Wednesday Wishlist: 21st Birthday Edition #2

It's my birthday on Sunday so this will be the last birthday wishlist type post! Last weeks was quite popular, with a lot of you lusting after the same things as me. Do you like the look of any of these products too?

001. Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in 'Boy': Obviously I've got a thing for your lips but better shades at the moment and this classic lipstick fits the bill. I already have a lipstick of this type in Monte Carlo which I really love as the texture is so nourishing and moisturising.

002. Urban Decay Naked Basics/Naked 2 palette: I already own the original but I really want to complete my set of Naked palettes. I don't own either of the sequels so I would love to receive even just one as I love the original so much and get so much use out of it I think they would be a well loved addition to my make up stash.

003. Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask: Antipodes is a brand I've been wanting to delve into for a while but they are on the pricey side for me so I've never been able to justify buying anything from them just yet. This mask in particular sounds amazing and would be perfect for my skin type - a perfect first product to try from the brand.

004. Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch: Another raved about product that seems like it would suit my skin type perfectly. Either the original or the self-tanning one are high up on my wishlist!

005. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm: I'm not going to bother typing out the whole name as I'm sure everyone has heard of this cleansing balm! I'm more of a cream cleanser girl who is obsessed with Liz Earle's C+P but after reading/hearing so many rave reviews I'm starting to think I need this in my life.

006. Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in '405': I'm a firm believer of 'a girl can never have too many lip products' and they are the main thing I go crazy over. After seeing these on Anna's blog it was love at first sight!

Here's to hoping! xxx

All Used Up #4

Apologies for the awful quality of photos but the lighting wasn't my friend and I ended up having to use the flash on my camera. Anyway onto the empties...

001. Sure Deodrant: Pretty standard and unglamorous but Sure is my fave brand and actually works.

002. Aussie Dual Personality Hi-Hold and Hi-Shine Hairspray: This smells amazing and has pretty good hold, without being sticky. I wouldn't say it gave much shine though. I would maybe repurchase if it was on offer.

003. Bed Head Control Freak: I've been using this up for ages (shampoos seem to take me a while!) and although I loved the smell of pineapple I didn't see much in terms of frizz control. I probably need to use this with the conditioner and styling products to get the most out of it so I can't give too much of a fair judgement.

004. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour Insurance: This is one of my holy grail items and has been repurchased time and time again. Smells divine as do all Aussie products and leaves my hair soft, nourished and shiny.

005. Batiste Dry Shampoo: My dry shampoo of choice they are an actual life saver and will always repurchase. My favourite scent is wild but these are lovely too.

006. Pantene Repair and Protect Serum: I havn't actually used this up but have chosen to throw it away as it doesn't do anything and have been told by hairdressers that Pantene is awful for your hair by masking the problems by coating your hair, in turn making it lank and lifeless.

007. Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara: This was nice but I'm never really faithful to one mascara and am loving L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes at the moment.

008. MaxFactor Masterpiece Max Mascara: A lovely mascara, I really enjoyed using this. I've discovered their 2000 Calorie one though which does pretty much the same job for a bit less money.

009. Diesel Fuel for Life Perfume: I'm so sad this has finished! I've had it for years and really stretched it out when it was near the end. A lovely scent which is quite heavy, it was something completely different in my perfume collection. I would repurchase this but do have the body lotion to last me a while :)

010. Maybelinne Salon Manicure Top Coat: This was ok - it produced a nice shine but didn't help with the longevity of my polish. It also became gloopy quite quickly and the design of the bottle is rubbish as the brush couldn't reach half the product. I wouldn't repurchase.

011. Jessica Base Coat: This was lovely and part of a mini polish set I got a while back as a gift. I really love the quality of Jessica polishes and think more people should try them out.

There were some standard empties this time around like the dry shampoo and mascaras (I seem to go through tubes of the stuff) and also some well loved products I was sad to see the end of. What have you finished recently? xxx

Review: Stila Eyeshadow in 'Oasis'

Stila Compact Eyeshadow in 'Oasis' // £12 // 

For months now I have been lusting after Stila's 'Kitten' shade as both a regular eye shadow and smudge pot. However, while I was perusing Boots and came across the Stila stand my eyes were drawn to this particular shade instead called 'Oasis'. A complete impulse buy, but oh my gosh I had to have it!

For some reason I'm always attracted to shimmery golds, taupes and bronzes and even though I already have similar shades to this in my stash, this peachy gold is a welcome addition. As a Stila novice but Urban Decay eye shadow lover, I was suitably impressed with the buttery texture of the shadow, high pigmentation and lack of fall out which definitely matches the quality of the latter brand. The shimmer is quite subtle and translates as a lovely gilt sheen rather than large glitter particles. As an individual shadow its great for travel and has become a staple in my make up bag. The colour is very versatile suitable for a variety of looks - for day time you can have a wash of colour (no where near as opaque as the swatch pictured) or layer it up with a darker shade in the crease paired with a statement lip for night. You could also try it wet for a bolder shade or eyeliner.

