Lianne Loves.. Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation

As my Max Factor Xperience foundation is running low, I thought I'd better invest in a new foundation. I topped up on my MAC Studio Tech, but prefer to use that as a top up/touch up throughout the day so went on the search of a foundation for my everyday use.

I spotted their new 'Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion' foundation and thought I'd give it a go.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion

'Miracle Touch' comes in a nicely sized plastic pot, with a see through lid, the lid that you see is actually the bottom of the foundation. It screws off to reveal a nice size amount of 'solid' foundation, although to the touch feels like liquid. The bottom part has a nicely hidden compartment which is home to an application sponge, handy for on-the-go touch ups!!

So, this is what Max Factor say:

"Max Factor’s newest and most innovative foundation will revolutionise the way you apply your base. With a unique lightweight solid to liquid formula it removes the need for the traditional concealer, foundation and powder combination and instead creates the perfect base in just one easy application. The result is a flawless, fresh and incredibly smooth complexion that glows with radiance."

Sounds perfect right?

Well, not being a fan of reviews that are simply 'buy, swatch, blog' - I've been using the foundation for a week now so can give you my honest review on the product..

I found that I couldn't get on with the application sponge and found I got a much better application using my foundation brush. It applies really nicely, not too heavy, and blends smoothly.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion - Golden 75

The finished look is fresh and dewy.

For everyday wear, I set with my Benefit Flawless powder, although this product does claim to be an all in one product, I found my powder set my base nicely. I did wear the foundation alone for an evening out with friends, as the 'dewy' look felt better fitted for a more 'made up' occasion.

I was doing my best to capture the 'dewy-ness' (if there is such a word?!) in the picture above but couldn't quite manage it!

The lasting power was good. Not the best I've used, not the worst. But did need the odd touch up throughout the day.

Max Factor claim that the foundation will conceal blemishes and circles. Personally I still had to use other products to conceal any blemishes, as didn't get the flawless effect I wanted from the foundation alone.

I did notice half way through the day, the foundation does tend to sink into any lines on my skin too. And that's not a good look at all!

My Good Points: Lovely packaging, feels light on the skin, fresh dewy look

My Bad Points: Didn't apply well with sponge, bit pricey for high street brand, highlighted lines

Overall, I think it's a pretty good foundation for touch ups on the go, the fresh, dewy look is great and quite appealing for that alone. I don't recommend it for everyday 'all in one' base, but I'll definitely be taking it in my handbag on nights out!!

For 'all in one' combination foundation, nothing beats MAC Studio Tech. Good attempt though Max Factor!! :)

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation is available in 6 different shades, at a price of £12.99. For more information visit maxfactor.co.uk

But give it a go, you might find it works better for you!

Have you used this product? Would love to hear your comments!

Lianne XX

Tweet me at @Lianne84

Lianne Loves.. February Favourites

So, February bought 2 special events for me. My birthday! (I turned 27 *help!*) and my lovely boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary of 2 years together, on Valentines Day! One of my favourite months of the year! :)

Hope it was a good one for you too!

Here are some of my favourite things from this month..

Nails Of The Month

Models Own - Nude Beige

I'm in love with this nail polish. The colour is gorgeous. I'm a big fan of nude shades, they look so fresh and natural and go with every outfit! I've painted my finger nails and toe nails in this colour and have been reapplying often as I just love the colour. 2 coats and some top coat and I was good to go. Unfortunately it does seem to chip at the tips quite easily, even with my faithful top coat. But other than that, its great!

If you read my January Favourites, you would know that I purchased a few of Models Own's polishes from their nail wear range and this is definitely my favourite of the 3!

Check out their range at modelsownit.com.

Fragrance Of The Month

Ghost

A Christmas gift from my boyfriends sister, I've been wearing Ghost quite a bit this month. It reminds me of when I lived at home, my brother's girlfriend used to leave it in the bathroom all the time and I used to steal a cheeky spritz! :)

It's a really fresh, feminine fragrance that lasts for quite a while. Definitely a favourite!

See more information here.

Outfit Of The Month

Miss Selfridge lace bodysuit/River Island skinny jeans

During a shopping trip this month, I picked up this gorgeous black lace bodysuit from Miss Selfridge for £20. It has 3/4 length sleeves, a lace neckline and a complete lace back. It's so pretty! The picture probably doesn't do it enough justice, but go try it on, it looks lovely on! Wore with a strapless bra and teamed with skinny jeans for a smart casual look, or with high-waisted black hot pants and black tights for a night out look, it looks fab. It's completely versatile and could work with lots of different looks to create great outfits.

