Friday, March 31, 2017

Blog posts I loved - March

 
So I have actually managed to find some time to read blogs this month so this post may be a little longer than usual however I didn't think you guys would mind so without further ado lets get on with it.
 
 
The Step by Step Flatlay - The Makeup Directory

I wish there was a post like this when I first started my instagram, and even though I would say I'm okay at flatlaying I definitely picked up some tricks I am going to give a go.
 
The Lowdown on the latest lip releases - Ellis Tuesday

I love anything lip related as you probably all know so this post was right up my street. I love reading these quick summary reviews and they are written so well with just enough information.
 
Google Analytics for Bloggers the basics -  Beauty and the bird

I am horrible when it comes to any sort of analytics, it goes straight over my head so I loved this post as it told me all of the basic things I need to know. Since initially reading I have gone back to this post a couple more times and I really think it is beginning to get a little easier.
 
The Ultimate triple chocolate cookie - Lucyy Writes

I feel like a baking post always seems to slip into these roundup posts but I mean if you have a look at this recipe they look absolutely insane I am always going to shout about any recipe that involves three chocolates.
 
The A-Z of my favourite beauty products - Beautylymin

I really like the idea for this post and I'm actually currently working on putting together my own A-Z but am struggling with Q,X and Y. Answers on a postcard (or in the comments) please.
 
The Best liquid lipstick I've ever tried - Made from Beauty

The photography in this is absolutely flawless and it has made me want to try one of the Sephora lip stains even more than I did before.
 
The Five things you need to begin bullet journaling - Lorna Literally

If you follow me on instagram you will know I have just started bullet journaling so I am currently reading a lot of posts about it. I love how simple this one is set out and I am definitely thinking of making mine a little more straight forward after seeing this.
 
Unrealistic expectations - The Makeup artists choice

This post was just so true and I love to see Bloggers being unapologetically like screw beauty standards. I also think the various level of editing on the photos added beautifully to the point.
 
Revenge body, My story - The Crime of fashion

All I wanted to do while reading through this was scream hell yes girl you are killing it. It is so nice for a change to see people talking positively about there body image and it just makes me so happy.
 
The Problem with scientists on TV - Water painted dreams

Considering I'm off to do Forensic biology at uni next year I can relate to this on so many levels. So many people I meet can't get over the fact that I wear coloured makeup and funky liner and be into science and I think TV is the reason why. We science people can be fun too.
 
How to get free stuff for your blog - Colours and Carousels

I love a good click bait title and I loved the reasoning behind this post. So many people seem to think bloggers get things handed to them on a plate however we work hard and I love the fact we now feel confident enough to tell everyone we do.

Low Maintenance lip options - L Page beauty

I love a good liquid lip that requires a bit of maintenance but then I do also love a throw on and go lip. There are some beautiful formulas picked out here and as usual I love the photography.

Three things to do when you receive negative feedback - A Girl, Obsessed

Although I haven't had a lot of negative feedback in my time blogging I've had a little bit and it is incredibly hard to push past it and  love these three little steps and I think they are something that should be handed out to anyone who starts a blog.

How to create an effective content calendar - Microscope beauty

If you know me in real life you would know that I love a good organisation session, but something I've never been happy with is the way I organise my blog content. I am actually going to give the google calendar a go and I will update you all if I end up loving it.

Instagram, the hashtags you should and shouldn't be using - That's Peachy

Instagram is hard work at the moment and I think this would be a fab post for any newbies to the platform to read as it is difficult to know which hashtags to use and it is awfully tempting to use ones such as like for like and follow for follow.

Being on youtube....I've got opinions - The Clare necessities

Finally for todays massive post is a post from Clare about a short programme she watched about blogging. I 100% agree with all her opinions here and once again believe it's about time people realised that blogging and youtubing isn't as easy as it may seem.

So that's it for today I hope you enjoy all these fab posts!

