MakeupNailsTan - BH Cosmetics

MakeupNailsTan Website

Im a die hard make up and beauty lover so when i find a company that supplies my favourite brand's, im on cloud nine. USA companies are becoming more expensive with shipping so why not make the most of british supplier's. MakeNailsTan is a beauty lovers shopping heaven. 

About us : 

MakeupNailsTan UK, is a place where you can get your cosmetic fix. Getting that ‘I just walked out the salon’ look can be tricky but we have you covered! From BH Cosmetics to Nail Art and Professional Tanning Products to use at home you will look amazing everyday. 

Our Blog gives you the low down on whats hot and whats not, making it easy for you to re-create looks and stay ahead of the fashions… We have experts on hand to give you those important insider tips and hints along the way so you can become your own Make Up Artist, Nail Artist and Expert in Self Tan.

BH Cosmetic's : 88 Matte Palette

Your eyes are radiant masterpieces, and they deserve this classic 88 Colour Matte Eyeshadow Palette’s bold strokes of beauty. Eye makeup in buttercup yellows, rich reds, and leaf greens highlight gorgeous eyes. Satin golds, sassy turquoises, and plum colours make a fun fashion statement that bring glamour to another level.

This palette has the whole spectrum of colour needed, for any possible look you could want to achieve. The lighter colours are perfect base transitions to the more vibrant colours at the base of the palette. I would just say go mad with this and experiment, i have some comic book looks coming for summer/Autumn. I would say the perfect palette for travel, family occasions and any collection needing those pops of colour. 

Above are some swatches from the palette (any requests il happily post shades via my facebook page). As you can see they are vibrant and intensely pigmented. Easily blendable and can be built upon with primer or no primer, so if your new to makeup this is perfect. I would say if you want these colours more vibrant, use a white primer/base and they will become more intense. The shades above are swatched with no primer.  

Look book 

My look i chose to use green with a partial cut crease, using the mix of darkest brown and gold mixed. The dark brown and gold tones work better with green, rather then a flat black plus they can be built and defined more. Then the brow and inner highlight of the pale yellow help keep this crease blended and clean. I will be doing a host of looks with this palette so watch my Instagram and facebook for the tags. Overall i love Bh cosmetics and have many of there product's and brushes. For the price they are pigmented and the perfect range of products for anyone who loves makeup. Some shades can be a little powdery but i use shadow shield's so a little fallout for amazing pigment is a small price to pay. I even have fallout with some high end shadows, so its just part and parcel of powder shadow formulas.

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Colourpop - The Haul

So with everyone going absolutely mental over colourpop. My amazing friend in the USA done me an order and sent me a pile of goodies. On first glance these shadows are stunning, you'll see all the stunning green shade's. So is colourpop worth the hype or is it over rated ? Let's dive in and see. 

They say :

Welcome to ColourPop! ColourPop was born, raised and made with love in the City of Angels (aka Los Angeles) so we can react quickly to the latest and greatest trends and get them in your fabulous hands stat.

We take the phrase “if you can dream it, you can do it” to a whole new level and specialize in making killer makeup in every shade imaginable at prices everyone can afford. We think that whole barrier between fancy and affordable is absolute nonsense. That’s why all of our products have luxury formulas at prices that won’t break the bank. PS. We are 100% fur baby friendly, bunny approved, and only test our products on humans – the ones in our HQ to be exact.

Top L-R Bubbly, Cowboy :Bottom L-R Dare, Fantasy

Bubbly - A truly angelic pink with tons of silver and bright bubble gum pink glitter = A princess pink that is totally rave worthy.

Bubbly is a beautiful pale pink with loads of beautiful sparkle. Its perfect for your inner corner highlight, goes well with any look. A must have for any one looking for that perfect pearl pink shade. 

Cowboy - True pastel lavender in a Matte finish, you’ll save a horse alright.

Is a beautiful matte lavender shade which is stunning and comes out so vividly. Not alot is needed, it can be used as a transition shade being so light. I cannot wait to use this in a pale look. 

Dare - Shockingly bright neon purple with hot pink and violet glitter. This shiz should be on lockdown ‘cuz it practically guarantees a wild night you totally do not remember.

This shade is very vibrant, with intense glitter duochromes. Perfect for those bright bold looks you crave to experiment with. It looks amazing on and the pigment is so bright, you only need tap the colour on. 

Fantasy - Electric neon red violet topped with multi-dimensional glitter. Practically illegal, this is our ColourPop purple fantasy come true.

This again is another favourite but be warned when using this colour. It can stain the eyelid, so i would apply a good primer and base. This should reduce the pink staining. However if you have a day off after washing this off, then its worth a day of staining. This mixed with dare gives an amazing look. 

Top L-R Empire, Chipper :Bottom L-R Snap dragon, Flux 

Empire - Fiercely rich emerald green, just like the city.

The Green shade that all lovers of this colour must have. Its a beautiful emerald green will enhance any look to a new level, with its vibrant beauty. I adore this shade and its perfect for the upcoming summer. 

Chipper - Mid-tone minty green eyeshadow with multi-coloured glitter. This shadow will brighten even the darkest days especially when repping legit mermaid sea foam green.

Again another must have for the upcoming summer, Chipper is a tad lighter and enhances any eyes looking for jewel shades. The multi-tonal glitters make this shade really sing in the natural light. 

Snap dragon - Mid-tone sea foam green in a Matte finish, it’s pretty as a flower and fierce as a dragon.

This colour really surprised me with its mix of green and aqua pairing. Its matte finish does not dull its intensity nor it's presence for your look. 

Flux - What the Flux would you do without this light mint green in a Matte finish?

This shade surprised me the most with its lovely matte light minty almost tiffany mixed green. Really is stunning if u want a nice pastel, day look that brings out the colour of your eyes with a subtle hint. 

Flawless - Deep red violet in a satin finish. It legit woke up like this.
Flawless is a bright and amazing rich red purple colour, said to be a dupe for a popular cult favourite. 

Colourpop has been impressing the USA and those worldwide whom can get it with the help of very lovely US friends. Im in love with this brand and i can't get enough of there intense pigmented creamy eyeshadows. Its really quite something to have a brand not only have one stand out product for a bargain of a price, yet to supply a whole range of them. It really is an impressive achievement for a new company in this day, with societies' emphasis put on "you get what you pay for". Well i think colour pop just broke that mould, as for $5 you certainly can now get more for your money and at a higher quality then some high-end brands. I admit its not all rosy with one minor point, if you get the richly pigmented shades such as Dare, get a strong base as this can stain. However who am i to complain about a eyeshadow with "too much" pigment. Il complain if i need to rub it 20 times and trust me colourpop does not have this problem. So yes the hype is real and yes they are coming to the UK soon, so once they do i can see us UK girls having an all out riot on the website. 
I have 3 more sets of reviews with looks coming, plus new looks on my Instagram feed featuring my colourpop colours. 

I will do a post about how to apply and best way to get the most from cream shadows, for those new to this kind of formula. So for now il say Colourpop, i got to hand it too you all there at HQ "You did it and us girls love the Unicorn dust that land"s to brighten the dreary world". 

So this is using the purple shades Fantasy & Dare with Bubbly as my inner corner highlight. Also used Pre-nup blush on my cheek's to give me that naturally flushed look. I then topped the look off with my Flawless lippystix.

Essence products

Essence Website

So since Essence has become widely available in the UK, it has hit the ground running and become a hot set of products to have. So which Essence products should you be on the hunt for ? If your new to the brand then have a look at this affordable brand. 

They say :

Since its launch in 2002, essence stands for trendy and high quality cosmetics at a sensational low price. This principle applies to the selection of our production steps from the very beginning until the completion of our final products. 

Quattro eyeshadow – Different textures ranging from silky shimmering to intensive shine ensure unlimited creativity with your eye make-up. perfectly aligned shades, excellent color-dispersion and long-lasting results make the quattro eyeshadow an absolute favourite.

So the Quattro eyeshadow quad is the only set of shadows I've yet to try from essence. I do think this set of shadows is very handy for travel and does give some good pigment. They are quite shimmery for a daily look, I found using the pink and cream shade mixed on the lid with the brown for the definition within the crease and V. Then all blended it makes for a beautiful eye with a multi dimensional shimmer but not overwhelming. The pearl shade is a beautiful highlight for your face, as i found its quite shimmery for the brow. This set is really handy and for the price is worth having, to have some good travel shadows.

Longlasting lipstick - is longlasting love, you simply have to fall in love with the longlasting lipsticks by essence. the lipsticks provide your lips with intensive color for several hours without drying them out. You're sure to find whatever you’re looking for from bright pink, intensive red, chilled-out berry to subtle nude shades. The essence logo on the texture and the matt, black packaging with a ring of color to match the actual color of the lipstick are true eye-catchers.

The essence lipstick's are really impressive for pigment and quality. This colour is natural beauty and it really is a stunning colour. It looks so pale in the bullet yet it is the most intense pink colour when applied. I was quite taken aback by this colour. Also the packaging is simple but chic, with a black casing and the imprint of the essence "e" on the lipstick. Im going to be checking out some more colours as these again are fabulous for anyone on a budget or wanting to experiment with brighter shades. 

