Recently Purchased #5

Over two shopping trips, I managed to pick this lot up... first one, I only went into Boots for one thing, ended up spending a tad more than I should have. Not too much thankfully haha. I only picked up a few things and wanted to share them with you because I really like them!

So the main reason I popped into Boots last weekend was to repurchase my Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel. I used my other one so much that I could no longer sharpen it, and I really wanted to get another one because I really liked it! Isn't too soft or too hard, but not too pigmented where it makes the brows look fake.

As there were signs saying "3 for 2 on all Rimmel" I just had to buy two more things from the brand... I next picked up a lipstick, it's the Moisture Renew Lipstick in In Love With Ginger - this is what seems to be a great dupe for MAC Morange, and as I'm coming to really like orange lipsticks, I think this is great. 

My third Rimmel item is another repurchase. I'm running out of my Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner and so before it runs out I wanted to get another one because I'm slightly dependant on this liner since I've had it!

Next thingggg. I've had my eye on the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for quite a while now. As you know I've very much been a fan of Real Techniques for a while now, and so I've just wanted to try their sponge just out of curiosity really, because I've not used a sponge for foundation for so long (since I've had my Real Techniques brushes as a matter of fact).

Another MAC Lipstick dupe is the Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick in Bubblegum, which is a near exact dupe of MAC Saint Germain. I've wanted Saint Germain for ages but I wasn't sure if the colour would suit me, so I thought I'd try this £3 version to see if I like it (and I really do).

And finally for the first trip, you know I do like me a good cream eyeshadow, I picked up the 17 Wild Metallic Eyes cream eyeshadow (I'm not sure of the colour). The first time I actually swatched this was for the above photo, and it has such a soft consistency which will mean this will (or should hopefully) blend like a dream. (Sorry I couldn't find a link for this! It's not on their website anymore but it's definitely still in stores, I only bought this less than a week ago!)

The first from the second trip, I picked up the Clinique Superprimer Face Primer in Universal. I used this yesterday and I love it!! I got the universal shade but you can get other shades for colour correction too.

And finally, the second thing I got on the second trip was this Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Fuller Fudge. I really like the thought of an eyeshadow stick (I do own a couple already actually) because they're so easy to use, even more so than a cream shadow. I haven't used this yet but I love it already its lovely.

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The Beauty Starter Kit

Just starting out properly with makeup? Or want/need a revamp of your makeup bag? I've done a round up of some great things to start off with in your kit.

The Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation works great for most skin types. It's not heavy on the skin but has a decent coverage, and makes the skin look so healthy and lovely.

Doesn't really add much colour and definition, but the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara keeps your brows tamed without having to spend the time using a pencil or powder.

A love of most people's, the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. Keeps your makeup in place all day and eliminates shine for hours.

A new addition to my makeup collection is the Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara (which came in my recent Glossybox, post HERE). It's dual ended and really opens up the eyes (it does need quite a few layers though to build up the intensity, in my opinion anyway).

A kohl liner is a great starter liner because they apply really easily (no gaffing with it smudging like a liquid) and its so soft and so blends pretty easily. I've been really liking the Topshop Kohl Pencil in Coal recently for those exact reasons. A little on the waterline and smudged along the top lash line, a bit of mascara and you're done.

The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are an easy option when it comes to eyeshadow. No skill required, no fuss with a brush, just apply all over the lid, tap the edges to make the line softer, a bit of mascara and you're good to go.

So I know that a bright lipstick isn't for everyone, but I really wanted to include this because I love it; it's the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107. The formulation of these are really nice and they're really pigmented. They come in a tonne of colours, more neutral and daytime appropriate than this, but this is the only one that I own because I loveeeee red lipsticks.

For more of a daytime lip, I really like the Sleek Pout Polish. I have the shade 'Pink Cadillac'; these remind me of the lip conditioners that MAC used to do (I think they've been discontinued), which I always wanted one but, yeah, these are so much cheaper and they're really lovely.

I wanted to add some brushes in too because I think using brushes is so important, so for face brushes I love the Real Techniques Core Collection, which includes a buffing brush (perfect for the application of foundation and powder), pointed foundation brush (this is great for applying concealer), contour brush (I use this for contouring, believe it or not, and for applying powder) and the detailer brush, which is great for concealer and lipstick application. For an eye brush, the No7 Eye Contour Brush is a fantastic dupe for the MAC 217 for about £11 cheaper. It's perfect for application of shadow all over the lid as well as blending colour through the crease.

