Tag Archives: makeup

Colourpop Chasing Rainbows Palette – Swatches and Thoughts

What’s that? Another Colourpop palette added to my collection? I’m not even gonna pretend this was an accident..

I asked my mum for Chasing Rainbows for Christmas, perfectly timed with a 48 hour free international shipping offer, and although that meant I had to wait until New Years to get it, I’ve never found Colourpop products to not be worth the wait.

So this is the fourth Colourpop palette that I have reviewed on here, and if you look back over all the previous ones, you would quite easily come to the conclusion that I have a thing for bright eyeshadows, and that is 100% true, which is why this particular palette jumped out at me – well, that and the super cute packaging..

As the name of the palette also suggests, the range of colours covers a good amount of the colour spectrum, with some staple browns and golds to round it out, and as the swatches below show, the pigmentation is of a classic amazing Colourpop standard.

Left to right: Realness, Feeling It, So Meta, Blurred Lines, Wiggles

Left to right: Not Playing, Keep Cool, Manifest It, Wish List, Woke

Top to bottom: Lucid, Bring It, On One, Eclipse, Prism

I really like the versatility of Colourpop palettes; it makes life so much easier when I’m travelling if I can take just one palette but am able to produce a whole bunch of different looks from it, and this is no exception. Special mention goes to the shade Lucid, which on first look didn’t look like my cup of tea, but when I swatched it I discovered its blue-ish duo-tone effect which is really beautiful.

I feel like I’m often spouting the same spiel when it comes to Colourpop, but the fact is in my eyes there’s not a whole lot they can do wrong.

PS I’m super interested in trying out their No Filter Foundation, so if anyone has ever tried it or reviewed it, please let me know in the comments below!

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Colourpop x Disney Designer: My Buys and Swatches

I think this has possibly been the best collaboration to come out of 2018, if not the best beauty collaboration I’ve ever seen. Two of my favourite brands, Disney and Colourpop coming together to release a whole collection of beautiful makeup? Yes please.

I was poised and ready the minute the collection dropped, and even being there as the clock struck midnight (metaphorically, it was actually 6pm but hey it would’ve been midnight somewhere), I still missed out on a couple of items that I wanted – the two highlighters from the collection, which sold out instantly – but I was still so happy to know that I was getting my hands on what I knew would be amazing products. Better still, Colourpop have now updated their site to include tax when shipping to the UK, so no more hideous customs charges, yippee! I was also pleasantly surprised at how quickly I got my dispatch email and how soon these beauties got to me, and the struggle of waiting until I had photographed them before I could have a play was real guys.

So out of the collection, I bought the It’s A Princess Thing pressed powder shadow palette, three of the Supershock shadows, shades Heigh-Ho, So This Is Love and Be Our Guest, and the Ariel Creme Lux Lipstick, and I did a little squee when I unboxed every single one of them.

For starters, the packaging is GORGEOUS. The collection features around just six of the Disney princesses, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Tiana, and they all feature on the front of the eyeshadow palette, plus their autographs are plastered over most of the packaging. I love the gold and black and the low-key extravagance of it all.

Now I have a couple of Colourpop palettes and Supershock shadows already, so the product I was most intrigued by was the Creme Lux Lipstick, as I’ve not tried a Colourpop lippie before. I chose Ariel as it looked like a shade that I would get plenty of use out of, being more of a nude shade, and what I love about the Colourpop website is that they don’t just show the product and a swatch on an arm, they actually show the shade on lips, and on a range of different skin tones, so you can actually gauge if it’ll suit before you buy.

Again, I loved the packaging, and while the tube is plastic, it actually feels expensive. As for the product itself, I was SO happy with it. The shade is PERFECT, its soft and smells amazing, and even though I put it onto my already fairly dry lips, even up close it didn’t look dry and I didn’t find it drying over time.

The Supershock shadows also did not disappoint. They came in the same style pot that the regular Supershock shadows do, but in black with a gold castle on the lid. I’ve written a proper review on Supershock shadows before, so I won’t go into the nitty gritties, but they’re beautifully buttery shadows, and the pigmentation blows my mind.. I was actually only going to buy one, but when the highlighters sold out, I needed to top up my order to get free delivery, so I grabbed two more, and I’m really glad that I did.

Top to Bottom: Be Our Guest, So This Is Love, Heigh-Ho

Of course the centrepiece of the collection was the It’s A Princess Thing palette. It looked stunning in the photos that I saw prior to the release, and it was even more stunning in person. This is my third Colourpop shadow palette, so I expected good things, but it wasn’t until I swatched the colours out that I realised just how incredible this palette is.

The pigmentation is so unbelievable; photos don’t do justice. The shimmery shadows practically turn into foils on the skin, I’ve never seen powder eyeshadow look so flawless. All of these swatches are one swipe with a finger and the colours are so vivid. The only shade that didn’t do too much for me is Chip, which is the lightest matte shade, but I think that’s only because its not as bold as the others, and I reckon I’ll actually use it quite a lot nonetheless.

Top to Bottom: Chip, Juju, Grumpy, Triton, Abu

Top to Bottom: Prince Charming, Ray, Fair Godmother, One Kiss?, Thingamabob

Top to Bottom: Enchanted Rose, Poison Apple, Magic Carpet, Beast, Midnight Curfew

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve got anything bad to say about this palette; I may go as far as saying that I think the quality is better than that of other Colourpop palettes that I own and love. As well as these swatches going on so well with a finger, the shadows apply beautifully with brushes, they blend perfectly and have good staying power even unprimed.

This collection, like a Disney princess, is flawless.

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W7 Blazin’ Palette Review

So a few weeks ago I mentioned that I’d bought a couple of W7 palettes from TKMaxx, and shared the first one which I thought to be a potential dupe for a Too Faced palette. Today I’m reviewing the second palette, which I think could also be a possible dupe, but this time for Urban Decay’s Naked Heat eyeshadow palette, but as I don’t own that I can’t really do a side by side comparison!

So this is the W7 Blazin’ palette. The RRP is £9.95, but I picked it up from TKMaxx for £4.99, and looking around you can get it from a lot of places for under £5.

As with most of the W7 palettes, it comes in a tin form, and its quite a sizeable one, but I think it looks the part and the outside definitely gives a good indication of what’s to come on the inside. There’s also a double-ended brush included, but one end is a foamy applicator which I personally don’t like so won’t use, but the other end is fine!

The inside, however, is when it really starts to look like its Urban Decay counterpart, and looking at photos of Naked Heat the shades do seem to match up pretty well, but as I said I can’t do an exact comparison! I started off by swatching the shades, and the below swatches are one layer using just my finger.

First off, I really liked the feel of the formula – it was soft and buttery to touch, but when using a brush later on it did have a little bit of crumble to it but I personally like my shadows to be a bit powdery as it means they get picked up well by all brushes. I thought the pigmentation was really good for something that cost less than £5, with the middle shades coming off best I thought – my forearms are super super pale so I always struggle to get whiter shades to show up when I swatch them, but as you can see in the second swatch photo they did hold out ok, and when using them on my eyes I’ve had no problems. I felt like the darker colours could have been a little darker, but it really doesn’t bother me as those are the ones that I know I won’t use so much.

I have had a lot of fun playing around with this palette! There are a lot of looks that you can create, which surprised me considering there’s not much range in terms of colour, and I was also uncertain as I’ve not been much of a reddish shadow kinda girl before, but going into autumn I think this is definitely a palette I will use a lot. The colours build and blend like a dream and there’s a good mix of matte and shimmery shades so you’ve got all bases covered! W7 is also a cruelty free brand, so for £5 I have absolutely no complaints about this palette, and now I don’t need to fork out £30 for the Urban Decay Naked Heat one!

If you do have Naked Heat, let me know how you think these photos/swatches compare, I’d love to know!

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Is This £5 Palette A Too Faced Dupe?

You know, there is nothing worse than being on a spending ban when you really want to play with new makeup, and that’s made even worse when you really want to blog about it.

So while I don’t really have a payday anymore, I did decide to allow myself a little bit of a spend at the end of August, and having seen so many people post about amazing finds on the TKMaxx website, and being in constant search of the bargains, I decided that was where I’d look first. I was actually super impressed to find some great products from some of my favourite high-end brands, but believe it or not, I was actually drawn to some of the cheapest palettes I found, and I decided to forgo the big brands and opted instead for a brand that’s made me a little curious for a while now: W7. I bought three palettes in total, which came to £15, and while I will share them all eventually, today’s post is about just the one of them..

So this is the W7 Cheeky Trio palette, and when I saw it online I did have a little question in my mind as to whether this would turn out to be a potential dupe for what is already one of my favourite face palettes, which is the Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow palette. And well, take a look for yourself..

Sure, there’s an obvious size difference in the two palettes, but first impressions wise, the shades looked pretty damn close to me so I figured I was onto a winner! The packaging is a fairly simple tin, but it does the job and it doesn’t scream of an obvious dupe attempt.

But how does it actually shape up compared to its Too Faced counterpart?

Well formula-wise, W7 doesn’t make any sort of claim on the peach front, so it doesn’t deliver the glorious smell that my TF palette still gives off after over a year of use, and its not quite so smooth and buttery to touch, but its certainly not a crumble-fest either. The pigment is pretty decent, but do the shades match up?

Highlighter – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

Despite looking VERY similar in the pans, as soon as I swatched out the highlighter I could tell they weren’t an exact match. Its kinda hard to tell in photos, but the W7 is a much more silvery-gold, whereas Too Faced does have peachier undertones which gives it a little more depth.

Blush – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

The W7 blush is also much pinker than its Too Faced friend, but the colour is pretty and it builds nicely. It also doesn’t have the slight shimmer than Sweet Peach does, but I don’t think blusher has to be shimmery so I’m cool with it.

Bronzer – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

Again, the bronzers looked super similar in the palettes, but the swatches for these two probably have the most difference out of all of them. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the Too Faced bronzer as it doesn’t really suit my skin tone, so I prefer the W7, although it could maybe be considered more of a highlighter than a bronzer as its kinda light..

So is this a good dupe? Well, its under £10 (and under £5 in a lot of places), and its also cruelty free, so it ticks a lot of boxes for me straight off the bat, which is why I bought it in the first place. Given that I already owned and loved Sweet Peach Glow before this, I was maybe a little swayed by that peach scent I love so much. However, as palettes go, I think that the Cheeky Trio is a fab face set, and the slight differences in the shades mean that at least I’ve got an excuse to use them both!

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Cruelty Free Summer Makeup – All Under £10

There’s nothing worse than having your makeup routine completely perfected, only for summer to come around and through humidity, heat and hay-fever your way, and it changes everything.

Not only does summer mess with my skin, but I’m now on a makeup buying ban for a little while, and I’m also no longer buying makeup that isn’t cruelty free, and while you’d think that these bans would limit my options for the summer, I’ve managed to find myself a summer kit that’s not only completely cruelty free, but actually every item is also under £10!

Primer – The Ordinary High Spreadability Fluid Primer – £5.50

This is my all year round primer, but it really holds its own even against the struggles of summer!

Foundation – The Ordinary Serum Foundation – £6

I love both of the foundations from The Ordinary, but tend to use Coverage more in the colder months and switch to Serum from Spring onwards as its a lighter formula but the coverage is still very good!

Blush/bronzer/highlighter – Makeup Revolution – (my set now discontinued)

I’ve had this little palette for a while now, but as the shades are a little darker than what I would normally wear, I save it for summer when I’ve tanned a little bit and can get away with glowing a little more.

Highlighter – Makeup Revolution Baked Matte Lights Highlighter – £3

I love this highlighter as its a great base for building on. I normally start with a good layer of this matte highlight and then go over it with a shinier highlight.

Eyeshadow primer – NYX Proof It! – £6

I swear by this primer, and if you read my blog a lot you’ll have seen this mentioned over and over because it is really that good!

Eyeshadows – Colourpop Supershock Shadows – $5

The only downside of these eyeshadows is having to pay international shipping and customs (I actually bought mine in the US) but I think they’re fab! They blend so nicely and hold up well under summer conditions.

Brows – NYX Tame and Frame Brow Pomade – £6

Ever since I reviewed this recently I’ve been using this pomade. Its such great value for money and such a good product.

Mascara – Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara – £8.50 (for travel sized)

I only bought this in a travel size because I do love my current mascara and I just wanted to try it out, but its a fab little cruelty free mascara.

Setting spray – Urban Decay All Nighter – £10 (for travel sized)

Say hello to your new favourite setting spray and say goodbye to your makeup running. Despite being a travel sized bottle, its still pretty large and will last you through summer no problem!

Here’s to a summer of long lasting makeup!

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NYX Tame and Frame VS Benefit Ka-Brow!

Even when I’ve run out of time/can’t be bothered to do my makeup for the day, my eyebrows are normally a must. I don’t have bad eyebrows, in fact I think I’m pretty lucky that I don’t really have to do much to them at all, but I just feel so much better with everything nicely filled in and looking a whole lot more together.

For the last couple of years, my go-to product has been Benefit’s Ka-Brow (shade 01, if anyone’s interested) and its never really let me down, but I’m trying to make an effort to switch out my remaining non-cruelty-free products for more animal friendly alternatives, and also trying to cut down what I spend on some makeup, and a friend of mine suggested I tried the NYX Tame and Frame pomade, so I’ve been comparing the two.

The reason I’ve always used Ka-Brow is because its really convenient. It has a brush built right into the packaging, meaning that I can throw it in my bag, or take it in my hand luggage when I travel, and never have to worry about whether or not I’ve remembered a brush. I’ve also always used it because its never failed me. The formula is more cream than gel, so its not at all sticky feeling and applies smoothly and its buildable – my one annoyance is that sometimes if I apply it too heavy at first, it doesn’t blend out particularly well, and often by the time I’m coming to the bottom of the product, it starts to dry out and get a little bitty.

I knew that my NYX shade would be Blonde as I have a NYX pencil in that shade, so I didn’t have to worry too much about knowing which one would match for me, although its possibly slightly lighter than its Benefit counterpart, not that it bothers me. As with many other NYX products, the packaging it pretty simple but its nice and does the job – I particularly like the fact that its a frosted glass effect rather than being clear. The formula is more gel-like than Ka-Brow, but is also soft and creamy and not at all sticky. It glides on like a dream and builds up nicely, blending better than Ka-Brow – because its a bit lighter in shade I do have to build it up a little more, but its not like its hard work!

Obviously there’s no brush built into this little jar, but the product holds all day with no problem at all, so its not like I need to be reapplying throughout the day, and its the same with Ka-Brow – all day brows, no fuss. The big difference between the two, however, is of course the price tag: for a Benefit product you’ll be paying Benefit prices of £18-20, compared to NYX’s £6 a pot. For that price, plus the bonus of being cruelty free, Tame and Frame is getting my vote on this one!

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My Beach Makeup and What Stayed Put

Its the classic dilemma for girls. Summer poses a whole new problem when it comes to makeup, because gone are the days of winter drying out everyone’s skin like there’s no tomorrow, and instead its the challenge of finding products that won’t melt off your face during the warmer summer days, but can also stand up to a bit of water, whether that’s from swimming in the sea on a beach day, or just the Great British summer showers (read: heavy rain that shows up right when we think its finally getting good).

This year, I was faced with this issue a little earlier as going to Hawaii in April meant I had a little less time to perfect my product choices, but it also meant that I could test run some products before the little summer that hits the UK – which seems to be happening right now – actually kicked in. Some of what I took with me were items that are regulars from my makeup stash, and others I took on recommendation from the Twittersphere, and they all went through a somewhat rigorous test in the 27C heat of Hawaii. But would they all make the cut for future wear?

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I bought this on recommendation from a number of people – I actually bought the travel sized one, y’know in case it wasn’t any good and I didn’t get stuck with a big bottle that I’d spent a lot of money on, but actually the travel sized one is still pretty sizeable which made it seem like pretty good value for money! This product is an absolute trooper. I sprayed it over products that I know aren’t waterproof and knew would probably wash off within minutes and amazingly they held up so well, leaving me bronzed and highlighted even after a whole day on the beach.

NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer

I took this with me because I know how well it works. This is the eyeshadow primer that I use every day and I actually believe it to be a miracle product – it turns any eyeshadow waterproof and I’ve even tried running swatches under a tap before and saw absolutely no shadow movement with this badboy, plus at £6 a tube its a steal.

Makeup Forever Aqua XL Waterproof Eyeliner

Call me crazy, but blue eyeliner is my jam, and I’ve always been a Barry M girl but have never been able to find a suitable replacement for my now discontinued favourite shade of pencil, but I stumbled across this one in Sephora last year, and when it claimed to be waterproof as well it was like killing two birds with one stone. The pencil itself is surprisingly soft, so very little pressure is needed on application, and it also blends well which can be fab, but I worried seeing how soft it was that it wouldn’t survive in the water, but was thankfully proven very wrong – in fact, when I swatched it in Sephora before buying, it was several days before that blue line faded from the back of my hand even with daily showering and handwashing.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

So this was another recommendation, and having never tried the cult favourite in its non-waterproof form either, I thought now was a great chance to see what all the fuss was about. Again, I bought this in the travel size tube to save a bit of money until I decided whether or not I liked it. The mascara itself surprised me as I’ve religiously stuck to Eyeko Black Magic for a number of years now and had never found another mascara that gave my lashes the same natural but wow look that Black Magic does for me, but despite being a very different shaped brush, I really liked how this product made my lashes look, so I was buzzed to test it out in the water. Unfortunately, that’s were it fell flat on its face. I felt like just looking at water had it running, and although I wasn’t crying black or anything like that, on more than one occasion I left the poolside looking a bit panda-ish. I’d probably buy the mascara again in its normal formula, but I felt a little let down by this one..

Benefit Gimme Brow

Gimme Brow is not my every day eyebrow product, but I do use it from time to time, and as I feared a little that my usual dipbrow wouldn’t hold up, I took this out with me as well. Now my Gimme Brow was pre product recall, so I don’t know how it differs from the new formula that was re-released recently, and I don’t think either claim any sort of waterproof capabilities, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well this did. I still used my regular dipbrow, but then went over it with this, and I still had decent looking eyebrows at the end of each day, even after being in the sea and the pool, and what more could I ask for?

Other shoutouts go to my current favourite foundation, The Ordinary Serum Foundation, for being SPF 15 so keeping my face a little more protected, and Benefit’s Dandelion Shy Beam and Sun Beam liquid highlighters for giving me a subtle shimmer and glow which held up well thanks to the UD setting spray!

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Things I Didn’t Buy In Sephora

This post is a little belated, given that my Florida trip was back in November, and I almost wasn’t going to write it, but that was until I saw the lovely Roxie’s anti-haul post based on a similar concept, so I decided to bite the bullet and publish it.

Every time I go to America I think about the Sephora trip, whether its because I’ve already planned a million things I want to buy, or I’m dreading the credit card bill that will inevitably come following the trip, and the last trip was no different. On this trip, I hadn’t really thought too much about products I wanted to buy, but that’s because its Sephora – there will always be things that I want.

That said, however, there were quite a few products that I rushed towards, but that didn’t end up in my basket in the end for various reasons, and here’s a few of those..

Too Faced Peaches and Cream collection

When Too Faced announced that they were releasing a full range of products following on from the Sweet Peach eye palette, glow kit (which I own) and a handful of blushes and lip glosses that they had before, my heart skipped a beat. I adore the glow palette, I’m a sucker for anything peach scented and Too Faced packaging is always the cutest, so that was the first stop when I entered the store. That said, however, I was a little disappointed. The packaging of some of the items felt a bit cheap, and I didn’t anything smelt as good as the original products, so for what they would have cost me, I just felt like my money could have been spent better elsewhere..

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit

This was the first ABH glow kit that I actually wanted, but as it had been out of stock when I was there in February, I opted for the Nicole Guerriero kit instead, which I was actually really happy about at the time because I love that palette. But this was in stock again, so I picked it up, looked at it, tilted my head and put it back. The fact was, the shades were just very similar to the ones in the kit I already had. Sure, none were exactly the same and I loved them all, but I just figured that I already had a pretty great set that still has plenty of use left in it, so I decided to stick with it.

Fenty Beauty

Firstly I was a little taken aback by how tucked away in the store the Fenty collection was, but nonetheless I did have a quick glance. The problem for me, however, was that the range had only been out for about 2 months, and I hadn’t seen that many reviews on the products to know where to even start. Its probably something that I’ll go back to, but it just wasn’t on the cards this time.

The minis

I normally love choosing from the huge range of minis in Sephora, but the fact is I was already quite stocked up from two previous trips that year! I ummed and ahhed over one or two things, but eventually left with no tiny products at all.

I guess that by being good on this trip, it means I can be a little naughtier next time though, right?

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Supershock with Colourpop

When it comes to the Colourpop hype, I think the products I’ve seen raved about the most is their Supershock eyeshadows, cue me adding them to my recent order.. I also came across the Supershock highlighter collection while in Sephora, and I think I’m in beauty blogger’s paradise.

As with most of Colourpop’s range, the packaging is fairly simple, which I have absolutely no gripes with as it just highlights the beauty of the product itself. The shadows are pressed with a gorgeous scale-like pattern, which I really hoped would hold out a little bit through use but as you can see below, I had no such like.

Top to bottom: Going Rogue, Flipper, One by One, Itty Bitty

While you can buy the eyeshadows individually, I chose a set of four called Phase Me Out, which saved me $2. The shades are a mix of finishes, with Itty Bitty being a matte/satin finish, Flipper is metallic and Going Rogue and One by One are described as pearlized, which is just a tad less sparkly than metallic. All of the shades compliment each other perfectly, and I chose them because I thought they were all right up my street in terms of what I would wear every day.

The formula is really creamy and super blendable, and in terms of pigment, just look at the swatches! The creaminess also means that there’s practically no fall-out and the shadows stay in place really well, even on unprimed skin, however the one thing that I did find slightly annoying was that because the formula is so creamy, I had to apply a lot of pressure to the product to actually get a good amount on the brush. This was fine for blending, because I prefer to start light and build if needed, it just meant that when trying to cover a larger area I kept having to go back for more.

Left to right: Wisp, Spoon, Over the Moon

The Supershock highlighters are all sold individually on the Colourpop website, but I picked up this set of three in Sephora – although the set was the same price as buying three individually! The packaging matches the eyeshadows, and the formula is just as soft to touch!

Over the Moon looks white from a distance, but as you can see from the swatch, its packed with purple-ish sparkle, giving it a unique duo-chrome finish which is also frost-like, perfect for Christmas! Spoon – which I think is a stupid name for a highlighter if you ask me – has a golden finish, although also has flecks of silver in it, and Wisp is similar, but has more of a champagne/bronze tone.

Again, I found that with the product being very buttery, it takes a bit of pressure to get anything on the brush, but the product is so vibrant that you really don’t need that much anyway!

The eyeshadows are $5 (£3.70ish) each or $18 for a set of 4, and the highlighters are $8 (£6), and yes if you order from the UK you’ll probably get stung with customs but I still think they’re so reasonably priced that its worth taking that hit – it’ll probably work out cheaper than some brands!

I’m well and truly on the Colourpop wagon, and I’m not at all ashamed!

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Colourpop Yes Please Palette

I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally have my hands on this palette. It was love at first sight.

Its yellow, it contains yellow, do I need to say any more? And yes, its probably one of the most hyped palettes of the last few months, and now I know why.

The majority of the shades are matte, although there are a few metallics in there too, and they all compliment each other so well – I swear you could put any two shades from this palette together and be onto a winner.

As per Colourpop standard, the formulas are soft and blend like a dream, and I cannot flaw the pigmentation of any of the shades. I love the fact that the browns aren’t too dark, but they are buildable if you do want to created a deeper shade, and that actually goes for all of the shades, although I think they all go on well with a single application.

What I love about this palette is that I would never normally buy a palette of these shades; I was drawn in by the packaging and one or two of the colours, but now I’ve actually had a chance to use it I love all of them. Its actually turned me into a warm-tone kinda gal and going into winter I am very excited for this.

Have you jumped on the Colourpop bandwagon yet?

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Colourpop x My Little Pony Palette

Have you ever seen a product and while not being able to come up with an exact reason as to why, just knew you needed it? Yep, that was me with this palette.

I don’t even remember being that into My Little Pony as a kid (this is the point where, when my mother reads this post, she’ll text me to tell me if this isn’t true), but my infatuation with Colourpop has only just begun and you may be pleased to know that there are more swatch and review posts coming over the next few weeks, and I have been having the most fun playing with these products!

Obviously I don’t have to tell you how cute the packaging is, that goes without saying really. I’ve heard a few people complain about a lack of mirrors in the eyeshadow palettes but personally that’s not an issue for me – I’ve cracked so many mirrors by accidentally leaning or stepping on palettes before that I’ve probably earned enough bad luck to last a lifetime, plus I’m not one to do my eye makeup with such a little mirror anyway!

The palette consists of primarily metallic shadows, with a few soft mattes thrown in for good measure. They’re best applied using a soft brush as I found when I tried a stiffer brush the shadows went a bit crumbly, but also didn’t apply as evenly.

I was pleasantly surprised at the lighter shades in the palette and how well they stood out, as I often find pale shades either don’t show up at all or just disappear as soon as a darker shade is blended, but the four lightest shades – Butterscotch, Bluebell, Flutterbye and Snazzle – all really impressed me.

In fact, all of the shades impressed me with their pigmentation and staying ability, with my one let down actually being one of the darkest shades in the palette, the deep teal shade, Princess Sparkle, which looks great in the palette but for me just didn’t fit in with the rest of the shades, and also came out a little too grey for me, rather than the metallic turquoise I had hoped for.

But hey, 1 bad shade in 12 ain’t bad, right? And for $16 I’m not complaining one bit! I’m a big fan of the pinky/peachy shades, and I think I’ll be using those along with the more berry-toned shades a lot over the coming months!

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The Benefit Boi-ing Erase Case

I think we can all agree that when it comes to packaging, Benefit never fail to impress, and every time they release new products, I just want to snap as many photos of it as I can because it’ll just be so damn Instagrammable. The problem with that, however, is that it can get very expensive buying full sized products, and when a whole new range is released, you do always run the risk of there being some products that just don’t do it for you.

Well that was me with the new Boi-ing concealer range. I’ve never seemed to have any luck with concealers in the past, so when I was in Sephora a few weeks back and saw this adorable case of minis for only a little bit more than one full sized product, this felt like the ideal way to try and test each one properly!

The Erase Case was $26 (about £19), and contains each of Benefit’s newest concealers: Industrial Strength, Brightening, Hydrating and Airbrush in baby form, as well as this cute pencil case – which I’ve found is perfect for carrying brushes in when you travel! So what did I think of the products?

Hydrating Concealer

So this is the only sheer coverage concealer in the case, but personally I’m not sure it did anything for me and my dark circles other than a bit of moisturising.. I also like to keep things fairly matte when it comes to my skin, so the sheer finish just doesn’t really suit my look, but if you prefer a dewy finish and don’t have that much to conceal, this may be the one for you!

Industrial Strength Concealer

This was definitely more my cup of tea. High coverage, matte finish and super soft formula meant this was easy to work with and actually did a decent job of covering my dark circles but not looking too cakey and blending into the rest of my makeup nicely.

Airbrush Concealer

I found Airbrush very similar to Industrial Strength in terms of formula and shade, and despite being sold as a medium coverage concealer, I thought it covered just as well as its full coverage counterpart. I think this one is my favourite out of the bunch, smoothing over uneven patches with ease and its light formula means it doesn’t sink into creases like so many other concealers I’ve tried can.

Brightening Concealer

This was an odd one for me. On first opening the pot, I was adamant that I was not going to like this one. For starters, it was a much darker shade than the other concealers in the case, but also the formula was a lot stickier and I feared it would be too heavy for me. However, when I did actually give the product a proper try, I was pleasantly surprised. This is also a full coverage, but also has colour-correcting properties to help hide dark circles and blemishes, but it has a slightly sheer finish to it.

I bought the kit in shade 01 light, but as I mentioned earlier there are some differences between each of the products, which I thought was slightly odd, but they did all still work for me so I can’t complain too much about that!

Given that each product retails for about £17.50 at full size, and this kit is little more than that for all four, albeit minis, I think this is great value for money, and at least now I know which ones I’d buy again!

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Colourpop Amber Crystal Collection Review

So I’ve been wanting to jump on the Colourpop bandwagon for a while now, but with so many people talking about getting stung with the customs charges we all know and hate come with international shipping, I’ve held back. Well that was until I walked into Sephora in Disney Springs and discovered that they’re now stocking some Colourpop items.

As they were only stocking a very small selection, they didn’t have any of the palettes I’ve been eyeing up, so I decided to place an online order for those (to be delivered to the hotel), and pick up a few products I hadn’t seen before, and one of those was the Amber Crystal Collection bundle.

The bundle was $20 (about £16), which I thought was a pretty good price considering it contains 3 products: a setting spray, a liquid highlighter and a lip balm. The packaging seems a little simple from a distance, but when you take a proper look at it its really pretty and suits the products, and it doesn’t feel at all cheap like some packaging can.

One look at the lip balm and you might be thinking ‘um, that looks more like a lipstick to me?’, but don’t be fooled. Yes, it is tinted but only very subtly – so subtle, in fact that I couldn’t take a swatch photo – and gives more shine than it does colour. Its very light and glides on like a treat and the perfect product for a natural look, plus it smells amazing!

The next product in the box is the liquid highlighter, which again I would describe as being very subtle. It gives a peachy-gold, and believe it or not, amber-like shimmer, and while when you shake the bottle the formula seems very runny, it doesn’t come out that way at all. Again, while I did swatch this first, I couldn’t get a good photo as the shade is subtle and mainly gives off shimmer, offering a natural glow and living up to amber’s nickname of ‘liquid sunshine’!

The final product in the bundle is something that is very new to me, a setting spray – believe it or not, this is the first setting spray I have owned, so I can’t really compare it to any others but it does a good job at keeping my face together!

For $20, I personally don’t think you can go wrong with this little kit. Sure, its not packed with pigment like the majority of Colourpop’s products but if you’re not super into colour and prefer a more natural look, this is the perfect bundle for you.

I’ve got more Colourpop reviews coming up in the next few weeks so be sure to keep an eye out!

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New Liquid Highlighers on the Block – Worth the Hype?

You all know by now that I’m a sucker when it comes to a good highlighter, and despite having a collection of them that I love, I’ll never be able to stop buying the next one that catches my eye.

Two of the newest products to have hit the high-street are the Barry M Liquid Chrome highlighter drops, and the Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter range, and because I couldn’t decide between the two, I decided to put both to the test! In the interest of fairness, I bought the most similar shades – Moon Potion from Barry M, and Unicorn Elixir from MUR, and here’s how they got on..

From the swatches, you can kinda see that the Barry M formula is a touch smoother, and has a brighter, more pearly finish than its Makeup Revolution rival, which has a more glittery finish. Both shades are a bright white with cooler blue and purple undertones, although Barry M has a total of 5 shades in the collection and Makeup Revolution have 7, so if these don’t take your fancy then there’s bound to be one that does! I personally wouldn’t use these shades on a regular basis as they’re actually a bit too cool for me, but they would be perfect for festivals or a night out,

Despite both being a lot more pigmented than other liquid highlighters that I use, I was a little disappointed when it actually came to using both of these products. While they look great in swatches, for which I used my finger to spread the product, I actually found both quite difficult to blend using brushes, although I think again the Barry M formula came out slightly on top. I wish that the bottles had built in brushes, like others on the market, but instead they had a sort of dropper system which didn’t make application any easier!

The products are actually only 99p apart in price, with BM Liquid Chrome selling at £6.99 and MUR Liquid Highlighter priced at £6, but as you might be able to tell, I personally would lean towards the Barry M ones in future, just because I thought the formula was nicer, and I preferred the packaging too. Shockingly, however, I don’t think I’d be in any rush to buy either of these again, just because they didn’t overly wow me, and I have plenty of highlighters that do already in my stash.

Have you tried either of these before? I’d love to hear what you thought, especially if you’ve tried different shades!

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The Ordinary Haul and Review

The Ordinary, a brand by Deciem, has been taking the beauty world by storm, and having seen some big bloggers talking about these products, I decided it was time to see what the hype was about.

Being the most talked about products, I picked up both the Coverage and Serum foundations, as well as the fluid primer. I would normally never order foundation online without having tested the shades for myself first, but thanks to the very clear shade guide on the website, I pinned it down to two potential shades – 1.1 and 1.2 – and decided to order each foundation in both shades, given that its only £5.90 a bottle. Yes, you heard me.

As well as having the shades based on a number scale, I also loved the fact that each shade was then split into three tones: neutral, yellow and pink. My skin tends to be on the pinkier side, so I got the Serum formula in pink and the Coverage in neutral, and both actually work very well for me.

Coverage Foundation

Right from the offset, Coverage became my favourite of the two foundations. The formula is much thicker, which I personally prefer, and as the name suggests, the coverage is higher than the Serum formula but despite both of these facts the product feels really light on the skin.

Serum Foundation

Like Coverage, Serum has a very lightweight formula and feels like you’re not wearing anything. As I tend to always stick to thicker formulas, I was a little out of my comfort zone with this one, and because of how quickly it blends into the skin, I was finding myself going over it a few times because I wasn’t always sure if I’d fully covered that area, plus the coverage is fairly light. I was also a little out of my comfort zone as Serum leaves more of a dewy finish, and I like to keep things matte.

Fluid Primer

As someone who isn’t really a fan of primers, this was a game changer. I’m not sure I can sing this product’s praises high enough. If I’m being honest, I added it to my basket so that I had something other than foundation, and so I could tip the basket total to get free delivery, but I am so thankful that I did. The formula is bizarre; its feels kinda gel-like at first but it spreads like a dream and dries within seconds, and once dry its practically weightless.

Part of the reason I’m not much of a primer person, and I’m nervous trying new foundation is that I rarely find anything that can contend with my skin, which can switch from dry as a desert to oily as a 2am kebab within a matter of seconds, and I normally end up regretting wearing foundation by lunchtime, but I did not have a single complaint with this. I tested both foundations both with and without, and both applied so much nicer and lasted the day without any issues when I used the primer.

But seriously guys, I bought 4 foundations and a primer for less than £30, which is what I would normally spend on my regular NARS foundation, plus they’re cruelty free!

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How I Highlight

I know I say this every time I write a beauty post, but I really do not consider myself to be anywhere near expert level when it comes to makeup. I’ve never claimed to be a beauty blogger, I’m merely a girl with a stash of makeup and a love of putting it on my face.

I can’t contour or create the perfect winged eyeliner, but one thing I do pride myself in is my ability to highlight. Highlighter is probably my biggest weakness when it comes to beauty product, and I’m not ashamed to say if I could only wear one product for the rest of my life it would be highlighter.

A few people have asked me recently how I achieve my glow, so I thought I’d write a post on my routine and what products go into my shininess! For me, its all about layers and building..

  • Once I’ve done my foundation, the next product I reach for is Benefit’s Dandelion Shy Beam, which is a soft pinky liquid highlighter. Using the built in brush, I make a stripe of product across my cheekbones, and then blend using my Spectrum B01 brush. This creates the perfect base for building upon, while remaining quite subtle!
  • Next, I use Makeup Revolution Baked Highligher in Matte Lights, but rather than using a normal sized brush, I use the biggest brush in my collection, which is the Lottie London kabuki brush, and go to town up my cheekbones with it. Being a matte highlighter, this is also fairly subtle but generally brightens the whole area without bringing all the sparkle of a normal highlighter.
  • For good fortune, I top this with a light layer of Benefit’s newest highlighter, Dandelion Sparkle, and I just use the brush that comes with it. This again is a very soft pink highlighter but starts to bring the shine!
  • To top things off, I tend to reach for my ABH x Nicole Guerriero glow kit, along with my Spectrum A10 fan brush. My go-to shades are Daydream or Kitty Kat, but if I want to be seen from space then its Forever Lit.

I just love being shiny!

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Affordable Acrylic Storage with Songmics* – GIVEAWAY!

I recently announced that Matthew has just moved in with me at my parent’s house, and that over the next few months we’ll be starting to look at buying a house and moving out, and with all this in mind, I’m not only having to think about keeping my stuff neat and tidy to make space for him, but also about how I’ll want our house to look, whenever it is that we get one.

I’m not gonna lie to you, I have a lot of makeup. Sure, its probably less than some, but its in no way a small collection, and up until recently, it lives for the majority of the time on my bedroom floor in front of my wardrobe mirror, and anything that’s not been on the floor has been in a box file on a shelf. Not stylish, and not practical at all, so when I was recently contacted by the lovely guys from Songmics and asked if I’d like to receive some acrylic makeup storage, I couldn’t say no! Songmics are a German brand that specialise in practical and stylish home storage and organisation, and their products are available in the UK and worldwide via Amazon.

I’ve eyed up various acrylic storage solutions before, such as Muji and even Ikea, but have always been put off by the price tag, but the two tier organiser that Songmics sent me is only £15.99, and if you’re an Amazon Prime member, hello free next day delivery! But let’s talk about the product..

My first impressions were that it was a lot sturdier than I had thought, which was great as I was worried that it might be thin and cheap feeling – definitely not the case! My second worry was that I didn’t think that one organiser was going to fit much of my makeup in, and while it doesn’t fit everything, I did manage to fit a LOT more than I thought I would – in fact, I managed to fit all of my day to day essentials and then some!

This organiser is actually comprised of two sections, with the top lifting off of the drawers, and the components are all designed to be stackable, so I can buy an extra set of drawers which I can fit into the mix, should I want to expand!

I’ve used the top section for all of my most used products – foundation, mascara, brow palette, favourite lipsticks etc – then organised the drawers into eyes and face, with the two smaller top drawers being my eyeliners and eyeshadows, then the larger bottom drawers are blushers/bronzers in one, and highlighers in the other.

If I’m being a little picky, I wish there was more room for palettes, as I’ve only been able to fit two in the slots at the back, but I’m definitely a convert to the acrylic storage club, and I’m already thinking about what else I can get to add to my setup to get the rest of my stuff in!

Want to win your own? The guys over at Songmics have got another two tier organiser with one of your names on it, just enter below and the winner will be announced on October 4th! (Widget isn’t supported on all browsers, so if you have any issues just click the link below!)

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*I was sent this product to review, but all views are my own
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KIKO Perfect Gel Duo Review

I’m gonna say something that will probably shock a good percentage of girls and beauty bloggers right now: I have never had my nails done professionally. This is partly down to being awkward and the fact that I find making conversation with a hairdresser difficult enough when I’m not face to face with them, but also partly due to the fact that I have good natural nails and am skilled with a nail varnish, so the idea of having to pay for someone else to do what I can do a pretty good job of myself isn’t one I’m too keen on.

So instead I spend my money on nail varnish in every shade under the sun.

The problem I do find though is that I’m clumsy, and have a tendency to smudge or chip at least one nail within the first two days of a fresh paint, so when I recently discovered my love of KIKO nail products, and then they ran a buy 3, get 3 free offer, I decided to try my luck with an ‘at home’ gel manicure.

First impressions

I chose the shade Milk Mint, and its exactly what I expected it to be based on the online image. I’d describe it as one shade lighter than a Tiffany’s box, and I love it. The packaging is cute, but I worried that the lid was going to be a little bulky to hold while painting, but lo and behold, the silver cap actually pops off to reveal a less pretty but more practical sized lid – yay!

Application

This is genuinely no different to any other nail paint. Slap on two coats of colour, give it 2 mins then one layer of top coat and you’re good to go after a few minutes of air-drying. Simples.

Wear and tear

Like I mentioned earlier, the first few days are always the riskiest ones for me, but I didn’t have a problem at all; not a smudge, not a chip. I then road-tested it to the max as I then spent my weekend doing DIY.. I’m gonna be honest, they’re not intact, but they held up very well considering I was moving bulky furniture, painting, filling, sanding and all sorts. The clear difference I would note is that with the gel topcoat, rather than chipping like most nail polish, it tends to peel off in larger portions – an incident with some masking tape took of half a nail in one go, oops!

Had it not been for the DIY, however, I am really impressed with the results! Some nails did remain intact, and in comparison to my regular KIKO smart nail lacquers, they definitely lasted longer and kept cleaner and neater.

What I loved most was the fact I didn’t have to do anything special – no UV lights, no special remover, just straight foward nail care that just lasts longer! Oh, and they’re on sale at £5 at the moment, who wouldn’t love that?

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Cruelty Free Beauty Brands That Won’t Break The Bank

When it comes to makeup, we’re all trying to find those products that we not only fall in love with, but can actually afford to buy without taking out a small mortgage or selling a kidney, and in today’s society its also becoming so important to support brands that are setting the best example for others and paving the way towards a cruelty free future for all.

If you’re getting into cruelty free, these are my absolute favourite brands, not just because I love their products, but also because they’re readily available on the high street and with the exception of a few palettes or gift sets, I bet you won’t spend more than £10 on any single item!

NYX Professional Makeup

NYX’s matte lipstick is without a doubt my favourite lipstick formula out of anything else I’ve tried, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen any reviews that aren’t absolutely glowing. The only item I’ve paid more than £10 was my beautiful bright eyeshadow, and for £16 I think that was still an absolute steal!

Barry M

Long gone are the days when Barry M was only known for nail varnish and dazzle dust, and now they are smashing the beauty game out of the park. I’ve always been a fan of their original products, but recent releases like lip kits and highlighting palettes have been taking the beauty blogosphere by storm and did you see my recent post about this Clinique dupe?

Makeup Revolution

This CF brand has been a real game changer, and while some slate them for it, Makeup Revolution has been bringing incredible dupes that are not only cruelty free but super affordable, as well as an amazing selection of palettes and other products. I can pretty much guarantee you won’t spend more than £10 on any single item, and you and your bank balance will be very happy!

Kiko Cosmetics

A more recent discovery of mine, Kiko has an incredible selection of products from beauty to skincare and accessories. My favourite products are their nail varnishes, which come in such an incredible selection of colours, making the nail painting addict in me very happy! The stores aren’t everywhere, but there’s free delivery on all orders over £25 online!

Spectrum Collections

You’ve stocked up on products, now get your hands on the best brushes in my opinion! I fell for the pretty designs but stayed for the great quality, and now all my brushes are Spectrum. They’re handmade, cruelty free and vegan friendly, and they’re now also available in Boots!

If you’ve got any recommendations for other cruelty free brands, please share in the comments below!

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Kiko Cosmetics Sale Haul

So last week I had a day alone in Manchester, so naturally I gravitated towards the Trafford Centre, and after a morning of working away in Starbucks, I treated myself to an afternoon of shopping. I hit pretty much every store that had a sale sign in the window, and one store that caught my eye particularly was Kiko Milano.

Despite being well aware that I own enough makeup as it is, I always love trying new brands, and when that brand is not only having a massive summer sale but is also cruelty free, there was no stopping me, but I did only spend £25!

The first thing that caught my eye stepping into the store was the display of gloriously bright nail varnishes. I’ve always loved having colourful nails, and while I have always sworn by Barry M when it comes to nail products, over recent years they’ve opted to diversify and their original collection of nail paints just aren’t available in as many colours as they used to be. As soon as I saw the wall of Kiko Smart Nail Lacquers I fell in love, but not wanting to go too overboard I just chose two, which are actually two shades very similar to my favourite Barry’s that aren’t available anymore, and they’re only £2 each, so win win!

Nearer to the checkout, they also had a few ‘mini’ nail varnishes at just £1 each so I decided to nab two of those as well!

Next up, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this STUNNING matte finishing powder – its so creamy and blendable, plus its fine and super light! I also grabbed this pretty blush for just £3.80, which is also super light feeling and the shade, Breathtaking Azalea, is perfect for spring/summer looks.

Lastly, while I’m not normally one for individual eyeshadows, I decided to pick up this little duo-shadow because the colour combination was super pretty and very me. Its not the most pigmented, but the two shades compliment each other wonderfully and its perfect for a subtle look, which is more my style anyway!

Have you tried any Kiko products before? I’d love to hear any recommendations!

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The £5 Clinique Highlighter Dupe

I never have and never will claim to be a real beauty blogger. When I do write about makeup, I write as a girl who just likes wearing it (and buying way too much of it), so while I might not have the expertise of most, I still like to give it a good go every now and then. The discovery of today’s dupe was purely accidental, and I actually owned and used the dupe before I came across the high-end equivalent.

I’m the first to admit that I have a problem when it comes to highlighters. I’d say they’re my weakness when it comes to makeup but I have many other weaknesses too so I’m not sure if it counts, but it was due to this weakness that I made this discovery. You see, when I wracked up enough points on my Sephora card back in February to claim some free gifts, when I was offered a free Clinique chubby stick highlighter, I snapped that badboy up without a second thought, but with so many highlighters in my collection, it was only recently that I actually thought I’d give it a go.

So there I am, sat in front of my mirror with that new product buzz going on, when I was struck with deja vu – have I used this before? I was questioning my sanity when I realised where I’d seen the same results before: from my Barry M Strobe Cream, shade Frosty Pink, which I’d bought months before for a mere £4.49. Now I know my chubby stick was a free gift, but it retails for £19.50 so that’s quite a difference..

Wanna see?

Left: Barry M, Right: Clinique

Top: Clinique, Bottom: Barry M

As you can see from the swatches, there’s hardly any difference in shade between the two. The Clinique does have a creamier formula, and possibly gives a little more shine than Barry’s, but I actually prefer the lightweight feel of the BM strobe cream, and its just as long-lasting.

If a £15 difference in price isn’t enough of a selling point, let’s not forget that Barry M is cruelty free and vegan friendly, and if Frosty Pink isn’t your jam, this is just one of four shades that its available in!

I know which one I use more often..

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Mid-Year Beauty Blog Sale!

Hey gang! I’m in serious need of a declutter, especially when it comes to my makeup collection, so I decided to do my first ever blog sale, yay!

All of these items are either unused, just swatched or hardly touched, they’re just items I find I’m not reaching for anymore (or ever have!), and I’m just looking for them to go to good homes where they will be appreciated.

Postage will be Royal Mail second class, £2 for one item or £3.50 for 2 or more. To buy, please comment with which items you’d like and your email address, or email lottie@lottiemartin.com. Payment is via Paypal only.

Love and Light hand cream – £2 – No Drought dry shampoo – £5

ALL SOLD

Makeup Revolution palettes (Left is Iconic 3, right is Essential Mattes 2) – £2 each – Freedom Makeup Future Brights palette – £1.50

ALL SOLD

Makeup Revolution Matte Effect foundation in Ivory, I Heart Makeup No Shine Please primer, Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base foundation in FB02 – £1.50 each

ALL SOLD

Left to right and swatches bottom to top – Mac x Ellie Goulding in Without Your Love, Mac Wash and Dry in Steam Heat, Mac Frost in Costa Chic, Mac Toledo in Barbecue

£10 each, or two for £18

Winky Lux lipstick in Corallo – £8

I bought this ‘Mac’ lipstick off eBay. It turned out to be a fake but its still a really nice shade (top swatch) – £6

Left to right/Bottom to top – Barry M lipstick – £2, Rimmel Kate Moss – £1, Barry M lip stain – £3 (this will be a brand new, still in packaging version, I accidentally bought the same shade twice!)

Mac x Ellie Goulding bronzer/blush duo – £9, Sephora Collection blush – £6

HD Pro banana finishing powder – £3, NYX baked blush – £4, Freedom Makeup blush – £1

I Heart Makeup Bronze and Glow/Light and Glow palettes – £3 each

Sleek Makeup colour correcting palette – £4, NYX concealer in fair – £3, Makeup Revolution The One concealer stick – £1

Sale will be based on a first come, first served basis. Payment is required within 48 hours to secure item or it will be offered to the next person.

Happy shopping!

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Get Sparkly For Summer

Who else is mega excited that the sun has finally started making an appearance?!

Sun means summer, and summer means beach days, festivals and pretty much every day is an excuse to be your best and sparkliest self – so get sparkly!

As a self-confessed highlighter addict, I make my love of all things sparkly pretty obvious, and here are a bunch of products that are perfect to get you shining away this summer:

Unicorn Heart highlighter from I Heart Makeup

I don’t reach for this highlighter nearly as much as I should do, but its multicoloured shine is perfect for music festivals and carnivals.

Barry M Dazzle Dust

I’ve loved Dazzle Dust since I was a teenager; its super pigmented and lasts really well, plus it feels so light! I have quite a few brighter shades, but at the moment I’m loving Aphrodite, which is a shell-pinky/nude which works amazing as a loose powder eyeshadow, but also when lightly dusted on your cheekbones as an extra shiny highlight.

Dandelion Twinkle from Benefit

I’m really a sucker for everything from Benefit’s Dandelion range, but I couldn’t help but pick up this new highlighter when I was last in Sephora and its so pretty!

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmer Bar from Lush

This just sorta fell into my basket when I was last in Lush.. Its a cocoa butter based bar which has the most beautiful vanilla scent, and is packed with environmentally friendly glitter! Its essentially a moisturiser which leaves you super sparkly, but you can also use it as a solid perfume and a highlighter. Rub it all over your arms and legs to sparkle away on a night out!

Illuminating Strobe Cream in Frosty Pink from Barry M

Not only is this a fab product for under £5, but this is also a highstreet dupe of Clinique’s Chubby Stick highligter which is £19.50!

Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

Remember when I bought this back in February and fell in love with it? Well I’m still in love with it and its going to be my best friend through the summer. Full review and swatches here!

What are your favourite summer beauty products?

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Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow Palette

I’m gonna say something controversial: the Sweet Peach eye palette did not excite me. Aside from the peach scent, I couldn’t find any reason to justify the money for shades that I probably wouldn’t wear very often.

Now when they released the Glow palette on the other hand, it hit all the spots for me, and when I finally got to see it in person I knew that I’d be taking it home with me. Not a drop of regret.

The palette consists of a highligher, a blusher and a bronzer, and that peach smell every time I open the lid is just too perfect. The packaging is, of course, adorable, from the tin to the peachy pattern on the product itself. And speaking of the product..

Top – highlighter, Middle – blush, Bottom – bronzer

Oh. So. Creamy. All three are so buttery and soft, and blend so nicely – honestly I feel like its a pleasure to apply them, not to mention how nice my face smells with them on. The shades are subtle but buildable, and all compliment each other so well! Considering its a ‘highlight’ palette, my favourite product is actually the blusher; peachy shades are my faves so this ticked every box for me, and I prefer this one to the stand-alone blush from the collection. I also love the fact that the bronzer isn’t too dark, because nothing annoys me more as a pale girl than bronzers that look like war paint, but it does come out a little orange if over-applied. As for the highligher, its pretty, subtle and perfect for a more natural look, but also the golden undertones make it versatile for an evening look too.

I’m not a big eyeshadow person, so I’m really glad that Too Faced released more face products to the Sweet Peach range, and considering the individual blushers are £25, and this retails at £34 and includes two more products, so its more cost effective, right?

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Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

If you caught my Sephora haul post a few weeks back, you’ll have seen that my favourite purchase was this beauty of a glow kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I knew I wanted one before I set off for my trip, having lusted over all of the glow kits for a long time, but holding off for a slightly better exchange rate!This is actually my first ABH purchase ever, so I was praying that they would live up to the hype, but after swatching the hell out of the sample palette, I knew I was gonna be happy as a clam.

So this is the Nicole Guerriero collab glow kit – a palette of six beautiful highlighters in gorgeous pinks, peaches, and copper/golden tones. It was, in fact, the only glow kit that Sephora had in stock, but it didn’t bother me because it seemed absolutely perfect. I fell in love with the packaging, the shades and the product instantly.

What sets these highlighters above any other powder highlighter I’ve ever tried before is how gloriously smooth and buttery they feel; it’s almost creamy to touch. The pigmentation is, as I’d expected, amazing, with all of these swatches done with a single stroke.

The shades are super diverse, with Forever Lit being the brightest and whitest highlight I’ve ever seen and 143 being ideal for a summer bronzed look. My absolute favourite is Daydream as I’m a real sucker for peach tones! Generally, I use my fan brush for application, but if I want a more strobed feel then I actually use my fingers to draw down my cheekbones and blend it out!

Needless to say, I 100% recommend this for anyone who’s thinking about it – I really can’t find fault, and as a self-confessed highlighter addict, I know I’m going to reaching for this so often that it justifies the price tag for me.

If you’ve got the palette I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, drop me a comment!

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My Sephora Haul!

I’m gonna be honest, I was more excited about visiting Sephora in Disney Springs than any other store. Sarah and I basically regressed to kids in a candy store, and not only did we spend more (and money!) in there than I’d care to admit, I stayed sparkly for days afterwards as a result of all the highlighter swatches that ended up on my hands and arms..

Brace yourselves.

This was my first time shopping in Sephora for myself, having only browsed or picked up items for friends who begged me, and as well as being super chuffed with everything I put into my basket, I was also thrilled to bits when I signed up for a loyalty card at the checkout, only to be rewarded with freebie products too!

I know that I can get Benefit products in the UK, but I’ve never seen Dandelion Dew back home, and its a gorgeous shade of pink cream pigment that acts as both a blush and highlighter (two of my beauty weaknesses in one!). I’ve also been eyeing up the powder for a while now, but couldn’t justify the cost of it, so to discover it in a mini version meant I just had to treat myself! I also picked up a mini NARS combo of the iconic Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer, and a blush from Sephora’s own brand range, in a gorgeous light pink shade: So Shy. The first of my freebie products was this matte lip crayon from Bite. The shade is dusty mauve called Pastille, and I know I have too many lipsticks but this was free so its acceptable, right?

A few more of Sephora’s own brand products also fell into my basket, courtesy of a load of good things that I’ve heard from several people, and also a little from necessity as I’d ran out of the makeup wipes I brought with me! I chose a face mask and an eye mask which I’m looking forward to trying, and pomegranate face wipes which smell amazing, and the little pouch bag was another freebie!

A bit of an impulse buy at $12, I bought the Tarte Wide Awake set, which contains their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, a little pot of the Maracuja C-Brightner eye treatment and a pair of undereye patches. As a glasses wearer, I’m a little self conscious of the dark patches that have become a permanent feature under my eyes, so I’m hoping that I might see some improvement with these goodies!

 

I’m all about highlighter – its my single biggest weakness when it comes to makeup. I also have a big weakness for anything that is peach flavoured or scented. Cue Too Faced and their Sweet Peach collection.. I’d read and watched a bunch of reviews of the highlight palette, and had ummed and ahhed, but seeing it in person convinced me, plus peachy shades do really suit my skin tone and the smell was AMAZING. Another freebie – seriously, I’m already so impressed with this loyalty card – was the Clinique chubby stick highligher, and the last and prettiest purchase was this STUNNING glow kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills. ABH glow kits were high on my look-out-for list, and the Nicole Guerriero kit was the only one they had in stock, which was fine by me because LOOK AT IT. Its perfect, and I’m almost too nervous to start using it but as I swatched every shade from the tester in store, I know they’re all beautiful!

Now excuse me while I go play with my new beauties..

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Desert Island Makeup

Desert Island Beauty

I’ve seen a lot of people on Twitter recently asking things like ‘If you could only use one eye palette, what would it be?’, and it got me thinking about all of the beauty products that I would choose above the rest – desert island makeup, as it were.

Foundation

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Alaska – I have two different NARS foundations, but this one is by far my favourite because while my skin can go from dry to oily in the blink of an eye, this goes on without a hitch and stays all day.

Powder

Rimmel Clear Complexion Transparent – this powder is an absolute godsend for preventing shine and it lasts so well!

Blusher

Freedom Makeup Pro HD refill blush in 04 – I know this little pan looks fairly unimpressive as an item but I love this shade so much!

Highlighter

Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights in Exhale – this was one of the first highligher powders I ever bought, and its definitely my most used as its so versatile. Even if I don’t fancy doing a full face of makeup, I’ll always use highlighter!

Bronzer

Benefit Sun Beam – this is kind of a cheat as I use it as a highligher as well as a bronzer, but its gold so I think it counts more as a bronzer, right?

Mascara

Eyeko Black Magic – while I see many beauty bloggers debating Benefit vs Urban Decay etc, I have sworn by Black Magic for the last 2 years. For me, it just looks the most natural and I never have any problems with clumping or nasty lumps.

Eyeliner

Barry M Kohl Pencil in brown – controversially, I don’t actually own a black eyeliner pencil.. Brown just suits me a lot more and the Barry M pencils are soft and easy to apply and also to blend out.

Eyeshadow

theBalm Nude Dude palette – this is my answer to the original question, and I would happily only ever use this palette for the rest of my life if I had to. If I could only use one shade, it would be the gorgeous gold/purple Flirty!

Brow

Benefit Ka-Brow in Light 01 – Ka Brow was the first Benefit product I ever bought, and its a total winner for all-in-one brow product for me.

Lipstick

NYX Matte Lipstick in Euro Trash – when a lipstick this good only costs £6.50, it really makes me question why I’ve spent £15-20 on MAC ones in the past! Super smooth, non-drying and long lasting, and I just love the shade.

What are your desert island choices?

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Rainbow Beauty Haul

Rainbow Colourful Beauty

Honestly I think this is my favourite beauty post yet – I just loved every part from the products to the photos!

This little haul sprung from having to be a last minute Christmas shopper this year (well, last year, but y’know). I’m normally so well prepared when it comes to buying presents, but after one company let me down and didn’t dispatch my order for two weeks – meaning on Christmas Eve it was still yet to appear – I had to go into town on the hunt of replacement gifts. I ended up in Boots, and as I scoured the NYX display for potential presents, my eye was drawn to this mutlicoloured palette of dreams..

NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights

I’ve been lusting over the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette for a little while, but as I don’t tend to go bright all the time, I couldn’t really justify the £40+ price tag, and this seemed like the perfect substitute for just £16. It was the last one on the shelf, and I couldn’t walk away without it..

Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights swatches

Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights swatches

If I had one wish, it would be that the shadows were a little more pigmented. They look so gorgeously bright in their pans, so I felt like they should have been brighter on application, rather than needing a few layers to build up. They’re a perfect creamy consistency though – not too crumbly – and the mix of mattes with a few shimmery shades gives some variety too!

Sleek Colour Corrector Palette

My other purchase was the Sleek Colour Corrector Palette – I’m a total novice to colour correcting, so I figured this compact little kit for £7.99 was a good starter!

Spectrum Fresh Face set

Finally, I know I have plenty of Spectrum brushes already, but how beautiful is the Fresh FACE set? This was actually a Christmas present, and although I already have all these brushes in their classic pink/blue style, they are my four most used brushes, and these are actually shorter in length, making them perfectly travel-sized! They also come in a matching case, which is great because I’ve been wanting a smaller makeup bag for a while now.

I can’t wait to have more of a play with these pieces and add some more colour to my face!

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Christmas Makeup Staples

We all change up our beauty routines a little with seasonal change, but Christmas is definitely the biggest party time; time for gold and sparkles and festive glow!

This year especially, I’ve seen a big change in my makeup style, and with the Christmas season on its way, I’ve moved away from nude and peachy tones, and have started incorporated more rich, golden tones on my face, shimmery shades on my eyes and deeper reds on my lips, and a few products have stood out as I’ve been reaching for them more and more.

Christmas Makeup

Sun Beam

Controversially, I’m not a big fan of High Beam from Benefit, but Sun Beam is probably my most used liquid highligher at the moment. It leaves such a wonderful glow on my cheeks, without looking too bronze against my oh-so pale natural skin colour.

Golden Lights and Peach Lights

Makeup Revolution highlighters are my life; I probably have most of them! My most recent purchase was this palette, featuring Golden, Peach and Pink Lights, and while the latter is more of a summery shade, the first two are really shimmery and perfect for Christmas parties!

Matte Trimony Matt Kumar eyeshadow

I never used to be much of an eyeshadow person, but in recent months I’ve been loving it a lot more. I got this sample from theBalm in my Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix, and its an ideal Christmas shade: a deep red/burgundy, which blends really well with nude shades and looks great with a bit of shimmer over the top – I blend it with Fit from the Nude Dude palette!

OPI Glitzerland

I’ve had this nail varnish for a few years now, and only ever seem to bring it out at Christmas! Its sparkly, without being overly glittery, and also a fairly light shade so can match a lot of outfits.

Nyx Lip Primer in Deep Nude

This is an all year round staple for me, but especially for the party season, keeping my lipstick in place is so important! I love how easy this is to apply, and how it doesn’t feel too sticky or slimy, and it works!

Colourburst Matte Balm in Standout

I have 5 different shades of these lipsticks from Revlon, but Standout for me is a Christmas shade all over. Its a deep red, can last all night with minimal effort, and I like its pencil style design for easy application

What are your Christmas beauty faves?

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TheBalm Nude Dude Palette Review

When it comes to makeup, I’ve gone from being very much a rookie to slightly less rookie-like fairly quickly in recent months. I’ve always liked makeup, but my old job didn’t really give me any reason to wear it (in fact, I’d probably be taken less seriously if I did wear it), but even when I did go to the effort of sprucing up my face a little, it would generally just be a bit of mascara, brows and face as, as a glasses wearer, eyeshadow has always felt a little pointless.

This palette can only really be described as a gamechanger for me.

It all came about when I chose a sample in my Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix; I received an adorable tiny version of the palette containing just the shade Flirty, and I fell in love. It was creamy and easy to apply, and even now I have the whole palette its still my favourite shade of the bunch, bright enough to stand out as a colour, rather than just a neutral shade, but also subtle enough to be used for an everyday look.

So I bought the whole palette..

TheBalm Nude Dude review

TheBalm Nude Dude review

The packaging is, of course, part of the fun of this palette. Its the sequel to Nude ‘Tude, which I’ve not tried but from looking at the shades I definitely prefer this one – its a fab combination of nudes with a few pops of colour, matte and shimmery shades, and I find myself reaching for this on an almost daily basis.

Depending on the brush you use, the shadows can go a little powdery; I find that the brush included in the palette causes quite a lot of flaking on the palette, but my soft Spectrum brushes don’t produce much mess at all. Pigmentation wise, let’s look at the swatches shall we?

Top to bottom: Fearless, Fabulous, Faithful, Flawless, Firm, Fit, Fiesty, Flirty, Funny, Friendly, Fine, Fierce

While I’ve read some reviews that slate the lighter shades of this palette, I was fairly impressed by them as I often find lighter colours barely show up on my skin. I’m not one for darker shades on my eyes (glasses problems), but they apply smoothly and are nicely pigmented.

I prefer the shimmery shades to the matte – Flawless and Fiesty are a little blah for me – but all the shades blend really easily and there are some fab combinations; Fabulous, Faithful and Flirty is my absolute favourite and possibly the best makeup look I’ve created in my lifetime.

I know I’m a little late to the party with this palette, as its been available for some time now, but I have absolutely no regrets and I might go as far as saying its the best beauty purchase I’ve made this year.

Have you tried this palette? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Great Ways to Try New Beauty Products

Testing Beauty Products

Sometimes I wish brands would stop releasing so many great products. I mean, I own 40 lipsticks (a fact I’ve recently discovered) but that doesn’t make me any less likely to treat myself to a new one every now and then.

See, the problem with beauty products is that, sure, you can test them in store, but in the end you have to take the plunge and buy the product, and then pray that you like it as much as that little swatch on your hand. But what if you don’t? You’ve then gotta go through the hassle of Depop-ing that ‘swatched only’ product and deal with a bunch of people offering you £5 inc p+p for something you dropped £25 on.

So what should you be doing instead?

Minis

Minis are most commonly found in perfume form, but did you know that brands like Benefit also do scaled down sizes of their best selling products? Boots do selections at 3 for £25 or 4 for £15 here, and not only do they make it easy for you to try out great products for a fraction of the price, but they’re also perfect travel sized products!

Magazine samples

I can’t be the only one who chooses magazines based on the free gift, right? Sure, its less of a big deal with grown-up magazines, but I still get a little excited when I see a free nail varnish or beauty sample, and even if there isn’t a free gift as such, they’re often still full of hidden gems like perfume samples!

Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix

This is my favourite discovery this year. The Pick’n’Mix scheme is simple and brilliant: choose 5 products out of a huge selection of what’s available, and pay just £3.95 to cover postage. This £3.95 is then returned to you in the form of a voucher to spend against a future purchase, should you fall in love with what you tried. Not only does it give you a free way of trying products, but there’s such a wide range of products, you might try something you’d never think about before. You can only do this once a month, but already I’ve tried NARS, Trilogy, NudebyNature, Benefit, theBalm and much more!

Have you tried any great products recently?

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My Beauty Confessions

I’m back again for another monthly rendition of confessions, yay!

I hope everyone else likes these posts as much as I do, its so therapeutic writing them and I really do love a good bit of banter with myself. If I make myself laugh that’s all that matters right?

My Beauty Confessions

Quite often I really fail as a girl, and beauty is an area where I would consider myself to be pretty weak, and I don’t mean that in a ‘I’m not pretty’ way, I just mean that I’m generally quite unskilled in terms of makeup and sometimes I don’t brush my hair. Ready? Let’s confess!

Foundation is the biggest faff

Finding one that matches my skin, then bothering to blend it out and make sure I didn’t miss the random bits by my temples that I always seem to forget about. Just ugh, my skin is ok enough..

Sometimes I clean my brushes with micellar water

Or a makeup wipe. I know its probably really bad and its only ever a quick fix, but it just makes my life easier to give them a quick rub and dry and be on my way again.

I only started bothering to do my brows a few months ago

And I still don’t do them often. Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessive with tweezers so they’re always in pretty good shape, but going through the daily routine of filling them in and making sure they’re balanced (they never are, just FYI) can all be too much sometimes

I’m useless with concealer

I feel like this is the one thing that everyone should be good at if nothing else, but I just seem to highlight the dark circles under my eyes rather than covering them. Please someone teach me.

I don’t own a single lip liner

Considering I am a perpetual lipstick buyer, this one’s a shock to a lot of people. Lipstick and lip balm are absolute staples of mine, but I generally won’t buy anything else lip related.

I also don’t own a black eyeliner pencil

Liquid liner, yes, but pencil? Nope! I probably have every other colour under the sun; I tell people I went through a phase of only wearing coloured eyeliners, which is a lie because I never grew out of it and still do to this day..

Sometimes I use highlighter on my whole face

To be specific, my Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights highlighter. It makes me feel sparkly.

I don’t use primer

I rarely use any product on my face

Most of the time I put on makeup, its just for funsies

Sometimes I just sit and put on makeup, then take it all off again. Quite honestly, I need the practice.

If its late and I’m tired/drunk, I won’t take my makeup off before crashing into bed

And in the morning, I’ll often just patch it up to make myself presentable rather than taking it off. Classy, right?

Ok, I’m ready to be banished from girl world now..

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Cruelty Free Beauty Haul

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for a while now because I’m really trying make more of an effort to choose cruelty free products because frankly, I love animals, and animal testing is not cool.

Cruelty Free Beauty

First up, being in desperate need of new makeup brushes, and having featured Spectrum brushes in my Beach Wishlist post, there was no question which ones I was going to get! I went for the 10 piece essential set – the dreamy pink handled blue and purple design – and Siren Smoke eye brushes.

Spectrum Brushes

Spectrum Brushes Siren Smoke

Safe to say I’m in love with them; they’re super soft, so easy to clean and work like a dream, not to mention looking prettier than my makeup itself!

NYX makeup

Next up, I finally found the NYX counter in Bournemouth, yay!! I already had a vague idea of what products I wanted to try, so it was a pretty easy shopping trip. If you read my July favourites post, you’ll have seen I featured the matte Euro Trash lipstick which has become my new everyday favourite shade, and it lasts all day without budging, especially when paired with the lip primer, which I got in deep nude. Being a big lipstick person, I figured it would be a good idea to get a primer as I hate having to worry about whether its wearing off during the day.

Finally, I bought the Sculpt and Highlight Brow Contour, in blonde/ivory, and Mineral Matte Finishing Powder. While I prefer doing my eyebrows with a pallette, this little double-ended pencil and highlighter is perfect for on-the-go fixes, and also great for travelling with. I’m still getting used to using loose powder, but it feels really light and does a great job evening out my skin tone and taking away shine.

Winky Lux lipstick

Top to Bottom: Poppy, Corallo, Plush

Top to Bottom: Poppy, Corallo, Plush

Winky Lux lipsticks

Finally, a brand I stumbled across while browsing Asos: Winky Lux, which is an up and coming US brand. I instantly became obsessed with several of their products, namely their lipsticks, and while I probably could have bought every shade available, I settled on three to start off with; Poppy, a bright pinky/red, Corallo, a light nude shade and Plush, a bright yet deep pink. First up, isn’t the packaging so beautiful? The tubes are actually pretty little, but I like that as they’d fit into a pocket quite easily and I love the gold and silver design. As for the lipsticks themselves, they’re super soft and pigmented – those swatches were one stroke! They have a matte finish (my fave) while still feeling rich and moisturising, and have a vanilla-y flavour much like MAC lipsticks do. I’m a happy bunny!

What do you think of my haul? If you have any cruelty free brands to share, drop me a comment!

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What’s in my Makeup Bag?

I have an interesting relationship with makeup; although I have always liked wearing it, I can go months and months not without it, and I definitely wouldn’t say I need it in my life. Recently, my love for makeup has been rekindled, and you may have noticed I’ve been writing about it a lot more – although I will never consider myself a beauty blogger! – so I thought I’d do a classic ‘what’s in my bag’ post today!

What's in my Makeup Bag

First up, I love my makeup bag so much. Its practical and cute and glittery and Disney related, and that makes me super happy. But you want to know what’s in it, right? I generally keep it pretty minimal when it comes to what I take out of the house with me; I mean, I keep my makeup fairly minimal most of the time anyway, but I’m not gonna lug things like concealer or blusher around with me cos if that wears off during the day, its really not the end of the world in my eyes.

Face: I always pack my Rimmel Clear Complexion powder; its translucent so I don’t have to worry about applying it in a rush or in a poorly lit bathroom because it basically just works to take away any excess shine. I’m also obsessed with highlighter, and Makeup Revolution’s Radiant Light in Exhale is my absolute favourite at the moment! For both of these I use my Lottie London kabuki brush because its compact and is perfect for applying powder products.

Eyes and brows: Eyeko Black Magic is my favourite mascara right now; I have a half-sized one which makes it ideal for putting in my makeup bag, and then I just pack whichever eyeliner colour is the pick of the day – spoiler alert, its either brown or blue Barry M kohl pencil! Blue eyeliner is a quirk a picked up when I was about 13, and its stuck with me ever since! When it comes to brows, I pack my little I ❤ Makeup brow kit from Makeup Revolution because its got everything I need from powder to a teeny pair of tweezers.

Lips: Massive lip balm obsessive I am, I generally always have at least one Eos ball with me at any given time – I keep one in my car, one at work, one loose in my handbag etc – but its the tangerine one I save for my makeup bag because as well as moisturising qualities, its also medicated to protect against cold sores! I’m also a slight hoarder or lipstick, so its not uncommon for me to have at least 4-5 in my bag, but generally for everyday wear, I wear Only You from the MAC Ellie Goulding collection!

A nail file and a compact are generally floating around in there too, along with a bunch of hairbands, just cos..

What’s in your makeup bag?

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Brows and Nudes; Another Makeup Revolution Haul

So back in March I posted my first Makeup Revolution haul, and declared my new love for the brand, so I was really looking forward to doing another big shop, and once again I’m so happy with everything that I felt the need to share!

Makeup Revolution Haul

All of this? Under £35.

Makeup Revolution Brow Kit

Ok, I’m gonna make a confession now: I am way behind on the brow game. If I’m being 100% honest, I’ve never done my brows properly before, only ever had them done by a MUA friend of mine. Please don’t hate me. WELL I decided to catch up by buying three brow kits, and I’m so happy with all of them. The Ultra Brow palette was £7.99 and basically has everything you could possibly need, including a pencil, highlighter and arch cream. This is definitely the kit I would use when doing my makeup at home before going out, then the two mini kits are perfect handbag size! The Focus and Fix Kit was £2.50 and the I ❤ Makeup kit was £2.99, and they both contain pretty much the same shades – these are all fair-medium – and I love that they all have a tiny brush and pair of tweezers!

Makeup Revolution highlighter

One of the products I hear the best reviews of from other bloggers is Makeup Revolution highlighters, and most of them are almost always sold out, but I managed to snag these two from the Radiant Light collection – Exhale and Glow. Exhale has a very light pinky tone to it, and Glow is more golden, and they both suit my needs to a tee, plus they look so pretty!

Makeup Revolution The One Blush

I thought I’d take a chance on this blush stick; I’m normally quite particular about blush but as peachy/coral tones work well for me and it was only £2.50, it seemed like a good buy. I’m so happy with it! I had no idea it could work for lips as well, which is an absolute bonus, and I just love how well it works. For day-to-day use, I use my foundation brush, swiping it across the top of the stick then apply to my cheeks. The shade is perfect and its really pigmented and buildable.

Makeup Revolution palette

Makeup Revolution lipstick

Makeup Revolution Lip Power

I also got two more eyeshadow palettes, cos at £4 each who can complain really? These are Essential Mattes 2 (left) and Iconic 3 (right), and the shades are actually almost identical for both, just matte versus shimmer. Both are totally fab for natural looks, and such a great range of nude colours. After being slightly disappointed with the lipsticks I got last time, I was a tad dubious when choosing two more in this shop, but the shades looked good and for the price it was worth a shot, so I chose the Iconic Pro lipstick in Looking Ahead, and Lip Power in It’s My Life, and I’m so glad I did! Looking Ahead is exactly what I hoped it would be; not too thick and exactly the shade I expected, and Its My Life is also perfect! I hadn’t realised it had a gloss as well as lipstick, but the lipstick is very nude and matte, with the gloss adding shine if desired. Safe to say, they’re both going to become firm favourites of mine, and both of them came to under £4!

Once again, the guys at Makeup Revolution have made me a very happy girl!

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Spring Favourites

In my almost 3 years of blogging (WHAT?!), I don’t think I’ve actually done a ‘favourites’ post!

So although the weather still hasn’t completely decided its spring yet, the brighter mornings and occasional blue skies and sunshine has got me feeling like we might just be going in the right direction towards summer, and there are a few things I’m loving right now, so I’m gonna share them!

Spring Favourites

Hollister lace skirt – I’m rarely one for brands like Hollister, but I stumbled across this little beauty on Asos and I’m so glad I did! The lace is so pretty, and it looks cute with or without tights making it perfect for the changing Spring temperatures.

Tone It Up mini resistance bands – you may have seen these in the set I featured in my fitness wishlist last month, and seeing as I caved and bought it, I’ve been loving everything about these, from the colour to the ease of adding them to my workouts!

MAC x Ellie Goulding lipstick in Without Your Love – remember how excited I was with my MAC Ellie Gouling haul back in January? Well I’m still just as in love with it now I was I was back then, and I’m really feeling this shade right now!

The Fitness Marshall – if you haven’t already seen one of these amazing dance workout videos on Youtube, check them out now. Ah-MAY-zing!

Nikki McWilliams custard cream purse – I bought this back in January, buts its now, when I want to use my cute little handbags that are too small for my big purse, that its really coming into its own.

The Comforter shower gel – I always feel a little late to the Lush party, and right now with our bathroom under refurb I’m pretty limited in my product usage, but I bought a bottle of this back in February and I’m only just getting round to using it! Its purply-pink, glittery and smells AMAZING, and foams up into pink bubbly goodness, yay!

What are you loving right now?

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My First Makeup Revolution Haul

I’ve seen so many rave reviews about Makeup Revolution from beauty bloggers, I had to know what this hype was all about.

SONY DSC

I will be totally honest, I was a little dubious when I saw the prices. I’m not a makeup snob, but I’m a firm believer in getting what you pay for, and this stuff is cheap, hence my nerves, but when I turned to the twittersphere for advice and beauty bloggers from all over the country were telling me how much they loved the brand, I had to put my previous thoughts behind me and take the plunge.

And for all this, I paid £20 including postage. Umm..

SONY DSC

Ok, so the first thing I was told was an absolute must was a palette, and Mermaids vs Unicorns stood out because I love the name, and I love the colours. Green does not suit me, but there’s not too much of it, and blue is my jam so I was sold.

Application wise, the colours are an absolute dream; super soft and smooth and highly pigmented, and the colours stay true and hold really well over time. I don’t really like using the foam applicators normally, but it does help blend the colours well so I can’t complain!

SONY DSC

Self-confessed lipstick addict, I had to try at least one, and yes, that is a yellow lipstick, but it was on sale at 75p, I have no restraint when it comes to yellow. I wasn’t blown away by either of these, but I’m pretty fussy and considering they’re only £1, its not put me off buying again, although I’ll probably stick to darker shades.

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Foundation is the bane of my life; I am forever struggling to find a shade that suits me, so the idea of spending a lot of money on one that doesn’t work for me is not on the cards. I decided to try two different types, Ultra Face Base (£3) in FB 02 and Matte Effect (£2) in Ivory, and d’you know what? They both work for me! UFB is very lightweight but does a great job of evening out my skintone and giving a little shine to my skin, and Matte Effect is a bit heavier, but covers really well – I can’t believe I’m so happy with both of them!

Lastly, I bought The One Concealer and Awesome Double Flick thick and thin eyeliner pen. I do have dark circles under my eyes (curse of the lifetime glasses wearer), and normally I find the foundation just highlights them, so I finally decided to try a concealer to mask them a little better. The One has a soft feel to it with a creamy centre to give colour; its a little shiny, but once covered with foundation does the job! I’ve always wanted an eyeliner pen – they just look so much easier to use – so I opted for the Double Flick which has two ends of different thicknesses. I was worried the colour wouldn’t be as strong, but its super black and the fine tip allows so much detail, I’m so glad I bought it!

Overall, I’ve had to complete throw my idea of cheap makeup out the window, and I’m declaring my love of Makeup Revolution! I’ve already got a list of future purchases..

Join the revolution!

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MAC x Ellie Goulding

Have you ever seen a collaboration announced that just seemed so perfect it was made for you? Well that was me when I heard that music GODDESS Ellie Goulding was releasing a collection with makeup megastars MAC.

I waited and waited for the release, and as soon as I saw it online I rushed down to my nearest counter to check it out, only to be told that it wasn’t going to be stocked at most counters, only the major stores. Semi-heartbroken, I had to take the plunge and order online, having not seen the shades in person, but took a reassurance from the online return policy, praying I wouldn’t have to rely on it!

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After waiting patiently (stupid me placed the order on Christmas Eve, so had to wait through several bank holidays), my goodies arrived and I fell in love. The packaging was classic MAC black, glossy, with EGs logo in rose gold; simple and clean. Out of the whole collection, which also included some palettes, brushes and other products, I chose both lipsticks, both Patentpolish lip pencils, lustre drops and powder blush compact.

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Top – Only You / Bottom – Without Your Love

Self-confessed lipstick addict that I am, I fell in love with them instantly. While the two shades are relatively similar, they are perfect light pinks for a natural look, and in a Cremesheen finish to give a little bit of gloss. I also love the fact that the logo is imprinted into the side of the stick itself, as well as on the tube.

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Top – Revved Up / Bottom – Innocent

I was unsure choosing the PatentPolish lip pencils as they were described as high-gloss, and I’m not a big gloss person, but I do love a pencil applicator so I couldn’t resist. In reality, I definitely wouldn’t described them as high gloss, but for me that was a plus! Innocent is very nude, offering just a touch of shine, whereas Revved Up is a more peachy colour – again, both very natural and pretty, and the twist up pencil is a big favourite of mine.

Top - I'll Hold My Breath bronzer / Middle - I'll Hold My Breath blush / Bottom - Pink Rebel Lustre Drops

Top – I’ll Hold My Breath bronzer / Middle – I’ll Hold My Breath blush / Bottom – Pink Rebel Lustre Drops

I rarely stray from lipstick and eye products when buying makeup as I don’t normally do the whole foundation, powder etc routine, but I was so taken with this collection that I felt it was worth branching out! I really love EGs style and her makeup is always on point, and because she is fair-skinned I felt I could trust the bronzer and blush without finding it to be too dark. I love the peachy shade of the blush and the bronzer is nice and light to apply so I don’t feel like I’m going from zero to orange in a single brush stroke, yay!

I also found a new love in the Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel; relative makeup novice that I am, I find myself lost with highlighters, but this blend so nicely and gives just a slight shimmer and brightness to my skin. The pinky shade is also great for brightening dark areas.

I think its pretty clear that I love this collection, even if you ignore how much I love Ellie.. It is by far my favourite MAC collection yet, I can’t believe it wasn’t made into a bigger deal and stocked on all counters, but that’s just me!

Do you have a favourite collection?

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Lottie London Purchases

So it was a Saturday night, and I’m scrolling through Asos – this is a regular occurrence – when I see my name..

My name is not a common name; I almost had to look again to believe that what I saw was in fact true: beauty products with my name on them?

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You got it! Ok, so I can be a little behind on beauty brands, but this was news to me, and I was excited! If, like me, you have an unusual name, you probably also spent your childhood searching for a personalised mug or keyring with your name, only to be bitterly disappointed, so this makes up for it!

Another bonus of stumbling upon these beauties was that I’ve been wanting some nice new makeup brushes for a while now, so this was obviously a sign from the universe, right?

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Just to clarify here, I’m a makeup novice; I don’t wear it every day, and when I do, I don’t really know what I’m doing – if it looks good then it stays, if its a mess, it comes straight off again! With that in mind, I chose the basics: a foundation brush, powder brush and an eyeshadow brush, and also a kabuki brush.

First impressions, I love the colours of the brushes and the tips of the brushes match the colour of the handle which is a sweet little touch. The brushes themselves are actually great too; I was worried because the black part of the hairs looks and feels a little too synthetic and plastic-y, but the coloured tips are super soft and fine, like I hoped they would be!

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I also treated myself to a few other goodies – they were on sale!

For my handbag, I bought a little button compact in coral, as well as a pack of 3 mini nail files and 6 hair ties, because you can never have too many!

As a little bit of a brow obsessive, I couldn’t go without the cute yellow tweezers, and the mint eyelash curlers rounded off my purchases for the day, and I love everything I got!

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Now I didn’t just jump straight to the shopping cart, I went to Google first – what is this brand that shares my name?!

So Lottie London is a UK based cruelty free brand, which had me jumping for joy! The range spans not just brushes and accessories, but also nail varnish and other beauty products, and honestly I just felt like the brand shares my style as well as my name; my favourite colours, simple but cute designs and love of nail art, just to name a few! Oh, did I mention they were a great price?!

You can buy Lottie products from ASOS or Superdrug, and check out their webby here!

xoxo

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Beautifully Disney – Alice in Wonderland Mini Lipsticks

This week’s theme is the gloriously bizarre Lewis Carroll classic: Alice in Wonderland.

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On my last Disney World trip, I decided to treat the lipstick addict in me to one of the Beautifully Disney mini lipstick sets. After flicking through the various sets, I chose the Alice in Wonderland set based on the colours all being ones I know suit me.

The set was $24.95, which is about £16, so £4 per lipstick, and that didn’t seem totally unreasonable to me as I pay £5-10 for a full-size lipstick back home. And the really are quite mini..

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Next to one of my Barry M lipsticks, which are the smallest ones I own, it looks diddy. The packaging is very basic and plastic, but the box the set comes in is really sweet, I can’t bring myself to get rid of it!

So onto the colours! Please bear in mind I am not a beauty blogger, or even a regular makeup wearer, and other the the lipstick I’m not wearing any other makeup in the photos, and they aren’t edited so what you get is me and my honest opinions..

1. Curiouser..

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Curiouser is almost nude in colour, but is packed with glitter to give a little bit of sparkle.

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Its a little pinker than my lips, and the glitter really makes an impact so despite the nude-ish colour, I wouldn’t wear it on a day to day basis.

2. Dum de Dum

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Orange! I love orange lipstick, so this made me so excited.

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I was a little disappointed. You’d need to layer and layer it on in order to see more than a tinge of orange, which I imagine for those who aren’t quite so into orange lipstick would like as its very subtle, but for me I kinda wish it had had a little more to it.

3. Rosebud

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This is my absolute favourite, I wear it all the time. Its not quite so red as it appears in the picture above, but its a little darker than my lips, so gives a really nice hint of colour, while maintaining a very natural look.

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4. Mad As A..

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Stay with me now, its not as drastic as you may think. Yes it looks very dark, but I gave it a try, and I really do like it, although I wouldn’t wear it every day.

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You need a steady hand or a good lip liner, because the deep colour means any slight wobbles in your application is gonna show, but the beauty of that means you can also add to the shape of your lips or add more definition.

They’re not professional makeup by any means, and you do pay a slight premium for the Disney name, but they’re good little lipsticks. The size is perfect for popping in a pocket or small purse, but you might find yourself losing them in a big handbag.

°o°

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