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This years hottest summer trend…drawn on freckles?! 

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I read a very interesting article on the MailOnline http://www.dailymail.co.uk by the witty Annabel Fernwick Elliot. It was on quite a hot topic at the moment, drawn on freckles. This is something I never thought I’d see, drawing on freckles brings back hilarious memories of dressing up as school girls and going to foam parties in my late teens. Cringe. 

I was hoping to insert a photo of beautifully applied fake freckles but on my searches all I could find was either celebrity’s with freckles (real or fake I wasn’t 100% sure) or people joking about and going very over the top. So I decided to insert a photo of my naturally freckley face! 

   

 Personally I love having freckles, I think they are cute, summery and something to be embraced not covered up. Which is where my love for bb creams and light foundations comes from. Freckles are either loved or hated  and I feel it’s quite a bold statement to atempt to draw them on! In the article celebrity makeup artist Kate Best had some tips on how to apply them for a natural look, no one wants to look like a St Trinian girl on the way to work! Here is a screen shot on what she was quoted saying:

  
In theory it sounds plausible but in reality I couldn’t do it, as devastated as I would be not to have freckles I don’t think I could handle the upkeep. Rushing around after two children and running my own nail business I get hot, and sweaty, and am constantly wiping or touching my face. They would be smudged within minutes and I’m pretty sure it would take a lot of practice to make them looking natural. But on the other hand it’s nice to try new things and for you freckle-less freckle lovers out there this could be a perfect solution. 

As new as this trend phenomenon is to me apparently it has been around a while, some high end brands have been offering freckle pencils for several years now. It also stated in the article that top shop are releasing a ‘marbleised formula’ freckle pencil. I had a look online and it is available now and although reviews have been very mixed it has sold out on line already. 

  
I have a feeling this trend might be for the cat walks only, with spritely freckley faces dominating the spring shows. Can I see any of my friends doing this? Maybe one or two but who knows, in 3 months time I might be eating my words time will tell. Is this something you are interested in? Can you see yourself strutting around the office all freckled up? I’d love to hear your thoughts please comment below! Ps I said freckle 15 times! 

Freedom Makeup London ‘Far Away’ Lipstick Collection-not to be missed!

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Hello my little buttons!

I was sent these amazing Star Wars themed lipsticks by Freedom Makeup London who launched on June 5th this year (2015) the colours are crazy! When I swatched them I was hypnotised by the uniqueness of the shades, the grey/silver both have different coloured shimmers which sadly my cameras not picking up that well! The purple almost glows and the gold was so opaque it blew my mind. I realise how dramatic I am being but they really were eye catching! Today I tested them all out on my lips:

  
The first white shade is called ‘storm trooper’ I used a white eyeliner to line my lips and fill them in before applying the lipstick. The formula is so smooth and creamy and applied beautifully. It looks loads better with the White liner underneath to smooth it all over. The gold shade is called ‘space luxe’ this was a joy to use feels like a lip balm rather than a lipstick yet it’s so opaque and metallic in the light it looks awesome! The next shade is ‘sky walker’ same formula as the gold easy and smooth to apply with a beautiful blue/purple tone to it. Next we have ‘the sith’ a dark metallic grey also with blue/purple undertones, I used a black eyeliner to line my lips before applying which really gave it some more dimension. Needed a few layers but built up beautifully. The last shade we have ‘far away’ a metallic purple which I feel speaks for it’s it’s just gorgeous! 

Over all I’m amazed these are only £1 each, as well as feeling comfy on the lips they apply beautiful and I’ve never seen colours like it. If this is your thing or you feel like experimenting, go check out http://www.freedommakeuplondon.com 

A Whole Face of Makeup for £13? Makeup Gallery at Poundland

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Hello my little buttons!

Over the past few weeks I have been on a hunt at my local poundlands to test out their new ‘Makeup Gallery’ range. This blog will be a quick over view of the products I’ve tried and what I think of them! 

