Saturday, December 24, 2016

Blogmas Day 24 - Soap and Glory Peach party multi blush brick.


So we are finally at the end of Blogmas. I'm probably going to have a couple of days break after this and the next post up will probably be Wednesday next week. I hope you have enjoyed this months posts also! I thought I'd finish off today with a product I have been really loving this past couple of weeks so without further ado lets get into it.
 
Peach party is something I've heard so many people talk about but something I've never tried. I decided to pick it up as Soap and glory were offering a gift with purchase and I'm so glad I did. It is a beautiful bronzey peach shade which just adds so much life to the face. It s very shimmery so if you don't like a shimmery blush I would suggest you avoid this however if you do then you should definitely give it a go. The thing I love most about this is that it adds some bronze as well as some peachiness meaning it just leaves your skin looking super healthy, I also find it actually lasts really well. A lot of blushes on me seem to disappear super quickly however this one really sticks around and it doesn't do what most shimmery blushes do which is the colour disappears and just the shimmer is left behind.
 


The other thing I really like about this product is even though it is quite heavily shimmery the shimmer is nice and finally milled meaning it gives you that glow that we all want but doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball. The packaging of this product is also fantastic, it is incredibly sturdy and I feel like it would travel really well without the worry of it shattering. It also has a nice big mirror which is something I really think adds value to any compact product.
 
If you are on the look out for a peachy blush I highly recommend that you look into this one as I am so much more impressed than I thought I would be.


Friday, December 23, 2016

Blogmas Day 23- Blogging goals for 2017

 
I feel like I've really neglected my blog this year as I've got more and more into Youtube and in all honesty I really miss being able to sit down and write a post and enjoy doing it. I've been forcing content out all year and I feel like I was more bothered about quantity rather than quality. Today I thought I would get some blogging goals down so I can look back at them in a year and hopefully I will be much happier with my blog.
 
1. Go for quality over quantity.
 
In the first few months of the year I am going to drop myself down to 3 posts a week. I got to the point where 4 was impossible but I was more focused on getting out the content and giving myself a break. I'm also not going to panic if I haven't got a post. I'm sure you would rather have one fab post than three mediocre posts with crappy photography.
 
2. Work on my photography.
 
You will all probably know that at the beginning of last year I bought myself a DSLR and to be quite honest I have little idea of how to use it properly. I'm going to be working a lot harder with my photography and I'm going to be doing a lot of reading up on my camera.  
 
3. Step out of my Niche.
 
I love beauty, I always will but I also want to feel happy about posting other content on my blog. Every time I put a post up which isn't beauty related I panic about if people will be interested in it or are they just here for the beauty. I feel like in the past couple of weeks I have realised that if someone doesn't want to read a post that's fine as someone else may really enjoy reading it.
 
4. Interact more.
 
I used to comment on so many blogs and recently I have pretty much stopped completely, in the new year I am going to make time to tell someone how much I love their photography or how interesting their post was.
 
So that's it for todays post. I am aware this is only a few goals but I didn't want to overload myself.
 
Cole x


Thursday, December 22, 2016

Blogmas Day 22 ¦ Makeup collection - The run down - Palettes


I am here today with Part 4 of my makeup collection today. This time we are talking all thing palettes. Most of these are eye palettes however I do have a few face palettes. So without further ado lets get into it!
 

 
Starting off these are  a few of my favourite palettes, first we have my Z palettes which contain all my Makeup geek shadows. If you want to know what shades I have in my palette I have written a full post with full swatches here. I also have my Smashbox Shape matters palette which I got last Christmas and is the best for traveling as it has Contour products, brow products and eyeshadows. I also have one of the Nars Limited edition Christmas face palettes from 2014 I think.
 

 
I have a couple of Makeup revolution palettes, first off we have the Iconic pro palette which is meant to be a dupe for the Lorac Pro palette. I then have one of the mixed palettes which has some contour palettes and then I have the Golden sugar volume 2 Rose gold edition. I also have my Rose gold Zoeva contour and blush palette and the Urban Decay Naked .
 

I love the Zoeva palettes and I have all three out of the latest collection. I have the Cocoa blend, Blanc fusion and Caramel melange. These are absolutely gorgeous and are some of my favourite palettes. I also have the Balm's Nude tude palette which I have to say isn't my favourite it is a strange combination of shades.
 
 
I definitely don't use these ones as much as I should. I have the Illamasqua Multi facet palette in Aura, a Collection face palette, my Makeup obsession custom palette and a mini kit called Luv it up from Benefit.
 

Finally we have a couple of my favourites and a couple that I don't ever reach for, I have the Balm Balm voyage which I have to say isn't one I ever use. I has 16 eye shadows and 3 Cream blushes/lip product. I have the Stila in the light palette which is so talked about on the internet and is a really nice basic palette. Another one of my favourite palettes has to be the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette. Finally I have the Benefit Real cheeky party which was last years cheek release.
 
So that's it for today I hope you enjoyed this post and don't forget to come back tomorrow for my next Vlogmas post.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Blogmas Day 21 ¦ Zoeva Blanc fusion and Caramel melange palette


I think these are the most me palettes I have ever seen. Today I thought I would do a super quick review so without further ado lets get on with it.
 
Blanc Fusion Top row
When these came out I just knew I had to have them, they spent a lot of time out of stock so in the end I ordered directly from Zoeva. The shipping was actually super quick and I had my palettes within 3 days which was incredible. The first palette is Blanc fusion which is the slightly more cool toned of the two. I absolutely love the white and gold packaging, it contains five really lovely matte shades and five almost foiled metallic shades. The balance in this palette is really nice a you can either go completely matte, completely shimmer or a combination of the two. My favourite shades from this palette have to be the warm copper called Late bloomer and the matte slightly warmer brown shade Question of taste. As with the other Zoeva palettes these shadows are beautifully pigmented, creamy and blend like an absolute dream.

Blanc Fusion Bottom row.
Moving on to my favourite of the two, the caramel melange palette is an absolutely beautiful really warm palette. You will probably all know about my orange obsession so this palette is right up my street. This one contains six matte shades and four shimmers so if you are more of a matte shadow fan and you don't want to buy both I'd highly recommend this one! Favourites out of this palette have to be the beautiful matte burnt orange which is Aftertaste and the incredibly pigmented metallic beauty which is Liquid centre. I have got so much use out of this palette and again the shadows are just as high quality as the other palettes I have from them. I love the formula of these and would put them way above Mac shadows. I also think the price is really reasonable. I would happily pay the price of Urban Decay palettes for these without batting an eyelid.
 

Caramel Melange Top row
So that's it for today I really hope you guys enjoyed this post! I'd love to know if you have tried any Zoeva palettes and what you thought of them. 
Caramel melange Bottom row

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Blogmas Day 20 ¦ Rimmel Provacalips lip lacquers

 
I have bought a ridiculous amount of liquid lipsticks in the past couple of months (a huge haul/new in post will be up after Christmas). I picked one of these for my Rimmel testing makeup video and one purchase led to 3 more as I completely love them. These are some of the most comfy drugstore liquid lipsticks I have tried. You can either wear them matte or add the sealing top coat which makes the finish a little more glossy. I personally find they wear much better when worn in conjunction with the top coat although I do still get a good 7-8 hours wear out of them minus the top coat. I have honestly not tried another Liquid lip that stays as nicely without feeling drying at all with the top coat I can get 8+ hours out of this which is just insane.
 
I love the packaging as I like to be able to find things easily in my makeup collection and when the bottles are the same colour as the shade it makes it so much easier. The applicators on these are just your basic doe foot which holds just enough product to do the entire lips. These are opaque in one coat and if you do feel the need to top up during the day they layer really nicely with or without the top coat. One thing I would say is that if you don't wait for the lipstick to dry down completely it can end up separating when you apply the top coat so I make sure to give it a good 30-40 seconds to dry before I use the top coat.
 
Make your move, I'll call you, Not guilty, Kiss of fire
Shade wise I have Make your move which is a gorgeous peachy nude shade, I'll call you which isn't as bright as in the tube it is more of a mauvey pink. Not guilty is the perfect shade for autumn/winter it is a beautiful berry red and then finally I have the shade Kiss of fire which is a stunning red shade. This is more pink toned than blue and I really love it.
 
