Pupa Milano New Summer Releases

I always get excited whenever Pupa Milano release new products and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a couple of items from their latest releases which of course I shall be sharing with you in this post.

First off, the Extreme Bronze Moisturizing Tanning Foundation SPF20 in the shade 001. I was instantly curious about this foundation and was looking forward to see if the texture matches my beloved Pupa Milano Professionals BB Cream + Primer. And yes, it didn't disappoint! The texture is lightweight which is just what you need for summer! Moreover it is resistant to water, sweat and humidity, making it the ideal product for the Maltese summer. It also has SPF20 so you know your skin has some protection against harmful UV rays. Coverage is light and it just gives my skin the perfect sun-kissed glow.

Wearing Pupa Milano Extreme Bronze Foundation 001 - see how natural it looks?!

The Extreme Bronze Foundation is available locally in shades 001 and 002 and retails for €19.10. It has been launched in combination with the Extreme Bronze Bronzing Powder which is available in 3 shades and retails for €15.95.

Pupa Milano Extreme Bronze Collection

Another product which has fast made its way to my current favourites, is the I'M Matt Lip Fluid in shade 097 Light Plum. Pupa are expanding their range of this highly popular product with 8 new shades. I'm a huge fan of the formula of these lip fluids and their pigmentation is to die for! With just one swipe, you get complete coverage with a nice velvety matt finish. I particularly like this shade as it complements my skin tone and it practically goes with anything! Price is €12.85. The Pupa lip products range now also comprises 10 new shades of I'M Pure Lip Colour which retail for €12.85 each.

Wearing Pupa Milano I'M Matt Lip Fluid 097

Lastly, Pupa have introduced the Vamp! Eyeshadow palettes. I have the 003 Absolute Nude which is an absolute favourite as it has the four colours I reach for the most. They are all shimmery shades are perfect to create an understated neutral look. Locally, there are two palettes available as part of a Special Edition Kit which comprises a palette and 3 Easy Liner Eye Pencils for €21. Oh and you could also try your luck at winning four Vamp! palettes in the giveaway that is currently going on on the blog's Facebook page!

I have the tester version of the palette (centre) but you can see what the palette actually looks like in the other two photos.

Pupa Milano Easy Liner Eyes which come with the Vamp! palettes

Look created with Pupa Vamp! Palette 003 Absolute Nude

Also worth a mention is Pupa's Summer Collection - Savanna which presents us with neutral hues of bronze, gold and khaki synonymous with this time of year and two gorgeous highlighters for the perfect summer glow!

PR Samples

New Launches at M.A.C. | New Retro Matte colours, Shadescents & New Collaborations

Last Wednesday afternoon I got the chance to sample the new collections and launches at M.A.C. thus of course, a blog post ensues! I got to discover the all new launches with Maia, my makeup artist for the day.

In all, I have five new collections to talk about so without further ado, let's get right into them. I'm going to start with the three collaborations first.

M.A.C. has collaborated with three makeup maestros to create collections which reflect their own signature style. Apart from the makeup artists' names, the products in each collection, all feature the full name expansion of M.A.C. - Makeup Art Cosmetics which is what M.A.C. is all about after all; art in makeup!

Diane Kendal -  this collection is all about contouring and highlighting with a touch of rich colours. The collection features two Quiktrik Sticks, 1 Conceal & Correct palette, 1 Casual Colour Lip & Cheek palette and 1 Cream Shadow palette, plus 4 Kajal Crayons in rich jewel tones and a detailing brush.

M.A.C. x Diane Kendal collection + Kajal Crayons Swatches

James Kaliardos - this collection focuses on a more natural look and features 2 Full Face Kits (similar to the ones in the Ellie Goulding Collection), 1 Haute & Naughty Mascara, a Jumbo Penultimate Eyeliner, 2 Eye Brow mechanical pencils, 2 Tricolour Lipglasses, 2 Lip Pencils, a face brush and an eye brush, 2 Into The Well eyeshadows and 2 Pressed Pigments together with 4 lipsticks and Small Cluster Lashes.

M.A.C. x James Kaliardos Collection + Full Face Kit (Moons of Saturn) swatches

Kabuki Magic - the last one of the collaborations is probably the one that stands out the most, the Kabuki Magic collection which features 4 Retro Matte Lip Colours, eyelashes, a Powder Blush Duo, 2 Crystal Glaze Glosses, 4 Paints, a nude eyeshadow palette and a Dazzleshadow palette. The collection also comprises two eye brushes.

M.A.C. x Kabuki Magic Collection + Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolours swatches

Next are the Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolours - 15 new colours with a brand new, easier to work with formulation. I'm happy to say that the new Retro Mattes feature more wearable tones than the previous collection and the formula on these new ones is way better in terms of application and longevity. These will stay in the permanent collection.

Lastly, we have the highly anticipated Shadescents - 6 new perfumes which correspond to six of the most popular lipstick shades from M.A.C. In fact, the lipsticks in question have all been given a revamp for them to match the perfume. The available shades are Crème d'Nude, Velvet Teddy, Candy YumYum, Lady Danger, My Heroine and Ruby Woo. The perfumes will also remain part of the permanent collection.

