My 2014 favourites!

As the end of the year is here I though I would do a kind of 'the best of 2014'. All the things I've really loved using and discovered this past year!

Face: My favourite primer of the year has definitely been Mac Natural Radience. I've tried lots of primers and I don't think any has kept my makeup on as long as this primer. I have really oily skin and occasionally dehydrated and this primer looks after both areas! Couldn't reccomend it more! For all skin types.
I really liked the combination of mixing Mac Studio Fix fluid and Nars Sheer Glow/Armani Luminous Silk foundations together. This year I have revived so many compliments on my skin since I started to mix my foundations.
My favourite thing to highlight my undereye has been Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter pen in Light Boost. I've gone through a few this year and I have backups of it for when it runs out!
To set my under eyes my favourite thing is Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana powder with Mac Shaping Powder in Ephasize. I've hit pan on both of these already! 
My favourite bronzer of the year is definitely Mac Sharon Osbourne Mineralize Skinfinish Duo in Refresh. I think it's just Give Me Sun (also by mac). I really love the warm tone, it makes me feel so sunkissed!
My favourite blush has been the Becca Blush in Sweetpea. I loooove this. It's a warm browny/peach shade. I've been preferring colours like this more than bright colours.
My favourite highlighter is a hard one.. I really like the MaryLou Manizer by theBalm I use it a lot. I think my favourite though is the Dior Transat Edition but it was limited unfortunately.

Eyes: my favourite brow product hands down is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow. I love it! Stays on all day, doesn't budge I love it!
My favourite eyeshadows is tied between mac and Anastasia. All of the eyeshadows in all of my Anastasia palettes have been amazing and the ones I hit pan on when they run out i'm will repurchase. I also have a palette made up of all my favourite mac shadows and I use them every single day! Some of my favourites by mac are, Texture, Swiss Chocolate, Rule and Amber lights! I've also really been loving pigments and glitters! I fell in love with Mac Copper Pigment when it came out in the mini pigment sets this Christmas collection! I really love the miniature pigments! 
My favourite lashes have been between Ardell Wispies and mac 36's I've been loving both styles. 

Lips: This is a very hard one for me! I obviously love mac lipsticks. I think they are the best around. My favourites include, Sweet & Sour, Myth, Viva Glam II, Mocha& Viva Glam III. I obviously love others brands for lipsticks aswell but mac is my top fave. 
Again my favourite lipliners come from mac. Stripdown is my ultimate fave, then I think it would be boldly Bare and Spice. 
My favourite glosses have been the Dior Fluid Sticks. I know they are a liquid lipstick but I tend to wear them with a lipstick but they are nice alone with a liner aswell. I've really been loving mac Viva Glam V gloss. I also really like Gerard Cosmetic glosses aswell, I have the shades, Nude, Coral Craze and Butter Cream.

My favourite beauty tool has defiantly been the BeautyBlenders. I really couldn't say anything bad about them! I also have been loving the mac 127 Brush. It is a newer brush by mac but I really have been loving it. All the brushes which are my favourites are in separate posts! My Must Have Eye Brushes and my Must have Face Brushes! 
I hope you all had an amazing 2014, I'd love to know some of your favourites! Leave me a comment with things you've been loving!
Don't forget to follow my Instagram for daily posts @ellietaylorrxx
I probably won't post on here for about a week now because it's my birthday on Friday and i'm going to London, so happy new year! 
X

Christmas Day makeup!

Posted this picture on Instagram and got so many questions about what I used so I decided to do a post on it with all the details!

On my brows I have Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Chocolate. This is my favourite brow product! I use it everyday and it's stays put! Then to 'carve' out the brows and to highlight my brow bone I used Mac Prolongwear Concealer in NC20. I then use this all over my lids to prime them.  Next in my crease I used Orange Soda from Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadows with Mac Rule eyeshadow, I used a mac 224 brush. Then I started on my outer 'v' I used Chocolate, also from Anastasia's eyeshadows, this my favouriteeee brown. Blends so nice. I started with a mac 217 to create a smooth blend then used a mac 239 to create depth. To make the chocolate fade nicely into the transition colour (orange soda and rule) I used a little bit if Swiss Chocolate by mac. Throughout all of these steps I go back with my 224 brush and keep blending everything so it's seamless! Then with a 242 brush I sprayed it with a little fix+ and used Illamasqua pigment in Ore. This pigment is beauuuutiful! I used a little bit of mac glitter in gold and reflects gold in there aswell why it was Christmas! The pigment does have a lot of sparkle to it though! I patted that on my lids and faded it into the brown shadow. Under my bottom lashes I have rule eyeshadow with a little bit of Swiss Chocolate. My lashes are Farfalina from Shu! 

On my skin/face I started with Natural Radience primer by mac, it's my favourite (my skin in oily to very oily). My foundation is a mix! I used some Mac Studio Fix Fluid and a little of Nars Sheer Glow then I decided to add a little bit of Armarni Luminous Silk. I concealed with Prolongwear concealer. Then I used Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter pen in Light Boost. I paint this under my eyes and blend it out with my Beauty Blender. My bronzer is Give Me Sun by mac, makes the skin look nice and warm. I love using the mac 127 brush, it is quite a new brush, it's quite flat so it kinda gives a contoured effect. On my cheeks I have my favourite blusher from Becca it's called Sweet Pea. It's sooooo pigmented, I need to try more blushes from Becca!  On my lips I used Spice Liner and Peachstock lipstick both my Mac! 

I really liked this look! I love this pigment, I wore it on my works Christmas party but didn't get to take a picture. 

Don't forget to follow my Instagram for daily pictures @ellietaylorrxx

Merry Christmas! 

X

Lashes- http://www.shuuemura.co.uk/accessories/false-eyelashes/accent-lashes/farfallina-false-eyelashes can also be bought from Selfridges

Ore pigment- http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/eyes/eye-shadows/ore-pure-pigment 

Becca blushes- http://uk.spacenk.com/mineral-blush/MUK200010513.html

Anastasia Beverly Hills- http://anastasiabeverlyhills.com

Charlotte Tilbury Collection

Hi everyone, so this is a little post about my Charlotte tilbury makeup collection so far! I only have 5 products from her makeup range but they are all really good products!

