A Lush Christmas Haul

When it gets to this time of year it is basically obligatory to have a little Lush haul, right!? With the arrival of the Halloween and Christmas collection, I am just all over Lush and need pretty much everything! I’ve already used up my Halloween treats but I did have to return to make a few Christmas collection purchases! At this time of year when the weather is miserable outside all I want is to be inside and all cosy and what better than a few Lush goodies!

If you’ve been around this blog at this time of year before then you may know my love for Lush Snow Fairy. Funnily enough I stocked up so much from last year that my supply has lasted the entire year and I am still using them up! So I definitely didn’t need to pick up another bottle however with the addition of the Body Conditioner to the range, I just had to add a little Snow Fairy to my basket. Like the shower gel, this is a wash off product but a more moisturising version packed with cocoa butter, mango butter and avocado butter. The scent is also much softer and subtler than the shower gel so definitely worth a try if the shower gel is too much for you. It is such a beautiful product, a dreamy scent and texture! I may have to stock up on this one this year…

One of my favourite things to pick up from Lush is a bubble bar. As they can be broken up and used over several baths, they work out much better value for money compared to bath bombs. I picked up two from the Christmas collection this year. The first is the Ruby Red Slippers bubble bar which is obviously inspired by the Wizard of Oz. It had a beautiful floral rosy scent and is just adorable! The last item is such a must have, the Snowie Bubble Bar which plays homage to the late legend David Bowie. I mean come on how could you not want this! As well as being uber cute and a nice little nod to Bowie, it also has an lovely uplifting and refreshing scent from the addition of grapefruit oil. Definitely the (dare I say it) starman of the collection!

Have you purchased anything from the collection?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

 

 

Sephora Haul

My birthday happened and naturally Sephora happened. Being like any other UK beauty lover, I do love a good moan about not having a Sephora but I mean seriously where is our UK Sephora already!? However if there is any consolation, Sephora offer a pretty decent international shipping service! Of course after waiting for so long I finally took advantage and finally got my hands on a couple of things I had been desperate to pick up! I didn’t buy much but of course the total of my order was pretty high so I left a few things for another future order (obviously!)

In terms of actually ordering internationally, the process is luckily pretty simple. Sephora offer a flat shipping rate of £6 to the UK when you spend over £75 (which is very easy to do!) which is a pretty decent price for coming from the other side of the pond considering the cost of some shipping prices even just within the UK. The customs fees is obviously the biggest issue when it comes to ordering from overseas but the great thing about Sephora is that you get a total for all your fees and pay it at checkout so there is no extra charges when it arrives at your door and you know exactly what you are paying for. The actual delivery service itself is pretty darn impressive! It did take a while for my order to be dispatched however once it was dispatched it arrived just two days later which is amazing for something coming from such a long distance!

Anyway on the actual products, the exciting bit! Starting first with the most expensive thing I picked up that really racked up the total cost of my order. A Sephora exclusive from Sunday Riley, the Power Couple duo set including a half size bottle of both Luna Oil and Good Genes treatment. I’ve wanted to pick this up for ages as I’ve been desperate to get my hands on the cult product that is the Luna Oil. Both products individually full size are pricey and I wasn’t prepared to drop £85 on an oil and then not like it! So this set comes in a bit a cheaper and gives you the chance to try two popular products! I am currently road-testing this just now and will do a proper review later however for the time being I can’t say it has worked wonders as many people have claimed!

On to the makeup picks. I obviously had to make a little Anastasia Liquid lipstick purchase! There is so many shades it was hard to pick but I narrowed it down to Dusty Rose and Soft Lilac. I actually haven’t tried these yet but the shades look gorgeous so I am excited to give these a go!

Another Sephora exclusive product I have been desperate to try is from their own brand and one of their brushes. The brush in question is the Pro Airbush #55. I have heard so much about this foundation brush so naturally I had to pick it up! I’ve used this a handful of times so far and I am obsessed already! It blends product in so well and quickly! It’s even worked wonders with some foundations that I have struggled with application so I definitely recommend this brush! Any recommendations from their brush line as I definitely need to try more now!

Lastly, as it was my birthday I obviously also picked up my birthday gift from Sephora. There was a choice between a Fresh beauty set and a Marc Jacobs gift and obviously I went for Marc Jacobs as I have been desperate to try out the range. It includes a mini lipstick and gel eyeliner which I am very much looking forward to trying!

Have you tried any of these products?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

A Mini Charlotte Tilbury Haul

Whenever I am feeling a little splurge I always go for Charlotte Tilbury. It is no surprise I am a huge fan of the brand as I have mentioned quite a few products on the blog. I am always lusting over something from the brand and when they released a new range of lipsticks, I just had to pick one up. Of course I couldn’t just buy one thing so I did a little double splurge, what’s new!?

Talking of the new lipstick range, Charlotte has released a new line of lipsticks entitled ‘Hot Lips’ with each lipstick named after a famous female personality. £1 of every lipstick sale also goes to an international charity supporting women which obviously makes the purchase even sweeter! I do think however more than a £1 could’ve been donated but at least it’s something, right! I picked up the shade Secret Salma which is a gorgeous deep rosy plum colour. The shade comes in Charlotte’s incredible Matte Revolution formula which is super creamy and comfortable whilst being matte.

Of course, my CT wishlist is always growing so I was excited to see that she had a special 30% off some items on her website. I had been desperate to try out her cream Eyes to Mesmerise eye shadows so I had to pick one up since it was on offer. I picked the shade Bette, which is a gorgeous Amber gold shade. The formula is super creamy and incredibly long lasting on the lids. It makes a very easy and quick eyeshadow look perfect for makeup on the go.

Are you a fan of CT products? 

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

Life Lately #4

It doesn’t feel that long since my last Life Lately post! It is crazy to think we are entering the month of May already and nearly half way through the year! Even crazier though is the fact that I am writing this whilst it is snowing outside, yes snow! And they say it is nearly Summer eh! Anyway I am sure you will remember me going on about my computer technical problems at the start of the month which meant I couldn’t post for a bit. As you might be able to see, everything has resolved again and I am back to normal schedule again! It really is a weird experience being a way from a technology that I rely on so much but it was kind of a blessing at the same time. I wrote a bit about surviving off-line here if you’re interested.

However whilst I am fully able to post as normal now, I do have exams coming up in the next month. So I have been dedicating my time recently to a lot of studying so I do apologise if I have to miss a post or two whilst I get my head deep into months worth of notes. Fun! There are quite a few things I want to cover on my blog soon but some of which will be a bit more detailed so they will be reserved until after exams! Hopefully though the content until then should still be enjoyable!

As well as studying, this month has been rather spendy! Oops! I went a little crazy with the make-up purchases this month as you may have seen in two haul posts; from Space NK and Cult Beauty. Of course those two hauls weren’t even all of it! I am not quite finished yet either until I get my hands on that gorgeous Too Faced Sweet Peach palette, yes I am counting the days until it comes to the UK. I like makeup, okay? As well as that I picked up some new clothing too! I was so excited to see Alexa Chung collaborate with M&S for a collection and I had to grab a piece! My attention went straight to this beautiful navy blazer with gold detailing. I am truly obsessed! On another note, I am definitely up for doing more fashion style posts on my blog. I am sure I’ve said it before but I will definitely get round to it, hopefully after my exams anyway!

Also, I mentioned it in my April Playlist post, I also went to see 5 Seconds of Summer live this month! This was my third time seeing them live and they definitely didn’t disappoint. I am still truly obsessed with their first and second album and I enjoyed every minute of the gig. Probably one of my favourite live shows I’ve seen! So whilst the post-gig depression sinks in, I do have a couple of gigs over the next couple of months that I am very much looking forward to! I am sure you will hear more about them later!

Catch up with April posts: Tartelette palette in review, 5 Product Face and My top 5 Essie shades

What did you get up to this month?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

A Space NK Haul

This month has had me haulin’ to the extreme. I already showed you some bits I got from Cult Beauty in a separate haul post you can check here but I also made a little trip to Space NK to pick up some more beauty pieces (as if I need any more…). With their fab explore offer on and having a little reward on my points card I didn’t need to feel too guilty and I also finally picked up some pieces I have been after for so long! I have actually tried out all these products (once anyway) as I just couldn’t resist so I will be able to provide my first impressions on each!

When the explore offer started there was one product I knew I had to pick up. That was the Becca Ombre Rouge Eye Palette, a gorgeous 5 shade eyeshadow palette full of warm rouge-y matte tones. I have seen numerous people using this palette and it looked so beautiful so I just had to snap it up. It is a little pricey for only containing 5 shadows but it has such a great selection of shades that I can see myself using daily. All of the shades are super wearable too and it is easy to take this palette from day to night. From first application, all of these shades are greatly pigmented with great blend-ability and the shadows lasted really well on my lids too! So I am very much looking forward to getting more wear out of this one!

A product that I’ve so desperately wanted for a long time, it was even mentioned on my 2016 wishlist, the Beauty Blender is now finally checked off my list. I’ve been enjoying using the Real Techniques sponge for the last while however it is not the best sponge around and I had heard so many people say that the beauty blender was well superior so I obviously had to try it. When I first received it actually I was a little surprised by the size, whilst I know it ‘grows’ once it’s wet, it looked much smaller than I expected in the packaging. I did pick this up in a set including a mini of the solid cleanser so I was thinking maybe it is a smaller one however when I actually tried it, it did seem to grow to a decent size! Sizing troubles aside, on first use I could definitely see how much better this is compared to the RT one. I won’t say too much as I may do a comparison post but I really like this and I definitely think it is worth the money!

Lastly, Kevin Aucoin is a brand I’ve been longing to try and particularly the Sculpting powder from the line has been at the top of my list! I definitely had a bit of luck with timing as the brand have just launched two new shades of the powder (which always had one being Medium) so now there is a light shade perfect for my pale skin. I obviously picked up that shade and it is perfect for my skin tone. The pan size is rather small but the product is super pigmented and you only need so little product. It is pricey but it is the perfect little contour powder. I am definitely looking forward to getting more use out of this one!

Are you a fan of any of these products?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

A Cult Beauty Haul

I have been feeling rather spendy lately, I have to admit. A little Cult Beauty splurge will be only one of many little hauls that will be happening this month. I don’t really have an occasion but there has been a few new releases around at the moment that I have been desperate to try out and some other products that I have always had my eye on!

The main reason for my Cult Beauty haul, the new Jouer Cosmetics Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipsticks (longest name ever eh). I am totally obsessed with liquid lipsticks at the moment and the new range from Jouer seemed right up my street with a strong range of neutral shades. I picked up the shade Petale De Rose which as it suggests is a gorgeous rosy toned nude shade. I haven’t yet worn it but the colour is so pretty and also has such a lovely vanilla-y scent as well as the uber cute cube style packaging.

Looking through the range online, I thought I would further dip my toes into the brand of Jouer by trying out their very intriguing Anti-Blemish Matte Primer. The makeup-skincare hybrid of this product really drew me in, as well as acting as a matte primer to de-shine and minimise pores, it also contains Salicylic Acid to help treat blemishes. As someone with well blemished skin, this primer sounds very well suited. I have used this once but I am still trying it out, so I will let you all know later how I get on with it.

Lastly, I was super excited to see that the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in the shade Patina was in stock. The dusty pink shade is super popular and has been out of stock for a long while so of course I had to snap it up. I haven’t tried it yet but I have heard such good things about the Stila formula so I am looking forward to trying this out!

Are you a fan of any of these products?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

Illamasqua Haul

When it comes to Boxing Day/January sales, Illamasqua always have a pretty impressive selection on sale and one of the best offerings out there during the sales. This year was no different and of course in no time I was back on that Illamasqua website searching for the best bargains. I picked up a few products all of which were at least 50% off  with a couple in the 60% off bracket! So if you were left a little disappointed regarding the post-Christmas sales this year then Illamasqua is the your best bet for a pretty darn good beauty bargain!

The first thing I picked up is one of the powder blusher duos in the shades Katie and Ambition. I am already a big fan of the Illamasqua blushers with a couple in my stash that I regularly use although this was my first time trying the powder formula. Both shades are super pigmented and require a light hand when applying. The formula is quite powdery but not overly so that it appears on the skin. The shade Katie is a pretty soft matte blue toned pink which does remind me a little of Benefit Dandelion. Ambition is a shimmery neutral pink which isn’t too far off Nars Orgasm. This neat little compact also only set me back a very decent £10.20 rather than the usual £22.50 price tag.

Another super bargain I got my hands on was one of their Matte Lip Liquids in the shade Surrender. I think 2016 will become the year I get totally hooked on liquid lipsticks. I am currently on the hunt to try out pretty much every liquid lipstick on the market so I couldn’t turn this sweet deal down! From £18.50 down to £7 it was no surprise I had this on my radar. I haven’t actually tried this shade out yet but it is a gorgeous peachy pink colour that will look beautiful come Summer!

An Illamasqua product I had wanted to try for a while is their Vintage Metallix eyeshadows. I was pretty happy to see a couple of shades reduced down to £8.50 so I picked up the very pretty Courtier shade. Courtier is a gorgeous creamy beige-y nude shade with shimmer running through it so it makes a pretty nice base for other eyeshadows or all over the lid itself for a simple but pretty look.

Lastly, I have heard a lot about Illamasqua lipsticks but I wasn’t particularity sure where to start! With a little selection of lipsticks half price, I had to pick one up! I finally picked one of their Glamore Satin lipsticks in the shade Soaked, a gorgeous bright orange-y red. Last Summer I became a little obsessed with this colour as it just adds a more summery vibe to a basic red so I can’t wait to crack this one out come the warmer months. Again I haven’t tried this yet but I am sure I will update you later on this one!

Are you a fan of Illamasqua? 

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

 

Monthly Roundup: September

A new season has finally begun. It’s ever so strange to think that Autumn is here. I am still trying to recall when Summer actually took place this year. Anyway enough of my seasonal ramblings it’s time to look back at my month of September. This month started as a slow burner and picked up halfway through with my hectic schedule coming back to haunt me. This month marked my return to uni to start my second year which is crazy and I have to say I am feeling so unprepared for the mountain of work that will be coming my way. This will be the first time I am at uni and have a job at the same time so this year will definitely be jam packed to say the least and I do apologize in advance if my blog does suffer as my spare time is pretty limited just now.

Whilst the thoughts of going back to uni was pretty depressing, I did get excited about the shopping that was about to commence. Let’s just say I think I will need to enforce myself on a spending ban for at least the next month. I picked up some pretty good deals on some things I had been lusting over for so long and I now have my hands on a couple of new palettes in my collection (that I will obviously share with you all soon!). Yup that is the UD Naked Smoky palette, I wasn’t going to let my Naked collection miss out on this one, was I!? I also picked up an exciting new purchase for my wardrobe in the terms of a new leather jacket. A leather jacket is a wardrobe staple and I wasn’t happy with my old one so I rightly so invested in a new one from Zara which I am obsessed with. Bring on the Autumn wardrobe! Can I come off that ‘Spending ban’ now…

I also finally discovered Cotton Candy grapes. Oh yes, you heard that right! I had been looking for these interestingly flavoured grapes for the past year and after a little trip to the supermarket my eyes clapped onto these with the feeling of success. They are as good as they sound and I am definitely needing to stock up now! You can obviously tell how exciting my life is that I have to mention the excitement of buying grapes. Yes. So in summary this month pretty much consisted of eating (grapes), shopping, working, going to uni and also recovering from a couple of sick days in between. Now let the excitement of Autumn and berry lips begin…

Catch up on September posts: A Charlotte Tilbury Haul, Nails Inc x Victoria Beckham, My Blogger Enabled Purchases, Clinique Melon Pop and My fave nude lip combo.

Are you looking forward to Autumn?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

A Clarins Haul

Clarins are a brand I’ve been wanting to try properly for a while now. I have had so many products from their range on my ever growing wish list for so long now so when Escentual had an amazing 25% off everything on their website I took it as the perfect opportunity. If that’s not an excuse for a haul then I don’t know what is! I have been trying out my products for a couple of weeks now and I thought I would give you all my first impressions but it is safe to say I am pretty happy with all my purchases.

As soon as I heard about the 25% off there was two products that struck in my mind that I had to pick up. The first being the Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in 01 Honey. This is a product that I’ve been so looking forward to trying since it was released earlier this year as part of the Spring collection. This oil was so popular when it first launched that it ended up being sold out everywhere for so long which explains why it took me so long to pick this up. The Oil is essentially a part skincare part makeup hybrid, offering lips nourishment and moisture whilst providing a clear sheen over the lips that works alone or over another lip product. I am not the biggest fan of sticky glossy formulas but I thought this would be lovely as a lip treatment for when my lips need a little hydration. It is super comfortable on the lips and really doesn’t feel overly sticky or heavy.

The other product I had my eye on was from their skincare range namely their One Step Facial Cleanser with orange extract. I had seen this product mentioned a couple of times by a few bloggers/YouTubers and the convenient cleanser seemed right up my street. Whilst I adore my Liz Earle cleanser, sometimes I need something that will take seconds for when I have limited time in the morning and this fits the bill perfectly! There are a few types of this cleanser although I picked the orange extract one which works with all skin types and it feels so refreshing on the skin which is great for those early mornings. I’ve not had a lot of use out of this yet as my early morning uni days are soon to arrive but I do really like this so far.

One of Clarins most popular makeup products is their Instant Concealer so obviously I had to pick it up and see what the fuss is all about. This liquid concealer is completely different from anything I’ve used before. Unlike my usual doe foot applicator product, this comes in a squeezy tube with an impressive 15ml of product. The concealer has a super thin consistency so it’s really lightweight but still offers good coverage. It is the perfect concealer for under the eyes, it blends so easily and feels weightless which is perfect for me as I am not a fan of thick concealers in the under eye area. This is a concealer that I think I will grow to love for a long time!

Lastly, I also picked up one of the Ombre Matte Cream to Powder eyeshadows in the shade 04 Rosewood. I had seen these eyeshadows numerous times and I had always wanted to try one out for myself. After a long debate about shades I picked up Rosewood which I expected to be of a light brown shade although really it appears more as a dark taupe-y brown colour. The colour isn’t something I would really usually go for but it works really well as a transition shade for in the crease. The formula is nice, it has minimal fall out and has a nice velvety texture although if used alone I do find it takes a little work to apply smoothly so I think I will be keeping it more as a crease colour which works better imo. The packaging though is so beautiful, in-cased in a cute clear pot with a mirrored lid, it looks super pretty!

Are you a fan of Clarins?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram