Liebster Award Nomination

Thank you so much to Meg from Peppermint + Peach for nominating us for a Liebster Award. We love the idea of raising awareness of new bloggers!

Here are the rules:

1.  Answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you

2.  Pick an additional 11 people to nominate with under 200 followers

3.  Create a new list of 11 questions to ask those you have nominated

4.  Inform your nominees of the award!

Here are our questions from Meg and our Answers:

1.  Who is your style icon and why?
S: My style icon is Miranda Kerr, I love her off-duty model style that's casual but chic at the same time. I wish I had her wardrobe!
J: I think I have two, or is that cheating? I love Blake Lively's red carpet style, she always looks amazing and I really like the fact she styles herself. My second is Olivia Palermo, she just looks so chic and sophisticated all the time but yet still manages to make her outfits look effortless.

2.  If you had a magic lamp, what would you wish for?
S: I'd probably wish for a large amount of money, for my family and friends to be happy and probably more wishes. 
J: Hmmm, probably to be successful in my career, to be happy for the rest of my life and lots of money so I can buy that gorgeous Celine Trapeze handbag (and a flat in New York).  

3.  What is your favourite colour of lipstick?
S: My favourite is the Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in Rebelle. It's a gorgeous coral red colour that can be worn day or night.
J: This is a tricky one, it sort of depends on the season to be honest, but the lipstick I'd say I always go back to is Chanel Rouge Allure in Evanescente (88). It is a really long lasting, your-lips-but-better, nude-pink colour. 

4.  You're stranded on a desert island, what 3 things do you take and why?
S: I would probably take sunglasses, water and a life raft so I could escape!
J: I think mine are far too practical but I'd take suncream, a hat and a huge bottle of water. 

5.  What is your favourite season and why?
S: My favourite season is Autumn, I just love all the clothes and makeup trends. I love darker and cozy clothes with chic boots and nice jackets and jumpers. 
J: Summer definitely, I love the sun and I love going on holiday. I also like wearing brighter colours and brightening up my make-up a bit with some coral lipstick or something. 

6.  What is on your beauty wish list?
S: I would have to say everything in the Charlotte Tilbury collection as well as a lot of the Marc Jacobs collection. I also feel like I should buy a new Chanel lipstick soon as it has been a while since I last bought one. 
J: Definitely the Marc Jacobs eye palette in The Lolita, Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturiser Balm and Chatlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Pencil. 

7.  What is your HG beauty product?
S: I would have to say mascara would be the beauty product I couldn't live without, especially the Maybelline Falsies mascara which I have discovered recently and loved. 
J: This is a really hard question, probably the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. This stuff is amazing; it covers up any blemish, brightens dark circles and has a really moisturising creamy texture.  

8.  Why did you start your blog?
S: We started our blog because we both share a passion for fashion and beauty and we enjoyed reading blogs about it so we thought why not try one ourselves.
J: We both love talking non-stop about fashion and beauty, so we thought a blog is a perfect place to share our ramblings and a great way to find new blogs to read as well. 

9.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
S: I'd love to be living in an amazing apartment in New York City with a cute Yorkshire Terrier, writing for a major fashion magazine like Vogue, Elle or Instyle.
J: People have asked my this question before and I really don't know the answer! I think after I complete my business degree I want to get into buying and merchandising or maybe PR so in 10 years time I'd like to see myself being successful in what I do but also enjoying it too.

10.  What is your favourite item in your closet?
S: Hmm this is a tricky one, there is too much to choose from! I would have to say my grey Alexander McQueen Skull Print Scarf or my black All Saints pirate wrap cardigan or my Lily Aldridge for Velvet army green jacket.
J: I love my Zara heeled boots at the minute and also probably the same as Sophie with my black Alexander McQueen Scarf. 

11.  Describe yourself in three words
S: Indecisive, approachable and caring

J: Untidy, disorganized and friendly

Our Nominees are:

Hannah - Louboutins and Lemonade
Darcy - Darcy's World
Antonia - Mac and Cheese
Alexandra - Alexandra Marie
Emily - Emmi Hearts
Sophie - The Lust Journal
Hollie - Brainy is the New Sexy
Lillie - Lillie-B
Hannah - Trust in Vogue
Hannah - Pooky Banana
Alex and Becky - Pink Elephant Blog

Here are our Questions for our nominees:

1. You have 5 minutes to get ready in the morning. Which one makeup product would you reach for first?
2. What is your favourite item in your wardrobe?
3. What is your HG skincare product?