Colour & go Nail polish : colour explosion, the huge colour & go range has the beloved gel-shine finish with a highly intensive shine and an extremely short drying time for perfectly polished nails in a flash! the patented quick & easy brush is particularly flat for an even easier application. The bottle has a cool essence design – with the usual colour-coded cap in the corresponding nail polish colour.

Nail polish I admit is not my favourite area of beauty as I have not done them any favours with my using of acrylics. However when i do try nail colours, I do want to spend affordably and get good quality. This polish shade is so rich and the curved angle of the flatter brush, made it easier to get a good coat on without needing to repeat and possibly streak the finish. The red colour is a rich pigment and lasted well without chipping then removed just as easily with a polish remover. It didn't leave any trace or stain. I really love this colour and i will invest in a few of my favourite colours from this range when the time comes. 

So again another set of beautiful products from essence that can be relied on and used in any environment. Lovely affordable brand that has some real star products and the ones above are testament to the quality available. 

Urban decay - Vice 3

Urban decay UK

So we are treated to another Vice palette and new shades. Stunning packaging and this time we are given a beautiful bag to protect the palette. I love the Vice palettes and this one has become my favourite. 

They say :

You can never have too much of a good thing. Satisfy your eyeshadow vice with 20 velvety, Never seen before shades—from an amazing soft black and a stunning burgundy to a rich, smoky red-black. Even MORE covetable than Urban Decay’s previous Vice palettes, this mesmerising, jewel-inlaid case holds 20 All new shades, a huge mirror, and a double-ended shadow and crease brush. The perfect finishing touch to this palette, a gorgeous matching bag. 

With so many different finishes—matte, satin, sparkle and even metallic, this palette is made for experimentation. The shades are arranged in columns: neutrals on the left, jewel tones in the middle and smoky shades on the right. Pair up the vertically colour-coordinated quads or go wild and mix them up. Urban Decay’s Pigment Infusion System™ gives each shade its velvety texture, rich colour, serious staying power and blend ability. 

With Vice3, UD pulled out all the stops. The extra slim case features hypnotic new artwork in an abstract stripe design, topped off with a bright, neon-green jeweled “Vice” icon to match the highly metallized green base. Use the coordinating bag to keep your Vice3 palette protected, or as a place to store your UD brushes and other essentials. 

Vice3 contains 20 shades of Eyeshadow: 

So below i have done swatches of each row to show the graduation of the colour.

Row 1 (from top to bottom on picture)
Revolver (soft black satin w/subtle floating iridescent pearl)
Defy (smoky taupe satin)
Angel (light taupe w/silver micro-glitter)
Last Sin (shimmer w/silver micro-glitter)
Beautiful row of neutral shades.

Jewel tones and Pink shades 


Jewel tones (from top to bottom)
Bobby Dazzle (metallic white w/pale gold micro-glitter)
Reign (rich brown satin)
Lucky (metallic bronze)
Vanity (smoky metallic eggplant w/multidimensional micro-glitter)

I love metallic colours to give my looks a pop of colour. So i can see myself using this  row alot. 
Pink shades (from top to bottom)
Sonic (metallic red-copper) 
Bondage (deep, smoky burgundy shimmer)
Alchemy (deep fuchsia satin)

Alien (pink-peach w/golden shift)

Nude shades and Jewel shades row 2 

Nude shades (from top to bottom) 
DTF (taupe matte w/subtle floating pearl)
Downfall (warm light brown matte)
Undone (pink-beige matte-satin w/subtle floating tonal pearl)
Truth (pale pink-nude matte)

Jewel shades row 2 (from top to bottom) 
Brokedown (metallic golden brown shimmer w/gold micro-glitter)

Heroine (deep navy blue w/subtle floating tonal pearl)
Freeze (metallic medium blue w/multidimensional micro-glitter)

Dragon (bright metallic green shimmer)

My Look using Vice 3

My look above is using a mix of Sonic, last sin, Alchemy and a small amount of  bondage. All blemded together and graduated to have last sin on the inner "V", then take sonic and alchemy lightly working them onto the lid. I only use pinks on the lid, as to graduate it up too the crease can look like a bruise. So to use more sonic for blending and then work the outer "V" with bondage. Defines the look more and keeps the look sharp. 

The Vice 3 shadows are buttery and creamy as all urban decay can be. Lovely array of neutral with colourful shades within this palette. Plenty of options to choose from. I cant wait to try more looks with this palette. 

Essence - Products review

Essence Website

 Affordable products that are high quality are what Essence are known for, a German beauty brand that is finally making its way over to us. I'm glad they are becoming more widely available. I have been kindly sent some items to try, plus I also have a few products myself. I'm so grateful to Essence for allowing me to review there line. 

