June Favourites

NYX Bare With Me Prime Set Refresh Spray
My love for NYX has well & truly been rekindled with the launch of their Bare With Me Collection. I picked up a few different pieces from them last month & the first item that really impressed me is their Prime Set Refresh Spray. This multitasking spray can be used before, during & after the makeup application process. It's infused with aloe & cucumber extracts so it's ideal for sensitive skin. It primes your skin for makeup, helps your makeup to last throughout the day & adds a hit of hydration whenever you need it. You get a whopping 130ml for £10 so it's really good value for money, especially when compared to Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray & it'll keep your makeup in place just as well. I always use a spray such as this when working with powders to stop them from sitting on top of the skin. If you spritz a bit on top of your cheekbones before applying highlighter, it really makes the pigment pop & allows you to buff in the powder to perfection. One thing I don't like about this product is the spray nozzle. It seems to spurt out randomly rather than giving you a nice fine mist. I often end up with more of it on my t-shirt than on my face! I like the spray itself but I think I'll probably decant it into a different bottle.

NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil
The next product I bought from the Bare With Me collection is the Tinted Skin Veil in Vanilla Nude. My skin has been pretty good lately so I wanted something really lightweight with minimal coverage for those super hot days when I don't want to wear a ton of makeup. This stuff fits the bill perfectly & works as a fantastic base when you just want to lightly even out your complexion. Like most foundations, I think it looks best when applied with a BeautyBlender but this is the kinda product you can quickly smear on with your fingers when you're in a rush to leave the house & you'll still look great. It looks very natural & allows your skin to shine through whilst covering any redness. The finish is quite matte but I think that adds to the whole natural appearance & means that it doesn't break down on the skin. It stays put for a surprisingly long time & even survived the recent heatwave. I picked up Vanilla Nude which is the lightest yellow toned shade & it's a pretty decent match. It actually has more of an olive undertone but it works well to correct any discolouration in my skin & blends in seamlessly. I just really love this product. It's so easy to use & helps you to look a bit more put together with hardly any effort. It's a lazy girl Summer staple.

Revolution Fast Base Concealer
Revolution have two foundation ranges that I really love - Conceal & Define and Fast Base. If you haven't tried the Fast Base Stick Foundation I highly recommend it. I was interested to see how its concealer counterpart performed especially as this concealer is only £3! The packaging is very similar to the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer with the round fluffy applicator on top. This concealer provides lightweight buildable coverage & is ideal for brightening up dark circles. The formula is very creamy & easy to blend with just your fingers. You can easily pop this in your handbag for touchups throughout the day using the small cushion applicator. I really like the coverage & it delivers instant radiance with a really smooth, natural finish. This is one of the cheapest concealers I've seen in the likes Boots or Superdrug but it's actually one of the best. Think Touche Éclat but at a fraction of the price!

NYX Matte Liquid Liner
Another NYX product that I've been loving is their Matte Liquid Liner. I usually prefer felt tip pen style liners & was previously using their Epic Ink Liner. However the nib started leaking weirdly & began to dispense way too much product. The liner kept bleeding when I applied it & would sometimes run into my eye which I did not appreciate after spending an hour on my makeup! So I decided to pick this one up instead because I saw this gorgeous look by Alyssa Marie Artistry where she used this particular NYX liner. The Matte Liquid Liner comes with a fine tipped brush so you can get a really crisp line & a sharp wing. The liner is extremely pigmented & dries down to a fully opaque true matte black. It's really long lasting, doesn't smudge & doesn't make my sensitive eyes water. I thought the brush would be difficult to work with because I'm so used to felt tip liners but I've had no problems with it at all. It's a great liquid liner & I'm much happier with this product than the Epic Ink Liner.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder
I've been dying to try some products from Fenty Beauty for so long but I could never decide what to buy first. I finally got the chance to play with their products in person when they recently launched in the Trinity Leeds branch of Boots. I had originally planned on getting the foundation but the finish is way too matte for my liking. In the end I came away with the Instant Retouch Setting Powder in Butter mainly because NikkieTutorials raves about it. I've been using translucent powder for a while but I wanted something with a bit of pigment to help brighten up my dark circles. Butter is a light yellow colour so it's a great match for me & adds just a touch of colour for a flawless finish. The powder itself is so finely milled & feels silky soft on the skin. I don't think I've come across such a superfine or lightweight loose setting powder before. It literally feels as light as air. It also has a subtle sweet scent which I really like. Once applied it has a blurring effect on the skin, hiding pores & smoothing over fine lines. It sets my foundation & concealer really well whilst airbrushing my skin to perfection. The finish is matte but not cakey at all. You can reapply it throughout the day & it'll keep your skin looking fresh. I've worn it out in the blazing sun, felt sweat pouring down my forehead & my makeup hadn't budged an inch. This setting powder is everything!

