Mac Viva Glam "Nicki" Lipstick

Mac Viva Glam Lipstick - Nicki - £14.00

9/10

What Mac says: "Mac and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create Viva Glam Nicki, a scene-stealing lipstick. The full RRP (less VAT) from the sale of this lipstick is paid to Mac Aids Funds and goes towards helping women, men and kids everywhere affected by HIV and AIDS. Limited Edition"

What I say: I know most people love Mac but for some reason I just have never been a Mac girl - I think it is because there has never been one that local to me. So at the grand old age of 23 this was my first Mac lipstick - I have used their face products before but never anything for the lips or eyes. 

The one thing that really drew me to this lipstick other than the colour was the fact that all the profit goes to charity and I thought that was really lovely. However, I did go to Mac Pro in Soho with the intention of buying a coral summer shade. The make up artist in there suggested this one straight away and once I had it on, I knew I was going to be taking it home with me. For me it is a very bold colour but I think it will look beautiful once the sun finally comes out. 

Pros:

- I love how bold it is, I tend to stick to nudes or bright reds for nights out, so this is a bit of a change for me.

- The colour lasts, it does kind of stain your lips but I don't mind that because it means it take a little longer until I feel the need to reapply. 

- It is highly pigmented and really thick so gives a full coverage in one application.

- I think for the quality it isn't that expensive and I will definitely be investing in some more Mac lipsticks.

Cons: 

- Most of my cons are personal preferences, for one I find this shade quite bold and I don't know how much everyday wear I could get out of it even though I love it. 

- You need to make sure you get all dry skin off your lips and use a balm before apply as this colour is so thick it will highlight any dryness (which most bold lipsticks would)

Have you tried anything from the Viva Glam Range? 

Revlon Colorstay - Coastal Surf Nail Enamel

Revlon Colorstay - 170 Coastal Surf - £7.99

Today has been such a sunny and beautiful day, it is the first time this year that it has looked like Spring, shame that it hasn't felt it though. In honour of the blue skies and gorgeous sun, I decided to dig out one of my new shades that I have recently bought. The new Revlon Colorstay polishes have one of the best formulas that I have tried in a nail varnish. The colour brushes on the same as it looks in the bottle, and I have only applied one coat. I always use a clear base coat and a clear extra shine top coat. 

This Coastal Surf shade looks as though it is going to be one of my favourite of the spring/summer. I don't tend to wear blues and I am sometimes quite unadventurous with the colours that I wear/buy. But with this shade there is something bright and uplifting about it which shouts out fun and they make a statement. Revlon Coastal Surf Nail Polish is such a beautiful, bright and solid blue shade that I think will suit almost every skin tone. The formula of the polish is very different from lots of others on the high street, I don't think I have ever tried a colour which gives such a bold and full coverage in one coat. It is definitely a one coat, super glossy finish and extremely easy to apply. It says that is last up to 11 days and I will be hopefully putting that to the test even though I usually change my polish weekly.  I can't fault this polish at all and I will be definitely buying a lot more colours in this range.

Summer Self Tanning Plan

As we are currently enjoying the Great British Summer here in the UK and as there is not chance that I'm going to get a real tan, so a bottle job is probably all it shall be for June. Like most people I do love a tan but I am more of a golden glow over an orange tango look. So from the above products, I don't apply them all at once obviously otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd look like a horrific mess. But I use them all for different purposes on different occasions. 


Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tanner for a Deep Sun-Kissed Look - £5.10 for 250ml

This is perfect for everyday use, and it is create a buildable tan it nourishes the skin and leaves it feeling soft and subtle. It doesn't smell like fake tan but has a strong apricot smell. I do find that if you don't wash your hands afterwards it can leave a certain residue between your fingers, and it looks orange... (not good) but overall it is a pretty darn good gradual tanner. 

Garnier Ambre Solaire Self-Tanning Dry Body Mist (Medium) - £11.69 for 150ml

I'm pretty much a fake tan virgin, I mean I have had a spray tan before but have never used a fake tan myself done by myself - if that makes sense. I have always been scared that I would either come out the wrong colour or go streaky. You don't notice when you first apply this product as the tan doesn't come through until about 2-3 hours after application. It dries pretty much instantly but I tend to do a little wiggle dance before putting clothes on. I do love this and it doesn't wash off completely in the shower however you can get darker areas which is a bit annoying, but they also tend to blend out once you've had a shower. 




Garnier Ambre Solaire Self-Tanning Mousse - £13.99 for 150ml

Now onto the instant tanners - There is a positive, negative aspect of this tanning mousse. The positive being that it doesn't come out really dark from the first application but the negative is that if you want something to be instantly dark then it wouldn't be the right one for you. One thing which I find different from a gel tanner to a mousse tanner is that it smoothes onto your skin lightly and doesn't clog your pores. It gives a lovely light sun kissed colour and doesn't give that "fake" looking tan. It doesn't come completely off in the shower but does fade significantly.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Medium Matte - £6 for 125ml

This fake tan is for a one night only job; it is easy to apply, it washes off instant and gives a super dark glow. I'm not really a sweaty person (nice for you to know) so it generally doesn't come off, however if you dribble rose down you or it decides to rain... this tan can leave water splats over you, which isn't create when you see the pictures of you the next day. Without any conflicting liquids this fake tan is great - though it does smell like fake tan which is a bit of a bummer. 

Soltan Tanning Mitten - £3.99 

Unfortunately, I didn't have a clean one to photograph so here is my manky one. But this bad boy makes sure that my tan blends in with no harsh lines and smudging. I recommend any fake-tanner to own a few of these as they always come in handy.

My 5 Week Challenge

I'm the biggest non-runner in the world. I hate it so much, I used to walk around cross country at school and refused to run for buses/trains/tubes. However, at the start of 2012, it was the biggest ambition of mine to do the Race For Life. Now like most families theses days, mine has been unfortunately affected by cancer. My Auntie caught her cervical cancer late because she didn't pick up the signs, but luckily after a tough battle she has pulled through. And more recently my other Auntie has sadly been diagnosed with her second bout of breast cancer. This has made me more determined than ever to run and to raise as much money as I can.


From the title of this post, I have 5 weeks until the big day. I'm running at Clapham Common on the 4th July for the 5km race. I know you can walk, jog or run the distance, and I could easily walk it as I walk that distance to and from work somedays. Though I want to push myself and attempt to run it. I also think this will generate more donations from friends and family as they know my relationship with running. 


This means that over the next 5 weeks. I will be keeping you posted on my efforts. Let me know if you have joined the Race for Life 2012 :)