The Balm 'How 'Bout Them Apples?' Cheek and Lip Palette

A little while ago I did a little haul of some The Balm products as it's a brand that I hadn't had much exposure to before. There was no way I could resist the How 'Bout Them Apples? Lip and Cheek Palette as it just looked so cute.

This palette comes in the signature cardboard packaging that The Balm are known for which is probably the one thing that I'm not a huge fan of as I can see it getting very dirty and showing a lot of wear and tear after a while. It has a flip top lid that contains quite a large mirror underneath and it is slim enough so that it doesn't feel too bulky to hold when using it.

On the back of the packaging is a list of the shades contained in the palette with little colour swatches as well.

Packaging aside, this palette contains six gorgeous creamy shades that can be used either on the lips or cheeks. The shades are all very versatile for any occasion, they are all easy to blend and don't end up patchy like some other cream products can on my skin. They are also very pigmented and a little goes a long way.

Each shade wears for a good couple of hours on my lips (with eating and drinking involved) and can last all day when I wear them as a cream blush.

I generally like to use cream makeup products on my skin when it is feeling a bit dry and I don't want anything emphasized by using powder type products so these get quite a bit of a workout when I am having no-so-good skin days.

The six shades swatched in order above are Cider (a pretty pinky nude), Pie (a nice bright pink), Candy (a more muted rose pink), Cobbler (a gorgeous red), Crisp (a shimmery pink) and Caramel (a darker browny nude).

I alternate between using all of them on my lips depending on what look I'm going for but my favourite shades to use on my cheeks as a blush are Cider, Pie and Candy. I have also used Caramel as a contour shade when in a hurry and it works really well this way when blended out.

The Balm's How 'Bout Them Apples? Lip and Cheek Palette can be bought almost anywhere that stocks The Balm products and seems to retail for around $34.95.

Has anyone else tried this palette? What are your favourite The Balm products?

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Lipstick Queen 'Saint' Lipstick in Hot Rose

So I decided on a whim to order my first ever Lipstick Queen lipstick a little while ago as it is a brand that I have heard so much about but never tried before. Also, the nerd in me has to mention that I was inspired by an article in one of my CPA magazines that featured Poppy King and how she grew her empire so I was intrigued enough to finally buy one of her lipsticks to try.

The 'Saint' lipsticks in the Lipstick Queen range are a sheer lipstick that contain only 10% pigment. They are very moisturising and more like a tinted lip balm which is great if you want to just dip your toe in a certain shade without fully committing to high impact colour. There is also a 'Sinner' lipstick in the range that are the exact same shades as those available in the 'Saint' range, but they contain 90% pigment and are a more matte, opaque finish for those that prefer more punch.

I am so pleased that I ordered the 'Saint' version of Hot Rose as it is such a beautiful shade that is very buildable when I want more colour, but can act like a really pretty tinted balm on those days when I don't want to go overboard with my lips.

It is a very hydrating lipstick that is not too heavy on the lips. It surprisingly also lasts quite a few hours before fully wearing off and my lips always feel so moisturised all day whenever I wear it. It's one of those lipsticks that are just wonderful for the warmer months because it's very easy to forget that you are even wearing it.

This lipstick is advertised as being shimmer and fragrance free and although I can detect a very subtle scent and taste, it definitely doesn't interfere with the wear of the lipstick or with eating or drinking during the day.

Another wonderful bonus is the fact that this lipstick doesn't bleed at all into the lip lines and it wears off nice and evenly while leaving a very subtle tint behind.

I've been wearing this lipstick so often lately as it's a great shade that is really easy to wear with a variety of looks and I'm so glad that I took the plunge and tried one. I'm definitely curious to try some more shades in the range as well as giving the 'Sinner' ones a go as well next time.

Have you tried the Lipstick Queen lipsticks before? What are your favourite shades?

Have a lovely week!

Michelle xx

Nails of the Week - Polished London Nail Enamel in Milky Mocha

Oh My God! It has literally been forever since I have done a Nails of the Week post. It's not that I haven't been wearing nail polish but I'm usually so busy with work, the kids and house stuff that I have just been completely forgetting to take photos of my nails once I've applied any polish. Then, when I do finally remember there is always a chip or two already so I miss my opportunity.

But not this time!

Today I am showing you a polish that I have worn a few times lately because there is just something about the milk chocolate shade that I quite like.

