Wednesday, August 30, 2017

The life update - Moving to uni and life after A-levels




So the past couple of months have been pretty hectic to say the least after all the fuss of my A-levels I transitioned to full time in my job for the summer but finally it's almost time to go to uni and I couldn't be more excited. Today I thought I would just have a little ramble about uni and put this up as a bonus post. 

I feel like no-one tells you when you are applying for uni that unless you get an unconditional it is a complete pain to sort everything out. You would think that once you open UCAS on the third Thursday in august all the stress would be over. That is apparently where I went wrong. For the last week and a half I have been running around like a crazy person trying to get loans and accommodation and student passes done so that I can actually get there and don't even get me started on student bank accounts they are just a right royal pain in the arse. Although I have now got a railcard so can't complain. oh and the fact I almost forgot to enrol but we will skip past that. I could just see me turning up on the first day and them refusing to teach me. 

Other than that there has been some positives mainly the fact I got a tonne of new stationary and a trip to Ikea out of it. I'd love to know how you found sorting out Uni when you got your results or if you were one of the lucky ones who got an unconditional. 

To everyone who is going to Uni this year I wish you there best of luck and expect to see a lot more Uni posts over the next year. 

Sunday, August 27, 2017

A rather palette heavy Beauty bay haul


So I like palettes and I have been buying quite a lot at the moment. Today I thought I would show you the most recent bits I have purchased from Beauty bay including four gorgeous new palettes. Without further ado I am going to get straight into it as it's gonna be a long one already without me wittering on.

Violet Voss Holy grail - This is so stunning, it's one I have been lusting after for so long and just didn't get around to trying it. This has a beautiful mix of all the warm shades you could ever imagine, not only does it have the oranges and the berry shades but it also has some golds which means you can tone down more berry looks with a little gold.


Juvia's place Nubian - I have heard such amazing things about these palettes and I can see why. It is a beautiful palette and the shadows are such nice quality. I was very excited when beauty bay announced they were stocking them now as I didn't want to pod out the price for the international shipping. I know currently there is only this one left on the website but I did have an email about a restock a couple of days ago so if you want them I would keep an eye out.

Pur Soiree diaries - I have never seen this palette anywhere but when I saw it on the new in page I loved the look of it for an everyday palette. it has eight beautiful matte shades and then four very metallic shades which look so gorgeous pressed on the lid. I really want to shout about this as I really think it deserves some more love as the shadows are gorgeous.


Anastasia Subculture - Oh this palette, it really needs a review of it's own but briefly. I like it but I do have some issues with it. The fall out doesn't bother me so much as I don't tend to swirl my brushes in shadows I only dip them slightly so I don't have the crazy amount of powder kick up. The big thing that bugs me is the fact that the incredible shimmer shades have sealed and are just a bit of a pain to use which really upsets me as I love them so much.

Festival face glitters - I feel like there isn't much to say about these other than the fact that the moons and stars glitter has little UV stars in it which glow in the dark which is super cool and I cannot wait to wear them for nights out when I get to Uni.



Jeffree Star Velour liquid lips in Deceased and Drug lord - If you are a regular reader you will know I love these lipsticks. Both of these shades have just been re-released as they were previously limited edition. I wanted Drug lord so I could mix it with other shades to lighten them a little. I picked up deceased which is a gorgeous purple nude which I thought would be gorgeous for the transition for summer to autumn.

Jouer Long wear lip cream in Buff and Terra - These are something everyone seems to be talking about at the moment and I think they are gorgeous. Buff is a really pretty almost concealer nude shade on me which is currently what I am loving. Then Terra is a slightly darker nude with a little more pink in it. I would say this is my perfect slightly more brown my lips but better colour. 

So that's it for today I really hoped you enjoyed this post and I would love to know what you have been buying recently. 


Friday, August 25, 2017

A few new bits from Essence.


 I have loved Essence products ever since I first went to Germany in 2012, I don't often get near a counter so when I had the opportunity recently I picked up a couple of new bits. Today I thought I would do some mini reviews of the new products as well as some which are just new additions to my collection.

So first off I picked up a couple of bits for the face. Starting off we have the Camoflage concealer which is a super high coverage liquid concealer. This is a little on the dry side and the texture reminds me a lot of the Nars Radiant creamy concealer. I am really enjoying this one so far, it isn't the best high coverage concealer I have tried but if you are on the look out for an incredibly high coverage super budget concealer I would definitely recommend them. Next up we have the luminous matt bronzer which is a super beautiful satin finish bronzer. This looks so gorgeous on the skin adding just enough bronze to make the skin look really beautiful and healthy. I would definitely recommend picking this up if you are on the lookout for a beautiful. The last thing I picked up for the face were two of their one pound blushes which are one of my favourite products from the drugstore. I picked up one of the matte shades and on of the satin shades. They are both so beautiful and I would definitely recommend them to anyone because they are so gorgeous and super affordable.

For the eyes I picked out the Volume stylist mascara which is a really beautiful lengthening and curling mascara. This definitely offers more volume than the normal mascara's I go for however I still don't think it is too intense for me. I also bought the Waterproof liquid liner as we were away at the time and I didn't pack a liner. This one isn't my favourite liner however for the price I didn't mind it at all. It isn't the blackest liner of all time however it does go on really nicely and the tip is super fine which means it's fairly easy to use.

Moving onto the lips I picked up two of the matte lip creams which are really beautiful. They have a very velvety formula similar to the NYX soft matte lip creams. I picked up a pale nude pink shade and a really deep red shade. These are very comfortable however they aren't long lasting due to the fact that they don't set down matte. I also picked up one of the Shine shine shine glosses which is incredibly glossy. I love the way this looks over nude shades and as it is so glossy it makes the lips look much plumper. The one thing is that it is an incredibly sticky gloss so it is definitely not one to wear with my hair down. Finally I picked up one of their matte lipsticks in a browny nude. This is more pink than the gloss however they make a really beautiful pairing.
 


Tuesday, August 22, 2017

A few snaps from my Holiday - Abersoch 2017

 
Today I thought I would do a photography post as it feels like forever since I have done one, these are just a few of the photos I took on my recent camping holiday to Abersoch. I hope you enjoy these and let me know if you would like to see more photography posts.
 
 












Saturday, August 19, 2017

Smashbox Matte exposure palette


I am a big fan of the Smashbox shadows so when I saw they were releasing an all matte palette I could resist picking it up. What I love about this palette is that the big shades are actually a useful lid shade rather than highlighting shades like a lot of palettes have. I love the fact that this is split into more warm shades and cool/more purple toned shades. These shades are all really beautiful and blend like a complete dream.
 
So moving onto the shades I am going to be going from left to right along the top with the two larger shades and then I will be going along the bottom row.
 
Spice - Deep terracotta pink shade, this is possibly one of my favourite shades in the palette. Not only because it is warm toned but also because it blends like an absolute dream.
 
Desert - This shade reminds me a lot of Crème brule from makeup geek. It is like spice in terms of it having a slight pink tone it. This makes a really gorgeous transition shade which is perfect for using with any of the shades in the palette.
 
Tonal - This one is a pinky peach shade which makes a really lovely lid shade and pairs beautifully with the two shades I have just mentioned above.
 
Wheat - The first of the larger shades, wheat is another brilliant lid shade or transition shade depending on the wearers skintone. I feel like out of all of the shades this was a really sensible one to make massive as it is one a lot of people are going to reach for a lot.
 
Vanilla - This is another brilliant lid shade, it is still a very slightly pink toned lid shade. It can also be used as a highlight shade on the brow bone.
 
Buff - Out of all of the shades this is possibly the least pigmented this is a lot more pink toned than Vanilla and again makes a really lovely lid shade.
 
Drizzle - This is the first of the more purple shades. This is a grey toned lilac shade which looks gorgeous in the crease of buff.
 
Truffle - This is an almost lilac toned grey shade which looks stunning to add a little depth to any looks.
 
Moving onto the bottom row we have -
 
Blackberry - This one is a very slightly purple toned deep brown. What I love about this shade is that it adds a little coolness to any warm looks balancing them a little better. This one isn't the most pigmented in the palette however I prefer my darker shades to not be so pigmented as I prefer to be able to build them.
 
Sumatra - This one is the perfect deep chocolate brown shade, this is my favourite shade to deepen up any looks.
 
 
Suede - This is the slightly pinker less orange version of Spice. This is a nice one to use to deepen cooler toned looks to add a little more warmth to it.
 
Grounded - This one is a deeper version of buff. This one makes a lovely lid shade for a deeper purple smokey eye.
 
Black Plum - This is the most incredible deep purple shade which pairs beautifully with grounded to create a smokey eye. This is such a vibrant shade, perfect to add a little colour to a more neutral look.
 
Blackout - This is the last shade in the palette, this is an incredibly deep black shade and is one of my favourite blacks in my collection.

 
So that's it for today, I hope you enjoyed this post and would love to know if you have tried this palette. 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

NYX Total control drop foundation


Okay so first off can we just appreciate how pale this foundation is. I am pretty sure this is the palest foundation I have ever seen in the drugstore. I was actually really impressed with the shade range of this one as it also goes pretty dark. This has to be one of the strangest foundations I have ever tried it is incredibly liquidy and when trying it for the first time I just expected it to completely disappear into the skin however I was actually really impressed with the coverage it offered. It has been marketed somewhat like the Cover FX drops with NYX suggesting to use one drop for a light, two for a medium and three for a complete full coverage.
 
 
Due to this being water based and me having dry skin I do find I need to use quite a lot of product as my skin almost seems to drink it up. I apply a drop to each cheek, the nose, the chin and the forehead and that for me gives me the light coverage. As I mentioned my skin does drink a lot of this product up meaning I definitely have to really build it up to get any coverage. After one drop on each part of my face I am left with a very light natural looking base however for me it just doesn't cover up redness enough. Due to the lack of oil in this foundation I do find that it doesn't sit the best on my skin and once I begin to build it up it does begin to cake around my nose.
 
I really like the packaging but I do find the pipette to be a bit awkward and as the foundation is so liquid-y it has a habit of dripping on the way from the bottle to the hand or face. That being said I do think it looks really cool and is definitely something that would look nice out on a dressing table.
 
 
The finish of this is fairly matte, I have to say I did expect it to do a little more glowy and natural however I could see it looking really beautiful and natural on a more normal or oily skin type. Lasting wise this does last really well without changing at all really on my skin however I feel like this is due to the fact that the minute I put it on it looks like I have had it on for hours as it skinks in and collects in any dry patches. Overall for my dry skin I am not the biggest fan of this however I feel that if you have a less dry skin type then you will really enjoy this.
 



Sunday, August 13, 2017

The Concealer lip nudes


I know some people hate concealer lips however at the moment they are something I am a little obsessed with. Don't get me wrong on most people these shades are going to be nudes which are actually paler on their skintone however on me these are either a very similar shade to my lips or just a slight bit darker.
 
First off we have Jouer buff which is a super beautiful incredibly pale nude this is even a little paler than my skintone but I just completely love it. This one is a pink undertone nude which looks so beautiful paired with a super dark eye look. Despite this being incredibly pale it doesn't fall into any of the lines in the lips but it can get a little butt hole lip like if you aren't careful. Next up we have Jeffree star I'm nude which is a much more brown toned nude. This one is probably the closest to my actual face. I love the formula of this one. It's very thin yet incredibly pigmented, due to it being so thin it isn't dry at all and almost feels like there is nothing on the lips.
 

Jouer Buff, Jeffree star I'm nude, Ofra Nude potion, NYX Bedtime flirt
Another more pink toned nude is Ofra x Nikkie Tutorials Nude potion which is a slightly more pink version of Buff from Jouer. This is much more whipped in texture but again offers a really opaque coverage. This one is so comfortable on the lips and just feels so easy to wear. Finally we have NYX Lip lingerie in Bedtime flirt which is the darkest out of the four. This one is the most beautiful deeper nude. It still has the same base of that concealer shade but is something a little different and a little darker so is possibly a little easier to wear. 

Friday, August 11, 2017

The palette that is everywhere currently

Urban Decay Naked heat*

This palette is everywhere at the moment and for good reason. I love the Naked palette range and was incredibly excited when they announced the release. I actually couldn't believe when this came through the door from Urban decay. I was actually that excited I made my Brother bring it me to where we were on holiday. What I love about this is that it has a lot more matte shades than previous palettes which is a huge issue with the other naked palettes.
 
 
This one has 7 matte shades and 5 shimmer which I feel like is a really good mix as you can create both completely matte and mixed matte and shimmer looks. so without further ado lets get into the shade breakdown.
 
First off we have Ounce which is a beautiful slightly satin pale cream shade which makes a gorgeous brow bone and inner corner highlight. Next up we have Chaser which is the perfect matte cream shade. This makes the perfect transition for a really subtle look. Then we have the shade that I have been reaching for as my transition shade which is Sauced, this is a warm toned very cream brown which reminds me of makeup geek frappe. This is just the perfect transition on my pale skin tone and is one I have reached for every time I have used the palette. Then we have Low blow which is a slightly darker and slightly more yellow toned brown than sauced. This one is perfect for deepening p the transition a little and would make a beautiful transition shade alone on a more medium skin tone.
 
 
Onto possibly my favourite shade in the palette we have Lumbre which is the most beautiful duo chrome pinky peach which is perfect for a lid colour. Then we have He Devil which is a medium terracotta shade, this I feel is going to be another one of the shades which I reach for on the regular as it is a gorgeous shade to add some more warmth to the crease. Then we have another shimmery shade which is Dirty talk which is a really lovely true copper toned orange. This one looks so gorgeous all over the lid as either a quick wash of colour or a base for a more dramatic look. Next we have Scorched which is a much pinkier toned orange. This one looks beautiful paired with lumbre as they both have that slight pink undertone.
 
My favourite of the deeper shades has to be Cayenne which is the darkest of the true orange shades, I would say this one was just the darker version of he devil meaning that they work beautifully together. Then we have En fuego which is a more purple toned warm shade this one is the shade I would use to deepen if I didn't want to use the super dark brown. The second to last shade is Ashes which I would say is definitely the most cool toned out of the palette. Finally we have Ember which is a stunning metallic brown with red shimmer which is so gorgeous all over the lid with something like he devil to blend out.
 
I am really in love with all of the shadows in this palette. I have no issues with any of the shades and the formula is beautiful as with all urban decay shadows. If you are a lover of Warm tones I would definitely recommend giving this one a go as it is stunning. I also think this would be a really nice palette to introduce someone into to warm tones as it isn't too intense pink or red. So that's it for today, I would love to know what your opinions are on this palette! 


Wednesday, August 09, 2017

A boots beauty haul


So you know when you just splurge on makeup and it has just sort of happened! As i'm going to Uni in September (hopefully) I have been getting all of my beaut purchasing in as I know I am not going to have the spare cash to splash out on new beauty products.
 
First off I picked up more new foundations, if you are a regular reader you will know I am currently on the hunt for my perfect foundation. The first one I picked up was the super hyped Dior Forever foundation. After seeing Jamie Paige do a first impressions on this a couple of months ago and loving it I knew I had to give it a go as I always seem to love the foundations she loves. The next one I picked up was the YSL Touche éclat foundation which is another one I have heard so much about especially from those with dry skin. The third and final foundation I picked up was the Smashbox Studio skin hydrating foundation which had such good reviews on the boots website.
 
 
Something which seems to be everywhere at the moment is the L'Oreal Paradise range. I picked up all three products, thus far I've tried the mascara and the brow pomade and really love them both. The mascara is beautifully lengthening and makes the lashes look like I've had extension's. The pomade is also really lovely, I decided on the shade Brunette which is pretty much the perfect match for me as it is a nice ashy toned deep brown. I find it to be incredibly easy to work with and I can definitely see myself reaching for it regularly. The only product from the line that I am yet to try is the Kohl which comes in even black and white. I decided on white as I just have a ridiculous amount of black liners in my collection. I feel like this is going to be perfect for an everyday basis as kohl's this shape are so easy to run along the lash line.
 
I got a couple of the new releases from NYX, the first being one of the Faux white liners in the shade Vanilla. This is a really pretty yellow toned white which is perfect to use alongside the warm eyeshadow looks I am always wearing. It does a fabulous job of ensuring that the red tones don't make the eyes look sore and has a really lovely creamy formula. It is definitely going to be one which I pick up more shades of. I have been lusting after the duochrome highlighters since they were released and I finally got round to picking up the shade snow rose which is the most beautiful white gold with a pink reflect. If anyone owns Makeup geek Mai Tai it is a very similar shade but obviously a little more subtle.
 
The final product I picked up from NYX was the eyebrow primer. I actually initially thought this was an eyeshadow primer which it most definitely isn't. That being said I really do like this product. It is kind of similar to a clear wax you would get in a brow palette. It does set hard in the brows however it does an incredible job of keeping on brow product and is perfect for someone like me who has quite large gaps in the brows. Finally I bought six of the shades of the brand new Rimmel matte liquid lips. I got quite a varied range of the shades from the palest nude to the deep navy. I am going to be putting up a review of these in the next couple of weeks so keep a look out for that to find out what shades I picked up!
 
That's it for today I would love to know if you have picked up any of these products recently! 


Friday, August 04, 2017

Bourjois Rouge Laque


I fell like at the moment all the new releases from the drugstore seem to be matte liquid lips so when I saw that Bourjois were releasing a glossy finish liquid lip I was instantly intrigued. Don't get me wrong I love a good matte lip as much as the next beauty blogger however sometimes they can just be too uncomfortable so I was excited to try something which was a little more hydrating.
 
The Rouge Laque's are essentially a glossy finish liquid lipstick which leave behind a really nicely even stain once the glossiness has worn away. Thy do feel very comfortable on the lips however are a litte sticky so are probably not the best for windy hair down days. This slightly sticky feel does however make them feel moveable and therefore more comfortable on the lips. In terms of lasting power I would say that I get a good 4 hours out of the gloss and then another couple out of the stain which is left behind. I really like the packaging as it is nice and compact much like the rouge edition velvets. I also really like the fact it is obvious what colour you are using which in a makeup collection as big as mine is important.
 
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06.
The colour range is 8 shades which include pinky nudes up to a dark red which is one of the shades I don't have. I have to say I do think this range could include more nudes however I have come to expect this of Bourjois as they seem to bring out a product then expand the nude shades further. The only issue I have with these is the smell and taste of them. They smell slightly like synthetic fruit with a splash of chemicals. But when it comes to the taste it is definitely something I have to try and ignore they taste very chemically on initial application however this does go away after only a couple of seconds. I think if you can get past the smell then these are a really lovely product and are well worth trying out.


Tuesday, August 01, 2017

The warm eyeshadow obsession.



I think it's fair to say that cool toned shadows are most definitely not cool anymore. Over the past year the blogosphere has been rocked with beautiful warm toned releases and with the latest Urban decay release warm tones are once again all over all my social media. You will know if you are a regular reader that I am a lover of anything pink or orange toned so today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite warm toned palettes I own.

My custom Makeup geek palette is something I have written about here if you would like to see swatches and a full rundown of all the shades I have. It contains some of my most favourite warm shades and is a palette I reach for ridiculously often. I think single shadows are a great way to try new shades especially if you are thinking of experimenting with shades that are more out of your comfort zone. Some of my favourites are Chickadee, Peach smoothie and Morocco. With these three you could create a really beautiful and simple matte look but you could also easily add a little sparkle.

A palette that I get so much use out of the warm shades is the Jeffree star Androgyny palette. I don't tend to use the blues and the green more often however I use the warm shades all the time. Safe word is the best transition shade and fetish is a really beautiful deep red which is perfect to deepen up the crease of any warm looks.

Finally I had to mention the Anastasia Modern renaissance palette which is most definitely my favourite at the moment. It contains some beautiful pinks as well as some orange toned shades meaning you can get a huge amount of looks out of it. Love letter is the most stunning deep pink and is like nothing else I have in my collection. I also love Golden ochre which makes a really lovely transition to add a little warmth to a look. 
TEMPLATE DESIGNED BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS