Over the past months where I was absent from blogging I was certainly not absent from the shops and over the course of a few months (and frequent trips to Bluewater and the occasional trip to London) I accumulated some new make-up bits which are too good to keep to myself.

MAC Whirl lipstick and liner- I am usually a nude lip kind of girl and am a bit scared of wearing anything too bold and noticeable, in need of a change I purchased whirl (a famous one of MAC's colour so you can imagine how hard it was to get my hands on one) which is a perfect colour as it is a bit out there but not too dramatic. Of course it is matte and it does mean the formula is rather drying and I find myself having to whip on the lip balm beforehand but it does leave a very clean look. Some days I just use the liner alone on my lips as I feel this is less harsh then the lipstick and does stay around a lot longer.

BECCA Champagne Pop- I know, I know, you must be sick to deaf of hearing about this highlighter. So I will keep it short  and sweet. Pigmented. Golden. Glow.

NARS Creamy concealer- I use this for under my eyes as it is a perfect colour to brighten under my eyes, a few dots goes a long way with this concealer as it is extremely pigmented and it blends well with my foundation. I usually work it onto my eyelids to use as an eyeshadow primer.

YSL Rouge Vulupt 01-  This is a lipstick I picked up after heavy recommendation from Victoria's (InTheFrow's) blog. I must admit with my tanned skin and blonde hair I don't think the bright pink colour matches my skin but the formula of the lipstick is certainly a winner!

Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro- I have never really used anything but drugstore products for my eyebrows but this p. I use this with the Bobbi brown eyebrow brush and after brushing through my brows I fill in the parts where I want more fuller brows with the gel. The colour matches (Opal) matches well and leaves a very natural finish.

CHANEL Le Vernis 18- I love a nude nail colour and I can always trust the Chanel nail polishes, it leaves a lovely shine however I think the colour was a bit too much of a light nude :(


Do you have any recommendations of items to pick up over the next few months?

Love Em x

2015 beauty favourites

I actually cannot believe that 2015 has already finished! This is the year I feel like I have discovered make-up as I have been trying new things (and have learnt how to apply it properly)! Here is a round up of my favourite beauty products this year:

Favourite lipstick: Estee Lauder Pure colour ROSE TEA which I have a review amongst other lipsticks which I have tried this year here.
Favourite blush: Hourglass ambient lighting blush MOOD EXPORSURE which I feel a little bit cheaty including it in my whole year favourites as I only picked it up last week but I have been using it every day since and I know it will be a favourite in 2016.
Favourite eyeshadow:Urban Decay Naked 2 pallet has a lot of amazing shades and if I had to pick a favourite out of the pallet it would be HALF BAKED.
Favourite bronzer: Benefit Hoola which has been with me for the whole of this year and hasn't been replaced by any other bronzer.
Favourite Mascara: Benefit They're Real! which is another trusty product which has lasted throughout this year and I have a mini review here.
Favourite Brow product: Maybelline Brown Drama which I included in my how-to-brow guide here.
Favourite highlighter: Benefit high beam which has stood strong as I have tried quiet a few other highlighters this year.
Favourite Nail Polish: Kiko TAUPE which is actually a new brand discovery this year. I love this nail colour as it is so subtle and can be matched with any clothing.
Favourite perfume: Estee Lauder Modern muse which I have a review on here.


So there is my first year completed, I am excited to see what other products I will pick up next year and whether any of these will be in my 2016 favourites!

What has been some of you favourites throughout 2015?

Best Drugstore Concealer Revealed

Over the course of this year I have been swabbing and swapping different concealers from the drugstore (due to many late nights and early mornings) which has lead me to give you advice on the best concealers and the ones which well... are not really worth the money...

No7 Match Made concealer £7.50- One of the good things about this concealer being No7 is that you can t get a match closet to your skin shade. and with 17 shades you are sure to find a match, mine is in the shade calico which is an amazing match  for my skin. However, for me, that is the only positive as I am not a fan of the formula as I find it hard to apply and hard to blend meaning there is a distinct line between my foundation and concealer. Also, the 16 hour lasting power is not essentially true as I find myself having to top up in places every two hours.

Maybelline The Eraser Eye £7.99- I remember there being a massive hype about this concealer around summer time and this even made it into one of my favourites posts; however now it is not such a favourite. It blends well with foundation but that is about it, I think it may partially because I purchased this in the shade nude whereas I now definitely know I am in the shade light! I think having only two shades as option though really does limit this concealer. Also I just don't really get along with the applicator, you have to turn the package for product to come out onto the sponge which only fits under certain parts of your eye and does not fit into the corners!

