My Yearly Favourites

Hi guys

Happy New Year!!!! I hope your head doesn't hurt too much today ha-ha. 

I say it every year, but I cannot believe how quickly this year went and I also can't believe everything that happened in 2016. It felt like the year that every music legend was taken, there was numerous atrocities all over the world and there were some very important issues highlighted which will hopefully be the beginning of something very special. I also can't forget the UK voted to leave the EU, Donald Trump is the President of the USA with Nigel Farage being an unofficial spokesperson for Britain and Marmite almost caused a rammy in our local supermarkets! But lets leave all that behind, this post isn't meant to be heavy at all, I just couldn't believe the things that have happened and I wanted to reminisce. This post however, is all about beauty.

My Christmas Wish List

Hi guys, 

I thought I would put together my Christmas Wish List today. I haven’t been lusting after many makeup items but I am all over home comforts this year such as bath products, skincare, pyjamas and candles. I have added a few beauty items too so don’t worry. This isn’t a huge expensive wish list, infact the majority of items are under £30 so there’s something for everyone, even if it’s little stocking fillers for that special someone in your life. 

Why I Stopped Buying Beauty Boxes

Hi guys, 

This is in no way a bitch or a moan, its simply my thoughts and opinions on this trend. As you know, there are a million beauty boxes out there now with Look Fantastic, Birch Box and Glossy Box being the most well-known. Since their launch we have seen countless monthly offerings including ones that aren’t necessarily beauty based such as The Melt Crowd (candle subscription service), Graze (snack box), Ink Drops (stationary), Pink Parcel (period box), Lip Monthly (lip products) and The Vegan Kind (vegan products). All very good actually!. There are also some pretty cool collaborations between the queen of skincare Caroline Hirons (£175) and Cult Beauty or Anna and Lily's (sold out) colab but I am still left bemused by beauty boxes.

I used to be an avid Glossy Box subscriber but I felt I was paying for something that was just thrown together with no thought put in whatsoever. Maybe that's changed now, but I had enough after a year. At first all of the products were deluxe samples of some fantastic brands but after a few months, it all went downhill and I felt it was cheap products in tiny sample form. I then moved onto Look Fantastic, again, everything was great, their monthly offerings were more than welcome and then it went downhill. I have only ordered Birch Box once, it was ok, nothing to rave about but it made me mad that these companies were receiving thousands of subscribers per month and then downgrading the products which isn't fair. 

The thing with beauty boxes is you have to be somewhat of a gambler as you never know what will be coming each month. Sometime's they give a sneak peak which is always fun. I used to like the not knowing aspect but I was left bemused some months. I understand there are dips and troughs, this is to be expected, but the bad outweighed the good in the end which led me to cancel all of my subscriptions. I now see the odd great one from LF, GB or BB so I buy it for that month only if they offer it, but I wouldn't subscribe to them anymore. I know not all subscriptions are the same and some are better than others, especially some of the ones mentioned above, but as for beauty boxes, I think I’m done.

I do love the idea of the collaboration boxes though, but if you ain't fast your last baby, as they sell out pretty quickly. Caroline's one is still in stock but if you dont have £175 then your pretty much screwed. I know these ones can be ridiculously expensive but when you look at the products you are receiving, it works out cheaper in the long run as most of them are deluxe samples or full sized products. Don't know if I would be rushing out to spend £175 bucks on this though, could think of many more things I would buy with that kind of money.

Where do you stand with the whole Beauty Box Monthly subscription service?

Is it a waste of money?

Do you like the products each month?

Do you prefer non beauty based boxes?

Have you checked out my latest featuring Disappointing Beauty Products?
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Beauty Wishlist

Hi guys, 

Its my wee mammy's birthday today so I am taking her out, colouring her hair and spoiling her with presents as my sisters are away. Hopefully she has a nice day with little old me ha-ha. 

I thought I would put together a wish list as I haven't done one for ages so I thought I would focus on makeup today. I have refrained from buying makeup recently, well a few bits here and there aren’t going to hurt anyone but I haven't had a real splurge as I am saving for my holiday next month. That doesn't stop me pining after some amazing products out there. 

The first things I want to get my hands on are the new Becca Cosmetics & Jaclyn Hill releases which are the Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlight ($28 see picture for swatches).These are part of the Champagne Glow Collection and come in three shades. They are travel friendly pen highlighters which allow you to be more precise when applying your highlighter. I think these would be great for the inner corner of your eyes, brow bone, cupids bow and bridge of your now before blending out. The Splits Shimmering Skin Perfector Mineral Blush Duo ($38) also look pretty special. They come in four varieties each including a highlighter and blusher. 

Source

I am running low on foundations and want to try a few that I haven't had the pleasure of before rather than buy ones I am familiar with so I have the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection Foundation (£37) and the Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($43) on my wish list as they both have great reviews and look perfect. I wouldn’t know where to begin shade wise, but I’m sure I can figure it out. 

Metallic lipsticks are all the rage right now with brands such as Milani, Jeffree Star and Kylie Cosmetics all jumping on the bandwagon so it’s no surprise that I have included the Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick (£19.90) in the shade Solano (see picture below for close up). This is a beautiful copper shade and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  As well as the Ofra Liquid Lip, I finally want to try some Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip Products as I have had my eye on their products for the longest time but I refuse to pay for shipping and I don't want to go through the hassle of shipping to another address in the US and then shipping here and probably being hit with custom charges so I will bide my time and wait for them to become available in the UK, which is going to be sooner rather than later if rumours are to be believed.

Source

The last items on my wish list are the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops (£34) which look incredible! I am so excited to buy this. I have watched a few tutorials using this product and it honestly couldn’t get any better when it comes to glowing like the sun. The new Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Crème ($26) also looks pretty fab. I bought the Lock-It Foundation last year and I have to say, it’s one of the highest coverage foundations I have ever used. I don’t normally like thick foundations but this was very comfortable so I am keen to try the concealer to see if it's just as good. Lastly but not least, I want to try the new Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush Soft Glow Duo ($42) and the Marc Jacobs Cover (t) Stick (£28). I have yet to try anything from the Marc Jacobs Beauty line but I am sick of hearing everyone's praises and still not owning anything. That will change soon enough!

That’s all I have for today. I’m sorry they are a lot of US links but I have been browsing Sephora and most of these caught my eye. Ofra and Colourpop only have American links as they are based there so if you wanna buy straight from the website please check the shipping costs as they might be ridiculous. If you really do want to buy Colourpop and don't mind the hassle that goes along with shipping it to the UK, I would advise you to check out Hannah's post which you can find here as she has a fantastic blogpost about her first order. 

Have you checked out my latest featuring Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks?

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Jeffree Star | Mannequin & Rose Matter

Unicorn Blood, Mannequin, Rose Matters and Celebrity Skin

Hi guys,

I picked up a few more vegan friendly Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks ($18) a while ago when there were new releases and also a restock of some extremely popular shades. I bought Rose Matter and Mannequin as they were the new shades but I didn’t bother with any other ones as I already had them in my collection.

I know there has been a lot of heat on Twitter when it comes to Jeffree Star, and I thought long and hard about putting this post up but I came to the conclusion that I love these products and felt the need to share my views. 

As I said on my previous post, these are the best liquid lipsticks I have ever used as they don’t dry out my lips too badly compared to other brands, they are the most pigmented products I have ever used and the staying power is just incredible. I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone try them out at some point, especially if you are a liquid lipstick lover who likes a full on matte finish. How I wear them is by scrubbing my lips with a sugar scrub such as this or a homemade one, apply lip butter like this, line my lips with a similar colour and then apply this. It stays put pretty much all day and I have no problems with bleeding or smudging. If I leave the lip butter on, the lipstick doesn't last as long though so be wary of that if you try this technique.

Rose Matter is a soft neutral coral which is perfect for spring/summer season. I can’t say I 100% love this shade as I am not a big coral fan but if you are then you will love this. Like Unicorn Blood and Celebrity Skin, it is very watery and goes on opaque. One swipe from the doe foot applicator is plenty as it is super pigmented. It dries completely and lasts really well until you have something oily and then it starts to come off. This is a known fact about all of the lipsticks in Jeffree’s line, it’s something we have to deal with I’m afraid.

Mannequin is a cool toned nude which is darker than the shade I’m Nude but lighter than Celebrity Skin so if you didn’t like the look of those, this should be right up your street. I love this shade, sometimes Celebrity Skin feels a little darker and grungy and even though I am all about grungy lips sometimes I want to go for a softer lip especially if I go for a full on smokey eye.

This was the first time I purchased straight from Jeffree’s website as I bought from Beautylish previously. I wont be buying direct again as I was hit with a £12.92 custom charge from Royal Mail which seemed extreme for lipsticks that cost a few pounds more. I will also be keeping a close eye on Cocktail Cosmetics as they are the official company in the UK for JS. The only issue I have is the fact that all of the lipsticks are constantly sold out so you have to keep and eye on his twitter and instagram for updates, he is on the ball with this and lets you know instantly.

If you love your liquid lipsticks to go on easily, pigmented and comfortably then these are definitely for you. If you want something that dries quickly and lasts all day/night, these are for you. If you want something that won’t break the bank and is an all-round fabulous product, these are 100% for you!

 Have you checked out my latest featuring My First Week On Slimming World?

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theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks | Sincere & Sentimental

Hi guys,

Liquid lipsticks seem to be here to stay and I for one am very happy. Matte lipsticks are my favourite as they last so much longer on the lips than a regular lipstick. I am a big lover of the Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks as they are just phenomenal. They don’t dry out your lips, there is no crusting, they last for hours, they dry quickly and they look beautiful. I really want more Jeffree Star lipsticks but they are just so hard to get a hold of as they sell out instantly and the very few suppliers in the UK don’t have the full collection or they don’t replenish very often which is frustrating so I started to look elsewhere. The first brand I wanted to try was The Balm as I love their cult favourite, The Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter (£17.50), so when I caught a glimpse of the shade Sincere I knew I had to have it. I have also been told this is a dupe for one of JS newer shades, Gemini. I can’t confirm this as I don’t own both but apparently it’s true.

I bought the shades Sincere (Rusty) and Sentimental (Pink) both are £13.50. The first thing I noticed about the lipsticks apart from the colours, were the vanilla & mint scent, it’s quite potent and really nice. As with most liquid lipsticks, I tend to use a lip liner before I apply the product as it helps me stay in the lines so to speak as they can be a little hard to work with sometimes. I love the texture of these as they are quite thick, almost mousse like and they are really pigmented but I found that they took quite a while to dry. I normally apply a lip butter beforehand to stop my lips feeling dry throughout the day and it works fine with every other product I’ve used so I don’t think that had anything to do with the drying time. I would say a good 25 minutes after applying my lips were fully dry to the touch, that’s when my lips finally stopped sticking together. Not so good! However, once on, it Did.Not.Budge. There was no crusting, no bleeding outside the lips and my lips didn’t dry out.

Apart from the drying time, I really like these lipsticks. I would seriously buy more of them. If I ever get a hold of Jeffree Star Gemini, I will let you know if Sincere is an exact dupe or not but in the meantime, check out Dupe That’s post on this matter.

Do you have any liquid lipstick recommendations for me?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring The Naked Goods Company?

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My 30th Birthday Wishlist

Hi guys,

I don't know if you know this, but I am turning 30 on the 6th July so I wanted to put together a little wish list of the things I have been lusting over for the past couple of the months. Before I delve in, I know people might wonder if I am scared about turning the big 3-0 but to be honest I’m not. I did think I would be married by now with a kid or two but life never works that way does it. I am happy to be moving onto another chapter in my life where hopefully I will be finished with University, get married, buy a house and then have children. I feel as though I have done a lot in my 30 years on the planet, although I would like to have travelled more but other than that, I have a great partner in life, a great family and some amazing friends so turning 30 will hopefully include the same people and more exciting adventures ha! 

Please don’t think that I am being greedy by asking for everything on this list, I am merely putting together a wish list for some products that I love so if I got one or two things from it, I would be very happy with that. I wanted to start with something big as I want to have something that I can keep so I have added the See by Chloe Lizzie Long Flap Wallet (£155) and also Carat Mini Asscher Border Set Studs (£128) as need a new purse and who doesn't love jewellery!

As far as makeup products go, I could have anything and be happy but I am really loving Nars, Delilah, Charlotte Tilbury and Laura Mercier at the moment so I would adore anything from them including foundations, blushers, lipsticks etc. but I do have my eye on these particular products, Nars Tahiti Laguna Bronzing Powder (£39), Nars Audacious Lipstick in Natalie (£24), Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette (£45), Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (£16), Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide in Ivory (£35), Becca Shimmering Skin Powder in Moonstone (£30),  Delilah Colour Gloss in Siren (£22) and Delilah Farewell Cream Concealer (£24).

The scents I have been totally loving recently are the Valentino Valentina Pink Eau De Parfum (£59) and Jo Malone`s Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne (from £42).

When it comes to skincare, I would love such products like Pixi Glow Tonic (£18), Alpha H Liquid Gold (£33.50) and the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm (£38).

Hopefully I get one or two products from this list and then have a nice night out with friends and family to celebrate. So far my family have booked a lovely seafood restaurant for both me and my sister who is turning 25 on the same weekend so that will be lovely. Then I think my friends have planned something the weekend after which should be fun. 

If your birthday has just passed or of its coming up soon, then HAPPY BIRTHDAY from me! I hope you get/got spoilt rotten and have/had an amazing day!

Update: I am in no way bragging but I thought I would let you know what I got. I was lucky enough to get a Marc Jacobs Purse very similar to the See by Chloe one pictured above and some Charlotte Tilbury goodies from Liam. My babe of a pal Siobhan got me the Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette and Nars Audacious Lipstick in Natalie. My mum bought me the Mini Asher Earrings along with a few bottles of my favourite, Chateauneuf Du Pape and an amazing custom made birthday cake. I was also gifted with a few bottles of champagne, perfume, flowers, clothes, bracelet, yankee candles and jewellery. I was a very spoiled girl this year. Thank you so much to everyone who wished me well on social media and obviously to all of my loved ones :) xx

Bourjois | Rouge Edition Aqua Laque

Hey guys,

As you all know, Bourjois are one of my favourite drugstore brands. I picked up my first ever product from them when I was 17 and working in my old hairdressers. Boy, that is a few years ago eh? Almost thirteen years later and the love is still going strong. Thank goodness for me they have improved somewhat.

I know everyone and there granny have spoken about the new Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque`s (£8.99) which frankly have been mostly positive but I decided to put my two cents in and let my lovely readers know what I thought about them. I only picked up one shade in Rose on the Rocks as I wanted to see how I got on with this one before I picked up anymore. Now as I say, Bourjois are one of my favourite brands but I can’t help but not like this, I just didn’t fall in love with it. This colour is amazing with its very nude pink, sure all of the colours are very pretty but the wear of this just isn’t enough.

I found this to be quite messy when I applied with the applicator so I gave it another try using a different brush but it still made its way outside my lips. I loved the glossy effect to it and that did last a while before it started to fade. The one thing that I didn’t like about it at all was the fact that it really dried my lips outs. I applied before making my way to Sainsbury’s one day and by the time I came home I was chomping at the bit to get it off my lips before applying a thick layer of Nivea lip butter to add some moisture back into my lips!

It’s such a shame that I didn’t get on well with this as I really wanted to love it, like I do with everything else in their collection but it’s just not for me! This isn`t to say that you won’t get on a bit better, this is only my opinion. I think I will stick to my Maybelline Elixir Lips instead as it makes my lips feel great and gives a gorgeous glossy look to my looks without drying them out.  

Have you tried these Aqua Laque’s?

How did you get on with them?

P.S Head down to your local Debenhams to get yourself measured. I recently went along and was surprised to find that I was 2 whole cup sizes bigger and a back size smaller!! No wonder my back has been sore. 

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Mario Badescu?  I can also be found on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | 

My April Favourites

Hi guys,

April sure went in quick didn’t it? I tried to get this post up sooner but I have been studying away and totally neglecting my blog recently as I only have 9 days before I sit the final exam of my HND, fingers crossed I get an A or B but I’m not going to lie, it’s going to be hard.  

April was a great month, I had my first ever blogger event, I celebrated my first year blogging anniversary and I got to meet some great bloggers too. This month I have Liam’s 30th birthday so I have a few surprises up my sleeve for him, hopefully he enjoys what I have planned. Unfortunately he will be working for most of May so he won’t be here for his birthday, nor will he be allowed to celebrate it as he will be stuck on an oil rig for 3 weeks! It’s a good thing he doesn't care about birthdays but I do so hopefully he has fun when he comes home with myself, his family and friends. I have planned a night at the dog races for all of our friends and family and also a paintballing day for him and 15 of his nearest and dearest plus an extra surprise just for him, I don’t want to say it just now in case he reads this and it ruins the surprise but hopefully he enjoys his 3 weeks at home with all the little surprises I have lined up.

Back to this post though. The first item I have absolutely adored this month is the L’Oréal Matte Infallible Foundation (£6.99) this foundation is the first in my collection that hasn't had to be set with a powder and has actually lasted all day. Throughout the day, it didn’t budge at all. I will have a full review of this very shortly. Keeping up with makeup, I have also rediscovered my love for the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms (£7.99), the one I have been reaching for almost every day is the shade Elusive which is a gorgeous pink shade that lasts on the lips without drying them out. As with everyone else, I have fallen head over heels in love with the Max Factor Crème Puff Blushers (£8.99). My favourite is shade Seductive Pink, which gives a gorgeous hint of colour as well as a little added highlight to the cheeks which is a look I am loving at the moment.

Skincare has been my real love this month. I will have a new skincare post up very soon with all the products that have completely changed my skin, for the better. The first thing I have absolutely loved is the Yes to Carrots Exfoliating Cleanser (£6.99). This is so gentle on the skin and can be used as an everyday cleanser, the only thing is, it’s not great at removing every trace of mascara so if you want to purchase, I would suggest using an oil/gel/balm cleanser first and then using this as a second cleanser. Balance Active Formula Hyaluronic 554 Youth Serum (£3.99) and Nip & Fab Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum (£19.95) have been the greatest serums ever invented in my opinion, between the two of them, I have had added so much moisture back into my skin which has in turn completely transformed my skin.

Masks have been another favourite this month and amongst them is the facemask, Cupcake (£6.50) from Lush. This mask is something else entirely, it smells like an absolute dream and has also worked at calming down any blemishes I had. Since using it, I haven’t had one breakout so to say this is a life saver is a massive understatement. 

I have 2 non beauty favourites this month which are the movies Avenger: Age of Ultron and Big Eyes. Avengers needs no introduction at all, it’s one of the biggest movie franchises out there and brings together some of the most amazing superheroes including Iron Man, Thor *swoons*, Captain America and The Hulk amongst others. If you love superhero films, then I suggest you grab a friend, large popcorn and prepare to be blown away! Big Eyes is a film I stumbled across and stars the amazing Amy Adams and tells the incredible story of artist Margaret Keane and her attention seeking husband Walter Keane. I didn’t expect much from this film to be honest but I was blown away by the acting, especially from Christoph Waltz who plays Walter, there are some incredible scenes from him and in my opinion he steals the movie. Please, please, watch this, it might not be for everyone but I loved it.

I have a lot more in my favourites but if I carried on I would probably have enough material for three blog posts so I won’t bore you but I will tell you another few without too much detail. These are the May Chang Citrus Pocket Balm (£4.95), NYC Liquid Eyeliner (£2.49), Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (£70), Maybelline Color Elixir in Petal Plush (£6.99), Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream (from £35), Soap & Glory Orangeasm Super Rich Body Butter (£10) and the Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer (£29).

What have you loved in April?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Bio Oil?  I can also be found on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |