October Favourites

Jordana Ticia Cosmetics Base & Sparkle in Stargazer
I have well & truly fallen down the rabbit hole of Instagram beauty brands. When you start following loads of Manchester-based makeup artists you'll notice that a lot of them use products from the same few brands & one that kept popping up in some of the most glam pics I came across was Jordana Ticia Cosmetics. They mainly sell lip products but Base & Sparkle is easily their best product. I've started favouring loose pigments over pressed eyeshadows for when I want something really pretty on the lid & I am completely obsessed with this easy to use eye duo. You simply apply the metallic cream eyeshadow base onto the lid with a flat eyeshadow brush like a MAC 242 & then pat the pigment over the top. Together they create the most beautiful, high shine effect on the eyes. Base & Sparkle comes in four different shades but Stargazer is definitely my favourite out of the bunch. It's a gorgeous soft sparkling gold that instantly adds a bit of glam to any eye look.

Doll Beauty Doll Light Highlighter in Like A Diamond
Another brand that I discovered via Instagram is Doll Beauty. They are probably best known for their incredible false lashes but their highlighters are absolutely stunning! They do a couple of different shades that I often combine for a blinding effect but if I could only buy one it'd be Like A Diamond. It's a bit lighter than Shine Bright so it's better suited to my skin tone & makes my cheekbones glow like nothing else. It looks super smooth on the skin & shimmers without being glittery or highlighting texture. I find that it works best if I apply it after spritzing some MAC Fix+ over my face as this amps up the pigmentation even more & allows the powder to really melt into my skin. I've been a fan of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer for the longest time & this is the only powder highlighter I've found that has managed to surpass it's power whilst matching the pale yellow undertone. It's such a beautiful product & if you like your highlighters on the blinding side, then this is the one for you.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%
We all know how much I love The Ordinary but when I tried one of their earliest Vitamin C formulations, I wasn't too impressed. It had a gritty texture which was cosmetically inelegant & made it generally unpleasant to use. They have since released various other forms of Vitamin C & I decided to take a chance on their Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%. I went through a whole bottle of their Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA & was really impressed with how quickly it faded my post-blemish scarring. By combining it with Ascorbic Acid they've created a super-charged serum that reduces the signs of aging & lightens hyperpigmentation as well as brightening & evening out the skin tone. The texture is lovely to use, there's no stickiness, greasiness or grittiness. The propanediol base makes it feel perfectly smooth on the skin but it still absorbs quickly. I starting seeing results after about a week & it's managed to lighten my scarring even faster than the Alpha Arbutin alone. My complexion looks much brighter & fresher now, I'm really happy with the way my skin looks since I started using this product every morning. This powerful combo of ingredients is pure genius & definitely worth adding to your skincare routine.

Bali Balm Lip Balm in Bergamot & Grapefruit*
Winter weather calls for a hardcore lip balm & this year my product of choice comes from Bali Balm. This luxury vegan lip balm is incredibly moisturising due to the fantastic blend of coconut oil, castor seed oil, kukui nut oil & candelilla wax. It instantly makes my lips feel soothed & hydrated which is exactly what you need at this time of year. This intensive lip treatment will shield your skin from the elements & will stay on your lips for hours. The rich formula contains active botanicals that are high in antioxidants & boast antibacterial properties. One of the best things about this lip balm is the bespoke flavour. Bergamot & Grapefruit is a wonderfully potent combination. The bergamot provides the soothing familiarity found in Earl Grey tea whilst you get bittersweet citrusy notes from the floral grapefruit. These ingredients give the lip balm a clean, crisp & fruity taste. Bali Balm are a really eco-friendly brand. Not only are their products vegan & cruelty-free, you can also send your packaging back to them for recycling once you've finished with the lip balm. Beauty products must generate a huge amount of plastic waste so it's great to find a brand that are so dedicated to minimising their environmental impact.