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The Best Of: Drugstore Face Products

I'm a huge fan of drugstore makeup; 1. because it's so affordable (which means I can buy more of it) and 2. because there's some really good products which are such good quality. Here are a round up of the best drugstore face products that I've found.

One of my favourite foundations at the moment is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (Boots, £6.99). I've spoken about it before, but its a medium coverage with a radiant, healthy finish. I think this would work best with normal to dry, and slightly oily skin types (if you're particularly oily then you probably won't like this). 

A favourite from I think just about everyone is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (Boots, £3.99). It's so affordable, and yes, the packaging isn't fantastic (my lid has cracked, and they used to fall off so easily before they changed it again), but it does what it says on the tin and that's what counts. It keeps your shine at bay for hours.

My love is ever increasing for Topshop makeup. Their blushers (Topshop, £6) are really really nice. I have the shade "Head Over Heels" which is a pink with peachy undertones to it. Their blushes are a cream formula, however they're not horrible and sticky like some cream blushes can be, and as consequence to that, they blend effortlessly.

No7's Duo Bronzer (Boots, £11.50) is so versatile - it includes two shades, one lighter and one darker, so you can mix them together to get your desired shade, plus the darker shade is matte so it's great for contouring too.

It's no secret that I'm a massive fan of the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (Boots, £4.19). I swear I should get commission for recommending/speaking about this bad boy because I love it. I use two shades, 01 Fair for the inner corners under my eyes and 02 Light for everywhere else.

I've really come to love the Sleek Face Form Kit (£9.99); I use the contour shade the most, but it also has a gorgeous subtle highlight shade and a beautiful pigmented blush which you can actually buy on its own too (I think it's called "Rose Gold" but its so similar to NARS Orgasm)

When I want some colour on my cheeks but I can't be bothered using a blush and a highlighter, I love using the B. Glowing Shimmer Brick (Superdrug, £8.99). It gives a subtle glow to the cheeks whilst adding a tiny bit of colour. It's not loaded with shimmer and big chunks of glitter like some drugstore products can.

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What drugstore products do you love?

Tried and Tested: Maybelline Baby Skin Primer

With the claims of being an "instant pore eraser", my initial thoughts on this product were "dupe of the Benefit Porefessional". Makes sense. It gets rid of pores (or should I say claims to) and it's silicone based. 

It seems there's an ongoing debate about silicone based primers; I personally quite like them because they're very smooth on the skin, which is what you would want, right?

The problem is with all this smoothness that I feel, with this primer specifically, is that my foundation doesn't stick to it, the main reason I use a primer. When applying my foundation over the top it feels like it's two separate layers so my foundation is just sliding around all over my face and not staying put, the primary reason for my use of primers being to make my makeup last longer. 

I definitely prefer the PoreFessional over this. Porefessional is definitely more blurring as so to speak. It creates more of a barrier and a base rather than another layer like this does. It does slightly get rid of pores though don't get me wrong!

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Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

February Glossybox

I've not written about my monthly Glossybox in quite a few months as they've not been anything too fantastic, however February's is pretty good so I definitely needed to do a write up on it!

First thing was the Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara, which is a very new release of theirs. It's double ended so there's a bigger wand for your top lashes and a smaller one for your bottom lashes. It's supposed to be for an "eye opening effect". I'm very excited to have got this because I wanted it a couple weeks ago and then it turned up in my Glossybox which is great!
The Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara retails for £8.99 and is available here.

The next thing that I originally thought was a body wash (however its actually not) and it's the Sparkling Body Shimmer by Nougat London. You apply this to your skin for an illuminating and glowing effect (the concept of the product reminds me of Benefit Bathina, in fact). I haven't yet tried this but as well as it making your skin look great, it's also supposed to make it feel great too, with it's mallow extract, vitamin E and wheatgerm.
The Nougat London Sparkling Body Shimmer retails for £14 (250ml) is available here.

