MUA Matte Perfect Primer Makeup Review

MUA Matte Perfect Primer - Complexion Balancing Primer 

So I was very excited as I've said previously to see this wonderfully huge selection of MUA makeup come to my local Superdrug. it looked affordable and with a great range.

I was doubly excited to see this product as I've yet to find the right primer for my skin type. this one seemed to tick all the boxes, on paper anyway.

I wanted to test it in two ways... firstly during the normal weather here in Northern Ireland - which is pretty much wet and windy and secondly on my holiday away which was a cruise around Greece , Italy and Turkey.

I have combination skin, and when my water drinking regime isn't so good, my skin breaks out, specifically on my neck and my chin. however i do have a very oily T'zone and nose, and I get dry cheeks. I have used several primers 

MUA's writeup on this product on their website is the following

MUA Pro has now created a NEW primer designed to prime for perfection. Matte Perfect primer with is a targeted formula that controls oil and reduces shine so your makeup looks smooth, even, flawless. With its soft application it minimises the look of pores and flaws to create an even canvas and is ideal for Normal/Combination and Oily Skin.

Application Tips:
Moisturise first.
Using a tiny pea size amount smooth Matte Perfect Primer evenly over face and blend with finger tips. 
Apply makeup.

Here's my findings summed up into sections:

How does the product look/feel?

The product actually has a different look to it than most primers., rather than being a white colour it has a peach tint. it is quite textured and thick

how easy is it to apply?

I think that with all primers, you need to find what application process works best for you and personally I've found that less is more. I initially put it all over my face, and then when it came to foundation time, i had put too much on and my face was too greasy. I then decided to apply it only to the areas that I needed to stay matte... namely my nose, and my forehead and chin. I then applied foundation and powder as normal

What do I think?

The primer applied easily (almost too easily) so it took a few applications before I was comfortable with the amount to apply, definitely a small amount is more than enough... about the size of a small pea was enough for my nose (and alongside it), my forehead, chin and cheeks. 

I definitely found that this product held the makeup on longer, particularly on holiday when I'd apply makeup in the evenings. it was also good under my BB cream and seemed to give a better coverage. It also really did minimize the pores around my nose.

This is the first primer that has kept my face matte for about 8 hours in mild temperatures. I have worn it since home from my holiday and find that it has good staying power in the colder temps for up to 10 hours also, that's the length of time I wore it before noticing the shine starting to hit my forehead!!

Value for Money?

The primer is £4 for a small tube, but because a little goes along way and i'm selective about where i apply it, I think it will last me for a good long time.

Will I buy it again?

yes definitely. first primer that's properly worked for me

Post Holiday... highs and Lows!

Hello Blog chums,

I hope you've all been good while I've been away on hols. I've been back on Terra Firma since Saturday evening but I literally collapsed into bed and slept through to sunday morning and then have had bits and bobs to do since then, so now little tired me has settled into bed with the laptop, to update you on the holiday and my news!!

oh its so exciting!!I was going to be all cool and calm and document the holiday in some sort of order but screw it.... I'm engaged!!! Yes that's right, he bloomin well proposed on Holiday. It was a huge surprise, and the fact that he did it early into the holiday meant we had the whole week to just savour it together, without the whole telling people. 
He was a very sneaky boy, the ring was one I had seen and commented on when we'd went away for a night to Enniskillen in July, and its just beautiful.. here's a couple of piccies of it... if you're one of those people who likes to look at rings... I should say, I'm not a huge jewellery nut, I don't like wearing solitaire rings as they catch on everything and always knew my choice of engagement ring wouldnt be to everyones taste... but hey... each to their own right?? I love it, its exactly what I wanted and i'm delighted!

Sadly because I have titchy fingers we had to take it back today for resizing and my fingers are so titchy that the smallest size they have made is still to big so my ring is being adjusted... which will take 3 weeks :( so I'm ringless for a while!! which sucks!












Anyway... on with more about the holiday...

