COLLECTION x Little Mix Lip Balms

Following the success of the last Little Mix and Collection makeup range they are launching some exciting new products this summer. 

Each band member has created her own lip balm scented with their favourite smells and shades. Leigh-Anne's is Mint, Jade's is Raspberry, Jesy's is Vanilla and Perrie's is unscented as she has no sense of smell! I haven't swatched the balms as they don't have any colour pay-off. However, Perrie's white lip balm does offer some subtle shimmer which is nice for layering over lipstick. I'm such a lip balm hoarder, I have at least 3 swimming about in the depths of my handbag. My favourite out of the four has to be Jade's simply because I love the raspberry scent! They all provide optimum hydration to dry lips and the lipstick style packaging makes these effortless to apply. Plus, I love seeing the horror in peoples faces when they think I'm about to apply bright green lipstick then watching their eyebrows screw up in confusion when no colour transfers(easily pleased). I'm really impressed with these, especially as they're so affordable. 

Little Mix are also launching a neutral eyeshadow palette which I've reviewed and swatched here. 

Collection by Little Mix Lip Balm* £.199 each

Collection by Little Mix All About The Eyes palette* £3.19 available in Superdrug from 30th July

So now I look like the 5th member of Little Mix all I need now is a boyfriend from 1D, hhhmm which one to go for...

How Not To Buy Makeup You Don't Need

We all like to buy stuff, especially stuff we don't really need. My weakness is beauty products. I'd much rather spend my wages in Boots than Topshop. All these special offers, new trends and new products are all too tempting and I get forced into buying more makeup. I've come up with some tips on how not to buy makeup you don't need, because you really don't need another pink lipstick.

1. Do you not usually wear this item? If you're buying eyeshadow which you never wear, why?
2. If it's a highend purchase have you read some reviews on it first? I normally do this before purchasing any beauty product.
3. Would you still want the product if it came in clear, plain packaging?
4. Are you going to get a lot of use out of it?
5. Do you already own a similar item? I own around 453 mascaras, someone stop me from buying more.
6. Are you really buying that new lipstick 'for the blog' or are you simply feeling spendy?
7. Would you have bought it full price if they weren't having a 15% off sale?
8. Next time you're popping to Boots write down a shopping list and try stick to it.
9. Write down everything you've bought so you can keep tally of your spending.

I'll be keeping these in mind next time i'm out shopping. What are your tips?

Which Post Are You Proudest of?

I searched through 390 posts to see which one I was proudest of. It was really difficult to choose which one I was most proud of. I'm really happy with my content from the past two months because I've had more time to blog and really create content I'd want to read. However, for this post I had to take a little trip down memory lane.

I was tempted to go for my first ever post which I wrote on January 28th 2011. It was all about what eyeshadow suits different eye colours. This post really sets the foundation for my blog and the reason why I do it everyday. It's nice to see how far I've come in 3 years and what my blog is today. I simply want Make Me Up to be a place where you can come for a bit of beauty-related escapism. I also contemplated this post in which I wrote about my interview with Shout magazine as a proudest post. I'm still really grateful Shout wanted to interview me about my blog, I was 17 at the time and it was the coolest thing ever. Still have my copy somewhere safe. If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll remember when I launched 'Moonie' in 2012- a handmade, un-bleached muslin cloth. I decided to set up my own business and started to sell them via my blog. It started off really well but I struggled with how to take the products further than an online shop. I couldn't keep up with the work that came with running a business and life simply got in the way. I decided to gradually stop making Moonies but that's not to say they are gone forever..

Each one of these posts have helped shaped myself and my blog into what you're reading today. I'm proud of how far I've come in 3 years and I now look at those first ever posts I wrote with fondness, even if I'am covering my face with embarrassment.

My top 3 favourite posts to write this year include;
Ways To Re-Use Sh*t Beauty Products 
What's in My Dad's Wash Bag
How To Try Out New Beauty Trends On A Budget

Which post are you proudest of? Leave a link in the comments below! 

A Rimmel Mini Haul

You know when you go into Boots for blister plasters and come out with everything but blister plasters? Yeah, that happened.#noregrets

Scandaleyes Waterproof Gel Liner in Emerald
I've never tried a gel liner before so I thought why not jump in at the deep end and go for a green one. This one claims to be Smudge proof and have up to 24 hours wear. This also is available in black & brown. Let me know if you'd like to see a review on this.

Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Dark Chocolate Matte
A chunky chocolate brown eye liner. I swatched this instore and was impressed with it's ultra-soft formula, and great colour pay off. However, apparently these are hard to sharpen? We will see!

Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Golden Bronze
This gorgeous, shimmery gold shade is beautiful, I can't stop staring at it! At first this is very wet when applied but dries quickly. The lipgloss style brush makes this easy to use, just one swipe creates an intense colour.  I blend in with an eyeshadow brush and it doesn't budge or crease all day. This also makes a great base for eyeshadow.

Finish Touch Super Wear Top Coat
Not a very exciting purchase but my top coat always seems to go discoloured quickly. I've not tried this one before but it claims to have UV protector which locks in colour to prolong intensity and shine.

What beauty bits have you picked up lately? Not that I need any encouragement...
Let me know if you'd like to see a review of any of the products mentioned above. 

Double Face Mask-ing

So you've probably heard about double cleansing but have you ever tried double face mask-ing? I briefly spoke about this in my 'How to adjust your skincare for summer' post but wanted to give it it's own feature.

There are a whole heap of face masks on the market; from brightening to tightening, hydrating to clearing - there's one for every skincare concern. Combining two or three face masks offer an extra boost to your skincare routine and can make them perform better. The combination I'm currently loving are clay masks + hydration masks.  I like to firstly apply a clay mask which helps to clear pores, leaving it on for ten minutes. Once that is rinsed off I'll finish with a deep hydrating mask leaving it on for 5-10 minutes. My skin is left clearer, brighter and hydrated. I'll do this once a week or more frequently if I've been wearing heavy makeup or SPF all week.

It's up to you what mask combination you go for. Let me know how you get on!