MAC Brooke Shields: Gravitas 15 Pan Eyeshadow Palette

One of MAC's latest limited edition collections is the Brooke Shields collection. Initially I wasn't interested in at all, until I set my eyes on the beautiful Gravitas palette. Eyeshadow palettes are my weakness, and though I definitely do not need any more, I just couldn't resist the perfect selection of neutral shades in this one!

The packaging is the same as MAC's regular 15 pan pro palettes, but with grey plastic and an orange logo. These palettes feel very sturdy and look professional, they'd be great in a makeup artist's kit. The texture of the shadows is relatively consistent, but I find that MAC shades aren't as soft to the touch as some shadows, for example Urban Decay, though they do still have good pigmentation.

 (L to R)Top row: Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive Pink, Clove, Satin Taupe

Middle row: Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Pysche, Carbon

Bottom row: Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty, Pepper

Swatched with no primer on bare skin

There are quite a few very popular MAC shades in this palette, such as Soft Brown, Expensive Pink, Satin Taupe, Shroom, etc. If you don't already have those shades, I would definitely recommend this palette for you. For me, it has everything I'd need except for a matte highlight shade. A matte white or cream shade would have perfected this palette in my opinion.

The palette is £70, which is £5 more than the warm/cool neutral palettes they stock permanently.

The palette is sold out on MAC's website, but they may still be available at counters - I purchased mine at my local debenhams MAC counter. I've read that they may be available on the debenhams website "around the 9th of October", so keep a look out tomorrow!

Did you buy the palette?

What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Bee xx

My MAC Lipsticks

  I really do love a good MAC lipstick, I suppose you could say they're a guilty pleasure of mine - if you see me at a MAC counter, my hand will no doubt be covered in lipstick swatches. Realistically though, you can find amazing lipsticks for a much lower price elsewhere, but nothing beats the amazing selection of colours that MAC produce.

One thing I must mention though, is the frequent price increase. MAC recently raised the price to £15.50, which is starting to become a little bit steep for me. Just a few years ago I remember purchasing them for £13.50 each!

I currently have 9 shades in my collection, and as you can see I'm a big fan of colour on my lips. I think that nudes and neutral/everyday colours are easier to find in Boots or Superdrug at a lower price, but MAC still do those shades very well.

The Reds

Lady Danger (Matte), So Chaud (Matte), Ruby Woo(Matte), Riri Woo (Retro Matte)

I really love red lipsticks, and I don't believe that anyone can't pull off a red; it just has to be the right shade. My skin tone is quite warm but fair, and my features are dark, so I suit most shades of red (fortunately for me!) Matte is my favourite formula of lipstick, as they're less likely to smudge, and more long-wearing. Something you may notice about these shades is that Lady Danger and So Chaud are very similar, as are Ruby Woo and Riri Woo. You can barely notice a difference between the shades, so I wouldn't recommend buying all of these. I'd recommend Lady Danger and Riri Woo the most.

The Pinks

Creme Cup (Cremesheen), Pink Nouveau (Satin), Candy Yum-Yum (Matte)

I don't purchase many pink shades, because I'm simply not into pink very much at all, but I do love and wear these 3 shades, especially Creme Cup - which I highly recommend anyone to buy, especially if you are fair, as it is so wearable and comfortable on the lips. Pink Nouveau is what I'd describe as a wearable bright pink, it's not neon or too flashy like Candy Yum-Yum, but it's definitely a pop of colour, great for spring or summer. Candy Yum-Yum is a great, unique shade, which can definitely be hard to pull off, so I'd recommend going natural on the eyes with this one. It does have an amazing formula that lasts a long time and even stains the lips - the swatch stained my arm even after removing with an oil!

The Berrys/Purples

Up The Amp (Amplified), Rebel (Satin)

I love purple toned lipsticks, I wish they suited me more than they actually do though. As my skin is quite yellow, they contrast too much sometimes, so I have to make the rest of my makeup work around these colours. I've also found that Up The Amp turns pink on my lips after a few minutes of wearing it, so I have to apply a lighter lipstick as a base first to get the true colour. Rebel is an amazing berry shade that is much lighter than it looks in the tube. I'd definitely recommend it for Autumn/Winter.

