December Favourites

2016 may be so last year but before we get too focused on the excitement of the new year, it is time to go back and look at my favourites from the month of December. From a month of constant festivities, expect a lot of glitter…

Starting with the more sparkly additions in my stash lately that have been the front of my makeup routine in December, Mac pigments are always my favourite products to bring out for any sort of party season! I am always super excited about the limited edition Mac holiday pigment sets that are released each year and this year was no different. this time around I picked up the Bronze set. The set includes three pigments and one glitter in a range of gorgeous bronze-y shades. They create such an impact on the eyes and have such a gorgeous finish. My favourites are Stardream, and Handsome Prince. For Christmas, I also I added to my pigment collection with the addition of Kitschmas which is totally different to anything else I own. It is a gorgeous pearly shimmering pink! Only a recent addition but still one I am already loving!

Continuing with eye makeup, there has also been a new mascara love recently! To help achieve thick voluminous lashes perfect for the party season, Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes has proved to be a winner. This mascara is responsible for creating a full on look of thickened and lengthened lashes! The only issue with this mascara is that as the formula is pretty wet it does smudge easy which is a pain but the impact it creates makes it worth it!

To create the ultimate party look, I can’t be without a good highlight. Becca is my go-to highlighter brand and I knew before trying the Moonstone Shimmering Skin Perfector that I would love it and of course I did! I love liquid highlighters as they create such a gorgeous natural but glowy look. This shade works perfectly too with my pale skin!

On to lip products, I was super excited to see that Jeffree Star is now stocked on Beauty Bay making it really accessible in the UK! I picked up two of the liquid lipsticks in the shades Doll Parts and Gemini. The two shades are so gorgeous and super wearable, Doll Parts in particular is a shade I’ve wanted for so long. The formula is also easy and comfortable to wear! The shade range for the collection is impressive so these definitely won’t be my last liquid lipsticks from the brand!

Lastly, I mentioned this in my Beauty discoveries from 2016 post here, which already says a lot about this product! It is of course the By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Gloss. I wanted to try this for the longest time and I am now so happy I have. It is such a lovely moisturising balm with a pretty light pink sheen. The perfect no-makeup makeup!

What beauty products have you been loving lately?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

 

 

2017 Goals and 2016 Reflection

Happy New Year and Hello 2017! What better way to start 2017 than the clichéd New Years Resolutions! Whilst some people will roll their eyes, I personally love setting goals for myself. It can be so motivating having something in mind to achieve and of course it’s incredibly rewarding to have a successful end result! So I thought I would share some of my personal goals for the year ahead as well as looking back at my goals from 2016 to see how I got on!

2016 Reflection 

It seems like quite the trend to simply hate on 2016. Whilst a lot of tragedy took place over the year across the world, personally 2016 was a decent and mostly successful year for myself.  I made four goals for myself in 2016 which you can recap on here. The first one related to improving my blog. Now if you look at last years post and compare the photo from last year to now, I think you can tell that there has been some large improvements! My photography has improved massively, as well as changing up what I blog about which has definitely improved the quality of my posts. Connecting with others on social media has been rather slow however and this is still something to work on! I am going to do a separate post on blogging goals for 2017 so keep your eye out!

I also spoke about adopting a healthier lifestyle. I have been really happy with my success on this goal. Snacking has always been a big issue of mine and I’ve really curbed my sugar appetite! I’ve learnt a lot about healthy eating and even trying out new recipes and cookbooks this year. On the fitness side of things, I still continue doing yoga and I also took up a bit of running over the Summer. I could definitely have improved my fitness from the year but I am still happy with my progress and I am also over a stone lighter than I was in Summer 2016!

Also, one of my goals was to invest properly in my wardrobe and have a good clear out essentially starting fresh! I really wish I took a picture of my wardrobe then and now as it has changed so much! This time last year it was full of unworn and unwanted clothes and now I have so much space as well as a wardrobe filled with some really great pieces. Whilst there is still a bit more cutting down that can be done, I am really happy about how it is looking now. Speaking of wardrobe revamping, Farfetch have created a swishy Capsule Wardrobe Generator which can help give you a little inspiration for giving your wardrobe a revamp for 2017. There is already so many beautiful pieces I am dreaming about…, check it out here!