MAC Jamie Genevieve Lipstick
Jamie Genevieve is one of my favourite YouTubers of all time. She's such a beautiful person, inside & out. I love watching her full beat makeup tutorials as well as her weekly vlogs with Jack & Drogba. In terms of makeup Jamie is probably best known for her blinding glow, dark smokes & nude lips so it made perfect sense when she announced that her collaboration with MAC would be the ultimate nude lipstick. I went out to Selfridges in Manchester & bought it immediately. The lipstick is a medium beige with warm yellow undertones & it has a satin finish. Obviously as Jamie is really tanned it's a nude on her but it looks brown on me. I still really like the colour though as it's hard to find true beige lipsticks without any hint of pink. I love how Jamie always wears a darker lip liner & I think that her lipstick looks best with MAC Stripdown. I hope she comes out with more collabs soon as I'm pretty sure I'd buy anything she brings out. I recently picked up her Tired Girl Club t-shirt & it's one of the comfiest tops I own!

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Three Good Things: Nude Eyeliner Pencils

Today I wanted to pen an ode to what I consider to be the ultimate multi-tasking makeup item - nude eyeliner pencils. Back in the day people would use stark white eyeliners in the waterline to make their eyes appear larger. I remember being obsessed with MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl & although it did make my eyes look bigger, it didn't look natural. Then some genius (I have no idea who, but thanks!) came up with the idea of using a nude eyeliner, the same colour as your skin. This has the same eye brightening effect as white eyeliner but it looks a lot subtler & you can use them on more things than just your eyes. They are a staple in my makeup bag & I use them all the time in so many different ways. I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't used one before as they do seem like quite a boring product but for me they're a complete necessity. First let's compare three of my favourite flesh tone pencils.



MAC Studio Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 - £14 / 3g
The product that first started off my love affair with nude eyeliners was MAC's Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20. This used to be a limited edition product but I do believe it was made permanent last year. I think it's pretty obvious how much I've used this pencil as it's been sharpened down to a tiny nub. This is the cheapest pencil & you get the most amount of product so it's very good value for money. Surprisingly, out of these three eyeliners the MAC one is the darkest & has the creamiest formula. The creamy texture can be somewhat detrimental as it often mixes in with my black liquid liner, creating a grey smudge near my tear ducts. Apart from the greyness, it lasts really well on my waterline but is too dark to use elsewhere on my face.



Illamasqua Eye Colouring Pencil in Vow - £16 / 1.4g
Illamasqua are known for their more out-there products & colours but they do the basics extremely well. In terms of colour this pencil is my favourite as it is the lightest & yellowest in tone. It's a good match for my NARS foundation in Siberia so I can use it anywhere on my face as well as for it's intended purpose. It's definitely the most versatile of the bunch. The pencil blends in seamlessly but it's nowhere near as long-lasting as the MAC or Charlotte Tilbury liners. It also has the hardest & driest formula but that isn't a bad thing at all. It's still fairly creamy but the harder pencil nib delivers precise results & doesn't need to be sharpened as often so you won't need to repurchase it for a long time.



Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'N' Kohl in Eye Cheat - £19 / 1.2g
My most recent flesh tone pencil purchase is this luxurious little number from Charlotte Tilbury. I adore her Rock 'N' Kohls as they glide onto the skin like a liquid & do not budge whatsoever! If you're quick you can smudge them out but after just a couple of minutes they set into place & wear for up to 14 hours with no transfer. As you can see in the swatches at the beginning of this post, I tried rubbing all of the eyeliners five minutes after application. The MAC & Illamasqua pencils blend away with little effort but the Charlotte Tilbury pencil is both smudgeproof & waterproof. It is very pigmented so you only need a little bit but the pencil is super soft & creamy so it does need sharpening quite frequently. This is the most expensive pencil & you get the least amount of product but it offers immense durability.



Each of the pencils has their own strengths & weaknesses but I do use them pretty much interchangeably. To be honest I tend to use the first one that I can find in my makeup bag! The one thing I use them for every single day without fail is to brighten up my waterline. It reduces redness, opens up my eyes & generally makes such a huge difference. I have quite small eyes so if I use black kohl in my waterline it just emphasises their piggy nature. Once I started using nude eyeliner I realised how much bigger & brighter it made my eyes look so now I feel really weird all day if I ever forget to apply it. Another great use for flesh toned pencils is to conceal blemishes. It allows you to be precise & just cover the bits that need to be covered. Many people use brown pencils to drawn on fake freckles, well I use nude pencils to hide the freckles that regular foundation & concealer leave behind. The final reason I love to use nude pencils is to clean up other parts of my makeup. Need to carve out your eyebrows? Got uneven eyeliner flicks? Overdrawn your lips too much? Simply use a flesh toned pencil to correct all of your mistakes & no one will ever question your makeup skills.