Finally, I had the chance to try out some of the items from all collections and I let Maia work her magic...

Some of the products used to create my look at M.A.C.

Of course, I didn't leave empty handed and purchased the Kabuki Magic Retro Matte Lip Colour in Sweet Thing and the James Kaliardos Into The Well Eyeshadow in Midnight Tryst. I was also kindly given a Retro Matte Lip Colour in the shade Cafe' Au Chic which I am really excited to wear.

Head down to M.A.C. at Debenhams The Point or the M.A.C. store in Tower Road Sliema during February and discover all the new collections yourselves!

First Impressions | H&M Beauty

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Swedish fashion giant H&M, have completely revamped their make up range and we're not just talking packaging-wise, they have come up with a bigger-and-better-than-before range of products.

Sadly, we still don't have an H&M store in Malta so I had to wait for my trip to Barcelona last month to get my hands on some of their products. I tried to get more products on my trip to Sicily last week but the store I went to didn't carry the new range of beauty products so I have to wait yet again till December for our visit to Munich. 

Although I can shop online, the reason why I'm resisting is because I want to experience the products first hand as for example, when I swatched one of the eyeshadow palettes in Barcelona, I didn't like the texture and pigmentation. However, I did settle on four items which I really wanted to try and I wanted to share my first impressions of with you here.

I picked up a Pure Radiance Powder Blusher, a Cream Lip Colour and two nail polishes so far. First off, a word about the packaging. I'm in love with the way the products look but not so much with the way they feel. At a glance, the black/white and gold packaging really gives the illusion of expensive makeup but when you take the products into your hands, you can immediately feel the packaging is made out of cheap, light-weight plastic. Then again, this is a sort of drugstore brand we are talking about so I can't really complain; and they do look nice at the end of the day!

Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach

H&M has two types of blushers in their beauty range, cream (white and gold packaging) and powder (black and gold packaging). I got one of the powder blushes simply because I tend to favour powder formulas more and the shade I chose complements my skin tone perfectly. I wouldn't describe Golden Peach as a true peachy shade as in my eyes, it leans more towards a rosy pink with gold reflects. I like that this lasts all day and for €7.99 (5g of product), this performs really well. I like the hexagonal shape of the compact but it doesn't come with a mirror. The shade name can be found on the bottom of the compact and on the side of the outer box which I think is a nice touch.

Cream Lip Colour in Kombucha

Next is a lipstick which I must say delivers more in terms of packaging as it does feel heavier and sturdier than the blush. As for performance and pigmentation, I should say that both products are on par with each other. However, you do need to carry the lipstick with you as after 4+ hours, it would have faded in the centre of your lips and you would need to re-apply. I would describe Kombucha as a rosy shade with warm undertones that's perfect for summer as it is a little on the bright side. Again you have the name of the shade on the bottom of the lipstick and side of the box it comes it. The price is €9.99 for 3.5g of product.

Here I am wearing H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blush in Golden Peach and H&M Cream Lip Colour in Kombucha

Nail polishes in Cashmere and Carnival

Lastly, I couldn't not pick up some nail polishes but I restrained myself to just two and settled on Cashmere and Carnival. I have already worn Cashmere and it lasted for a week before I could see some tip wear which I think is exceptional for a €4.99 nail polish. Cashmere is a beautiful taupe with fine gold shimmer running through, making it a universally flattering shade. On the other hand, Carnival lives up to it's name - it's a mix of diamond shaped glitter and micro-glitter in turquoise, bronze and purple floating in a clear base. I haven't worn it yet but I look forward to matching it with summer outfits!

Overall, I think that the new H&M beauty line has very good potential and prices are very affordable. I really look forward to expanding my collection, so do leave your recommended products from the line in the comments section :)

Review | Catrice 12h Matt Mousse Makeup 010 Soft Ivory

Now that the days are getting warmer and skin darker, I tend to skip foundation altogether but until I get a darker tan, I still use foundation on certain days. However, I do tend to go for lighter formulas.

I have been testing the new Catrice 12h Matt Mousse Makeup in the shade 010 Soft Ivory for a few weeks now and I can finally give a full review.

The mousse foundation comes in a 16g glass jar so it is a little heavy to carry around but I still like that the opening is big enough for a brush to fit in to pick up the product instead of having to use your fingers. The texture of Catrice the 12h Matt Mousse Makeup is very light and spreads easily onto the skin.

Out of the four available shades, 010 Soft Ivory is a perfect match for me. Here I would like to point out that all four shades are quite light so if you're dark skinned, I wouldn't reach for this particular foundation.

I like to apply this foundation with a flat foundation brush for perfect coverage and I like that it can be built up. It dries to a sort of powdery finish so there really is no need to set it with an actual powder. As for staying power, I can attest to the claims that this lasts for a full 12 hours, even a little longer and it stays looking fresh and matt all throughout the time of wear.

Catrice 12h Matt Mousse Makeup is available in authorised pharmacies. For stockist information and product updates, follow the Catrice Malta Facebook Page.

PR Sample