Merry Christmas

A quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Hope you are all having an amazing one surrounded by loved ones.

Christmas Gift Idea

So Christmas is a month away and my shopping is in full swing. I'm very much in the one for me one for you mode though! Anyway I picked up this Topshop Smokey Eye set from ASOS and had to share it with you. It contains two cream stick eyshadows that truly don't budge, a waterproof black eyeliner which is one of the softest I've ever used and a waterproof black mascara. I've road tested all these products and they get a big thumbs up from me. So for £22 whether it's to get you through this party season or a gift it gets the thumbs up from me.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette 2015

Today I'm showing you my first 2015 Fall/Christmas drop splurge.


I've been seeing pictures of this bad boy show up pretty much everywhere and after much deliberation (ok not that much) I knew i needed it. Now this palette has received some mixed reviews so I'm here to add my two pence worth. The size didn't concern me as I knew lot of people said it was small. What drew me to this palette was that even though I own two of the blush colours in here I was still getting to try three powders and a bronzer.

Top Row Powders. L-R
Dim Light, Iridescent Light, Diffused Light.

Bottom Row Blush. L-R
Mood Exposure, Luminous Flush, Luminous Bronze Light.

Swatched.


My blusher brush from Sonia Kashuk fits into each pan without struggle.


Pictured with lighting.


Let's get down to the nitty gritty. This palette costs around £65, yes it's small but it's a one stop palette for all your powder, blusher and bronzer needs so a space saver and great for travel. If your new to the brand you get to try out lots of products in one palette. I personally love the formulation of these, they are so finely milled and smooth. For me this is worth every penny and don't let the size concern you it's not that small. If you want it I'd get it quickly as I believe this will sell out quickly.
I picked mine up online from
Net A Porter.

Make up Haul

Hi girlies, I've been doing a little bit of make up shopping lately here and there. I thought it might be nice to share the bits i have bought with you after road testing them all over the last few weeks.
This Bourjois CC cream was bought on recommendation and i absolutely love it, id say it gives as much coverage as a light-medium foundation. The colour selection isn't brilliant so i opted for a light shade as winter is coming and i buff a small amount on to the high points of my face and buff that in for a dewy fresh finish.
Two Faced Candy Glow blusher. I love love love this product and this is my second one of this as i lost the first. I only just realised that it is being discontinued so i managed to bag one of the last few online so i am super happy to have this back in my make up routine.
Bahama Mama Bronzer. Well lets be honest this has pretty much become a cult product in the beauty world, its a great bronzer, contour and crease shade. Ive only used this a couple of times as a contour and so far so good.
Lastly the Soap & Glory DIY Brow Bar Kit. My beloved Anastasia brow powder is coming to an end so i felt like a little change was in order and picked up this high street alternative. I haven't used it too much so i will have to keep you posted on how it compares or if ill be rushing out to replace my Anastasia one.
Hope your all well and have a lovely weekend.x

Urban Decay

Hey girlies, yep its been a while. Im back today with a little post about some Urban Decay products i picked up in Canada. And nope this has nothing to do with any of the Naked Palettes or the new smoky one either *gasp*.

 Firstly I'm going to start with how much i love the packaging, its heavy, feels expensive and i like the gunmetal finish. The blusher closes with a magnet like close but in a soft manner. Right so a closer look. From the picture the blush colour can look pretty scary in the pan as its a very plum toned pink. It looks beautiful on though but literally needs the lightest touch as trust me this is pigmented stuff. I like to apply this super lightly and then on the apples of my cheek just use another bubblegum pink to give it a super natural flushed look.
This lipstick has a great formula, its creamy and really moisturising on the lips. I do find it to be a little too nude on the lips alone if I'm honest so i apply it over a lipliner or a darker shade lipstick to lighten it up.

 Swatches.
Left - Blusher 'Fetish'
Right - Lipstick 'Native'

Hope your all really well.