Rimmel Long Lasting concealer £5.49- This concealer blends really well and I like the applicator which means I can apply it in the corners of my eye and around my nose. I purchased this in the shade soft beige and I do find the colour has a bit of orangey undertones but overall this is a solid concealer.

Collection Lasting perfection £3.99- I have this shade in fair and it is amazing as it brightens underneath my eyes and blends well with my make-up. The applicator means I can apply the concealer in the corners of my eyes and it leaves a seamless finish! This concealer certainly lasts a long time as well as I don't find myself having to top it up at all during the day.



Collection, Rimmel, No7, Maybelline concealers

So overall I would say the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is the best for value, application and colour but the Rimmel Wake Me Up closely follows, certainly making it into the top two. For me the Maybelline one just doesn't really work, maybe because it is in the wrong colour and because of the applicator. And the No7 match made concealer? Considering it is one of the more pricier concealers it is really not worth it.

Bold metals collection brushes by Real Techniques

Real Techniques brushes are my 'got to' brushes as I already own the eye set of brushes and the powder brushes, however I never quiet found the excuse to splurge £64 on the bold metal brushes; until of course I managed to bargain them for £32 on the Boots website! When I opened the package it was like a light entering the room (cringey I know;) I absolutely adore the gold, rose gold  (I can just hear everyone cheer at the colour of rose gold) and silver colouring of the brushes. One of my favourite parts of the brushes is the sharp edges at the bottom of the brush which then become more rounded nearer the top, this makes it easier to hold the brushes at the correct angle to apply and blend your make-up. The only thing is that now doing my make-up can be a bit of an arm workout as they are quiet heavy brushes, but what can be expected, I mean it says 'metal' in the name (and I do need to tone up my arms after all the Christmas eating!) Here is a run through of the brushes included:

103 Angled powder brush is an exclusive brush to this gift set; as stated in the name this brush is angled so is brilliant to contour your face. I usually use this to apply bronzer in the cheek bone area and to blend powder into my foundation.

300 Tapered brush forms a bit more of a tip, as it is a more smaller head I use this to sweep highlighter across my cheek. The tip allows a more precise application of make-up so you could also use it when highlighting brow bones and the cupids bow.

200 Oval shadow is the most rounded brush and I use it during the eye make-process. I do not use this to apply individual eye shadows but instead at the end to blend the different shadows together for a seamless finish.

How can I forget, included in the pack is also a rose gold and silver coloured real techniques make-up pouch which you can fit your brushes in to take away!

Face masks

In the Wintery months the perfect thing to do is to soak in a warm bubble bath with a box of chocolates and a face mask on. Face masks are an area which I feel many people are shady on as there isn't really anyone to tell you which is best, here are a selection of my favourites:

Lush Cranberry face mask- Whenever I have bought a face mask from Lush before it has always been the one which has most appealed to me by ingredients or name not the mask which is suited best to my skin. When I told the lady in Lush that I had dry skin and the only two masks I had used was cupcake and catastrophe cosmetic she was shocked as apparently these are the worst masks for dry skin. Instead she suggested the masks Oat fix and their festive mask cranberry.  I tried cranberry and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, unlike cupcake it has quiet a nice fragrance added to it and is not overwhelming (I hate a poignant scent on my face when I am trying to relax in the bath.) After using the mask my skin feels extremely clean and it feels like the remaining dirt on my face has been removed.

Super facialist pore purifying clay mask- This is an affordable face mask which I have recently re purchased from Boots. The face mask is thin which means it is easy to apply and remove and wont make a mess of your bathroom sink! This mask is great for when your pores feel clogged and leaves your face feeling clean. This mask does make my face tingle slightly but that is because I have very sensitive skin. I am yet to purchase more  products by  Una Brennan.

What face products are your favourites?

The perfect drugstore brow

Eyebrows. The bane to many teenage girls lives, the reason why many people loose 30 minutes sleep in the morning. I am not saying that my eyebrows are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G but I am pretty sure these drugstore products have helped them look more tamed!

 To start with I brush through my brows with the Maybelline master shape brow pencil to shape them naturally. Next I lightly brush through them with the Maybelline brow drama which I use in the shade light brown, this colours the light eyebrow hairs to thicken my eyebrows and the formula dries to keep them in shape. I ensure to do this stage lightly otherwise the liquid would dry on my eyebrows and crumble. Afterwards I use the pencil on the Maybelline master shape to further fill in my eyebrows, I use the pencil to define the arch and extend my brows. Finally I use the Real Techniques brow brush to give my eyebrows a final sweep into place.

In my search for the 'perfect brow' I found some top tips on how you should measure your eyebrows on where to start, arch and end.

1. To measure where to start, line your brush at an angle with the edge of your nose, the place in which the pencil meets your eyebrow zone should be where your brow begins.

2.Then line straight with the pupil in your eye, where this meets you eyebrow should be the section where your brow should begin to arch.

3.Finally, line the brush at an angle with the edge of your nose and the corner of your eye, where this lines with your brow should be where it ends.

What are your top tips when filling in your eyebrows?


My eyebrow products

Advent calenders

I know, I know it is not even near December yet and I am sure that some of you are screaming at the fact that I am already planning my countdown to Christmas! But advent calendars have started to come out in shops and I want to get my hands on a good one this year! I would like to try and have a beauty advent calendar as well as a chocolate calendar(can't get rid of the classic)! So I have been searching high and low for some of the most inventive advent calendars and these are some of the beauties that I have stumbled across:


Benefit- A calendar with 12 mini beauty goodies from benefit is far from disappointment. Benefit have included 12 of their favourite products for you to unwrap, this is a great way to discover new products of Benefit or stock up on your favourites. £34.50



Lush: A favourite shop especially around the festive season is bound to have some amazing gifts. This is a massive calendar which opens up to reveal 12 doors each hiding a bath treat. Winter is always the best time for a warm bath so unwrapping a treat everyday will be an amazing way to relax in the cold season. £50.00





Jo Malone: If you are willing for your advent calendar to be your one and ONLY present then go for this luxury calendar with 24 minis from Jo Malone. Indulge on the selection of 24 body crèmes and colognes with seasonal scents. £260.00

Charlotte Tilbury:Another luxurious advent calendar is the Charlotte Tilbury one, this includes 12 make-up products, some being full sized and others being travel sized. This is a great way to discover new favourites by the brand and a great preparation for the make-up across Christmas.

The Body Shop: This is a great beauty calendar for a mixture of make-up, shower gels and moisturisers. 24 days worth of treats are crammed into this box including some of their limited edition Christmas flavoured products.



Yankee candle: Everyone loves a good ol' candle; this little bundle of joy includes 24 tea light candles of different seasonal scents with a surprise on day 24! £27.99

Autumn lips

MAC DIVA- This is probably one of MAC's most popular shades and is a dark red with purple undertones. I am ashamed to say this is my very first MAC item but I will definitely be purchasing some more (perhaps velvet teddy)! I love the matte finish and I am also very impressed with the quick dry and staying power. This is such as typical Autumn, berry colour so I know I will be reaching for it a lot this season! Overall this is a great lipstick with a reasonable price tag for a high end brand: £15.50.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy DISCREET- Discreet is a nude shade with brown undertones and is perfect for a natural make-up day. The texture of the lipstick is very creamy and has a full coverage. This has a slightly higher price tag of £25.00.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour ROSE TEA- Another one of Estee Lauders lipsticks, this is a nude with pink undertones. I love the creamy finish and the pinky nude compliments the autumn colours. This lipstick has a label of £22.00.



NO7 Moisture Drench SOFT PAPRIKA-This is the most affordable lipstick and is from NO7's match made perfect range where your lipstick is matched to your skin tone. My foundation colour is CALICO and soft paprika is a shade which is meant to compliment my skin tone. This is a slightly different option from the other colours as it is a bright, bold red with pink undertones. This is a real statement lipstick for nights out and has a label of £9.50.

What are the lipsticks that you have been wearing this Autumn?

Estee Lauder gift

I have been eyeing up this Estee Lauder gift for a while now and when I went to the Boots Christmas event I thought it was a great opportunity to purchased extra products to be able to receive this beautiful package (I managed to pick up £10 worth of reward points on my Boots card!) To receive this gift you have to purchase two products, one of your choice and another either being skin care or foundation.

 

The gift includes a very retro bag, bold red flowers with dark blue. I always find these bags useful for when you go on holiday as I always need loads of them to store my make-up and other essentials in!

 

My favourite product which is included in the Pure colour lipstick in the shade 17, Rose Tea-which is a pink shade with brown undertones. The coverage is buildable so you can apply it to how it suits you and as it is a cream lipstick it leaves a matte finish.  

 

The gift has many skin care items packaged inside, one being the advanced night repair. This one of Estee Lauders best sellers and is a serum to fight aging. Unfortunately this is not an essential to me so I will most likely gift it to somebody else. An item which is a necessity is the Take it away make-up remover which is suited to all skin types. The formula is a cream so I massage it gently into my skin and rinse afterwards which leaves my skin feeling fresh. The Daywear advanced multi protection Anti oxidant crème is another anti-aging item. However, this one is more suited to me as it helps to prevent young aging and helps to leave a smooth finish on the face. This is great for dry skin which is fortunately my skin type.