So here are my items. I have the Film Star Bronze & Glow which is probably the thing I wanted most from her makeup range. I bought this in London this October and I've used it quite a lot. The 'sculpt' shade is a really nice contour shade but it's a really nice bronzing shade aswell, the colour is a really perfect mix, it's not to ashy and it's not to warm! The highlighter in the palette was the reason I wanted it. It's a gorgeous highlight. It gives the skin more of a candle lit glow rather than a really crazy highlight! Both are really beautiful! 
Next we'll talk about eyes. I have the Luxury eye palette in the Dolce Vita. I LOVE this palette! I use this a lot! All the colours are really really beautiful. But my favourite shade has to be the 'pop' colour. It's like a pressed pigment by mac! This one  is a beautiful Bronzy gold glittery shade! I know a few people say that these 'pop' shades don't really show up that well. I use my finger and it works amazing!! I sometimes use Fix+ by mac and a 242 brush also by mac and it works great that way aswell! I think once you use your fingers your opinion on the glittery shades will change! I really want more of these palettes, I have my eyes on the Vintage Vamp palette next I think, because that palette has warm colours in aswell and they are the shades I gravitate towards! Next I have a Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet. When I first saw this colour I knew I had to have it! Buttt, on my eyes I don't find it that amazing! Which makes me sad! Because I reallyyyy want to love this product! It's really long wearing but when I blend it on my eyes it just buffs all the pretty bronze away, then I have to draw more on my eye and not blend it so it keeps the colour. And if you know me i'm an OCD blender. It has to be perfect! And I just haven't got that yet with this. But I keep picking it up and trying it because like I said I really want to like this product.
Lastly is lip products! Obviously I would have some lippys! First I have the K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Nude Kate. This was my first ever product from the range. It's a beautiful warm nude shade (yano, my kind of colour). These lipsticks are quite creamy, I'd say similar to a mac amplified mixed with satin! Then just this weekend I bought the Matte Revolution lipstick in Birkin Brown. I actually originally went to get the Very Victoria matte lipstick but ended up coming away with the Birkin Brown. It's a beautiful warm chestnut brown! Very creamy application, which unfortunately made this lipstick go on a little patchy because it is a dark colour. With another layer it's fine but I will definitely will use a lipliner all over the lips to make it less patchy, but never the less I love the colour! And I must mention the smell of these lipsticks. They smell a m a z i n g! Like chocolate I think! 
If you were on the edge about trying these products I would say try them! They are really amazing! I want to try out more from the range like the foundations and powders but i'm 
really happy with the products I have now! My favourite product out of the ones I own would probably be the Dolce Vita eye palette! I really love it!
I'll leave some links down below were you can buy Charlotte Tilbury makeup (in the UK)
Don't forget to follow my Instagram for daily posts @ellietaylorrxx
I'm thinking I might start doing makeup looks? Like putting a picture of my makeup on and saying which products I used and how? Let me know if you would like that!
X

www.charlottetilbury.com
www.net-a-porter.com go to designers and select Charlotte Tilbury
www.selfridges.com go to beauty/brands and select Charlotte Tilbury

My Viva Glam Collection

So first of all I want to say thank you to everyone for my blog getting over 10,000 views!! That makes me so so happy that people actually spend time to come and view my blog so thank you everybody!

Now let's get to my Viva Glam Collection. 
For anyone who doesn't know what a VIVA GLAM is, it's a range of lipsticks by MAC where 100% of the proceeds goes to the mac aids fund. So they are very important lipsticks for everyone in the mac family. These lipsticks stand out more than the others, because instead of the bullet being the classic black and silver, the bullets are black and red! There are 6 original Viva Glam lipsticks, and then every year mac get a different viva glam spokes person who create an extra 2 limited lipsticks and glosses available for that year only. The spokes people have included Rupaul, KD Lang, Mary J Blige & Lil' Kim, Sir Elton John, Shirley Mansoi, Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson,  Eve, Fergie,  Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper, Nicki Minaj & Ricky Martin and now currently it is Rihanna. After Rihanna's year is over Miley Cyrus will take over! Rihanna is in her last month so if anyone want either of the viva glam Rihanna lipsticks or glosses get to mac and buy them before the go away! 

Here is my little collection! From Right to Left (I know it's the wrong way but I want to go from the start) is Viva Glam I, Viva Glam II, Viva Glam III (these are all permanent shades in the viva glam line) then we have Viva Glam Nicki and Viva Glam Nicki 2 (these are no longer available) Viva Glam Rihanna (currently still available) then I have two of the Viva Glam Lipglass' Viva Glam Nicki 2 (again no longer available) and Viva Glam Rihanna (still available). I really want the Rihanna 2 lipstick and lipglass! There are 3 permanent Viva Glam lipglass' aswell. They are Viva Glam I, Viva Glam V (this is one of my new fave glosses) and Viva Glam VI. They are really beautiful lipglosses and I can't wait to them! 
Viva Glam II & Viva Glam III are some of my favourite lipsticks!
Again thank you for getting my blog over 10,000 views
Don't forget to follow my Instagram @ ellietaylorrxx for daily posts!
Go and buy some viva glams!! 

My top lip picks of the month

These lip products have been my go to products of November and so far December. You will of probably of seen some in past posts. These are always in my makeup bag and what I mostly reach for everyday. 