  
 

Here is everything I managed to find, this line already seems popular as for the life of me couldn’t find any black eyeliner or brow pencils! This was bought over several trips as every shop I went in the shelves were half empty. Let’s start with the packaging, for £1 an item it’s clearly not bad. It look sleek and simple. I think the cheapest feeling packaging is definatly the lipstick. 

  
 

There wasn’t a primer so I used my Elf Mineral  Primer as nothing lasts on me without some sort of base. The Flawless Long Lasting foundation was surprisingly a good colour match and is available in 8 shades. I have combo skin and found it did cling slightly to my dry patches so this wouldn’t be suitable for dry skin. It’s super light coverage, I ended up using my fingers to apply it. It evened out my skin tone and did apply smoothly. Wouldn’t say it’s long lasting, after 5 hours it had definitly moved about. Not the worst foundation I’ve ever used but think you need quite good skin to use this as there’s not much coverage. Next the concealer, think I’ll be passing this on. It didn’t cover my blemishes just make them crispy and dry (gross!!) it did slightly cover my bags but not enough for my liking, it did work as a nice highlight though! Lastly the powder, worked nicely to set my make up, I did need to touch up throughout the day but for £1 that’s usually expected. 

  
 

Really like this cute little blush! Pretty colour selection, I chose quite a neutral pinky colour. What I liked about this is it goes on quite sheer and you can really build up the colour for your desisted effect. This would be a great blush for a makeup beginner as I think it would be very hard to over do it. It lasted about 4/5 hours before I needed a touch up. 

  
Colour story eyeshadows available in 20 shimmery/matte shades I gotta say there was a beautiful neutral colour selection lots of good crease colours and shimmery lid colours. I chose a matte cream, a matte taupe brown and a purpley moave shimmer with fine glitter. The same as the blush they are blendable but you need to build them up to get the full colour kick. The shimmery shadow on the other hand was pigmented and applied very nicely to the lids. The only disappointing thing was the glitter managed to get into my eyes which irritated them for ages!!!!! I would highly recommend using a primer as after 4/5 hours my eyeshadow had drastically faded. 

   
  
This mascara was awesome!!! I’ve already mentioned it in my affordable mascara review it adds volume, length, you can really build it up and it holds the curl. So surprised and impressed! As I said before I couldn’t find black so I bought navy blue, wasn’t that wowed by the liner it didn’t last on my water line at all and wasn’t as pigmented as I would of hoped. The liquid liner though was fab, liked the brush and the formula was dark opaque and very easy to work with.

 
Last but not least lip products, there was a great colour selection from nudes to reds to pinks. The lipgloss has a nice sheer colour to it that looks great on its own as well as over lipstick. It’s rather thick and sticky so if you like more balmy products this might not be for you. The lipstick is lovely, creamy pigmented but not opaque and it didn’t cling to the dry bits on my lips. Lasted an hour or so which I didn’t mind as left a very slight stain so there was still colour there. 

  
Here is the overall look I achieved with these products. I use the brown eyeshadow for my brows as well as eyes. As you can see the concealer really didn’t cover my spots but did reduce the redness around them. I think this range would be great for someone just starting out in makeup as everything was fairly sheer but buildable. As its so inexpensive it would be perfect to get playing with colours and getting used to how to use product and what suits you. I highly recommend the mascara, blush and lipstick. These items would be great to have in your bag on a night out as if they got lost (it happens to us all!!) they’re easily replaceable. I hope you enjoyed this overview, comment below I’d love to hear your thought on this range and if you have any other products in mind you like reviewing! 

My affordable mascara mission.. But who are the winners? 

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Hello my little buttons! 

For the past few months i have been on a mission, to find the best super affordable mascaras that nearly anyone can afford! While I have found some total duds I have also found four cracking little beauties I can’t wait to share with you. The high street really is the leader in the mascara fighting ring, some of the most popular being Max Factor, Maybelline and Loreal. With mascaras that meet every requirement (volume, length, separation, curl..the list goes on) there really is no need to spend a fortune anymore. Although most of the highly talked about high street mascaras are around £10, which don’t get me wrong, isn’t bad but I’d still be disappointed if I lost it on a night out!!  So I decided to see if there was anything out there that was more affordable, but still did the job.