We were on a 7 night Greek isle and Turkey curise with Royal Caribbean on the Splendour of the seas ship. I have cruised with Royal Caribbean with the family in 2011 but Richard hasn't. He has cruised with P & O and with Island Escapes though... pointless info alert lol

The ship would start in Venice (we'd get no time to explore it unfortunately) then dock in Split in Croatia on the Sunday, At sea on Monday, Kusadasi in Turkey on Tuesday, Mykonos; Greece on Wednesday, katakolon; Greece on Tursday and at Sea Friday to return to Venice on Saturday

the only trip we had booked specifically was on thursday to go and see the ancient Olympas, the rest we were just gonna see on our own.

my fav places were defintely Croatia and Mykonas. Lovely people, and beautiful scenery. I have been to Turkey before and didn't like it, I am not a haggler and I can't be bothered with the hassling you get. It actually stops me from going into the shops. I feel if i was left to browse they'd be more likely to get a sale from me, as there's plenty Id buy. Richard had never been and wanted to experience it for himself (because he didnt believe the stories I'd told him) well 45mins was enough for him and we thankfully returned to the ship. I know some people like Turkey and don't mind the hassle, but I cant be bothered with it.

Mykonas was a windy wee town, with the lovely white buildings and cobbled windy streets! it was just out of the Mamma Mia film (which showed nightly on the ships TV's) and I loved the hustle and bustle of the locals there. I got some beautiful blue jewellery there and Richard got some Spartan memorabilia which kept him happy.

the ship was brill, the staff fantastic and the food was amazing, we even took in a spin class and a pilates class as well as regular walks and runs on the ships running track. Unfortunately in the early hours of Thursday morning I was pretty darn ill... It was completely out of the blue ( I had been quite an unadventurous eater actually) but still got hit with it, I was awake most of the night with crippling tummy pain, diarrhoea, shivers and hot flushes and the runs and by 7am when we should be getting up to go on the trip, we were completely shattered from lack of sleep and Richard was adamant that I wasn't going anywhere. I was ore upset that he was missing out considering we'd paid over £50 each for the trip, but was glad we didn't go in the end, as we got up later around 10am and I attempted to eat but my stomach felt so bad I barely managed a couple of bites of fruit. we walked the 10min walk into Katakolon village with me stopping to sit every 2 mins. it was horrendous, i was weak, it was extremely warm and I know he was worried bless him. I couldn't even manage to browse the lovely little stalls and shops, I'd let Richard go on in whilst i sat on the kerb by the road, after the 5th stop he took me to a little cafe which overlooked the dock and I drank some fresh juice, then we meandered slowly again for about 5 or 6 shops and headed back to the ship where i promptly fell asleep on the bed beside him for about 3 hours. I woke feeling a bit better but very weak still, so called the ships medic to ask for a hydration drink which I'd stupidly not brought but she advised to drink powerade which was available on the ship. we walked to get some and Ric had some dinner. (again I couldn't eat anything but i drank 4 glasses of water and a Powerade. By about 8pm i was feeling a little stronger but very tired, so I settled into bed with the TV on. I felt so bad for Richard who'd looked after me so well, and sent him to the ships gym because I didn't wanna bog him down. he very reluctantly went after about an hour of co-ercing and was back in half an hour, whilst I was dozing. he'd brought me another Powerade which I drank and we got down into bed and I was asleep in minutes.

I woke on friday very hungry (Thankfully) and alot stronger. This was a day at sea, so we had breakfast.. yay I had a bit of an appetite back! and the day was definitely better than Thursday... i'd clearly just had some sort of 24hour thing!!

anyway health blip aside I had a fab time, I'll defo go back to Croatia and Greece and as always can't fault Royal Caribbean!

i'll be doing a few wee reviews in the next few days of products I'd mentioned before that I'd review after testing them on hols so stay tuned for those!

Below is a few foties for you all

Tash xxx

Me next to the tiny port of Mykonos, Greece

Mykonas, Greece 

the trail from our ship... taken just before he proposed :)

home for the week :o) 

Split, Croatia

On me jollies

I am officially heading on my Hols. First stop Dublin for an overnight stay in airport hotel, then a flight to the cruise ship. Tres excited. I'll check in with foties and the like when we return.

Byeeee.
N xx

New MakeUp Academy purchases!!

I am super duper excited atm by the MUA range in Superdrug, the reason I've only discovered it is because my local Superdrug store was pretty pants until it had a store re-fit and the makeup range has been introduced to it! so whilst the other half browsed in a male clothing shop opposite I dandered in because I was low on loose face powder... now sadly the store was literally still being restocked up so alot of stuff was still unavailable but the MUA stand was right at the door, and it caught my eye... real sleek packaging, affordable prices and tools and products that I haven't seen at these prices before... as I said they were still restocking so alot of my shades of palettes and products weren't there so i only bought primer.

