Mac 217 vs. Zoeva 227

I think pretty much everyone who has social media would have heard about the Mac 217 brush being the holy grail eyeshadow blending brush, right? Perfectly blended eyeshadow has never really been my forte so when I saw loads of positive comments on the Mac 217 about how it makes life 100x easier when it comes to blending eyeshadow I took no notice of the price tag and went ahead and purchased it! It certainly has made my eyeshadow a lot more seamless and I would definitely recommend it to anyone - however I have also come across what I believe to be a perfect dupe for less than half the price.

Since purchasing the Zoeva 227 I use it equally as much as my 217 as they are pretty much the same brush and it saves me the job of cleaning my 217 all the time. They both blend shadows a beautifully as each other and to be honest there are only two minor differences which I have noticed.

(Zoeva 227)

Difference 1:
The bristles of the 227 are a LOT softer than the 217 so it is slightly more comfortable when blending the shadows. I personally don't find the 217 bristles a problem but I have seen a few people find them a little too stiff!

(Mac 217)

Difference 2:

The 217 is slightly more tapered than the 227! However I find that they both pick up the same amount of product and both blend seamlessly.

The Mac 217 retails for £20 and it is available here or the Zoeva 227 retails for £9 and is available here. Considering there is such a price difference between these brushes I would definitely recommend trying the 227 before spending out the the 217 but they are both genuinely good brushes and I couldn't be without either!

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Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors

Clarins is a brand that I can confidently walk up to any of their counters and no matter what I pick up I know it's not going to disappoint, I have done a few posts featuring some favorites of mine and I thought it was about time I continue that list of favourites. 

I have had these in my collection for a little while but recently I have fallen back in love with them and I wear them on a daily basis or at least have one in my bag for when i'm out and about. They are the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors and they are a lip product that every girl needs! I fell totally in love with these when I bought my first one and i've worked my way up to having 3 shades which are 03, 06 and 08. 

(08 Plum Shimmer, 06 Rosewood Shimmer, 03 Nude Shimmer)

I find these perfect for the days when my lips are feeling a bit dry and not ready for a day of  lipstick as they are in-between a lip balm and a lip gloss so even though they're really soothing on the lips they look super pretty and finish off a makeup look perfectly. The formula of these lip perfectors is gorgeous, it leaves your lips looking plump without going overboard glossy! With the key ingredients being Shea Butter, Olive Tree and Rice they soothe, protect and nourish - all whilst looking good, what more could you want? 

The packaging is flawless and extremely high quality! I'm not normally a fan of squeezy tubes, however with the soft fabric applicator this product works perfectly as you get just the right amount of product for each use. Not only is the packing beautiful, the scent is stunning - It's a sweet yet subtle caramel scent and I cannot get enough!

My favourite shade is 100% Rosewood Shimmer 06 as it's the perfect everyday shade. I have been pairing this with my Topshop Lip Contour in Outline and they go absolutely beautifully together! You can check out all the shades available here.

What's your favourite Clarins product?

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Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Foundation

Marc Jacobs is a brand I always see and love the look of, yet never seem to pick anything up but after seeing so so so many positive reviews on their Re(Marc)able foundation I had to put it on my Christmas list!

"INSTANT FULL COVERAGE. ALL-DAY WEIGHTLESS WEAR. LESS IS MORE.
THE WEIGHT IS OVER: 24-HOUR FULL, FLAWLESS COVERAGE IS YOURS IN AN INSTANT WITH THIS ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT FOUNDATION CONCENTRATE. THIS REVOLUTIONARY OIL-FREE FORMULA CONTAINS TWICE AS MUCH PIGMENT AS A LEADING FULL-COVERAGE FOUNDATION, BUT IT IS EMULSIFIED WITH GROUNDBREAKING INGREDIENTS SO THE SMALLEST AMOUNT COMPLETELY COVERS WITH DOT-ON PERFECTION. PATENTED GOLDEN PIGMENTS ARE WRAPPED IN LECITHIN, AN INGREDIENT THAT IS BIOCHEMICALLY SIMILAR TO SKIN, FOR IMMEDIATE, EFFORTLESS BLENDING AND A SMOOTH, SOFT MATTE FINISH."

I have only been using this since Christmas Day, but my god I will definitely be repurchasing when it runs out - although I can't see this happening any time soon as a little goes a very long way!

The packaging for this foundation is absolutely beautiful, the only thing is as it's a dot applicator rather than a pump it can get a little messy around the top but if your careful it's absolutely fine! I didn't think I was going to get on with the applicator for this product but it is perfect for the consistency of the foundation as you only need the tiniest little dot's to cover your entire face and if it was through a pump a LOT of product would be wasted.

I have been looking for a fun coverage foundation that doesn't go cakey on my oily skin for ages so when I wore this throughout the day I was really worried it would move/go shiny and just not work but it is actually perfect for my skin type! It's a matte finish but it certainly has a satin feel to it so it doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all.

It isn't the worlds cheapest foundation but it is definitely worth every penny! It retails for £37 and you can pick one up from here or here.

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TESTING TOPSHOP MAKE UP

Happy New Year!! What better way to start the new year than to expand my makeup collection and try new products? I have wanted to try Topshop's makeup for such a long time but it has just been one of those brands that I see and walk straight past. After seeing so many positive reviews on their products online I decided to go go and pick up a few products and I am certainly going to be going back for more!

As it was my first time trying the products I didn't want to go all out and purchase one of each so I decided to go for 3 products that I know I will get a lot of use out of a lip liner, a blush and an eyeshadow. I have fallen head over heels in love with all 3, the quality is so so much better than what I expected as they are all so reasonably priced!

I probably didn't need another pinky/nude lip liner but I couldn't help myself and this has to be my favourite out of all three products. It's such a gorgeous wearable shade and the formula is incredible - it's so creamy, soft and pigmented it doesn't dry my lips out at all. This Lip Contour is in the shade outline and it's available here. 

Just look at the Holographic eyeshadow though - how could anyone resist buying that? This is honestly the prettiest eyeshadow I have ever seen both in the pan and on the eyes. The colour of this shadow changes in the light, it has brown/pink tones with green/blue reflections it's absolutely stunning! I have worn this both alone and on top of other eyeshadows and it looks just as good either way. This Chameleon Glow Pigment is in the shade changeling and it can also be used as a highlighter, although I haven't been brave enough to try this just yet! It's available here.

I'm so bad when it comes to remembering to put blush on so I thought i'd pick up a new one to help me get into the swing of it and it really has! I have been reaching for this blush everyday as it adds such a healthy yet subtle glow to the cheeks, this blush is definitely more pigmented than I expected however it's not OTT pink at all - it blends perfectly. This Powder Blush is in the shade Dream Phone.

I am incredibly impressed with the packaging and the quality of the products, they're really sturdy and not bulky at all which makes them perfect to travel with as well!

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