Bodysuits are really in right now and make great staple pieces for your wardrobe, I purchased another, vest/cami style one, with lace down the sides which is lovely. They're really flattering and fit really well.

Miss Selfridge has some gorgeous pieces in right now, I have spent a good fortune in their stores this month!!

See more images of the bodysuit here, at missselfridge.com.

I teamed the bodysuit with some new dark denim skinny jeans I also bought recently, for £39.99 at River Island.

RI always do great fitting jeans, you cant go wrong with a pair of these, they fit lovely and always stay in fab condition.

Check them out, at riverisland.com .

Shoes Of The Month

Suede Wedges

I bought these suede wedges for £15, from New Look this month. They now seem to have gone up to £25, as we found out yesterday while my friend was looking for them. They do do similar ones for £15, with a lower, court-like heel. But mine are definitely higher, I'm guessing there was a price mishap when I bought mine, oh well *hehe*

I love them! I love a heel, they give me height (I'm quite a short-arse you see! lol) and a heel always seem to make me walk more confidently and with good posture. And since they're wedges, they're really comfy!

They're perfect for dressing up for an evening out, or dressing down for a simple shopping trip.

Find them at newlook.com.

Product Of The Month

Australian Gold Gelee Accelerator

Now, we all know that tanning isn't good for our skin. I, by no means am condoning the use of indoor tanning. But if done properly, in a controlled environment, using the correct products, it can help us get the healthy glow many of us crave!

I personally don't think that anyone under 18 should use a sunbed, and that everybody should be advised on how long and how often they should use one, as everyone has different skin. Sunbeds should never be used without special goggles and creams.

Right, that's the disclaimer out of the way..

Last month, we booked our family holiday to Majorca for July. We're all really excited, but my skin hasn't seen any sunshine in so long that I've been prepping my skin with a twice weekly visit to my tanning salon for a quick 6 minutes on the sun shower.

I was recommended this indoor tanning cream, and have since realised that it is one of the best sellers in the industry.

The gelee formula glides on really smoothly and sinks into skin straight away, it smells lush! The formula is enriched with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals for skincare, particularly Vitamin E which helps protect from lines and wrinkles, and also contains golden hemp seed extract for maximum, natural tan enhancement.

It's been one of my most used products this month, I adore the smell and it is slowly, but surely giving me beach ready skin for my summer holiday!!

Now my skin really struggles to tan, but everywhere seems to slowly be changing colour, with exception to my lower legs?! Which is quite annoying as obviously they're the part of the body most shown during the warmer months. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! :)

Find out more, at australiangold.co.uk.

Purchase Of The Month

Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara

I always fall in love with a mascara but half way through the tube it loses it's power for me and I go in search of something new. This month I put it to Twitter to recommend me a fab new mascara to try.

The lovely @AprincessH2 recommended Maxfactor's 2000 Calorie Dramatic Look Mascara. So I nipped into Boots and made my purchase, along with their new Miracle Touch foundation. They have a fab offer on at the mo, spend £15 and get a make up bag full of goodies free.

On first look, the mascara looks pretty basic but the effect it gives on application is far from basic. The formula builds up the lashes, giving 300% more volume. I'm really chuffed with the results. Only a couple of coats create great volume, and it lasts all day. It's perfect for everyday wear, and with lots of coats - a dramatic look for nights out! I love it. Thanks Alice ;)

Available in 2 shades, for £7.99. More info available at maxfactor.co.uk.

Those were my faves from this month, what were yours?

See you next month!

Lianne XX

Tweet me at @Lianne84

Lianne Loves.. January Favourites

Edit: This post has been tucked away in my drafts for almost a month as I totally forgot to post it!! I've been a little MIA in terms of blogging as life has been busy! But here it is, my January favourites.. better late than never! Enjoy! :)

So, Christmas is over for another year and we're all kicking ourselves for those over-

indulgences (Ive definitely got a Christmas tummy! Booo!), nursing our empty purses and wishing this cold weather would hurry up and move on!!

But hopefully we all had a lovely Christmas & New Year spent with those we love. And of course, been spoilt with some fab goodies!! :)

These are a few of the things I've been loving this month..

Nails Of The Month

Models Own - Pray

January saw the release of Models Own's exciting new nail wear range. All the new colours are fab and I especially love the natural colours they do, so I thought I'd make a few cheeky purchases!!

I'd describe 'Pray' as a chocolate brown colour. As soon as I applied it, I loved it! 2 coats and a slick of top coat and I was more than happy with the result. My nails looked good enough to eat!! The colour goes with pretty much everything, so no need to worry about it clashing with different outfits.

Forgive the picture, my cuticles are in awful condition and I do have polish on my skin *tut* it was a rush job before going out with my other half for the evening!! :)

Models Own polishes are hard wearing and long lasting and come in a huge variety of colours.

See for yourself at modelsownit.com

Fragrance Of The Month

D&G 3 L'imperatrice

I was bought this for Christmas by my lovely boyfriend and has definitely been my signature scent throughout January.

It came in a gorgeous white vanity case which has become a temporary home for my nail varnishes (I say temporary as its full already!).

'L'imperatrice' is 1 of 3 new fragrances from D&G.

The bottle has quite a classy, sophisticated look and I'd describe the smell as fresh, fruity and feminine.

It smells great, quite powerful at first but does seem to fade off throughout the day and need topping up.

Read more at sephora.com

Outfit Of The Month

Topshop Striped Shrug/Black leggings

I've practically lived in this outfit throughout January!

I purchased this cardigan from Topshop just before Christmas, for £40.

A knitted, camel and black wide striped shrug, it has been perfect to team with black leggings and either a long sleeved sheer black top, or a black vest/bodysuit. The sleeves are quarter length and fall really nicely below the elbow.

I love the colour and I'm really into the stripes and chunky knit style that's around at the mo.

I've wore this outfit for everyday wear, lounging round the house, shopping and even for a meal out with the other half, teamed with heels and the right accessories, it can look great in many occasions.

The cardigan is still available at topshop.com.

Shoes Of The Month

Brown laced heeled boots

My brown laced, heeled boots have hardly left my feet throughout January, they're bang on trend and go with most outfits. The colour matches my leather fur lined jacket really well so this along with the fact that they're comfy and perfect during these winter months, makes for them my shoe choice for this month!

I purchased these boots at the end of last year for £40 at an independent shoe boutique in my local shopping mall.

Product Of The Month

MAC Studio Tech

My overall, favourite, most used product of January has to be my old favourite, MAC Studio Tech. Anyone that knows me, knows I'm a big MAC fan and have been using this foundation religiously for years!! No matter what foundation I'm using, Studio Tech is always on hand in my handbag for touch ups throughout the day.

It's really nice to apply, glides on really smoothly and blends well. The more you use, the more coverage it gives. But however much used, it always provides a flawless look.

I may rave about other foundations but this will always be my ol' faithful that I'll always continue to buy!

MAC Studio Tech is available to buy, for £23 in a range of shades from all MAC stores/counters and at maccosmetics.co.uk

Hope you've all had a great January! See you next month!

Lianne xx

Tweet me at @Lianne84

Lianne Loves.. Nail Watch - Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities

We all look out for long lasting nail polishes, so I decided to start doing posts reviewing them as I wear them. Introducing the aptly named 'Nail Watch' lol - cheesy but you get my point! :) I will do regular edits, updating you on the condition of the polish. So here is this weeks choice...

Rimmel 'I Love Lasting Finish Fruities'

My nails had grown lovely over Christmas & New Year but a couple broke, quite low down *tut* so I had to trim them all quite short this weekend. So to cheer them up a bit I thought I'd treat them to a nice vibrant colour!

I received this polish as part of a Secret Santa present from one of the girls at work. Not usually a Rimmel fan but thought Id give it a go as the colour is lush!

This Rimmel range, apparently inspired by 'the freshness of summer' includes bright, vibrant shades and boasts a long lasting, chip resistant finish. These, plus the fact that they're supposed to smell fruity when dry, makes for a fun, bang on trend range of nail wear from Rimmel.

I'm trying 066 - Cranberry Zest, a gorgeous hot pink/reddy colour.

It applies smoothly, has a nice consistency and after 2 coats looks great. The only downfall so far is that it takes absolutely ages to dry, and I'm so impatient when it comes to waiting for my nails to dry!!

I admit, I couldn't smell the fruity fragrance that well once dry, I've read reviews that say they smell delish, but I won't lie, I couldn't smell much at all.

Sealed with a coat of my faithful top coat Sally Hansen Double Duty I was good to go!

I love the finish, and the colour! I can't stop looking at them.

Let's see if it passes the test of time!

Please bear in mind, the nail colour is sealed with top coat which will obviously allow the nail polish to last longer than usual.

My nails were painted yesterday afternoon and they're still in tip top condition with no signs of chipping as yet. Good start! :)

I shall keep you posted!!

Read more about this Rimmel range here.

UPDATE: 2 days in. After a busy day at work (bearing in mind I work with children) the tips are beginning to wear slightly on a few nails...

UPDATE: It's been 6 days and my nails still look fab!! The colour still looks bright and my top coat is doing a fantastic job at keeping my nails smooth and with no chips. The only change other than slight regrowth is a tiny amount of wear at the tips of a few nails, which appeared a couple of days in, which is inevitable as a busy, working mum! So far, very impressed!!

Lianne Loves.. My Current Fave Products

I had planned to put this post together a while ago, but here it is, finally! My fave products, my must-have essentials of 2010 that I use on a daily basis, that I'll be taking through to 2011 until something a lil more amazing comes along! :)

Max Factor Xperience Foundation

I've already raved about this foundation in it's own post which you can read here. :)

Benefit's 'Hello Flawless' Cover-Up

Now, I've never been a massive fan of powder as always found it took the dewy, fresh look from my foundation away. And I'd never even thought about using a cover-up in powder form. But during a trip to Benefit whilst spending a Xmas gift card, I thought I'd give it a go.

I was more than impressed!

The silky smooth powder comes in gorgeous packaging complete with mirror, the powder palette lifts up to reveal a brush for smooth application all over skin and a sponge for more precise cover-up.

It applies really nicely and leaves a smooth, light finish and the sponge covers spots, blemishes, redness and dark circles fantastically, giving me a 'flawless' finish without the 'over-done' look! I'll definately be using this for the foreseeable future!

'Hello Flawless' is available in 9 different shades (I've been using 'Me, vain? Champagne') at a price of £24.50 at Benefit counters and online at benefitcosmetics.co.uk

MUA eyeshadows

Make up for £1! Who'd have thought it. But MUA Make-Up Academy is Superdrugs new £1 make-up brand. Now, I usually buy a cheappish brand for my eyeshadow 'base' as I use so much of it. So when I spotted these MUA shadows in Superdrug I snapped up some whites/nudes/beiges to use as my eye make-up base. I dont usually expect much as 'you get what you pay for' but these are lovely! They're a decent size for the price and are silky smooth to the touch. Best of all, they last all day long, which is more than I expected for £1! :)

Available in a range of colours, for £1 in all Superdrug stores and at Superdrug.com

MAC Eyeshadows

My beloved MAC never fails to keep my eyes looking sharp with their highly-pigmentated eyeshadow powders. They apply smoothly and blend easily. Available in an extensive range of colours, I never fail to find a colour to match my mood or outfit with MAC. An old favourite I'll never get bored of!

Available for £11.50 at MAC stores and at maccosmetics.co.uk

Benefit 10 Highlighter & Bronzer

I looooove a good bronzer/highlighter and one of my faves to use all year round is Benefit's '10'. The bronze & pink powder lasts for ages and comes complete with a soft brush to sweep across cheeks & brow or for contouring.

It creates a lovely glow, I'm a big fan!

Available for £23.50 at Benefit counters and at benefitcosmetics.co.uk



MAC Mineralize Blush

This was my Summer bronzer 'A Little Bit of Sunshine' which I think is no longer available but it's lasted me well but I've hit the pan as you can probably see, so I'm currently on the lookout for a new all over bronzer - suggestions welcome!! :)

I love MACs Mineralize range. They use 'baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application.' Their blushes highlight the cheeks and I love the bronzing effect it has when used all over face, creating a slight shimmer without looking, or feeling too heavy.

Available in an ever changing range of colours (currently 6 I believe?!) at a price of £17.50 at MAC stores and at maccosmetics.co.uk

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

I spent most of the year trying to work out which mascara I preferred out of MAC Opulash or Dior Diorshow Extase - both big premium brand named mascaras that provided a great look, but halfway through the tube, lost it's power for me.
Towards the endof 2010 saw the release of Maybelline's 'The Falsies'. They claimed that their mascara, enrinched with a Pro-Keratin & Fibre formula 'delivers a false lash look; giving you a full set of voluminous, bold, fanned out lashes and the appearance of no gaps from any angle'. I'm not sure about the 'no gaps' part but the rest of the claim is spot on.
The spoon-shaped brush perfectly fans lashes and gives me thick lashes that 'set' all day long.
I love the daytime look it gives and with lashings and lashings, creates amazing volume perfect for a night out. I shall definately continue to use this mascara!