I went online, and checked out their full range on the MUA website. I wanted to desperately buy some products to test out particularly as I'm going on holiday on Friday, and I hate carrying piles of makeup with me so things like the Foundation palette looked great, however I had just purchased more foundation from Avon last week, and didnt want to buy in loads of things I had no use for yet.. also i wasn;t sure if they're arrive in time if I ordered online.

I was running low on some things, so decided to walk down during lunch today and to  stray from my usual brand and give MUA a whirl since I've been liking the matte Primer.

Here's what I bought... I fully intend to use these on holiday and will review them when I return :)

1. MUA Baked eye trio - Shade: Innocence: it was the reviews on the website that drew me to this, I tend to stick to browns around my eyes, as they're blue and the brown really brings them out, I love that on the bottom of the case it gives the areas you should use each shade in. light for highlighter, mid for corners and dark for eyeline. I'm looking forward to testing this out as my Natural Collection duo crumbled to dust for some reason just last week... it also appears to have a little applicator sponge duo stick inside it, but i'll probably use my own brush... who knows! COST £3.50
2. MUA cream blusher - Shade; Scrummy:  How could i resist a product called scrummy haha, actually I love cream blushers, I have been using natural collection, but i love that this is a little palette as opposed to a tube, i had tried the tester of this at the weekend and was pleased with the length of time it stayed on my skin, so purchased it. COST: Bargain at £2
3. MUA Extreme Curl Mascara - Shade; Black - I love buying new mascara for some reason. I have very long eyelashes but they pale out so mascara really shows their full length. i've been using the No.7 small sized tube since February and ready for a change - this one promises to curl my lashes - which may be hanly as I usually use a curler before hand. nice sleek packaging too! COST: £2
4. MUA Intense colour Eyeliner - Shade: Rich Brown - i love tht this has a sharpener in the lid. my last eyeliner is almost done, and I do like brown liners, so this looks nice, slightly darker than i'm used to but should be fine COST: £1 another bargain

So I look forward to trying out these new products, they look great, sadly I wanted the matte loose powder but they had none, so will use my Natural Collection until it becomes available

keep your eyes peeled for the reviews when I return from my lovely cruise!!

ta ta for now

N xx

saved but not published....

Have any of you what I class as unfinished business in the world of a blogger??... what I mean is, have you had a day where you're fingers have flown over the keys as you rant, or vent, or just ramble your way through a blog post, or two... or many?...but when it comes to hitting that all important publish button; something holds you back?

That was yesterday for me... I typed up 3 different blogs... I was having a day of low moods and thinkiness (not a word I know!!) and was ruminating over things, my life, where i'm at, things going on around me... but when it came to hitting to publish I held back.. for a few reasons,

1. I'm new to the public blogging world, and it would be strange to post a negative blog of such a personal nature when so far I've talked about more superficial stuff such as makeup and fitness.
2. How much of that stuff do people actually want to see on a blog, do people read for the mundane thinky side of folks, or just the reviews and pleasant chit-chat... I hope that soon I can start opening up on the more negative posts... they're few and far between , don't get me wrong, I don't suffer from Depression thankfully... I just get low days
3. I wasn't being rude about anyone but i just worry about someone I know well reading it and connecting the dots to certain things I was ranting about in a vague way.

So I want you folks' input on this... just how much is it ok to share on a blog do you think... and how soon should a person start being much much more personal and in depth? 1 week into opening my online blog to the world... is it too soon to have my ranty days about deeply personal stuff? I realise that everyone is different and you should probably just be more open when it feels right for you... but as a 'reader' of blogs do you feel differently?

what do you all think?, as a therapist i firmly believe in getting all that's inside out, and talking about it, but can a person share too much online?

let me know if you have any thoughts via the comments section below

ta ta for now

x N

Pesky spots... my tested methods to calm down cystic acne outbreak over the past few days

SO I always had a bit of acne on my face, actually more so on my neck, and I just took it to be hormonal as it always got worse around my TOM, so i would use certain face washes for combination skin, use concealer etc. I never was a huge water drinker but when i started into fitness in a bigger way I realised the importance of hydration and started drinking 6-8 glasses a day of water, within a month I was astounded.. my skin was completely clear, so much so that I was able to wear BB creams or tinted moisturisers instead of full coverage foundations. however my troublesome time still is during my TOM, not necessarily because i have hormonal outbreaks.. but because I crave sugary drinks, and then I forgo water for them.