4. If you were given £1000 to spend in one shop only, which shop would you choose?
5. What is your all time favourite lipstick?

6. If you had to listen to one song for the rest of your life which one would it be?
7. What is your cocktail of choice?
8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
9. What is on your fashion wishlist?
10. Tea or Coffee?

11. If you could be any fictional character who would you be?

We look forward to reading your answers!

Favourite MAC Eyeshadows

As you will tell by the end of this post, pretty much all of my eyeshadows are neutrals; I love browns and golds as it think they suit me best and I also find them really wearable on an everyday basis. I always buy my MAC eyeshadow in the pans and put them in the palettes as they are then easier to use and carry around.

1. Carbon – This is an intense black which is great for creating a really smokey look or lining the eyes, it has a matt finish and the colour lasts all day. This is definitely an essential in my make-up bag and I think in Sophie’s too. 

2. Omega and Concrete – I’ve put these two together as I very rarely don’t use one without the other. Omega is a very light matt brown, MAC describe it as being a ‘soft muted beige-taupe’. I often blend it through the crease in my eyelid to create some natural looking shadows and softly run some through my eyebrows with an angled brush to form a stronger brow. I then take Concrete, which is also matt but a couple of shades darker than Omega and make the shadows stronger and the brows slightly more defined. One of my favourite looks is to use a neutral cream eyeshadow all over the lid (such as Bobbi Brown in Sandy Gold) blend Omega through the crease then blend Concrete over the top and finish with a thin line of dark brown eyeshadow along the lash line (such as MAC Brun). 

3. Print – This is a soft dark grey with shimmer and I find it perfect for created a smokey eye which isn't as intense as using black. I also like to use it on the bottom lash line to make it slightly more defined, but again, not as harsh as black. I've not used this on much recently but I am going to put it back in my make-up bag and start using it a bit more again. 

4. Retrospeck – This shade is a really sparkly glittery gold colour, MAC describe it as being a ‘beached blonde’ and I love it over the top of a neutral cream eyeshadow just to add a little sparkle to it. It also looks great right in the inner corners of the eyes and really opens the eyes up. This is my favourite eyeshadow to create a little bit of glamour and sparkle. PS - be warned, this little bugger makes your palette extremely messy!

5. Naked Lunch – I love this colour and I know Sophie does too;  the colour is a really light pink and is very shimmery- I often use it all over the eyelid then blend a small amount of Print through the crease as I think the colour complement each other perfectly. I use it for both casual and dressed up looks as I think the colour is super versatile and very buildable. 

6. Satin Taupe - Lastly is the newest kid on the block, well the newest eyeshadow to my palette. It is a dark, shimmery taupe-brown which MAC describes as a 'Taupe with Silver Shimmer' I know this is a cult favourite for many beauty bloggers- Sophie and myself included. Sophie persuaded me to buy this one and I love it so much, I think since I've bought it, it has been the eyeshadow I've been reaching for the most just for an everyday make-up look. 

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows, are any the same as mine? Also, does anyone have any recommendations - I have 5 spaces left in my 15 palette and can't decide what to get!

Tanya Burr Lips and Nails Review

YouTuber Tanya Burr recently released a Lip Gloss and Nail Varnish Line exclusively to Feel Unique. The products are now available in Superdrug too. I was so excited when I heard this news as I love Tanya Burr and her YouTube channel. The collection contains 12 gorgeous lip gloss shades and 10 covetable nail varnish shades. It was so difficult for me to decide on which shades to choose from and I limited myself to buying one lip gloss and one nail varnish from the collection. In the end, after much deliberation, I decided on the lip gloss shade 'Afternoon Tea' and the nail varnish colour 'New York Night'.