First let's start off with the only lipliner, Stripdown by MAC. I wear this lipliner all the time with pinks, nudes, everything. It's always been a favourite of mine. Next is the Lipglass in Chic Supremacy by MAC. This came in the Nude Lip Bag from macs Christmas collection. It's just a nude gloss but it's so pretty. Something similar would be Fashion Whim also by mac. Next is the Dior Fluid Stick in 219 Whisper Beige. I really love these fluid sticks! I have 2 and I love them both. They are so creamy and long wearing I really want more shades! Then I have 3 lipsticks! Obviously all by MAC. First is Viva Glam II, it's a beautiful nudey pink colour, I've also been wearing this with the Viva Glam V lipglass and it looks so similar to the a Nude Lip bag, if any of you wanted that, I have them both and it's so so similar! Then I have Sweet & Sour, I love this lipstick! Looks amazing with Stripdown liner or Boldly Bare. I can't wear it on its own it's to light but with a darker liner it's perfect! Then lastly is Mocha, I love love this colour. I'm used to Myth lipstick by MAC so when I tried this it was different, but I loved it. I wore it everyday when I was in London! It's a warm browny colour. It's perfect with the Dior Fluid stick over. 

Also sorry I've not done a post in a while I've been busy with work! 
Let me know some of your favourite lip products, I love trying new lipsticks/glosses! I've just bought some bite beauty lip products. When I've used them all and I know what I think of them I'll do a post on them! 
Make sure to follow my Instagram @ellietaylorrxx for daily posts! 
X

Givenchy!

I am sooooo excited about this! I finally bought a Givenchy handbag. I have wanted this bag for a few years now and in October of this year, I set my mind on it and began saving! I am a self confessed shopaholic, I love to buy new makeup, clothes, everything! I just love to shop, so saving for this bag was very hard. I know people will think I am crazy for buying this bag but I love it, i'm so happy with it and I work very hard. When you work hard you deserve a treat and mine was a designer handbag. 

From a young age I have loved high fashion and designer items. I would never have a fake of anything. My first designer item was a hand me down Louis Vuitton purse from my auntie and I carried it everywhere, I must of been 11! Then in high school I got a Michael Kors watch for Christmas, they wasn't popular when I got mine. Then for my 18th birthday my mum and dad bought me my first Mulberry bag, it was a small bag but a classic bag and I think that is the most important thing when your buying a designer item. You want something that is classic and timeless, that you will have forever. Then this year after working hard at prom season (a very busy time for any makeup artist) I bought myself a Moschino belt again a classic item that I will have forever! Like I said I have always loved expensive things, if you want nice things you have to work hard to have them. This bag is the most expensive thing I own and I bought it myself, it symbolises hard work. When I look at this bag I know I worked hard it get it and I am proud of that! So let me show it to you!

This is the Givenchy Medium Antigona bag. It is a classic Givenchy piece. Net-a-porter call it an essential! It is so so beautiful! It's a big bag, which I personally like because I tend to carry my life in my handbag! It's a good sturdy bag, it will be perfect to travel with as it can fit everything you need in! Even though it says 'medium' it is the biggest size in the Antigona range, I got the smooth leather, it has pale gold details to it. I preferred the smooth leather to the grainy leather, and the grainy has silver hard wear and I don't really wear silver. But each to there own. The smooth one was the one I saw two years ago and that was the one I had my heart set on. I would love a nude/tan one in the future but let's not be greedy. I love designer bags/items and I always have, this bag has definitely given me the bug to buy more! I always knew I liked nice things, and I knew that I wanted nice things, so I work hard to earn the money to buy myself the things I love and want. I think there is nothing wrong with that. I have never just been handed money, I like to work for my money, so when you buy something you have to work and save for it means a lot more! 

I know some people won't understand why I bought this and i'm aware it's very expensive but I am so happy, I get so giddy when I look at it. It makes me want to work harder because it shows me that hard work pays off! 

I bought mine from Selfridges.

Don't forget to follow my Instagram @ellietaylorrxx for daily posts!
X

November Favourites

Can you believe it is December already?! I can't! This year has flown by! But another month means monthly favourites! I love makeup, I love buying makeup and I love trying out new makeup! Being a makeup artist I like to find the best of the best and new favourites! Sometimes I have to push myself to try new things because when I really love something I wear it all the time! 

First I have a skincare item. It's the Bioderma Hydrabio Légère Light Cream. It's a really light weight cream for dehydrated sensitive skin. I have really oily skin but around this time of year my skin gets a little dry/dehydrated and this has been something I reach for when my skin feels a little tight. There is a rich cream aswell, I do have that one but with my skin being so oily it's a little bit thick. I bought mine from Paris in March, but I will look online and if I can find it I will link it at the end of the post. 
Next I have two face products. I have been loving the Dior Skin Nude Tan Transat Edition. This is a limited item, but I will try to look for it online and link it down below. This has been my go to highlighter recently it is quite gold but it's so beautiful. This next product I have had for over a year and I have always loved it but I'd not used it for ages so I made a point to use it again. It's the NARS Madly Blush. When you first swatch it on your hand it looks pretty basic but once it's on your face you will fall in love!
Next is my Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Palette. This is no longer sold as a palette but you can now buy all the shadows in this palette separately on the Anastasia website! Anastasia eyeshadows are some of the best eyeshadows on the market! I love them. I cannot wait to get my hands on some of the single eyeshadows! I've had this palette for awhile now and it's such an amazing palette, the colours are so beautiful! 
Lastly is lip products, first I want to talk about my favourite lipliner out of all the ones I own, it's Stripdown Lipliner by MAC. It's a brown/nude, it goes with all kinds of lipsticks! Next is the Nude Lip bag also from MAC. This was part on the Christmas collection. This lipstick is called Kiss The King and the lipgloss is called Chic Supremacy. I have literally been wearing this every single day. The bag comes with Boldly Bare Lipliner but I love it with Stripdown aswell! Patisserie lipstick by mac is really similar to this lipstick in this bag, or Viva Glam five by mac. 

I have also really been loving glitter this past month. Christmas time at mac means glitter. I really came out of my comfort zone this year and I loved the looks I created. Here's some of the looks I did with the glitters from the Christmas collection..