So without future adieu here is my run down of my favourite bargin mascaras!

     Essence- Lash Volume Princess £3.50

Available in Wilko or at http://www.wilko.com 

This mascara has everything, it adds length, volumizes, the formulas not too wet, it’s super black, holds the curl and lasts all day. You can wear a few coats for a natural daytime look or really build it up for bigger badder lashes!   Also available in the the lash princess family is the ‘false lash’ version, which I am dying to try. The packaging is also adorable and so eye catching, hard to believe it’s only £3.50! 
  
Makeup Gallery-Plump Up The Volume          £1 (I know right)

Available at Poundland (seriously)

I wasn’t expecting to like this at all, I’m not a makeup snob but makeup from poundland? Even I was dubious, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like to have in my collection a mascara for light summery natural lashes or if I’m having a ‘no makeup’ day (wink wink nudge nudge) as something to add a touch of colour and length on my blonde invisible lashes. This is it! It separated my lashes beautifuly and I couldn’t believe it lasted all day. I took this photo after 7 hours of wear. For £1? You seriously can’t go wrong. 

  

 Gosh-Amazing Length’N Build  £5.99

Available at superdrug or at http://www.sugerdrugloves.com

This mascara is true to its name, it adds lovely length and is so buildable. This photo was using two coats but I easily could of done more. Love the fact it’s super dark, would be great to wear in the evening or for a big night out. I found if you comb your lashes through after application the result is spectacular. 

  

 Avon-Super Extend Winged Out   £8.50

Avalible through your local Avon rep, or shop online at http://www.avon.uk.com

This was released around the same time as Benefit Rollar lash, so I decided to give it a try as Avon claims ‘this fibre infused mascara lifts each individual lash for a winged out lifted look that lasts.’ Sounds like a dupe to me! I always curl my lashes, without curling they stick straight out or they curl up a bit and within an hour they’ve flopped back down again lol! In this photo I didn’t curl my lashes at all, the short rubber bristles really did lift my lashes and they stayed up all day. This is so handy in my handbag as I don’t need my curler it’s conviniant and I really like the natural look it gives.

So there you go boys and girls, I hope you enjoyed this mini guide and  I’d love to hear what’s your favourite mascara? 

Freedom Makeup London has finally launched!! 

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Nothing is more exciting than new makeup being released, so when I heard a whole new BRAND was being released I couldn’t contain my joy! To add the that joy they are also the creators of the wonderful Makeup Revolution, including Adam Minto who presence on Instagram is refreshing, he comes across very down to earth and thankful to all users of his brand. Today http://www.freedommakeuplondon.com launched at 3pm, the launch had been kept very hush hush. I was aware of the launch date so It was a relief I could finally share the news on my Instagram page!!!! My wish list is gigantic, you really need to check out the website for yourselves. They boast over 200 new products, which is crazy! As well as individual items there are also ‘sets’ of every item you need to acheive certain looks, special priced whole collection deals, the list goes on! If I was to list everything I would be here all day. Something truly unique to this brand is they are offering makeup courses at House Of Glam Dolls in London. For a short time only as well as the 2 hour course for a reasonably priced £50 you receive £50 worth of makeup!!! Each course is teaching you the skills to achieve a certain look:

  • Rose goddess
  • Sculpted beauty
  • Foxy vamp
  • Sultry metals

My most exciting news is I am being sent on one of these courses to review, as well as being sent some of the line to review! I’m honered to have even been considered and can’t wait to share my experiences with the products as well as what I learn at House Of Glam Dolls.

Overall this brand looks fonominal and I am bursting at the seams to get testing, playing and reviewing! The hashtag #macforthemasses has been thrown around which I just love! So many unique products at ridiculously affordable prices, I have a feeling this brand is going to be HUGE. Go check them out im sure you will be as excited as I am!