Are you a fan of nude eyeliner pencils? If not I hope this post has made some of you realise just how brilliant & useful they can be. I know I certainly couldn't be without one!

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June Favourites

Bioderma White Objective Lightening Fluid SPF 25
I recently ran out of my Bioderma Sensibio micellar water & as Escentual had 1/3rd off all French pharmacy products, I decided to place an order with them. They exclusively stock the Bioderma White Objective range which is aimed at those with hyper pigmentation. I picked up the White Objective micellar water & also added this Lightening Fluid onto my order. The cleansing water is pretty much the same as the Sensibio version. It apparently contains a patented complex that can brighten the skin & prevent the development of further pigmentation. I can't really tell if it's working but it can't hurt to try & only cost £1 more. I've been much more impressed with the Lightening Fluid which is a really lovely day moisturiser. It's the perfect consistency for the Summer, light yet hydrating. As well as the White Objective complex, this moisturiser also boasts a high dose of vitamin C & SPF 25. It contains everything you need to keep your skin looking bright, even & youthful. I'm so glad I gave it a shot!

MAC Fix+
Fix+ is something I've been meaning to purchase for years. I've always heard so many good things about it but felt bad about paying £17 for what could just be glorified water. There are some misconceptions about this product. It is not a setting spray. Fix+ is a finishing spray that you can use after applying your makeup to prevent it from looking powdery or cakey. It makes my base look soft, dewy & fresh. I especially like to spray it over my powder highlighter as it really adds some oomph to the shimmer. I also use it with eyeshadow to intensify the colour. I had my doubts about it but this is a fab multi-tasking product that can make such a difference to the finish of your makeup.

Michael Kors White
The name White is very apt for this limited edition fragrance. White floral scents are my very favourite kind and this Michael Kors perfume delivers a delicate blend of freesia, tuberose & white musk. It is sweet & feminine with a sensual, oriental base. When first sprayed the scent is very floral & green but as it dries down the vanilla & amber base warms it up a bit. It's certainly seems a lot more glamourous & sexy than the other floral perfumes in my collection. The packaging looks really cool & chic but the spray mechanism tends to squirt me with a stream of liquid instead of misting me with the scent! Technical faults aside, I absolutely love this perfume.

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
This purchase was inspired by Wayne Goss & the good people over at /r/SkincareAddiction. I've used loads of products containing salicylic acid before, with Stridex pads being my previous BHA of choice. However the SkincareAddiction subreddit is forever inundated with rave reviews of the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid & I couldn't resist trying it out any longer. There was just so many different people saying how this product had saved their skin & unearthed clogs that other acids couldn't touch. I would consider my main skin problem to be recurrent closed comedones located mainly on my forehead. Most people told me that AHAs were the answer to this problem & although they did help immensely, this BHA product is exactly what I needed all along. BHAs are better for people with oily skin because they can get through the oil that's clogging your pores. It works on all kinds of blemishes & is especially effective on sebaceous filaments. Unlike Stridex it doesn't contain menthol so it's less likely to irritate the skin. It also features butylene glycol which allows the BHA to further penetrate the skin without drying it out. This is a seriously brilliant product & a must-have for anyone with acne-prone skin.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Coconut*
I used to be obsessed with the Barry M Nail Paints but I hadn't tried any of their newer formulas. The Gelly range is supposed to be a high-pigment, high-shine collection of polishes that provide a glossy, gel-like finish with a single coat. Coconut is a creamy off-white shade & I think it looks gorgeous! I'm so impressed with the formula. It wasn't quite opaque with one coat but it applies very smoothly & evenly with a super shiny finish. The polish is quick to dry & very long lasting. The colour is surprisingly flattering as the slightly warm tone compliments the skin. There's no sign of Tipp-Ex here! I love white nails in the Summer as they look so fresh & clean. Coconut would also make a great base for nail art.