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August Favourites

Dermasuri Rice Milk Brightening Face Exfoliator
My mum knows all about my addiction to trying out new exfoliating products & she kindly bought me a couple of Dermasuri products for my birthday. This gommage style gel gently creates rolls when massaged onto damp skin. These rolls lift away dead skin cells, polishing the skin & leaving it feeling baby soft. It's a very similar product to the Ginvera Green Tea Exfoliating Marvel Gel but it uses rice milk as the key ingredient instead of green tea. Rice milk has been used for centuries in Japan. The enzymes in rice milk have brightening properties & it's a beauty secret of the Geisha to keep their skin smooth underneath their heavy makeup. This exfoliator also features hyaluronic acid & vitamin E to keep the skin hydrated & nourished. The gel is so gentle on the skin but it still manages to remove all those dead skin cells. It's fascinating to see & rolling them off your face is incredibly satisfying! If you want to move away from using face scrubs but your skin is too sensitive for acids then this would be a brilliant alternative.

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
After testing out a million different actives from The Ordinary I decided to buy a few more of their hydrating products. I really like Trilogy's Rosehip Oil but the cost has increased quite a bit over the past few years. The Ordinary's Rose Hip Seed Oil is about half the price & yet it manages to do exactly the same thing. Funny that! Rosehip oil is truly wonderful stuff. This lightweight facial oil is rich in linoleic acid, linolenic acid & provitamin A. Like most oils it helps to moisturise the skin but it is especially good for those with acne-prone or oily skin types. I use it underneath my moisturiser at night & it really helps to combat scarring, fine lines & blemishes. It brightens & evens out my complexion whilst keeping it well hydrated. It can also be used to treat stretch marks & wrinkles. I'd definitely recommend picking up a bottle of this oil, it's yet another triumph for The Ordinary.

NYX Total Control Drop Foundation in Pale
Despite being a huge fan of NYX Cosmetics, I'd never actually tried any of their foundations before. I started seeing so many people using this foundation on YouTube & the whole custom coverage thing really intrigued me. The consistency of this foundation is very thin & watery but the coverage can be built up as you continue to add more drops to your face. It's very buildable & blends like a dream, giving my skin a flawless finish. I ordered this online so I didn't get the chance to swatch it first & the shade Pale is actually a bit too light for me! The colour might not be quite right but it has a really nice pale yellow undertone much like NARS Siberia. I was previously using NYX's Pro Foundation Mixer in White to lighten up any foundations that were too dark for me but I now prefer to mix in a bit of the Total Control Drop Foundation. It lightens, adds more coverage & corrects the undertone so it's perfect for creating a custom foundation that I love.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
I seldom buy traditional lipstick bullets anymore but I will always make an exception for Charlotte Tilbury. Her Lip Cheat lip liner in Pillow Talk is one of my favourite lip products of all time. It goes well with so many lipstick colours & also looks gorgeous worn on it's own. When I heard that she was turning the shade into one of her Matte Revolution lipsticks I knew I had to get my hands on it. This medium nude pink is the ultimate MLBB everyday lip colour. It matches the colour of my lips exactly making it easy to fake a fuller pout. I love the Matte Revolution formula which is matte but not flat; lightweight & hydrating. I don't find the lipstick to be as long lasting as the lip liner but the two products pair together beautifully. They're a must-have duo for anyone who likes nude pinks.