The Modern Muse perfume is also included which is a strong floral, woody scent which leaves a warm impression. This perfume only needs a couple of spritz to completely enrich your body with it scents and I can imagine this would last me a long time.

An empty bottle of the double wear foundation is included in which I assume I would take to the counter to be filled with my colour which is pure beige; this is another one of Estee Lauders key items. Finally, included in a small book kit the Illuminating perecting primer and the Double Wear concealer in the shades: light, light/medium and medium.

Overall the gift is of high value and contains many products of generous size to test. I would definitely repurchase the Rose tea lipstick! What has been you favourite gift from a make-up company?

Oxford street lush haul

Recently I took a much waited for trip to the lush on Oxford Street which is (apparently) the biggest Lush store in the world and it lived up to that title with three floors of lush. Seeing as they had exclusive 'Oxford street' only products I had a "little" splurge on their bath items.
 

shark infested custard, dreamtime, Melting marshmallow

The whole of the upstairs was dedicated to bath bombs, bars and these exclusive bath oils which  I loved so much I picked up three of them! The don't make bubbles in the bath or change the colour but they make your skin feel silky and they smell gorgeous. I picked up the melting marshmallow, shark infested custard and dreamtime.

 

Melting marshmallow was certainly my favourite bath oil as they fragrance was very sweet and reminded me of the scent of the cream candy bubble bar-good enough to eat! I liked the feeling of my skin after this oil as it hydrated my skin without making it feel like I had thick wrapping over my body.

 

I know the name shark infested custard sounds slightly bizarre but the vibrant yellow caught my eye and it smelt delicious. Even though I loved the smell I wasn't overly impressed with how my skin felt afterwards, this bath oil may suit some better then others, as my skin felt like it had a thick layer of oil afterwards and I didn't appreciate this feeling.

 

Dreamtime was a lavender scent, and as you have probably guessed, is a very relaxing fragrance, this would be perfect for a long, candle-light bath!

 

My absolute favourite lush products are their bubble bars, I think they are great value for money as you can get more than one bath out of them and they create magical displays in your bath. I picked up granny takes a dip which is a famous bath bomb in lush (which rumour has that it is being discontinued.) I must admit I wasn't blown away by the colours made in the bath, but that may be because it is a bubble bar instead of bomb. You can certainly get four baths out of this though and the bar creates a lot of bubbles. The second bubble bar which I purchased was rose jam, this smelt delicious, once again very sweet. This is known as a bubbleroon because it really softens the skin as it contains coconut oil and shea butter -I can certainly say that it passed the test! Once again you can get three or four baths out of this and it creates plenty of bubbles so is a great value for money!

 

A purchase which I am very proud of is the comforter shower cream, I had already tried the comforter bubble bar and I absolutely adored the BERRY fragrance so I knew this would go down as a treat. The shower cream itself is very thin and quiet runny so it is hard to control it but leaves your skin smelling amazing. I love the appearance of the cream, a vibrant pink containing gold glitter, the lady in lush was explaining to me how the glitter somehow dissolves in the water (probably more scientific than that) so you don't come out with glitter all over you!

What is your favourite Lush products?

Oh yeah and did I mention they had a mini spa there as well?

DIY beauty: Honey and oat facial scrub

 

There is no denying that shop bought moisturisers and exfoliators are good quality, but when you read the label on the back it does sometimes worry me the actual things which I am I putting on my skin and what they are doing to my face in the long run. This is why I sometimes find it preferable to make my own scrub as I know exactly what is in the face product and how each ingredient effects my skin, This honey and oat facial scrub would act wonders for your skin as all the ingredients worked into the mixture have different rejuvenating properties. It is quick to whip up and only needs four ingredients, the scrub also lasts for six weeks when stored in the refrigerator. The ingredients to buy work out to be £15 which is the usual price of a decent facial srub and remember that the ingredients would last for a large number of scrubs so in the long run making your own scrubs would save money. This scrub which I have made removes dead skin cells to reveal a smooth layer, it can be used on any skin types.

 

The ingredients:

 

• 4 tablespoons of glycerin
• 4 teaspoons of honey
• 6 tablespoons of oats
• 8 drops of orange essential oil

Method:

 

1. Crush the oats with a mortar and pestle until they are a powder, or you can use the end of rolling pin in a bowl.
2. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
3. Place in a container and leave in the fridge for 24 hours to let the mixture set.

Ingredients properties:

Oats contain both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which means that it cleanses and conditions skin as well as repairing and preparing skin. Oats are good when treating eczema, sunburn and allergic reactions. They are good to use in a facial scrub as they can be used on all skin types and can remove dead skin cells. This is used as the exfoliator in the product.
You can find this in most supermarkets.

Honey is a natural ingredient which has many uses from wound healers to face masks. This is because honey heals cuts and acts as as an antiseptic but the properties which makes it good for a face scrub is that honey repairs and protects skin and improves skin tone. Honey can lighten the skin tone, highlighting your face and is good for sensitive skin. This is used as the toner and cleanser in the product.
You can find this in most supermarkets.

Orange essential oil has skin protecting and repairing properties and also tones the skin. This is because it helps to promote collagen production which the encourages the skin repairing process. It also adds a citrusy flavour to the product so leaves your face feeling and smelling refreshed. The orange essential oil is especially helpful for acne prone and dry skin so add extra if you have either of those skin problems.
You can find this in Holland and Barret and other health stores.

Glycerin is an odourless product, which helps to hold the ingredients together as a facial scrub. It also contain moisturising properties so is an essential for the scrub.
You can find this in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.

 

Favourite make-up brand: Benefit

 

It has come to my attention that half of my make-up draw is full of benefit products, I think this represents my love for the brand. For me, benefit is at the bottom of the high end spectrum of make-up and is the brand I have grown up with for make-up. I feel as if I purchase most of my products from here as my first make-up items were from benefit and therefore I am confident with the products.

 

Favourite products:

 

I absolutely adore benefit's creaseless cream eye shadow range and my favourite shade is birthday suit. I used to have the mini version but then splashed out on the large version of this shade. I love the formula of the cream shadows, they are a shimmer shade and are so easily spreadable and blend well with other colours in the range. Birthday suit is a gold, bronzy colour and my preferable shades of eye shadows are nude colours so it is no surprise this is my favourite eye shadow and benefit item. 

 

My other favourite benefit item is the they're real mascara. This mascara thickens my eye lashes and extends them so it looks as if I am wearing false eyelashes. I think it beats the other mascaras in the benefit range which is the roller lash and bad lash, and if my opinion is not persuasion enough that this is an incredible product the mascara was also voted number one in the UK.

 

 

Least favourite products:

 

 

One of my less preferable products is the all over me body mist. I don't want to seem ungrateful as I was given this as a gift but I really dislike the scent of the product. To me it has a soapy, musky smell whereas I prefer more floral and sweet scents. I also do not like the way that the mists sets on the skin, it doesn't see to soak in and lays on my skin layer uncomfortably.

 

Another item which I would avoud is the ultra plush lip gloss which I have in the shade a-lister. Firstly the colour is too much of a baby pink for me to wear and I do not think this shade suits me. Secondly the lip gloss formulation seems rather thick when on my lips but also quite slimy at the same time. Overall I would give the whole plush lips range a miss.

 

Price rating: ££

Their products are mid prices, they are not cheap but are more affordable than brands like Bobbi brown and Giorgio Armani, their prices average at about £20 per product.

W.I.P nails!

Left to right polish names: Northern lights, Secret garden and Bonjouri

 

Whenever I am in urban outfitters I am constantly admiring the W.I.P nail polish range but at the price of £6 each I have always restricted myself from purchasing them. However, during my last visit the store had a summer sale on (which firstly really scares me seeing as I have only just started my summer holiday) in which the nail polishes were included in. Instead of their usual price of £6 I purchased the polishes secret garden and bonjouri at £3 and northern lights at £1 (even the cashier said she would have to go and later purchase northern lights during her lunch break due to the amazing bargain!)

 

Here is what I would match each of these nail polishes with:

 

Northern lights- This is a matte colour which is a royal purple with gold glitter immersed throughout it. This purple has a majestic feel and I would especially paint my nails this colour when attending formal events. I would incorporate other purples, gold's and dark colours in my outfit to highlight the gold glitter.

 

Bonjouri- This consists of white, blue and pink pigments and is such a fun nail polish. For me, this is more of a casual polish and I think denim jeans or shorts and white tees would really projects this fun print.

 

Secret Garden- This is a clear polish immersed with blue sequins. This polish is quite a challenge to apply however looks a masterpiece when finished. This is a real summer colour for me and I am planning to paint my nails this colour when I go on holiday as I think it is the perfect match for laying by the pool and relaxing by the sea. I think this colour would compliment other blues and denims as well as white and silver.