September Favourites

WOAHHH, bit late on the old favourites aren't i?! 
Anyway, this month I've bought far more products than necessary, my bank account is not happy! However this does mean that I have had a lot of new things to play with, resulting in a monthly favourites post! Yay!

First up is Soap and Glory's 'Hand Food'. This has been a saviour towards the end of this month. I get really dry skin on my hands when the winter starts approaching, and this year has been no exception. I got this in a Soap and Glory bundle as a gift for my birthday this year, and its been so so handy! It lives in my handbag and is perfect for when my hands are in need of a good moisturising! 

Next is a little sample of Dr Lipp's Original Nipple Balm for Lips. Sounds a bit bizarre eh?! This came in the September Glossybox and I'm so glad it did! It's a really thick consistency, which does feel quite sticky but it works wonders on dry and chapped lips! Definitely buying a full size one asap!

Another lip product, this one is the long awaited Baby Lips by Maybelline. Having just launched here in the UK, these have been on every beauty blog this month, but they are fab! This one Peach Kiss, is definitely my favourite, really moisturising and I love the subtle shimmer it adds.

Next is another Soap and Glory product. 'You Won't Believe Your Eyes' is an eye cream that brightens a 'de-puffs'. Working 5-6 days a week means I'm always fairly tired, and this has really helped to make it less noticeable. Its feels lovely applying it due to the 3 metal roller balls, making it really cooling and perfect for first thing in the morning. 

Continuing along the lines of eye brightening, I've also been loving Benefit's Ooh La Lift eye brightener. This really makes such a difference and has been so handy this month with my crazy workload. I use it by applying 3 dots under my eyes using the doe-foot applicator and pat it in using my ring finger. 

Lastly for my September faves is this Rimmel Blusher. I've never tried Rimmel's blush's before but was pleasantly suprised by this one called Live Pink (No. 050). Is a really pretty pink rose gold shade, and has been really flattering with my sadly fading (very slight) tan. And its so budget friendly! Such a bonus!

Xx

Recent Skincare Buys

Skincare, skincare, skincare. Good god where do I start?! Skincare is something that, despite know a fair bit about makeup, I know hardly anything about. There are so many different types of products, so many different type of skin, and so many different application methods.

For my whole teenage life I've suffered with spots and blemishes. I've tried alot of high street products, but up until now had never tried anything more pricey. The other day whilst out shopping, I took myself to the Origins counter in John Lewis. I spoke to the lady there for a bit and she recommended the Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads and the Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask. I have been using these for the last couple of weeks and despite speeding £40 on them, I'm yet to see a difference. Obviously I'm fairly dissapointed by that but I will persevere and keep using them. The pads are the things I was really excited by, as from the woman's description, I really thought they would work. The mask I can see working in the long run. and she did say it would take 3-4 weeks for a noticeable difference, so hence I shall carry on with this routine. If anyone has any recommendations of what I could use to sort my skin out, or if you've had similar experiences, I'd love to hear from you.
Xx

Revlon Lash Potion

£9.99 here

Recently I've become very attached to Benefit's They're Real. However at £19.50 a pop I'm keen to find a high street alternative that I love just as much.

I first saw this mascara in one of Fleur De Forces haul videos, and if I'm honest, it was the packaging that I noticed first. Its really pretty and girly and really caught my eye.

I sort of forgot about it until a few weeks ago when in Boots I saw it, as usual I was sucked in by the packaging and popped it in my basket.

Unlike most people I'm one of those who actually favours a plastic mascara wand over a brush, so I wasn'y sure how much I was going to love this. However I was plesantly suprised when I first used it at how long and thick it made my lashes look. Its got a triple groove wand which combs through the lashes leaving them clump free and long. Usually it takes a few goes for me to make my mind up about a mascara, but this one seemed lovely from the start. 

Unfortunately half way through the day I realised it had given me a baaaaad case of panda eyes. I've never really had an issue with mascara ending up under my eyes, and having loved this mascara so much when I applied it, I was very dissapointed.

I don't know if it would have made a difference had I not put it on my bottom lashes as well, but for me personally, I can't really be bothered to faff around with having to apply more that one mascara every morning.

Its such a shame because I really like this other than the panda eyes aspect, but for now I'm still on the hunt for a more budget friendly alternative to my holy grail, They're Real.

xx

This Summer I've Been Loving...

