MAC Nutcracker Sweet Peach Face Compact

Hello Lovelies

You may have seen in my "What I Got For Christmas" video (see video here) that I received rather a lot of makeup and within that makeup were some items from the MAC Nutcracker Christmas or Holiday collection for 2016. One of the items I received from that collection is the Sweet Peach Face Compact, a stunning blush and highlight compact, I received so many requests to write a post on this compact and when I asked in my video people to let me know which items they would like to see in a blog post first, the Nutcracker items were one of the most popular, so today I am sharing my thoughts on the face compact with you. 

The packaging of the whole collection was lovely, it was pink and purple striped with gold detail and gold MAC lettering, the box is so pretty and the compact inside looks exactly like the box. It is a sturdy plastic compact with the back and inside of the compact being black and with the striped detail on the lid with the gold which actually feels like ribbon/twine. Inside the compact are the blush and highlight both embossed with the same pattern as the box and compact, housed in the lid of the compact is a mirror which is almost the full size of the lid, it is a good sized mirror. 

The Sweet Peach compact contains the extra dimension skin finish highlight in the shade Tutu and the extra dimension blush in the shade At Dusk, the palette was also available in another shade combination, that palette is the sweet copper palette, the highlight in that palette was Whisper Of Guilt and the blush was Pleasure Model.

The sweet peach face compact is absolutely stunning, I am a huge blush fan and have been for many years, I love blush and for years and years didn't wear it because I have rosy cheeks and I always thought wearing blush was wrong and feared it would make me look like I'd been either slapped or were the long lost twin of Aunt Sally (I'm showing my age now) but once I realised that blush actually complimented my makeup look and actually looked nice, I have always been a huge fan. 

Highlight is also something that I shied away from and always used but always opted for a subtle highlight, last Christmas (2015) my friend bought me The Balm Mary Lou Manizer and I loved it and still do, since then I have embraced highlight and worn a more obvious highlight rather than a subtle one, I'm not saying I walk round looking like a glitter ball but I now enjoy wearing highlight and I don't shy away from it at all, I love it. 

Extra Dimension Skin Finish - Tutu

Tutu is a bright, light beige highlight with warm peachy undertones, it has a metallic finish, is extremely pigmented and has an excellent colour payoff, it is so soft and smooth and it applies like a dream and lasts on my skin all day. Tutu doesn't accentuate my pores and gives the most stunning glow, I adore it. Tutu is a new colour and limited edition but knowing MAC and also knowing how popular the face compacts were and how fast they sold out, I think we can hope that MAC will add Tutu to it's permanent line in the not too distant future.

Extra Dimension Blush - At Dusk

At Dusk is a medium pink shade with warm undertones and has a satin finish so it has just the right amount of a sheen to it without it being shimmery, I do usually prefer a matte blush but I have been finding myself leaning towards a satin finish and At Dusk is stunning, it gives a beautiful flush to my cheeks and has a stunning subtle sheen that looks incredible paired with the highlight and lasts beautifully on my skin. At Dusk has been released previously but is limited edition within this collection but as with the highlight I think we may see it being released in the permanent line soon. 

I am absolutely in love with this compact, both the blush and the highlight are stunning,  both apply beautifully and last extremely well, they don't accentuate my pores and they compliment each other perfectly, they are both stunning shades and if MAC do bring these out into their permanent line, I would highly recommend you snap them up immediately. 

MAC blush and highlighters are all beautiful and they last such a long time, it takes me a long time to hit pan on either product and although they are more expensive than some brands, they are worth it in my eyes, unfortunately I cannot leave you a link to the face compact as it is sold out everywhere online but if I do hear of MAC adding these shades to their permanent line (possibly with a different name) I will of course let you know as soon as I know. In the mean time, you can check out the MAC blushes and highlight that they do have in stock HERE. 

Do you have this face compact or the Sweet Copper face compact? And do you have any items from the Nutcracker collection and what were your favourite items from the collection? Chat with me in the comments and let me know. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion

Hello Lovelies

Having extremely dry skin and also dehydrated skin is something I have mentioned a lot on my blog so I am sure unless my blog is new to you, you're aware of my skin woes. Around 6 months ago I was chatting to the sales assistant on Estee Lauder and we were just having a general chat about makeup and beauty etc she wasn't trying to sell me anything. 