Available currently on offer at £6.19 from all Maybelline stockists.
Read more at maybelline.co.uk



MAC Eye Kohl



Find me an eyeliner as good as this one!
I have a make-up bag full of eyeliners from different brands, but none are as good as MAC. I've yet to find another that gives me a soft line above my lashes. And a dramatic, long-lasting line along my waterline. I've used MAC's eyeliner for years, and even when trying other brands, have always come back to MAC!

Available at £13 from MAC stores and at maccosmetics.co.uk

I'd love to hear your current faves

Lianne X

Lianne Loves.. Next Home!

Yesterday we decided to pay a visit to our second home, Next Home to buy some new bits for the house. I love shopping for the house almost as much as shopping for myself.. almost ;)

I'm lucky enough that my boyfriend and I have the same sort of tastes when it comes to interior design, so decorating and accessorising the house has been easy!

We love Next Home, they have some gorgeous pieces! Our house is pretty much a shrine to Next!

I thought I'd share with you some of the bits we bought yesterday..

Corin Floor Lamp

Ever since we took the Christmas tree down we vowed to get a lamp of some sort, as the light from the Christmas tree was much softer/cosier (work with me here.. :) ) than the harsh ceiling lights. This floor lamp is brand new into Next Home and fits perfectly into our lounge. It almost matches the light shades we have with our ceiling lights, the design has been tweaked slightly for the new season but still has the same classy, 'chandelier' look as before.

With a glitter inner-shade, black outer-shade and light reflecting crystal droplets, the lamp creates a soft accent light and a great focus point.

Our lounge colour scheme is black/silver/hot pink so it fits in really nicely.

Available at Next Home for £80.

Red Mugs

Unfortunately I can't seem to find these on the website and can't remember the name of these mugs. I'm not sure whether that means they're no longer available online or if they're new and haven't been put online as yet.

Our kitchen colour scheme is red/white so we always head over to the red & white pieces to see what we can treat the kitchen to! :) We needed new mugs and these were quirky and fit in with our colour scheme well.

Available at Next Home for £8.

Poppy Design Dinner Set

This 12 piece dinner set, with the cute poppy flower detailing, was our next present to the kitchen! :) The have some lovely dinner sets in Next currently, all dishwasher and microwave set. There are matching mugs and a tablecloth runner available too.

Available a Next Home for £30.

There is some lovely stuff available in the new season that will definitely be on my Wish List!

Visit Next Home to see for yourselves.

Lianne Loves... Max Factor Xperience!

This post was originally set to be a look at some of my favourite products of 2010 but I got so carried away talking about this that I decided it should have it's own post! So..

Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation

When I got my first pay cheque at 18 years old, I headed to the premium beauty counters at the likes of Boots/Debenhams/House of Fraser and splashed out on lots of yummy beauty products and vowed to say goodbye to high street brand foundations forever.. until now!

I've pretty much tried foundation from every premium brand going, and as a huuuuuge MAC addict - with whom I was extremely loyal to, I never looked twice at a high street brand for years. Until Autumn of last year, I was out of MAC *insert scream* and was in a rush home from town. Stood at the bus stop I remembered the lack of this extremely important item in my make up bag!! With not enough time to head back to the other side of the city centre to purchase my beloved MAC foundation I ran into the nearest Superdrug.. trawling the beauty shelves I came across one of Max Factor's newest releases. At first I thought it'd just be a stand in until I could get to MAC, but after a few uses I fell in love! Truth be told, I didn't think I'd find a high street brand foundation anywhere as good as the premium brands I've used, after all, you get what you pay for right?

Well I was more than impressed with Max Factor Xperience!
'Luxurious flawless coverage with a weightless feel..' they boast. And, unlike many products, it does exactly that. When applied onto bare skin, this liquid foundation provides fantastic coverage leaving a silky soft base. It almost gives the impression of a powder like finish. The coverage is amazing, we all look for a foundation that gives a full coverage but often end up with a thick/heavy feel.
When applied with a foundation brush, the liquid, that is not too thick or too watery, goes on beautifully and sinks into my skin providing a perfect base for my make up.

Max Factor Xperience - Brown Hessian

Rubbed into hand

I loved the lasting effect it gave also, with hardly any need for touch ups throughout the day.
Max Factor offer this foundation in 6 shades, I use Brown Hessian 75 which seems to suit me fine.
So much for my 'stand in foundation' ... I'm on my 2nd bottle!! :)
A bargain at £7.99 in most stores, go try it for yourself.

Have any other premium brand snobs been reformed by any fab high street brand products?