Next is some eyelashes from Eldora. Now i'm not a massive fan of eyelashes, only because when it comes to the application of them, i'm absolutely pants. However as these are just corner lashes, they may possibly be easier to apply (I hope so anyway, I love them!).
Eldora Eyelashes retail from £3.90 and are available here.

I've always heard great things of Ciaté nail polishes, so when I got one in my Glossybox I was so happy! The formula of these is lovely, they cover really evenly over the nails and apply so easily.
Ciaté London Paint Pots retail for £9 and are available here.

The next thing is a hair care sample by Giovanni Eco Chic cosmetics. I've never actually heard of the brand but the box included a sample of a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask from their Chic Ultra-Moist range. I haven't used this yet but I'm always up for trying out new shampoos and treatments for my hair!
The full size shampoo and conditioner from Giovanni Eco Chic retail for £7.99 (251ml) and are available here.

The final thing in the box was an extra treat as they liked to put it (you usually only get 5 items you see) and it was a Lindt Lindor Treat Bare which is my favourite chocolate ever so I was very happy to get that!


Alrightyyyyyyyy. I'm rather impressed with this month's Glossybox, I was going to cancel it however I've really liked this months so I will definitely be keeping it now!

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Have you ever tried Glossybox or any other beauty boxes?

Wish List #2

It's back, the wish list. Oh no, hahahahaa.

I've been wanting to change things up a little with my hair in the past couple of weeks and I really want to try the L'Oreal Preference Wild Ombre Kit (£6.99) as I think it'll really give a difference to my hair (I'm getting rather bored of its dullness at the moment).

A hat?! I know, it's a rarity. I can't say I've ever been a hat person butttttt I saw Lily Melrose where a hat similar to this New Look Black Felt Fedora (£14.99) and considering she's now one of my style icons (kind of...) I really want one too! Because her hair is probably about the same length as mine and it looks really good on her and so I want to try one too!

Something that has been raved about A LOT recently in the beauty world is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + Anti Blemish Cream (£11.62). It's basically to get rid of blemishes and the marks that they cause, which I definitely need right now as my skin is terrible at the moment.

I'm a little obsessed with brows, and I really want to try the Sleek Brow Kit (£8.49) because it looks like a cheaper version of the Benefit Brow Zings which I mentioned in my last wish list post.

I've been eyeing up this Boohoo Floral Smock Dress (£18) for the past few weeks now. It's so laid back and looks super comfy but is also super stylish too and I can think of a lot of ways I would wear this. I love it!

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My Mac Eyeshadow Palette

Following my Mac lipstick collection and Mac Haul posts, I thought I'd show you my Mac eyeshadow palette too. Mac's eyeshadows are probably my favourite and I love this palette a lot!!

From left to right: (FIRST ROW) Brule, Omega, Era, Patina, Brun, Handwritten. (SECOND ROW) White Frost, Hush, Arena, All That Glitters, Mythology, Expensive Pink. (THIRD ROW) Shadowy Lady, Shale, Satin Taupe, Cranberry, Club, Greensmoke 

The first shadow that I've got in my palette is Brule, which is described as "soft creamy beige"; this is a perfect colour for my skin tone for a matte all-over-lid shade to accompany black winged liner.

Omega is described as "soft muted beige-taupe" - this is my eyebrow shade, as it was used by soooooo many people on YouTube. I am wanting Charcoal Brown too as an alternative eyebrow shade. 

One of three of my first lot of Mac eyeshadows is Era, a "soft golden beige with shimmer". I don't really wear this anymore but it looks really nice as a crease colour.

A great everyday shade is Patina, "taupe brown with golden pearl". This works well on its own with a little bit of brown eyeliner and mascara for an easy daytime look, or with a brown shadow through the crease and black liner for an evening look.

My old eyebrow shade before Omega is Brun, described as "muted blackish brown". It's not too pigmented which is good for using on eyebrows because then they don't look too drawn on.

Handwritten is a "rich chocolate brown" which is perfect for using as a liner for more of a softer look, or to really intensify the crease.

White Frost, "vivid white with icy shimmer", is one of the first Mac eyeshadows I got. I wore this ALL the time with Era through the crease. I thought that was a good look however now I'm not as keen on white all over the lid!

Hush, as you can tell, is a very well loved shadow. As one of the first three, I used this non stop for about a year, which is pretty obvious considering how theres hardly any left in the pan! This is actually discontinued now, but I think "Gleam" is a very similar shade if you like the look of it in the pan.

The final of the first three is Arena, a "soft gold-peach with shimmer". I actually don't like this anymore - I did buy it over two years ago however, but, yeah, it's not really something that I would wear anymore if I'm honest!

All That Glitters is a "beige with gold pearl" - this is one of my newest shadows and I love this as an everyday colour because its very versatile.

Mythology, simply described as "copper" is one that I've not really used to much however I really love it! I bought this for my friend for Christmas then bought it myself a few weeks later because I loved it that much!

I used to use Expensive Pink ("Pink with duochrome") soooooo much in April/May/June time, and for some reason I just haven't used it in ages, however I love it soooooo much. It's description doesn't give it justice, but it does actually look quite a lot like Orgasm blush from NARS (that's what it reminds me of anyway).

I got Shadowy Lady ("blackened plum") for my birthday and I love using this as a super simple smokey eye, using the Maybelline Permanent Taupe Colour Tattoo as a base and then applying this over the top on a flat shader brush.

Now the only reason I bought Shale ("Mauve-plum with subtle shimmer") is because Nic from Pixiwoo used it in a Kate Middleton tutorial (and so did I in fact!) and as a bit of a fan girl of Kate, I decided to go and buy it too. This works great on it's own just all over the lid with a bit of black liner and mascara.

Satin Taupe was purchased solely so that I recreate THIS tutorial because I really liked it. Mac describe it as "taupe with silver shimmer".

As well as Shadowy Lady, I was also bought Cranberry, a "red plum with pink shimmer", for my birthday too. Red eyeshadow kind of sounds a bit scary however this has purple undertones to it so it doesn't make you look like you have sore eyes.

Club is a very deceiving colour, described as "red-brown with green pearl", however at a first glance it just looks green. This is a great accompaniment to Cranberry; they definitely do not look like they would be, but THIS tutorial proves they definitely are!

I haven't even used Greensmoke ("Tarnished olive") yet, but I've found a great tutorial here using it, as I wasn't sure what I should do with it. It's a dark green with shimmer, its gorgeous.

Eyeshadows on my wish list?

Contrast

Carbon

Beauty Marked

Charcoal Brown

Woodwinked

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Current Web Faves

I've decided that I'm going to start a new 'series', if you will, a 'current web faves', basically, showcasing some of my favourite internet finds, kind of, currently. Yep, you get where I'm going with this, haha.

My favourite YouTube channel by far has to be SortedFood. Not really the sort of channel I would really watch, because it's a cooking channel, but the advert for their channel on the beginning of quite a few other people's videos and so one day I decided to click on and I love watching the things they make, because despite the fact that I'll more than likely never make anything that they make on their channel but I just find it rather relaxing watching them; plus, as they're a group of friends, the humour is fantastic. 
You can check out their channel here.

My favourite blog at the moment is Vivianna Does Makeup. I've been reading her blog for quite a while but I can honestly just say that hers stands out from the others that I read. She writes fantastically and I hope that one day my blog will be as good and as appreciated as hers is.

My favourite Instagram at the moment is Anastasia Beverly Hills (anastasiabeverlyhills), which is a cosmetic company, who are famous for their "Brow Wiz" brow pencil. I've been loving their Instagram feed the past few weeks because each day they put makeup looks on there and they are absolutely gorgeous (ones I keep screen shotting on my iPhone for makeup inspiration in fact!).

For my favourite website I've gone for an online shop, of course. It's called "Shoeaholics.com". From what I can gather its an outlet from Kurt Geiger, but I got two pairs of Kurt Geiger shoes for £58 rather that £168 which is crazy!! (However when I ordered them there was a special offer on so I'm not entirely sure what the prices are like normally).

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The Bourjois Base

A new addition to my foundation collection is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99). It was only after I got this home after buying it that I realised that I actually had the matching concealer (£7.99), plus their Bronzing Primer (£9.99).

Bourjois has never really been a brand that I've bought things from or stayed loyal to, but after hearing great things about their Healthy Mix Foundation, and hearing that it's very similar to one of Chanel's (I think they are owned by the same company?), I had to try this.