This came up again last month, i craved sugary drinks and rather than ignore the cravings I gave in, and drank them, and within 3 days my skin was breaking out.
I go on holiday on Friday, and over the weekend my skin broke out real badly... I believe the reason for this is I've started back into drinking water in a big way and its flushing out the toxins, its happened before when I've deviated from the water regime, but the acne outbreak on my neck was huge cystic spots that really hurt,they were all so close together that they merged almost and they weren't nice. i hate wearing makeup over them because i feel it doesn't help with the healing process but I just couldn't go out with them on show, so its a catch 22 thing

so with the trusty pinterest's assistance, I wanted to try some cures put on it to try and reduce redness and swelling, whilst the water does its thing. so I decided to document the results with a few of the pinterest suggestions

so below is a picture of the spots prior to any treatment, this is after I had washed them with Garniers gel cleanser (which I'll review in the next couple of weeks, I've only used it 3 times so far)

These spots actually are single ones that are so red they almost have linked up and look like massive spots, they were very uncomfortable, not pusy at all, just red and angry

Treatment one - what I used... Aspirin
The first thing I read on pinterest was to take a non-coated aspirin tablet (pic 1), and add 4 drops of water on my hand and mush it up (pic 2), then apply directly to the spots *pic 3), leave for 3-4 minutes then rinse off

PIC 1                                 PIC 2                                           PIC 3

I immediately felt a cooling effect on my neck when I applied it, I think I added too much water to the process, but i left it on about 3 minutes then rinsed it off (which took some time)  this promised to reduce the redness within 4 hours so i headed to bed, Pic 4 is the spot the next morning ... see any difference??

                                                             PIC 4

MY FINDINGS:

I do see that the top two spots initially had merged to one, but you can def make out the two of them now, I felt they were as red as before but definitely were a little smaller, and didn't hurt as much.

how many stars for this method?  *** out of 5*

Treatment 2- what I used - toothpaste

I unfortunately didn't get a chance to photograph the next experiment but it followed the night directly after treatment one.

I had worn makeup the day after treatment one and so found when I rinsed off my makeup that the spots were quite red and angry looking (this is generally the case after washing though) so I went to my old favourite method.

Basically just spread some toothpaste over the spots.

we have Aquafresh so i smeared it over them and headed to bed. Instantly it cools them and it hardens to a coating that seems to keep cooling them all night. I again went to bed,

MY FINDINGS

The spots again were calmer looking after washing , but didnt really look any smaller. this method for me just soothes the burny ones

how many stars for this method?  ** out of 5*

Treatment 2- what I used - Asda Spot treatment gel

I have used many spot treatment gels that promuise reduced spots in anything from several hours to overnight. this asda gel I have never used so I dedcided to give it a go.

it simply instructs me to apply it after washing my face, directy to the spots in the morning and the night. I aplied it last night befpre bed to my spots, again the spots were red, but they are sligtly smaller from the previous treatments.Pic 5 is the gel, and pic 6 is my spots prior to treatment, again they're pretty red but are smaller

PIC 5                                       PIC 6

there was no cooling process, in fat quite the opposite it has quite  chemical smell and feels warm for a moment or two, but not uncomfortably warm, just tingly, I like that, it makes me feel like its doing some good.

it dries on quickly and I went to bed.

this is the spots the next morning after washing my face and reapplying the gel

MY FINDINGS:

I definitely see a reduction in the size of the spots,and they don't hurt as much, I'm going to continue to use his gel twice daily on top of my normal washing regime and drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day but i'm pretty happy with the results from the gel, which only cost £1.80 in Asda!

how many stars for this method?  *** out of 5*

but yeah I think the true findings and the definite lesson from this is... DRINK WATER and keep doing so!!!

Karma will come and get you!!

oh yes.. if ever I got kicked up the butt by Karma, it was on Tuesday night.

I was a bad girl where my eating is concerned, and I haven't been so good with the exercise this week either.

let me backtrack just a tad!!...I am going on holiday next Saturday the 17th August... Hurrah!!

and so I for the last few weeks I made a big push in my gym efforts and tried to continue keeping a close track of my calorie and carb intake through MyFitnessPal.

but this week it was pretty much shot to shoot!

The World Police and Fire Games are being held here in NI and i've been going to see the ice hockey whenever possible, and this week, its been an excuse not to gym in the evening and i've been too lazy in the mornings... I don't deserve any sympathy or empathy... i've been a lazy cow!!

anyhow, on Tuesday night we were hungry from all the people around us eating pizzas, so we stopped at Dominoes on the way home to get a personal (4 sliced) pizza to share. i was so hungry i started eating the minute Richard drove off, it was so freaking hot... that i jumped forward, the cheese and pepperoni slid off and landed on my chin... ouch, it burned so much!

I put some Witch hazel on what felt like a little burn blister, woke up on wednesday an d there was actually a crater on my chin where the skin burned off. it was so sore all day and i jad a huge red welt, its starting to heal but still it a bit of a hole in my chin.. and you know what.. I'm wearing it as a  karma mark... this is what I get for verging off the healthy eating trail into Pizzaville. I deserve it!

still looks crap though!!

JULY Favourites

I Looooooooooooove watching Favourites videos on youtube or reading about them, I love trying out new things that people may have reviewed and I certainly like that somebody might grow to love a product that I like because of my review, so here's my July Favourites... Enjoy!.. and let me know if you rate any of the items or use similar!!

1. HTC One 

Ok I finally was due to upgrade my phone at the beginning of July, I have been using a Samsung Galaxy S1 for 2 years until my contract was up, in that space of time Samsung had released the S4... which should give an Idea of how slow and outdated my phone was. I had wrestled with the idea of an S4 for a few months, but  decided not to for a few reasons: 

• it was going to cost about £42 per month for the contract,... Eek I'm currently on £32 a month!
• it basically is my tablet but with phone capabilities
• I was keen on a change

Also  I'm not into Apple Iphones, my boss has one and I just can't figure it out and don't particularly like the layout of it, so I did a bit of detective work to see what was about. and I was recommended the HTC One.

So i was delighted to get a good deal at the same rate my S1 was on!... i have to say, I have always been into Samsungs but I'm loving the HTC, its got Beats Boom Sound front speakers, pretty good battery life for an android phone and its so sleek looking! Defo top of my July Favs!!

2. AVON's Ideal Flawless Foundations

I have been using both the foundation and the BB cream over the month of July and rate it highly. both are frangrance free, have SPF 15 and I love that they're reasonably priced. I use the BB Cream when my skin is less pimply and the coverage is great, the main foundation has fantastic coverage. I use the shade Nude for both!

3. My Fitness Pal

I have been trying to improve my eating habits and eat less crap, keep better control over my carb intake etc, and this app has been fab, I use it through my phone, tablet or Laptop and its great. you can build up such a great support system, keep track of you daily calories and measurement/weight and theres a great forum for support and ideas! its definitely helping me eat better

4. Women's Fitness Magazine

I was never a person to buy fitness mags, I don't care about where I can get the latest sports wer etc, howevet I flicked through this one day and ended up buying it and have bought it every month ever since. its filled with great advice, a whole section with workouts to try, and is generally better than any other mag i've seen.t here is the obligatory fashion pages but its thankfully to a minimum and its a great magazine if you're looking tips on weight-loss, eating plans and other health issues!

5.  Nairn's Organic Oatcakes

 

For me, work is where I snack the most, and I was trying to find healthier snacks, so I read in 'Women's Fitness' that oatcakes are great with peanut butter and banana as its a slow release food and fills you for longer, and I have to say I do agree. i bought mine from Holland and Barrett as they were on offer but they're usually found in the crispbread aisle of the supermarket too!, they taste great with peanut butter and jam or banana!

6. Shockwaves curl mousse

The UK was blessed with a bit of a heatwave in July and It was really too warm to straighten my hair so one morning I let it curl naturally and realised that its at a length where the curls look ok, so I bought this product to use and I LOVE it. it doesn't leave my hair hard or sticky, it gives a natural bounce and I've had so many comments on my natural curls (which most people haven't seen) I have only straightened my hair once since the beginning of July which is good for it as well as time saving for me

7.  Avon, Colour trend Lip crayon/stick

I dont wear lipsticks really but i love this lip crayon, i put a bit of lipbalm on then add this on top and it thickens out my thin lips and leaves them a lovely nude colour!

8. Oreo Cookies

They weren't every readily available in the UK and I scoffed away at them on Canada last year however I was glad to see them become available here, and usually at half price packs :o/  They taste so good, and I'm addicted to them!!

9. Pop Tart's S'mores 

I was never a pop tart fan, but these taste great, I got them free with a purchase and I'm down to my last one, they're pretty high in calories but they are lovely!

10. Harajuku Lover's Music Perfume

I know this is techinically July Favourites, but this is my year long favourite perfume. The Gwen Stefani range is cute little figurines but this scent I absolutely love it. Its hard to get in stores here in NI now but I bought this bottle on Ebay! so it was cheaper than normal. 

11. Frankie & Benny' Triple Stack Pancakes

OMG guys, I know i have talked about healthy eating, but the Triple Tack Pancakes from F & B's rocks my world. Two of the pancakes is more than enough for me, but how can I refuse this when its only £5... ugh now I want some!

12. Avon, Nuturing Body Lotion

I'm picky where body lotions are concerned, I find that the kind of ones you get with a perfime set tend to make my skin come out in little rashes, it can't cope with string scents, but this product is brill. I bought it on offer through Avon, the 400ml was about £2.60 and its almost empty, I put it on EVERY DAY. it absorbs into my skin super quick, doesn't stink, it has a lovely oatie smell and is just a great product, so much so I've purchased a new bottle!

SO thats it folks, definitely at, AVON is my go To brand, it has a reputation as an older woman's brand but it has got so trendy, I love that they do so many offers, and deals and everything is so reasonable. Check it out if you haven't already!!

Key Lime Pie Recipe...nom nom nom

So key lime pie is one of my favourite desserts.. My mum usually makes them but I decided to attempt one for my works BBQ last weekend and it came out soooo good, so i'm putting the recipe and pics below... purely because I adapted the recipe a little.

ok so I got the recipe from the Nigela Lawson's latest book (sorry I can't remember the name of it)

this is a picture of 'her' finished result (according to the book anyway)

INGREDIENTS (THAT I USED)

DISCLAIMER: Please Bare in mind I tweaked the recipe a little - i'll explain where below in the ingredients list

You'll need :

Ginger nut biscuits - 300g pack (Nigella advises digestives but i like the extra flavour from a ginger nut in the base 

4 x limes (both rind and juice)

dark chocolate (real good quality) 

397g tin of condensed milk

50g of unsalted butter (room temp)

300mls of double cream

2 table spoons of cocoa powder

You'll also need 

a food processor or the means to break up the biscuits (i used good old bags and a heavy rolling pin)

a greased tin for the pie

grater for the chocolate

2 large sized mixing bowls

a hand whisk or food mixer

a tool to get the rind off your limes

the usual knives etc

• Ok to start with you break up the biscuits into a very fine consistency, I used brute force only by putting the biscuits in a bag and hammering the life outta them with a wooden rolling pin, but next time i'll use a food processor because ginger nuts are pretty tough to break!
• when the biscuits are ready, put them into a bowl and mix them with the cocoa powder, about 4-5 squares of grated dark chocolate (I found a potato peeler the best way to grate the chocolate) and the butter, until they make a fine damp sandy mixture (here is where i think the food processor would work best, i used my hands and although it tasted pretty great, it was still not a nice fine crumbly consistency and didn't bind as perfectly as I'm sure it would have with the food processor.
• then the fun part, basically line the greased tin with the mixture, my mum usually just puts the biscuits on the base however Nigella had it lined up the side so I followed this, I must say tho that 300g of biscuits actually more than covered this tin and then also lined the base of another tin!
• put the base into the fridge while you make the filling

This is how it looked by this stage 

and this is the additional base covered with the remaining mix

 The filling

• Pour the condensed milk into a mixing bowl
• then take the rind off 4 limes and keep it in a separate bowl for decoration at the end 
• cut your limes in half and squeeze the juice of each one into the condensed milk
• pour the double cream into the mixture, then whisk it until its a thick creamy consistency (again you can use a proper whisker if you lie but i went for good old fashioned elbow grease)

Like So

 Pour the filling into the base and smooth it across, you can make patterns if you so wish, the put it in he fridge to set...

This is the remains of filling going into the extra pie!

4 hours minimum however i made my pie the night before so it had all night to set.
 after the setting period decorate it with the rind and shavings of chocolate, and enjoy

This was my finished result!!

 Lessons learned:

• I will definitely not use as many biscuits next time
• I'll use a food processor for the base.. i found that once i took the pie out f the base and cut it it kind of crumbles, this was because the base wasn't crushed up as well as it could have been had I used a food processor.

Overall it tasted great, and went down a treat with all who had it

Let me know if you give it a try guys!

Whats in your Makeup Bag??...TAG ... you're it!

I have already uploaded this as a youtube video some time ago, but figured there'd be no harm in blogging about it too..

so here is the contents of my makeup bag below and my ickle reviews on the items... you've been tagged so its your turn, I want you to share your own makeup bag contents, if you've got a blog, then leave a link to it below, otherwise the comments box shall be your post!!

The Makeup bag itself is a black patented jobby from the No.7 range, it was part of a gift set that Richards sister got me for Christmas, its nice, holds a fair bit, although it is a bit rigid and at the moment i'm trying to downsize my hand bag so that i'm not literally carrying the world on my shoulders, so more often than not its taken out of my bag once I've the makeup on, or left lying somewhere, I think i'm either going to have to get a less sturdy one that I can squash into smaller bags or just go back to lugging around bigger handbags!

Foundations

Foundations firstly ... It can take me a while to find a foundation that I like... but at the minute I am LOVING these two. I did previously use the MaxFactor Experience foundation which I loved because it was not a real thick foundation but gave medium coverage and had lasting power, however when it ran out I decided to give the above foundations a whirl as they were on offer through Avon

they are both from the ideal flawless range and here I have bnoth the foundationa dn the BB cream both in Nude shade.

1.  Ideal Flawless invisible coverage foundations - shade: Nude: this is a great foundation, it retails at around £12 however both times I have bought it within a deal - such as 2 for £12 or buy one get the other half price. this foundation is in a pump bottle and I find a maximum of 3 pumps does me (as i put foundation on my neck) it is SPF15 which is reassuring, has a good even coverage, doesnt have a yucky smell and i think its affordable ... this is my second bottle and i'm unlikely to switch to any other foundation aside from the maxfactor if i see it at a cheap price
2. Ideal flawless skin loving beauty balm. Shade: Nude: I love the idea of beauty balms, however i have tried many and not found one that does what it promises, all of the ones i have tried have just turned out to be a pretty pathetic form of liquid concealor trying to be a foundation.. this one was the exact same when I initially tried it, until i realised, that i wasn't looking after my skin properly, once i injected alot more water into my daily diet - 8 glasses (250mls) per day i was delighted to see my acne clear up and then i was able to give this baby a try. Even though it takes as much effort as the fuller coverage to apply, because its a BB cream somehow i have it in my head that its not as heavy on my skin (i can be a bit of a douche tho haha). it evens out my skintone, doesnt clog my pores and feels nice and light, so yip defo on better skin days I'm happy to wear this one and im pleased to announce its the first BB cream I can give 2 big fat thumbs up to.

Natural Collection selection

Natural collection rocks my world... Why you may ask? well because its reasonable prices for good cosmetics. i love that they do alot of 3 for £5 promotions... also all their items cost under £2 anyway, and they are gentle on my skin... so the following items are in my make up bag.

3. Suntint Bronzing powder in Sunshine shade: i'm not bigly into bronzing powders because i have my own makeup routine pretty much sorted, and for some reason i cant get bronzer to look quite right on me... until I watched Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter YT channels, makeup video and she applied bronzer in a simple but effective way... and I have copied that and found it works... so thanks Louise!! I bought this one to try it, and its served me well thus far

4. Loose Powder in Neutral Translucent: I always need a loose powder, or a mattifying powder... I don't rock the dewy look well, and i dont feel comfortable in foundation unless I know i have a powder to finish it off. this one is probably my most favourite powder. i like that its a neutral colour so it doesnt make my face all white straight after i put a good shade of foundation on, it seems to hold my foundation for longer and it doesnt clog up my face or lie heavy over any concealor i may have applied

5.  Cover up stick in Fair: concealor is a girls best friend. when I have breakout moments, foundation isnt enough, I run this bad boy under my eyes, along the sides of my nose where it can be read, and over my spots before I apply foundation, and after foundation if there's still any redness i'll dab a little on before i put powder on. this shade has stuck with me through thick and think where others haven't. i don't particularly like liquid concealors. I've been advised to try this YSL concealor pen (the holy grail of concealors apparently) but to be honest i'm to scared to waste the money on something i may not use... so if anyone has a sample of this i'd receive it happily to try and review!

6. Duo Eyeshadow in Mocha/Latte: Again Sprinkle of glitter gets the credit for this purchase... not because she reviewed it but because she reviewed a highlighter shadow and to me this was the next best thing. I wear glasses or contacts (glasses in work anyway) and so i never saw the point in doing eye makeup, but after watching her makeup tutorial I gave the highlighter eyes a whirl and loved the outcome. i'm pretty handly at applying (my own) makeup and so i got this duo as i liked the bright colour as a highlighter. i generally apply the white under the browbone and across the lid, and then i put the darker colour into the outer socket and sort of blend it in, it really makes my eyes pop!

7. Cream blushers in Rosy Pink & Bourbon bloom: I love cream blushers, they are so much easier to apply and again these shades are lovely and affordable. i prefer the pink shade as its lighter and brightens up my pale complexion, but the darker one is good for the days you're feeling a bit more adventurous.

                                                                  Eyes and Lips                                               

1. No 7 Intense Volume Mascara in Black: I tend to use whatever Mascara is in a good deal, but this one came with the gift set and its proven to be worth its tiny weight in gold. its a mini bottle which is handy, and is hypoallergenic.. that being said I don't have sensitive eyes as I wear contacts and am used to footering about with my eyes, however my sister has sensitive eyes and says she wouldn't use any other type of mascara. It doesn't clump in my lashes and its a nice little pack, so not bad for a freebie.

2. 17 Eyebrown penicl/shaper in Natural Brown: I have been blessed with very fair and very fine eyebrows, so much so that they don't need waxed at all!.. however whilst my hair darkened as i got older the eyebrows didn't and so i either choose to get them tinted or have to use eyebrow pencil to fill them in. this one matched my hair perfectly, i dont really use the wee brush thingy but overall i'm happy with this pencil and its lasted me a good while now!

3. Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in 02 bronze: I tend to wear eyeliner only when I've put my contacts in and this is a lovely color, it has a glittery effect and really makes my blue eyes pop

4. No. 7 stay perfect lipstick in Light Bronze: I don't generally wear lipsticks. i have quite dry lipos and they're thin and lipstick tends to make them look even thinner, however this came with the bag and i do like it, as long as i put a gloss on over it.

5. Avon colour-trend lipstick in nudeflash: Ok i'm just about to contradict myself but yes, i wear this all the time, and technically its called lipstick however it was advertised as a lip crayon when i bought it and to me it isnt a lipstick, even though its a stick you put on your lips.. clear? not really... oh well! this is lovely, i put it on AFTER a lip balm and its a lovely nude colour that does make my lips look plumper so it's all good!

6. lip balms - savex original medicated balm and blestex lip medex: I always have medicated lip balm close to hand for my lips are sensitive and dry out easily. the medicated ones work better than vaseline for me as they keep them moist, and they have a lovely cooling effect. the savex would be my favourite as it has a lovely menthol scent. the Lip medex from Blistex I got in Canada last year and i'm not sure if its available int he UK, however I only use it if the savex isnt near by

Brushes and such like

I always have these brushes in my makeup bag, they're my go to applicators 

1. Kabuki brush from 17 range - I use this for my loose powder.

2. double ended contouring brush - this is from a Fearne cotton set I inherited from my sister who never opened it. It has a stipled end and a shaped end, I mainly use the stipled end as I aint no contouring queen!

3. Eyeshadow brush - again from Fearne cotton set, I use the stiffer edge for highlight/base coat and the stipled end for darker colours

4. eye/lip pencil sharpener: this is ancient, I got it from Avon and one end sharpens eye pencils, the other sharpens lip pencils. needless to say the lip side is rarely used

5. eyelash curler: I got this from superdrug. I have long eye lashes and always like to curl them before I apply mascara

So there ye go... my current makeup bag. I'll maybe update this downt he line when things change (which usually happens eventually)

SO like I said... Tag you're it... i've shown you mine, now you show me yours!!

byeeee

N