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January Favourites

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry
I would have to say that these Revlon chubby lipstick pencils are my favourite drugstore lip products. I really liked both the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains & the ColorBurst Lacquer Balms but at the minute I'm really into matte lips. They tend to last a lot longer throughout the day and they never transfer onto my wonky teeth which is always a hazard with any other kind of bright lipstick. I decided to get one of the Matte Balms in the shade Sultry & I couldn't be any happier with it. I'd been wanting to add some deep berry shades to my collection but sometimes they can look a bit harsh for everyday wear. Sultry is basically the perfect Winter berry lipstick for me. This colour is a dark pink with brown & plum tones. However on my light complexion it transforms into a rich burgundy shade. It's vampy without looking too gothic & it has a soft velvety finish that doesn't look flat. It doesn't feel heavy or dry out my lips either as it features a triple butter complex of shea, mango & coconut butters. I'm completely obsessed with this colour & I've pretty much been wearing it non-stop since I bought it.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Primer
My favourites list for this month could've easily been made up of just Charlotte Tilbury products. The obsession is real! After getting tons of her products for Christmas I actually went out and bought some more. This time I got a few of her base products and I've been particularly impressed by the Wonderglow primer. This product is a peach-toned liquid illuminator that instantly perks up dull skin. It can be used underneath your foundation to give you that lit from within look, on top of foundation as a traditional liquid highlighter or on it's own as a quick pick me up for the skin. The finish is quite sparkly so if you're not a fan of glitter then you might wanna give it a miss. I like to use Wonderglow as a primer before foundation because it has loads of amazing skin benefits. It feels really light on the skin whilst still delivering a hefty dose of hydration. I love how beautiful & radiant it makes my skin look. It really is an incredible product!

The Pro Hygiene Collection Antibacterial Makeup Spray
I have terrible hoarding tendencies & I like to hang onto my makeup products a little longer than I probably should do. I figure that if the smell, texture & function of the product remain the same as when you first purchased it then it's a bit of a waste to get rid of it. The main thing to consider is bacteria growth. This wonderful antibacterial spray from The Pro Hygiene Collection will remove 99.99% of bacteria from your cosmetics & doesn't affect the products in any other way. Thanks to this product I've been able to keep hold of all my old favourite powders, blushers & eyeshadows without fear of giving myself spots or eye infections. Just spray it on something once, wait for it to dry and you're good to go. It will also inhibit future bacteria growth on anything you use it on so it's a really good way of keeping all your products clean & sanitary.

Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster
My favourite kind of serums are ones that contain hyaluronic acid. It all started with Hydraluron and the obsession went on from there. I'd been wanting to try some Sarah Chapman products for ages & when I spotted her Intense Hydrating Booster in the Feel Unique sale I knew it was time for a splurge. I'm so glad I bought it because this is one of those products where your skin looks 100x better from the first time you use it. It has a light watery consistency and feels really silky & comforting on the skin. My complexion instantly looks brighter & plumper when I use it. This product deeply hydrates the skin & makes it feel super soft. It has fast become my favourite hyaluronic acid-based serum & words cannot express how brilliant it truly is.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15
It's been quite a while since I've bought a MAC base product. Back in the day I tried out all of their foundations before realising that they oxidised really badly on my skin & always broke me out. But I've been hearing so many good things about their Pro Longwear Concealer, mainly that it doesn't crease around the eyes which is really important to me. I decided to get it in NC15 & I am completely loving it! It feels lightweight despite it's long lasting nature & extremely high coverage. It doesn't crease on me at all & it also works well as an eyeshadow base. The packaging makes it a little awkward to use but I appreciate how hygienic the pump is. It works well under the eyes as well as on blemishes without ever looking cakey. Pro Longwear is definitely my favourite out of all the MAC concealers & I can't recommend it enough!

