November Favourites | 2014 |

Ideally this post would have been in video format due to the fact I have so many favourite products this month, but alas there has been no time in between unpacking the new house, preparing for Christmas and having a full time job. There has been a distinct lack of favourites posts on this blog for a while which is a shame as they are one of my favourite things to write about - who doesn't love harping on about their latest beauty obsession? Now I have a nice little list on my phone of what I've been loving, hopefully it will give you some ideas for Christmas presents for others (or yourself!)

001. Maybelline Brow Drama in 'Medium Brown': For someone who doesn't have much in the eyebrow department, I have really been enjoying this product since I bought it a few months ago. It's great for use on it's own on natural make up days or for using on top of pencil/powder when opting for a more polished look. The colour is a little dark and it can go a teeny bit crispy, so be sure to use sparingly. It is such a beauty bargain though and is now a staple in my every day beauty bag.

002. Real Techniques Beauty Blender: Since purchasing this I have used it every day without fail. My favourite use is for blending in my under eye concealer as it stops that area looking cakey or dry as well as minimising creasing. It looks really natural and means I haven't had to set my eye area either. It is a super cheap alternative to the Beauty Blender and is the best compared to the other ones I've tried.

003. Lush Mask of Magnaminty: The fresh face masks have always left me a little disappointed, but this mask in particular has always intrigued me with it's positive reviews. I must say, it is the best mask I have used from Lush and has actually made it into my all time favourite face masks! You get a large pot, which is freshly made but does not go off anywhere near as quick as the fresh masks and it really does work. I find this is great for both drawing out impurities as it dries quite hard but also for treating any active blemishes. In the morning after using this my spots have gone down considerably and my face feels refreshed, smooth and a lot clearer.

004. Rimmel Lip Products: This month I've discovered my love for Rimmel lipsticks. For some reason I never seem to reach for them that often even though they are such a good bargain with great formulas and amazing colour pay off. The deep pink called 'Lily Extase' is one I've had since the beginning of uni and I forgot how pretty the hue is as well as the lasting power. I've also been pairing 'Vintage Pink' which is a deep mauve and 'Black Tulip' lip liner which look so lovely together and make a long lasting but moistursing lip duo. The lip liners and Moisture Renew collection are some of my favourites from Rimmel and I will definitely be investing in some more colours.

005. Revlon Colour Stay Foundation in '110 Ivory' and Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in '1C1 Shell 15' : As I mentioned my skin has been suffering as of late so to cover those imperfections and scarring I've been opting for heavier coverage foundations. I love that both of these last a full working day - considering I put my face on at 7am and it is still pretty much in tact by 7pm in the evening I'd say it has amazing wear time. Mixed with a little bit of liquid highlighter and buffed in well, these give flawless coverage without being cakey and heavy. Out of the two Double Wear is my favourite because the satin finish really does look like skin but Colour Stay is an amazing high street dupe if you are looking for something more affordable.

006. St Ives Invigorating Body Scrub*: When thinking about this brand I've never really considered their body products but this scrub has fast turned into one of my favourites. The pot is generously filled and it has just the right amount of abrasiveness while being cushioned with a soft and creamy formula. It leaves your skin feeling super smooth and soft without feeling raw.

007. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: This serum is a staple in my nightly skin care routine which I use around 3-4 times a week. It is great at hydrating the skin, correcting pigmentation left from blemishes and  evening skin tone. I am careful not to use it every night as otherwise it can be a bit too heavy for me but used properly and the benefits are fantastic. I'm nearly at the end of this bottle now but it has lasted me ages and I will definitely be purchasing the new version when I have run out.

008. MaxFactor Masterpiece Transform Mascara in 'BLack': When it comes to mascara, MaxFactor just seem to own it! I didn't think my beloved 2000 calorie mascara could be rivaled but after trying the newest release from MaxFactor I must say it has turned into one of my favourites. After a few weeks of use I have found it tends to flake a little towards the end of the day and it doesn't give as much volume as 2000 calorie but it gives wonderfully long, black lashes that don't clump while giving a false lash effect.

