a while, and with the Creme Puff Pressed Powder being a vintage lovers handbag staple it seemed silly to not give it a try. I completed the trio with a berry coloured Colour Elixir Lipstick and excitedly took my make-up haul home to play with.

Max Factor Pan Stik Foundation (£6.99) in Nouveau Beige 13.

I'm always on the look out for foundations which promise special attention to dry skin, and the Pan Stick certainly delivers. Whilst it's creamy texture spreads like butter and blends like a dream, I'd exercise caution if you're prone to oily skin as this will slip right off without an appropriate primer. I picked the Pan Stick up in it's Nouveau Beige 13 variant - a light shade with pink undertones which sadly was still a little too dark for my milk bottle skin. It's the second lightest shade and I wish I'd gone with my instincts and picked it up in Fair 25, but I had figured 13 would be lighter than 25, right? Wrong! It might be ok if I caught the sun a little, but sadly fear that this is going to be mostly used for contouring rather than the entire face. On the plus side, the stick application is just perfect for that.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick (£7.99) in Mulberry 685.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick (£7.99) in Mulberry 685.

The Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Mulberry 685 is a stunning plum colour which is heavily pigmented and offers a lovely pearly shimmer - perfect for a soft Spring shimmer. The packaging is lovely, but what really made me fall in love is how wonderful it made my lips feel. It claims to moisturise and stop feathering, and really lived up to those promises. The colour lasted well throughout the day, even when drinking lots of cups of tea and barely needed to be touched up until going out again in the evening.

Max Factor Creme Puff Powder Compact (£5.99) in Translucent 5.

My final product to try was the Max Factor Creme Puff Pressed Powder. This is such a cult product, and easily recognisable due to it's powdery, perfumed scent. It manages to both set your make-up and offer a degree of concealment without feeling cakey. The powder itself is high-coverage and I've found that using it over a BB Cream will make you look like you're wearing a skin perfecting matte foundation. The only downside was that despite buying a shade which called itself "Translucent", the powder was anything but. In fact on my skin, it was at least two shades too dark for me, and a little on the orange side. I was really shocked! However the product itself was so good that I went and purchased it in it's Truly Fair shade, and it was the perfect product to set and finish off my face properly.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Smoke and Mirrors

I love playing around with make-up, so absolutely jumped at the chance to be a beauty model yesterday for my friend Al Pillay, the Empress of Slap. As well as swooning over the contents of Al's make-up kit, it is always interesting to see the techniques which other people use when applying cosmetics.

I was treated to a drama filled, classic smoky eye and fell in love with the copper brown shade from Bare Minerals. The colours used were not ones which I'd normally be drawn to, but this is definitely a look which I'd wear in the cooler months of the year.

I barely recognised myself when it was finished, and loved how the colours brought out the blue in my eyes! It was a bit of a shock when I looked in the mirror, but it was certainly a good one. If only I could look like this every day!

Al has a fantastic range of tutorials on YouTube which are a mix of beauty tips and cabaret excess, and if you want inspiration or a giggle, you can find them here.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Purple Haze - Barry M Nail Varnishes in Prickly Pear and Plum.

Barry M Nail Varnishes in Prickly Pear and Plum.

I love Spring. In terms of fashion, it's all about the bright colours, bold prints and showing both off in the bliss filled sunshine. There's an inerrant air of happiness when the Spring weather drifts in, one which is reflected in an array of colour cosmetics as their new collections descend.

Barry M Nail Varnishes in Plum and Prickly Pear.

Barry M are my favourite drug store brand for bright colours and seasonal trends. Even once the ants, hayfever and wasps have kicked in, you can guarantee their diverse colour range will keep that spring fling love alive.

I'm currently head over heels for two of their gorgeous purple hues in Plum and Prickly Pear. Plum is a strong, deep purple whilst Prickly Pear is a soft, chalky lilac. They work surprisingly well when worn together, creating an almost bunting like effect across my fingers. They are both part of the Gelly Hi-Shine range so you know that two coats ensures a solid, dazzling flash of colour, are chip-resilient and dries with speed. 

Barry M Nail Varnishes in Plum and Prickly Pear.