My favourite look was with the grey glitter (top right picture) which I was quite surprised about because it was the glitter I was unsure about, but I was literally obsessed with it! The 3 pictures with a nude lip is the a Nude Lip bag! The top left picture is the Gold glitter, bottom left is Amethyst glitter the. The bottom right is the glitter from the pink pigment set it's called Reinging Riches. I really want to create more looks with all the different glitters I have. 






Bioderma Light Cream - http://www.escentual.com/bioderma/bioderma034/
Dior highlighter- http://www.feelunique.com/p/Diorskin-Nude-Tan-Natte-Transat-Edition-Summer-Look

Don't forget to follow my Instagram @ellietaylorrxx for daily pictures/posts! 
X

My highlighter collection!

If you know me or follow my Instagram you will know i'm a glow addict! I love highlighters I have so many. So I thought I'd do a post on them. Highlighters are probably my favourite makeup product!
Some of these highlighters will be limited edition (sorry). I will put in little brackets LE or P for limited edition or permanent.

I have highlighters from MAC, Chanel, Dior, Becca, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, Laura Mercier, The Balm and i'm constantly on the hunt for more! 
So let's get into it! Let's start with MAC!

On the top row I have the Mineralize Skinfinishes in Soft & Gentle(P), Perfect Topping(LE) and Global Glow(P). The next Row I have my Extra Dimension Skinfinish, these are all Limited. First is Definitely Defined, Fairly Precious and Superb. Then lastly I have my Cream Colour Bases these are all permanent. First is Hush, Shell and then Pearl. Soft & Gentle is a classic mac product! It's really beautiful. Fairly Precious & Superb I use as a blush topper, they give the blush a little extra and give you a glow from within look. Pearl is probably my favourite cream highlighter ever. It's beautiful. If your in the market for one from mac I'd go for Pearl!

Next up are my Laura Mercier Highlighters and Bobbi Brown highlighters! I have the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Peach Mosaic and the Sheer Creme Colour in Golden Pink. I use Peach Mosaic every day! I love this product, it is permanent so we can all have it! I don't really use the sheer Creme colour much, it is really pretty though, I think it's limited but I think they bring it out every year! Then I have my Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Beige (P) and Sandstone (LE). I think these are so pretty, I can't use Sandstone as a cheekbone highlight because I find it to gold so it's nice brushed on the cheeks. You could use the top shade as a highlight though! 

Then I have my high end highlighters. The first is by Chanel, it's really old, I just can't chuck it away! It was my first high end product and I love it! Then I have my Dior Skin Nude Tan Transat Edition, this was limited I think some places still have it if I can find it I will put a link down below at the end of the post, I really love this highlighter it's my go to highlighter right now, it is quite gold though but it's beautiful! Then I have my Charlotte Tilbury Film Star Bronze and Glow, this is permanent, it gives you a beautiful candlelit glow! Very beautiful. The Dior highlighter is probably my favourite highlighter out of all the ones I have!

Lastly are my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors in Moonstone & RoseGold. I had Opal but it was faulty so if got an exchange for moonstone because Opal was out of stock, I will re purchase it when it becomes back in stock because it is beautiful. Moonstone isn't as creamy or as shimmery as Opal but it's a pretty glow/sheen. Rose Gold is so beautiful, it's super creamy and gives a beautiful glow. I use this as a blush topper, as it is a pinky colour, it would look to pink on me. But it looks amazing over any blush, I always get compliments when I wear this! I buy my Becca products from Space NK , it's the only place that stocks it in the UK. Becca highlighters are seriously amazing you don't need much, they are so pigmented! 
I also have the Mary-Loumanizer by the Balm which is another amazing highlighter, it's quite similar to Moonstone by Becca!

So that's all my highlighters! Im always on the look out for different highlighters so if you have any that you love let me know! 


Dior highlighter - http://www.feelunique.com/p/Diorskin-Nude-Tan-Natte-Transat-Edition-Summer-Look


Don't forget to follow my Instagram @ellietaylorrxx
X

MAC Christmas Collection- My Picks

This years Christmas collection by mac is probably the nicest we've had for awhile. This is my second Christmas working for mac but before I worked for them I was literally in the shop everyday. This year it's called the Heirloom Collection. Everything is packaged so beautifully! All the packaging for the main collection and all the gift sets is all covered in glitter! 

Objects of affection/pink + rose pigments + glitter set

Objects of affection/bronze pigments + glitter set

This year I picked up 3 of the gift sets. I got 2 of the pigment sets, although i could of bought them all because they are so beautiful. I also go the Nude Lip Bag. The pigment sets are called 'Objects of Affection'. I got the Pink/Rose pigments & Glitter and the Bronze pigments & glitter sets. They come in a beautiful glittery black box (in the picture) with a cameo medallion. The pigments/glitter in the Pink/Rose set includes (L-R) Whisper Pink, a soft beigy pink with pearlized pigments. Tan, muted pinky brown bronze. Rose, Rose with copper sparkle. Reigning Riches, soft copper. Heritage Rouge, dirty brown plum. (I got the descriptions of the colours off the mac cosmetics website). All of these pigments are beautiful. There are only two limited shades in this set, which are Whisper Pink and Reigning Riches (glitter). All the colours in this set work beautifully together. I personally prefer the pigments/glitters in the smaller pots.
The other pigment set I got was the
Bronze pigments & glitter. Again it came packaged in the same beautiful box. This set was an online exclusive. I am so happy I found this set. The pigments/glitter in this set include (L-R) Melon, soft bright golden peach. Naked Deep Dark, darkened brown (I think this is a soft brown shade it's not dark). Copper, smooth high-shine copper. 3D Copper, high glitter copper. Chocolate Brown, chocolate copper/bronze. Again there are only two limited shades in this set, 3D copper (glitter) and Chocolate Brown. I love all the shades in both these sets and i'm so happy I have them! 

Swatches of both sets. Left Pink/rose set. Right Bronze set. 

The last thing I bought was the Keepsake Nude Lip Bag. I had convinced myself before it came out that I did not need this lip bag. Then I tried it on.. I loved it. So obviously being me I bought it. I really do love it.