Makeup Revolution Mermaids Vs Unicorns Eyeshadow Palette 

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Here is the Makeup Revolution, Mermaids vs Unicorns eyeshadow palette which costs £4…yes you read right, £4!!! I love colourful makeup, the greens pink purples and blues really gets my heart racing! This palette has been well thought out, you can use a combination of nearly anything in this palette and it’ll look stunning. The shadows are bright, pigmented and blend well, amazing quality for the price. What nice as well is you can go in light for a gentle wash of colour or pack it on with your finger or a damp brush for a vibrant more full on look. There’s metalics and shimmers, there are a couple of matte shades with a fine glitter running through them that actually shows up on the skin. I like the fact the lid of the palette is clear so while I’m rumaging in my draws its easy to find, it would of been nice if it was maybe half clear half mirror but that’s not the end of the world. I also think it’s a shame there isn’t a cream or a brown to neutralise some of the colours on application but then again I love every shade in this palette i wouldn’t want to sacrifice any of them! I adore this palette so if you love colour or feel like being brave, give it a try! Here are some looks I achieved with this palette xxx 

   
       

 

Jaclyn Hill Favourites Palette by Morphe Brushes

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Let’s just take a minute to look at this beauty!! As soon as I heard this palette was coming round again I jumped on the chance, after hearing all the reviews last time I couldn’t let this slip away. Even if I did have to pay nearly the price of the palette to get it shipped here! It was so worth it, the colour selection is perfection there are so many different looks you can do with this just looking at it makes me feel so inspired! Here are the swatches:

  
The shadows are soft, smooth, pigmented, they blend beautifully and there are several shades I’ve not seen anything like before. I’ve really enjoyed playing around with different colours and looks, it’s a super fun palette, you can go natural to smokey to colourful it has a bit of everything. As much as this palette is now a staple in my collection I have a few small criticisms. Firstly there’s a lot of fall out, which doesn’t massively bother me as even my urban decay shadows have fall out but I know it would bother a lot of people. I just make sure I do my eyes first before doing my foundation etc. Secondly, the packaging is rather flimsy, I actually keep it in its box just incase!! It’s also a shame it’s not got Jaclyn Hill on the front, even just her name would of been good! Last moan is, it’s not got a matte white, cream or light pink so I usually have to reach for another palette too. Mini moan over lol!! Apart from these little niggly things it’s still in my top 3 favourite palettes of all time! If you can get your hands on it, do it you will not regret it! To finish off here are some photos of the looks I have created with it so far. Lots of love xxx #lovethebutton 

   
         

Hello world!

~ buttonnailslovesmakeup ~ 4 Comments

  Hello boys and girls welcome to my blog! I’m Becca, I’m 27, I have two children and I’m from the uk. I’m a nail technician who offers Gelish and specialises in nail art. I’m a normal girl who had a huge passion for nails, makeup, skin care and all areas of beauty! As I like to have an opinion on everything (as my other half is well aware of!!) I thought this would be a great way to get my views out there and hopefully save you some money by showing you some amazing affordable products and seeking out the duds so you don’t have to! I currently have been using my Instagram page (buttonnailslovesmakeup. -go check it out) as a mini blog, reviewing products, sharing makeup looks as well as photos of my work as nail tech. I love the online beauty community everyone is so supportive and happy to share advice and wisdom, YouTube is also a fabulous resource for guidance on what’s hot and what’s not and its a future goal of mine to have my own channel. I enjoy views from makeup artists as well as the everyday person who, like me, loves makeup and knows what works for them and what to look for in a product. With this blog I’m hopeing to share what I have learnt through this beauty obsession in quick fun reports that get to the point and hopefully brighten up your day! If there is any product your curious on or would like my opinion on please do leave a comment below, thank you for taking the time to look at my blog it means the world to me. Lots of love #lovethebutton x xx