Lip Gloss in Afternoon Tea

I chose the colour Afternoon Tea because it seemed like the perfect every day shade of lip gloss that could be worn on its own or over a lipstick. I love the smell of this lip gloss, it's sweet and smells delicious without being sickly. The applicator of this lip gloss is also great allowing full coverage. Also the lip gloss is the perfect texture as it feels really moisturising on the lips yet it isn't sticky. Although I do love this colour, I feel like there would be better colours in the collection that would suit me. This lip gloss is perfect for a natural look as it only has a slight sparkle but for more of a pop I would buy a different shade. However this is great for a natural everyday look and I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of it. I can't wait to try Aurora and I also have my eye on Champagne Toast and Chic too.

Nail Varnish in New York Night

One of the reasons I chose this nail varnish colour was because of the name. As you can probably tell from our blog name we love everything New York related at Makeup Manhattan and Marc. Also the deep purple shade looked gorgeous and appealed to me the most out of all the colours. I loved the colour on my nails too, it is quite a dark shade, darker than I expected it to be but still a really nice colour, that looks almost black after a few coats. This nail varnish lasts quite a long time on the nails with only a few chips after week of wearing it with no clear coat over the top. Now I want to try out some different colours from the collection too. 

Have you tried any of the Tanya Burr Lips and Nails Collection? Which product would you love to own?

Charles Worthington Salon At Home Review

I have been using the Charles Worthington Salon at Home range for a good 9 months now and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever used on my hair. I use the Straight and Smooth shampoo, the Shine Booster conditioner and the Style Setter dry shampoo from the range. I used to use Charles Worthington products before their big formula and packaging re-vamp (remember when they were in them really awkward shaped bottles?) and thought they were average, not amazing so I stopped using them. They then caught my eye last year when I was going a little crazy in Boots and chucked them in my basket to give them a go and I am so glad I did so I thought I would do a little review for you.

First up some general points, I personally think these products are really reasonably priced, especially for a salon brand: the shampoo and conditioner are £5.99 each and the dry shampoo is also £5.99 (RRP is £5.99, it can differ slightly depending where you buy). They all smell amazing, I won't try and describe the smell as I'm extremely bad at doing that - just give them a sniff yourself when you are next in Boots- and finally the packaging is nice and sleek, a really big improvement on the old bottles.

I use the Straight & Smooth shampoo as I have really thick wavy, frizzy hair which can go very much out of control if I don't use the right products. It really takes the frizz out of my hair and leaves it feeling super soft, sleek and smooth. Apparently it has an 'innovative 3D-Straight complex'- I have no idea what that means, but whatever it is, it works and is also apparently perfumed with red berries, vanilla bean and patchouli.

Now the frizz in my hair is controlled I use the Salon At Home Shine Booster conditioner do add some extra shine to my hair. I decided to use a shampoo and conditioner from the different ranges as I wanted to try and get the best of both worlds - I feel like the shampoo does enough frizz-taming so I don't feel like I need the matching conditioner and when I have used both the shine-booster shampoo and conditioner together it can feel a bit heavy on my hair. It leaves my hair feeling ultra-soft, really shiny and smooths out any tangles- what more could you want from a conditioner?

Finally I use the Style Setter dry shampoo on second or even third day hair, it absorbs oil really well and doesn't leave white chalky residue which is hard to rub in like some other brands. Other brands like Batiste tend to make my head itch quite a bit, but this one doesn't, it also smells amazing and is really good at adding volume and texture to the hair 

Have you tried anything from the Salon at Home range?

Haul #3: Beauty

This is a bit of a collective haul of bits and bobs I've bought over that last couple of weeks. It will probably be the last haul I do for a while as I have given up buying make-up for lent as I have decided I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession!

Topshop

Topshop Sheer Lip in 'Chuck'

I bought this lipstick for the sole reason that it was called 'Chuck' and it brought back nostalgic memories of Chuck Bass- yes, I am that sad that I bought a lipstick because it coincidently had the same name as a fictional television character. But after using it a few times I actually really like it. It is a really moisturising lip colour with a subtle glossy finish, the colour is easily buildable from a sheer balm to a deep stain - it is also really affordable at £8. I've never really tried Topshop make-up before but since trying this I think I will be going back for more, any good recommendations?

Boots

Charles Worthington Salon at Home

I am going to post a review of these soon so I won't waffle on for too long but I adore the Salon at Home range, they leave me hair looking healthy and shiny. I bought the Straight and Smooth Shampoo, Shine Booster Conditioner and the Style Setter Dry Shampoo. They are also reasonably priced at around £6 or £7.

Hydraluron

I bought this in boots after hearing numerous beauty bloggers recommendations and thought I would give it a whirl too. My skin is so dry and dehydrated at the minute so I though it could really use something like this. So far I've not noticed that much of a difference to my skin but obviously I will give it a full 6 weeks before deciding if its worth it or not- I will probably write a review in the future after a couple of months using it so look out for that.

SpaceNK

Laura Mercier Crème Brule Honey Bath

I've gone a bit crazy in SpaceNK recently, think I need to calm down a bit with the spending but I just couldn't resist the smell of this, oh my gosh it smells so good I just want to eat it. I've not tried it in the bath yet but may write a review along with the body cream in a couple of weeks.


Feel Unique

Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck

This was in my February Favourites so again I won't go on about it for too long, just click the link here, but I adore the colour of the nail varnish. It's a really spring/summery colour and I just love wearing it!

Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Afternoon Tea

I also picked up one of Tanya's lipglosses in Afternoon Tea, I've not really had chance to use it that much yet but on first impressions I love the texture, finish, colour payoff and brush. One thing I probably don't like is how light the colour is, I usually go for something a tiny bit darker but that is my fault for choosing the wrong colour! I think I will get the colour 'Aurora' and see if that suits me a bit better. Have you tried anything in Tanya's line yet? Sophie will be doing a review of both the nail varnish and lipgloss very soon so look out for that.


Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Eyelash Curlers

If you read our blog often or follow us on Twitter (@Make_Man_Marc) you will know we are huge Charlotte Tilbury fans. I think she is such a fantastic make-up artist and all of her products I've tried are amazing (click here to see a review of her Vintage Vamp palette and here to see Sophie's Charlotte Tilbury Haul and Review). These eyelash curlers are great at really opening up the eye, making the eye look bigger- they also look super pretty in a gorgeous rose gold colour!

Have you done any shopping recently? Leave a comment with a link with any hauls you have done- I'm super nosey and love looking at what other people have been buying!

Celebrating 100 Followers on Bloglovin!

First of all we would like to say Thank you so much to everyone who follows our blog on Bloglovin' and to anyone who reads our blog! We are so shocked by how many followers we have and 100 is such a milestone for us so we thought we'd have a little celebration. A few weeks ago Jess and I went out for a meal and cocktails to commemorate reaching 100 followers.

We decided to go to All Bar One in Nottingham. We've visited there a few times for wine, cocktails and food before and we really liked it there so we decided to go back for our mini celebration.

We both started off with Raspberry Mojitos which were delicious!

Next we had food and we both ordered the Chicken and Bacon Burgers with fries and relish on the side. This was so tasty!

We had another round of drinks and I had a Raspberry Bellini and Jess had a glass of wine. 

For dessert we had a Sharing Dessert of Chocolate Brownies and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Thank you for reading our blog! Don't forget to follow us on Bloglovin' if you enjoy it. 

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Haul/Review

Ever since Charlotte Tilbury launched her own makeup collection I have obsessed over all of the products! I was too scared to purchase them because I had never seen them in real life, only on her website www.CharlotteTilbury.com . Then Jess got the Eyeshadow Palette in Vintage Vamp for Christmas and I fell in love. So I decided to be brave and order a few things for myself from the range. I ordered one of the 6 Shades of Love sets that were released just before Valentines Day because it included a K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick and a Cheek to Chic Blusher for £49. I also decided to get an eyeshadow palette for myself but I went for the Dolce Vita palette instead. All the products arrived in a gorgeous custom Charlotte Tilbury box full of burgundy tissue paper. 