Essence products I recieved :

BB cream/16hr All day foundation

 lightly tinted BB cream ensures a smooth, radiant and flawless complexion. it makes small skin imperfections disappear without blocking your pores and provides intensive moisture with spf 30. 

This BB cream is very light and you only need a small amount. As BB creams give lighter coverage with moisturising qualities. Great for dry skin types as it is so light, plus easy to blend. The shade is leaning towards the yellow side of the spectrum. I found combining with the match 2 concealer (peachy side), under the eyes then balanced out the dark circles. Lovely BB cream for summer and  nice light feeling makeup.

16 hr All day foundation : this long-lasting foundation ensures a smooth and silky complexion all. Its delicate texture allows a simple and even application. 

This is a lovely foundation in application and how it buffed in easily. It's like the BB cream does pull to the yellow side of the spectrum. However I felt that balanced out my red areas. It doesn't last the full 16 hrs, I would say that 8 would be a realistic number. With the spot powder, this prevented it being so noticeable during touch-ups. It's a pump dispenser and I would say, 2 pumps was sufficent for my coverage. So I'm really impressed with the offerings from essence, I would like to see if more pinkish tones are available.

Pure skin anti-spot compact powder 

They say : Radiant, fresh and healthy complexion. Anti-bacterial compact powder covers-up irregularities. Clearderm complex to specially target spots and blackheads. Ensures a smooth, radiant complexion. dermatologically tested.

This powder compliments the BB cream/ foundation amazingly well. It's not chalky or powdery when applied. Finely milled and smells fresh (Non perfumed) with a creamy texture almost. I advise to make sure your foundation is dry, to the touch before applying this powder. As the powder has a creamy feel to it, then any additional cream could cause hard pan to the compact.

Silky touch Blush & Eyeshadows

Silky touch blush : Fresh complexion is essential for perfect style. Natural looking soft as well as brighter shades on your cheeks with this silky-soft blush. 

The most stunning find in my makeup collection. I had seen the swatches and was bowled over, my friend had sold this to me. It's stunning deep berry/pink/rose tones with slight shimmers. Its so pigmented and needs a light hand on application. It's finely milled and the micro shimmers are stunning when they catch the light. 

The eyeshadows are a Mono and a limited edition offering. They are both very pigmented, offering a beautiful shimmery effect. I think the shades are perfect for a inner corner highlight. I personally would use the marbelled shade, to do a smokey nighttime look. These are both pigmented and I would happily purchase more colours to use. 

Eye sorbet - Illuminating Plum

They say : Innovative, long-lasting, gel-texture is easy to apply with your finger. Beautiful shades and lots of shimmer to make your eyes shine as bright as the stars. Also ideal for use as a highlighter.

The eye sorbet surprised me the most. It went onto the lid fine and didn't leave patchy areas. However it wasn't opaque with the base colour but a lid shimmer. So I would apply my eyeshadow first then dab on some of the eye sorbet. This will give a beautiful shimmer. 

Match 2 concealer :

They say : Creamy texture of the concealer, offers high coverage. Conceal impurities, dark circles under your eyes. One kit contains two shades in light and medium beige, can also be mixed. 

The concealer is a creamy and really easy to apply. The light shade is radiant and can be applied, as a concealer or as a highlight. I could use this with a brush or my fingers. I would use my fingers as it warms the concealer nicely. However I would for hygiene purposes, when using over spots switch to a brush. I would also sterilise my concealers just due to the nature of the product. This concealer is very creamy so you will need a setting powder to just set it. 

2 in 1 Eyeliner pen - Black

They say : Do you want a fine line for a classic look or an extravagant line for a dramatic look. The essence 2in1 eyeliner pen, with a fine tip one end and a broad, slanted tip on the other.

This pen is very easy to use. I used the thin side to do my cat flick. I wanted to see how easy it was to achieve a quick look. So in my opinion the thicker side is a little less intense in colour payoff. The pen does not drag and dispenses the liner easily. However it's very wet and you need to be careful that you don't cause transfer. Also I did find when it dried it was intense in colour and had a sheen. I wouldn't advise this to be used on skin that wrinkled, as it could bleed. So it's a liquid eyeliner that's easy to use, be slow with it and it will give great looking results. Above is my first attempt at a cat eye with no paper tape used. The liner is also very easily removed,using a wet towelette or makeup remover. It comes away so easily, I would not advise this to anyone needing waterproof products. 

So that's my review on Essence products one by one. I'm so impressed that I can't wait to purchase more items to review. The quality is second to none and it's so affordable is really surprising. I can't rave enought about essence. If you have any requests to products I should trial, then feel free to leave a comment