Keepsakes Nude lip bag

This set include the lipstick in Kiss The King, this is has a Luster finish and is described as peachy coral. It also includes the lipglass in Chic Supremacy, a soft creamy yellow nude. Lastly it comes with the lipliner in Boldly Bare, dirty red brown (I think it has a hint of pink). It also comes with this pretty white glittery makeup bag with a 'Pearl' trim. When the lipstick and the lipglass are layered on top of one another it mixes the colours together. I can't really explain it. But if your like me and love your lipstick go into the store and try these on, it really is beautiful. I think I liked it because i'm used to wearing pale nudes like Myth and this is more of a pinky nude.

Overall i'm very happy with everything I have bought from this collection! I can't wait to wear some of the colours and play with the glitters!
Don't forget to follow my Instagram for daily posts! @ellietaylorrxx 
X

My Must Have Makeup Brushes- Face

In my last post I wrote about eye brushes this post is about face brushes/tools. Again most of these brushes are mac, but i am mentioning them because thse are my favourite brushes. At the bottom of the page will be a list of the brush fibres. Let's get to it!

First is the MAC 127 Split Fibre Face Brush. Mine has a blue handle because this brush first came out with the Alluring Aquatic collection. This is my favourite bronzer brush, more so to apply the bronzer to my cheeks/cheekbones because it's quite a flat brush so it keeps the bronzer where I want it to be. This brush is now permanent with the classic mac handle colour.

Next up is the MAC 129 Powder/Blush Brush. Again this is another one of my favourite brushes for bronzer more for my forehead though. I really love this brush. I also have the short handles version (129SH) and that is my favourite blusher brush. Something about the short handle makes it better for blusher! 

This next brush is the MAC 132 Duo Fibre Foundation Brush. First, I don't use this for foundation. It's quite a small dense brush, I find that it is perfect for cream highlighters! I use mine with my mac Creme colour Base in Pearl. It just blends it's perfectly doesn't leave it looking stripy, it's just a really nice brush for cream products. Of course you could use it for foundation and it gives a nice finish to th foundation but I personally love it and use it for the cream highlighters.

A similar looking brush is the MAC 159 Duo Fibre Brush. This is a great brush for foundation! It works beautifully with the Studio Fix Fluid foundation. But since I changed my foundations I find that with the runnier liquids that this brush doesn't blend it in enough for me. I am on the look out for a really good buffer foundation brush, so if you have any ideas of brushes comment down below!

Next is another popular MAC brush, it's the 168 Large Angled Contour Brush. I have 3 of these! I don't know why I have that many but I love this brush. It's good for blusher, contouring, highlighter and it's amazing for foundation. It's so soft and fluffy! It's a deffo must have.

The MAC 190 Foundation Brush is what a classic foundation brush looks like. I don't use this for foundation or anything creamy at all! I use this brush with my Anastasia Banana powder and mac emphasise shaping powder to highlight and set under my eyes! This was just a random pick up with these products and now I love it! 

This last brush is a Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight Brush. I use this for my highlighter, clues in the name! I didn't have a specific brush for my highlighters and highlighting is my favourite thing! I love to make my skin glow! So I welcomed this into my collection and I use it everyday to apply my highlighters to the tops of my cheekbones! 

I can't do a post about my must have face tools without mentioning the amazing Beauty Blenders! I have the Original (pink) and the Pro (black). This is my favourite way to blend out my undereye concealer/highlight! Such an amazing way to apply cream products! It's also a really nice way to apply foundation! If you read my blog you know how much of a big fan I am of the Beauty Blenders!

I clean all my brushes with the MAC Brush Cleanser, I have always used this even before I worked for mac. It cleans your brushes and you don't have to leave them drying for days. It's a quick and effective way to clean your brushes! I find that the best way to clean my Beauty Blenders is with the Beauty Blender Cleasner Solid! Again very quick and it works! 

Mac brush fibres

127- natural & synthetic

129- goat hair

132- natural & synthetic 

159- natural & synthetic 

168- goat hair

190- synthetic 

Zoeva 105- natural & synthetic

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

www.zoeva-shop.de

www.beautybay.co.uk

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for daily posts! @ellietaylorrxx

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My Must Have Makeup Brushes- Eyes

This post is all about eye brushes! The brushes i'm going to talk about are my must have brushes! At the bottom of the post I will put a list of the brushes and what fibres they are made from. Most of these brushes will be from mac as I work for them but these are brushes I use every single day on myself and clients so I know they work. All the brushes mentioned are my favourites, I do have some from other brands but I find these work the best. So let's get into it! 

First is probably the most famous MAC brush of all time, the 217 Blending Brush. I have 3 of these! This is a must have for every makeup artist/lover. It's so soft and fluffy! I like to use the one for deepening up the colour in my crease, I even sometimes use this brush to directly apply the colour to the 'outer V' of my eye. I use a different brush for the main 'transition' colour in my crease! There are lots of other companies that sell brushes that look exactly the same as this like Sigma and Zoeva, I personally haven't used them so I cannot compare them to one another. 
Another brush I love is the MAC 219 Pencil Brush. Like the 217 there are again lots of brush companies that sell brushes like these but I have not tried them. I really like this brush. I use this to deepen up the 'outer V'. It's a very precise application, this puts the colour exactly where I want it to be. This tends to be the last step I do on the eyes before I move on to the rest of my face. 
The 224 Tapered Blending Brush is a must have! I have 2 of these brushes! This is the brush I use in my crease. It's big and fluffy and it blends the product beautifully. I use this for my transition colour. I really really love this brush.
This next brush is my favourite brush out of all of these brushes. It seems like a really basic brush but I love it. It's the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush. This brush is so dense you could have two colours of each side of the brush and they would not mix together. I have tried the Zoeva 234 Luxe Smokey Shader Brush and it's a good brush but it's not as dense as the mac one, but if you are building up your brush kit for the price this one is great, but I do think the mac 239 would be an investment.
Next is the MAC 242 Shader Brush. I have 2 of these brushes but I use them for completely different things. One I use with concealer for carving out my brow after I've filled in my eyebrows to sharpen and tidy the brow up. Then the other one I use for loose pigments and pressed pigments. It's great dry or wet. I like to spray this brush with some Fix + and use it with the 'pop' shade in the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palettes. 
This next brush looks very similar to the 242. It's the MAC 252 Large Shader brush. I use this brush for buffing out my eyeshadow under my lower lash line! It's my favourite brush to do this with! I learnt this tip from a friend from work and since she showed my it's the only brush I've used! deffinate must have!
That's it for mac brushes. Next is the brush I use to fill in my eyebrows, so obviously it is a brush from the brow genius Anastasia Beverly Hills. It's #12 the Large Synthetic Duo Brow Brush. One end is an angled brush and the other end is a spooley (like a mascara wand). I really love this brush, it works perfectly with the DipBrow.
Lastly is the Zoeva 221 Luxe Soft Crease Brush. This is really similar to the mac 224 brush, except this one is a little shorter and more dense, but it's so soft and fluffy it does a quite similar job to the mac one but I just love them both!

