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?

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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?

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My Current Makeup Menu

It’s been a while since I last shared my current makeup routine so it makes sense to post a little update. Having got back into wearing makeup again on a daily basis, I have been sticking pretty much to a solid consistent routine using the same products again and again and rarely changing it up. For someone who adores Autumn and particularly the makeup trends at this time of year, surprisingly I haven’t turned to dark lips and eyes, instead I’ve been loving a more Summer appropriate look with dewy skin, a peachy eye look and nude lips.

My base is the one area I’ve been sticking to a constant routine and hardly changing up. I start by priming with the Jouer Anti-Blemish Matte Primer which feels nice and calming on the skin but I can’t say it’s helped improve my skin long term. I then go in with my trusty Nars Sheer Glow foundation and top it off with the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer on any blemishes, again another favourite of mine! I then conceal under the eyes with the Mac Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost with the yellow toned liquid working to highlight under my eyes and discard any darkness.

Before setting my base with the Chanel Les Beiges Powder, I use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter in Opal across my cheekbones and blend it out with my Beauty Blender. Before finishing off my face with a bit of bronzer to warm up my skin a little. Of course I am still obsessed with my favourite Honey Bronzer from The Body Shop.

Moving onto eyes, I start with my eyebrows and keep it fairly simple by running the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil through them to add a little more definition. I then move onto eyeshadow using the beautiful Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette which is full of gorgeous peachy and brown warm tones. I like to create a simple shimmery golden-y peachy look using mainly Nectar, Luscious, Cobbler and Caramelized which creates a gorgeous ‘golden goddess’ look that gives off extreme VS Angel vibes! Damn yeah! To finish off my eyes I coat on my favourite Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara which leaves my lashes looking thick and full.

To finish off my look, I like to dabble in a few different lip shades since lipstick is my thing, if you haven’t noticed all ready! Currently though, I am loving one of the new Urban Decay Vice lipsticks in the shade Backtalk. A gorgeous cool toned pink with a comfortable matte finish. LOVE!

 What makeup have you been reaching for lately?

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September Favourites

It’s hard to believe that the countdown to Christmas is now on. Three months people, three months. Summer is over and Autumn is beginning (finally!). Festive season excitement behind, September is now over and it’s time to round up my beauty favourites from the month. This month, I didn’t try many new things or change up my makeup that frequently but there is still a few items that I am desperate to have a little rave about!

A product that I’ve had in my stash for so long and for so long has received the silent treatment is the beauty that is the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette. I was so excited when this palette was released that I refreshed the Debenhams website basically every minute for hours waiting for it to be in stock. Obviously as you can see I was in luck but I did buy it at an inconvenient time as Summer came and I hardly wore makeup so this palette didn’t get much use! However I have pulled this out again to start getting use out of it especially since I need to review this beauty asap which I will do! The palette has some gorgeous golden-y peachy tones that make for a great everyday look and the shadow quality is impressive!

The next product I’ve been loving is an old favourite that many of you will be sick of hearing me rave about! I finally repurchased the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer (full review here) which I just adore. I had been dabbling in a few different concealers recently and none of them offered the coverage and longevity that the Nars one delivers. I basically couldn’t wait any longer and had to get this wonder product back in my life. You either love it or you hate it but for me as a concealer for blemishes, it works incredibly well. Full coverage that lasts all day without being cakey! Perfect!

A couple of new products in my stash. Firstly, the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick which is finally now stocked in the UK *happy dance*. I had been desperate to try these lipsticks for ages and I am so glad to have tried them now as they are so worth the hype! I love a good liquid lipstick and this is definitely one of my favourites. The shade Lovesick is a great cool toned pink shade that makes a great everyday shade. The formula is also comfortable and basically so far so good!

Lastly, a makeup brush that just blew me away from the first use, the Sephora #55 brush which I mentioned in this haul. I had heard so many great things about this brush so couldn’t wait to finally get my hands on it. I am also glad to say it lives well and truly up to all the hype. It is the perfect size for foundation and is beautifully soft. It is also not overly fluffy but also not too dense either which makes it just perfect! The handle on the brush is also a lot longer than most other makeup brushes I own which I really like. Most importantly though, it blends in foundation beautifully and with a natural finish!