Overall, I am so impressed with this eye shadow compact and would love some more shades into my collection. I have the 'In The Light' palette on my wishlist so hopefully I will be lucky for my birthday! 

What is your favourite eyeshadow from Stila? xxx

Review: Lush Cinders Bath Bomb

Cinders Bath Ballastic

I received this bath ballistic as a gift from my sister for Christmas. It is limited edition to the festive period, but I am really hoping they will bring it back next year as it is so lovely! I'm a massive fan of Lush, with their bubble bars and bath bombs being my favourite products to use.

This particular ballistic smells heavily of cinnamon and Christmas spices, which is no surprise as the featured ingredient is cinnamon leaf oil. I absolutely love the smell of cinnamon and thought it was the perfect scent for a dark, cold night. Other ingredients include almond essential oil and and sweet orange oil that bring citrus notes too. The actual bomb is quite big so the product fills up your whole bath and the smell lingers in your bathroom. It also features red popping candy which crackles while the bomb dissolves, which like it claims on the website evokes sitting by a warm crackling fire. The only downsides are that it isn't the most moisturising of their products although it did make the water softer, and the water doesn't do anything too jazzy, instead turning a pale shade of yellow.

However, I think this is a really lovely addition to any winter bath time routine and I really hope this bomb comes out again next year! 

What are your favourite bath products from Lush? xxx

Wednesday Wishlist: 21st Birthday Edition

Everyone seems to hate January as it brings the post-Christmas blues, freezing weather and broken resolutions but I love it because this month brings my birthday! And this year I will be the big 21 which is really scary but also exciting. Therefore, this week's wishlist features some of the beauty bits that I am wishing to receive for my birthday.

001. Clarisonic Mia 2: I love muslin cloths but they just don't seem to be cutting it. There have been so many rave reviews about facial brushes and I've been dying for one for ages! The new Clarisonic really floats my boat and could potentially help clear up some of my skincare woes that have occurred recently - and naturally I would like it in pink!

002. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation: Don't get me wrong I'm still in love with Estee Lauder Double Wear for times when I need flawless skin, however the one draw back is the ridiculous flash back it gives in photos :( After asking Anna's advice, I've put this one down on my list for those special occasions. 

003. MAC 217 Blending Brush: I only own two other MAC brushes - the rest of my collection made up of Real Techniques or odds and sods. Although I'm not really bothered about the rest, this particular brush seems to be a must have after hearing it blends like a dream, hopefully making my eyeshadow look a bit more professional!

004. REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask: As an avid mask user, I'm constantly on the look out for different types to combat the issues I have with my skin. I don't currently own one for radiance, which would be perfect for this type of year, and have also wanted to try the brand for so long!

005. MAC lipstick in 'patisserie': I don't know about you but I have a long list of MAC lipsticks that I would like to own in the future. Upon a trip to Covent Garden a few weeks ago I scratched 2 off the list after excessive swatching, with the second being a toss up between St Germain and Patisserie. Ever since I left with the former (amazing colour btw) I havn't been able to get this shade off my mind...

006. Bobbi Brown Corrector and Concealer Duo: At the moment I use Benefit's Erasepaste for under eye circles, which I've had a bit of an up and down relationship with. Personally I think I suffer from quite dark circles (Matt is convinced its because I don't drink enough water) and its difficult to cover them up with out creasing. I'm hoping this could be the holy grail I've been looking for.

Have you used any of these products before? What is on your wishlist this week? xxx

Review: Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask

Origins Drink Up Intensive Face Mask // £20 // 100ml

Since the weather has become colder and more harsh my skin has been all over the place. It's become a lot more dehydrated and problematic so I called in the big boys. One of these products is the intensive hydration mask from Origins. I'd previously tried the original formula which I really enjoyed but thought the intensive would be more effective for this time of year.

A couple of months ago, the thought of putting something deeply moisturising on my face when I already have oily/combo skin would have made me run for the hills, but I've learnt that by hydrating my skin its helping with oil production. As always, the packaging of this Origins face mask reflects the product inside - simple and practical. I normally use this mask during a triple threat facial as the final step (mine consists of a deep cleanse, a blemish treating mask and then a hydrating one) or sometimes before bed when my skin needs an extra drink.

This is definitely the best smelling mask in my opinion from Origins as it smells of apricot and peaches. Considering how hydrating this mask is it feels very light weight and a little goes a long way. As the name suggests this is an over night mask so I normally put this on half an hour before bed to make sure the excess has sunk in and by the time I wake up in the morning it has all been sucked up! With a combination of Hyaluronic Acid, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil and mango butters this cocktail of ingredients hydrates your skin deep down. I have definitely noticed a different in my skin since using this - it is more plump,super soft and my make up sits a lot better. The effects from this mask also last for more than a day and so I normally only have to use this around once a week.

This is a definite must in my winter skincare arsenal. Although it might be more pricey for a student budget, this will last me ages and the benefits for me are worth the price tag. It is available to buy on the Origins website or at John Lewis counters. 

Have you tried anything from Origins before? What is your favourite face mask? xxx

Reflective Friday #1

If you follow me on twitter then you will probably know that I have a bit of an obsession with pinterest. One of my many boards is full of quotes and mottos that inspire me and I can identify with, which help to keep me positive and keep things in perspective. So as its a new year I thought I would introduce a new feature on Little Miss Lifestyle and sometimes share some of these to help keep you positive too.

This particular motto is something I think everyone can live by. It is particularly relevant to me at the moment as one of my new years resolutions is to stay positive and not 'sweat the small stuff'. Starting each day being grateful not only helps me to stay positive but is great at keeping things in perspective and encourages me to notice the little things in life that would ordinarily pass me by. As another idea, Matt and I have started telling each other at the end of each day one thing that we are grateful for, something which is easy for you to do too.                                                               

What are you grateful for today? xxx

source

Marvelous Mascara Duo

Volume Million Lashes Brush

2000 Calorie Brush

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes // £10.99 // MaxFactor 2000 Calorie Mascara // £7.99

Hello! I'm always hunting for the 'next best thing' when it comes to mascaras, but one thing that never changes is my need for a 'thiny' and a 'fatty'. I know that sounds really weird but bear with me! I use a 'thiny' to separate and define my lashes and the 'fatty' mascara to give added volume. In my experience, even when a mascara claims to do everything it once it always falls short on one or more of its critera (I still need to pick up Benefit's Their Real though which might undermine this theory). I've tried high end (my favourite so far is Lancome) and drugstore and at the moment I'm sticking with the latter as I seem to go through mascara quite quickly and can't afford to keep replacing high end ones. I already have long lashes so the main things I look for in a mascara is definition, volume and the blackest black as my eyelashes are very fair.

Maxfactor mascaras are the best for definition for me. I've tried others such as Masterpiece Max but 2000 Calorie is my favourite at the moment. It does pretty much the same job as the other mascaras from this brand although it does offer more volume (but not enough for how much I want). It has a bristle wand which is easy to use although the formula can be a little dry. With one layer it gives lovely defined natural lashes, but I like a few more coats.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes in 'Extra Black' is another mascara I have repurchased over again. This time the brush is plastic and the formula is much wetter. This looks lovely by itself for a natural look but when layered up, offers just enough volume without looking like spider lashes. I personally like dramatic lashes even in the day so when these two are combined they give a really lovely effect.

What is your holy grail mascara? xxx

NOTD: American Apparel | Neon Yellow |

American Apparel Neon Yellow // £9 // 15ml //

For Christmas I received two Neon nail varnishes from American Apparel which I had been lusting after since summer - yellow and orange. At nearly ten pounds each they are not cheap but I had seen good things about them and you get quite a big bottle too. 

I was so excited to try it out but turned out to be really disappointed. I love the colour as it is true to the neon you see in the bottle and the matte finish, however the formula was so gloopy. This meant I couldn't layer thin applications to build up an effective colour and left me with thick, gloopy and extremely streaky nails. I ended up having to take it all off and start again once I tried to thin it out with some nail polish remover. After a second go, the formula was a bit thinner but I was left with the same result of streaky and patchy nails, which you can kind of see in the pictures but was more apparent in person so I had to take it off again. For such an expensive polish I was so annoyed at how rubbish it was, especially when the quality of Barry M and Models Own is so much better for a lot cheaper.

Yesterday we went into the Covent Garden store to exchange my disco pants and return this varnish - however, we found out that American Apparel don't do returns or exchanges at all in store which is absolutely ridiculous! So now we have to spend more money returning them through an online process.

Overall, I've been so disappointed with the product and the customer service from American Apparel. I haven't tried the orange yet but will write up of how it fares. Have you used these particular polishes from AA? xxx

Review: MAC MSF in 'Soft and Gentle'

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle' // £21.50 //

To start 2013 off on a high I'm going to do my first review on a product that I adore. I received this a few months ago from my Mum after she had been in America and had been on a trip to Sephora, just after I bought 'Lightscapade'. This highlighter had been on my wishlist for so long and I wasn't disappointed when I finally got my hands on it.

The colour in the pan is true to how it looks on the skin - a gorgeous peachy bronze sheen that looks lovely sweeped along the tops of cheek bones and under brow bones. I think it will come into its own in the summer when paired with a tan but it also works with other seasons to bring a glow to my not so bronzed winter skin, although paler skin tones will have to be careful when applying this. This looks lovely both in the day or evening, but unlike Lightscapade it is much easier to over do it as the metallic frost is much more pronounced so doesn't need to be built up as much, so use with a light hand. As with the other MSFs, Soft and Gentle is finely milled and easy to blend into your skin without any fall out. I know this will last me a really long time as I've been using it every day for the last month and it looks like it hasn't been touched.

A definite must have for your beauty drawer and a new firm favourite - MAC MSFs really do live up to the hype for me. Have you tried this highlighter before? What are your favourite highlighters and MAC products? xxx