Girl Moment

Hey ladies. I saw this and absolutely love it. These are tips that we can all follow and help ourselves to be the best versions of ourself.
Happy Friday.

A breathtaking experience

Hey guys, I'm writing a post while on holiday in Canada. I'll be back tomorrow and I'm sat here today thinking about what an amazing time I've had. While here I was lucky enough to visit Niagara Falls and I can honestly say it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life.
We spent the afternoon walking around the falls, and the evening in the revolving restaurant. We watched the sunset as we ate yummy food.

American Falls


Canadian Falls























The revolving tower.


Ill be posting about my amazing beauty hauls once I'm back on home soil. Xxx

Seaside.

This Bank Holiday weekend I've had such a lovely family one. We went to Skegness for the day and stayed in Chapel.
Here are some pictures of our trip.

Sonia Kashuk

Self confessed make up brush junkie! If there was a rehab for people who have/need/buy/hoard as many make up brushes as me then trust me id be there. I absolutely love trying new brushes as they are constantly promising us that 'airbrushed look'. I have heard a lot about the Sonia Kashuk brushes and how great they are from those Youtubers across the pond but unfortunately they are pretty impossible to get your hands on in the UK. That ladies is until my cousin Ayisha so very kindly bought me some for my birthday and posted them over to me. The larger of the brushes is No 1 and the smaller is No 29. I used these literally straight away and they are the softest brushes i have ever used. That ladies is a huge claim as I've used most! The powder brush allows you to pick up a tiny amount of product and just sweep it effortlessly all over your face evenly. The blusher brush is great too, i used it with my super pigmented Bobbi Brown blush and it allowed me to apply it and blend it seamlessly. These brushes will be staying in my collection and daily routine. If you get the chance to get hold of any brushes by Sonia Kashuk then most definitely do so.

Frog Prince by Lipstick Queen.

An email from Space NK pinged into my inbox early last week and usually i just have a quick look through and realise i definitely don't need any more make up 'yeah right'! This new lipstick by Lipstick Queen as you can see is very unusual (its green for a start and we are nowhere near Halloween), anyway as soon as i saw it waves of nostalgia came over me. This lipstick reminded me of one i had when i was a child and that was green too, you put it on your lips and with the heat it turned into some gawdy pink that was awful. Im not going to lie though the thought of that happening again with this and the £22 price tag still didn't put me off. You will be happy to know that this is a lovely lipstick, it applies clear on to your lips and turns a flattering rosy shade. You don't need this product by any means but its definitely a fun novelty one to have around and if like me you remember your childhood days with it then you should definitely go right ahead.

Terry Ombré Blackstar

So if your a fellow Youtube lover like me you will have heard the likes of Tanya Burr and Lilly Pebbles rave about Terry Ombré Blackstar shadow sticks. I'm not one for cream shadows....im just going to put that out there. However I saw a get ready with me video by Tanya using one and it left me feeling pretty darn intrigued. So off to Space NK I trotted and picked up the colour Beyond Gold. I wanted something that was build able, blendable and very day to day friendly. I wanted something super easy to sweep on my lids and use a simple chocolatey brown in my crease for a easy smokey eye look. That is just what I got in this stick.

The packaging is stunning and slick which is something i would expect from all By Terry products, the cream shadow stick twists up easily too. Its super light and thin so perfect for travelling and switching up a look fairly quickly.

Above it is swatched heavily and below it has been blended out. As you can see the bottom swatch is much more subtle and actually looks a little darker which is personally how i prefer it on a day to day basis.

Next time your in Space NK be sure to check them out. While this isn't an essential product it's sure a lovely one to have in your make up bag.


Hope you all have a lovely weekend x

Weeknight Relaxation.

Hi girlies.
I work full time so I know that the week can get super busy and stressful so it's nice to have a few things that I know will make me relax to help me along.

1. Lush Bath.
I love Lush bath bombs. They literally are one of my favourite things in the whole world. I feel so relaxed just sitting there contemplating life and they smell so beautiful too. My current favourites are Twilight, Ickle Baby Bot and Avobath.

2. Netflix. I love nothing more than starting a new show and getting super into it. My current obsession after im all upto date with Suits is Pretty Little Liars. I love spending an hour before bed watching an episode.

3. Reading. I really enjoy reading, whether it's a romantic chick lit style book by one of my favourite authors Lindsey Kelk or Paige Toon, or a lovely book like Calm or Tanya Burrs book. They are books that you can dip in and out of easily enough and be left feeling uplifted and happy.

4. A good ol catch up. Picking up the phone and catching up with a friend. Nothing is guaranteed to make you laugh more than that. I make the effort to catch up with at least one or two people daily, friendships require effort and work too!

5. Bedtime Routine. I do have a bedtime routine and I think it totally helps me sleep better. I like to be in bed for about 9-9.30. I spend time on my phone checking messages, facebook, Twitter and the rest of it. I then like to settle down and watch an episode of pretty little liars, or youtube and at 10.30 max lights out and im asleep. I can't stress to you how important a good nights sleep is, it sets you up for the next day.

Morning Routine.

I used to be one of those people that literally got up when I absolutely had to and rushed around like crazy getting ready for work and making it just in the nick of time. That people is so bad for you and no way to spend the first hour of your day. Ive been reading books like The Secret and The Power (which I will do future posts about) and they really emphasise the importance of starting your day well. With an attitude of gratitude, happiness and relaxation. However you start your day....you will end your day. Trust me on that!



1. Attitude of Gratitude. So in the morning when I wake up, I don't just fly out of bed anymore I lie there for a few moments and think about all the things im grateful for. Only once im feeling good do I get up:)



2. Make up time. I really enjoy applying my make up in the morning, it takes me around half an hour to do it and my hair. I don't touch up in the day so I like to take my time first thing. I switch up my palettes and blush pretty often to keep things fun and interesting.



3. Youtube. I love watching YouTube videos by my favourite vloggers while getting ready. This just puts me in a really good mood. Favourites include Fleur, Tanya Burr and Amelia Liana.



4. Spotify. For the days im not feeling watching anything I make up really fun uplifting playlists, music has the power to change your mood in an instant.



5. My drive to work. This always starts with a fun phone call to my bestie first thing. This sets you up for the day. We can go from super serious discussions to laughing till we cry and before we know it we are at work.



So as you can see, before my day has even started properly ie working day....that's 5 things I've done to make me happy and set me up for the best day:)







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Current Hair Care Loves

I haven't written a hair care post in a while so thought it might be nice to update you with my current products. Im still using my trusty Macadamia healing oil spray, nothing ever quite beats that. Ive started using Bumble & Bumble thickening spray to give it that extra volume. I just spray a little in to my roots when its damp. And the most recent update is this Toni & Guy heat protection mist. My quest for the perfect heat protector hasn't quite ended. I do like this spray and I'm sure ill finish it off but i doubt it will be a repurchase. I think i prefer the TreSemme one to this if I'm honest. Im going to try blogging a lot more over the coming weeks but i might branch out a little from beauty posts, maybe what I'm upto, lifestyle and a little more. Hope you are all well.

Urban Decay Naked Basics

Ok I get that im late to the party with my review of this palette but let's be honest it looks boring! I'm a shimmer shadow girl through and through. However just recently ive enjoyed playing around with mattes a little more and needed some...basic shades. So here we have it.


The left 3 I use as lid or brow bone colours. Especially the far left, that's great for highlighting the brow bone and inner eye. Naked 2 is a fab transition shade and Faint is a lovely crease colour. If im honest I don't use Crave.


They all blend beautifully, are soft and easy to work with with no signs of chalkiness. So if your looking for a useful matte palette then look no further. This is the first one as the second i believe is cooler in tone and I don't do cool toned shadow...just to be clear :)