Finally, my last goal for 2016 was to save regularly. When I look at my spending from the last month, I am starting to wince now at the thought of this goal! Nevertheless, I started the year off pretty well taking a note of everything I wanted to buy from the month and how much it would cost. I also saved a good bit too and put money towards things I had always wanted. I could’ve been stricter but I am still feeling positive about this goal!

2017 Goals 

Now onto what I want to achieve this year…

1. Invest in body-care – A couple of years ago I really wanted to get into a regular skincare routine and since then I can’t go a day without. Now I really want to spend more time and efforts into maintaining good body-care. It is easy to focus on cleansing your face etc. but when it comes to body care and looking after the rest of us, it can easily be neglected. I want to keep up with regular moisturising ensuring my limbs are as cared for as my face!
2. Continue a healthier lifestyle – I already spoke about my progress from 2016 and I want to continue finding new recipes, eating better and also even trying to do a little exercise now and again!
3. Spend more wisely – I love buying clothes and makeup as I am sure you all know! Although I want to be more stricter about dropping money on more things every now and again. I already have so much makeup that I would love to use up rather than continuously buying more! I have a few ‘treat-yo-self’ or spendy purchases I would like to get this year so I am hoping I can cut out on regularly unnecessary spending and save regularly!
4. Have fun – I’m still young and whilst I have many things going on, I still have time to do whatever. Instead of wasting that time away, I want to properly cherish it and use it properly. See my friends, go out and do something new or even just watch a movie that I’ve been desperate to see for a long time! Why sit sulking when you can do something enjoyable!

 

What are your 2017 goals?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

 

The Best Beauty Discoveries of 2016: Part 2

Being a lipstick hoarder, naturally I had to have a separate 2016 favourites post dedicated just to lip products. This is part two of my yearly favourites, so if you missed my first part then you can catch up here on all my other beauty favourites. Back to the the topic of lipstick however, my favourite, there is a few different products I want to discuss from liquid lipsticks, lipsticks and lip balms which have made my year. Honestly, I could’ve maybe added more options to this post but I thought I would keep it streamlined to mention my top ultimate lip products from the year so here we go..

Starting with liquid lipsticks, 2016 has officially been the year of liquid lipstick. It seems like every brand has their own version of a liquid lipstick with so many to choose from now. There were quite a few I tried this year and particularly ones I hadn’t previously tried out. Kat Von D finally came to the UK this year (finally!) and of course I had to nab a couple of her ever popular everlasting liquid lipsticks. I have a few shades from the range including both Lovesick and Mother (pictured) and they are so gorgeous. Lovesick in particular is such a great everyday shade but also super unique too as well as having a great wearable formula.

Another liquid lipstick that won me over is from the Mac Retro Matte range, in particular Lady Be Good. I heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding these matte liquid lipsticks however I am obsessed with this one. The formula is super comfortable as well as having an amazing doe foot applicator which is spongy and shaped perfectly to fit the lips. The colour is a beautiful peachy nude shade, perfect for everyday wear. With new shades of these being released, I definitely need to try more!

In terms of lipsticks, I fell in love with two new formulas. Firstly, lipstick queen Charlotte Tilbury when I finally tried her KISSING range out, in particular the shade Bitch Perfect. This is my perfect nude, a beautiful light peachy pink and the most comfortable creamy formula. Major Love! A new release this year came from Urban Decay when they revamped their lipstick range, introducing the vice collection of 100 lipsticks. With so many to choose from, I settled for the shade Backtalk which I am so glad I did. It is definitely one of my favourite lipstick shades, a beautiful cool toned rosy mauve shade in a comfortable matte formula. Definitely one I recommend!

Lastly, moving on to lip balm/glosses. I found a lip balm this year that I truly do not know what I would do without in my beauty stash! It is the Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base from Clarins. This works as a treat as my go-to lipstick base as it helps hydrate my lips before layering on the heavy liquid lipsticks. I honestly don’t find matte lipsticks uncomfortable at all, yes even the Mac Retro Matte range as this seems to work so well as if I am wearing nothing on my lips. A truly ground-breaking product in my stash!

Lastly, a newer product in my stash but still one I am already obsessed with. A lip gloss/balm hybrid. the By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Gloss. A special holiday release, this is essentially a pearly lip glossy version of their cult balm, except with a texture much like a balm in that it isn’t overly sticky like a gloss which I love. I always wanted to try the original so I am super excited to be able to try this and since I’ve been loving it, I desperately want the original in my stash! It is such a great minimal makeup option, a beautiful glossy nude pink shade.

What are your top lip products from 2016?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

The Best Beauty Discoveries of 2016: Part 1

The final fortnight of 2016 is upon us! So what better way to end the year than to discuss all of my favourite new beauty discoveries from the year. As of course there is many products to discuss, I have split this post into two so a lip product favourites will also follow this blog post on Friday!

Firstly, starting with face products I’ve been loving this year. The Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost has been my go-to for under eye concealing for its brightening properties. The twist pen style pen highlighter is super easy and convenient. In terms of bronzing and highlighting, I’ve found two products that I know will be long term favourites of mine! The first is the Too Faced Sweethearts bronzer which is only a fairly new addition to my stash but I am already obsessed with its glowy effect and pigmentation. Of course I also had to mention a Becca highlighter as they truly are incredible products. I love all the shades I’ve tried but in particular I am obsessed with Champagne Pop, the ultimate pigmented gold-y peachy glow.

In terms of tools, I had to mention the beauty blender. By far one of the best discoveries for me this year! I have became such a convert to the beauty blender and it is now my go-to for applying my base products. It creates the most flawless fresh base and makes even some of my poorer foundations sit better.

Moving on to eyes, for the brows there have been two products that I’ve been loving. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade has been a long year favourite of mine, it is super easy to use whilst creating defined and long lasting brows. More recently, I’ve been enjoying the newer release of the Goof Proof Brow Pencil from Benefit. The twist up pencil is super easy to use and creates a minimal soft brow.

Other eye product shout-outs go to the Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara which has became a big favourite of mine this year. It has been my go-to mascara for creating voluminous and lengthened lashes. I’ve also got back into rocking eyeliner recently since I discovered the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner which is worth all the praise and hype it gets! It is incredibly pigmented and the fine nib makes it super easy to use. Lastly, the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette (which is back in stock!!) also deserves a lot of love. The Too Faced shadows are amazing quality but this palette also offers a dreamy and unique shade range!

What are your top products from 2016?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

Life Lately #9

It feels so nice to be typing up a blog post right now as September has been a hectic month and it has really affected my blogging this month! I’ve been super busy with work and of course university starting back so the time for my blog has been limited but on top of that I’ve also felt so uninspired right now! I am definitely feeling like I am in a bit of a creative funk at the minute with ideas and when I have such limited time to plan and prepare posts it makes it worse as the last thing I want to do is publish poor quality rushed content! So, to help ease my way back into blogging and get motivated again, I’ve decided to change up my blogging schedule. I usually post three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday but in order to fit around my other commitments I’ve decided to cut my schedule to twice a week! Starting next week, my blog will have fresh content on a Tuesday and Friday at 10am GMT. It’s annoying to have to reduce the number of posts but hopefully it will make my life a lot easier!

Anyway, blogging rambling over. As I mentioned I started back at university this month. How exciting! Summer definitely felt like it went past in a flash and I feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I need to get back into living the student life. Fun. On a plus note, it is now three months til Christmas, if that is not exciting then I really don’t know what is! Whilst I am not particularly thrilled about the amount of workload that is about to hit me soon, I am excited to get productive and soon before I know it will be time for hot chocolate, winter coats and snow. Ahh, heaven!

Before things get all winter-y though, Autumn has arrived first! In the spirit, I did a bit of clothes hauling to fill up some of the gaps in my wardrobe. I picked up the majority of things from my Autumn Style wishlist and I just need a couple more things before I am pretty happy! Hopefully next month I can also pick up my dream Acne Boots that I’ve been saving up for! Considering I’ve cleared out a lot from my wardrobe recently, I do think I deserve a little treat, right!?

In terms of beauty, I was also super hyped by the arrival of Kat Von D makeup in the UK. Finally! There will be a little reveal soon on the blog so keep your eyes pealed! I did also hear of a little rumour about Sephora coming to the UK but I don’t want to get my hopes up too much but that really would be the icing on the cake!

Catch up with September posts: Beauty Wishlist, Sephora Haul, Caring for Hands and Feet, Becca Ombre Rouge Palette Review and Building a Minimal Wardrobe.

How did you spend your month?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

The Body Shop Pinita Colada Range

“If you like Piña Coladas, getting caught in the rain…” Sorry couldn’t quite help myself! Summer is finally here (ish), well part of me feels like it’s been and gone but technically not really. Anyway to help get into the Summer mood, The Body Shop have released a new range of Pina Colada inspired products. I am a huge fan of the Body Shop and I can’t deny how excited I got from hearing about this new Pinita Colada range. I have to say this is probably one if not my favourite collection they have came out with. Once I spotted a great deal in store, I couldn’t help but try out a few things from the range!

I picked out three out of the four products from the range, leaving out the Body Sorbet since I already had one from last Summer. Starting with the one product I was desperate to have my hands on, the Body Butter. A Body Shop classic product, who doesn’t love a good body butter? It’s quite a thick textured moisturiser but I really wanted something super moisturising and this just does the job. I can’t count how many times I have just opened this to get a little whiff of the dreamy coconut and pineapple scent. Take me back to the beach bar already, Pina Colada in hand, thanks!

With tanning season in, it felt ever so appropriate to get my hands on the Body Scrub too. It has a beautifully creamy but gritty texture with real shredded coconut extract to help leave your skin feeling super smooth and exfoliated. Of course it also has the beautiful pineapple/coconut scent. Dreamy!

Lastly, I picked up the Shower Gel. I love the Body Shop Shower Gels, they are always so creamy and hydrating as well as coming in great sizes. I rather felt the need to pick this up as I had still been using Lush Snow Fairy! My timings just aren’t great eh. So this beautiful summery concoction has been a real winner in replacing my beloved Christmas scent. Yup I clearly can’t let go of Christmas. It lathers up so nicely and is basically a dream to use!

Have you tried this range?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

April Playlist

I never quite managed to do a monthly play-list last month so lets see this one as a March/April music mixtape. With technical difficulties over the last few weeks, I wasn’t listening to much music to be honest but since being reunited with my Spotify account I do not know how I survived without! Although the last couple of months has saw me basically repeating the same music again and again, anyone else go through stages of that? I was lucky enough to go and see 5 Seconds of Summer live this month so I have loved replaying their album. I am also still obsessed with The 1975’s new album, Change of Heart is definitely my favourite track off the album and if I could listen to it over and over again, I would! Definitely an album worth playing! Alongside those two, I am also loving Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay which is such a catchy song and Coldplay never fail to impress!

What have you been listening to lately?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

January Favourites

The first month of the 2016 is finally over! January always seems to be a slow one and a month most of us want to see the back of! Nevertheless this month brought some new beauty bits my way and some rediscoveries that made January go a little smoother! Before I get started on sharing my most loved pieces from the month, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who shared the love on my 6 blogging anniversary post, it really meant a lot 🙂

Starting off with two palette favourites! First one up is an exciting new addition to my eyeshadow collection, the Tartelette in Bloom palette. I have the original palette which I am still needing more wear out of but as soon as I seen this I knew I needed it in my life! The outer packaging firstly is just so beautiful and the gold with pink/purple floral design is just so pretty! The inside contents obviously matters most and it doesn’t disappoint! The warm shade range is perfect and there is some real stand outs amongst the bunch especially the bronze shimmer shade which is so pigmented! All of the shadows are super buttery and most have great pigmentation! Look out for a more detailed look at this palette later 🙂 The other one is no surprise seeing as it was mentioned in my Charlotte Tilbury post. The gorgeous Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette is so beautiful for faking the most perfect cheekbones! The powders are super fine and blend like a dream! The shades are also such a perfect match for my skin! Love, love love!

I also mentioned picking up a few new bits from Illamasqua this month so it wasn’t surprising to see one of those included in my favourites. I have been constantly reaching for the Katie/Ambition Blush Duo this month to help add a little colour to my cheeks. The two shades are highly pigmented and so require a light hand but add a gorgeous flush of colour and sit nicely on the skin!

I may be the biggest idiot ever having photographed two lipsticks in this post which look pretty damn similar and I have no idea what they are! I basically jumped on the nude lips thing (not that I didn’t dig it before cause I did!) and got a little spendy at Mac. One of which I know for sure is Mac Faux which is a satin finish. The satin formula is my favourite and is super creamy but has a near matte look. The shade is a perfect mauve colour and great for everyday wear. Now the other shade in question, I really am not sure! It is either Mac Mehr or Mac Velvet Teddy! I am edging on the Velvet Teddy side of things since it is new in for me this month. Again this is a cult shade and in a matte formula but still remains comfortable to wear without feeling drying. The shade is more brown toned than pink which is a little different for me but I do really like this one!

Lastly, I have two skincare picks! I can’t be the only one suffering from the winter weather causing havoc with my skin. It’s cold outside but too warm inside that I need to constantly give my skin some hydration! The first pick has been something I’ve reached for a lot over the month to really refresh my skin. It is The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist, essentially what it says on the tube. It has a rose scent which I am not particular a big fan of but I can overlook it for the hydration it provides. Another hydrating product which has came in handy is the Aesop Hand cream which has been the perfect pick me up to treat my hands at night. The citrus scent is lovely and really makes my hands feel refreshed and super soft!

What have you been loving this month?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

 

Life Lately #1

It’s hard to believe that the first month of the year has nearly came to an end! January always tends to be the most difficult month of the year coping with the aftermath of Christmas. This month was definitely a lot more busy than last month with the chill time round Christmas and being back at uni means I am having to get back into a more hectic schedule again. Before I forget, If you are reading the title of this post with slight confusion then just to address I have decided to change things up slightly with my Monthly round up post. Nothing major, just a new name which I am going with ‘Life Lately’ which just seems a little more interesting! I don’t mean to seem cliched but it is nice to start things a fresh come a new year and I am looking forward to another year of blogging and hopefully this year I can really find my footing with my blog. Also, there will not be a monthly playlist this month since I did my 2015 playlist!

Anyway as I said earlier I am back at uni again! I had exams at the start of the month which did take up a good bit of my time and wasn’t the nicest feeling especially right after Christmas but oh well that’s life! Now that I have started back properly again, it will be a bit of a struggle with blogging like last year as I can expect. I don’t have a lot of free time in between uni and working so fitting in time to dedicate to my blog is difficult although I will be trying my best to stick to my usual schedule! I can only apologize though if I do miss a post or two and happen to be less engaging on other blogs! Hopefully though I will try to get into a routine of some sort and be a little more organised!

Speaking of being organised and all that jazz, you may have seen I mentioned about being on a stricter budget this year in my 2016 goals. This month I have began taking a note of what I am letting myself purchase and also setting myself a monthly budget. To be honest I didn’t do too badly although there was a few more spendy purchases than I would have liked but I mean there was a few good sale purchases and I did pick up a few things I would have bought in the next month anyway! I did tick off a certain nail polish from my 2016 wishlist and I also finally got my hands on the Oskia cleansing gel I had my eye on for ages! It just happened to be my luck that a lot of my skincare products ran out at the wrong time!

I also developed a strong(er) passion for candles over the month. I don’t know whether it’s been the poor weather or just the need to get through my collection of candles everywhere but I have had a few on the go this month! I now have my eye on the beauty that is the limited edition Diptyque Rosaviola candle which just has the most beautiful packaging! I am not the biggest fan of rose scented things but it does have a violet scent too so I will need to go give this one a little sniff first! February purchase, who knows?

Catch up on January posts: 2015 Beauty Favourites Part 1 & Part 2, Trying out Anastasia Beverly Hills, New in from Charlotte Tilbury, My Makeup Geek eyeshadow collection and a little Illamasqua haul.

What did you get up to this month?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram