Topshop and No7 make up buys

This is a bit of a carry on from my last post which concentrated on clothes now it's time for the make-up. A trip to Topshop means i never leave empty-handed and after spending over an hour choosing clothes, i stumbled across their make-up bag range and their buy 3 products and receive a free make-up offer - you know me a sucker for an offer!

 My make-up haul!

After reading Saskia the Style Fairy's post of Tophop's blushes i couldn't resist, I'm not usually a cream blush fan as i can never seem to apply it correctly and normally end up removing my base - not so good. I've been after a bright pink colour for cheeks that would suit my skin tone for ages and their Crushed Berry seemed perfect, a rich magenta colour which looks quite bright in the pot but when applied it becomes more sheer but you do have to build up the layers to achieve a pigmented colour.

I also picked up a coral coloured blush called Nutmeg which compliments my Rimmel Apricot Punch nails and Revlon Coral Reef lip gloss, perfect for that slightly flushed look.

I think Nutmeg will become a daily staple for an understated work look and Crushed Berry for nights out when i can vamp up my make-up. As you can see the handy compact comes with a mirror, great for on-the-go touch-ups.

Like Saskia the Style Fairy - you really struggle to capture the blushes on camera but i did my best!

Ignore my very bad split ends, my hairdresser feathered the front so now it's really noticeable when I'm in need of a cut but I'm trying to grow it!

I used a combination of both colours on the cheeks but in real life you can notice the blush - i promise.

I also picked up two make-up brushes from Topshop, Eye Shadow £4 and Eye Liner £3, i tried them out today and the Eye Shadow brush is a winner, great for blending. The Eye Liner I'm not convinced yet, the bristles were quite hard and scratched my eye lid a little but i reckon if i wash it before i use it again hopefully the bristles will become softer and it'll be easier and kinder to my lids to use.

I almost forgot the Skin Tint i bought as well! I've been using tinted bases instead of foundation for a while, sometimes i prefer the lighter coverage so i can let my face breathe a little and i find a tinted base is really all i need to even out my complexion. My favourite product is Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector in Champagne Shimmer (02) for 30 ml it costs £22.99 but i get a 25% discount because we sell the brand at work! Now the Clarins I've been using for about 2 years and i haven't found anything that can really compare, the texture is light and creamy and glides on the face easily to highlight and illuminate the skin - beautiful! Topshop's Skint Tint is £10 for 30ml so much cheaper but the consistency is thicker and it doesn't seem to glide on easily, it has more of a sticky texture. As i have olive skin i picked up the Medium and thought it would be fine for my skin-tone, i made the fatal error of trying it on my hand and it look good - now i know you're meant to swatch it on your jaw line but maybe i was so overwhelmed by Topshop's make-up i forgot - naughty girl! The colour i got is a little dark for me but I've mixed it with the Clarins Complexion Perfector which is lighter colour and it looks OK - so not totally a waste of money.

This is the swatch - you can see why i bought the Medium looks great colour on the hand - might use it as a body make-up product for covering the unsightly bruises after a few too many vinos!

Just to mention my mum who has black skin bought the Skin Tint in Dark and it blends really well into her skin-tone and she loves it.  My mum really struggles with make-up for her skin-tone so to find something from the Topshop range means a big thumbs-up from her - btw if anyone can recommend any products for black skin it would be much appreciated!

Overall i really like some of the products from the Topshop range - the prices are great and they have some great on-trend colours. I'm definitely impressed by the £6 blushes and will be collecting the whole collection. The packaging is very cute and modern and will appeal to young (and older) girls alike. The free make-up bag was not really that good a deal - never a good idea to have a cream/beige bag, you only end up with make-up all over it and it gets grubby very quickly, it's also very small so i might just use it for work.

On to No7 a great drugstore brand who's Creative Director is make-up legend Lisa Eldridge! I have already blogged about Boots free £5 No7 and Ruby & Millie vouchers before but with 2 vouchers burning an hole in my purse i needed to use them soon as. The first product is new and  i think only available in the larger stores, a Concealer Compact £10.25 is a trio of colours which you can blend together to create the perfect colour for your skin-tone.

I can never find a good colour match for concealer but using this trio compact makes it so easy - buy now!

The final product of the day is a new nail polish, i was after a dark red for a/w to combine with a vampy lip and Temptress is a reddish brown which i will be combining with camel tones.

Do you have any recommendations from the Topshop or No7 ranges?