Bluebird Tea Co. Earl Grey Crème Solid Perfume
I am still obsessed with Bluebird Tea Co's delicious tea blends. In fact I have a whole kitchen cupboard filled with their tea bags & loose leaf teas! Earl Grey Crème is one of my absolute favourites & I repurchase it constantly. Their award-winning blend of classic Earl Grey tea with creamy vanilla is truly delightful & I love to indulge in a cup of this to get me through the mid-afternoon slump. When I placed my most recent order I noticed that they had started selling solid perfumes inspired by some of their most popular teas. I simply had to add the Earl Grey Crème one to my shopping cart! Although it doesn't actually smell like tea, the solid perfume is still beautifully fragranced. The scent has been influenced by the tea, rather than being a exact replica of it's aroma. The blend of vanilla & citrusy bergamot is wonderfully fresh & zingy. It's packed full of natural essential oils, balms & butters and was created in collaboration with Flowery Whiff. It feels quite moisturising & lasts a really long time on the skin. Basically if you like zesty citrus scents, you'll love this solid perfume!

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May Favourites

Diamond Whites Black Edition 100% Natural Charcoal Tooth Polish
To distract attention away from the wonkiness of my teeth I try to keep them looking as white as possible. I normally use Crest White Strips but they can make your teeth feel quite sensitive. Loads of these charcoal tooth powders have been popping up all over Instagram lately & as I do like to use some natural products I decided to order a tub from Diamond Whites. It is made from 100% activated coconut shell charcoal and claims to remove stains from your teeth, strengthen your gums & absorb toxins from your mouth. You just dip your toothbrush head into the pot, brush your teeth with it & then rinse really well. It literally turns your teeth black & looks really weird when you're brushing them. I find that I have to follow it up with my regular mouthwash & toothpaste to get rid of all the black residue. It makes such a mess & will turn your sink black too but I do think it works. It makes my teeth look sparkly clean & they feel thoroughly polished afterwards. These charcoal tooth powders are mainly for removing stains rather than proper teeth whitening but if you drink a lot of tea or coffee, it'll probably work well for you too. Just don't expect it to work miracles on really yellow teeth.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
The Ordinary's skincare products have fast become some of my all time favourites. The AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is truly the crème de la crème & as my skin loves chemical exfoliants this product is a dream come true. It can be difficult to find such high strength acids in the UK, the most you'll normally find is about 10% so this is a special product indeed. In the bottle this viscous red liquid looks like blood but on the face it turns into a raspberry pink which indicates where you have applied the product. It also stops you from being tempted to leave it on overnight which could cause a lot of damage. Used properly this peel does all the things that acids usually do but TO THE EXTREME. It brightens your complexion, unclogs pores & gives you the most baby soft skin of your life. It might even cleanse your soul! When I first started using it my face would experience some intense tingling but now I'm more accustomed to this acid strength I apply it twice a week without issue. I rarely use any other acid products now, this is literally all I need to maintain clear, smooth skin.

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in White
I seem to have accumulated quite a few foundations that are too dark for my skin. A lot of the time I'll really like the formula but the brand don't offer a shade that's pale enough for me. Instead of chucking these products out I decided to pick up a white mixer from NYX. This product can lighten foundations without altering their consistency or coverage whatsoever. I really like the tube packaging as it makes it easy to dispense the exact amount of mixer you need. It's such a useful thing to have & allows me to alter the colour of a whole range of products. You can even use it on it's own as a super pale matte highlight. NYX also have five other Pro Foundation Mixers (Opal, Luminous, Olive, Warmth & Deep) so you can create a custom foundation that's especially tailored to your needs.