Starting off with the foundation - I applied this all over my face for a radiant "I'm not wearing foundation" finish, using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. To get rid of my disgusting dark circles (the worst skin problem I have, the skin there is so thin and transparent), I used the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer. I also took this around my nose where I have some redness, applying this to both these areas with my Real Techniques deluxe crease brush.
To add some colour to my face I applied a bit of the Bronzing Primer under my cheekbones, across my temples, jaw line and down my nose, the high points of the face where the sun naturally hits it. I applied this again with my buffing brush and blended it out so it looked subtle.

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The Everyday Lip

In need of a new everyday lip colour? Look no further!

I've mentioned the Topshop Lipstick in Innocent a few times before; these lipsticks are absolutely lovely, the formulation is lovely, they are so smooth and nourishing - I love them!

The next two I've included are Mac Lipsticks, in the shades "Ravishing", a gorgeous peachy pink shade, and "Hue", a sheer soft pink. "Ravishing" is more a different everyday colour, a little different than a nudey pink (it works perfectly with Mac's Expensive Pink eyeshadow as a matter of fact).

For a gloss I've included the L'Oreal Glamshine Stain Splash in Romy. This is a soft pink shade, and as well as being a glossy (that isn't sticky because it's kind of a gel formulation), it's also a stain, so the colour stays after the glossy feeling and look has gone.
I decided to include another gloss, the Clarins Gloss Prodige Intense Shine & Colour in 05 Grenadine. This is a wonderful product! I mean, so it should be for the price, but it's just lovely! It's not sticky at all, and I know, it's a little bright for some people for daytime, but it's not too bright as it's a gloss.

What lip products do you like using for daytime?

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January Catch Up

Can you believe that the first month of the new year is over already? It's gone SO fast, and at this rate, it'll be Christmas before we know it!

January has been a good month for my blog; I uploaded the most amount of posts in month that I've ever done, and though it was scheduled to have more than I did, the 18 I posted is the highest amount I've done.

The first post of the year wishes you all a very Happy New Year.

I then shared my 2013 in Instagram on the 2nd.

The 3rd brought my Aspirations (as so to speak) for 2014.

On the 4th I showed some sneaky Post-Christmas Purchasing.

The 5th celebrated my One Year (ish) of Blogging.

For the post-christmas poorness, I brought you Budget Beauty Edit #2: Top Picks Under £5 on the 6th.

Another purchase after Christmas was shown on the 7th, the Topshop Smokey Eye Gift Set.

The next day brought a second beauty combo, Beauty Combo #2: Bronzed & Contoured.

The 9th showed another post-Christmas purchase, this time giving my opinion on a YSL lipstick, with Tried and Tested: YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick.

On the 10th, I showcased an array of Everyday Eyeshadows.

Despite all the things I bought after Christmas, I uploaded my Wish List #1 on the 13th after a short break from 10 constant blogging days.

More purchases; the 15th brought a Mac Haul. Oooeee.

And more MAC -- on the 17th I showed my rather excessive MAC Lipstick Collection (well, its not too excessive...).

Buying stuff again... New Makeup Brush Purchases came to you on the 18th.

After a week away from uploading on the blogosphere, I brought you the comparison of the Naked 1 and 3 palettes, Naked Love, on the 25th.

Polished: The Mint Glitter Accent was brought to you on the 28th.

The penultimate post of the month has me comparing two makeup removers on the 30th, in Makeup Removal: Purity vs Micellar Solution.

And the final post of the month, The Red Lip Edit.

Also this month, I applied for Daily Mix's Beauty Bootcamp, which if you don't know what that is, it's basically a competition to find the next star of Daily Mix, AND they put my entry video on their channel along with a few more! I have all fingers crossed that I'll get to take part because it's a fantastic channel and last years BB looked so fun.

And for this month in Instagram...

Me and Nicole, #tb from June

Oh the lovely Naked 3

Makeup of the day.

OOTD (included on my fashion blog HERE)

Yummy cheesecake in Prezzo

Pointe shoes

#tb Eiffel Tower, Paris (Summer 2012)

Pointe shoes (i'm the far left one)

Daniel and I

OOTD (on the Fashion blog too)

Ballet class creativeness.

The perks of your best friend working in a bakery.

This is what I looked like back in 1998. Hahah.

Polished (POST)

The Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine Perfume 

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