2015 Beauty Favourites

Today's post is all about a few of my beauty favourites from 2015. I have many favourite as there was some amazing launches of new products but I have decided to narrow it down to the top 10 so here they are in no particular order...

1. Mac Prep and Prime Skin Base Visage - £21.00  - I have had this for about a year now, it is my first primer but I can really tell the difference to my make up when I use this underneath it definitely works and make foundation go on so much more smoothly.

2. Sephora Matte Lip Cream in 03  I bought this last February while I was in Paris and I am so glad I did! It lasts so well and I really want to get some other colours.

3. Max Factor Creme Puff  Blush in Seductively Pink - £8.99 - I love this blush so much I have just bought another one as I have hit the bottom of this one! Its such a lovely colour and the slight shimmer gives a glow to the skin.

4. Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Beige A Nu - £7.99 - This lipstick is such a pretty nude and is so creamy. I also really love the smell of these lipsticks, I also have two other colours too.

5. Garnier Micellar Water - £4.99 - Since I discovered this I have never used anything else to take my make up off. Its so affordable and is so similar to the famous Bioderma. Also one bottle lasts for ages which is so good!

6. Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip Liner in Black - £2.99 - I picked this up about 6 months ago because I wanted a different liner to using gel all the time and I am so glad I did. I am so impressed with this because every other felt tip style liner I have used had dried up too quickly and this one is still going strong! It is really black and so quick and easy to apply, I highly recommend!

7. Benefit Roller Lash - £19.50 -  I first tried this when I got a sample in a magazine and when it came out I bought one with my Boots card points. It is definitely the best mascara I have ever used and recommend to everyone to try if you like really defined, curled lashes! I got another one for Christmas which I was so happy about because my other one ran out.

8. Stila In The Moment Palette - £25 - I bought this on the Birchbox website after I earned points to spend after reviewing the boxes I used to get. It has such lovely eyeshadows from neutral to some dark browns and purples. I especially love the shade instinct for a brow bone and inner corner highlight.

9. My Mac Palette - £35 (so far) - I got this with some vouchers I got for my birthday and I love all the shades I have picked so far. I have Antiqued (dark copper orange shade), Sketch (a deep purple shade) and Charcoal Brown (medium brown shade).

10. Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush - £10.55  - I bought this from Feel Unique after my friend told me how good it was and I also didn't really have a brush like it. Its so good at blending shadows perfectly and I use it all the time.

Naked Smoky Palette

Today's post is going to be about one of the newest palettes from Urban Decay! I was lucky enough to receive the Naked smoky palette for Christmas this year and I was so happy about it because I really wanted it ever since I saw it come out in July. I have many palettes but I really wanted some darker colours and some cool tones. The palette has 12 shades including mattes and shimmers and also includes and a double ended brush with a pencil brush on one end and a fluffy blending brush on the other. The brushes from Urban Decay are really good so I can't wait to try it!

The shades from left to right; High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor, Slanted, Dagger, Black market, Smolder, Password, Whiskey, Combust, and Thirteen.

One of the things I love about this is of course the packaging! What make up lover doesn't?! The smoke pattern on the front and the box it comes in is so pretty! 

My favourite colours are Armor which is a dark grey with glitter in and combust which is matte very pale beige colour which is good to blend out the grey shades in the crease. Although I have used it quite a few times I am still playing with colours and I know I will get so much use out of it.

My top 5 favourite lip products

Today I thought I would do a post on some of my favourite lip products, here are my top 5...

1. Mac Brave Lisptick - £15.50 - This was my first Mac lipstick and most well loved lipstick in my collection, it is the perfect everyday colour.

2. Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose - £2.00 - One of the nicest lip balms I have used, really moisturising and smells so nice too.

3. Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in 630 Beige a nu - £6.99 - A really pretty colour with a really nice finish.

4. Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Crayon in Raplumsel - £8.00 - A non sticky gloss that is a lovely deep plum shade.

5. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Bang - £15.50 - A really good creamy lipstick in an amazing reddy orange shade.

(from left to right mac brave, soap and glory raplumsel, urban decay bang, loreal beige a nu and nivea raspberry rose)

Nails of the Week

These nails were ones I did last week but amazingly the design on my thumbs was still on a week later! I did change the colour on my other nails about five days later though. This is a very summery design and was really easy to do. I was inspired by a You tube video (here), but I just changed the colours slightly and the amount of nails I did the design on. Although you don't need any nail art tools I did use a dotting tool for the centre on the flowers but you don't really need to.

For my nails I used these nail varnishes;

Rimmel nail base and top coat 5 in 1 - £4.49

Rimmel by Rita Ora nail varnish in Wild-er-ness - £2.99

Rimmel by Rita Ora nail varnish in Bestival Blue - £2.99

Models Own velvet goth nail varnish in Absinthe - £5.00

Avon Nailwear Pro in Habenero It Girl - £6.00 (not sure you can get it anymore)

Laval Crystal finish nail varnish in Ultra Green - (not sure where I got this from there is a few on Amazon)

Boots Botanics Moisturisers Review

A couple of months ago I bought some new moisturisers. I found that the Simple moisturiser wasn't really doing much good for my skin and my face was really quite dry especially near my eyes. I bought these in Boots on my friend's recommendation and because at the time they were half price so I thought I would try them and today I thougth I would do a litle review...

I bought the Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating day and night cream. They are priced at £4.99 each which is really good as they come in 50ml tubs which I think will last quite a while.

The day cream has SPF 15 and claims to hydrate, protect and brighten for 24 hours. The consistency is quite runny but a little goes a long way and it absorbs quite quickly and it really does feel moisturising and is a nice base before make up becuase of the fact it include SPF and it protects the skin all day.

The night cream claims to brighten and hydrate overnight. The consistency is alot different to the day cream and it is quite thick which is perfect for night and it really sinks in and leaves it feeling really hydrated. I wouldn't say either of the creams really brighten but my face feels alot softer and I don't have any dryness.

I really like both of these creams and would recommend them and incase you didn't know alredy but the Botanics range has moisturisers for all skins types. The one that I chose is for normal/dry skin but they also do ones for all skins types, for fine lines and radiance, for deep lines and wrinkles, for oily to combination and for sensitive skin, so next time you need a new moisturiser go to Boots and look at the large range of skin care.

Click here to check out the range online

My Mac Collection so far

I have probably been buying Mac for about a year now. Its not something I buy all the time because I can't afford to but I love it and think the quality is definitely worth the price.

The first thing I bought from Mac was a lipstick. I bought the shade Brave which is a satin finish. I bought it online so had no idea if I would like the colour as I had only looked at swatches online. But when it came I loved it and the colour was perfect for everyday which is what I wanted.

And that is where my love for Mac all started and now I have quite a few products so I thought I would show you what I have...

Prep and Prime Skin Base Visage - £21.00 (review here)

Quad Pro Palette - £5.00

 Eye shadow in Charcoal Brown - £10.00

 Eye shadow in Antiqued - £10.00

 Eye shadow in Sketch - £10.00

Matte lipstick in Diva - £15.50

Satin lipstick in Brave - £15.50

Satin lipstick in Verve - £15.50

Lustre lipstick in Plumful - £15.50

Fluid line Eye liner in Blacktrack - £15.50

Pro long wear Paint pot - £15.50

On swatches photo from top to bottom Sketch, Antiqued and Charcoal Brown

From left to right Plumful, Verve, Brave, Diva

On swatches photo on the left it is swatched and the right it is blended

Mac can be bought from counters in Fenwicks, Debenhams and a few other store and also online at www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Garnier Micellar Water Review

I have been using micellar water to take my make up for a while now so today I thought I would do a little review.

I have used micellar water for just under a year and I have really been liking it. Before I tried this Garnier one I tried the 3 in 1 Nivea micellar water. I did like it but found it left my skin feeling a bit dry. While using that one I kept seeing and hearing good things about the Garnier one so decided to try it and now I haven't really used anything else! It is really effective at taking make up off easily and this one doesn't make my skin dry which is great. In between using this I have been using Bioderma which I picked up when I went to Paris. In my opinion it is very similar to this but a full review of that will be coming soon. The Garnier Micellar Water is £4.99 for a 400ml bottle which I think is such good value for money but it is often on offer at Boots so thats when I stock up although I think the bottle above is probably still my first as I sometimes use other products as I said before but I think it still shows how long it lasts as you don't need a lot. Overall this product is something I really recommend trying!

Babyliss Ombre 235 Styler 2082DU Review

Last week I had to buy some new straighteners as unfortunately the ones I had stopped working but I can't really complain because I had, had them since I was about 14 so in the 6 years I had my moneys worth. So anyway I decided to look on Boots and lucky for me they had some on sale for £29.99! They were half price and the reviews I read were all really good so I decided I would go for them. I decided to stay with Babyliss brand as it was the same as my other ones and I felt it was a decent brand I could trust to last for a while.

I ordered them on the sunday morning and picked to have them sent to store for no extra cost and in case you didn't know at Boots you can get them delivered to store the next day if you order before 6pm. I think its a great service and was not disappointed as I received an email at about half past ten on the monday so I collected them before I went to university.

The Babyliss Ombre 235 Styler 2082DU is actually a 2 in 1 and does not only straighten it also creates curls as the straigtening plates are quite skinny and the outside if the barrels heats up so you can wrap hair around and it can create curls and waves.

The straighteners come with a heat protective wrap case which is really handy for storing and travelling.

Some of the features include temperature up to 235 degrees, 15 second heat up time, 20 temperature settings, titanium ceramic plates to glide through hair for smoothness and longer plates to create curls and straighten faster.

I have been using them for a week now and I really like them. I like that they are skinny as I feel I can straighten really well nearer the roots of my hair. I haven't fully straightened all of hair with them yet only my fringe but I have used them to add a few extra curls to my already wavy hair and I like the results. I would really recommend if you are looking for a new hair styling tool as they are worth the money as it means you don't need two tools for curling and straightening.

The hairstyle I have been creating with them, straightening my fringe and loosely curling the rest of my hair, it can do both loose and tight curls

Buy HERE for £29.99 get them while they are on offer! and you can collect your Boots advantage card points!

Nails of the Week - Rita Ora Nail Varnishes

As you may have seen on a post a few weeks ago (here) I bought some new nail varnishes from Rimmel. I got the Rimmel nail base and top coat 5 in 1 and 2 colours from the new Rita Ora spring collection.

Using the colours Wild-er-ness(lilac) and Bestival Blue(bright blue) I painted my thumb and ring finger in the lilac colour and the rest in the blue which is probably my favourite of the two. I then added a glitter gradient on the lilac nails. I really love the colours together and they perfect for spring!

I find that Rimmel varnishes stay on quite well and with the help of the nail base and top coat it should last longer. The nail base and top coat 5 in 1 is new to me and I thought I would try it as I needed another one and it was on a 3 for 2 at Boots so why not!

Products used: (from l-r)

Rimmel Nail Base and Top Coat 5 in 1 - £4.49

Rimmel Rita Ora Nail Varnish in Bestival Blue - £2.99

Rimmel Rita Ora Nail Varnish in Wild-er-ness - £2.99

No7 Nail Varnish in Silver Glitter (from a set)

No7 Nail Varnish in Disco Ball (from No7 advent calendar but full size is £7.00)

Seventeen Stay Time Concealer Review

A couple of weeks ago I needed a new concealer. I decided I wanted to try something else rather than my usual one which was the Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer which I like but it was time for a change. I have decided I want to save for a high end concealer but until then I chose the Seventeen stay time concealer.

On the Boots website it says ' Concealer with staying power! 18 hours wear for total blemish cover. This long lasting creamy formula gives a full coverage and a flawless finish' 

I only partly agree with this statement as it is creamy formula but I don't think it lasts 18 hours its  probably more around 5 hours.

 It comes in the traditional liquid concealer tube with doe foot applicator. I do like the packaging and it is really easy to apply and blend in. I have mine in the shade Fair and I have been using the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush and it works well to blend and cover the areas I need concealing. The colour is also a really good match for my complexion.

Photos before applying concealer under my eyes and on  spot scars on my chin.

Photos after applying  the concealer

Above are photos showing before and after of applying the concealer. I think it works really well under my eye as it seems to slightly brighten as well as conceal the dark and red areas. It also works quite well on my scars on my chin but that is usually where it starts to fade first. Overall I think this is a concealer worth trying and for £4.49 its good value for money.

It is available from Boots (here)

Garnier Cleansing Wipes Review

Today I thought I would do a short post of a review on Garnier cleansing wipes. I don't usually use make up wipes that much as I found some can make my skin feel dry so I moved onto to trying micellar water (more about that on another post), but then I found these from Garnier which I actually really have been liking.

                               

The reason I like them is that they seem to hold more moisture and are softer than most wipes I have tried before. They take of make up really easily and don't leave my skin feeling tight and dry. They come in two different types for both normal to dry skin (above) or normal to combination skin. I usually buy mine from Tesco but you can also get them at Superdrug and Boots. They are priced between £3 - £3.45 (depending where you get them click on store above to find out) which is about average for wipes and I think they are good alternative when I am too lazy to use other products to remove make up.

Real Techniques Bold Metals Brushes Review

I love Real Techniques brushes and now I don't use any other because they are so good so when I saw a few months ago there was going to be a new collection I knew I wanted some for my birthday. 

There are 7 in the collection but I decided I wanted to get the ones I don't have anything like so I got the contour brush and the angled liner brush. I am not going to lie but the fact the handles are so pretty persuaded me to spend the money, especially the rose gold ones!

They are all priced between £10-£25 and in my opinion they are so worth the money! Not only have they got really soft bristles like all the Real Technique brushes but they are designed so they don't roll off the table and are also weighted so you can hold them easier.

The contour brush is perfect for contouring your cheeks as it is the perfect shape and the angled shape of the eye liner makes applying gel liner so much easier as you get get a really good point on your flick.

Photo of make up using both brushes

Contour Brush 301 - £22

Angled liner brush 202 - £10

Real Techniques Bold Metal Brushes are available from Boots, both in store and online and also the Real Techniques website

Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Grey Palette Review

I am pretty sure that nearly every  beauty bloggers has seen these by now, and if you haven't you need to get to Boots! The new Collection Eyes Uncovered Palettes come in three different colour selections which include, Nude, Nude Bronze and Nude Grey. They are all really pretty and it was hard to decide which one to get but then again for £3.99 I could always get another one and it wouldn't break the bank!

The Nude Grey one that I got has some really nice shades and some are ones I don't have anything like. The colours from left to right are Parchment, Rubble, Under the Moon, Drift Wood, In a Nutshell and Eclipse,The colours are really pigmented and stay on really well with an eyeshadow primer. Although the product is really good I do think the packaging could be better as the magnetic close isn't very strong but its not something that would stop me buying another one.

This is a look I created the second time I used it. It is using the colours Under the Moon and In a Nutshell. I did a a really simple look with Under the Moon shade all over and then the darker shade In a Nutshell in the crease and blended it really well so it was suitable for everyday wear.

It can be bought in store and online at Boots for £3.99

Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick Review

I have mentioned these Kiko long lasting eyeshadow sticks on my last post (here) but today I thought I would do a little review...

Currently I own two of these and I really love them! They are from the brand Kiko which is turning into one of my favourite make up brands. One of the reasons is that it is the quality of high end make up but the prices are more like Boots and Superdrug prices. It is very affordable and these only cost £6.90 each. I also love the store itself as it makes you feel you are in a higher end store.

The ones I own are 05 Rosy Brown and Burgandy 37 but there are so many colours to choose from and more I want to try! They are such an easy way to do quick eye make up and can be blended on their own really easily or other eyeshadows can be blended over the top if you want to add to it for a more smoky eye make up look. 

This is a make up look I did using the Burgundy 37 eyeshadow stick. I applied it and then blended it with my Real Techniques base shadow brush. I then added a bit of a dark brown eyeshadow on the outer v and then a pale highlighting shade in the centre of the lid and on the brow bone. Also I added the burgundy eyeshadow stick on the lower lash line and blended for a simple smoky look. I then tight lined with a black kohl eye liner for a bit of definition and added mascara. I really think it suits my green/brown eyes. (Also in case you are wondering what lipstick I have on in the photo it is Mac's Brave)

The eyeshadow sticks can be bought in store or online at www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

Sephora Lip Cream Stain Review

So last week I went to Paris (read all about it here) and other than the usual touristy places I went to, been the make up addict I am I also really wanted to see if I could find a Sephora. Sephora, in case you didn't know is a massive make up store that is only in Europe and America which is so annoying because it stocks brands we can't get in England.

Although I loved going in and looking around most of the products I wanted they didn't have them and I came to the conclusion they they are probably only available in America. The only thing I managed to get is a Sephora cream lip stain which is like a liquid lipstick. I was inspired to get this as Lily Pebbles the You Tuber always raves about it and I had to try it! I actually didn't get the exact colour I wanted but I got a pretty pinky red which I love!

It actually looks more red in the tube but in certain light it looks more pink like the photo below

The product is so nice to apply and goes on smoothly. It also lasts a long time before you have to reapply but the stain remains and the colour is so opaque and dries matte. It did make my lips a little bit dry but its something I could put up with.

I paid 10.95 euros which is about £8. I think this is really affordable as this is probably what you pay in Boots for a liquid lipstick for example the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks. Overall a very good product and would definitely recommend if you ever come across a Sephora on your travels.

Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara Review

Now I know I am probably like the millionth blogger who had reviewed the new Roller Lash mascara from Benefit that came with Elle magazine last week but I going to do it anyway because its just so good! 

I am a big fan of Benefit products and when I saw on Elle magazine's instagram they had an exclusive sample of their new mascara I knew I had to got and get it. I have never tried a Benefit mascara before and so was really interested to know what they would be like and I was not disappointed!

The first time I put it on I fell in love with how amazing it made my lashes look! The Benefit website says ' The eye opening Hook and Roll brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls while the instant curve setting formula holds for 12 hours', and I can honestly tell you they are not lying! It gave them so much lift and both separation and volume all in one. My lashes looked so long and the curl holds all day! I was a bit worried about how easy it would be to remove but it came off quite easy with the Garnier micellar cleansing water I normally use for my make up removal.

The left is with mascara and the right is before mascara was applied and as you can see there is a huge difference!

I am loving it and I now can't wait to buy the full size version which comes out on the 27th of this month and is retailing for £19.50! 

Click here to go to the Benefit website

Stila In The Moment Palette Review

I bought the Stila In The Moment palette as a christmas present to myself but it only came recently as there was problems with deliveries. The Stila palette was £25 but I ordered mine from the Birchbox online shop as I had collected £20 worth of points since having a birchbox subscription and earning points for reviewing products. This meant that I only had to pay £5 and then £2.95 for P&P which I was so happy about! (Click here to got to the Birchbox website to find out more)

There are quite a few Stila palettes but I chose this one as I really like all the colours and there is a nice mixture of neutral and darks. The dark colours I especially liked as they are very purpley which I love! The pigmentation of them is also very good and you can definitely tell the high end quality. 

The packaging is also very pretty and the palette also comes with a waterproof smudge stick in the colour tetra which says it is an exclusive to the palette. It also comes with a little booklet of make up ideas and how to use the colours together which is very helpful although I like experimenting.

Swatches in order seen in palette above from left to right top to bottom they are called instinct, impulse, glance, improvise, catalyst and then the second row is desire, wonder, spontaneous, whim and captivate. The swatch at the end is the smudge stick which is actually not showing the true colour it is a purpley brown.

I would definitely recommend if you are addicted to eye shadow like me and want another palette to add to your collection!

It can be bought for the Stila website, Birchbox online store and Feel Unique just to name a few.