2014 Favourites || Beauty...

I haven't been blogging for very long but boy what a year it has been!

In this post I shall write about a few of my favourite beauty finds of 2014 and I shall try and keep it short and sweet..

Firstly I would like to talk about my hero against my oily t-zone - milk of magnesia!

You need very little of it and all I do is spread it evenly on the parts of my face that get oily/shiney. Then I use a hair dryer to dry it because most of the time I haven't got the time to just wait around and let it air dry, you will be left looking partially like a ghost. After that I put a silicone based primer like the Maybelline Baby Skin on top which gets rid of the whiteness. And carry on with the rest of my make up routine. You can see step by step pictures in this post here!

This new found product keeps me matte all day long and I don't have to carry or touch up with powder any more! 

My favourite brand I found out about and bought many products from is Makeup Revolution.

I did an introduction post here! They basically are the best brand for high quality make up and having a vast range of products to choose from. I especially love their eye shadow palettes which are super creamy. pigmented and really easy to blend! My haul post you can read about here. They regularly have deals on so like them on Facebook to keep up to date.

After testing out a few subscription boxes from the UK, I decided I wanted to venture further afield, so after some research I found Wantable. The best make up subscription box service I have tried. It is a bit more expensive than the one based in the UK but for the extra money you get full-sized, high end products. They also do other boxes; Accessories, Initmates & Fitness.

You can find my November & December boxes linked here!

I have loved every product I've received from them so far!

This here is my new favourite foundation, L'oréal Eau De Teint. As soon as I tested it on my hand in Boots and felt the consistency of it I had to have it. It doesn't have much coverage but it is build-able and is enough to perfect/even out my skin tone for a naturally flawless look. I have oily skin and I use this with my milk of magnesia base which I mentioned above and set it with Rimmel Stay Matte powder and I have great looking skin all day long. My review on it is here.

After seeing many, many tutorials on perfect brows that last all day I had to buy this Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade. It comes in quite a few different shades so I'm sure you'll find one to suit your hair. I have the colour Blonde but have recently dyed my hair a darker colour so haven't been using it, I will be purchasing the colour Medium or Dark brown. Then when I'm in between hair shades I can mix them to match my hair colour & do ombré brows. It really does last all day long, it has held up against accidental eyebrow itching and a sweaty forehead. You can read my blog post here but I'm sure as soon as I get the other shade there will be another follow up post on a step-by-step guide about how to use it.

I have 3 Beauty Gurus that I have been loving this year all linked below. 

Nicole Guerriero...

Lizzie...

Nikkie...

All three ladies are super beautiful and do amazing tutorials/reviews on make up. I love watching their videos because they are all very smiley and easy to watch. They do tutorials from the very basic, how they apply foundation, to step-by-step bold eye looks + everything in between.

And that concludes my beauty favourites of the year, I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of other things but these are the ones that really stood out to me.

Hope you all had a great year & a happy new year!!!! Thank you to everyone who has read my blog so far! Much love to you all!

What products have stood out for you this year? And what are your thoughts on my favourites?

X

Zoeva || Classic Eye Brush Set...

I have heard a lot of good things via YouTube and other Blogs about the Zoeva Brushes, so they ended up in my wishlist and Santa (my darling Mother) was kind enough to bring me this gorgeous brush set this Christmas.

This set of 6 brushes and is called the Classic Eye Brush Set which comes with a very stylish & cute clutch bag to keep them in; the inside of the clutch is a vibrant fuchsia pink. The brushes are made with both natural and synthetic bristles.

This is the Wing Liner brush which is perfect to use with any gel or powder liners. It is made with nylon bristles and is firm yet soft. I also think this would be a good brush for using cream eyebrow products like the Anastasia Dipbrow.

This is called the Luxe Smokey Shader which has soft densely packed natural goat hair bristles. As the name suggests it is great for smokey eye looks, a perfect fit for smoking out the lower lash line and I found it good for adding colour to the mobile lid. 

The Brow Line Brush is next; a very short slightly angled brush (taklon bristles) which is brilliant for creating the perfect arch. I also think it would be great for packing on a powder on the lash kine for a more natural liner.

This brush, the Luxe Petit Crease brush (goat hair bristles) fits perfectly in the crease and gives precise blending for transition & contour shades in the crease of your lid. 

The Luxe Soft Definer brush (goat hair bristles) is great for blending out any harsh lines between colour transitions.

This last brush is the Fine Liner brush (nylon bristles) and is the perfect brush for accurately applying any cream, gel or liquid liners. It's angled head is great for getting close to the lash line. 

This is a great quality brush set and would be a perfect starter for anyone new to make up, it has all the brushes needed to create natural to more bold & creative looks!

Which brushes do you use and what are your thoughts, I would love to hear them?

X

Wantable December...

Holy Moly!
Yay it finally arrived!
My Wantable box!
If you don't know, this is a subscription box from the USA so you'll get different brands to what we have here in the UK. I find this the most exciting subscription out of the boxes I have tried so far.
When you sign up there is a questionnaire where you click 'love', 'like' & 'dislike' and through this you will never get products you 'dislike'.
This months box cost around $50 which is around £31, this includes shipping and UK tax.
It is more expensive than other subscription boxes but I think it is definitely worth it as you get high end full sized products!

First product I saw was the above lip gloss (swatches below). This is the second Surratt product I have received from Wantable, this being my second box so far. I am very pleased I got this colour as I do wear a lot of dark lipsticks at the moment. This can be used as a sheer but pigmented lip colour on it's own or on top of a lipstick to add a bit of gloss/subtle bit of colour. It's quite sticky but that shows that it will stay on your lips for a long time. The one odd thing I found with this product is that it is a completely different colour in the tube than it is swatched, which you will see below on my hand. In the tube it looks more burgundy red but swatched it's actually more of a purple.
This product is worth $32 (£20).

Onto the next full size product, one I was super happy to see as I am running out of my primer. This Ofra Absolute Cover Face Primer. I have been using it for a few days now and I really like it. It has a very creamy consistency but does not feel greasy at all. It works well my my combination skin (oily t-zone). It gives a really smooth base to use under foundation, my current favourite being my L'Oréal Paris Eau De Teint. This primer is worth $35 (£22).

The next product I saw came in a simple black gloss card box but when I opened it and took this out, WOW! Check out the amazing black gem studded packaging. This is a super smooth and pigmented powder bronzer and being quite fair skinned (damn you winter...) I do have to use it quite sparingly but it does give a lovely glow to my skin. I also use it as a contour because, well, who doesn't want epic cheekbones. The thing about this bronzer that I love is the fact it isn't shimmery, which makes it great for contouring. This is worth $53 (£33).

The last product I got was this amazing blush quad palette by Tarina Tarantino. This comes in a mirror finish gunmetal grey case and has 4 shade of blush ranging from peach, pink to purpley blushes. I think it's amazing and have been testing out different blushes every day. All of them are really, really pigmented and I love the variety of colours you get, this is worth $45 (£28).

Below are the swatches to show the colours. Around the edge are the blushes, in the centre is the bronzer and at the bottom is the lip gloss, which as you can see comes out purple.

I absolutely LOVE this box, I don't think I could choose a favourite product from this month. I think the products are amazing and the fact that they are brands that I wouldn't buy because of the price range but am more than happy to receive them in this subscription box. 

This box cost me £31 in which I got £103 worth of products which I think is pretty epic!

I have skipped next month (January) to save money and to test out another subscription box (they are pretty addictive..!) but I have a very strong feeling I will miss this box and it will be back in February. (UPDATE - I may have 'accidentally on purpose' un-skipped next month ... Oooops!)

This is my most favourite subscription box I have tried so far. 

Which beauty subscription boxes have you tried and what are your thoughts?

X

Makeup Revolution Haul with Black Friday Deal...

I received my Makeup Revolution haul a few days ago! Exciting stuff.. I did a haul with the Black Friday deal where when you spent £25, you got £25 worth of products free.

There were a few things I had my eye on for a while, amongst a few potential Christmas presents.

Unfortunately there were 2 items missing from my order, 2 liphug lipsticks the same colour, one for me and one was a Christmas present. I still haven't heard back with how to resolve this issue, hopefully I will soon.

Before I get into what I ordered here are some make up looks using my 100 eye shadow palette. As you can see I love winged eye liner!

Here is what I ordered -

2 x Liphug lipsticks (Left- I am ready!, Right- Saviour will come) Swatches below.

Ultra Brightening contour kit in Ultra fair.

Girls on Film eyeshadow palette.

Black Kajal.

Ultra Brow Arch & Shape in Dark.

Here are the swatches of (left to right) Saviour will come, I am ready!, Brow Arch & Shape (felt tip then pencil) and the Kajal liner. I find them all very easy to use and all have very good pigmentation, quite sad I haven't received the third colour I was most looking forward to called Still missing my Baby.

Here are the swatches of the contour kit...

Today I did a natural look using the Contour kit, Brow Arch & Shape, the Girls on Film palette and the Kajal liner. I used the colour 'girls on film' all over the lid as a base, 'shooting star' as a transition colour in the crease and 'give me shudders' on the outer V of my eye and underneath my lower lash line. I also added a bit of 'lights flashing' to my inner corner as a highlight. I lined my upper lash line with the Kajal liner and added mascara. The contour kit gives a very natural glow and I think the colours suit my skin complexion well.

Here's what was in the Black Friday to Cyber Monday deal-

2 x Go! Shadow palettes (Go! Palette and Go! to Hell) and a Chocolate Shimmer Bronzer.

Amazing Curl Mascara in Black Brown.

5 x Lip Gloss Tubes (Free, Not Naive, Hush Hush, Baby Try & Must be Strong)

And lastly one eyeshadow in the colour Blow your Whistle.

There won't be swatches of the palettes/lipglosses as I'll be using some as gifts. I like using waterproof mascara when out and about so will only be using the Amazing Curl mascara when I stay in.

Very, very happy with the products I got and will definitely be doing more hauls in the near future. Such good value for money and so many products to choose from!!

X

December Glossybox...

Yaaaay! My Glossybox arrived today!

I was quite excited this month as it said that I was receiving 4 full size products.

The box itself is so cute and I love the festive snowflakes! 

So onto the products - 

First product I saw was the large TRESemmé Renewal Hair and Scalp Tonic. It says to use on damp hair and apply to the scalp and roots. I don't think I will be using this as I don't have any problems with my hair but I will be giving it as a Christmas present to someone I know who has bleached their hair a lot. I feel they will get more use out of than me. I'm sure it's a lovely product and works well as it has tea tree extract and sunflower seed oil in it. This is a full size product and would cost £5.50.

Next product I was really happy to get as I have just run out of mine, the Anatomicals Zap! Zap! Zap! Day and Night Spot Stick. I haven't used this brand before but I had a similar product from Boots. We shall see which works best, but surprisingly I have pretty good skin after a few weeks of having the blemishes from hell. It has 2 sides to it, a day and a night time side. The day time formula is clear and it more gel like whereas the night time side is more of a cream. Again this is a full size and costs £3.79.

I was thinking a few days ago that I wanted a gold nail varnish to wear at Christmas and low and behold I got one in my box the All That Jazz Nail Lacquer! I have never heard of this brand before but am excited to use it. It's not an in your face kind of gold, more subtle and creamy coloured. I feel it would make a lovely top coat to other similar shades to add a golden shimmer. This nail polish costs £9.98.

Below I have swatched the Bellapierre Cosmetics Lip & Cheek Stain which is full size and costs £12.99. I love using cream blushes as they look more natural and having it double as a lip stain is a bonus. This is super creamy and really pigmented. You can apply a sheer layer for a more subtle look or using a heavier hand get a more rosey glowing look. I love the colour as it's not too bright and has the right balance between pink and coral. Can't wait to use it!

The last product I got was the SkinPeo Hydra Boost - Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. This was the only sample size I got in this box, full size costing £24.00 for 70ml. I think this sounds like a really good product as it is perfume free, alcohol free, paraben free and is hypo-allergenic. It contains Hyaluronic Acid which is said to promote a healthy new skin glow. I can't wait to give this a go and see how well it works.

Overall I am pretty happy with this box and will definitely putting these products to good use and you can't go wrong with paying £10 (plus p&p) and getting around £35 worth of products.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Glossybox and any suggestions to other subscription boxes I can try! This is my last box from Glossybox for a while as I want to save my money and test other beauty boxes!

X

Makeup Revolution || Introduction...

I wanted to do an initial blog post about the make up brand Makeup Revolution. 

I got a little bit excited when I found this brand which basically makes dupes for higher end brands but for a lot less money. They do make up products like eye shadows, pigments, lipsticks, lip glosses (matte and glossy), foundation, concealer, powders, nail varnishes and so much more. Go on their website and check out their endless amount of products! 

(Logo used from their website)

I have read and seen on various blogs and YouTube hauls different Makeup Revolution products. Everyone is amazed at the quality you get for such a cheap price. There are some palettes called the Iconic palettes which are said to be dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes. I don't have the budget for Urban Decay so was thrilled when I found this new brand do the eye shadow palettes for £4 each!!! 

My lovely boyfriend got me the MASSIVE 100 eye shadow palette from Makeup Revolution for my birthday and I absolutely love it. The colours are amazing and super pigmented. Sorry for the bad quality picture but just to show how many colours you get. I still haven't used them all but I definitely have some favourites for doing a natural eye and a smokey eye.

You can get these products off their website which is linked above or from certain Superdrug stores, unfortunately there isn't a Superdrug near me that has the brand yet. However due to my recent London trip I found a Superdrug there that did and collected some eye shadow palettes for Christmas presents. I can't stop staring at them and can't wait to give them out to friends and family at Christmas.

It has recently been Black Friday/Cyber Monday and they had a deal on where when you spent £25 you got £25 worth of products free... so obviously I had to buy certain products I've had my eye on for a while, should be arriving in the post next week. I am really really excited and there will undoubtedly be a haul blog post as soon as it arrives. And I feel like I may become addicted to buying their products so there will most likely be more hauls in the near future as they keep coming up with new products. They have a Facebook page where they update with new deals and new products.

Here are some pictures (I used them in my Anastasia Dipbrow post as well) of 2 makeup looks I have done with my palette.

I shall do swatches etc in the haul post when everything arrives, along with a few more make up looks.

X

L'Oréal Paris || Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation...

I bought this in a 3for2 deal Boots had with my L'Oréal Paris True Match Foundation as I couldn't decide which I wanted more. After a long time testing and retesting I decided I needed them both because they had different qualities. I got the True Match to use on days where my skin isn't happy and needs more coverage. This Eau De Teint Foundation I got as a lighter coverage and the fact it felt so different to anything I have ever used before.

You only get 20ml (£9.99) in this glass bottle which is 10ml less than most other foundations and it doesn't have a pump so you have to be careful when dispensing it. I put my finger over the end and tip it up, then smear it onto different sections of my face. It takes about 3 fingertipfulls for each cheek, one for my chin and one for my forehead, but that depends on how much cover I want, as it is build-able.

The consistency is like water and feels silky but, using my fingers, when rubbing it into my face it feels like powder. Definitely the most interesting combinations of textures I've ever come across. I've been using it on top of my Baby Skin Primer and setting it (not that it needs it) with my Stay Matte Powder. I've tested it with and without my milk of magnesia base and generally if I'm not rushing and sweating I don't need the extra oil absorbing layer under it. It gets a little dewy but nothing I can't deal with. If you go to my True Match post (link is at the top of this post), I have a step by step talk through my make up routine. Staying power - I think it stays on pretty well and due to it's unique coverage even if it rubs off a bit I don't notice because it blends so well into my skin. It's like a layer of perfecting liquid powder with a very natural finish...

I think I love it quite a lot, I will most likely be buying this again.

X

Trip to London...

I went to London with my boyfriend and did THE most tourist based things you could imagine!

We had 4 full days in London and visited places like Hyde Park, Camden Market, Covent Garden etc. and went on the Emirates Air Line cable cars and the London night tour bus.

I loved how Christmassy everything looks!!!

This is a very visual blog post so hope you enjoy the photos, which are very edited down!

X