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May Favourites

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light
The Ambient Lighting Powders from Hourglass are the perfect finishing touch for your makeup. They feel so lightweight & help to airbrush the appearance of your skin. The one I've been reaching for most lately is Diffused Light. This is a yellow toned powder that subtly corrects redness. As I've been going for lighter bases such as the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser or Radiant Creamy Concealer I've been using this to set my makeup. It's not brilliant at oil control but that's not really a concern of mine. It just makes your foundation look a bit more flawless with a beautiful soft glow.

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth
I don't have a problem with growing my nails but they are very prone to breakage. Rather than shell out £18 on OPI Nail Envy I decided to give some good old Sally Hansen products a go. This product is basically a clear basecoat for your nails. It dries to a shiny finish and protects your nails so that they can grow without splitting. It seals any weak areas & my nails get seriously long whenever I use this stuff. It has no long lasting effects, your nails won't grow any stronger but as long as you keep applying the polish every other day they will keep on growing. I really like it as it makes my nails look strong & healthy. You can wear it alone or with polish on top. I probably will give Nail Envy a go at some point but this product is much cheaper & it works so well.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster*
My skin had been looking a bit dull recently so I went back to using this Ole Henriksen serum. It's packed full of Vitamin C which is brilliant at brightening the skin & gives you a really healthy looking glow. This product has won so many awards for it's ability to plump up the skin & reverse the signs of ageing. It works well on freckles, post-blemish scarring & congestion too. It feels quite sticky to begin with but once you apply moisturiser over it that soon goes away. After it has absorbed properly it leaves your skin feeling really soft & juicy. I can't get enough of that orange sherbet scent either. This is easily one of my favourite serums & it's definitely deserving of it's cult status.

MAC Ever Hip Lipstick
Sorry, this lipstick is a limited edition one but if MAC ever bring it back again, you need to buy this! It's hard to find flattering peachy shades when your skin is so pale but this lippie is the ultimate peach for fair skinned girls. It's more of a pink toned coral but it looks peachy on me. It's very 60s-ish & looks gorgeous combined with a lipgloss. I love the MAC Cremesheen formula as the lipsticks glide on, are semi-opaque, look slightly glossy on the lips & feel very creamy. They melt so easily though, I'm forever worried that this lipstick will break off. I really wish they'd make it a permanent shade! You can see me wearing it in this makeup look.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
I absolutely love this concealer! It's similar to the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer but it looks a tad more natural on the skin. It offers high coverage in a lightweight formula with a luminous finish. It covers everything without ever looking cakey or dry. NARS have such a brilliant shade range for all of their base products so you're sure to find something to suit your skin tone. The creamy consistency means it blends like a dream & promptly perfects the skin. I like using this on it's own as a quick and easy base product. The price is pretty high but I really do think it's worth every penny. Read my full review here.

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Daily Makeup #2

I really liked how my makeup turned out the other night. The style & colours I used complemented my 60s inspired Urban Outfitters dress beautifully. As I was going to a concert I needed to make sure that my foundation would stick around all night long. I can't get enough of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation at the minute. I sandwiched it between a bit of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder. Even after hours of jumping about & dancing my base still looked perfectly matte & in place so I'd recommend getting both of those if your foundation is prone to melting. For concealer I used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer underneath my eyes & on any blemishes. As always I went for theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer as my highlighter and then applied my favourite ever blusher - NARS Deep Throat - to add a peachy pink glow to my cheeks. Nude lips were all the rage during the 60s but I find it really hard to pull that look off. Pale skin & pale lips just makes you look ill. Instead I went for a lovely peach in the form of MAC Ever Hip Lipstick. I slicked on a bit of Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid* beforehand to soften my lips & add a glossy finish. It also helps to sheer out the lipstick & make it look even prettier.

Moving onto my eye makeup I didn't want to do a full on 60s eye look so I went for smokey grey eyeshadow instead. To make my eyeshadow last all night long without creasing I primed my eyelids using MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I used a couple of shades from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Verve all over my eyelid & then Pistol on the outer corners, blended into the crease & under my bottom lashes. I still really like the Yves Rocher Volume Vertige Mascara* so I layered it up for thick, voluminous lashes. I wanted to do a fairly thin line of liquid eyeliner so I used L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim & added a little flick at the ends. My eyes are pretty tiny so I always use a nude eyeliner on my waterline to make them look a bit bigger. MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 is the ultimate. Finally I filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia DipBrow Pomade. This stuff doesn't budge whatsoever & delivers intense definition to your brows. To make them look a bit more natural I used a combo of Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel & MAC Clear Brow Set. These helped to bring out the individual hairs so my brows didn't look completely drawn on. Let me know what you think!