It is a shade by Polished London and is called Milky Mocha.

I quite like this brand of nail polish and I own quite a few of them now. They are nice and affordable and can last 3-4 days on me with no chips which is always a nice bonus.

This polish applies smoothly without any bubbles and dries nice and quickly too. It has a great shine as well which I like because it saves a time poor person like me from having to bother with applying a top coat.

What nail polish have you been favouring lately?

Have a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick Collection

So I'm a little bit late in getting this post up due to having some ridiculously dry lips lately and not wanting to post without showing some lip swatches (beauty blogger problems!)

Anyway, we're off and running now and I am very excited to tell you about the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Nude Lipstick Collection as these lipsticks have seriously restored my faith in wearing a nude lip.

The five shades I received to try range from a very pale nude to a much darker plummy/brown and I love the way some of them are more brown toned while some have pinkish tones in them as well.

I already owned a couple of Rimmel lipsticks in my collection at home and after trying these ones it has now become one of my favourite lipstick brands as they are all just so creamy and feel almost weightless on the lips once applied.

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Collection)

The shades are all numbered instead of having names (my one little gripe with Rimmel lipsticks!) so from top to bottom the swatches above are 40, 42, 43, 45 and 48.

Shades 42 and 45 are firm favourites of mine and can be used for practically any look depending on whether I want a more brown toned or pink toned nude lip. Shade 40 scares me a little because it is just so pale and against my pale skin tone it makes me feel like I look a little dead, but I have seen photos of it on others with a really dark smoky eye and it looks sensational. Shade 43 is a definite brown toned nude that can also look a little washed out on me unless I brighten up the rest of my face and Shade 48 is one that I can see myself getting a lot of use out of when winter comes around again.

The thing I love most about these lipsticks is that they don't bleed into lip lines and they stay put for a good few hours during the day, even after eating and drinking. They feel nice and hydrating on the lips and are comfortable to wear all day, even if your lips aren't in optimal condition as mine have been lately.

They do have a very strong, sweet scent and taste when first applied though so if you are not a fan of lip products that stay with you for a while then just be warned. It isn't unpleasant, just very noticeable.

Now, here are the lip swatches:

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick No. 40)

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick No. 42)

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick No. 43)

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick No. 45)

(Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Lipstick No. 48)

Has anyone else tried these lipsticks yet? Are you a fan of any other Rimmel lipstick you'd like to tell me about?

Have a great week!

Michelle xx

***These items were provided for consideration but my opinions are solely my own***

Rimmel Wonder'Full Wake Me Up Mascara

Lately I have had a bit of a new mascara crush and it comes in the form of the new Rimmel London Wonder'Full Wake Me Up Mascara in 001 Black.

The first thing I have to mention about this mascara is that is smells like cucumbers! It is the most unusual thing at first because I've never had a mascara smell like anything other than a faint chemical scent. I've especially never had a mascara that makes me want to take a whiff of it before I apply it every day and that is exactly what this one does to me because it's just so refreshing. It's like an addiction I tell you!

Fortunately though, if you're not a huge fan of cucumbers the scent doesn't linger around once the mascara is applied so you don't have to walk around all day getting wafts of cucumber whenever you blink.

The Wake Me Up mascara has quite a large brush that practically coats all of my lashes in one sweep. I do tend to struggle with mascaras that have such large brushes though because I have smaller, hooded eyes and I can never seem to manage to apply it cleanly on my lower lashes when using such a big brush. Consequently, I love using Wake Me Up on my top lashes but I usually fall back on one of my other mascaras that have a smaller brush when I am in a hurry and want to coat my lower lashes quickly without having to be too precise.

What I really love about the Wake Me Up mascara is the way it makes my lashes look long and luscious without being clumpy or spider-web like.

Before - Bare lashes

After - Wearing Rimmel Wake Me Up Mascara on top and bottom lashes

Of course, no product can ever be absolutely perfect and the one thing that I don't like about this mascara is the fact that on a hot or humid day it tends to migrate under my eyes and leave me with a bit of a 'panda eye' situation. Other than that is doesn't go flaky at all and stays put on any other day or if I use it for a night out.

Overall though this is a great mascara and one that I have been turning to on a regular basis.

Has anyone else tried this mascara yet?

Have a great week everyone!

Michelle xx

*** This product was provided for consideration but all opinions are completely my own***