From my MAC collection, my favourites and most worn are Creme Cup and Riri Woo. Creme Cup is great for everyday or with heavy eye makeup, and Riri Woo has amazing staying power.

Creme Cup, Pink Nouveau, Candy Yum-Yum, Lady Danger, So Chaud, Ruby Woo, Riri Woo, Up The Amp, Rebel

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?

Thanks for reading!

Bee x

Foundation Issues...

Ever since I started wearing makeup - wow, that was a long time ago! - I've really struggled to find my perfect foundation shade. Even at the age of 20, I've tried foundations from a huge variety of makeup brands, high street and high end.

The issue that I'm having is that I have very fair skin - which is hard enough to match already, but my fair skin is also very yellow toned. For some reason, makeup brands just seem to think that fair skinned people are all pink! It's so frustrating - if the foundation I use has even a little too much pink in it, my face looks quite ashy and lifeless.

I recently purchased my second MAC foundation, which is the Pro Longwear in NC15 (the first being Face and Body - yes, still too pink). Looking at the foundation in the bottle, it is definitely on the yellow side, but it's just not fair enough. Even holding the bottle next to my skin, it just looks orange.

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm assuming that I'm not the only fair, warm toned person here, right?

If you have any suggestions of brands, shades, etc that I could try, please leave me a comment - it would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Bee x

Battle of the: Face Primers!

Today's post is going to be covering the topic of face primers. For me, a primer isn't something that I use on a daily basis. I tend to use them when going out at night, or if I know that I'm going to be wearing makeup all day long.

In the last year, my skin has changed from being dry, to very oily, which means that I've had to completely rethink my base makeup routine to make it last on my skin. I've tried many primers, but I am still yet to find my holy grail (though I doubt the perfect primer for me would even exist!).

The primers that I have been trying out over the last few months are: MAC's Matte Creme, Hourglass' Veil Primer, Smashbox's Colour Correcting Photo Finish Primer (Purple tone), and Maybelline's Baby Skin. All of these primers have that silicone-slip feeling, which is just my personal preference. I like primers that make my foundation glide on smoothly and last all day.

MAC Matte - £15

This primer is the thickest of the four, which takes more work to blend. I also have to be careful when applying the product, as it is pretty easy to apply a thick layer. If used correctly, it feels great on the skin - slightly heavier than other primers, but still nice. It does what it says on the packaging, it is definitely mattifying when applied, though I can't say that it keeps my skin matte all day (no primer can so far). 

Overall, I'd say that this primer would be best for someone with skin texture issues. It is great for filling in pores and light acne scarring!

Rating: 3.5/5

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - £52

I have the sample size of this product, which I received with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. In the bottle, the product is a translucent white, but blends in completely clear on the skin. While it still feels like silicone, it is definitely thinner than others - I barely have to use any product at all! It feels great on the skin, foundation goes on beautifully over it, and wears well. So far this is my favourite of these four primers, but I'm not sure I can justify the price for the full size.

Rating: 4.5/5

Smashbox Photo Finish Colour Correcting Primer (Balance) - £25

I picked this up in Boots for £12.50 on clearance, which makes me wonder if this shade is being discontinued. I like this primer, but not for the colour correcting aspect. I don't really find that the tint makes a difference to how my skin looks, especially after foundation. It's a good smoothing product, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a good oil controlling primer. It feels thicker than the Hourglass primer, but thinner than MAC's.

Rating: 3/5

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - £7.99

Last but not least, is the cheapest of the lot. I'd compare this primer to MAC's. To me, they are almost identical! MAC's is possibly slightly more mattifying, but they feel very similar in texture. I wouldn't call this a lightweight primer like the packaging suggests, but it does help with makeup application. Definitely worth it for the price!

Rating: 4/5

If you have any suggestions for good primers, please leave me a comment!

Bee x

Beauty Blog Sale! MAC, Chanel, Illamasqua, Stila, Too Faced, Sugarpill, etc!

Rules & Information

• UK postage cost stated below, will ship internationally if you're willing to pay the shipping cost!
• First come first served.
• Prices are negotiable, just leave a comment!

• Please leave paypal address in comments, with information of what you would like to purchase, and let me know what country you live in!
• Items will be sent unrecorded unless you specify you want recorded delivery and cover the cost :)
• Contact me on contactbeesbeauty@gmail.com with any questions. I am happy to answer them! If you need extra photos or anything like that I will be happy to accommodate!
• Postage to the UK is £2.60 for small items.
• Payment must be received before I post.
• When paying with paypal please mark as gift/friends and family, otherwise paypal charges me.
• All items are genuine. 
• Please research before buying. Swatches are readily available on the internet. I cannot be held responsible if something does not live upto your expectations :)

(LIMITED EDITION) Holiday Collection 2013, Chanel Eyeshadow palette in Charming.

All shades used 2-3 times

RRP £48 (no longer sold) 

£45 £35 (SOLD)

(LIMITED EDITION) Nars Eyeshadow Trio in Douce France - Spring 2013 collection.

All shades used 2-3 times

RRP £33

£25 £18

Sleek Lip4 lipstick palette in Tease

All shades swatched with brush, never used.

£6

(LIMITED EDITION) MAC Peacocky collection Mega Metal Eyeshadows in Noir Plum, Odalisque and Ego - Holiday collection 2010.

Usage as shown. Large eyeshadows - 3.4g

£14 £10 each

NYX Nude matte eyeshadow in Underneathe it all.

Used 4-5 times.

£3

MAC Frost eyeshadow in Electra.

Used 2-3 times.

£9 £7.50

Maybelline Colour Tattoo cream eyeshadows in Everlasting Navy and Endless Purple.

Used 1-2 times.

£2.50 each

Barry M Dazzle Dusts in 27 and 84.

Both used once, still full.

£2.50 each (SOLD)

Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Merville d'argent.

Used once.

£4

YSL Pure Chromatics - 4 Wet & Dry eyeshadows in 4 and 19

All shadows used 2-3 times.

RRP £42

£30 £26 each

Urban Decay Shattered Face Case

All shades swatched or used lightly once, lip crayon used once, mini eyeliner missing. Almost brand new.

RRP £30

£22

Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks in 07 and 04.

Both used less than 5 times.

£4 each

Mally Liquid Lipstick in Mally Melon

Swatched once.

£12

Maybelline Super Stay 24hour lip colour in Red Passion.

Used 2-3 times

£4.50

OPI polish in Skyfall (James Bond Skyfall collection)

Used once.

£7 (SOLD

Clarins travel set - Beauty Flash Balm 15ml, Instant definition mascara mini, Instant light natural lip perfector in 01 5ml.

Brand new.

£10

E.L.F Studio Kabuki Face Brush

£3.50 (SOLD)

• Seventeen On the Spot Foundation - "Soft Ivory" (Used Once) £3.50
• Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation - Shade "Shell 1C0" (50% Left) £10 RRP £27.50 (SOLD)
• L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation - Warm Ivory (Brand new, only swatched) £5
• L'Oreal Nude Magique CC Cream - Anti-redness (Used twice) £4 (SOLD)

• Sugarpill Burning Heart palette (Barely used, purple shade chipped, but the rest of the eyeshadow remains intact.) £15 RRP £25 (SOLD)

• e.l.f  Contouring Blush and Brozning Powder (both shades lightly used, no dip) £1.50 (SOLD)

• Sleek Contouring and Blush palette "Light" (all shades lightly used) £4 (SOLD)
• Sleek Blush by 3 "Pink Sprint" (Brand new, lightly swatched) £5 (SOLD)

• HD brows in Foxy (Usage as shown) £4 
• Catrice Eyebrow Set (Both shades lightly used) £3