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Daily Makeup #1

Today I'm starting up a new feature as I've never really done face of the day type posts before. It always bugs me when people talk about the makeup products they're using and then they don't follow it up with a picture of how it actually looks on their face. So here's a look with a focus on thick black liner & cherry red lips. I started off with my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #2 which gives great coverage but also adds a wonderful glow to the skin. I concealed any blemishes & my undereye area with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair before setting under my eyes with the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. I'm always one for a bit of shimmer so I dusted a bit of my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light all over my face & highlighted my cheekbones with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer. For blush I went for Illamasqua Naked Rose, it gives such a pretty flush to the cheeks. I then filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash & held my brows in place using MAC Clear Brow Set.

The lovely ladies at Baobella Boutique recently sent me a few new products to try out. Baobella Boutique is a free to join, members only online beauty store. They offer some amazing discounts on well known brands such as Clarins, Chanel, Decleor, L'Oreal, Maybelline & Lee Stafford to name just a few. There's a huge range of high end brands, drugstore brands and some that you might not have come across before. Each item is only available for a limited time period so you have to be quick to make sure you don't miss out on a great deal. If you like buying discounted beauty products (who doesn't?!) then it's well worth signing up for. I received an Yves Rocher duo worth over £40 yet you could buy it on Baobella Boutique for just £10.99! Yves Rocher is the number one makeup brand in France. All of their products are natural so if you're into that kind of thing then they're a great brand to check out. Not only that but their products are very high quality too.

I was extremely impressed by the Volume Vertige mascara. I love the curvy wand applicator. It really sculpts the lashes, giving lots of separation & definition without any clumps. One coat is enough for super long & thick lashes but I always like to add another to pump up the volume. It holds a curl so well & makes my lashes generally look amazing. After applying my mascara I lined my eyes with lots of Soap & Glory Supercat & MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 on the waterline. I finished off my look with a slick of Yves Rocher Grand Rouge lipstick in the shade Radiant Red. This lipstick feels really comfortable & moisturising on the lips. It features camellia oil, organic sesame oil & vitamin E to keep your lips in tip top condition. The highly pigmented formula simply glides on & it has a nice glossy finish. The staying powder is incredible, it lasts for hours even after eating & drinking. When it does begin to fade, it leaves a pretty red stain rather than a horrible ring around your lips. I love the packaging & it smells really nice too. Yves Rocher get a big thumbs up from me.

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Christmas Presents

Polar FT4 Watch
2014 is gonna be the year that I get properly fit. I know I say that every year but I actually have time to go to the gym now that Chloe's at preschool. I'll be able to do the 30 Day Shred without having a toddler trying to sit on me or pick up my hand weights! I was using my Fitbit to track my calorie burn but it broke a few months ago. So for my main present this year I asked for a Polar watch. They're a lot more accurate because they measure your heart rate. I know a lot of people rave about these so I figured it'd be a good piece of fitness equipment to get. Can't wait to get back to doing regular exercise & lose all those pesky Christmas pounds.



Smythson Places To Remember Notebook
My mum also bought me this Smythson notebook for writing down places to visit. It'll be good to take on holiday to note down all the shops & restaurants I want to go to. I remember making a mega list when we went to New York. If only we could go back again!



Nail Art Bits & Shimmer Sprays
My sister bought me some sparkly Maybelline nail polishes & Barry M nail art pens. I'm excited to try out the nail polish corrector pen because I always mess up my nails. I really like these shimmer powder sprays she got me from The Body Shop too. They puff out a fine pink glitter that you can use on your face, hair & body and have a slightly sweet scent.



Boux Avenue Lingerie
I literally always ask my boyfriend for lingerie and Boux Avenue's stuff is just the best. Everything in there is so comfortable & flattering. He got me this gorgeous hot pink underwear set & I really love what he chose. I'm still tempted to raid their sale though!



Flamingo Candles
I'm obsessed with their Cheesecake Crunch candle so I made sure I popped a few more onto my Christmas list. I got Toasted Almonds & Plum Crumble, Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey and Pink Lemonade. They all smell insanely good and they're made from soy wax so you get a nice clean burn with these.



The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
My pink 3DS XL is probably the best thing I've bought this year. I play on it constantly! The Legend Of Zelda series is one of my favourites so I really wanted A Link Between Worlds. It's a sequel to A Link To The Past on the SNES and it's such a good game. Link gets turned into a painting so you gain the ability to move flat along walls. It definitely makes the game mechanics more interesting & I've really enjoyed playing it so far.



Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette & MAC Goodies
I got money & gift vouchers from most of my relatives so with those I simply had to buy myself the Naked 3 Palette. I love pink eyeshadows so I thought this was a great set to buy. Plus I needed to complete my Naked Palette family of course ;) I also made a cheeky MAC order where I got Groundwork Paint Pot and a 214 brush. The shape of the 214 is really cool & perfect for smudging colour under your lashline. I got a sample tube of Strobe Cream with my order which is another product I love.







Epic Space.NK Haul
All of this was a Christmas gift to myself. Sometimes you just gotta treat yo'self! I wouldn't have spent so much but Space.NK had an amazing offer last month where if you spent £150 you got a goodie bag with loads of stuff in it including a Diptyque candle & a £50 gift voucher. Way too good to pass up, right? I decided to buy a fullsize bottle of the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, their Arch Eyebrow Pencil and another one of the Ambient Lighting Powders in Diffused Light. I also got the Diptyque Mimosa room spray because it smells incredible. With the £50 voucher in the goodie bag I bought the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray and some of the Bumble & Bumble Thickening products. Everything else here was in the goodie bag. The only thing I let myself play with before Christmas was the Hourglass Arch Eyebrow Pencil which took a lot of willpower. I love it all though, I'm in beauty product heaven right now. I've had to ban myself from Space.NK because this was really really naughty!

I'm so grateful for everything I received this year. I got some really lovely bits & bobs. It's more important to give than receive when you're a parent though. It was far more satisfying watching Chloe open all her new toys & seeing the joy on her face. Kids really make Christmas special again. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got some nice presents too. Feel free to link me to your posts because I love seeing what other people got for Christmas!

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What's In My Makeup Bag?

I store all of my makeup collection in some acrylic drawers from Homebase but I keep the stuff I tend to wear on a daily basis inside my makeup bag. I bought this from MAC a few years ago & it's still going strong. It is the signature medium rectangle bag. It's a good size as it can hold a lot of stuff and has a separate pocket to keep my brushes in. I tend to keep far too many things in here as I like to have a little bit of choice when it comes to what I'm gonna use that day. I would clear some of the products out but I just like too many things! Anyway here's a little peak at some of my most used makeup products.

Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation / Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
By Terry Touche Veloutee / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I keep a couple of different base products in my bag to use depending on how my skin is behaving & how much time I have to get ready. If I have time I prefer to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme applied with a Beautyblender. If I'm running late a blob of the Dr Jart BB cream mixed with a tiny dot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer helps to even out my skin and hide some of my blemishes & scarring. The BB cream alone is far too dark & sheer for me so adding the Sensual Skin Enhancer lightens it up & adds a bit more coverage. I use a few different concealers but tend to just go for some of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector under my eyes most days.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Illamasqua Naked Rose Blusher / NARS Deep Throat Blusher / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / MAC Omega Eyeshadow / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

As well as the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I also keep the Clarins Instant Smooth one in my bag. The Clarins primer is better if I want to hide my pores & smooth over my skin so I use this one more often. I love blushers & have tons in my collection but the ones I've been using most are NARS Deep Throat & Illamasqua Naked Rose. They're both nice peachy pinks that add a much needed burst of colour to my complexion. My go-to highlighter is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, I recommend this product for anyone who wants a highly metallic sheen to their skin. It's one of the most pigmented I've tried & really makes my skin glow. I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette every day as it's a great selection of neutral colours that are ideal for day or night. If I fancy using a powder to fill in my eyebrows I opt between the shade Naked2 from this palette and MAC's Omega eyeshadow.

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara* / MAC Clear Brow Set / NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara / Benefit They're Real Mascara / MAC Fling Eye Brow Pencil / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel / Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Beaute Girlina Weightless Lip Creme / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter / Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
LORAC Front Of The Line Pro Eyeliner / SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen

I have four mascaras in here which is probably overkill! At the minute I like to layer the last dregs of my Lancome Doll Eyes mascara with Benefit They're Real mascara and then use the Clinique mascara on my bottom lashes to stop them smudging. I didn't really like They're Real to begin with but it's starting to get better as it dries out a bit. Still clinging on to the Lancome one though! There's some more eye brow products here depending on how I want them to look. I love brushing on some of the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel when I don't have time to fill them in properly. I have lip products galore but I tend to go for the Beaute Lip Creme or Revlon Lip Butter as I do love a nice pink lip. I use the L'Oreal Superliner to do my regular cat flick but the LORAC one is amazing for really thin lines. I use this to fill in any tiny gaps, neaten the end of the flick & sometimes I draw on bottom lashes with it a la Twiggy. And I can't go a day without using my MAC NC15/NW20 pencil on my lower lash line to brighten up my eyes.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush / Real Techniques Contour Brush x2 / Real Techniques Setting Brush / Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush / Real Techniques Brow Brush / Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush / MAC 239 Brush / MAC 222 Brush / MAC 219 Brush / MAC 227 Brush / Tweezerman Tweezers / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

I keep a few essential brushes in here but often dip into my brush pots when I'm getting ready. I typically apply foundation with a Beautyblender (but I keep that in a separate jar) or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I always keep two of the Contour Brushes in here - one for blending concealer & one for applying blusher. I use the setting brush with some loose powder to set under my eyes and the Sigma brush to apply highlighter. There's two angled brushes in here but they're quite different, the Real Techniques one is better for lining my eyes with black eyeshadow & the Laura Mercier one is my favourite eye brow brush. The bristles are a lot stiffer so it works a lot better. I also keep several eyeshadow brushes in here but I probably use the MAC 219 the most as I like to apply some brown eyeshadow under my eyes with it. Finally I have my tweezers & eyelash curlers, total essentials for me & you can't get better than Tweezerman & Shu Uemura.

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MAC Veronica's Blush Pearlmatte Face Powder

MAC Veronica's Blush Pearlmatte Face Powder - £21.50

As soon as I saw the previews for the MAC Archie's Girls collection I had my heart set on buying just this one item. It was love at first sight. Veronica's Blush is one of the prettiest products I've ever seen. How cute are those hearts?! There's nothing I love more than highlighting products but I hadn't bought any new ones for a whole year after finding my holy grail highlighter in the form of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer. However I knew this Pearlmatte Face Powder was too good to miss out on.

Being such a pale person, I find this doesn't actually work as a highlighter on me as it is far too pink. Instead I've been using it as a blush by swirling together the light shimmery part with the darker pink hearts and then applying it with a small duo fibre brush. The texture of this powder is silky smooth so it applies likes a dream. The colour is very subtle, adding a light touch of pink to the cheeks. But the real beauty of this powder is the gorgeous glow it gives to the skin. It can sometimes be difficult to properly showcase highlighting products as the sheen often doesn't translate on camera but this one clearly adds a healthy bit of shine to my face. I love how it looks on my skin & unlike many other highlighters it doesn't emphasise my pores or imperfections.

Sadly this product is now sold out on the MAC website but it is still available on the Selfridges website & you might be able to find it at your local MAC counter. MAC also launched another Pearlmatte Face Powder in this collection called 'Flatter Me' which might be more suited to the peachy blush lovers amongst you. These powders are so lovely to use and look amazing so I'd really recommend trying one out if you can. Did you pick up anything from the Archie's Girls collection?

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