So it seems that summer is sadly nearly over. I think its been one of the best summers England's had in years due to the fact we've actually had sun! However unfortunately the days are now getting shorter and autumns definitely on its way, so I thought I would show you some things i've been loving this summer. The first being orange coral lips. I've always been a pink/reddy lip colour girl, but have been loving a more summery colour over the last few months. Here I have chosen my favourite 5 out of my collection to show you. 

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Colour £7.99 here

The first one being Bourjois's Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach. This particular colour has been raved about widely on many a blog since it was launched a few months back. The colour is so lovely. I find these are also pretty moisturising, and the colour lasts fairly well, I only find myself topping up a few times throughout the day. Their  pretty glossy but not sticky like some lip crayons i've tried. I think theres currently 4 colours in the range which are all pretty summery so hopefully we'll get some deeper shades for autumn.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick £15.50 here 

This is definitely the most orange lipstick I own. Its by MAC and is a Sheen Supreme formula in the colour Fashion City. Its a really true orange which seemed pretty scary to me when I first tried it but I'm 100% a convert. I find it really flattering and feel it really complements a tan, however slight mine may be... This is the most expensive orange toned lippy I own but its such a lovely colour and formula I really think its worth the dosh.

 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer £6.49 here

The next one i've found myself reaching for on many occasions is Rimmels Apocalips in Luna. I first saw this shade on Emily's blog here back in July and fell in love with it. I'm a massive fan of the Apocalips collection and have a fair few colours in my collection. Again this is a product that is famous in the blogger world, and rightly so if you ask me! They have a lovely range of colours, which last well, don't dry the lips out and are affordable!

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish £5.49 here

The next lippy is a much more pink toned coral than any of the others. Its from the Kate Moss collection for Rimmel and is in the colour 16 which is lovely and summery. The only issue I have with this one is if you have slightly dry lips then it does accentuate that unfortunately. However if your lips are lovely as smoooooooth, then this colour is gorgeous! 

Revlon Lip Butter £7.99 here

Finally, saving my favourite till last, it Revlon's Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya. I absolutely love this and it has become my go to orange/coral lip colour. The lip butters are fairly sheer which makes them alot less scary to wear than it they were an opaque colour. These are so moisturising as well making them perfect for people prone to dry lips like myself. 

Thanks for reading, what have you been loving this summer?

xx

Look Beauty Fat Lips

Ever since Clinque launched their famous Chubby Stick the beauty world is literally bursting with lip crayons! With most brands having their own take on them there are alot of colours, formulas and finishes to choose from. The other week whilst taking advantage of a half price sale on the Look Beauty website I snapped up these two babies. The colours I chose were Smooch and Smacker. Currently the lip crayons I own are fairly light colours so these two darker ones were a welcome addition to my collection. 

The first one (top swatch) is Smooch. This is a purple berry colour which reminds me of a much sheerer MAC Rebel. Due to its blue undertones it makes the teeth appear whiter and brighter and so is very flattering.

The bottom swatch is Smacker. This is quite a deep red colour but isn't too bold due to it being fairly sheer. This means that its much more wearable if you're not wanting to make too much of a statement. 

There's 5 colours in the Fat Lips range and they are a decent variety of shades. The formula of them is fairly moisturising but not particularly long lasting and I do find myself topping them up through out the day. The colour isn't very build-able but if your looking for a sheer sweep of colour then these will be perfect! The packaging is simple yet stylist and it has to be said that I do have my eye on another colour (or three) from the range. 

Have you tried these? What were you thoughts?

xx

My Top 5 Real Techniques Brushes

Hello!

Today I thought I would share with you my collection of Real Techniques  brushes and what I use them for. Some would say I have an fairly extensive collection and believe they are genuinely the best brushes out there at the moment.

As I'm sure most of you know they were launched by Samantha Chapman, one of the Pixiwoo sisters and she did a bloody good job!

Their super good quality, wash well and don't shed, and they are also really reasonably priced!

I don't use them all on an everyday basis (I'd have to have about 5 faces to do so) and tend to get into a routine with a certain selection of them.

Instead of talking about all 15 of them, I thought I'd share my top 5 with you.

So the first one I'm loving at the moment is the Expert Face Brush. I use this to buff in my foundation, its similar to the Buffing Brush but more dense and smaller making it easier to work with.  It gives a really nice natural finish to the skin as well.

Sticking with face brushes, the next one I've been using a lot recently is the Buffing Brush. This comes in the core collection along with 3 other face brushes. I find this is so good for blending blushes. It works well with cream and powder and is really good for building up colour.

The third one in my top 5 is the Powder Brush. This is the best powder brush I think I've ever used. It's a fab size, really big which is definately my favourite thing about it. Also just like all of the Real Technique brushes its so so soft and not in the least bit scratchy.

Next is the Duo Fiber Contour Brush. I use this for contouring (suprise suprise). It fits perfectly in the hollows of my cheeks so is ideal for creating the illusion of cheekbones. I also love the look of this brush, with the white handles and pink writing on it. The duo fiber collection is limited edition but currently still avaliable.

Lastly in my top 5 is the Duluxe Crease Brush. This came in the eye brush set along with 4 others. This is my go to brush for blending eyeshadows. It's pretty dense and fits well in the crease making it the perfect size.

Have you tried any of the Real Techniques brushes? Which is your fave?

Xx

DUPES #1

Hello! 

I recently realised that I have a very bad habbit of buying lipsticks in colour's I already own. However to make the most of this I have decided to start a 'series' where I explore my collection and show you some of the dupes I own for some of my slightly higher end lipsticks. 

 YSL Rouge Volupte Perle, Sparkling Fuschia (114)-£23.50

So today I have some dupes for the YSL Rouge Volupte Perle in the colour Sparkling Fuschia (114). I absolutely love this lippy, it goes on so smooth, is a lovely colour and has decent staying power. However I'm not such a fan of the price tag... £23.50. So here are a couple of cheaper alternatives

The first dupe for this is the Bourjois Shine Edition lipstick in no. 22. This is really nice and moisturising and beside the fact it hasnt got a shimmer to it, its a perfect dupe for the YSL. Its also only £7.99 so alot cheaper! The whole shine edition range from Bourjois is lovely, and if you're in the market for a new lippy (or two) I suggest you go check them out!

 Bourjois Shine Edition in no.22-£7.99

L-R; No.22, Sparkling Fuschia

The second dupe I have is MAC's 'Lickable'. Its slightly more expensive at £15 but is still a very good colour match to the YSL lippy, the only slight differences are a lack of shimmer and that the shade is ever so slightly darker.. This is a cremesheen finish so is very moisturising and fairly pigmented. Again like the YSL it has a good staying power but has a slightly sheerer finish.

 MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Lickable-£15

L-R; No.22, Sparkling Fuschia, Lickable

I hope this post has been helpful, and as always, thanks for reading:) 

Xx

The Liebster Blog Award!

Thank you so much to the lovely Ellie at According to Ellie who nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award! I had heard of it before but didn't know all that much about it. However since reading Ellie's post I have learnt that it is to allow blogs with fewer than 200 followers a bit of recognition, which I think is fab!

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The Rules:

1) You must link back to the person who nominated you.

2) You must answer the 11 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.

3) You must pick 11 bloggers with fewer than 200 followers for the award.

4) You must come up with 11 questions for your noominees to answer.

5) You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees.

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So here are my answers to the 11 questions Ellie has set...

1) What is you favourite thing about blogging?

I think my favourite thing about blogging is being able to write what you want in your own little space of the internet. I love trying and reviewing new products, and its nice to put down my opinions and thoughts without being judged. If I sat all my friends down and rambled on about a new lippie I'd tried they'd think I was mad, however in the beauty bloggersphere its like a little community where everyone's passionate about the same thing.

2) What 3 words best describe yourself?

Haha, oh blimey... Probably loud, clumsy and friendly. 

3) If you could star in any film, what would it be?

I've been told on countless occasions I'm very similar to Miranda and Bridget Jones but I'd love to star in a sequel to Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, or something with a cast similar to my age as I reckon it would be such a laugh to film!

4) Who would you be most curious to spend a day in the life of?

Hmmmm, probably someone who knows me like one of my friends or family as I'd love to see what I'm like from another persons point of view!

5) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I was in Thailand for a month and a bit earlier this year and would love to live on Koh Samui. Its so lovely there! Gorgeous beaches, lovely weather and the locals are all so nice! The island has a more relaxed side as well as a slightly more party side to it, so you get the best of both worlds.

6) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I literally have no idea. Hopefully in a career that I love, and with an exciting future ahead of me. At the moment I'm stuck in a rut a bit about what I want to do with my life as I literally have no idea, but fingers crossed in 10 years I'll have worked it out!

7) What is your favourite beauty products at the moment?

Ooooh, probably my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I only bought it the other day and I'm not quite sure how I lived without it... It completley blown all other foundation applicators I own out of the water!

8) What was the last piece of clothing you bought?

It was a black cardigan, pretty boring to be honest. But it was replacing one I left in TGI's last week. I phoned up to try get it back but annoyingly they didn't have it :(

9) Tea or Coffee?

Tea

10) Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

Hazza P!

11) High street or designer?

High street

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So without further ado, here are my nominees and questions!

Humble Honesty

Raspberphobia

Right Up My Street

Masha's Mumbles

Amber Types

Velvet Ghost

Your Beauty Fix

Curls and Swirls

Favourite Purchases

Life is a Highway

B.L.A.B

1) Why did you start blogging?

2) What's your holy grail product?

3) What's the most disappointing product you own?

4) What's your best beauty tip?

5) What 5 things would you take to a desert island with you?

6) What is your most prized posession?

7) If you could, what 1 thing would you change in your life?

8) What is your favourite thing about yourself?

9) What 3 things do you look for in a fella?

10) What is your no.1 make up disaster?

11) What is your favourite high street brand and why?

Once again thanks to Ellie for nominating me! Sorry if any of my nominees have already been nominated by someone else, and I hope you enjoy taking part!

Xx

Nars Laguna

 Nars Laguna-£26

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last year or so you'll have heard of Nars' bronzer, Laguna. Its such a talked about product in the beauty blogging world! 

I'd always been intrigued by it but never quite managed to justify the price tag that comes with it. However whilst in Selfridges the other day I decided to bite the bullet and fork out to £26 price tag to see what all the fuss was about.

Safe to say I'm very glad I did! I absolutely love this bronzer! Its such a good colour for contouring as its not too brown or too orange. Its almost got a taupe-y undertone which I think is really complimentary.

Its very pigmented and there is a decent amount of product in the pan. I use this to contour with a duo fiber limited edition  Real Techniques brush, just to make sure I don't over do it and can build it up if need be.

Overall a lovely product that I can totally see the hype around!

Xx

Current Beauty Must Haves

Hello!

I thought I would do a post on my current beauty must haves as there are some bit and bobs that have really become staple items in my routine recently. The things I have chosen are mostly beauty 'tools'  rather all than actual products, but each one I've been using a lot recently so thought I would share with you:)

The first one is my tangle teaser. Oh my god this thing is amazing! I put off buying one for so long as I didn't really get the hype and wasn't sure how brilliant a plastic hair brush which looks pretty similar to the ones you used to get with barbies would be. But oh how wrong I was. This detangles my hair so easily, which is impressive as its so thick and knotty. I have deffinately noticed a decrease in breakage aswell which is fab! It leaves my hair so soft and lovely, I love it!

The next item is my cosmopolitan beauty blender. I bought this cheaper alternative to the original beauty blender in tescos and its fab! I never properly got into it when I first bought it a few months back but rediscovered it a few weeks ago and it does such a fab job of blending my concealer, and it gives a really smooth flawless finish!

Next up is my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I am a complete sucker for the Real Techniques range and own all of them apart from maybe 4? This brush is deffinately one of my favourites from the range as it applies my foundation so nicely. It gives me a really even coverage and blends it really nicely into my skin. I have also used this brush for cream Blushers before which it also works really well with.

This little baby I got in my stocking last year. It was invented by someone off of dragons den and it such a nifty little nail file! Due to the shape its so easy to achieve a lovely curved nail. I think I'd struggle going back to a regular nail file which doesn't auto automatically shape your nail. So thanks santa!

My final current beauty favourite the Some Like It Hot body exfoliator from Soap and Glory. This stuff is amazing! It leaves my skin feeling soooooo soft and it heats up as you rub it in. I love the smell of this and the whole concept of opening up the skins pores with the heat to really give your skin a good exfoliate!

I hope you enjoyed this post, as always thanks for reading :) xx