Too Faced x Kat Von D Better Together Bestselling Mascara & Liner Duo
Two products that you never stop hearing about in the beauty community are Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara & Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner in Trooper. These two powerhouse makeup brands recently teamed up to bring us the 'Better Together' collection & while most of it didn't appeal to me, I was very excited about this mascara & liner duo. For just £18 you get a mini version of each product so it's a great way to try something new without spending tons of money. I always think it's a good idea to pick up a miniature mascara whenever possible because then it won't expire before you've used it all. The Better Than Sex Mascara excels at giving your lashes both tons of length & volume. It holds a curl really well & gives you a beautiful wispy effect. I love how it spreads out my lashes & makes them look much fuller. It lasts all day without flaking or smudging & is easily one of the best mascaras I've ever tried. I've been using Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner for the past couple of years & in general it's very similar to the Kat Von D offering. They're both highly pigmented, last all day long & don't transfer to my upper eyelid. The main reason I now prefer the Tattoo Liner is the super fine nib. It allows the liner to glide on smoothly & creates a really sharp wing. It's absolutely perfect & I will definitely repurchase it in the future.



Makeup Revolution Ultra Eye Contour Light & Shade Palette
I've been wanting to buy Kat Von D's Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette for years now as it's pretty much the perfect collection of neutral matte eyeshadows. It's the kind of thing that everyone should have in their makeup stash as it's such a versatile product. However it had taken so long for Kat Von D's makeup range to be stocked in Debenhams that I kinda lost interest as I do already have several similar eyeshadows. A few months ago Kat made the mistake of blasting Makeup Revolution on Instagram for copying her palette, informing millions of beauty lovers that you could pick up a dupe of the Shade & Light Eye Palette for a mere £8. That price combined with Superdrug's 3 for 2 on all makeup offer meant that I couldn't resist buying it & I'm completely in love! Sure the shadows may be slightly chalkier & produce a lot of kickback compared to the Kat Von D palette but the colours are near identical & they blend out really nicely. I know some people take offence to makeup dupes but I'm all for it. This was the first Makeup Revolution product that I've tried & it certainly won't be the last.

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November Favourites

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum
I can't believe I haven't mentioned this perfume in one of my monthly favourites posts before! Along with the Chloe Eau de Parfum, Flowerbomb is definitely one of my signature scents. I didn't want to buy a new bottle until I had finished off all the other perfumes that I didn't like as much. Anyway I recently got round to repurchasing it & couldn't be any happier. I love Flowerbomb because it's really floral & sweet but still quite sexy at the same time. The fragrance contains top notes of tea & bergamot, middle notes of jasmine, orchid, freesia & rose, with base notes of patchouli & vanilla. Plus it's an EDP so the scent lasts all day long. Something about this perfume just makes me feel really confident. From now on the original Flowerbomb & Chloe perfumes are the only ones for me!

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Celestial
I've wanted to get my hands on these illuminating drops for so long & I finally managed to get a bottle from House Of Fraser, hooray! This liquid highlighter is one of the most stunning products ever. It literally looks like liquid metal on your skin. I got the shade Celestial which is slightly pink toned but if you want a more golden finish then Moonlight is a beautiful colour to go for. I like to mix this in with my foundation for an all over glow & I also apply it on top of my cheekbones using a Beautyblender. I like my highlight to look as metallic as possible so finding this product was a dream come true. I normally go for powder highlighters because liquid & cream products always disturb my base but the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops leave my foundation looking flawless & my highlight looking wet. If you ever see these in stock don't hesitate to buy a bottle because they are simply amazing.

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Alabaster
Hourglass are best known for their frankly incredible Ambient Powders. I've tried a few of their other products & I've never been disappointed with any of my purchases. They recently launched their Vanish Foundation Stick & I was pleased to see that the shade range is all encompassing. They have really pale & really deep shades as well as everything in between. I picked up the shade Alabaster & it's a great match for me. I absolutely love the way this foundation looks on my skin! The finish is so smooth & poreless. It gives such good coverage & blends out like a dream. I never thought I would love a stick foundation as much as this one but it really is fab. The only real downside is that it's such an expensive product & I've already used up quite a bit of it!

NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray
Isn't it handy having NYX in Boots now? I picked up this product on a whim after I ran out of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray & to be honest I can't really tell the difference between them. I've become one of those people who likes to douse themselves in setting spray after applying makeup so I do run out of it quite quickly. The NYX spray was only £7 so even though the bottle is half the size of the Urban Decay one, it works out to be a lot cheaper. I went for the Dewy Finish spray as I love the look of glowing skin. It gets rid of that powdery look & makes my makeup last for longer. Although I do love Urban Decay, I think I'll stick to the NYX one in future!

Colour Cleaner
I go through different stages with eyeshadow. Sometimes I couldn't care less about it but right now I'm really into it. Since investing in a few Makeup Geek eyeshadows I've become obsessed with trying out new looks & blending everything to perfection. Good blending requires good makeup brushes & to quickly clean my brushes between shades I've been loving this product. Colour Cleaner is a knockoff version of the Vera Mona Colour Switch. The product is basically a black sponge in a tin so I felt that paying £16 for it was outrageous. I found this one on eBay for £7.50 & it works in exactly the same way. You just swipe your eyeshadow brush over the sponge & it will remove any excess pigment so that you can use another colour. It's such a simple idea but works really well. Washing your brushes has to be one of the worst beauty related tasks so this clever sponge is the perfect way to put it off for a little bit longer.

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NYX Round Lipsticks

NYX Round Lipsticks - £4

It seems like the entire beauty community has gone completely mad for matte liquid lipsticks. I love them too but more often than not I still find myself reaching for traditional lipsticks. They may not have the longevity of their liquid counterparts but that doesn't mean they're inferior in any way. My top picks for classic lipstick bullets are MAC, Charlotte Tilbury, Illamasqua & NYX. In terms of price one of these brands is not quite like the others but in my opinion NYX's formula is pretty much on par with some of my favourite MAC lippies. NYX themselves have a ridiculous collection of every kind of lip product out there but their original Round Lipsticks will always have a special place in my heart. They've been around for years but I still use them all the time. With the recent introduction of NYX stands into Boots stores around the country, I think everyone needs to try out what I consider to be the best drugstore lipstick ever. They're creamy, smooth, highly pigmented & they only cost £4 each!



NYX Round Lipstick in Mars
The first shade I have is Mars which is a gorgeous toffee coloured nude. It has just the right amount of pink to it for my complexion & is deep enough that it doesn't wash me out. This is one of my very favourites as it's just a great everyday lipstick & this particular kind of brownish pink colour is very on trend right now. Like all of the NYX Round Lipsticks that I own, this colour is opaque in just one swipe & feels very moisturising on the lips.



NYX Round Lipstick in Femme
Next we have Femme which is so bright that I don't think my camera does this colour justice! When I bought this I was hoping it would be more of an orangey red like MAC Lady Danger but it's actually a vibrant coral shade. Despite being super bright it's actually really wearable because it's not neon. The formula simply glides onto the lips with the greatest of ease & has a lovely glossy finish.



NYX Round Lipstick in Tea Rose
Another of my favourites is Tea Rose. I'm a complete sucker for baby pinks so my love for this particular lip colour should come as no surprise. I often find that light pink shades lean towards the cool side but this is a medium rosy pink that would complement a wide range of skin tones. I believe that this is one of the most popular shades in the Round Lipstick lineup & it's with good reason. Not only does it suit a lot of people but it also goes with many different makeup looks. It's beautiful & so easy to wear.



NYX Round Lipstick in Spell Bound
Out of the six NYX Round Lipsticks that I own, Spell Bound is probably my least favourite. Although it's a pretty colour, I bought these quite a while ago & hot pinks aren't really my thing anymore. I just think it looks a bit gaudy on me? Discovering that I have a cool yellow undertone has certainly made my lipstick choices more complicated! Anyway if you like bright magenta shades you'll probably love this colour. I find that Spell Bound has the glossiest finish out of all of them whereas the others have more of a satin finish.