That's it for all of my favourite eye brushes, I will be doing my favourite face brushes/tools soon. I will leave links down below where you can purchase or look at the brushes mentioned.

mac brush fibers
217- goat hair
219- goat hair
224- goat hair
239- goat hair
242- pony hair & synthetic mix
252- goat hair
Anastasia brush #12- synthetic
Zoeva 221- natural & synthetic mix

www.maccosmetics.co.uk
www.cultbeauty.co.uk/Anastasia-Beverly-hills
www.zoeva-shop.de
www.love-makeup.co.uk (sells sigma and zoeva brushes)

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @ellietaylorrxx
Comment down below if you have any questions!
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October Favourites

This month I don't have many new favourites. I've just been using the same things and I've not really got any new makeup to play with and test.


First is something I cannot do my makeup without. It's nothing special but I love it and it's MACs Fix +. I spray my face with it when I've finished all my makeup. I spray it on my Beauty Blenders and my brushes it's a must have. Sticking to face poducts, next is one of my newest products. I bought this in London, this has been on my wish list for quite some time, it's the Charlotte Tilbury Film Star Bronze & Glow. I've been using this since I've got it. I originally bought it for the highlighter, I thought the bronzer side would be to light for me but I love it! There both really nice! And the packaging is sooo beautiful it's rose gold and vintage like. It's a really nice product and I think I would repurchase it when it ran out! Next is the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Peach Mosaic. I LOVE this. I dust it over the top of my blusher and it gives an amazing glow! I mix all the shades together, it's really beautiful! This next one I don't know why I didn't put in my September Favourites as I use this every single day. It's a Texture Eyeshadow by MAC. If you don't have this you need to own it, it's amazing in the crease or all over the lid it's a warm orangey brown shadow it was one of my first ever eyeshadows I bought at mac, it's so pigmented. I've had this one for a few months now and it still looks new! Lastly is two lipsticks by MAC, they've been in my makeup bag all month! Pander Me is a new limited shade, it's like Mocha, also from mac, but this on is a matte lipstick. I love it! Amazing for Fall! Lastly is VIVA GLAM III. It's my favourite dark lip for fall/winter! Viva glam lipsticks are very special as every penny from the sale of one of these lipsticks go to the MAC Aids Fund! So when you buy one of the viva glam lipsticks all the money is going to a good cause! Another viva glam which is my beautiful is viva glam II, when your next go to mac go and look at the viva glam lipsticks! 

Follow me on Instagram for daily uploads @ellietaylorrxx
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Makeup routine- Skin

I get a lot of questions asked about what I use on my skin, I have very oily skin but I don't like to look completely matte. I do my makeup in a strange way, my foundation then concealer, then my eyebrows, eyes and back to the rest of my skin! (The order of the products is not nessiserelly the order I use them in).

My everyday products

First I prime my skin, I must wear a primer! I cannot do my makeup without priming. I use Mac Natural Radience, I really love this one, it's not heavy or greasy it just sinks into my skin. The foundation I use is, Mac Studio Fix Fluid mixed with Gorgio Armarni Luminous Silk. I do this because Luminous Silk isn't enough coverage for my skin and it's not particularly made for oily to very oily skin, so I mix it with Studio Fix because it's a full coverage long wearing foundation. I've tried lots of foundations and Studio Fix has the best for staying power. Where I work is extremely hot and the more people that come the hotter it gets so I need good staying power! For my undereye concealer I use Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, full coverage and it's creaseless. I've not found a better concealer yet. I don't use a powder all over my face to set it (I probably should). I don't know why I don't. If I do, I use something lightweight I like the Mac Studio Sculpt Defining Powder. At some point most of my face will be covered with some sort of powder, like bronzer. I keep changing my bronzers but my favourite is Mac Sharon Osbourne Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh. I love how warm it is, it can pull a little orange but I like it, but with it becoming winter I don't want to look too orange so i'm playing with some others. I do really like the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow, it's nice for contouring aswell! For contouring/highlighting my favourite product is Mac Prep + Prime Highligher Pen in Light Boost. This is a must have for me! I have to have this when i'm highlighting and contouring (I spoke about this pen in my September Favourites Post). I love it! To set my under eye highlight I like to use Banana from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit mixed with Emphasize Shaping Powder by Mac. Again this just brightens the under eye. To contour I use a mix of the shades from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. Blusher is again something that's always changing but I will name some of my favourites, Becca Mineral Blush in Sweetpea, Mac Margin, Nars Madly. (I am on the hunt for a good blusher if you have any ideas comment below). Then sometimes I like to add a highlight over the blush, not just any highlight, a coloured one. My favourites are Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Peach Mosaic & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed in Rose Gold. They give an amazing glow to the checks! Lastly is highlighter. I love highlighter! I use so many different ones I could probably do a whole blog post on how many I have! What i'm using now is the highlight side in the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow, it gives you a very candlelit glow, it's so beautiful. The balm Mary-Lou Manizer, very shimmery, Dior Skin Transat Edition (this was limited). There's so many I have I could just go on and on so that's just to name a few! If you know any amazing highlighters let me know about them! To finish everything off I spray my face with Fix + by Mac. It makes the makeup more like skin, it takes the powdery look away and gives your skin a lift. I spray my face with it throughout the day also to refresh my makeup.
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Mini Haul