 

What have you been loving recently?

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November Favourites

Since I started doing monthly favourites I don’t think I have ever had as many favourites in the one month. I picked up quite a few new bits and bobs for my beauty drawers over the past couple of months so I’ve been basically been wearing a whole new face this month and I am loving everything I’ve picked up. There is a couple of totally expected favourites that I spoke about in the last couple of weeks and a few others that I have been waiting to share with you all, so without further ado here is my November favourites…

Going to get the most obvious one of out the way first, the most gorgeous palette I’ve ever seen, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit (check my full review here). Since I got this I have been using it every day and I just adore it. All of the powders are such great quality and beautifully finely milled so don’t look to heavy or overdone. My two favourites from the palette that I have been using the most is Diffused Light, one of the Ambient Lighting Powders which is a gorgeous pale yellow toned powder that I use to set my makeup all over and Mood Exposure, a gorgeous mauve plum blush. Speaking of Mood Exposure, another one of my favourites is a complete dupe for the mauve shade, Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lavish Mauve is total steal at a fraction of the price. I had been eying this one up for a while and I am so glad I got it as it is so gorgeous and such a bargain!

Another bargain blush I fell head over heels for is the Illamasqua Cream Blush in Zygomatic. After a little trip to my local TK Maxx I found this on one of the shelves at a bargain £4.99! The blush is actually still sold and isn’t discontinued so I definitely got a great deal there! I am not really one for cream blushes but I really like this. It applies beautifully with a stippling blush and has a gorgeous soft natural rosy pink hue that adds a little flush of colour to the cheeks.

After my rave review of the L’Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation how would I not mention it! This is without a doubt the best drugstore foundation I’ve ever used. This is pretty much the only base I’ve been reaching for during the month, it applies beautifully without a cakey or drying feeling despite being a matte finish. It has great coverage and is pretty lightweight too, I couldn’t ask for anything more!

I have heard so many people rave about the Lush Comforter and when I heard about their new shower cream I had to get my hands on it asap. It has the most dreamiest scent of blackberries which feels so warm and cosy. It has lasted me quite a while too despite being the small version of the bottle and whilst I absolutely adore Lush Snow Fairy I am slightly favoring this at the minute!

Lastly, I had a handful of lip product faves this month that I have to mention. Two of which surprisingly were lip glosses! Yep you heard me right, I am typically not a fan of gloss formulas but I may have been swayed by two products this month. The first being from H&M which I spoke about here, Tuscan Blush is a lovely mauve my lips but better shade and the other being from Fleur de Force’s makeup line and is her lip gloss in the shade Starry Starry Night which is a gorgeous deep pink berry shade perfect for this time of year. Both formulas are pretty similar, they are both quite thick in consistency but don’t feel overly sticky with a high pigment finish. They are great alternatives to my usual lipstick choices and I have even ordered another shade from the Fleur de Force line which I cannot wait to give a try!

I was also totally hyped to see the arrival of NYX to the UK this month. I pretty much couldn’t deal with all the praise from the US gals about how good the matte lip creams were so I was pretty darn happy to see they are much more available in the UK now! I picked up two lip creams but the one I’ve been wearing all month long is Stockholm, a gorgeous pink nude shade that is so perfect for everyday wear. Finally, my last lip fave comes from Bobbi Brown in the form of their Art Stick in the shade Bright Raspberry. I had been eyeing this up for so long and with some House of Fraser rewards points to use I had to make the purchase. It’s kinda like the lipstick version of the Fleur de Force lipgloss, a gorgeous fuchsia plum-y shade which adds a twist on the usual deep pink with a bit of purple tones in the mix. A gorgeous shade with a fab formula, I need more!

What did you love during the month of November?

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October Favourites

It’s favourites time once again! I have been doing quite a lot of beauty spending in the last couple of months so I have been spending my time trying out a bunch of new products. This month I definitely was swayed by a lot of the newbies in my collection and have found some that I know I will love for a long time to come. As October settled in, I definitely got back into the whole Autumnal makeup look. I have been loving wearing darker lips and bold eye makeup, it’s without a doubt my favourite time of year. So without anymore rambling, here is my beauty favourites for the month of October, enjoy…

Blush is one of my favourite makeup products. I just love collecting different tones of blusher. In fact I’ve bought quite a few additions in the last month but my new addition from Nars has been proving to be a strong favourite. Nars Dolce Vita is the perfect blush for the Autumnal months. A gorgeous rosy pink shade that adds a bit of warmth and life to my pale skin. The formula of these are fab too, a little goes a long way and they last for ages.

As the month has went on I have actually been abandoning highlighter which is a little strange for me although my skin has been quite glowy recently and I am struggling for time in the morning for extra steps in my routine. Although when highlighter has been on the need list I have been reaching for the Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter*, a gorgeous liquid pearl toned highlighter that adds a beautiful glow to the cheekbones. This actually reminds me of the Nars Illuminator in Copacobana but for a fraction of the price. Definitely a drugstore pick to check out!

Alongside the autumnal inspired makeup I also love dark nails. Those gorgeous berries and deep purples are my kinda shades and I would happily take them over a bright coral any day of the week. I have been loving Essie Bahama Mama, a gorgeous plum colour perfect for this time of year. Of course the formula of Essie is unbeatable and definitely worth the extra few pennies.

This month, I also finally picked up something from Bobbi Brown. Whilst I own one of their brushes I never properly tried anything from their makeup range but I finally changed that this month when I picked up the Bobbi Brown Corrector. I have been suffering from a bit of discolouration under the eyes and thought that this cult product would do the job. After popping to a counter I picked up the shade Extra Light Bisque which works wonders at hiding the blue tones from under my eyes. The formula is super creamy and blends beautifully, a product I know I will rely on for a long time to come!

Finally, what’s Autumn without a berry toned lip. My seasonal pick this year comes from Mac in the form of their Plumful lipstick. A gorgeous plum berry shade in Mac’s lustre finish which offers a sheer but buildable colour. This colour is quite different for me, it fits more into the pink/purple category rather than red so is pretty unique in my collection and it just looks super gorgeous. Love, love, love!

*pr sample

What have you been loving during October?

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September Favourites

Another month gone by, another time to round up my monthly beauty favourites. I feel like September is the last month to really say goodbye to the tinted moisturisers and coral shades in order to prepare for the darks shades and matte complexions ready for Autumn. Looking at my favourites this month I really have went for more Summery and natural picks perfect for an everyday minimal makeup look. I have found some great products this month that worked a treat during the Summer months and hopefully will work well into Autumn and I won’t have to push them to the back of my drawers.

Starting with base, there was two base products that worked perfectly in giving me a flawless complexion over the month. Firstly, I pulled out my Topshop BB cream again to start getting a little more use out of it. I reviewed this a while back now here and at that time I was a little in the middle with this one. I liked the coverage but the shade and application didn’t always go down well with me. Since I started using this again I have just been loving it. It seems so different from when I started using it. The shade seems to be a little better suited especially when I’ve piled on the bronzer and with my skin improving lately it blends in really well and sits perfectly on my skin. It’s also so great for during the day whilst I’m working as it is super lightweight but also has a beautiful glow to it and lasts really well too! Hopefully if the shade still works well with me, this will be one I will keep using into the new season!

The next base related product is from Clarins and a product I mentioned in my recent Clarins Haul post here. It is of course the Clarins Instant Concealer. This is just the perfect under-eye concealer I’ve ever used. It is so incredibly lightweight but still offers a good whack of coverage. As it is a really thin consistency a little goes a long way and it blends in like a dream. A concealer that I think will get a lot of loving from me for a long time to come.

To add a little colour to the cheeks, I’ve been loving the Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop. I mentioned this here alongside it’s matching lipstick. This is such a gorgeous blush and so summer appropriate. The coral-y peachy pink shade is super natural and soft looking on the cheeks and the formula is super fine so doesn’t feel overly powdery or too much. As Autumn swings around I may have to turn back to my dusky rose shaded blushes but I definitely need to pick another one up from the range as they are so lovely!

Finally, there is probably no surprise here when I mention this well loved lip combo. I talked about these two in my Nude Lip post here and it’s been the one lip look I’ve worn for the majority of the month. Charlotte Tilbury Miss Kensington lipstick and Pillow Talk lip liner really are the perfect nude lip and as I’ve been in need for something work appropriate during the month this combo has worked perfectly for the natural makeup look. For those light makeup days, this is two that I can always rely on.

What has been your favourite products this month?

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June Favourites

Just typing the word ‘June’ is enough to give me the chills. Its quite hard to believe we are past the half way mark of 2015! Anyway this month has been a bit of a slow one. I never really ventured much outside so the amount of times I wore makeup was pretty minimal. This favourites post will be quite short and sweet but I did gather a few life long favourites that are worth raving about.

First up is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer that I already reviewed in full here. This concealer has answered my prayers and gave my everything I have ever wanted in a concealer. The thick and creamy formula is a dream to work with and it offers such a good coverage perfect for covering blemishes and pigmentation. Its expensive but is much more long wearing than cheaper alternatives I previously tried.

I also have two lip favourites this month of the opposite scale with one being a nude and the other a bold fuchsia. The first offering being the YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in the shade 1 Nude Beige which I talked about previously here. The formula of these lipsticks are incredible, beautifully silky and creamy on the lips. The nude shade is also great for everyday wear.

The latter lip offering comes from Nars and is one of their classic lip pencils in the shade Yu. I got this mini version in their Christmas gift set which I talked about here. I wore this shade for the first time this month and its safe to say it blew me away. The satin formula is super soft and moisturising on the lips and the pink fuchsia shade is bold and vibrant. I was a little worried on the longevity of this one being a satin finish but oh my this lasts super well. Lets just say I had problems trying to remove this and I still ended up with pink tinted lips the next day!

Lastly is a pot of gold. Okay not exactly but the Topshop Glow Pot in Polished comes close. I am already a fan of the Topshop highlighters with their glow stick remaining one of my favourites. I heard so much about this cute little pot and had to get my hands on it. Luckily for me they also repackaged it for their 5th anniversary in a cute rose gold design so obviously I had to get it then. The highlighter is super creamy and a little goes a long way. By dotting a little along the cheekbones it creates the most beautiful glow.

I stated at the start of this post that this one would be short and sweet yet I’ve rambled on as usual… sorry!

What have you been loving this month?

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May Favourites

It’s monthly favourites time again! As my Summer holidays begin I haven’t been wearing makeup on a daily basis but I did find some new gems this month that I have just fell in love with! Without further ado here are some of my much loved beauty bits from the month of May.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – Nars has finally answered my foundation prayers. When it came to foundation I always struggled to find ‘the one’ but since this beauty came along my hunt may be over. I lusted over this for so long since its well and truly hyped and worth the hype it is! It blends like a dream, gives flawless coverage and has pretty good staying power too. The perfect foundation, more of my raves later though!

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her – This nail polish may come at no surprise after seeing my blog post in which I shared my love for it.  This minty-blue-grey hued shade is what I have had on my nails constantly over the month and I am obsessed. Like other Essie shades, its a great formula with pretty decent lasting power too. Love it!

Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush – Again this may have been another predictable option after I raved about it here. This brush also had a lot of hype surrounding it and I really wanted to pick it up for so long. It is just the perfect size for applying foundation and helps create such a flawless finish. As much as I loved my Real Techniques Buffing brush for foundation there is no going back now!

MAC Creme Cup – I’m so predictable. This month I really got drawn into the look of nude pink lips and this lipstick made a great addition to my collection. The cremesheen formula is smooth and creamy on the lips while the shade is the perfect soft pink great for everyday wear. Keep an eye on my blog next week, another nude lip is coming you way… surprising, not really! (Check my Creme Cup review here)

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish – This month I have really started to have a proper skincare routine after fumbling around with different products ever so often. One product I really wanted to try and pretty much needed was the ever so popular Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. As you will hear more about my love on this later this month I won’t go into too much detail but I do really like this. It makes my skin feel super soft and my skin hasn’t been this clear in ages!

What have you been loving this month?

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