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.

Mac Diva Lipstick Review

I have wanted this lipstick since the autumn when I was really loving the look of dark fall shades include deep reds and dark pinky purples. I put it on my christmas list and my parents bought me it even if they did think it was expensive. I would describe Mac's Diva lipstick as a deep wine colour and is the darkest lipstick I own but I think it really suits me.

It is priced at £15.50 and is available from the Mac website, Debenhams or Fenwicks. It is a matte formula which I didn't actually realise and it can be a bit hard to apply but using a brush makes in easier and using a lip liner will make it last so much better. I love it so much it is such a pretty colour and the formula means it does last quite a while even on its own.

The lip liner I bought to go with it is from Boots and it is a Barry M one which matches perfectly. It is in the shade 7 and is called wine. This was £2.99 which is very reasonable as I didn't want to spend loads. The swatches above show them both (lip liner on the left and lipstick on the right.)

Rimmel Wonderfull Mascara Review

I had been wanting to try this mascara for a while after I saw an advert and saw that it was a mascara with argan oil in it. I discovered I really liked argan oil after buying some lip balm and shower gel from The Body Shop's argan oil range and I wanted to know what it would be like in a mascara. The product description says;

 'The Secret Weapon to full volume without clumps. The new formula with Argan Oil feels incredibly lightweight, soft and flexible for Wonder’Full volume that won’t weigh you down. Lashes feel conditioned, soft and flexible, with zero clumps and a feather-light volume.

Ultra Flex brush with ultra-soft bristles also hugs lashes defining them from root to tip. The result all lashes revealed with full, perfectly smooth, clump-free volume'.

When I went to buy this I saw that there was both black and extreme black so I decided to get extreme black as I can't stand it when mascara isn't really black. My overall thoughts are that it is a very nice separating mascara but not so much volume. As the product description says it is clump free which I really like as I hate clumpy looking lashes. I also feel like it does condition the lashes because of the argan oil. The wand is plastic with quite fine bristles and is very easy to use as it isn't too big. I do really like it but it definitely doesn't beat the Bourjois 1 Seconde Volume mascara (click here to read my review) so I probably won't repurchase. 

The left one is with no mascara and the right on one is with mascara.

It can be bought from Boots (click here) and is currently on offer for £5.99 instead of £7.99

Nails of the week

This weeks nails are very glittery and were perfect for christmas! I used a new polish I received in my December Birchbox. Its from the new Velvet Goth collection by the Models Own brand and is called Absinthe. Its a really nice glittery teal colour and has a really opaque coverage in 1 coat, I was very impressed with it. They retail for £5 which is average for a nail polish but I was very happy as obviously I got other things in my Birchbox so it was great value for money.

The December Birchbox and nail varnishes

 are available to buy here.

                         

Christmas Tag

I have seen this tag on quite a few blogs recently and I really wanted to do it myself so here it is...

What's your favourite Christmas movie?

This is such an easy question, my favourite is Elf! I have seen it so many times but I still love it but I also really like The Polar Express and The Holiday.

What are your favourite Christmas colours?

I love the traditional red and green but this year I wrapped present with red and gold paper and then red and white ribbons and bows.

Do you like to stay in your PJ's or dress up for Christmas?

I usually stay in my Pjs until near dinner time and then I like to wear a chrsitmas jumper and comfy leggings.

Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

I always open them christmas morning with my Mum, Dad and brother and then the rest of my family come round later.

Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

Yes, I built one with my university flatmates for the first time last year. 

What do you like to do during your Christmas holidays?

Just chill out and do nothing much really apart from seeing friends and famliy seen as I'm not at home most of the year.

Any Christmas wishes?

I wish that next year I create more happy memories  and that I continue to be successful in my course at university. 

Favourite Christmas meal or treat?

The best thing about christmas dinner for me is pigs in blankets! I love them and wish I could have them all year round.

I'm back to blogging! (plus nails of the week post)

I can't believe I haven't posted on my blog since October! I have been so busy with university especially because I am now in my second year and I have so much more work. I have been enjoying it but now I am so glad to back home with my family.

Today's post is going to be a nails of the week using 2 nail varnishes I got in my No7 beauty advent calendar. If you haven't heard of the No7 advent calendar it includes 25 products from the No7 range at Boots. It was £35 which I know sounds alot for an advent calendar but the contents is worth over £100! I have really been liking what is in it and it perfect for me who loves new beauty products.

I used the Sally Hansen Double Duty top and base coat and then I used the two No7 nail varnishes in the colours Highland Mist and Disco Ball. The ones that come in the calendar are the mini version but I like that because you never use a full nail varnish before it dries up so the mini ones are perfect as you don't waste any.

I used the pinky coloured one (highland mist) on every nail except the ring finger and thumb nail as I painted them with the silver glitter one (disco ball). I really like the No7 nail varnishes as they do last a while and the colours are always really nice.

Hope you like this post and expect to see a few more over the holidays now I have more free time. 

My Little Shopping Spree

So maybe I lied a bit in the title of the post as I bought quite a bit, some of the things were essentials while others were just things I decided to treat myself to so here is everything I bought when I went shopping in Leeds a few weeks ago ...

The main reason I went to Leeds was because there was a vintage fair on with £15 per kilo which was really good. I love vintage as it means no one else will have the same thing and I like to be different. It was £3 to get in and if you didn't have kilo of clothes it was £5 per item which was also really good. The only thing I found was this long cardigan so it was £5 which is a bargain for something vintage and it will be perfect for Autumn/Winter.

These were the most exciting purchases of the day as I have always wanted to go to the Kiko Cosmetics store and one recently opened in Leeds Trinity Centre so I had to go. I bought a long lasting eye shadow stick in the shade 05 rosy brown, a smart lipstick in the shade 914 which is a deep purpley red and a lip liner to go with it in the shade 709 which was the closest to lipstick colour. Altogether I spent £13.30 which I think is really good and all the pricing in the store is very reasonable and I will definitely go back next time I'm there! 

Have a look at all products on www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

Swatches of all products

These next purchases were from Boots:

Boots Own Cosmetic Oval Pads

Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Wash 

Bastiste Dry Shampoo

Sally Hansen Double Duty Base and Top Coat

Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water

Maybelline Colour Show Nail 

Varnish in Burberry Kiss

 My final purchase was this hat from Primark for £8. It took me ages to decide whether or not to buy it but in the end I got it because I love the colour and my friend said it suited me.