• Illamasqua Lipstick in "Encounter" (Used twice) £8 (SOLD)
• Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick (Used about 5 times) "Legende" £17 £14 (SOLD)

• The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash curler (BNIB) £3
• Ardell Eyelashes 117 Black (Brand new, no box) £2 
• bdellium Tools 957 (flat top brush) £7 (SOLD)

• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick "Va Va Violet" (Used Twice) £3 
• MAC Lipstick "Hue" (Atleast 60% left) £8 £6 (SOLD)

• Revlon Lip Butter "Raspberry Pie" (90% left) £3 
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick "Rose Passion 880" (Used less than 5 times) £2 
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick "Sunset 180" (Used twice) £2.50

• MUA Pro-Base Conceal and Brighten kit "Porcelain - Beige" (All shades lightly used) £1.50 (SOLD)
• £1.50 Vivo Baked Shimmer Palette "Chocolate Box" (Swatched) £2 (SOLD)

• MUA Undress me too palette (All shades very lightly used) £2 
• Sleek Storm palette (All shades very lightly used) £3.50

• Kryolan Eyeshadow Palettes "Paris, Tokyo, Rio, Dublin" (All shades swatched) £6 each or £20 for all 4 (SOLD)

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream "Amsterdam" (Used twice) £4
• Rimmel Apocalips "Big Bang" (Used twice) £3
• MAC Kissable Lip Colour "Peacocky" (Limited Edition from Peackocky Collection - Swatched once) Accepting offers

• MAC Wonderwoman Mineralize Skinfinish "Pink Powder" (Limited edition from Wonder Woman collection - used blush/bronzer sections very lightly, although highlighter side is well used) £25

,

Packaging scuffed from being inside make-up bag, product not damaged.

• e.l.f Cream Eyehadow Palette (All Shades lightly used or swatched) £3
• B. Complete Eyeshadow palette "Charleson" (All shades very lightly used) £3

• Steam Cream 75g (Limited Edition packaging - Brand New, sealed) £6
• Philosophy Purity Cleanser (Mini 30ml sizes) £4 for both (SOLD)

• Illamasqua Cream Foundation "100" - White (SOLD)
•  "115" - Pale yellow tone (100 swatched lightly, 115 used lightly once) £15 £10 each

• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain "Crush 005" (Used once) £4
• e.l.f Mineral Lipstick "Beautiful Berry" (Used twice) £2
• Rimmel Kate Lipstick "04" (Used 2-3 times) £3 (SOLD)

• Maybelline Colour Tattoo "Light in Purple 85" (Swatched) £2
• Stila Smudge Pot "Kitten" (Used less than 10 times) £5
• Bellá Pierre pigment "Celebration" (Brand new) £5

(Bad lighting on this one, sorry!) 

• Illamasqua Eyeshadow "Fame" (Used once) £10 £8 (SOLD)
• MAC Eyeshadow "Black Tied" (Used once) £10 £8 (SOLD)

• Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner "Black" (Used once or twice) £4
• NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil "Rocky Mountain Green" (Used once) £3
• MaxFactor Clump Defy Mascara - Water Resistant (Used once) £4
• NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe Water Proof  "Glam Lagoon" (Used twice) £3

• Maybelline SuperStay Lipgloss tint "Timeless Plum" (Used once) £3
• Benefit Posietint & Benetint minis (Both half full) £4 for both
• Revlon Photoready Cream Blush "Coral Reef" (Used twice) £3
• Urban Decay mini lipgloss "Naked" £3 (Used once)
• Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush (Brand new) £4

• Sleek Pout Paint "Milkshake" and "Port" (Both used 2-3 times) £3 each/£5 for both
• Benefit Lipgloss "Life on the A List" £5
• MAC lipglass "Oyster Girl" (90% left, packaging slightly worn) £10 £8
• L'Oreal Caresse Lipgloss Stain "Eve 400" (Used 2-3 times) £4

Thanks for looking! Please leave a comment with your paypal email address, what you would like to purchase, and what country you live in.