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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How To Get Inspired In Blogging Again

Anyone that runs a blog will know that there is always times when you can feel uninspired and demotivated to write. Particularly if you have been blogging for a long time, it is easy to feel like you have run out of ideas. I have went through a couple of periods were I feel brain dead in that I struggle with ideas and feel rather ‘meh’ about blogging in general. Yet, at the same time I love blogging and it would be rather sad to see an end to everything  I’ve put so much effort in to. Bouncing back from a time of feeling uninspired in my blog, I thought I would share my tips as to how you can get inspired again in blogging if you are going through a tough blogging time!

REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED 

When I am feeling a bit put off by blogging, I like to remember the positives about it and of course why I started it in the first place. Thinking about the progress you’ve made is important and also the community of people who support your blog. I started my blog as a place to discuss the latest trends and offload on my love for fashion and style. My blog has grown throughout the years and changed along with my own interests which is such a lovely thing to look back on. There is times when I blog and I feel like I am talking to a brick wall yet I love discussing my interests and there is always someone on the other end who enjoys it. Blogging takes a lot of work but it can bring so much pride and it’s important to think about how far you have came and how there is also so much more to give!

TAKE TIME OUT 

There is nothing worse than running out of ideas and at the last minute writing up a quick blog post that is rushed and not to your best ability. There is no point in putting effort into something if your heart isn’t in it. There is nothing wrong with taking a bit of time out of your blogging schedule to refresh your brain for ideas. It is always quality over quantity. I read some blogs that only post every so often yet I am always going back as the quality of the posts is always on top form. Blogging shouldn’t be a forced thing, no one is going to stop reading your blog if you miss out a post on your scheduled day! Take some time off blogging and recharge then gradually build up your posts again!

LOOK FOR INSPIRATION 

I love reading blogs! They inspire me so much with my own blog and essentially keep me in blogging. I am always swooning over how beautiful a blog is and getting inspired to change up my own blog. When it comes to thinking of blog ideas, I want to create content that I would personally read. Looking at blogs that I read and the content they create can give you ideas as to what kind of posts you should be publishing to fit your own interests. Social media such as Instagram and Pinterest are also useful tools for inspiration particularly on images for your blog and can also have useful pieces of advice! Obviously when it comes to taking inspiration from others, you don’t want to blatantly copy anyone’s work instead just taking ideas that you can develop in your own way!

GIVE YOUR BLOG A REFRESH 

Coming from the last point on inspiration, I can often be inspired to change up my blog in terms of layout and style. When you are feeling a bit down in relation to your blog, giving it a fresh look can help inspire you again. We all love all things new so a new logo or design can be a great idea to help you get back into blogging. Also updating your about page or adding new pages and features can bring a little bit of new life to your blog and help get you excited about blogging once again!

How do you get inspired in blogging?

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Nars Lip Pencil Collection

The Nars Lip Pencils are without a doubt one of the best lip products I’ve ever tried yet they appear to be rather underrated too! I have gathered quite the collection now both from the matte range and satin range and I thought I would share all the shades in my stash and why these are worthy of a splurge!

In order of colour from lightest:

Descanso (Satin) (LE) : This is the lightest in the bunch being a gorgeous peachy rosy nude. It comes in a satin finish so is beautifully creamy and has a nice sheen to it. It’s one of my least worn shades from the bunch but I definitely need to reach for it more as it is so pretty! Sadly, this shade was limited edition from the Holiday 2014 range.

Torres Del Paine (Satin) (LE): An exotic sounding name with an equally exotic colour. This colour is similar to Descanso but leans more peachy and coral-y. It is a bit more bright too so works lovely as a go-to Summer shade. Again annoyingly this was always limited edition from Christmas, sorry!

Iberico (Matte) (LE) : One of my favourites, think Mac Lady Danger, a gorgeous vivid orange-y red. Again this is such a lovely colour for Summer as it is super striking and bold. This one is in the Velvet Matte formula which is definitely my favourite of the two, whilst it’s matte, it is still comfortable yet long wearing. Again this was also from the Holiday 2014 collection so sadly no longer available but as I mentioned Mac Lady Danger appears very similar!

Yu (Satin): Yu is a gorgeous bright bold fushcia pink and is totally unique to my collection. This kind of bright pink was my go-to back in my younger teen days yet now I tend to lean towards mauve-y plum shades of pink. However I still love having this option in my stash and when I did finally try this I was incredibly blown away. The lasting power on this is incredible, I literally couldn’t get it off my lips it was that long wearing! The pigmentation is also amazing as well as having a lovely creamy formula!

Bahama (Matte): One of the newer shades in my collection yet one that is probably the most ‘me’. This is a gorgeous rosy mauve brown shade, which appears much darker in the swatches! This is a great everyday shade with a really nice matte formula.

Walkyrie (Matte): This is another newbie for me, similar to Bahama but more reddy brown instead of pink-ish. It is also a bit more bold but still a great everyday shade and a great pick for those who love their brown-y nude colours.

Cruella (Matte): Everyone needs a staple red lipstick in their collection and this is mine. I absolutely love this shade, it is a deep red that looks so beautiful at this time of year! The formula is one I can always rely on too for being long wearing and comfortable to wear, great for an evening out! Definitely one I would recommend to try!

Mandore (Satin) (LE): This is the perfect Autumn shade (although the next shade is that too!) Mandore is a gorgeous deep oxblood red so the perfect Fall/Winter shade. This one is in the satin formula with a creamy comfortable finish that has a slight sheen but it still remains pretty long wearing. This was limited edition again from the Holiday 2014 collection but still seems available from the Nars website!

Damned (Matte): Lastly another new addition to my collection is this gorgeous deep berry magenta shade which again is perfect for this time of year. I’ve only worn this once but I’m impressed so far, I just need more courage to rock a bolder lip more often!

Have you tried the Nars lip pencils?

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Two Summer Scents

When it comes to fragrances, I usually go for something quite dark and musky. Basically my fragrance wardrobe is overloaded with overpowering heavy night-time appropriate scents which don’t really suit the Summer season too well. In Summer, I do love a light and fresh fragrance that isn’t too in your face and heavy. Recently I have picked up two newbies that fit the bill perfectly and I couldn’t be more obsessed with light airy scents!

First up is a real summer scent, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. This is essentially Summer in a bottle, in fact it is also a Summer exclusive as this scent is only available during the Summer so act quick if you are interested in this one! This scent is an Eau Fraiche so is pretty weak in perfume terms however comes in a hefty 100ml bottle at pretty good value. I picked this up when I was away so got it a good bit cheaper but it retails around the £50 mark. Moving onto the best bit however, the actual scent itself. With notes of Coconut, Vanilla and Mandarin, it’s not hard to get the Summer vibes from it! Basically, if you love something sweet and summery then you will love this!

Next is another new-ish release from Calvin Klein in the form of ck2, the second edition to their genderless fragrance.  A scent I have been desperate to get my hands on since it was released as this is just so beautiful! First of all, shout out to the unique minimalistic bottle design which is rather quirky. I picked up this scent in the biggest size being 100ml but there are smaller editions too. This size retails for £53 however I picked it up 40% off at Urban Outfitters when they had a deal on! That deal is sadly over but there are a lot of discounts around to be found! Again this is another beautifully fresh and airy scent with notes of Mandarin (similar to BG), violet leaf and sandalwood. I find this scent pretty long wearing which is good for an Eau de Toilette and it is isn’t overly sweet in scent probably because it is genderless but instead quite woody and crisp. I think this is going to be a fragrance I will love for a long time to come!

What is your favourite Summer scent?

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My Minimal Jewellery Collection

The whole minimalistic lifestyle seems to be all the rage lately particularly on many blogs. Whilst the concept sounds pretty good, it isn’t very feasible. However I have definitely tried to adopt the more is less kinda of thing lately style wise, beauty is another story…  From my wardrobe to my accessories, I have been de-cluttering a lot out of my stash in order to create small collections of items that I know I will get use out of it and that I truly love. My jewellery is an area that I have been cutting down quite dramatically recently and I thought I would give you a little insight into my collection.

Taking a look overall at my collection, I have a clear love for small dainty pieces that can be worn very casually. Gold also tends to be colour of preference as I just prefer it and it seems to go more with my style too. I tend to shop in high street stores for my jewellery pieces but I will go into that later and show you where I bought all my favourite pieces from. Also, if you are interested in my storage as seen above, I keep my necklaces and rings on my very beautiful marble and gold stand from Oliver Bonas and I also have a little plate from H&M in which I store my earrings.

NECKLACES

From oversized statement pieces, I have clearly made a change in my preference of necklace style. I currently have three go-to dainty pieces that just add a simplistic but chic addition to a casual outfit. Urban Outfitters is one of my favourite stores and particularly for jewellery. They do the most perfect minimalistic style pieces that fit perfectly in my collection. The first necklace (left) is as extreme as it gets. The longer chain and double triangle style is more of my going out option for when I have a little more neck on show. The other two are simple pieces; one with my star sign and the other a basic gold bar style. When it comes to necklaces I am all for the less is more approach, looking back at what I used to wear I much prefer the neater simplistic style.

RINGS

I don’t want to sound like a broken record since I am sure by now you get the whole ‘I prefer the minimal look’ although when it comes to rings I am so for it. I love the look of having a handful of rings with cute midi styles and what not but if I am honest I forget my rings half the time so remembering to coat my hand in them doesn’t really work for me. Although nevertheless I love a good simple ring. There is something about a good ring that just makes me feel complete outfit wise but also adds a bit of sophistication to an outfit. For a simple casual look I love my Gemporia Crescent Moon Ring*  which I spoke about in a separate post here. The crescent moon adds a personal touch yet is super simple but a special piece in my collection. I also have a more ‘edgier’ style from Topshop with a cross design which remains well despite being a cheaper piece.

EARRINGS

Probably my favourite pieces of jewellery. Earrings are the one thing I wear all the time (although saying that I currently am not wearing any!). Whilst fun slightly comical fruit shaped earrings look ever so cool they just don’t fit my style and after wearing boring studs I really wanted to find earrings that I enjoyed wearing and created a bit of a statement. I have became truly obsessed with swing earrings that are pretty unique with a swing bar style that comes from the back of the ear as well as a stud at the front. I have multiple pairs now and Asos seem to hold the best selection. Whilst I love the look of crazily pierced ears I wouldn’t wish that pain on myself (lol) so I love that adding something unique can keep my earring choice a bit interesting.

*PR sample

What is your favourite type of jewellery?

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