So that's it for today! I'd love to know what your favourite liquid lipsticks are.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Blogmas Day 19 ¦ Makeup collection - The run down - Eyes


I'm back again today with another section of my makeup collection. Today I thought I would show you all the eye products I have in my collection. This doesn't involve any palettes as I'm actually going to be doing an entire post dedicated to them! So without further ado lets get on with it.
 
So first off in the draw with my highlighters I keep my eye pencils and liners and my mascaras. I have far too many open mascaras at the moment but what can I do! My current favourite mascaras are Benefit They're real (which I have in a mini) and the Rimmel Volume colourist. In terms of liner I love the NYX Wonder pencil which is one of my favourite nude liner, in terms of liquid liners I am a little obsessed with the Eyeko liner which I actually got free in a gift with purchase. It lasts really well and is nice and black which is something I look for in a liner. I also really love the Rimmel and Kiko eyeshadow sticks and the NYX vivid brights liner.
 


In the next drawer down I have my smaller palettes and my single/duo shadows. Some of my favourite drugstore palettes are the Sleek palettes. They are beautifully pigmented and really creamy. Some other drugstore favourites are the Collection palettes and the Revlon sparkle palettes. I have to say though my favourites from this section have to be the Urban Decay Naked basics and my Illamasqua Vital palette which are both super basic matte palettes which I love to use in conjunction with one of my super sparkly shadows.
 

 
Finally we have my Single shadows. In here I have my cream shadows my favourites of which are the Maybelline colour tattoos and the Mac paint pots. For glitter and metallic shadows I absolutely love the Urban decay Moondust shadows, the NYX prismatic shades and the Makeup revolution awesome metals foils. For bright shades I love the NYX Primal colours and for you basic shades I think MUA and Makeup revolution do incredible single shadows for only £1. Another fab drugstore buy are the L'Oreal Colour riche eyeshadows which are honestly some of the creamiest most beautiful shadows I have ever tried.
 

 
So that's it for today, I really hope you guys enjoyed this post. I'd love to know what eye products you think I should add to my collection!
 


Sunday, December 18, 2016

Blogmas Day 18 ¦ 5 of the best liquid lips

 
If you are a regular reader you will know that I currently have a rather serious addiction to Liquid lipsticks, so today I thought I would show you my top 5 favourites. Just to note these aren't in any particular order.
 
Starting us off we have the Body shop Matte lip liquids which are what I personally expected the NYX Soft matte lip creams to be like. These are a gorgeous mousse texture which means they don't cling to any dry patches and sit well on the lips. The only issue I have with the formula is that as it doesn't settle down to a flat matte lip most liquid lipsticks it doesn't quite have the wear time that I get out of a lot of the other ones in my collection. I definitely think these are the liquid lip for people who have extremely dry lips. These doe require a little building to get them to be completely opaque with some shades but that's just the nature of the formula.
 

Shade wise I have six of the twelve shades. The first is Sicily Iris which is the darkest shade in the collection. It is a gorgeous deep colour and one I've been wearing a lot. Taipei Orchid is a baby pink shade but it isn't too blue toned making it very wearable. Tokyo Lotus is a stunning bright pink shade which isn't a shade I would usually buy however I thought I would push myself out of my comfort zone. The next two shades are my favourites Crete Carnation is a stunning peachy nude shade and is one of those lip colours you could wear with literally anything and Nairobi Camellia is a gorgeous muted pink shade. Again another colour that works so beautifully with so many looks. The final shade I have is Mauritius Dahlia which is a stunning burgundy red shade.
 


Moving onto lip product number 2 we have the Sleek matte me's. These are one of the first liquid lipsticks that I tried and I do really love them. These set down very matte but don't feel like they are sucking all the life out of your lips. I find that the pale pink shade does apply slightly streaky however the other two shades are beautiful and opaque in one thin layer. I don't like the flat applicator on the two older ones as it is flat which I usually don't have a problem with however it is also very stiff which makes creating a precise line a little difficult.
 


Shade wise I have Velvet slipper which is the newest of the three with the improved applicator which is still very stiff however it is a doe foot so it makes it a little easier. This shade is a beautiful purple red shade which is perfect for this time of year. On the lips it looks a little more maroon once it has dried down. The Second shade I have is Petal which is a shade I do slightly regret buying as it is so ridiculously pale. I have to say I never wear this alone as I'm 110% sure I cannot pull off this shade however it is nice with a nude gloss over the top to deepen it slightly. The final Sleek shade I have is Birthday suit which has to be my favourite. It's a pinky brown nude which I love and wear a lot.
 

 
Next up we have the Gerard cosmetics Hydra matte's which are a really beautiful much thinner formula than the other two above. That being said they still go on beautifully opaque. What I love about this range is that there are some really cool wacky shades but they are still neutrals. I also think the frosted glass packaging makes them look so much more high end than they are. These are a teeny bit drying on the lips if you begin to layer them however I find I rarely have to reapply them so it is never really an issue for me.



I have three shades from this line, the first Ecstasy is the most beautiful pale purple shade. It isn't a lilac however meaning it doesn't wash me out and make me look a little weird. The second shade is Iced Mocha which is a stunning brown toned nude which is the perfect shade for when you want a dark lip but you still want something a little bit neutral. The final shade and definitely the most suitable if you aren't a fan of crazy colours is Serenity. I believe that this shade is actually a collaboration between Gerard cosmetics and Manny MUA however I am not 100% sure. This is a gorgeous peachy shade which looks equally beautiful with a super paired back look as it does with a super dramatic look. I feel like everyone should have a shade like this in their collection.
 


The fourth product I had to talk about is the Dose of Colours Matte lip liquids. These are one of the most velvety lip products I have ever tried and I honestly absolutely adore them. They have an incredible velvety finish which looks so flawless on the lips. They don't accentuate any lines in the lips or pick up on any dry patches. They also last really beautifully and unless you eat something super oily they actually wear quite nicely around the centre of the lips.
 


The shades I have in these are Truffle which is a gorgeous dark nude and the shade I have definitely heard the most about, we then have Bare with me which is a much lighter much peachier nude shade which I absolutely love on my skin tone. I first thought it might wash me out a little however it doesn't in the slightest. I absolutely love pairing this with a super dark smokey eye. The final shade pictured is Kiss of Fire which is a stunning pinky red shade. I tend to gravitate towards more pink toned reds so I get a lot of wear out of this one. I do actually own a fourth shade which I picked up after I had taken these photos. The shade in question is Brick which is a gorgeous brick red shade. It is perfect for this time of year if you want a dark lip but don't want anything too purple.
 


The final product I wanted to mention today are the NYX Liquid suede's. These are unlike any other liquid lip formula I have tried. They don't dry down to a matte finish however still have that intense staying power of a matte lip. They remain moveable meaning if they need to be topped up there is absolutely no flaking or anything super gross happening. Despite the fact they don't set down I don't find that they end up smudged all over my face or bleed at all. They are ever so slightly glossy when first applied however after they have been worn for a few hours you are left with a more satin finish.
 


So shade wise for these I have Stone fox which is the most beautiful blue grey shade. It isn't actually one I've been brave enough to wear out of the house yet but I do kind of love it. The other two shades I have are both very me shades. The first being Vintage which is an absolutely gorgeous burgundy red shade which is just so perfect for this time or year and the second is Soft spoken which is a fairly dark browny nude which I am currently a little obsessed with.
 
So that's it for today guys, I'd love you to let me know what Liquid lip formulas I need to try next!
 




Saturday, December 17, 2016

Blogmas Day 17 ¦ NYX Liquid suedes in Vintage and Stone fox

 
You'll know if you are a regular reader of my blog that I already have one of these in the shade Soft spoken and I absolutely love it. Today I thought I would review a couple of the darker shades for you and let you know how they do against the more nude shades.
 
The two shades I added to my collection are Vintage which is a gorgeous deep red burgundy shade and Stone fox which is the most incredible blue grey shade. The formula of these is beautiful, I've heard a lot of people say how they don't like them as the formula doesn't set down however I really like that. They are described as a cream lipstick and in my opinion that is the perfect way to describe them. The formula is quite thin however you get the most incredible colour pay off in just one single swipe. These don't dry down on the lips to a matte finish meaning they feel a lot more comfortable.
 
I was a little bit worried about bleeding with these two shades with them being a fairly thin formula however I have absolutely no problems at all. In terms of wear time I find these do actually wear better than some of the matte liquid lipsticks I've tried as they don't flake due to them being a cream. I find I can get a good 7 hours out of these before they need to be removed and reapplied. Considering reapplication I find these really easy to use for topping up around the inside of the mouth after eating as again due to the creamy formula it doesn't cause them to flake or show different colours.
 
Overall I really love these and would highly suggest that you give them a go if you are looking for a more comfortable but still longlasting lip colour. 

Left - Vintage Right - Stone fox

Friday, December 16, 2016

Blogmas Day 16 ¦ The red lip look


I love a good traditional red and gold festive look so today I thought I would show you just that. I absolutely adore this lip colour as although the pairing of the gold shadow and the red lip is traditional this lip is more on the pinky side which I think just adds a little bit of something a little different. So without further ado lets get into the look.
 
Starting off with my base for a high coverage flawless finish I always reach for Nars Sheer glow foundation, although I do find this can look a little cakey if I'm not careful it creates a beautiful flawless base. Concealer wise I went for the Catrice Camouflage cream to cover any blemishes and then the NYX HD concealer for under my eyes. For blush I kept it very neutral and used Mac Fleur power which is a beautiful peachy pink shade, bronzer was my Urban Decay Beached bronzer in Bronzed which is one of my all time favourite bronzers and I then highlighted with the MUA Undress your skin in Pink shimmer. For my brows I used the NYX Micro pencil which is a fab dupe for my favourite Smashbox brow tech matte pencil and then I set them in place with the L'Oreal brow artist plumper.
 
Moving onto my eyes first off I used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow primer potion to create a smooth and flawless base for the shadows. I then took my Naked one palette and used the shades Half baked all over my lid and then I just added a tiny bit of buck in the crease. Then to add a little extra dimension I used a tiny bit of Smog, I also used this shade on my lower lash line. Mascara wise I used this little sample of They're real which is no way near as good as the full size and I lined my eyes with the Lancôme Kohl in Noir. Finally for this look I used the Ps love... Lip liner in the shade red and topped that off with Dose of Colours Kiss of fire.
 
So that's it guys, this look isn't anything too complicated so I hope you enjoy it and do let me know if you recreate it.


Thursday, December 15, 2016

Blogmas Day 15 ¦ Makeup collection - The run down - Blush, bronze and highlight.

 

So I'm back again today with the next instalment of my makeup collection series. Today's theme is all of my cheeks products so without further ado lets get on.
 
Blush wise I have so many favourites, the Essence matte touch blushes are insane for the tiny price of £1 however I do love also love the Illamasqua powder and cream blushes. As you can see I tend to stick to my either pink or peach blushes however if I want something a little different I always reach for the Sleek Blush by 3 palettes which have some crazy but beautiful colours in them.
 

 
Bronzer wise I only ever really reach for either Benefit Hoola or the Urban decay Beached bronzer as they are both beautiful really blendable shades. The UD is a little warmer toned than Hoola however I really do love them both. In terms of Drugstore I really like the Bourjois bronzing primer in the summer, and I'm also actually quite a big fan of the Miss Sporty Insta glow bronzers which have a slight sheen and are a little more orangey however they work beautifully on me when I'm a little more tanned.
 

In this section we have contour kits and anything sculpting. I really love the Rimmel Kate Moss trio for bronzing however for me the bronzer is too orange and too shimmery for contouring so I tend to reach for the Sleek Face form palette. In terms of individual contour powder I absolutely love the NYX Powder blush in the shade Taupe. The Barry M Chisel cheeks contour kit is also an amazing one if you are on a budget.
 

 
Finally for today's post we have my highlighter collection. My favourites out of these at the moment have to be the Sleek highlighting palettes. They are so stunning and metallic and literally make you look lit from within. I also have a lot of love for the Laura Geller Gilded honey highlight which is a stunning gold/bronze shade which as long as I'm careful doesn't leave any gold streaks on my face.
 
So that's it for today! I'm on the lookout for a new highlight, what should I get? 

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Blogmas Day 14 ¦ Triple chocolate cookies

 
I swear it is an absolute age since I put up a baking post. Today I thought I would share the recipe for these incredible super chocolatey cookies. So without further ado lets get on with it. Oven temps and times for this are 180C for about 10-12 minutes.
 
 
Step 1.
Add 85g of softened (or melted in my case) butter to 175g of Soft brown sugar and cream together.
 

Step 2.
Add two large eggs with around a dessert spoon full of flour just to stop the mixture curdling. Mix this together until you have a smooth mixture.
 


Step 3.
Melt 150g of Dark chocolate over a bain marie and leave to cool slightly.


Step 4.
Whilst you are waiting for the Dark chocolate too cool slightly roughly chop 250g of Milk chocolate and 150g of White chocolate. 

Step 5.
Add the melted chocolate and your chopped chocolate and mix until all the chocolate is evenly distributed through the mixture.
 

Step 6.
Finally sieve in 125g of Plain flour, 40g of Cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of soda. This all needs to be mixed evenly. If the mixture feels a little too thick add a tiny splash of milk just to loosen it slightly.
 

Step 7.
Spoon out onto well greased baking trays and bake for around 10-12 minutes. They will come out of the oven soft so need to be left for around half an hour to cool and harden before they are transferred into a container or onto a plate.
 
I really hope you enjoyed this post guys, if you would like to see more baking posts on my channel then let me know as I love writing them! 

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Blogmas Day 13 ¦ A little 3 for 2 haul


I love this time of year at the drugstore as there are so many fab offers, today I thought I would show you some bits I picked up when ordering some Christmas gifts, I mean why pay for postage when you could spend £20 more on makeup.
 
So first off from Superdrug I picked up a couple of L'Oreal bits. They were running a gift with purchase if you picked up three products and they were also on 3 for 2. The free gift was a Volume million lashes mascara which is a brilliant mascara and one I have used a couple of times before. The main reason I picked up some bits from L'Oreal was for the L'or Highlighter which I saw Jasmine for Jasmine talks beauty mention on her blog. It is an absolutely gorgeous shade and it reminds me a lot in colour of the Laura Geller Gilded honey highlight. It is quite a dark shade however as long as I am careful it looks beautiful. I also picked up the Brow maker which I really don't like. It's quite a thick pencil which I could deal with but the colour is so off. It's like a slightly green toned almost black brown and I just don't get on with it which is such a shame as I usually love the L'Oreal brow products. The final L'Oreal thing is the Lipstick in J Lo's nude. I've been looking for a super sheer and basic nude for so long and I think I have finally found it!
 
Peach Party, L'or Highlight, J Lo's nude, I'll call you, Not guilty, Make your move, Berry-much, Pretty muted, Dark Brunette
 
Moving onto Rimmel I picked up three more of their Provocalips Lip lacquers. If you read my Rimmel testing makeup post you will know I was really impressed with these so I figured I it made sense to pick 3 more up whilst they were on 3 for 2. In the end I went for the shades Not guilty which is actually a really similar shade to 107 also by Rimmel. I'll call you which is a really beautiful muted pink shade and Make your move which is a warm peachy nude. The last brand I picked some bits up from was Soap and Glory. They were doing an offer where you received a free gift if you spent £15. In the end I decided to pick up the peach party blush which is something I have heard so much about. It is such a pretty shimmery peach shade which I thought would be perfect for heavy eye makeup days. To make it up to £15 I picked up two of the little matte lip crayons. I have one of the glossy ones so I figured I would try these as well. I got the shades Berry-much which is a really pretty purple pink and Pretty muted which as the name may suggest is a muted pink.
 
In the Soap and Glory gift with purchase I got the Thick and fast High definition mascara which is the one in the gold packaging, the Glow all out highlight and sculpt stick in Ice shimmer which is a beautiful icy gold shade and then a mini Sexy mother pucker gloss in Plumble. 

 
So that's it for today! I would love to know what you have picked up from the Drugstore recently?




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