Christmas Gifts For Beauty Lovers

Today's post is for the hardcore beauty lovers out there! As we are in November now, I can finally start creating some Christmas gift guides without looking far too eager because truth be told, I have been excited about the festive season for at least a month already! I absolutely love buying gifts for my friends & family and I get so much satisfaction out of picking out the perfect present for each of my loved ones. I have a few super girly-girls in my life and so they were the main inspiration for my first post! I love some of the products featured in this post so much that they are even on my own wishlist (aka the Zoeva palette and the Stila liquid lip set.) Furthermore, without any further ado, here are some quick links to the items from my first Christmas gift guide of the year!

Zoeva En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette / Cowshed Christmas Cracker / Clinique Get The Skinny Eye Set / Soap & Glory Three Times Butter / MAC Enchanted Eve Brush Bag / Victoria Secret VS Stripe Make-Up Bag / Stila Eternally Yours Liquid Lipstick Set

So guys, those are the gifts I have chosen to feature in my first guide of the year! The prices for these gift range from a super affordable £8 to a more luxurious £45, therefore, hopefully there is something here to suit your budget! What do you think? Which products stand out to you and what is on your Christmas wishlist this year? Please let me know by leaving a comment down below!

My Current Skincare Wishlist

Over the past fortnight, my skin has become very troublesome and hard to work with. My usually combination skin has become very dehydrated and I have had multiple breakouts. Not only this but when I apply my make-up, it just doesn't sit well on my skin! I have started to evaluate my current skincare routine and there are some products that I want to add to my collection in the near future. I have heard such great things about many of the items I am featuring in the post, therefore, I thought that it would be good to whip up a quick wishlist for all of you in case you feel like updating your current skincare routine too! So, here are the eight products that I am eyeing up at the moment;

Origins GinZing Eye Cream / Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment / GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment / La Roche-Posay Serozinc Spray / Lush Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser / The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask / Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask / Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water

The two items top of my wishlist that I think would really change the condition of my skin the most are the Serozinc Spray (£8.50) and the Glam Glow Supermud Mask (£44.00.) This is because I have heard that the toner is great for diminishing blemishes and under the skin bumps that I have gotten quite frequently lately. Plus, I can imagine the the Glam Glow mask would draw out all the impurities and 'gunk' out of my pores!

Which skincare items are you currently lusting over? Have you tried any of the products I've mentioned before? I would love to hear your opinion of them, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment down below and be sure to check back for my blog posts very soon. Until then, I hope that you have a wonderful and fun-filled weekend!

My Sephora Wishlist: Contour

Hi guys, I hope that you're all having a wonderful weekend so far and welcome back to the fifth part of my 'Sephora Wishlist' series! I first started this series a few months back when I realised how much I loved trawling the Sephora site, even though I live in the UK where we do not actually have Sephora stores. I have chosen to focus on contouring for this installment of the series as I have been obsessed with using my NARS bronzer to chisel out my cheekbones at the moment! Some may say that contouring is a trend that is on its way out due to the new 'strobing' obsession that is slowly filtering in but I believe that it is well and truly here to stay! So with that in mind, here are some contouring product that are firmly on my wishlist;

Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette / Bare Minerals California Bronze Multi Effect Bronzing Duo / Sephora Highlight Lowlight Face Contour Duo / Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio / Marc Jacobs Light Filtering Contour Powder / Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour / Make Up Forever Sculpting Kit / Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit 

Furthermore, I have heard such great things about some of the items featured above. Out of all of them, I think the products I would like to own most are the Smashbox sticks or the cult Anastasia palette! Do you like the contouring trend? What are your favourite products to use to achieve a perfectly chiseled look? Let me know your recommendations by leaving a comment down below! 

I Won A Competition!

If any of you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that last Thursday I won a competition courtesy of the amazing Katie Snooks. I almost fell off of my chair when I received the tweet saying that I was the winner! A few weeks ago, I entered a competition via this video of Katie's to win a £100 voucher to spend on the Feel Unique website - I honestly feel so lucky to have received such an amazing prize and I immediately hopped onto the website to browse at all of the amazing items that I could potentially pop into my basket! I am predominantly a drugstore girl as my budget is usually pretty small. so I cannot tell you how excited I was to be able to pick some more luxurious products for myself!

 My delivery arrived yesterday morning and I thought that I would quickly show all of you what I ended up choosing. Of course, I haven't tried out any of the products yet (aside from the lip balm,) so I will be sure to write up a few in-depth reviews in due course! Although, I am sure that I am going to be obsessed with and love all of them. So, without rambling on for too long, here are the items that I chose:

Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturiser
I have always wanted to try something from Origins and I am really getting into my skincare lately! I have heard such great things about this moisturiser, so I am really looking forward to trying it out.

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Moonspoon
Another thing that I have really gotten into in the last six months or so is eyeshadow. I love experimenting with different looks and I thought that this gorgeous, ultra-sparkly silver shadow would be a great addition to my collection - I bet it will look amazing for night time looks!

NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm
I have never really been fussy when it comes to lip balm, I love what most high street brands have to offer but I have heard from so many people that this NUXE product is amazing! I'm really interested to see how well this conditions my lips.

Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush
I have been seriously lacking in the eyeshadow brush department. I have a few Real Techniques one that I use religiously, however, I thought that this one from Sigma would be a great fluffy blending brush to add to my collection!

Clinique Cheek Pop Blusher in Heather Pop
My beloved Rimmel blusher has hit pan and so I definitely knew that I wanted to try out a new one. I have seen so many reviews saying the the formula of the Cheek Pop range is outstanding, so I picked up 'Heather Pop' - a gorgeous cool toned pink shade.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Nude In Private
I have always wanted to own a YSL lipstick for as long as I can remember and so this is actually the very first thing that I popped into my basket. I opted for a nude-y pink shade with a subtle shimmer running through it to ensure that I could wear it both day and night. Plus, the packaging is going to look amazing in my acrylic lipstick storage!

So, those are the six items that I managed to pick up using the voucher code that Katie gave me. Again, I feel so incredibly lucky to have won such an incredible prize and I cannot wait to start using all of my new goodies! What would you purchase if you had £100 to spend on Feel Unique? Let me know, as always, by leaving a comment down below!

My Sephora Wishlist: Highlighters

Hi guys! Welcome back to the fourth installment of my 'Sephora Wishlist' series. For those of you who do not know, I started this series on my blog a few months ago after browsing their website for hours on end wishing that I lived in America or another European country that actually had Sephora stores! Of course they do now luckily ship to the UK but let's face it, the postage and packaging is really not worth it unless you buy a tonne of products in one go! In case you missed my other three posts in the series, here are the links to the previous three categories I have feautured so far; lips, eyes and blush.

Over the past year or so, I have become absolutely obsessed with highlighters and how they make my skin look. I always feel so pretty and glowy when I wear them! So, it was no question that I had to create this wishlist next. So, here are the eight luminising products that I would love to own!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette / Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer / Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact / Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Wand / Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight / Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector /  Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick / Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Veil

So, those are the highlighters that I am currently lusting after! Hopefully I will be able to add one or two of them to my collection in the future. What is your all-time favourite highlighting product? Do you own any of the aforementioned highlights? Please let me know, as always, by leaving a comment down below!

My Sephora Wishlist: Blush

It's been around a month since the last installment of my new 'Sephora Wishlist' series but it's well and truly back! So far, I have focused on lip and eye products (which you can read here & here) and next up is all to do with the blushers that I am currently lusting after! I am a true believer that adding a pop of colour to the apples of your cheeks gives you an instant pick-me-up and can dramatically alter your look. Of course, there is no Sephora store here in the UK and the only way you can purchase some of their products is by paying a crazy amount of money for them to be shipped over. Obviously, there are ways of getting some of the brands readily in the UK but it can prove difficult at times! Nevertheless, being the make-up addict that I am, I love a good wishlist and I love providing my followers with new ideas of products to try and buy. So, with that being said, here are my top picks for all things blush:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush / Clinique Cheek Pop / Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Blush Duo / NARS The Multiple / Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm / Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette / Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush

That's all for the third installment of my Sephora Wishlist series, I hope that you enjoyed it! What is your all-time favourite blusher? What is your favourite hue to wear - pink, peach, bronze? Please let me know by leaving a comment below with your suggestions!

Recent Re-Discoveries

I'm sure that many of my fellow beauty bloggers can relate to me when I say that when you have so many products, it's easy to forget about some of them from time to time. This happens to me on a regular basis but recently, I have been consciously trying to make use of some of these forgotten gems that have been pushed to the back of my stash! So today, I wanted to show you some of my recent re-discoveries. Let's jump right in!

MAC Crosswires Lipstick
Crosswires is the first lipstick that I ever bought from MAC and I hadn't worn it in such a long time... until now. I don't know whether its the sudden bout of sunshine we're having here in the UK that's bought on my love for all things coral once again but I have been wearing this gorgeous shade a lot more lately!

Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain in India Intrigue 
It's fair to say that when the Moisture Stains came out, they were very much a 'Marmite' product. Some people loved them, like myself, but others hated the formula. However, I personally love how it is a high pigmented gloss that then leaves you with a subtle long-lasting stain afterwards. I love this shade in particular as it suits my skin tone really well and I am so glad that I have re-discovered it.

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in You're Such A Budapest
Now that spring has sprung, I'm getting back into wearing bright and pastel colours on my nails again. I had well and truly forgotten about this polish until the other day but I'm glad that I found it in my stash. It's a soft blue with a tiny hint of lilac, that goes opaque in just two coats and is pretty chip resistant too!

Clinique High Impact Mascara
I re-disovered this Clinique mini when I was clearing out my never-ending make-up bag and it made me remember how much I loved it. This mascara is perfect for everyday wear when you want your lashes to look lengthened, yet natural at the same time. It gives you that perfect, although subtle fluttery finish.

So guys, those are my four recent re-discoveries! Let me know if you have tried any of the products above before, I'd love to get your take on them. Also, have you found any old hidden gems in the depths of your make-up collection? Please let me know if you have by popping a comment down below!

What I Got For Christmas 2014

Hi guys, I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas with your loved ones! It seems like 'What I Got For Christmas' posts are extremely popular amongst the beauty blogger community, so today I thought that I would jump on the bandwagon and show you all the gifts that I received from my friends and family this year. As always, I feel incredibly lucky and privileged for all of the presents that I have received and I have been thoroughly spoilt. I am a very lucky girl! So, without any further rambling, lets begin.

One of the main presents from my parents this year was the Naked 2 palette, also accompanied by the Real Techniques eye starter set. I am typically a liquid liner girl but I have been wanting to get into using more eyeshadow and changing up my look, so I am incredibly happy that I received these two gifts! I cannot wait to start using them and create the perfect smokey eye! On top of this, my parents also bought me my second ever lipstick from MAC in the shade 'Plumful,' which I have been eyeing up for quite a while.

I also received some more gorgeous beauty bits from my friend Sarah that I am beyond happy with! She bought me a MAC eyeshadow in 'Joy & Laughter,' a Clinique lid smoothie and a Bobbi Brown tinted eye brightener.

From my brother, I asked for a whole lot of Lush products this year! I asked for some of my all time favourites (The Comforter and Buffy Body Butter,) as well as some more festive items that I am yet to try. I am really excited to use the Luxury Lush Pud as I've seen how multi-coloured it turns your bath water and I am also so pleased that I am finally the owner of Snow Fairy, it smells soooo sweet and delicious!

Another amazing gift that I received from my parents is this gorgeous bra and knicker set from Boux Avenue! I absolutely love the colour and design of this underwear and I feel so lucky because Boux Avenue are such a luxurious brand. The set was packaged up so nicely and there were even white petals hidden inside the box! I've never really spent that much money on lingerie in the past, so this is a real treat for me! 

My boyfriend got me a lovely array of gits this year! Firstly, he bought me The Fault In Our Stars and the final 90210 box set which was missing from my DVD collection. Plus, a huge box of Munchies that I can indulge in whilst watching all of my new discs. As well as this, he also got me a few Lush bits that all smell absolutely amazing, as he knows how much of a Lush addict I am. However, the most amazing gift of all is the most gorgeous feather necklace from Pandora! I was incredibly shocked when I opened it up as I have never been bought expensive jewellery before. This necklace is so special to me and it's something that I can keep forever!

As you can see, my parents thoroughly treated me this year, as I also received a new bottle of my favourite perfume - Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna. As well as this, they also got me these adorable Minnie Mouse fleece pyjamas. They are the most comfortable & cosy PJ's ever and they're so soft that even more dog loves to lie on them!

Last but not least, my friend Laura got me these two lovely presents. First up are these cute penguin slipper socks. They are really comfy and I just love the adorable slogan on them! As well as this she also got me this really cool lip set from Kiko, which is a brand that I've never tried before. The set include a matching pinky nude lipstick and lip liner. They are the perfect every day colour and are super long lasting!

Overall, I am so happy with each and every present that I received from my friends, family and boyfriend this year. I know that I am incredibly lucky to get such wonderful gifts and I cannot wait to start using them all. I hope you all liked reading my 'What I Got For Christmas' post. If you have done a post like this yourself, please send me a link to it because I would love to see what all of my followers got too! Thank you for reading and again, I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

A Soft & Smokey Eye Look

Hi guys. Unfortunately I have come down with an awful stomach bug this week but whilst I had some energy, I wanted to write up a quick post for you all. On Monday, my very talented friend and make-up artist Chloe (otherwise known as Glam By Coco on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) used me as a model to promote her freelancing! We decided to take me out of my comfort zone and start experimenting with eyeshadows because I usually stick to winged liner and not much else on my lids. Eyeshadow is something that I have struggled with in the past but now that I am growing to love it, I am even getting the Naked 2 palette for Christmas! Chloe did an absolutely amazing job and so I though that I would quickly share with you the products that she used to achieve this soft and smokey look!

Here is a list of products that were used:

MAC Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow
MAC Embark Eyeshadow
MAC Carbon Eyeshadow
Clinique Quickliner in Intense Charcoal
MAC Coffee Eye Pencil
Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Holy Smokes!
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara
Tanya Burr Girls Night Out Eyelashes

Albeit rather short, I hope that you liked this post and I will hopefully be doing some more make-up looks or tutorials in the future. I am hoping to be on the mend as soon as possible, so that I can back to blogging properly once again. As always, please let me know what you think of this look by leaving a comment down below. Thank you!

The Lip Product Addict Tag

Hi guys. Today I thought that I would do the Lip Product Addict Tag, which was originally created by YouTubers Amelia Liana and Essiebutton (watch here.) The reason behind me doing this tag is simply because I seem to be lacking in inspiration this week but I still wanted to post something whilst I try to get my blogging mojo back! The beauty product that I obsess over most is definitely lipstick and I always seem to buy a new one whenever I pop into Boots or Superdrug, it's an addiction of mine! Hence, I thought that this tag was the perfect fit me. So, lets get started!

1. Favourite balm/treatment?
I really loving using Carmex to nourish my lips throughout the day or over night. I love its thick consistency as it really feels like it is doing something to your lips. Not only this but this balm is so cheap which is a huge bonus seeing as I have gotten through quite a few tubes of it already and use it almost every day. My favourite flavour to use is cherry as it smells delicious! I also think that there is a hint of menthol in this product as it really makes your lips tingle when you apply it too!

2. Best eye-catching red?
I would have to say that my favourite red to wear is Revlon's ColorBurst Matte Balm in the shade 'Standout,' which is a deep red. I love the matte finish to this product as it is not at all drying on the lips and  think that sometimes super glossy reds can make you look a little over done. This crayon is super long-lasting too - which is great for when I want to wear a statement red lip on a night out and I don't want it to budge!

3. Best luxury & best drugstore?
For luxury, I love my new Clinique Chubby Stick in the shade 'Woopin' Watermelon.' I am a huge chubby stick fan and I just love the colour of this. It is a pale pink shade that is quite sheer, so it is perfect to wear during the day time. I usually layer it over Benefit's Posie Tint and these two product together give the most amazing natural and pretty look. As for drugstore, I think you cannot beat the formulation of Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipsticks. They are really moisturising and creamy, plus the shade range that they have is amazing. There is definitely something for everybody! One of my favourite shades is 'Dark Knight Water-loops!' which is a stunning dark plum shade which is perfect for creating a vampy make-up look.

4. Best MAC lipstick?
Surprisingly, I only own one MAC lipstick and this is because I am often on a budget and I find that the range of lip products in the drugstore is pretty amazing anyway! However, the one lipstick from MAC that I do own is called 'Crosswires.' It is a gorgeous coral/pink shade which is part of their creme sheen collection. It is a beautiful summer shade that looks great with a tan and instantly perks up your complexion!

5. The most disappointing?
The most disappointing lip product in my collection is Barry M's Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in the shade 156. This lipstick does not last long on the lips at all and it is quite a pain to have to constantly re-apply it. For me this is a real shame because it's deep pink/berry shade is actually really gorgeous, it's just a pity that it fades so quick!

6. Liner - yes or no?
I do not tend to use liner because lipstick does not seem to bleed on my lips, so I think for me personally, it is an unnecessary step. However, I do love the look of using lip liner if you are doing a bold lip as it gives you a lot more precision and definition.

7. Best gloss?
My favourite gloss at the moment is Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Kiss Me Coral. Not only is the formulation of the gloss lightweight and not overly sticky, but the colour itself is gorgeous too. This coral/red gloss has amazing pigmentation for a gloss and it also has fleck of glitter run through it, which makes it even more pretty!

8. Something extra!
I could not do the Lip Product Addict Tag without mentioning Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks. Everybody in the blogging community is talking about these bad boys and for good reason! These liquid lipsticks are not only affordable but the six shades in the range are so bright and stunning. I have the colour 'Frambourjosie,' which is vivid pink and this is without a doubt the most long wearing product that I own. It does not budge all day and it's matte finish is really flattering without being drying or patchy.

So guys, I hope you all enjoyed reading my answer to the Lip Product Addict Tag. Rather than tagging specific fellow bloggers to complete this tag, I would like to tag everybody who is reading this post to try the questions out for themselves! If you do complete the tag, make sure to leave a link to it below so that I can check out your answers! Thank you :)

What I Got For My 20th Birthday | Part Two

Hi guys. It was my 20th birthday last Wednesday and I was very lucky to get lots of lovely presents from my loved ones. I have already posted part one of what I got for my birthday (which you can read here,) but today I thought that I would share part two with you all. Part One was focused on what my family and my boyfriend got me but today features the gifts that were given to me by my closest friends. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am extremely grateful for all of the presents that I have received and I am really excited to share all of these bit and bobs with you all. So, let's get started!

First up, my best friend Sarah got me a lovely array of gifts! She knows that I absolutely adore both floral patterns and crop tops, so she got me this cute little number from H&M along with a gift card too. As well as this, Sarah also bought me a Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade 'Dark Knight Waterl-oops!' The story behind this is that I bought this lipstick for both of us to wear on Halloween as part of a vampy make-up look but I lost it whilst we were out clubbing. So, she kindly bought me a new one! To top everything off, Sarah also got me a Moringa set from The Body Shop which features a shower gel, a body milk and a mini loofah. I think it's safe to say that I was thoroughly spoiled by my best friend!

My other best friend Laura got me these two amazing gifts. The first gift is this set of three moon candles, which are basically flameless glass candles that change colour. They are controlled by a little remote control which can change the candles into 13 different colour settings and different lighting modes too. Laura knows that I often have relaxing pamper nights and she thought that these cool little candles would help set the mood. Not only this but she also got me two Lush products; the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar (my favourite ever Lush product) and the Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, which I am yet to try. I cannot wait to use them!

Next up my friend Chloe, (whose blog is Coco Mykel,) bought me these lovely bits from Clinique. As Chloe works for Clinique, she loves their products and thought that I would too! First is their Universal Face Primer which I got a tube of at Christmas and I absolutely adore it, so Chloe got me another lot so that I fully stocked for a while! As I am a bit of a lip crayon addict, she also got me one of their infamous Chubby Sticks in the shade Woppin' Watermelon - which is a nice and natural sheer pink colour. Last but not least, Chloe also bought me two nail enamels in the shades 'Party Red' and 'Hi Sweetie.' I absolutely love them and I do not own a lot of high end make-up, so this very exciting for me!

My friend Lucy got me this amazing bundle of goodies! She bought me this really cool journal called 'F*ck! I'm In My Twenties,' which has lots of different sections and subjects within in that you can write about and document as time goes on. It even has a section for a self portrait! As well as this she also got me two cute and dainty Urban Outfitters bracelets, some adorable cat socks with little ears and a vivid neon nail varnish. Plus, some Dairy Milk Oreo for good measure - yum!

My good friend Charlotte bought me this really interesting book all about nail art which includes hundreds of really cool and pretty designs for me to try. For those of you who do not know, I carried out a nail course near the end of last year and so even though I am still a beginner, I love all things to do with nails and nail art! To accompany the book, she also got me three nail varnishes from Natural Collection; a bright pink, a deep purple and a white (which will come in very handy for a lot of designs!)

Last but certainly not least are the presents from my friend Danielle. She bought me this gorgeous set of products from Baylis & Harding. In the set is a cream wash, a body cream and some soap. All three of the products have a sugar cane, basil and lime scent which is incredibly fresh. As well as this, Danielle also bought me a cute little BFF Me To You teddy and a bottle of vodka, which is my drink of choice!

I hope you all enjoyed reading part two of 'What I Got For My 20th Birthday.' If you haven't done so already, check it part one here! I am absolutely in love with all of the gifts that I have received and cannot wait to start using them all. I am well and truly overwhelmed with how amazing my friends & family are and how generous they have been. I am extremely happy and grateful! Thank you for reading :)

My Lip Crayon Collection | Revlon, L'Oréal and Rimmel

Hi guys. Over the past year or two, lip crayons have majorly taken off in the beauty world. Ever since the release of Clinique's Chubby Sticks, almost every brand on the market have created their own dupes of the ever so popular product. Lip crayons are incredibly handy and useful as they give a wash of colour to the lips whilst moisturising them at the same time. These products seem to be handbag heroes too; I always have at least one thrown into the bottom of my bag in case of emergency. They are incredibly easy to apply, especially if you are out and about, as you do not necessarily need a mirror or excellent precision to apply them.

My lip crayon collection has grown steadily within this time and I thought that I would share some of my favourites with all of you today. I will be focusing on three high street brands that I think have nailed this popular trend perfectly; Revlon, L'Oréal and Rimmel. So, let's get started!

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical - £7.99
First up is one of the new Revlon Lacquer Balms released back in January of this year. 'Whimsical' is a lovely berry pink, purple-y shade that has lots of little specks of glitter running through it. I would say that this product is not that highly pigmented, it gives a nice wash of colour but it can be built up if desired. I think this should would suit every skin tone and it looks lovely on a night out!

Rimmel Color Rush Balm in The Redder The Better - £5.99
This stunning true red shade from Rimmel is definitely one of my favourites. I love the effect that a red lip gives and this product is no exception. Aside from the colour, this crayon is also incredibly moisturising and long wearing but when it does fade, it does so evenly. Plus, its cocoa and vanilla-like scent is a delicious bonus too!

L'Oréal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss in Sin For Peach - £6.99
Although the name is a little misleading, this crayon is the most gorgeous colour for every day wear. I would describe it as a pinky nude colour that is 'your lips but better.' Out of all of the aforementioned crayons, this one is by far the most moisturising too. It glides on very well and is so smooth that at times, I forget that I am even wearing a lip product at all! Being the newest addition to my collection, I definitely want to try another colour as soon as possible.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Standout - £7.99
'Standout,' one of the new matte balms from Revlon's ColorBurst collection, is a dark cherry red shade. At first, I had my concerns about buying a matte lip product as they can be very drying and show up any flaky patches that you may have. However, this product surprised me - It glides on so nicely. It is very long-wearing too, as on a night out I only have to top it up once. The colour is absolutely stunning and is great if you want to make a statement!

Rimmel Color Rush Balm in Rumor Has It - £5.99
'Rumor Has It' is a beautiful bright pink shade that looks especially amazing during spring and summer. This crayon is highly pigmented, yet the colour is definitely buildable. One layer leaves a lovely subtle pink colour on the lips. However, a couple more coats really brings this vibrant colour to life. As with my other Color Rush Balm mentioned above, I just cannot get enough of its cocoa/vanilla scent too!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - £7.99
Last but not least is the first lip crayon that I ever bought. 'Crush' is a stunning deep berry colour that suits all skin tones. Out of all of my crayons, this one certainly lasts the longest on the lips due to it being more of a stain than a balm or gloss. I love pairing this product with a cat eye and lashings of mascara for a vampy evening look. As with all Revlon crayons, 'Crush' also has a minty scent to it that makes your lips tingle upon application, which I really like.

(Shades from left to right: Whimsical, The Redder The Better, Sin For Peach, Standout, Rumor Has It, Crush)

So, that's it for my lip crayon collection. I would definitely recommend any of these products to all of you, they are seriously amazing. I am the biggest lip crayon fan as they are so quick & easy to use and I am sure that my collection will continue to grow in the near future! What is your opinion on lip crayons? Have you used any of these products before? Which ones are your favourites? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Thank you! :)

Clinique's Superprimer Universal Face Primer Review

Hi guys. Today I thought that I would do a more in-depth review of Clinique's Superprimer Universal Face Primer, which I recently spoke about in my December Favourites post. I was lucky enough to receive this primer as a Christmas present from my parents and I couldn't be more grateful. I had been lusting after this product for a while because I had tried a tester of it a few months previously and fell in love with it instantaneously! 

Clinique released their Superprimer range last year and personally, I think that they are some of the best primers on the market (that I have tried.) Although I received the Universal Face Primer, which is more of a bog-standard primer, the other five products in the range all cater to specific skin problems. The Colour Corrects part of the line includes primers for those with one of the following issues with their skin: redness, dullness, sallowness, discolouration and dullness for those with deeper skin tones. As many of you beauty bloggers will already know, there are different colours that can counteract a vast array of skin problems to give you a nice, neutral base to apply the rest of your make-up on. 

Below is a list of the five tinted Colour Corrects primers and what skin problems they help to conceal:

Redness - a  yellow tinted primer to counteract redness.
Dullness - a pink tinted primer to brighten tired skin.
Dullness in deeper skin tones - a bronze tinted primer to correct dullness in darker skin.
Discolouration - a peach tinted primer to counteract dark spots and circles.
Sallowness - a lavender tinted primer to correct sallow skin.

The main difference between these two types of primers is their textures. The Universal Face Primer has a a liquid-y, smooth texture which mimics that of a moisturiser. On the other hand, the Colour Corrects primers are more like a whipped mousse texture. This reason for these difference is because the universal primer is water based whereas the others in the range are silicone based. However, all six variations of the primer are oil free!

As for this primer prolonging the wear of my make-up throughout the day, it certainly does the trick. I apply this product in the morning and it helps my foundation stay put all day rather than sliding off of my face, despite the fact that this primer is quite hydrating, which is a refreshing change seeing as I have incredibly oily/combination skin!  

I have also tried the discolouration primer after going to my local Clinique counter and asking for a sample so that I can try before I buy. They even put the sample in a really cute Clinique pot rather than giving me a tiny sachet, which I thought was pretty cool! The reason that I wanted to try this discolouration one is because I have seemed to acquire on acne scars and dark spots my cheeks in recent months (how annoying!) The peach-tinted mousse did very well at hiding this problem and I was really impressed, I definitely want to buy this one next!

Overall, the entire Superprimer range is a massive success in my eyes. I think that it is really great how Clinique have a created a range where there really is something for everybody, no matter what your skin type or colour is! I would love to know your thoughts on these primers if any of you have ever tried them before, so please do not hesitate to leave you thoughts and comments below. Thank you :)

My Monthly Favourites - December 2013

Hi guys! As promised in the post I uploaded yesterday, 'My New Years Eve Make-Up,' here are my December Favourites. Granted this post is a few days late now (I cannot believe it is now 2014) but better late than never, eh! Usually, my favourites tend to consist of products that I have been loving for quite a long period of time, as I like to give honest and well-rounded reviews of things that I have tried and tested for at least a month. However, all of this months products have only been in my possession for a week or less. In addition, three of the products I will be mentioning today were given to me as Christmas presents,  which I am incredibly grateful for! With that being said, let's get straight into my five favourite products during the month of December.

Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer - £20.00
First up is this lovely primer from Clinique. I have been after this particular primer for a fair few months now after I used a sample of it that I found in a magazine. Up until now, I have only used cheaper high-street primers which I haven't got on with too well (Revlon's Photo Ready Primer in particular.) I have only used this product once so far, on New Years Eve, and I must say that I am impressed already. It provided a smooth base for my foundation, which seemed to stay put all night whilst I was out clubbing. My parents bought me this for Christmas and I am so grateful because it's a product I probably wouldn't have been able to afford or fathom buying otherwise. As it is so special, I am vowing to only use it on special occasions and nights out!

Marc Jacobs Honey Eau de Parfum (50ml) - £39.50
This perfume was another surprise present that was given to me by my Mum and Dad. I am a huge fan of Marc Jacobs fragrances overall, both their smells and packaging are amazing. I was actually given the gift set version which includes a shower gel and body lotion with matching scents to the perfume. The eau de parfum itself is a pretty sweet scent, which I usually steer clear of, but due to it's added fruity elements - it is a lot more wearable. I would agree that it is more of a spring/summer fragrance but it's gorgeous none the less!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Soothing Body Butter  - £10.50
Next, my lovely aunt and uncle bought me this tub of Soap & Glory body butter. I am a lover of the brand and both me and my Mum use Soap & Glory products religiously. Considering that they are a widely available high-street brand, the quality of their products are amazing. The Righteous Butter has always been my favourite but now I am converted. I tend to prefer fruity and refreshing scents as opposed to cocoa or shea butter scents, though I still love both. This moisturiser is extremely rich and sinks into the skin really quickly, which is an added bonus.

Real Techniques Powder Brush  - £12.99
I have owned the Real Techniques Core Collection, which consists of four brushes; buffing, contour, pointed foundation and detailer brushes, for quite a while now. However, I have been stuck using a brandless powder brush that is pretty useless. The hairs of the brush always used to shed, leaving little black hairs all of my face (how frustrating!) So, with some cash that my Nan gave me for Christmas, I have finally gotten around to buying this brush. As with all Real Techniques brushes, the bristles are really soft and I know that I am going to get a lot of use out of it. I also hope to expand my brush collection in the near future. Next on my list is the Starter Set that features 5 eye brushes.

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Color in Cherry Pie  - £7.99
Last but not least is this lovely lip colour from Maybelline. I am always on the look out for long-wearing lip products, as there is nothing I hate more than lipstick that barely lasts an hour without fading, transferring onto your teeth or bleeding outside of the lines. I bought this particular product after my friend Sarah recommended it to me, as she has it in a different colour. I bought the shade 'Cherry Pie,' which is a deep red colour which is so pigmented. The lip colour is dual ended, one end being a liquid lipstick and the other being a clear balm. What you have to do is apply the lip colour, wait for it to dry sticky and then apply the balm over the time. I assure you, this product DOES NOT budge! In fact, it is so long-lasting that is actually a nightmare to remove and it requires a lot of scrubbing to do so. That, however, is the only downfall to this amazing product. My only wish is that I purchased a slightly more wearable colour so that I can wear it in the day time too, so I might have to do that some time in the future.

So, that's it for this month! I hope that you enjoyed reading about my December favourites. Please let me know if you have used any of the aforementioned products, I would love to know how you have got on with them. Also, feel free to let me know what products you have been loving over the past month - I love getting recommendations! Thank you :)

My New Years Eve Make-Up

Hi guys, Happy New Year! This evening, I thought that I would do a quick post showing and listing the products that I used on New Years Eve. Unfortunately, I do not have a good photo of the my finished look but I thought that I would still do the post anyway. I know that I usually write a little description or review about every product that I mention, however, this is just a filler post whilst I prepare my 'December Favourites.' Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, that post will be uploaded tomorrow (fingers crossed!) 

So, here is a full list of the products that I used:

Face
Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation in Ivory
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent
Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzer in Light Matte
Rimmel Blusher in Coral Rose (discontinued but still available on Amazon)

Eyes & Eyebrows
Clinique Eyeshadow Duo in Beach Plum (the light shadow only)
Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in Black
Benefit They're Real Mascara in Black
Ardell Professional Demi Wispie Lashes 
Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil in Dark Blonde

Lips
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Crush

Tools
Real Techniques Buffing & Contour Brush (part of the Core Collection)
Real Techniques Powder Brush
Mister Mascara Eyelash Curler

Even though this is a very brief post for me, I hope that you all enjoyed snooping at what I wore make-up wise on New Years Eve. As mentioned, my December favourites will hopefully be up tomorrow or the weekend at the latest, so keep your eyes peeled for that! Thank you :)

New Years Eve Pamper Tips

Hi guys, I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! I have had a little bit of time off from blogging due to being incredibly busy over the the past week or so. However, now that all of the festivities are over, hopefully my posts will become regular once again. So, seeing as New Years Eve is only two days away now, I thought that I would share with you all some of my favourite things to do to pamper myself prior to nights out. Making sure that you are fully prepared will ensure that you are feeling and looking your best, as well as keeping last minute stress and worries at bay. So, let's get started!

1. Exfoliate your skin
Prepping your skin the night before is a really great tip as everybody wants their skin to be silky smooth, especially if your New Years outfit is a little revealing. In addition, if you are planning to apply fake tan before the big day, exfoliating is a key step to include. As most of you will already know, fake tan clings easily to dry patches on your skin and that is not a good look! I simply like to use some exfoliating gloves which are pretty inexpensive or a body scrub, (my favourite is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub,) and gently buff my skin in circular motions before applying some body butter and viola... smooth skin in seconds! 

2. Look after your lips
Making sure your lips are prepped before applying your lip product of choice is another crucial step. There is nothing worse than flaky-looking lips, especially if you are planning on puckering up at midnight ;) A great way to banish flakiness is to use a lip scrub and Lush do some great ones, (Bubblegum and Mint Julips,) which are extremely popular amongst beauty bloggers. However, an excellent and cheap alternative is to make your own lip scrub. I simply slather a little bit of Vaseline mixed with some sugar granules on my lips to make a simple (and tasty) scrub. Afterwards, I apply a liberal amount of my favourite lip balm, Carmex, and my lips are really smooth and plump in no time!

3. Prime the face
As many of you are probably aware by now, using a primer before applying foundation is a great way to ensure that your make-up stays put all night long. All you have to do as apply a layer of primer onto your face and then do the rest of your make-up as normal. For Christmas, my parents bought me Clinique's Universal Face Primer (£20.00,) which I have had a tester of before and I absolutely love it. If this primer is a little too expensive for you, there are some great high street alternatives out there. A few of my favourites are Revlon's Photo Ready Primer (£11.00) and Rimmel's Match Perfection Primer (£6.99.)

4. Paint your nails
Last but certainly not least, having nicely painted fingernails and toenails is essential on a night out on the town! In my opinion, having a pretty manicure really finishes off your look and pulls everything together. There are typically five steps to a manicure/pedicure that you can do at home, which are; pushing back the cuticles, filing the nail, applying a base coat, applying two or three coats of polish, followed by a top coat. Alternatively, if you fancy treating yourself, do not have a steady hand or you have a bit of extra cash, getting your nails done professionally could be another way to go!

I hope that these tips help you to prepare for whatever you are going on the 31st. Also, I would love to know what is your favourite thing to do to pamper yourself? I love listening to your suggestions and sharing tips with fellow bloggers. I hope that you all have a fabulous New Years and I wish all of you the best of luck going into 2014!