Made you look...: March 2014

Small beauty haul!

Eylure false lashes in 020 - £5.35

Rimmel 60 seconds polish in sun downer and mind the gap Victoria - £3.69

Barry M lip liners - £2.99

Rimmel Moisture Review Lipsticks - £6.49

So, I went into boots just to look at some lip liners and ended up coming out with all of these bits!

I have been really late on the band wagon for these new packaged Rimmel Moisture Review Lipsticks, but I was in a super summery mood so I decided to pick up 'As You Want, Victoria' and 'In Love With Ginger' which I've heard so many things about and thought they'd be perfect for Spring and Summer, I've tried them a few times and so far I love them! I'm going to try them out some more though before I review them.

I picked up three lip liners from Barry M and I haven't used them just but I've swatched them and they feel really hard which is a bit annoying but I'll also review them, one thing I noticed when I was in my local Boots the other day, is that they barely have any lip liners for any brand, but I'm going to go and have a look in a bigger Boots in a few days when I'm back in Nottingham to see if it's everywhere or they just don't have them stocked in smaller branches.

I also then bought two nail varnishes from Rimmel that I've been really impressed with too, I've tried these before in different colours and they haven't been as good but these seem so much better.

Then finally I picked up some new false lashes, not my usual ones but I fancied trying these ones out instead and you get a free pair in the pack which is perfect!

I'll be reviewing all of these products in the up and coming weeks once I've tried them out some more and have properly formed an opinion of them. Spoiler: I'll definitely be buying some more of these Rimmel lipsticks!

I also got this all of three for two so keep your peepers out for that in your local Boots!

Jess xo

Spotting fakes on eBay...

Recently I was unfortunately a victim to the world of eBay fakes, but luckily I was able to gain a full refund without too much hassle and the seller was very understanding about it, as they'd bought it through a wholesaler so were happy to refund me so they didn't gain any negative feedback.

But anyway, I decided to share my top tips for spotting fakes. This Mac I bought above looked great quality but as a massive Mac addict I could tell that the quality was no where near as good as my other Mac eye shadows! There was also very limited info about it and no colour names or anything.

Avoid any bulk selling - Don't pay from any sellers that are selling loads of items in different colours, they can be a bit dodgy.
Look at multiple photos - The more photos, the more confident you can be that it's real. Simple.
Don't be afraid to ask questions - Don't worry about messaging the seller for more information, if they don't reply then avoid.
Read the description - Personally I would avoid if they don't have much info about the product, like colours names etc.
If you discover something you've bought to be fake then message the seller first and confidently let them know about the fake product, sometimes it can be an honest mistake.
If the seller is being difficult then don't be afraid to open a case with eBay, there's point in wasting your money.
Even if you try the product and then realise it's fake, you can still return it.
Always research before you buy!

Hope this helped some of you!

Jess xo

Small Mac Lipstick Haul & An Extra...

Mac Cyber.

Mac All Fired Up.

Mac Flat Out Fabulous.

Mac lipsticks - £15

I went on a bit of a splurge in Mac recently, I have loved all Mac products I've tried before, so I thought I'd pick up a few lipsticks. I love the whole experience of going into Mac, it's so lovely and although sometimes the staff can be quite intimidating, they can also be really helpful. I have tired a few other Mac lipsticks before but I felt like I needed to grow my collection. I always do a lot of research and look at plenty of reviews before picking up an expensive item but I couldn't help myself when I got in there, they have everything laid out so nicely and everything is soooo pretty and clear.

So I picked up three colours, all very different from each other, I have been getting a little more experimental with lipstick colour recently, so I picked up some that I probably wouldn't normally go for.

Cyber is an incredibly intense dark plumy purple, I do have other dark colours like this but this one is a lot cooler toned and almost black, I think it looks beautiful on. Satin finish.

All Fired Up is a Spring alternative to the classic red lip. It has a more pinky coral hint to it rather than an orange or a blue. RetroMatte finish.

Flat Out Fabulous is just stunning, it's a real purple pink, a true cold blue toned pink, perfect for making your nashers looking really white, which I love. RetroMatte finish.

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Provocateur - £7.99

Finally I picked up a Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Provocateur, I just fancied trying one of these new releases, I know I'm pretty late on the band wagon but oh well! This is a really easy to wear red, it's super glossy and perfect for Spring.

I will be reviewing all of these lip products once I've tried them out some more, so keep an eye open for those in a couple of weeks.

Third three is ridiculously busy at the moment so I'm sorry I've been a little out of the loop at the moment, but I should be back to normal after this week, I've got some massive deadlines.

If you love any Mac lipsticks and think I'd like them, I'd love to know so please comment :)

Jess xo

Nail art ideas for Spring...

If you know me, then you'll know how much I love nail art! I seem to forget about it most of the year but there's something about Spring that just makes me creative! So, I'd thought I'd share a few nail art I've done over the years, the top two are my most recent and the black and white daisy one if the one I'm actually wearing. Nail art is all about practice, everyone is rubbish in the beginning, especially when you realise you've got to do your right hand with your left, but as they say, practice makes perfect!

If you want to get into nail art then a must have is dotting tools! You can get them super cheap from eBay or amazon and they make nail art so much flipping easier. Most things consist of dots, which is super duper easy to do, flowers are just four or five dots and then a different colour dot in the middle.

One massive tip, if you want to apply a top coat, then make sure your nail art is dry, otherwise it will just smear it and all your hard work is ruined.

If you think that you want to try something like this but are a bit scared or don't think you'll be able to, grab your fave glitter top coat and just apply it as an accent nail, that adds some interest without too much effort and quickly!

If you have done any nail art, I'd love to see it!

Jess xo

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette - Review...

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette - £36

Is this my favourite palette I've ever bought so far?! Definitely! I'm always very wary of palette like this, I think it's only a matter of months until a cheaper version also identical comes out so I normally wait but I just couldn't help myself with this one. I've heard mixed reviews about this palette but mostly good and after reading Mouldy Fruit's review I went out and bought it the same day!

It's a palette of 14 stunning eye shadows, 7 matte and 7 shimmer, basically everything you could want in a palette. They are all really wearable for everyday or evening, and just perfect for travel (which is one of the main reasons I caved!)

They are super duper pigmented with minimal fall down and they are really great quality. Normally over my price limit for a make up but my taste is definitely getting more expensive! 100% worth it. Every neutral colour you could want in one palette and super intense. Pure perfection!

The palette also include a mini sample mascara and a double ended brush, I love the brush the matte end is really perfect for blending and the shimmer end is really great for packing the colour on, you could do a perfect eye look with just this one brush. The mascara is nice, it has a big fat brush, but I'm not really impressed by it, I mean it's not bad, it's still good, I just prefer other mascaras.

Cheaper than the Naked Palette and with more two more eye shadows, with warm and cool colours, that's why I had to pick this one over the Naked 3!

Jess xo

Spring Look - A Copper Eye...

Mac Pigment in Copper Sparkle - £15

Mac Eye Shadows in Antiqued, Mythology and Coppering - £10

Clinique Chubby Stick in Ample Amber - £17

Mac Pigment Sample in Tan

Rimmel Eye Liner in Bronze - £3.99

Seventeen Wild Eyes Cream

Mac Extra Dimensions Eye Shadow in Amorous Alloy - £17

I love a copper eye! I think it's so flattering on all eye colours, especially blue but I definitely think it doesn't get as much attention as it should. I think it's the perfect transition look between seasons, so perfect for Spring and Autumn. Copper is a really nice colour if you're a bit scared of a heavier smokey eye but fancy something to make your eyes pop and the colour to stand out! All of the products I've chosen here I really really love, they're great quality and well worth the money, I've tried to throw in a mixture of prices.

I love just using a wash of Copper over the lid with winged liner, a nude lip and heaps of mascara, so simple just still just as pretty!

Jess xo

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab - Review.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab - £30

I've been really into trying out some new foundations lately, although I love all my old ones, sometimes you just need to experiment. As I'm sure you have, I heard so many rave reviews about this product and was always scared off because of the 'Sheer Glow' factor and because I have oily skin I didn't think it would work for me, but after reading tonnes of reviews, and trying a sample of it, I bit the bullet and went for it!

It's medium coverage but very buildable and easy to work with, it makes applying foundation really effortless. Apparently it's best to apply this certain foundation with your fingers, which it does work really well with, especially if you want a fuller coverage because it's not soaked up by the brush, but also it does go on really nicely with a buffing brush too. I personally don't think it's that glowy or radiant so applying a highlight is a must for me, it doesn't look cakey whatsoever, even with powder over the top. With a primer, it lasts on me all day, with touch ups here and there of powder but I think it's going to be really nice and light in the Summer.

The packaging of this product is the only downer, it's get dirty really easily and is impossible to clean, and there's no pump which makes it extremely messy but pumps are available for an extra £3 but I found they are difficult to get hold of, so I gave up on finding one.

Jess xo

Wishlist #29 - Spring Grunge...

wishlist #29 - Spring grunge... by jesscotton featuring a chain necklace

ASOS RECLAIMED VINTAGE v neck cami, £22 / Topshop top, £46 / Boohoo over the knee socks, £4.82 / Topshop black boots, £96 / ASOS ring, £4.98 / Topshop chain necklace, £17 / ASOS silver jewelry, £11 / ASOS bracelet, £9.07

Mac Pigment in Blue Brown - Review...

Mac Pigment in Blue Brown - £17

As you may already know, I've really been getting into Mac's pigments and glitters lately, I think they're really beautiful but really effortless. This shade is really stunning and unique, from angle it's a warm orangey brown and from another angle it's a lovely shimmery blue, I haven't seen anything like this before which is why I had to have it in my collection.

It's really smooth to apply and super duper pigmented, you can apply it over the top of another eye shadow or just on it's own, but I'd definitely recommend using a primer so it has something to stick and cling to, otherwise it doesn't last as well as with one. For £17 you get a large pot of pigment and a little really goes a long way, so I think this would actually last forever! Unlike the Copper Sparkle pigment this one is really finely milled and smooth where as that one is chunkier and almost like a glitter than a pigment. It's really wearable for everyday but if you want a more intense look then this can be used wet too.