 
 
  
 
   

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

The one sweep wonders

 

Now don't get me wrong I love a good intricate eye look as much as the next gal however sometimes I do just want something easy to throw on all over the lid and go so today I thought I would show you some of my favourite all over the lid shades which require minimal effort.
 
Shiseido Simmering cream eye colour in RS318 -
 
I actually first tried this out in a full face of first impressions on my channel and I wasn't really impressed as it seemed a little lack lustre however after breaking through the initial top layer it seems much more pigmented. This leaves a beautiful metallic pink shade on the lids which doesn't make the eyes look sore like some pinks can without other shadows.
 
Makeup Geek Foiled eyeshadow in In the spotlight -
 
You all know that I absolutely love the Makeup Geek shadows and this one is no exception. It has such an incredible metallic finish and the shade is a beautiful peachy colour which is right down my street. What I love about this is that it is one of those shadows which seems to fall darker in the crease (think Mac Woodwinked) and makes it look like you have more than one shadow on.
 
NYX Prismatic eyeshadow in Golden peach.  -
 
These are so similar in formula to the Makeup geek foiled shadows, they have that same really heavy metallic finish and almost creamy texture. This shade golden peach is like the dark slightly less gold version of in the spotlight. Again this one falls darker in the crease making you look like you've made a lot more effort than you have.
 
Shiseido, Makeup geek, NYX, L'Oreal, Colourpop.
L'Oreal L'ombre pure in Sable Lame -
 
This shade is just absolutely stunning it's a beautiful pale gold with lots of glitter in it and I absolutely love how it looks with some liner. Again this has a very creamy texture making it super easy to use. I personally prefer applying this one with my finger as I find that really helps make sure the pigment is at it's strongest.
 
Colourpop Super shock eyeshadow in Puppy love -
 
This is the first shadow I have tried from Colourpop and I do not like it when I use it alongside other shadows as it seems to really affect how they blend however on it's own it is a gorgeous duochrome shade. It reflects pink and peach and I feel like would be a really beautiful shade if you were new to makeup.
 
So that's it for today I'd love to know what your favourite throw on shades are?


Sunday, March 26, 2017

The Spring makeup shakeup.


These are one of my favourite posts to put together at this time of year as I love picking through my collection and picking out all the spring/summer colours. As usual I've picked out a few cheek, eye and lip products I think I'm going to get a lot of used out of in the next couple of months.
 


Starting of with base the highlighter I jut know I am going to use a ridiculous amount this month is the Urban Decay Afterglow highlighter in Fireball which is a beautiful peachy shade with a pink shift. I was a little concerned this would be to dark for me initially however I find that it actually looks just as beautiful on pale skin as it does on darker skin types. I would definitely recommend everyone checks this out as it is the perfect highlighter for the warmer seasons. I picked out three blushes, the first being the Clinique Cheek pop in the shade Berry pop which is a beautiful bright pink shade. I love these Clinique blushes they are just such a lovely texture and I have to give them points for looking so beautiful in the pan.
 
Fireball, Poppy pop, Soft pink, Life's a peach
I picked out another pink shade but this time it's a little more muted, Max Factor Cream blush in Soft pink is a really pretty everyday one if you like a super subtle blush. What I love about these is that they just seem to sink into the skin and leave a really beautiful natural flush on the cheeks. I also would have to say that these are definitely the best Drugstore cream blushes I have tried in terms of lasting power. The final blush is one from Sleek in the shade Life's a peach. This looks super scary in the pan however on the cheeks it's fairly subtle. What I like about this is that it isn't overly pigmented meaning if I want a really light dusting of peach I can have it and if I want an incredibly heavy dusting of peach I can have it.
 

Wild Orchid, Sin, Gumdrop, Bad seed, 36, Hot orange, Stila perfect me palette
Moving onto eyes I had to include this gorgeous little quad I picked up from NYX with my birthday money. This is from the NYX custom palette system and I have the Hot singes shadows in Sin, Gumdrop, Bad seed and Wild orchid. All of the shadows are beautifully pigmented, incredibly easy to work with and so easily blendable. I really love a pink eyeshadow look and I feel like these pinks are a little more summery than something like the Anastasia Modern renaissance palette. I then had to include the Kiko eyeshadow stick in number 36 which is the most gorgeous purple/pink with lots of gold shimmer in it. I love these Kiko sticks as they last such an incredible amount of time and work well for both a stand alone colour and as a base for powder shadows.
 
I had to mention the NYX primal colours shadow in the shade Hot orange as it is such an incredible crease/transition shade for when I am feeling brave. This is such an insanely pigmented beautiful shadow and I really need to check out more from this range. The final product I have for eyes is the Stila Perfect me Perfect hue palette. I recently reviewed this and I just really love it. It's a perfect everyday palette which looks so beautiful. As well as five shadows it also contains two blushes which just makes it so perfect for the spring time as well as for travel. These palettes also come in a couple of colour ways to suit different skin tones which I love. 

Plushest punch, Crème brule, 110, Not guilty.
Finally we have the lip products. I wanted to mention the Clinique Chubby stick intense in Plushest punch as it is one of my favourite shades to wear at this time of year. It's still deep enough so that it isn't a bright pink however it isn't so dark that it looks more like a berry shade. I also really love how comfortable it is on the lips. I am sure no one is surprised to see a NYX Butter gloss in here. This is the shade Crème Brule which is slightly paler than the other one I always go on about which is Tiramisu. This one looks incredible alone but I also love wearing it over the top of a nude lipstick to amp up the gloss.
 
Rimmel 110 is something I pull out every spring this is an absolutely stunning orangey reddy corally bullet. I feel like for me this is the perfect summer colour. I love Rimmel's matte formula as I find it incredibly comfortable but still nice and longwearing. The final thing today is another one from Rimmel. I have fallen in love with the Provacalips lip lacquers over the past couple of months as they are some of the best staying lipsticks I have ever tried. The shade not guilty is a really pretty mauvey pink and makes an incredible transitional shade from all the dark berries of the winter months to the bright shades for spring and summer.
 
So that's it for today I really hope you enjoyed my little spring edit. Let me know what your favourite spring beauty products are in the comments! 

Friday, March 24, 2017

Review - Stila Perfect me Perfect Hue palette

 
I won this palette in a giveaway before Christmas and have been meaning to review it ever since as I think it is the best palette for travel. It contains some really beautiful neutral shades making it a really lovely one to throw in an overnight makeup bag.
 
The palette contains two blush shades and five eyeshadows which are all really beautiful everyday colours. The two blushes are Romantic which is a pale slightly lavender toned pink and Playful which is a very slightly coral toned pink shade which is a lot darker than the other shade. What I like to do with these shades is to put the lighter blush all over the cheek with a little of the darker shade on the apples. These blushes blend really beautifully into the skin.
Alluring, Breath-taking, Dynamic, Passionate, Glamourous.
The eyeshadows are also really beautiful, blend together nicely and last really well over my usual Urban decay primer potion. Alluring is a pinky toned base shade which is a really lovely transition if you aren't into anything deeper to blend out your shadow. Breathtaking is my least favourite out of the five shades, it's quite a stark pink toned white shade which for me isn't quite a highlight but is far too stark as an all over lid shade.

Romantic, Playful
Dynamic is a mid tone mauve purple shade which makes a really lovely really light crease shade. This one blends so beautifully and if you want a darker transition shade this is the one to go for. Passionate is a gorgeous lid shade which is a pinky toned shimmer. It is the only shimmer in the palette and it has the most beautiful really metallic finish. I also love this one all over the lid with nothing else. The final shade is Glamourous which is a really deep quite warm brown. I didn't expect this to be as warm as the rest are quite cool/mauve toned however this is really beautiful and for someone like me who loves a good war toned shadow this is perfect to add a little more warmth.  


