Summer Radiance with Jane Iredale's Magic Hour Collection

                                       

   

 After returning from holiday with the best tan I've ever had (sorry to boast), I'm really enjoying exploring make-up that compliment it. 

Just recently, it was Jane Iredale's 20th Anniversary and to celebrate they released the Magic Hour collection. They were kind enough to send me some samples to try out, and I have been testing it for a few weeks, but never has it suited me as much as it does right now. 

The collection consists of the brands new Jelly Jar Gel Eyeliner, Comfort In Touch Highlighter, Golden Girl Purepressed Eyeshadow Triple, and New Shades of Lip Fixation. Packed full of golden, warm and shimmery hues, this collection is a tan's best friend. 

I've been playing around a lot with the Jelly Jar Gel Eyeliner because since using MUA's gel, I'm preferring it to liquid and pencil. Obviously Jane Iredale's is of a better quality and the brush that comes with it is perfect for applying thin, subtle wings. It dries pretty quickly so there's no smudging and you don't need a lot at all, so even though the pot is small I know it's going to last. 

The Comfort In Touch Highlighter was in all honesty my first ever use of a highlighter, so I don't have much to compare it to but I soooo love it. It's subtler than blusher but with a more enhancing effect on the cheek bone area, reflecting light and adding an elegant shimmer. Just one stroke of the stick at the very top of my cheeks was enough to create this effect. Again, a small but long lasting and worthy investment. 

As far as eye shadows are concerned, Jane Iredale's are as good as they come, especially when it comes to pigmentation. The three shades in the Golden Girl Purepressed Eye Shadow Triple work and blend so well together to create a golden and shimmery look that is perfect for both day and evening. 

To finish this look off perfectly, all that's needed is a summery lip. Jane Iredale's New Shades of Lip Fixation has really surprised me. It's pink for a start, a shade I never thought I'd be found wearing. The pink half of the stick is rather watery in texture which worried me a bit when I first tried it, but once it's been applied it darkens, dries and turns matte. It's at this point that you add the peachy, translucent and shimmery gloss on top to create a lovely vibrant apricot lip that contrasts brilliantly with tanned skin, and in fact emphasizes it. 

So head on out there and get your tan on, because make-up is much more fun with one!

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New Age Fun with a Vintage Feel: Mary Kay's 'Hello Sunshine' Collection

Oh how I adore Summer make-up. The variety of colours open to us this season is endless,  and vary magnificently from trend to trend.

I absolutely love it when a brand takes a current fashion trend and uses it as inspiration for a make-up collection, and Mary Kay Cosmetics have done just that.

Honing in on the vintage mania that has taken over the fashion industry for a good few years now,  Mary Kay’s Limited Edition ‘Hello Sunshine’ collection is new age fun with a vintage feel. Oh, and how kitsch is the packaging? 

Springy Eye Duo

When I first opened these and saw the colours, I really wasn’t sure what to think, but the moment I swept my finger across them I couldn’t wait to try them out. They really are springy, and lay slap bang in between a powder and a cream eyeshadow. They’re incredibly lightweight and smooth to use, and require hardly any blending whatsoever. The colour is quite translucent, with a slight shimmer, so that the colours on the skin are subtle, but obviously the colour is buildable. I like to put the browner shades just under the bottom lash line, and either the blue or the yellow on my eyelid, all the way up to the brow, and team it with a thin line of eyeliner for a 60s Summer look.

*Wearing Spring Eye Duo in Summer Sunset with Carefree Coral Lip Colour*

*Wearing Springy Eye Duo in Stonewashed with Retro Rose Lip Colour*

Creamy Lip Colour

These are the answer to my red lip prayers. Being olive skinned, yet not very tanned, I find it quite hard to find a classic red lip colour that doesn’t completely wash me out, but the colour palette of this entire collection is quite warm so it suits me perfectly. These lipsticks are incredibly smooth and moisturising, and have a matte finish with a slight shimmer that lasts for ages. Carefree Coral is a pinky red  whilst Retro Rose is on the browner side.

*Wearing Lip Gel in Cherry Twist*

Lip Gel

For a classic vintage red without the matte finish, this product is perfect. A bit of sheen with some colour adds volume to your lips, so for a juicy, voluptuous look, without the grease of your average lip gloss, I highly recommend this product. My only gripe would be that you need more than one application to build up a decent amount of colour, but once you’ve achieved that, it lasts for quite some time. 

Mary Kay were also kin enough to send me samples of their Lash Love Mascara, True Dimensions Lipstick in Citrus Flirt and Facial Highlighting Pen in Shade 3, all of which are featured in all of these pictures, except the lipstick, which is only in the above picture. 

Steph x x x

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