009. Soap and Glory Lid Stuff Neutral Eyeshadow Quad: This little quad is such an underrated gem of the drugstore. For £10 you get amazingly pigmented and long lasting eye shadows, it is amazing for travel and you can get a variety of looks out of it. I've been using it for over a year now and have just never got round to doing a review. My favourite shade is 'Pink T', which is perfect for an every day eye and 'Aubersheen' looks amazing as an easy all over the lid smokey eye shade. The highlighter is also non chalky and perfect for day and night.

Miscellaneous

Tartan scarf from Miss Selfridge: perfect pattern and colour and really large and soft -  so cozy!

Fleur De Force vlogs: In particular I have been loving Fleur's vlogmas. She is so down to earth and I envy how much she can pack into one day!

Ru Paul's Drag Race: Ever since we got Netflix this has been such a guilty pleasure to watch when I'm getting ready in the morning. If you love ANTM then you will love this.

George Ezra: His album is so catchy and mellow, it has been on repeat on my Spotify this month.

Salted Caramel Tea: I'm not a fan of plain green tea but this novelty twist is delicious without being overpowering. If you are into herbal teas then you should give this a go!

What have you been loving recently? xxx

The Weekend Face #1

As you may or may not know, Matt and I met at Uni but he has since graduated and got a big boy job in London, meaning our relationship has gone from seeing each other every day to every weekend. We are quite lucky its not too far to travel, however I am an appalling packer and find it virtually impossible to pack light. I've been making a conscious effort therefore to try and squeeze down my make up bag for the weekend and plan ahead (although I am still terrible at this!) Among making my case a little lighter (the amount of skincare I take is not ok) trying to condense my make up bag has lead to me using well loved things I had forgotten about again and mixing up my make up routine. So I thought it might be interesting to show you what I take as a mini series on the weekends I go down to visit, but leaving out the standard staples as that would get boring!

Lets start with the base. I chose Healthy Mix as it gives light to medium coverage, which is buildable and also helps to perk up and hydrate my skin in this horrible weather (review soon) with the usual culprits of Benefit's Erasepaste for under eyes and Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for any redness or blemishes. My new powder of choice - Rimmel's Stay Matte - was put to the test to set my foundation and keep oil at bay, but I'm not seeing much difference between this and my previous 17 Miracle Matte powder. Finally a dusting of 'London' from my Fashionista palette (amazing for travel) along my cheekbones combined a blush and highlight in one.

For my eyes, I chose to go for a natural look and began by lining the waterline with Rimmel's Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in 'Nude' and swept 'Naked' from my Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid. This palette is amazing for travel as it has shades for every occasion so I take it with me everywhere as you can probably see from the battered packaging! I took 'Virgin' also from this palette as my brow highlight and used Bourjois Intuitive eyeliner to deepen my lash line - still not too sure on this one but a review will be coming soon. Lastly, lashings of my two favourite mascaras completed this look. 

For lips I took two lipsticks - Kate Moss for Rimmel 107, an amazing deep red which I have been obsessed with recently and wear for both the evening or day and Barry M lip paint in '101' - a milky nude shade. As my eyes were pared down I either went for a bright pop of red or combined both of these together in the style of Lisa Eldridge to brighten up 101 which can be a bit dead by itself.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Let me know what you think of these products 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

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

October Favourites

Once again the lighting is horrendous and I'm struggling to take any decent photos for upcoming posts! On the plus side the festive season is creeping up on us and I bloody love it! I love everything about Autumn and Winter and am so excited to get ready for Christmas. The only downside is the ridiculous amount of work and deadlines I have for Uni around this time of year :( Now lets get on with this month's favourites...

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl in 'Nude': A budget dupe for Mac's Chromographic pencil, this perks up my eyes when applied to the waterline. I've used it nearly every single day and it helps to make me look more awake on cold mornings.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes in 'Extra Black': This makes my lashes look so nice with just one coat and gives a really natural looking definition and volume. I like to use it by itself when I'm having a 'no makeup' makeup day.

Lip butter in 'Raspberry Pie' and Topshop's 'Brighton Rock': Both these colours have been on my lips pretty much all month as I love bright lips at the moment and think that 'Raspberry pie' especially is a lovely colour for Autumn. You can see reviews for both here and here.

Christmas candles: I have quite a few more than the one pictured to represent them all. I love the smell of Autumn/Christmas candles and they have really got me into the festive spirit :)

Aussie Dual Personality Curl and Shine mousse: This is a new purchase of mine and I love it. My hair has a natural wave and this mousse boosts and holds this wave for longer. Unlike other curling mousses it doesn't leave your hair crunchy but instead leaves it lovely and soft. Expect a full review of this soon.

St Moriz Fake Tan Mousse: A different type of mousse now, this time for my body! I don't tend to fake tan on a daily basis but this is great for nights out. I prefer this type of formulation as it is easy to blend and the product leaves a lovely natural tan - I've never looked streaky or orange when I've used this.

Glitter nail varnishes: This is just a few from my collection that I've been wearing recently and loving. I like to layer them on top of other base colours to inject some sparkle into the darker days. Plus I just love glitter!

What do you think of my favourites? What are your favourites this month? xxx

My 'Summer Face'

Today I thought I would try a different post as I have been doing a lot of reviews lately and thought it would be nice for you to read something a bit different. Even though the weather this Summer has been quite temperamental, I've shyed away from heavy and time consuming make up and updated my make up regime to easy, quick and lighter make up suitable for warmer weather. The above picture are the products I have been using on a daily basis as a standard summer face. I sometimes switch up my eyes or lipsticks depending on my outfit and mood but overall this is my staple make up at the moment. Sorry in advance about the quality of the picture, the natural lighting isn't great due to gloomy weather and some of my products are a bit battered from traveling and everyday use!

So to begin with, I mix my 17 BB cream in 'Light' mixed with a pump or two of Soap and Glory's Hocus Focus to brighten up my dull complexion and blend all over my face with my fingers to melt it into my skin. The BB cream has relatively good coverage but I cover up my under eye circles and any blemishes with Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I then dust 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder over my face lightly as I am on the oily side with a large powder brush and then blend Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer all over my face with a MAC blending brush. This powder is great as it gives my face a bit of warmth without dulling down my complexion with a light, silky texture. I dot some extra Hocus Focus on my brow bone and top of cheek bones for a highlighter, a product which I have really grown to love as it is multi purpose and gives a lovely natural glow. I then give a light dusting of Benefit's Thrrrob powder on my cheekbones with a stippling brush to give a flush of colour.

For my eyes I fill in my brows with Bobbi Brown Mahogany eyeshadow (not pictured) then using my finger blend a thin layer of Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' over my lid, which is a great natural colour for blue eyes that is easily buildable into a stronger colour if you so wish. To finish my eyes I put a few layers of my favourite mascara of the moment, Masterpiece Max by Maxfactor.

Finally, a few coats of a Revlon Lip Butter in shade Creme Brulee and I am good to go!

I have done a few reviews of the products mentioned which I have included links for. What do you think of my 'Summer Face'? Do you include any of these products in your every day routine? xxx

Wishlist Wednesday

Diorshow Blackout Mascara: Mascaras are one of my beauty staples and having a good quality one is important. At the moment I'm a big fan of Maxfactor for drugstore mascaras but I would like to splash out on a high end one to see if it really is worth spending more. Are there any better high end ones you would recommend?

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume: This is just a lovely scent and as I am running out of perfumes this would be a nice one to replace them.

MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick: Pink lipsticks are my favourite and I need a new light pink. I've heard great things about MAC lipsticks so would like to try this one out to see if it lives up to the hype.

Benefit High Beam: I had one of these a couple of years ago and would like to repurchase it sometime soon to compare it to my Soap and Glory Hocus Focus. Expect to see a comparison post when I purchase it!

Lipsy Thread Chain Charm Watch: I love Lipsy, charm bracelets and pink so having a product with all these together is totally me! I think this is really pretty and cute and great for every day wear.

What are your opinions on these products? xxx

Dalliance in Duty Free

When we were off on our holiday to Turkey, upon arrival at the airport we were told that our flight was delayed for around 2 hours. I of course therefore spent the majority of that time having a look round duty free. I only got a few bits and bobs which were Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, Erase Paste by Benefit, 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder and Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara. All the products I bought needed to be replenished as they had been used up and they were also all different brands to the ones I was using before, mainly due to hearing good reviews.

Benefit Erase Paste: This product was a bit of a risk as it normally retails for £19.50 and even though I got it for around £15, I still think it is a lot to pay for a concealer, especially as it is a tiny pot. I had previously been using Rimmel's Hide the Blemish in Sand, but it was pretty rubbish especially under my eyes where it would wear off really quickly so I bought Erase Paste as an alternative due to it's claim of being a 'brightening' concealer and because of the thicker, creamy formula. It came with a little spatula and instructions of how to use it which I thought was great and is always an added bonus with Benefit products, however I never really used the spatula after a few tries as I think it is more of a marketing way to use more product than you actually need. Another plus was the cute pink packaging, which I am a sucker for anyway as I think the presentation of Benefit products is great. There are 3 choices of colour and I went with no. 1 fair which was the right choice for me. Overall, I enjoy using this product as it gives good coverage and will last a long time, although I'm not sure of it's claim to 'brighten' and I would recommend using this with foundation when you are looking for more coverage rather than with a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. I will have to use it over a longer period of time to determine whether the quality deserves the price tag. 

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer: After hearing loads of good reviews for this from my favourite bloggers and youtubers I thought I would give it a go, especially when it is the bargain price of £4.19. I have the shade 1 Fair and am pleased to say that I really like it too :)! Yay! The shade matches my skin tone and although it is a liquid formula, which I was a bit wary about, it gives really good coverage on blemishes and under-eye circles without being too heavy, and enables you to layer it if needs be without being obvious. I have been using it with my BB cream as for the moment I haven't been using foundation at all, so it will be interesting to see how I think it fairs with my regular foundation (Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse). I would definitely repurchase this and recommend it to others.

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Black: I am a massive fan of Max Factor mascaras as I think they are really good quality for the price. The one I normally buy is Xperience as I recieved it for my birthday and loved it ever since, although it is meant to be volumising I think they are better for definition and length. I decided on the Masterpiece Max mainly just because it was a pound cheaper at £9.99 and I used to use it a while back. Since using it, I don't know why I ever stopped because I love it and is my new go to mascara. The Xperience is great for a more day time look, however I think the Masterpiece Max is great for day but can also be layered effectively for evening looks too without the aid of another mascara, therefore putting it above the Xperience for me. I would be interested if you have used any other Max Factor mascaras/products and what you think of them :)

17 Miracle Matt Pressed Powder in Ivory Porcelain: Previous to purchasing this I had been using MAC's Blot Powder in Medium and to be honest I was really underwhelmed :( It was my first MAC purchase in a while and I so wanted it to be better than the drugstore brands and worth the higher price, however I can't really tell the difference between the two powders (which is a good thing for 17!) This powder was £3.99 and for the quality and the packaging I thought it was a great price. It includes a compact mirror and a little sponge too which I thought were lovely added extras. One of the main features I like is that it is oil free, and as I have oily/combination skin this really appealed to me. The only downside is that it says up to 16 hours shine control but I don't think it comes near to this. I have been using it with a BB cream though which make me more oily anyway, so hopefully once I have tested it with foundation it will give me better results. Overall, I think for a drugstore powder it is great quality for the price and it does the job.

If any of you have some advice/recommendation on powders I would love to hear them! xxx