So that's it for today guys, I hope you enjoyed this review and would love for you to let me know if you have given one of these palettes a go! 

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Products I've hit pan on


It isn't very often that I hit pan on anything so today I thought I would show you the products in my collection that I love enough to have hit pan on. Just a little warning if you don't want to see some heavily used makeup this post definitely isn't for you.
 
Benefit Hoola bronzer -
 
This one is a go to for me, I would have definitely have to put it up there with my all time favourite bronzers. I personally am not a fan of this for contouring however for all over bronzing this is the best. It's that perfect mix between a warm and a cool tone meaning it does do a little bit of sculpting whilst giving the face a beautiful bronzed look. I would definitely recommend that if you hate bronzer you give this one a go as I'm fairly certain it will convert you.
 
Maybelline Colour tattoo in On and on bronze -
 
Do you remember the days where everyone was super obsessed with this product. I was pretty much stuck to this like glue I probably wore it for a good year constantly and I do still really love the shade. It's a gorgeous slightly cool toned brown which is something I would never buy now but every now and then I do like to dig it out of my collection.
 
Mac Bare study paint pot -
 
This is just such a fab all over lid to add a slight shimmer to the lids. On a daily basis this is a really fab one to just throw onto the lid. Again I don't wear it as much as I used to however it is still one of my go to shades for the days when I wear a more minimal makeup look.
 
Anastasia Dip brow -
 
Oh good lord this stuff is good. I love a good brow and this is 100% one of my favourite brow products. It is such a beautiful product which gives some killer brows. I still wear this pretty much every day as I love the way that I can get both a natural and a really strong brow with this one.
 
Urban Decay Naked Basics 1 -
 
I used the shade faint in my brows everyday for a good year and a half. I really like the shade faint for both my brows and as a crease shade. I'm actually quite close to pan on Naked 2 as well which is anther fab shade. Again this palette is a perfect everyday palette. Again another one I reach for when I am going for a more natural look. The quality of these shadows are just amazing and I definitely think these are fab for people who are just getting into eyeshadow.
 

 
So that's it for today I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to know what products you have hit pan on. 

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Duty free and Feel unique haul


So I may have splurged a little bit but I mean discounted (and some not discounted) makeup is the best kind right? Anyway we have to look on the upside this little haul is going to help me going with reviews for a good few weeks. Today I just thought I would show you what I picked up from duty free on my way out to Iceland and also a couple of bits I picked up as well as do some teeny teaser reviews as you can expect to see most of this in the next month or so. So without further ado lets get into it.
 
Liz Earle Cleanse and polish starter kit -
 
Starting off with the only skincare item I picked up, this is something I tried a sample of loved and just never got round to picking it up. I really love it, it does a fabulous job of removing every last bit of makeup whilst not leaving the skin feel stripped.
 
Bare Minerals Complexion rescue -
 
It's not very often that I will repurchase a base but I really love this stuff. It is a stunning very lightweight base which is just perfect for chucking on everyday. It is incredibly hydrating so is the perfect one for anyone with dry skin.
 
 
NYX HD concealer -
 
Another repurchase, this is one of my favourite cheep and cheerful concealers. I really like this as it is a nice high coverage and has a more satin finish than most of the other concealers that I reach for regularly meaning it's the one I go for when I want to go for that really high coverage look. Although it does also look really nice on an everyday basis.
 
Urban Decay Afterglow highlighter in Fireball -
 
Oh my gosh this shade is absolutely stunning, it's a duochrome pink to peach and is just going to be so perfect for summer it is ridiculous. I was a little concerned that it would be too dark however I love the other shade which is Sin so I just decided to bite the bullet and pick it up and I'm so glad I did.
 


Nars Unfiltered 1 Blush palette -
 
This was my big purchase from feel unique and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I wanted some blush shades that were a little different in my collection and this palette seemed to be perfect for the job. I am currently especially loving the shade Exhibit A which is the red shade.
 
Clinique Beyond perfecting foundation -
 
Moving on to things I picked up in the airport, I had to give this foundation a go as I've heard so many good things about it. It is a really beautiful quite full coverage foundation without being heavy or cakey. I picked up shade 2 which is a little dark for me however as long as I bronze down the neck I can get it to work for me.
 
 
Mac Pro longwear concealer -
 
So many people love this stuff and I thought it was about time I gave it a go. First off I hate the bottle it's stupid and really not travel friendly but other than that I really love this product. It has some insane coverage however doesn't feel thick and cakey on the skin. It sits beautifully even underneath the skies and in general is a good all rounder.
 
 
 
Mac Blush in Harmony -
 
I've been on the look out for a new contour product for so long now and I've heard good stuff about this one for pale skin so I thought I might as well give it a go. It is a really natural shade as it has a little more warmth than your average contour powder meaning it can double as a bronzer contour type product.
 
Mac Lipsticks in Twig, Brave, Matte royal, Viva glam V and Modesty -
 
So I went a little crazy with the Mac lipsticks but at that amount of money off you have to grab it while you can. I think that I am going to do a separate post on these as going into depth will make this post even longer so keep your eye out for that.
 
 

Bobbi Brown Gel liners in Black ink and Sepia ink -
 
I have needed a new gel liner forever but because it's not something I wear all the time I just never really got round to it. However when I saw this on the plane I decided to grab it as I've heard some really good things about these and so far I really like them. They're very easy to use a last really well.
 
 
Shiseido Cream eyeshadow -
 
This was something I picked up in Iceland when I was trying to spend my krona in the airport and I'm actually really glad I did as I feel it isn't something I would have tried otherwise. It's a really pretty pink shade which I think will be absolutely beautiful for as we transition into spring.  
 
Shiseido cream shadow.
 

Fireball, Harmony, Top 3 shades Nars palette

Nars Bottom three shades.

Viva Glam V, Modesty, Brave, Twig, Matte Royal.
So that's it for todays mammoth haul I hope you enjoyed this!  

Friday, March 17, 2017

Review - Zoeva Strobe Gel in Halo


This is honestly one of the strangest products I have ever tried. I saw it floating around when it was first released and was super intrigued so I was very excited when one of my friends bought it me for my birthday. It is a highlighting fluid which is almost a putty like texture. I've been really enjoying using it as a base for my powder highlight. It's a very light texture and blends into the skin so easily leaving a sight sheen behind.
 
 
It is a pink toned highlight meaning that on me it looks super natural. I like to pair this with a super light base as it just gives a really lovely natural sheen. I do also like to wear this under my foundation to add a really lovely glow. It also looks beautiful mixed into the foundation. I find if I use this on my cheekbones it doesn't break down into pigment and glitter like some highlights do it just stays sheeny and glowy.
 
Overall I really love this product, the texture is super interesting and I feel like it is something I am going to get so much use out of. 


Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Review - Clinique Beyond perfecting foundation

 
So I've been trying out a lot of foundations recently and this is one I have been really impressed with. I've heard quite a lot of buzz about this lately and as I was in Duty free in February I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go and I am so glad I did because I am seriously impressed.
 
I was a little sceptical at first as when I first swatched it I felt that it would be too heavy on my dry skin however somehow Clinique seem to have the perfect mix of high coverage and a lightweight feel. Don't get me wrong it isn't as light feeling as the Urban decay Naked skin but for the amount of coverage it has I'm impressed with how light it feels. Coverage wise this is a really fab Medium to full but I will say that on dry skin it doesn't build that well. My friend actually also picked this up and it seemed to build much better on her combo skin than it did on mine.

I was expecting the finish to be quite matte however it definitely has more glow than I expected. Don't get me wrong it isn't the most glowy foundation I own but it definitely has more coverage than your standard medium to full coverage foundations have. In terms of wear time I do find this begins to sink into the dry patches on my nose at around the 5-6 hour mark however otherwise it satys pretty much flawless. This is definitely the kind of foundation I would reach for when going on a night out as I can easily rectify the nose dryness with a little more product. Colour wise I don't think I picked the best shade however under weird airport lighting I really struggled. In the end I went for the shade 2 which looked a lot pinker toned in store than it did once I swatched it outside. Due to it having quite a heavy yellow tone I feel like it will fit much better in the summer when I have more of a tan. 

Something that did really attract me to this foundation was the applicator, I hate getting foundation on my hands so this is perfect for me. I am fully aware however that some people think it is a bit gross so it's completely down to personal preference with this one. Otherwise the packaging is very sleek and simple, and I find the bottle is a really thick glass which makes me feel much less wary of traveling with it.
 
So that's it for today, I'd love to know if you have tried this foundation  and what you thought of it!
 


Sunday, March 12, 2017

What I got for my 18th Birthday

 
So today I thought I would show you what I got for my 18th birthday. A little disclaimer before we do get started I am not bragging in any way I just absolutely love reading these posts myself as I am super nosey so I thought I would share what I got. Obviously with it being my 18th I was a little spoiled so I just wanted to say a huge thank you to anyone who bought me anything, sent me a card and wished me happy birthday you are the best.
 
 
On my actual birthday I went with my mum and her friend to see the Kaiser chiefs which was such an incredible experience. I cannot believe I got to do something so cool and I had an absolute whale of a time. We also went for Chiquitos which I would highly recommend if you are Veggie as they had the most incredible halloumi burger and delicious 2 for 1 cocktails. So without further ado lets get on with what I got. 


 
This was one of the main things I wanted for my birthday was this gorgeous Ted Baker bucket bag which I cannot wait to do a what's in my bag video with it as I love it so much.
 



I got lots of gorgeous Pandora jewellery. The ring above is my birthstone ring and I also got the birthstone heart.. Then I got an 18, a sister charm off my brother, a unicorn charm and a flower spacer all which look so pretty on my bracelet.
 



One of my favourite things off my Mum and Dad was this which is a book of everything which is a super cool book. It has things like how much a shopping list costs, what was the top record and top film when I was born and it is just so interesting.
 





My main present off my Mum and Dad was this all singing all dancing stereo for my car which means I can hook my phone up through Bluetooth meaning its all hands free which is a super cool idea.
 




Of course I also got some beauty bits including the Anastasia Modern renaissance palette which is so bloody beautiful. It's such a gorgeous palette and I cannot wait to get some more use out of it. I got an Urban Decay blush in the shade Fetish which is a really pretty everyday shade. The NYX Matte bronzer in Light is a really lovely everyday bronzer and the final beauty bit I got was the Jeffree liquid lipstick in the shade watermelon soda which is a stunning bright summery pink.
 

 
 
 


Friday, March 10, 2017

The best False nails for people who don't wear false nails.


I pretty much wear long pointed nails all the time and it's fairly unusual for me to not be wearing them and I get so many questions on how I manage to cope with them. When the lovely people at Alex Silver PR sent me two sets of the Kiss Gel Fantasy nails in the short length* I knew I wanted to write a post about them and how amazing they are for people who don't want/feel like they can wear super long nails. These come in a variety of shades and last incredibly well. Due to them being short I find I can get over a weeks wear out of them before they begin to come off as they are very difficult to catch as they are pretty much the length of my natural nails. Due to them being the gel finish they are incredibly hard wearing and I don't find that any of the colour begins to come off or peel as it can on some nails.
 
 
I feel like these would be perfect for wearing on holiday if you don't want to go and get your nails done professionally as they are super cheap and cheerful. I would love to know where you guys stand on false nails and whether you despise them or wear them all the time! 

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