Rio Rio | Topshop - A New Favourite

Topshop Lipstick in 'Rio Rio' - Link

Hey lovelies! Sorry for my lack of posting lately; things have been really hectic lately but hopefully it'll start to relax again soon and I can blog more regularly. Today I have a post about a product I have fallen for recently. If you read my recent beauty haul then you'll know I recently bought my first ever Topshop makeup items! Ooooh, how exciting! In the set that I got there was a cream blush in the shade 'Morning Dew' and a lipstick in the shade 'Rio Rio'. Since buying the lipstick, I have been wearing it non-stop and is fast becoming my go-to shade. I'm definately not a bright lips girl as I'm more into lip balm however I think this lipstick may have converted me. I have been wanted to try a Topshop lipstick for a while as I've read so many rave reviews about the quality (some say it's similar to that of MAC - some say better!) so I though I'd give one a go!

Firstly, the packaging. Packaging is important and Topshop have certainly not let me down. The lipstick is cased in a pretty black and white tube that is quirky and cute due to the stripes and text font but still sophisticated due to the colour scheme. Also, on the bottom, the name sticker mirrors the colour of the lipstick which I love as it makes routing round for it so much easier. The size is also quite small making it handy for stashing in my handbag. Overall, I love the packing is one of my favourites for lip products.

Onto the colour.. 'Rio Rio' is a beautiful red shade with quite strong orange undertones. It is extremely bright and therefore not for the faint-hearted however it has converted me, maybe it could for you? As it is so bold, I've been loving wearing this on days were I don't have time to apply more than a coat of mascara to my eyes. I find that this lipstick instantly makes me feel more 'done' even without a tonne of eye makeup. The combination of a bold lip and simple eyes is one of my favourites. On the photos above, the colour in the actual tube looks way too pink (sorry, bad lighting!). It is just slightly less orange than the photo on myself shows. The colour is just perfect for summer and I think it would look gorgeous with a tan. I can imagine this on beautiful tanned skin with just a hint of tinted moisturizer, a coat of mascara and beachy waves. I am unfortunately not blessed with tanned skin or beachy hair however I still love it on my NW10 skin.

Finally, onto the formula. I hate lipsticks in that the majority of them dry out my lips however this seems to be an exception. It's a semi-matte finish in that it goes on quite glossy then after a while goes matte. When I first wore this, I was quite worried about it been matte (we do not get along! I'm talking about you Kate Moss 107!) however this is not drying in the slightest. One coat and my lips are beautifully moisturized and opaque. In terms of lasting power, it lasts a few hours then I need a touch up. I usually wipe off the remaining lipstick, add a coat of my EOS then apply a new coat of 'Rio Rio' just to avoid any flakes. If I'm eating (which I tend to do.. a lot!) the lipstick will obviously come off however I don't mind pulling out this cute little packaging. 

Overall, I absolutely love this lipstick! The packaging is cute, the colour is gorgeous, it lasts a long time and it doesn't dry out my lips - perfect! My only issue with this lipstick is that you don't seem to get very much product. I've never actually reached the bottom of a lipstick so this may be a minor issue. Topshop lipsticks retail at £8.00 which isn't too cheap however Revlon lip products retail at £7.99 so it's definitely drugstore. When comparing it to MAC's £15.00, it's a bargain considering the formulation is apparently extremely similar (I unfortunalty can't comment on that *sobs*). I am currently on the hunt for new colours to try so if you have any recommendations, let me know :)

Megan xx

Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit | MUA

Hey guys! Today's post will be a review of this wonderful little brow kit I recently purchased. I was looking through the MUA counter in Superdrug counter one day and when I saw this I got a little giddy. I have been after a brow kit for a while now and I am quite please with what I got. This kit was £3.50 which I think is extremely reasonable considering Benefit's Browzings retails for £23.50. Sleek do a dupe of Browzings for £8.49 and even though it is considerably cheaper, it's still a little expensive for a me.

Packaging: When it comes to makeup, packaging is important. I know it shouldn't matter but lets face it, it does. If I don't like the look of a product then I just won't buy it so packaging really does make all the difference. Now, at £3.50 I wasn't expecting anything too special however I am pleasantly surprised. Firstly, it feels quite chunky and sturdy which I like as I don't feel like it will break any time soon. Secondly, it has a mirror inside which is the same size as the lid. This makes it just perfect for travelling! It also comes with a handy guide on the back which I thought was cute.

The brow powders: As far as I am aware, there is only one shade available for this set as it means that people with super light hair or super dark hair may not be sufficiently catered for. In this kit, there are two brow shades to chose from; a lighter one (the lighter shade is actually slightly darker than the photo shows) and a darker one so there is some choice even if it is limited. I have medium brown hair with bits of faded ombre meaning these two colours are perfect for me. On days were I want a stronger brow the darker one is great for achieving a bold look whereas for everyday, the lighter one achieves a more natural look. The two can be used together for an ombred brow look which I've loved ever since seeing it on Georgia's Instagram. Both powders are extremely pigmented so a little goes a long way. They're also extremely soft and smooth making application a breeze. I apply them with a RT's Brow Brush.

The highlight and the wax: The bottom two squares contain a highlight colour and a wax. I thought this was a lovely touch as it really 'completes' the kit. I apply the wax with a different angled brush to the one I used with the powder and apply a small amount (after powder) to set my brows in place. In the past, I've noticed that the mid-section of my eyebrows has been 'falling' and the shape has not stayed in place so this wax has become a god send to me. The wax can also be used before the powder to pick up more product and create a stronger look. Personally, I don't like the highlight shade. I like the quality but the colour just does not do anything for my skin. It is a peach-toned highlight that doesn't seem to have much shimmer in. I've been after for a more matte highlight for a while now so I was excited to see this however it has let me down and just sits there unloved.

The tweezers and the brush: At the bottom of this little set, there is a section containing a mini pair of tweezers and a tiny double-ended angled brush. I love the fact that there is tweezers as I always forget tweezers if I'm travelling or staying at a friends then I always seem to have a pesky little hair so this kit just solves that perfectly. I haven't used the tweezers yet as I prefer pointed ones over angled ones but from what I've gathered just holding them and taking off the little plastic thing, they seem stiff and hard to work with due to the size. I think they will come in handy in the future however I won't be swapping them for my regular tweezers anytime soon. I won't say much about the brush as I really didn't like it. I found it to be quite coarse and far too small to use. The bristles were also quite rigid meaning the brush gave quite an unnatural look to my eyebrows.

Overall, I'm quite please with this product. I love the brow powders, the wax and the packaging. However I don't think I will be using the highlight, tweezers (except for in emergencies!) or the brush any time soon. I hope this post has helped some of you in the quest for perfect brows as I do think they can make a massive difference to the shape of your face and I believe that without groomed brows, my makeup just doesn't look done.

Megan xx

Dreaming Of Those Long Summer Days | Polyvore

Under Control by meganboileauxblog

HANIA by Anya Cole white shirt
farfetch.com

River Island jean shorts
$49 - riverisland.com

Nike shoes
$115 - asos.com

Zara black purse
zara.com

Maybelline lipstick
$11 - fragrancedirect.co.uk

River Island nail polish
$4.89 - riverisland.com

River Island nail polish
$4.89 - riverisland.com

As many of you may know, today in Liverpool (I live in the north west of England meaning it's normally very cold, grey and windy) it was extremely sunny and I found myself resenting my thick Topshop parka. I was then casually browsing through Polyvore and the strange weather and the pretty new clothes made me begin to lust after summer. I was seeing cute shorts and bright lipsticks and I just makes me wish of the days when its still dark at 8pm, of not having to worry about taking a jacket, forgetting about college and all of the stresses it comes with, of floral dresses and long days on the beach. Of course my summer this year will be slightly different compared with your average 18-year-old's however I still think it will be good and am thoroughly looking forward to it. 

I think this outfit would be perfect for a long day out in the summer. A jumper in summer? I'm not going mad, honest! I am simply being reasonable in that we all know about the indecisiveness (you could always wear a light t-shirt underneath the jumper? or pack one in this lovely little bag in case it heats up? ) of the British weather so why not wear a jumper, and a beautiful on at that! I can just imagine wearing this with cute, tanned, skinny legs (okay, I need to stop dreaming..) to a BBQ or an outdoor party.

I've been lusting after these shoes for a while now. I mean whats not to love?! They're classic in that they're monochrome, they would be comfy as they're trainers and they're just so effortlessly stylish. Heels and a fancy dress are sexy and all but sometimes, nothing can beat a perfect pair of legs, some denim shorts and beautiful trainers. Oh, if only you weren't £70.00..

I thought the simple beauty bits would compliment the outfit perfectly and add just the right amount of colour. Red lips look beautiful with a tan and they can make you look 'done' without having to wear a lot of makeup which I love!

I added in the picture of this song as it will not get out of my head! These last couple of days I have been listening to it non-stop and I absolutely love it! For me, it's the perfect summer song.

Megan xx

Makeup Haul

Over the past few weeks, I seemed to have bought quite a few things so I thought I would comprise them all into a beauty haul. I didn't buy these all at once as that would be ridiculous, one was a gift as well as two being from New York, I also made quite a bit of money from eBay and some were free due to Boots 3FOR2 (love that!) so that's why there's quite a few things. That was my disclaimer-type things so onto what I got!

Urban Decay 'Naked' palette - I think you all know by know that I have recently received the 'Naked' palette bu Urban Decay. I love this palette! I won't say anymore as I am probably boring you know with the amount of times I am mentioning it! Instead, I will save it for a review in the near future.

Rimmel Apocalips: (top to bottom) 'apocaliptic', 'celestial' and 'big bang'- I realize I'm jumping on the Apocalips bandwagon a little late but after seeing a few reviews of these liquid lipsticks, I was on love. They have been on my wish list for a while now and I was after the shade 'celestial' in particular. Boots were having a 3FOR2 and since these colour looked most appealing, I popped them in my basket. Thinking about it now, I wish I would have spent a little more time thinking of a more neutral colour to get instead of 'Apocaliptic' as it's extremely bright and scares me quite a little. I have been looking for a red lipstick for a while as mine all contain either too much pink or too much orange and I think I may have found it. 'Celestial' is definitely my favourite as it's the most wearable colour. I will also be reviewing this in the near future.

Topshop 'morning dew' Blusher and 'Rio Rio' lipstick - I recently exchanged a item in Topshop and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try their makeup. I was on the verge of buying their lipstick in the shade 'Hazard' but then I saw a set containing this blusher and lipstick for the bargain price of £8.40. I figured I would get this instead as the lipstick alone costs £8.00! The blusher is a super pretty pink. I haven't actually used it yet so I'm not too sure what it looks on, I've swatched it and it looked lovely however it's a cream formula and I'm still a bit unsure about how to apply it. This photo makes the lipstick look quite pink but in reality it is a bright orange/red which will be perfect for summer. Bright lips scare me and yet I've bought quite a few lately.. I make no sense.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in 'NW10' and Rimmel Wake me Up in '010 Porcelain' -  I got this particular bottle of Studio Fix from Gabbie on her trip to New York as with the exchange rates, its only £16.00 and as I'm running out of my current bottle it seemed like a good time to get a new one. When in Boots, I was originally after Boujois' Healthy Mix however the shade range is limited and they were all too dark for me. I figured I would give Rimmel's Wake Me Up a go instead as I had also read quite a lot of reviews about it. A few said it was way too glittery however the majority of them were positive. I wanted this as Studio Fix is quite expensive so I didn't really want to use it on an everyday basis. I've only used it a few times and so far, I'm not blown away. I am going to keep trying it out though then I will do a review post!

Maybelline 'The falsies' - Another 3FOR2 buy.. I've heard great things (mainly from Instagram and Tanya Burr) so I'd figured I would give it ago as I dislike the wand on my 'Volum' Express' mascara by Maybelline. Maybelline has been the queen of mascaras for quite a while now and with all of it's rave reviews, I have high hopes for this. The only problem I'm having is that I can't bring myself to open it until my other ones (I have like 10 on the go!) run out and it's killing me!

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Elusive - This type of lip product - lipstick in a crayon form - have been extremely popular however I have never actually tried one. When browsing around boots, I spotted the pretty little Revlon stand with all their new releases and this particular item caught my eye. Although I'm not a massive lipstick person, I love matte lips on others. I chose this colour as it's a beautiful dusky pink colour (like 'celestial' however slightly lighter and matte) which I thought would suit me. So far I've only worn this once but I love it; the colour is gorgeous, it's not too drying, easy to apply and the staying power is pretty good. Oh and its smells like mint! Once again, expect a review to come!

EOS lip balm in 'Pomegranate Raspberry' - This is another New York item that Gabbie ever so kindly brought back for me. After hating baby lips, I was keen to find my perfect lip balm and I think I've found it! It made my February Favourites after only 2 weeks so obviously I'm in love.

That's it for the make up items I've recently bought! I've also bought some new clothes/jewelry and a few skin care bits but we'll save that for another time! I need to go to the shops tomorrow but I think I may just get distracted by the big 3FOR2 label in Boots again.. I just can't resist. Can you or do the offers just make you go week at the knees?

Megan xx

Monthly Favourites | February

Mac '217' Brush, Real Techniques 'Buffing Brush' and Blush Brush' 

 Urban Decay 'Naked' palette and 'Primer Potion' sample.

My favourite colours: half-baked, smog and darkhorse. 

(Left-Right) Half-baked, smog and darkhorse

GOSH pigment in 'sunstone', Natural Collection blusher in 'Pink Cloud' 

Urban Decay 'Vice 2' palette. 

EOS in 'pomegranate raspberry' 

Urban Decay 'Flushed' palette

'Swatches of Stash' from the 'Vice 2' palette 'sunstone' pigment

Swatches of 'Pink Cloud' and the highlight shade from the Urban Decay 'Flushed' palette

 L'Oreal Paris Studio Matt & Messy Salt Spray

H&M tartan skirt, American Apparel navy blue velvet scunchie

Ikea Skubb draw dividers in the Hemnes 8 drawers.

'Under Control' by Calvin Harris, Alesso and Hurts, 'White Noise' by Disclosure and Aluna George

Hey, so today I have decided to post my first ever favourites post! I know I didn't do a January one but it was just because there wasn't too many things I was really liking that month however February is a completely different story. I don't want to make this post any longer than asI have a lot to talk about so on with my February Favourites! :)

I will start with the brushes I've been loving this month.. I've loved my 'buffing brush' for a while now but this month I have really liked using it for the application of my 'Stay Matte' powder by Rimmel. I use it to buff the powder into my nose, my nose/inner cheek bit and my forehead. These areas get particularly oily so I find that this way of applying powder combats this quite well. When I first got my 'blush brush', I wasn't much of a fan as I found it to be too big but this month I have been really loving it. It applies blush perfectly and the size no longer bothers me as I am now using a less pigmented blush. If you've read my post on my first ever MAC products then you will already know all about my love their '217' brush. I've been using it non-stop this month as it is the perfect companion to another of my February Favourites!

Onto my 217's best friend! If you read my Valentine's Day post, then you'll know my lovely boyfriend bought me Urban Decay's infamous 'Naked' palette. I must say, I am so in love with this thing! The packaging is gorgeous, the eye shadows are so soft and pigmented plus the palette comes with a sample size of UD's 'Primer Potion'. My favourite combination so far has to be 'half-baked' on the inner third, 'smog' in the center and blended through the crease and 'darkhorse' on the outer corner to really smoke it all out a bit. I really do love this palette so expect a review shortly!

As you all probably know, I love my 'Vice 2' palette from UD and this month, I have been loving one shade in particular. The shade I am talking about is 'stash'. For a while, I was thinking about building a MAC palette and one of the shades I would include is 'sumptuous olive', well with 'stash' I can save my pennies! Correct me if I'm wrong but they seem like such lovely dupes of each other. I love this colour as it's a brown/bronze with quite a bit of green in it. I use this colour to add a bit of interest to my 'naked' combination. It also looks lovely with 'poison' from the 'Vice 2' palette which is a black with a hint of green.

My cousin Gabbie recently went to New York and I asked to bring me back this EOS and she very kindly agreed. Since she gave it to me, I have fallen in love with it. After I bought 'Baby Lips' and hated them, I was on the hunt for the perfect lip balm as my lips tend to become very dry and I think I have found it. EOS' are hyped up on instagram so much and I can see why. The packaging is cute, the smell lovely and most importantly, they work. My only negative is that they're not available in the UK and if you can find them they are ridiculously priced. In America, they're $2.99 however I saw them in Beauty Bizarre priced at £9.99, the mind boggles. If you would like to check out Gabbie's blog, you can find it here.

When I really want to brighten up an eye look, this month I have been reaching for this GOSH pigment in the shade 'sunstone'. I forgot I had this pigment (along with another called 'copper' which I love!) and after re-discovering them whilst writing my 'drugstore favourites' post, I have been using it so much. These loose shadows are super pigmented and the formula is so soft and creamy. The only downside to these I have found is that they go EVERYWHERE as they're a loose powder. They also may have been discontinued as I just can't seen to find them on the Superdrug website! I hope this isn't true as I would like to pick up a couple more. 

As I said earlier, I have been loving my 'blush brush' this month and I have been pairing it with this Natural Collection blusher in the shade 'pink cloud'. As you can see on my swatch, this isn't too pigmented which I love as I tend to be a pretty heavy handed blush person! I saw on instagram that this is the perfect dupe for MAC's 'stay pretty' so if you're after that, definatley try 'pink cloud' as the price difference is astonishing at £15.50! Natural Collection is available at Boots :)

Another cheek product I have been loving this month is the highlight shade in UD's 'Flushed' palette. When I first used this, it scared me as I wasn't too good at applying it. I have since figured out how to use it and I know love it! I apply this product to the tops of my cheekbones using a RTs 'contour brush'. I have a review planned for this but as this is more of a summer product I will save it till then!

In terms of hair, I'm a pretty boring person as I just normally straighten my mid-length hair and that its. I've always wanted more textured hair but I just can't seem to make it work. When in Tesco, Joe was buying his usual hair stuff and I noticed they were two for £4.00 so I decided to get this for the bargain price of 50p! I pair this with my beautiful navy velvet scrunchie from AA and I really do love it. I spray this salt spray onto the ends of my hair then tie up half of it using the scrunchie! This is perfect as it keeps my hair off my face whilst still loving relatively stylish. Barbara Palvin also looks fabulous on the advert!

In terms of clothes, there is really one stand out item I have been reaching for lately. I've wanted this H&M skirt for a while now however when it first came out, I was pregnant then when I wasn't it was sold out! Eventually, I got my hands on and I have been wearing it non-stop! I normally wear this with a white and navy long-sleeved t-shirt from Topman (which I also have in green), my RI belt and my gold chain I got in Primark. I just love this outfit as its casual so I can wear it to college whilst still looking stylish. The blue running through the skirt also matches my scrunchie perfectly. My only downside to this skirt is that it's slightly too short but it's not too much of a problem as I would never wear it without tights. This skirt was a bargain at only £14.99.

This month, I got the 'Skubb' draw organizers from Ikea and I really love the way my makeup now looks! I don't have a massive amount of makeup but I was finding that I was forgetting about things with them being shoved in a makeup bag. Now, I can see everything and am getting a lot more wear out of many of my long-lost loves! I have six sections: face, single eye shadows/small sets, lips, mascaras/eyeliners, nails and tools. Its still not my ideal way of storing things but until I get a dressing table, this is how it will have to be!

My final favourites in this extremely long post are these two songs! 'Under Control' is on in the gym all of the time and it's now permantly stuck in my head. Its such a great song and one that definaley puts you in a good mood. The second is 'White Noise', I always seem to put this on when I'm on my laptop (I'd have it on right now if Charlie wasn't asleep next to me!) as its just a really great song. I quite like Disclosure at the moment and this song just seems to chill me out. They teamed up with Lorde at the Brits which I quite liked however Aluna George is terrible live! If you're wondering what I'm on about, you can watch their performance here.

So, we've come to the end of my February Favourites! I always say to myself 'Megan, make your posts shorted!' but then I get carrried away and this happens, oops! I will just once again apologize for the terrible quality in some of the photos (I'm looking at you Naked swatches!) as I am currently just using my iPhone until I can afford a decent camera. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed reading all about my February Favourites :)

Megan xx