The Dolce Vita Eyeshadow Palette

This is one of the most beautiful eyeshadow palettes I have ever owned. I love all the shades and the idea of having a prime, enhance, smoke and pop shade in each palette is so unique. All of Charlotte's products seem designed for ease of use and to help with makeup application as much as possible. Charlotte has also posted videos on her website to give tips on how to apply her products best which is useful for everyone! The shadows are so soft and blendable and all 4 shades go so well together. The prime shade is a light shimmery beige/gold colour, the enhance shade is a reddy brown, the smoke shade is a darker chocolatey brown and the pop shade is a gorgeous glittery bronze colour. 

6 Shades of Love Sex on Fire Gift Set

Cheek to Chic Blusher in Sex on Fire

This is another product from the collection that is designed to help you with your makeup. The blush contains 2 shades, a 'swish' shade on the outside and a 'pop' shade in the middle. The swish shade is designed to be swept all over the cheek and blended outwards and the pop shade is designed to be placed on the apple of the cheeks. I absolutely love these colours, I think they would suit a lot of skin types and they are build-able so you can have a natural look or a bolder look. I also love the packaging of this blusher. Most of the products come in burgundy and gold designed packaging inspired by the 1920s and I love how unique this is compared to most makeup brand packaging. 

K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in So Marilyn

This lipstick is the perfect red shade that seems like it would suit everyone. It has been named in homage to the iconic Marilyn Monroe and it certainly lives up to its name. The names and thought behind Charlotte's collection is what I also love about her products. She has taken inspiration from beauty icons such Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Brooke Shields and Bridgette Bardot. This is another product that comes in beautiful packaging (like most of the products in the collection) in a gold tube that is so unique and different to any lipstick packaging I own. Something else I love about these lipsticks is the delicious vanilla smell unlike any other lipstick scent I've come across before. It makes the product seem even more luxurious. The colour lasts a long time too and is quite moisturising. I can't wait to try out some different shades!

I absolutely love all three of these products and can't wait to try out more. They definitely deserve a place in my Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Bag. 

Have you tried anything from the Charlotte Tilbury collection?  Which product would you most like to buy?

Look Stylish on the Slopes

In a few months I am off skiing again in Colorado, USA. I am already super exciting and I am in full ski-shopping mode. It has been a few years since I last went skiing so I have decided to update my ski wardrobe a little bit.

I have had a few fashion disasters over the years when skiing... what was I thinking when I choose a head to toe baby pink ski suit when I was 12? I looked like a marshmallow falling down a mountain, but this year I'm going for an all-black-everything kind of vibe with the exception of some bright pink accessories to keep it as feminine as possible (as feminine as a puffy ski coat and sallopates can be).

On the Slopes

Unfortunately, when skiing it really does have to be substance over style. You need ski-wear that is snow-proof as well as waterproof - it may sound silly but a normal waterproof jacket does not protect you against heavy snow- you also need it to be warm and comfortable. Bellow are a few of my favourite ski pants and jackets around at the moment.

(North Face Baker Delux Jacket £260, Billabong Candy Snow Pants in Berry £69.99, Sweaty Betty Astro Ski Salopettes £249.00, Roxy Jet Ski Indies Snow Jacket £159.99)

Safety is also an important factor and helmets and goggles/glasses are a must. I have never worn a helmet whilst skiing before but I am increasingly hearing these horror stories in the news so I decided it would be wise to make the investment. Hats, scarves and gloves are the next essential items - make sure your gloves are waterproof! Years and years ago I had fleece gloves and I had freezing cold hands all week.

(Oakley Polarized Splice Snow Goggles £170.00, Trespass Meryll Hat £12.99, Roxy Power Powder Helmet £58.00, Bolle Mojo Vermillion Goggles, Dare 2b Persist Glove Purple £18.00)

Lastly, keeping warm in an obvious must. Layers of thermals are perfect for keeping warm; if you get too hot whist skiing, just whip a layer off and you're good to go. Thermal skins and fleeces are ideal, below are a few around a the minute.

(Helly Hansen Dry Dynamics in Red Grape £35.00, Striders Edge Hoodie £35.00, The North Face 100 Glacier Fleece £40.00, Helly Hansen Comfort Wool Set £100.00)

Look out for my follow up post in the coming weeks: Look Stylish on the Slopes: Apres Ski, for advice and ideas on what to wear after a day on the slopes!

Raspberry and Blackcurrant Bellini

Last night Sophie and I decided to have a girly night in, we couldn't be bothered going out for food and drinks so we just decided to make our own cocktails and order a takeaway. We ended up making up our own super easy recipe for these delicious raspberry and blackcurrant bellinis so I thought I would share it with you...

Ingredients

Cava, Prosecco or Champagne

Creme de Cassis (a blackcurrant liquor)

Handful of raspberries (3-4 raspberries per drink +1 to decorate)

Granulated Sugar

1. Mash up the raspberries in a blender or with a fork, we are poor students so we went for the fork and bowl option, add a teaspoon of sugar and keep mashing until a thick paste. If you want you can strain and the seeds, however we decided to keep them in. 

2. Using your finger, wet the rim of the champagne flute or cocktail glass, turn upside down and press into a plate of sugar - this will give the nice sugar effect around the glass.

3. Put the raspberry mix in the bottom of the glass and add a tablespoon of Creme de Cassis, mix well then slowly add the cava, mixing as you go.

4. Finally, cut a raspberry in half and use to decorate the edge of the glass.

This is such a simple easy recipe, they also work out to be really cheap. We worked out that our drinks cost £1.50 per glass!

We enjoyed our cocktails next to a big Indian take away with Sex and the City which we are both completely obsessed with at the minute; the perfect way to spend a Saturday night! What have you been up to this weekend?

March Wishlist

This month it's my turn to do the monthly wishlist and Jess has done her February Favourites (see her post here). Here are some of the things that I really want in March, though I doubt I'll get all of them!

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Souffle Body Creme - £44.50

After receiving a sample of this in one of my Birchboxes and after hearing many reviews of this product, including from Jess, all I've been wanting to buy is this Body Creme. The smell is incredible and lasts for hours and a little goes a long way too. It's also so moisturising and luxurious. This is definitely at the top of my March Wishlist!

Charlotte Tilbury The Feline Flick - £22.00

After buying a few Charlotte Tilbury products recently and falling in love with them, as a makeup addict I now want so much more of her products. The next thing I would like to have in my collection is the Feline Flick eyeliner pen. I've never really been able to do a cat eye look very well so I'm hoping that by buying this I'll be able to master it. It looks so easy to use and I've loved everything Charlotte Tilbury that I've tried so far so I have a feeling I'd fall in love with this too.

MAC Eyeshadow Patina - £10

As I mentioned in my last haul, I have a 15 slot MAC eyeshadow palette and I've filled 13 of the slots so far so I'm really close to filling the whole thing. It's taken me a few years to build my MAC eyeshadows up so I can't wait to have a complete palette (and then I can start another one too!). I want Patina because it looks quite unique, I love a neutral eyeshadow and it has a slight shimmer to it too. 

Nars Eyeshadow Palette - £50

Nars is one of my absolute favourite makeup brands but I have never tried any of their eyeshadows before. Then when I heard they were releasing the Narsissist eyeshadow palette I was very tempted to get it. Uunfortunately once I had found out about it it had actually sold out everywhere! I have signed up to a few department store websites 'notify me when in stock' mailing lists but everytime I realize I have an email, they have all sold out again already! Although I've heard that this palette may not be worth the money and the eyeshadows aren't up to the usual Nars eyeshadow standards I'd still like to give it a chance as there are so many colours in the palette. 

Kurt Geiger Petra Boots - £79.00

You may be thinking why does she want knee high boots when winter is practically over? Well 1. It's never too early to be prepared for next Autumn/Winter (my favourite time for fashion), 2. British weather is pretty consistent so I would probably get some good wear out of these in the spring months and 3. They are on sale. I think that these boots look like the perfect riding style boots with a slight heel, the golden buckles and the detailing in the back and I definitely can't resist a good bargain!

Revlon ColorBurst Balms - £7.99

I've have seen so many reviews of the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Balms everywhere recently which has made me want to try them out. I already have a few lip pencils like these like the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian (which I love). I like how there are 2 collections with these as well, a Matte collection and a Lacquer collection. I want to try one from both! There seem to be so many great colours too, I know I'm going to struggle to narrow it down.

What's on your Wishlist this month?