Barry M Nail Varnishes in Prickly Pear and Plum.

Barry M Nail Varnishes in Prickly Pear and Plum.

I chose to wear mine on alternative fingers for a quick but quirky look.

*excuse the messy application!

I'm now on the look out for a strong yellow and pastel pink and fully intend to be rocking bright, fun shades on my fingers tips for the next few months.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Make Me Up Before You Go Go.

Recently I did a short interview for Board of Beauty where one of the questions asked was "What's in your make-up bag today?" It really got me thinking as I have two make-up bags - one which is filled with my favourite and regularly used items, and a smaller hand-bag sized one which has what is currently being used on that day.

The contents of my smaller one rotates quite frequently. Sometimes this is due to seasonal trends, sometimes how my skin is behaving and sometimes just because I'm really loving a particular item.

Currently, the list goes as follows:

- No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream in fair for dry / very dry skin

- Benefit High Beam

- Bourjois Cream Blush in Rose Tender

- MAC Wonder Woman Eye Palette in Defiance

- Bourjois Java Rice Powder

- Sleek Brow Kit in Dark

- ELF Stipple Brush, Eye Contour Brush and Fan Brush

- Revlon Lash Curler

- Barry M Blink Liquid Liner Pen

- Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Pen

- Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in 540 / Hollywood Red

- Bourjois Effect 3D Lipgloss in 06 / Rouge

- Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian

- Maybelline Big Eyes Volume Express Mascara

- No7 Beautiful Brows Pencil in Black / Brown

- Ilamasqua Eye Colouring Pencil in Elate (white)

This is my make-up for a more "off-duty" look, with a few products thrown in to amp up the drama if needed. BB Cream really changed my outlook on make-up as it's great for when I want to even out my skin tone but don't feel like wearing a heavy foundation with full coverage. I found that using this for a daytime look and keeping my Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation purely for evenings and events has sped up my morning routine AND improved my skin! Benefit's High Beam and Bourjois Cream Blush add definition and highlights.

I'm a huge fan of lip crayons and am really loving Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian at the moment. It's sheer and glossy without being sticky and offers a strong colour without being overpowering. My favourite item in the bag though is without a doubt my Ilamasqua Eye Colouring Pencil in Elate. I use it on my waterline to make me look more wide-eyed and awake, as well as under my brows as a highlighter. It also works great across my top lip to catch the light and draw in an even shape and I've even used across my cheekbones as a highlighter when in a bit of a cosmetics bind. It's such a versatile, multi-use product!

It's got me thinking, what are your favourite products in your make-up bag?

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

I saw Maybelline in a Coup de Ville.

It's been a while since I've wrote about any of the new cosmetics I've brought, but after being unable to resist Superdrug's "Buy One Get One Half Price" on Maybelline, I was so impressed I just had to blog!

I brought two things -  the Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Hollywood Red and the Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes Mascara in black.

Let's start with the lipstick - the shade is less red and more of a pink and is the perfect day-time colour for anyone who loves a touch of vintage glamour. Stuck in the middle of a nude and pink-red, the colour is dense and moisture packed leaving your lips feeling soft and hydrated.

Rather than using a pink or red lip liner, I chose to use a white liner to define my top lip and smudge inwards to act as a natural highlighter. The above photo doesn't do it justice at all, and it is a dream to apply. It's one of those rare lipsticks I felt I could apply straight from the tube rather than needing a brush which is always a bonus when on the go!

The second item was the Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes Mascara in black. I brought this on a total whim, and am so glad I did because for the first time, I am able to cover my lower lashes without looking like a panda!

The wand design is very clever. It's double ended with a thicker brush designed for your longer top lashes and a mini brush to reach those hard to get tiny ones on bottom. The mascara texture itself is lengthening, thickening and clump-free when combed through with care. I also found that a sprinkling of setting powder dusted on with a fan brush before the mascara application really made them telescopic! The mascara is perfect for when you want a high-impact look with very little effort as it makes your eyes do all the talking.

Normally when I fall into a sales trap, I instantly regret the impulse choices as soon as I get home. (Note to self: no more liquid liners!) This time though, I couldn't be any more thrilled with my choices and both things have safely found a new home in my everyday make-up bag.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)