We got talking about skin care and she kindly told me she didn't think I looked old enough to have daughters the age mine are, then we were talking about our skin types and I told her how I hated my dry skin and as winter was soon approaching that it would only get worse, and boy has it got worse! The lady recommended I try the Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion, she put a little on the back of my hand and it did feel nice, she said it was really good for dry skin but didn't really go too much into detail about it, I decided to research the micro essence myself and found that it might be something that would be good for my skin but it is expensive and I was unsure about spending that kind of money. 

A few weeks later my daughter actually bought me a bottle as a gift, she is a MUA and gets brand discount so she was able to purchase the micro essence for less than half the price I could and she picked me a bottle up as she knew I wanted to try it but was worried about the price. I have been using it now since mid August and wanted to let you know my thoughts. 

What Estee Lauder Say About Micro Essence

Micro and mighty. This essence-in-lotion activates and strengthens skin's foundation to reveal its youthful, angelic glow.

MICRO TARGETED: penetrates deeply and rapidly within skin's surface to renew and rebalance its appearance.

MICRO NOURISHING: delivers a precise concentration of exclusive Micro-Nutrient Bio-Ferment.

MICRO ACTIVE: Activates multiple natural pro-youth abilities to replenish the look of skin.

My Thoughts

First of all I have to say I love the packaging, it is a lovely frosted glass bottle with a gold lid but glass packaging does scare me a little because I worry I might drop it and smash my sink, needless to say, this doesn't leave the bedroom! But aside from that it is nice packaging. 

The Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion comes in 2 sizes, 75ml (£48.00) and 150ml (£68.00) in terms of value for money, buying the 150ml makes much more sense because you are getting double the amount for £20.00 more. I have the 150ml size and have been using it for a good few months now and I am not even a quarter of the way down the bottle which is good news considering the price.

I apply the micro essence by tipping a little into the palm of my hand and then patting my hands together and patting it onto my face, if I need to concentrate on certain areas of my face I will upturn the bottle onto my finger and apply it where I want to, you can pop it onto a cotton pad and use it like you would a toner but I feel you would waste a lot of product using it like that and lets face it, it is too expensive to waste. I apply the micro essence after my toner and before my serum morning and night time. 

The first time I ever used the micro essence I used it in a morning and I noticed straight away that my serum didn't sink immediately into my skin after applying it, because my skin is so dry/dehydrated it usually does but it didn't, it took a few seconds to sink in and my moisturiser seemed to take a little longer to sink in too. The more I used the micro essence the more I noticed my serum and moisturiser would take longer to sink into my skin and the same at night with my advance night repair or mask or whatever I might be using, they were taking longer to sink in too. 

I have been using the micro essence for 4.5 months now and my skin definitely feels less dehydrated, I have to admit there have been times when I have let my skincare slide due to my health recently but when I have been using my skincare I have used the micro essence and it has definitely made a difference to my skin and the dehydration, and I am really pleased with the results and think if I had not let my routine slide I would have had much better results than I have. 

Would I re purchase? I have to be honest here and say yes 100% at the discounted price but I am not in a position financially to spend £68.00 on a skincare product, if I were then yes, absolutely and without hesitation I would purchase it at the full price, but for me, if I can't get it at the discounted price then unfortunately I will have to find an alternative, but judging on the amount I have used, it will last me a very long time anyway, but if this is within your budget I would say 100% go for it.

If you would like to try the Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion, you can find it on the Estee Lauder website here £48.00 (75ml) Look Fantastic also stock the 150ml bottle here priced at £68.00.

Have you tried the micro essence? Can you recommend a similar product that you think I'd love? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

Foundation Brush V's Complexion Sponge

Hello Lovelies

A couple of years ago I discovered complexion sponges or makeup sponges as they are also known, since then I have tried a few different sponges from a different brands from budget to high end and I have a couple of favourites, one of which comes from the brand Brush Works. 

Since using complexion sponges, I have rarely used a brush to apply my foundation so today I am going to put both a foundation brush and a complexion sponge to the test, both from Brush Works and set them against each other in a little test and see which one comes out on top for me, will it be the complexion sponge or the brush? 

The Foundation Brush (£5.99)

The foundation brush I used is a Brush Works standard flat foundation brush, the handle is a nice length and the head of the brush a nice size too, I like that it is duo fibre as I find these brushes usually work well for me. The brush head is a nice size, not too big or small and it feels incredibly soft, I like the colours of the brush too, the black handle is classy and the purple ferrule makes a nice change from silver which you would normally find on a makeup brush. 

My foundation applied well using the brush, the brush was brilliant for using under and around my eyes and around my nose. I didn't find I was left with brush strokes on my face and the brush feels very soft on my skin, I hadn't used a brush for such a long time to apply my foundation but I have really enjoyed using the brush and am loving the flawless finish it gives me. 

The Complexion Sponge (£4.99)

The complexion sponge I used looks a bit like a purple egg with a waist, it has a more pointed end and a bigger rounded end and is tapered at the middle. It is easy to hold and expands when wet, it feels lovely and soft on the skin and does an excellent job of applying and blending my foundation. I use the pointed end to apply and blend my foundation around and under my eyes and around my nose and use the rounded, larger end to apply and blend my foundation on my forehead and cheeks. I like that the sponge doesn't absorb too much product so didn't waste my foundation and my foundation applied really well and blended out well onto my skin and gave a beautiful flawless finish. 

Overall Thoughts & Which Do I Prefer?

I absolutely loved using both the brush and the sponge and both gave me a nice flawless finish to my foundation, both wash and dry really well and keep their shape and the brush hasn't shed at all, even when washing. 

The brush is a nice size and gets into all the crevices on my face and the sponge is lovely and soft and I love that it doesn't soak up my foundation like other sponges I have tried. The sponge is very soft and feels lovely on my skin and the brush bristles are lovely and soft and feel lovely too and they are both very affordable and perform just as well as much more expensive tools I have in my collection. 

It is quite a hard choice but for me the Complexion Sponge wins for the simple reason that I have gotten used to using a sponge to apply my foundation and it felt quite alien to me to use a brush again, but that is the only reason that I would choose the sponge over the brush, in terms of application and finish they are equal and there is no winner, they are both incredible for applying foundation and I enjoyed using them both equally.

It has been really interesting putting the brush and the sponge to the test against each other, I think we all get so used to doing things a certain way and years ago it was such a strange concept for me to use any kind of brush to apply my foundation as I'd always used my fingers, then I got used to using a flat foundation brush, then I moved onto buffing type brushes and then onto the complexion sponges and I fell in love with using the sponges that I have, and over the last couple of years I haven't gone back to using a brush so it has been nice this last few weeks using a brush again and putting the brush and the sponge up against each other. 

Brush Works brushes and complexion sponges are some of the best brushes and sponges I have in my collection and always perform brilliantly, they are such an affordable brand too and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

If you would like to try both the foundation brush and the complexion sponge, you can find the Foundation Brush here priced at £5.99 and the Complexion Sponge here priced at £4.99. 

Which do you prefer? A brush or a sponge? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

✿ Post contains PR Samples or Gifted Items

Favourite Blogs I Discovered In 2016

Hello Lovelies

I love reading blogs, I read lots of different blogs and I really enjoy reading them, some of them are blogs written by some of my best friends and some by people I've never met and I love reading them all. There are a lot of blogs that I have been reading for a long time, some as long as 6 years and I have many long time favourites but each year I love finding new blogs to read. During 2016 I found quite a few new blogs to read and some of those blogs have become firm favourites of mine and today I want to share those blogs with you, the blogs are in alphabetical order. 

Allure La Vie

I discovered Antonia's blog through my friend Gemma, who also writes one of my favourite blogs. Myself and Gemma always like the same thing and it seems this expands to bloggers/blogs too, Gemma told me how lovely Antonia is and I checked out her blog and loved it immediately. Antonia has a lovely mix of posts on her blog, she has the most amazing recipe posts that always make me feel hungry, and some fantastic beauty posts and product reviews too, plus some great lifestyle posts. I really enjoy reading her blog and through Gemma have gotten to know her a little and she is a really nice person too, there's nothing not to like, and her blog is exactly the same. 

Beautylymin

Beautylymin is written by the lovely Siobhan, I adore Siobhan's blog, she is very honest with her reviews, and her empties posts are amongst my favourites along with her haul posts especially when she had visited the USA! Siobhan's posts are always thorough and informative and she always gives plenty of information on the products making her posts both interesting and helpful. Myself and Siobhan have very similar skin types and she is the skincare goddess which I have found super helpful. It has also become apparent we like the same things which has it's downside because my purse cries every time I read a post and my wishlist grows! 

Emmy's Beauty Cave

I only discovered Emmy's blog at the very end of 2016 but I am loving it and it has fast become a favourite of mine, her posts are brilliant and informative and I am finding myself wanting lots of things she has mentioned already. I have recently chatted with Emmy via Instagram and she seems so lovely, she also designs the most wonderful blog headers, so if you're after a new header and a great blog, Emmy's your gal. 

Florence And Mary

The lovely Victoria writes the blog Florence And Mary, Victoria's blog is a beauty and lifestyle blog and I really enjoy her posts. She loves to travel and has some brilliant and really helpful posts on beauty packing and what she takes/took on her holidays which I have found really helpful amongst other travel posts. Victoria also has some amazing beauty posts, we like a lot of similar things so I always love her haul posts and her favourites, she is always thorough and gives a lot of information on the products which I really enjoy, she's great. 

Hearting

Hearting is written by the lovely Ionna, I love Ionna's blog and her photographs are incredible! Not only do we share a love of nail polish, she also has the most adorable pets including some extremely fluffy guinea pigs that I would love to snuggle! Ionna has a mix of beauty and lifestyle posts with some yummy recipes too, I have bought many a nail polish after reading one of her posts and written down recipes for Simon to make, she isn't helping my purse or my waistline but I love her blog and her photographs are incredible. 

LPage Beauty

I love reading Leanne's blog, she is lovely and her posts are informative, in depth and thorough and she always has brilliant swatches too, she enabled me with so many makeup products in the last half of 2016 and I have a wishlist as long as my arm just of things Leanne has recommended. Leanne got married in 2016 and looked absolutely stunning and as well as makeup product envy I also now have bride envy, she looked absolutely incredible.  

Mummy's Beauty Corner

Dagmara like me, loves skincare and she has some fabulous reviews and very enabling skincare posts on her blog, she is also brilliant at creating make up looks and has some beautiful makeup look posts on her blog too, her favourites and her spend or splurge posts are some of my favourite posts to read but I love them all, she always swatches everything clearly and her posts are thorough and in depth which I love, she's also a really lovely person too. 

That Age Style

Julie writes That Age Style and like me is, shall we say over 30, she certainly doesn't look it though and I am envious of her youthful looks, she is stunning and also a really lovely person. It's nice to find someone a similar age who loves the same things I do. I love Julie's honesty and I have both bought products and stayed away from them on her recommendation as I know if she says something isn't worth the money, then it isn't.  Julie also has a house bunny like I do so we have that in common too, but if you like beauty, fashion and honest chat, Julie's your gal. 

The Beautiful Bluebird

Roxie is lovely and she has a gorgeous baby girl Penelope who is absolutely lovely too, Roxie has a beauty and lifestyle blog, The Beautiful Bluebird, she writes many different posts including beauty and lifestyle and some mummy posts too, all of which I thoroughly enjoy, her Degusto box posts always interest me, I love to find out what she has in her box! She has introduced me to some new organic brands too which I hadn't heard of, I love to find new brands and Roxie has introduced me to a lot of new brands which is great. Roxie also like me loves lipstick and she has some great beauty posts and like all the other lovely ladies mentioned, her posts are always thorough and informative and a great read. 

So those are all the blogs I found during 2016 that have become amongst my favourite blogs to read, I do hope you can pop over to their blogs and show them some love, if you do, please tell them I sent you. I am sure you will love them and their blogs as much as I do and I hope I have found you some new favourite blogs of 2017 to read. 

Let me know in the comments what your favourite blogs of 2016 were? Or your favourite blogs in general, it doesn't have to be just the ones you found in 2016. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

*All the blog headers or images were taken from the blog mentioned. 

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