MAC 217 For £1?

So I've been testing out these MAC 217 dupe brushes for a good few months now and I thought it would be about time I share my opinions on them!

I ordered a MAC 217 dupe for 99p on eBay out of curiosity as I had seen someone on Instagram purchase some. I also caved in and bought the real MAC 217 brush, and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to compare the two.

On the left you will see the 99p version, and on the right the £19 MAC one.

When I first received the eBay brush I was highly impressed. Fall out of the bristles was minimal and the brush seemed very soft. First impressions of the MAC brush was even higher, no fall out and the bristles where unbelievably soft.

After a few washes the eBay brush became slightly less soft, which was expected, but still usable. The shape had changed slightly, but still was good for blending out eyeshadow. The MAC brush held up very well after the first few washes, I couldn't notice a difference.

After a further amount of washes the eBay brush is still performing well, the shape has change a lot  and the bristles have become more scratchy the more I blended, but still is usable. But the MAC brush is as good as when I first bought it!

Overall, I think the eBay brush is good for using alongside the MAC 217 brush, but without the 217 brush, my eye makeup doesn't look as good! I think you should try out the eBay brush (what have you got to loose?!) and then purchase the 217 if you're not really feeling it! For the price you pay I definitely think the MAC brush is worth it, as it's going to last you for years without needing to purchase a new one.

So what are your opinions on the MAC brushes compared to your bog standard ones? Let me know in the comments!

Olivia x

The Best Eyebrow Products!

So today I'm talking eyebrows! I absolutely loving filling in my eyebrows and achieving that full looking brow. I have quite thick brows naturally, but these are the products I use to make them look more defined and less messy..!

I use a brow powder, pencil and gel! But this combination creates gorgeous looking brows!

Now first of all I need to tell you about the Seventeen Brow's That brow kit! This has the best brow powder I have ever tried. I've gone through one, and I'm on my second. The rest of the products in the kit are also good, but I've found better. This palette is six pounds, yes, six pounds! The only major downside is that it only comes in one colour. Luckily this shade matches me perfectly. I use the shadow in the kit to fill in three quarters of the brow.

The next product I use is the MAC brow pencil in Lingering. This is also an amazing product! I use this lightly to fill in the front of the brow. This is perfect because you can draw in individual hairs, and create a much more natural look. 

The last product is the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in medium brown. I'm also on my second one of these! This holds the brow perfectly, and gives a little extra colour to the brow. I'm not 100% sure on the brush, but the product inside is amazing.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite brow products are! 

Olivia x

The Best Powder Ever?

Now I'm not one to rave about a powder, but this deserves a mention! This is beats all powders, it's just amazing. Now I'm talking about the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder. You've probably heard big beauty bloggers like ViviannaDoesMakeup talk about this and say how much they like it, and I completely agree with them.

From the picture above you can see how much I've used, which I think really does show how much I love this. It's very finely milled and gives a small amount of coverage. It reduces the amount of shine I get throughout the day, but doesn't leave your face looking cakey and dull, it leaves a nice (I guess healthy!) look to the skin. I would 100% recommend this to anyone! It is more of a pricey powder considered its from Boots/Superdrug. It's priced at £8.99, but I have heard it is a very good dupe for one of the Chanel powders! 

I hope I've enlightened you to an amazing product! Let me know in the comments if you've tried it or you're going to!

Olivia x

Kylie Jenner Lips For All Budgets

Over the past few months everyone has been drooling over the Kylie Jenner nude lip. Whether you believe it is created by overdrawing the lips, lip fillers, or maybe both, that's up to you. But today I'm going to be sharing the lipsticks and pencil I have found which will be available for everyone, no matter your budget! 

Going in price order, I'll start with the Kiko lip pencil I have found. This is from Kiko's affordable range, and it's their smart lip pencil in the colour 704, brick red. This is a deep mauve/red colour, which can be used to line the lips and fill them in. I recommend using a lip balm underneath as they can be quite drying, but that can be easily forgiven as they're only £2.50 a pencil! They also have a good lasting power, which is always a bonus!

Next up I have another Kiko product (I'm loving Kiko at the moment!) and it's their Velvet Matte Lipstick in the shade, 602, natural rose. First of all I need to mention the packaging! The packaging of these is gorgeous. It feels very luxurious, and much more expensive than the £6.90 price tag. These lipsticks are super creamy, and not that drying for a matte lipstick. This is more of a lighter version of the nude Kylie normally wears, so perfect for anyone wanting more of a subtle look. 

The last lipstick is from MAC. You might of seen this in my recent haul, if not, you can check it out here! I have been loving this lipstick recently, it's very creaming and not overly drying. The shade is spirit, which is very similar to velvet teddy, which is out of stock everywhere! This is very close to the shade Kylie actually wears (which I do believe is either Soar or Whirl lip liner?) so this is great if you can't find those shades anywhere. This is the highest priced lipstick out of the bunch at £15.50, but you really do get what you pay for with MAC lipsticks. 

So I hope you enjoyed this post!

Let me know what's your favourite in the comments! 

Olivia x

Nails: The Best of the Red's

So today I'm talking nail varnish...

While at school I have to keep things on the down low, by wearing mainly Barry M Lychee over and over, but today I've ventured out and experimented with some reds!

From left to right: Rimmel, Nails Inc, No7, OPI

Above I have picked out a variety of reds! From a near orange red, to a deeper red. 

First of all, my personal favourite out of the bunch would have to be the OPI one, but one annoying thing would be that I cannot find the name of it anywhere! Is it just mine or don't they print the names on the smaller bottles?! The formula of this polish is lovely, goes on very easily and dries relatively fast too.

The next one also has had its name rubbed off, and thats the No7 one. I've had this for some time and they've repackaged and possibly changed the formula, I'm not entirely sure... I do love the colour of this but I hate the formula, It's so thick and literally never dries! I'm sure there are better ones on the market.

The next two are very similar in colour, and to be honest, are equally as good. The Rimmel one is in the shade 030, and the Nails Inc one in St James. I like both, but would repurchase the Rimmel one as it's a third of the price, and performs almost exactly the same. They both are your classic red colour, which every girl needs!

So I hope your enjoyed reading me blabber on about red nails!

Leave me a comment with any blogpost's you would like me to write!

Olivia x

Makeup Haul!

So recently I've done some shopping, and these are the things I purchased, and a mini review alongside them!

NARS Laguna Bronzer £27 

Amazing, amazing bronzer! But you can find cheaper alternatives. 

Seventeen Brows That Brow Kit £5.99

This is the best brow kit for dark brows and is a repurchase!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics £22

I have a full review already on my blog here.

Seventeen Skin Wow Primer £5.99

Very similar to Benefit high beam, but it can be used all over your face as well! Really nice for gorgeous glowing skin. 

Kiko Smart Lipstick 918 £3.90 

A really nice lipstick for the price, but there weren't that many colours that I liked. 

Topshop Lipstick Inhibition £8

I loved the colour of this but the actual lipstick bullet broke off! 

MAC Lipstick Spirit £15.50

Perfect Kylie Jenner nude colour, which I was looking for!

So that was everything I have bought recently! If you would like more in depth reviews on any of the products, then let me know in the comments! 

Olivia x

Urban Decay Naked Basics Vs Naked 2 Basics

So I have been waiting for the release of the Naked 2 Basics palette for some time, and when I saw Feel Unique had 10% off I grabbed the chance and bought it.

Now I love my original Naked Basics, but I'm undecided on the Naked 2 Basics.

The Naked Basics palette is more on the warm side, and therefore goes along with the Naked Palette. The Naked 2 Basics is more cool toned, and goes alongside the Naked 2 Palette. 

Both of the palettes consist of the usual high quality buttery eyeshadows Urban Decay produces. They both include a good light all over the lid colour and good crease colours. They also provide an option to smoke up the eyeshadow with the darker colour in the palettes. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

From Left-Right: Venus, Foxy W.O.S, Naked 2, Faint, Crave 

 As you can see from the pictures above I have used it a lot! I do really love the Naked Basics palette and would repurchase it again and again! I feel there are a nice mix of colours with some nice highlighting shades and crease colours, which are all super blendable.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics 

From Left-Right: Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal, Undone

The Naked 2 Basics palette does also have some lovely shades, I just prefer the more warm toned colours. I feel like this palette is missing the black, as I'm not a fan of the grey. I also really love the colour foxy from the original basics palette (as you can probably tell!) and I feel it isn't complete without it.

Overall I think they are both equal in quality and both are gorgeous, but I think the Naked Basics palette wins me over. Tell me what one your prefer in the comments!

Olivia x

The Makeup Addict Tag!

So this week i'm doing the makeup addict tag! Now if you haven't guessed already, I have an addiction to makeup! So this tag is perfect!

Now lets begin...

Which product do you keep buying, despite having plenty of in your collection?
Probably blushers, I have quite a few..!

Whats the one product you couldn't live without?
Mascara, otherwise my eyes look tiny!

Your favourite makeup brand?
NARS! I really love their products, and may have made a sneaky purchase yesterday...

How big is your makeup collection?
It's not massive, but for a 15 year old, it's not small.

How do you like to store your makeup collection?
Currently I have a dressing table, and most of it is in Muji Acrylic storage, but i've actually ran out of space to store my makeup so some of it is in random bowls! But I will be getting a new dressing table sometime next year!

How many items of makeup do you have in your handbag at the moment?
Currently only a real techniques buffing brush and a random face powder!

If you could raid another blogger's stash, who's would it be?
Definitely ViviannaDoesMakeup. I love her blog and youtube so much! I also feel she would have the most luxurious products!

How long does your normal makeup routine take, and how many products do you use?
It takes me around 25 minutes at the least, depending on what look i'm going for. I use around 8 products on a daily basis, but I sometimes switch it up!

Have you ever bought makeup with the intention not to use it?
No?

And that was the last question! I hope you enjoyed this tag!

Leave me a comment with an answer to one of these questions!

Olivia x

Current Beauty Wish List!

These are some of the things on my beauty wish list!

 Products Shown

Bare Minerals READY Foundation  

MAC Margin Blusher

MAC Beauty Balm

Nars Contour Kit

Benefit Sweet Tintations Set

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

So those are all the things which are currently on my wish list! Do you have anything that you're lusting over? Let me know in the comments!

Olivia x

Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour

Recently I spent my boots points on the Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour. It is amazing.

Now I haven't tried loads of cream/stick form blushers as I prefer a normal powder blush, but this is just wonderful, definitely worth the £19 price tag.

I chose the colour robust rhubarb, which is a reddy, coral colour. (This was my favourite of the bunch!) They come in 3 other colours, Roly Poly Rosy, Amp'd up Apple and Plumped up Peony. They are all gorgeous colours, and I may have to purchase another! 

Blended

The middle picture shows a swatch and the picture below shows what it looks like blended out. The colour can be made as bright or as subtle as you would like!

The formula of these is very creamy, but not overly creamy. They are extremely blendable which is what I like about them. I swipe a small line just beside the apple of my cheek and blend with my fingers. As simple as that. 

The price of these is reasonable for a high end product, and for how good it is! I would 100% recommend these! They retail for £19 each and can be bought in Boots, House of Fraser, Feel Unique, etc!

Have any of you tried these, or have I persuaded you to buy one!? Let me know in the comments.

Olivia x

Dainty Statement > Midi Rings

So recently I found myself wearing rings a lot. I literally never wear rings so this is weird for me. I especially love midi rings, they're so small and dainty, but in a way are quite quirky.

 


I love the way they look, very different to normal rings! The simplest of ring will look amazing as a midi ring. My favourite ones I own are shown above,  I got them from Urban Outfitters, but you can  buy them almost anywhere.

Whats your opinion on Midi Rings? Do you love them or hate them? Let me know in the comments.

Olivia x

Everyday Eyemakeup

Today I thought I'd show you the eye makeup look I do everyday! 

As I have very oily eyelids (slight TMI!) I have to use an eye primer, I like to use Urban Decay Original Eye Primer. It. Is. Amazing. I'm sure you've heard a lot about it so I won't bore you! I then use Maybellines Colour Tattoo in 'on and on bronze.' Again, this is an amazing cream eyeshadow, as good as the MAC, bobbi brown and origins ones! I use this to make my eyeshadow more vibrant, and again to make it last longer. Now as you can see I'm a big fan of my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and I've hit the pan on almost all of them. For this eye look I use Suspect all over the lid and Snakebite on the outer corners. I then blend it out with the 217 brush from MAC. I then smudge the Stila smudge stick in shade Lionfish on the top and bottom lash line. I then use lashings of one of my favourite mascaras, Benefit 'They're real.'

From left to right: Maybelline Colour tattoo in 'On and On Bronze.' Urban Decay eyeshadow in Suspect and Snakebite. Stila smudgestick in 'Lionfish'

So that's my everyday eye makeup look! I hope you enjoyed!

What eye products do you use everyday? Let me know in the comments.

Olivia x

Top 3 Drugstore Foundations For Oily Skin!

Today I'm talking foundation! Recently I have been buying a lot of foundations from the drugstore (oops!) and these are my favourite ones!

I thought I'd start with one of my old favourites! This has been one of my favourites for quite a few months now and it's L'oreal Infallible 24 Hour Foundation. This gives such a nice finish to the skin, not completely matte, but not overly dewy, so perfect for oily/combination skins! This also has a relatively good staying power, not quite 24 hours though! 

 

My next favourite is Revlon Colourstay for Oily/Combination skin! Now I don't know someone with oily skin who doesn't like this foundation. It has full coverage and an excellent staying power! I don't know what else I can say, except this is a really good foundation and would 100% recommend!

My last but certainly not least favourite is Bourjois healthy mix! Now if you saw my current favourites then you would know I already love this. It has a matte finish, but not powdery looking or cakey. It has really good staying power and feels so light on the skin. The coverage is good as well! This is also a definite must buy for oily skin. Perfect for everyday wear! 

I hope this helped any people with oily/combination skin find a perfect foundation in the drugstore! There are many more foundations that I like in the drugstore, these are just my absolute favourites! If you would like a foundation collection and a mini review on all of them, then let me know if the comments!

What are your favourite foundations? 

Olivia x

Current Beauty Favourites!

So today I ventured outside and took pictures of some of my favourite products!

 

So the first thing I have been enjoying is the healthy mix range from bourjois. I have really been liking the original healthy mix foundation and powder. I love this duo because it keeps my oily skin quite matte looking but not overly matte, if that makes sense! I would definitely recommend this for oily skins! 

 



The next face product I have been enjoying is from Kiko. I wondered in there not really expecting to find anything but I walked out with this at a steal price of £4 reduced from £12.90! This is a limited edition product so if you go in soon you should be able to pick one up! It's one of their blushers but its such a light shade so I'd use it as a highlighter. It's really gorgeous at giving a subtle highlight for everyday. I have it in the shade pearly rock.

My next favourite is the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette! (Who's excited for the basics 2? Because I know I am!) I love using this for an everyday look using Foxy all over the lid and Faint on the top and bottom lash line! If I want a more dramatic look I will use Faint in the crease and then smoke it out with Crave! 

My next favourite is Rimmels accelerator endless mascara! Mine has sadly almost reached the end so a trip to boots is needed! I love this because it gives my lashes really good length. I like to pair it with  Benefits they're real mascara for more volume! 

My last favourite is a recent perfume purchase. I saw this on offer in boots for only £20! Yet another bargain! It's Vera Wang Lovestruck, Floral Rush! This is such a gorgeous scent for daytime! I'm awful at describing scents so it will probably be best for you to google the description! 

So those are my favourites at the moment! What have you been loving recently? Let me know in the description! 

Also I thought I'd let you know I've recently joined bloglovin so you can follow me on there by clicking the link at the top of the page! I also have twitter! @MirrorrMirrorr

Olivia x

Shoe Favourite: Vagabond Grace

So today I'm talking shoe favourites! Now I'm not a person who buys lots of cheaper shoes, I like to invest in maybe 4 good quality pairs of shoes. For me thats two pairs of trainers and two pairs of boots! The latest addition to my collection is the Vagabond Grace boot. I've had these for around a month and here is my opinion on them!

So I'm going to come straight out with it and say I LOVE these shoes! I love that there isn't a massive heel, just the right height, seeing as I'm 5'9 and don't want to be wearing massive heeled boots! I also love that they're relatively comfortable once you've worn them in. 

These retail for £80 but if you have a student card like me, you can get them for £72! In my opinion these are 100% worth the money, they are a very versatile boot which can be worn with almost anything. They're also very good quality! 

I hope you enjoyed! 

Also check me out on twitter - @MirrorrMirrorr

Olivia x

Get To Know Me Tag!

Hi guys!
Yet again I have been slacking with my blogging but now I am back for good!

I thought I would come back with the get to know me tag! I haven't told you much about me so I thought this would be a great idea!

So lets get started..

1. Do you have a middle name?
Yes I do! My middle name is Isobel.

2. What was/is your favourite subject in school?
Well I'm still in school (only one year left!) and I am enjoying maths at the moment but I do enjoy most subjects!

3. What's your favourite drink? 
I'm not a massive drink lover if that makes sense?! I would say my favourite drink is either hot chocolate or orange juice!

4. What's your favourite song at the moment?
Retrograde by James Blake.

5. What would you name your children?
This is something I don't really think about if I honest but I like the name poppy if I had a girl!

6. Do you participate in any sports?
Nope! I'm not a massive sports player and I dread any P.E. lessons. I do occasionally work out if that counts.

7. Whats your favourite book?
I know its bad but I don't really read so I don't have one! I prefer to read blogs.

8. What's you're favourite colour? 
Well I think my favourite colour is black as most of my clothes are black! Black also goes with almost EVERYTHING! Pink was my favourite colour for a while though!

9. Whats your favourite animal? 
I'm not a massive animal lover but my favourite animal would be a dog!

10. What's your favourite perfume?
Now this is an easy question! I would definitely have to say Chanel Chance.

11. What's your favourite holiday?
Either Halloween or Christmas! I can't decide.

12. Have you graduated from High School?
Well I don't go to High School as I'm from England but I haven't finished school yet, I've got one more year left.

13. Have you travelled outside your country? 
Yes I have. I've been to Iceland and France.

14. Do you Speak any other languages?
Well I don't speak any other languages fluently but I have learnt a bit of Spanish, French and Italian.

15. Do you have any siblings? 
Yes I do! I have a younger brother and sister!

16. What's your favourite store?
Mines definitely Selfridges. I could spend hours in there browsing the beauty counters!

17. What's your favourite restaurant? 
Wagamamas all the way!

18. Do you like school? 
Sometimes I do, but sometimes I just really want to leave!

19. Who are some of your favourite youtubers?
I love essisbutton, missbudgetbeauty and beautycrush.

20. What's your favourite movie? 
In Time is my all time favourite film, I just love everything about it!

21. What are some of your favourite TV shows?
I have so many! 90210, Topboy, 8 Simple Rules, Misfits, Skins and American Horror Story.

22. PC or Mac? 
Mac, Definitely Mac.

23. What phone do you have?
iPhone 4s. Had it for 2 and a half long years. Hoping to upgrade when the new one comes out!

24. How tall are you? 
5'9

25. Any pets?
For a person who doesn't like animals I have a lot of pets! They are either my mums or my sisters mainly! 3 rabbits, 3 guinea pigs, 2 dogs and a horse!

I hope you enjoyed this and if you would like me to answer any other questions, leave them in the comments!

Also I recently got twitter to link with my blog so if you want to follow me or ask me any questions there then go ahead! It's @MirrorrMirrorr

Olivia x

Top 3 ways to make weight loss easier!

Hi guys!

Long time no see! Sorry I've had a break from blogging recently but I've been super busy! Now onto the post..

As summer is here I know everyone is trying to keep their summer body in top shape all through summer! Recently I have lost over around twenty pounds, which has impacted me dramatically! But that's a whole other post!

During my weight loss I tried to stick to these tips to help it a lot easier for me.

My first tip is to go to sleep earlier! Now we all know sleep has many benefits, but did you know it can help you lose weight? Going to sleep earlier will stop you from late night snacking, but it also is proven to make you less likely to eat fattier foods and to lean towards more healthy options the next day. So a win win in my opinion!

My second tip is to not buy high calorific foods! If its not in the house, then you won't eat it right? When going shopping pick lots of fruit and vegetables. One of my favourite healthy snacks is cucumber and hummus!

My last tip is to drink lots of water and green tea! Drinking water or green tea before any meal will make your stomach full with liquid, so when you go to eat your meal you'll already be half full! Also green tea is proven to fasten your metabolism, so this will make burning calories much much easier!

So I hope you enjoyed this health and fitness related post! Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more of these!

Olivia x

Favourite mascaras!

These are my top three picks for mascara!

For me personally I don't think it is worth shedding out extra money on mascara as you can get just as good ones on the highstreet. These are a few of my favourites!

My first favourite is Rimmel Accelerator Endless. This is amazing for giving length and a bit volume. This is very cheap at the bargain price of £7.99 per tube.

This mascara has a plastic brush which doesn't bother me. I don't have a preference when it comes to mascara brushes, if they work with my lashes, they work!

Rimmel Accelerator Endless 

My next favourite is Maybelline The Falsies. This is an all around great mascara and probably is my favourite in the drugstore. This gives amazing volume and length, wouldn't quite go as far as saying that it gives the false eyelash effect though! 

This has a bristle brush and is slightly curved when you look at it from the side, which I find really helps grip onto the lashes.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara 

My last but certainly not least favourite is a highend mascara. Now I technically haven't splurged on the full size ever but I have been very tempted! It is Benefits They're real! Now this gets a lot of hype, but I think it is all worth it! Its an eye watering £19.50 per tube for something that will last around 3 months! It has a plastic wand with a type of ball on the end which makes it very easy to catch the outer lashes easily. Just a side not though, if you do not like waterproof mascaras then I don't think you would like this as it can be a bit of a pain to get off at the end of the day! 

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara 

    

So they're all my favourites! Have you tired any of these? Or do you have any recommendations? 

Olivia x