Beauty blender Dry & Wet

On Sunday I received an email from BeautyBay.com saying it was the last day of there 'beauty sale'. 10% off when you spend £20 etc, so I knew I had to do some shopping! The first thing I knew I had to get was another Beauty Blender! I ended up buying the Beauty Blender Pro Sponge Duo! I LOVE beauty blenders. I sound like a broken record going on about how much I love them. I already have the original beauty blender (the pink one) I use it everyday so I decided to get more and the duo pack is better value for money!
As you can see in the picture the beauty blender on the left is smaller and the one on the right is bigger, because when you wet a beauty blender they get bigger and softer. I use mine to blend out my under eye concealer/highlight. I use mac prep + prime highlighter pen in Light Boost, I think that the two of these is a match made in heaven! I could ramble on all day about how good these are! If your not sure, I would go and buy one and see for yourself how amazing these are! They are amazing for foundation aswel!

    

Zoeva lipstick & brushes

After I placed my order I saw that BeautyBay sold Zoeva Brushes, I'd been wanting to buy some so I thought I may aswell get them with the discount off. I got the 105 Luxe Highlight brush, the 234 Luxe Smokey Shader brush (one of my favourite brushes is mac 239 and this looks similar so hopefully it will be as good). I also got the Luxe Cream Lipstick in Faith & Love. I'm quite surprised with the pigmentation of these lipsticks. They are SO pigmented! You only need one swipe to get the true colour! Very impressed. I already know Zoeva brushes are amazing I've already used them, they are so soft and they look expensive. They are comparable to mac brushes. The Luxe Highlight brush (£11.50) is like no brush I own, and i'm a huge highlighter fan, I love to glow, so this brush will be getting used lots. The Luxe Smokey Shader brush (£6.95) looks similar to one of my favourite mac brushes, i'm hoping it will do the exact same job as I can never have enough flat shader brushes to pack colour onto the lid. The Luxe Cream Lipstick was £7.50 and as I said before they are really pigmented. 
I'm excited to put these to use. To see any extra pictures follow me on Instagram @ellietaylorrxx
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Burberry Lip Velvet

I first saw Burberry lipsticks on net-a-porter and I just fell in love! I really wanted to buy one, but I didn't know what they would look like because there wasn't swatches available. If I'm ever buying anything online and I've never seen it before I always google swatches of what it is I want to see, but online the Burberry swatches wasn't that great so I decided i would just wait to see them in person and my hunt for a Burberry beauty contour began. 

When I went to London me and my boyfriend went shopping (obviously) and I'd forgotten

about Burberry lipsticks, after a day of shopping we went down to Covent Garden at night to have something to eat and explore. I loved Covent garden! All the little shops were so 

cute, we had a little walk and there it was.. A Burberry beauty boutique!! I ran over to the shop with excitement and headed straight to the lipsticks!(again, obviously). I was so excited I didn't even look at the other makeup, which now I wish I had. I began looking through the lipsticks, swatching on my hands. I was definitely like a child in a sweet shop! After a few swatches I found my chosen lipstick! I was so excited, the sales assistant in there was so lovely, we was gossiping about the colour I had on my eyes, it was Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet, she put in a sample of purfume which was a really good size, wrapped the ribbon around the bag and off we went.   Later me and Connor were eating at a lovely restaurant when I decided to open the pretty bag! I pulled out my lipstick and looked at it closely, it wasn't the one I wanted! And the shop had now closed. Maybe it is, I told myself, maybe it's the lighting out here, I'll wait until we get back to the hotel. We got back to the hotel and the lipstick wasn't the one I'd picked out in the store. I was a little bit disappointed, it was a nice colour it was the shade Peony Rose 302. I knew where the lady had gone wrong I remembered that the number of the shade I wanted was 301. I tried the lipstick on to convince myself to keep it. When we got back home to Manchester I decided to contact 

Pink Apricot 301 & Peony Rose 302

Burberry Customer services, I will say they have amazing customer service! I was so happy with the ladies that delt with me! They asked me which it was I wanted and they then sent me the correct one out in the post, which came the next day, and let me keep the one I was given for the inconvenience. They were fantastic! 

The shade I wanted was Pink Apricot 301 and when it came I was so happy with the colour it was exactly what I wanted! So I now own 2 Burberry lipsticks, mine are the Lip Velvet which are a matte finish. They have a few other finishes in the lipsticks also and there glosses looked amazing. I will hopefully soon be extending my Burberry Beauty collection! 

Pink Apricot (301) is a beautiful nude peach, it's such a beautiful colour and it's so pigmented, both the swatches on my arm are with just one swipe of the lipstick. I like the fact it's a matte finish because you get to see the true colour! Peony Rose (302) is a beautiful dusky pink. When I tried it on I thought straight away that this is a 'Kylie Jenner' lip colour! But even without her putting her stamp on all the mauvey lip colours this is a really beautiful colour! The packaging is beautiful and classy and I love the check print in the lipsticks! Overall these are really lovely lipsticks and if you can find a Burberry beauty counter/boutique I suggest you get yourself in there and start swatching! 

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Copper Eyes Makeup Look

This makeup look has been my go to look recently! It's so perfect for fall with a really dark lip, it also looks beautiful with a nude lip.

This eye look is only two products! (not including eye base) all the products i'm using are from MAC . When I do my makeup I start off by doing my foundation and under eye concealer, then I move on to my eyebrows then I do my eyes. 

I primed my eyes with Soft Ochre Paint Pot. I use this all over my lid (I don't put it up to my brows because I use Pro Longwear Concealer under my brows) this is a step I have to do! I cancels any colour out on the lid and makes the colours so intense and your eyeshadow will not crease if you use a Paint pot under it. Next I take Texture Eyeshadow with a 224 blending brush and put this colour into my crease, I keep adding the colour until i'm happy with it. Keep blending and blending! I like to blow mine out so it's big and soft! Next I take the Electric Cool Eyeshadow in Coil with

my finger, I pack this all over the lid until I get the colour and the sparkle how I want! (This product is limited edition but the mac cosmetics website here in the UK have it in stock and I think some stores may have some left). This product has a creamy moussey feel to it, it works best when it's used with the fingers! Then with my blending brush and no extra product and just softly blend the edges of Coil and Texture so they blend together nicely. Next I get some Texture eyeshadow on my 252 flat shader brush and buff this under my bottom lash line, I like to drag it down quite abit. I think buffing shadow under the lash line completes the look and really opens your eyes! The 252 is my favourite    

brush for under the eyes! Lastly finish off the eyes with some lashes of your choice! My favourites at the minuet are 36's by mac, you don't want the lashes to be too dramatic because it will take away the attention from the beautiful copper sparkles! Don't forget to add some mascara to the top and bottom lashes! To complete the look pair this eye with a nice dark red lip if your going to do this for fall! My personal favourites are Viva Glam III or Diva. If you don't want a dark lip with it a nude would look just as amazing, even something like Mocha! Anything that has a warm undertone will look beautiful and really compliment this look! 

This is one of my favourite looks and it's so quick and easy to do! 

If you recreate this look tag me in your pictures on Instagram -@ellietaylorrxx & twitter- @ellietaylorxo don't forget to follow me for daily pictures and looks!

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September Favourites

I know we're already half way through October but I've not had a minuet to sit down and do my September favourites. This is my first monthly favourites on my blog and some of these products I've loved for months and still love them. I use most of these products every day or every time I get ready, hopefully you'll find some new favourites from this post!

September Favourites!

The products I've been loving this month are the Beauty Blender & Blender Cleanser Soild, Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold and Becca Blush in Sweetpea, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh, MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost, MAC Electric Cool Eyeshadow in Coil, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Chocolate, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita, Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 239 Frisson & 219 Whisper Beige and lastly MAC lipstick in Mocha! 

So let's Start with the Beauty blender and Beauty Blender Cleanser Soild! I cannot say enough good things about the Beauty Blender! Since I've started to use it it's changed the way I do my makeup! I cannot reccomend them enough, I tell everyone about them and if you do makeup or just love makeup you definitely need one of these! And the Soild cleanser makes cleaning your beauty blender so easy, if you have a beauty blender this is a must have to clean it! 

I'm not a huge hair person, i'm not really that good at it, but when it comes to drying/styling my hair I have to use my Philip Kingsly Daily Damage Defence. It's a anti-breakage, heat protecting, conditioning spray. My hair is super blonde and it can get really damaged by the styling I do, I received this product in a beauty box not long back and I was on the look out for a heat protectant spray and when I received this I fell in love! It helps to untangle my hair, to protect my hair and it smells AMAZING! 

Next is two items from Becca Cosmetics. First is the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold. This is a beautiful product, so creamy and pigmented I love it. I use it over the top of any blush to give me a 'glow from within' look. I'm very fair so this would be to much for me as a cheekbone highlight but works beautifully over blusher. Speaking of blush the blusher I've been loving and wearing everyday is the Becca Mineral Blush in Sweetpea, one word to describe this blush is pigmented. Literally one tap in the blush is all you need per cheek. It's a warm peach brown blush it's been in my makeup bag now since summer and it will work perfectly for the upcoming winter months also! 

This next product was a limited edition product but I think it's still available on the mac cosmetics website here in the UK. It's the Sharon Osbourne Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh. This came out with the Kelly and Sharon Osbourne collection by mac. I love this bronzer, it's a warm colour and can pull slightly orange (if you don't like that then stay away from this) half is a bronzer (i think it's Give Me Sun by mac) and then a little part of it is a highlighter shade, I mix the 2 together and I don't see any shimmer on my face, it gives me warmth to my skin, it's one of my favourite bronzers. Another favourite of mine this month by MAC is the Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. This is one of my must haves. I cannot do my makeup without this product, mine has actually ran out so i'm currently using a sample pot with some in until my new one arrives! It's better than any other under eye highlight/concealer it's gives a glow to my face (without being pearly or shimmery it's completely matte). I use this with my Beauty Blender and it's a match made in heaven! 

Some eye products now, a Palette I've been loving recently is this Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita. This palette is made up of 4 warm toned shadows (my favourite) the first shade is Prime the second Enhance, third Smoke and fourth Pop. The 'Pop' shade is a shimmery/glittery shade made to be put on with your finger, the texture is similar to a mac pressed pigment. Next is the Electric Cool Eyeshadow by MAC in Coil. This eyeshadow is a strange texture, it feels creamy and moussey. This colour is amazing and it works beautifully in this texture it's so pigmented, this shade is a bright shimmery copper! Every smokey eye i'm doing i'm finding myself using this for a pop of sparkle even all over the eye blended with a warm matte shade it's beautiful (this product is limited edition). This next product is an old favourite of mine but with this being my first favourites it deserves a mention. It's the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Chocolate. This is the best brow product in the world to me! I 100% reccomend this product! 

Lastly now is lip products. My favourite products to buy! Firstly is the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 239 Frission which is a nude coral shade and 219 Whisper Beige which is a brown toned nude. This are liquid lipsticks, they stay on for so long and stay glossy, I've been wearing them alone with lipliner and over the top of lipstick. Which brings us to my last favourite, Mocha Lipstick by MAC. Such a beautiful colour for fall/winter I like this lipstick with Spice Lipliner also by MAC and I also love it with the Dior Fluid Stick in 219 (Whisper Beige).

That's all my makeup/beauty favourites for September! 
To check out more things I love/buy follow me on Instagram! @ellietaylorrxx
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