NYX Round Lipstick in Doll
Doll is a stunning deep raspberry pink & I think it's the perfect everyday colour for Autumn. There's something about this shade that seems very sophisticated to me. I feel like Spell Bound was a colour that I could pull off better when I was younger & Doll suits me a lot more now that I'm older. NYX lipsticks have a slight floral scent to them, it's not overpowering but I can notice the smell of Doll most of all.



NYX Round Lipstick in Fire
Fire is a bold red with pink undertones. I absolutely love this colour as it really pops against my complexion. I'm actually wearing this lipstick in the picture at the top of my blog sidebar, I thought it looked so cool with my baby pink hair. One thing to note about these NYX lipsticks is that because they're so creamy, they can smudge & transfer quite easily. If you want a long lasting red lippy this might not be the one for you. It stains my lips ever so slightly & fades evenly but you definitely need to top it up throughout the day.

Have you tried NYX's bargainous Round Lipsticks before? What's your favourite colour?

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January Favourites

BECCA Backlight Priming Filter
Strobing is probably the biggest makeup trend at the minute & I couldn't be any happier about it. I am obsessed with glowing skin & practically bathe in highlighter. It makes my face come alive & balances out a matte base. BECCA have truly mastered the highlighter with liquid, cream & powder versions of their incredible Shimmering Skin Perfectors but I've recently been loving their new Backlight Priming Filter. It's a radiance-boosting primer that really gives you that look of being 'lit from within'. It is fairly similar to their original liquid SSP in Moonstone but slightly thicker in texture which makes it a better base for makeup. The sheen this gives the skin is beautifully pearlescent, never glittery & neutral in tone. Used alone it actually balances it out my complexion & gives me that perfect healthy looking glow that only catwalk models seem to have. Often radiance primers can disappear once you apply foundation but this stuff is still clearly visible under light, medium & full coverage base products. It instantly perks up dull skin & provides the ultimate dewy canvas for the rest of your makeup.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
My skin has been awfully dry lately thanks to a combination of cold weather & central heating. It was clear that I needed to make some minor adjustments to my skincare routine so I bought a couple of things to better nourish my skin. I normally use a cleansing oil followed by a gel cleanser twice a day but that's not really necessary in the morning. I decided to go back to using a balm cleanser & after avoiding the hype that follows this Oskia cleanser for so long I finally cracked. The Renaissance Cleansing Gel is enriched with pumpkin enzymes, vitamins A, C & E, starflower oil & MSM. This wonderful blend of ingredients gently exfoliates, restores & soothes providing all of the things that my skin was crying out for. The texture of this cleanser is unlike any other. It is dispensed as a pink gel, feels like balm, melts into the skin like an oil & then goes full circle, washing off with the ease of a gel cleanser. My skin is left feeling smooth, soft & hydrated without any residue. It also has a gorgeous rose scent that reminds me of Turkish Delight! I only wish I'd given in to the hype sooner.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate
The other item I bought to sort out my dry/dehydrated skin was the Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate. I was in need of a new facial oil & considered repurchasing either Balance Me's Radiance Oil or Trilogy's Rosehip Oil. I also considered trying something new like Sarah Chapman's Morning Facial or Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. In the end I had a look in my skincare stash & found a tiny vial of this stuff. It's been a long time since I've used any Liz Earle products but when I first started getting into skincare I ordered from them all the time & they always sent out little samples of this oil. My skin absolutely lapped it up so I splashed out on a big bottle because I preferred the pump packaging to the rollerball. The Superskin Concentrate features plenty of skin-friendly oils including avocado, rosehip, argan, lavender, hazelnut, neroli & chamomile plus vitamin E. Massaging this into the skin feels like such a treat. The natural scent is divine & helps send me off to sleep quicker. The oil is really nourishing & whenever I use it I wake up with bright, fresh & dewy looking skin. It's more of a night oil but I do sometimes mix it in with my moisturiser during the day if my skin really needs it. I just love how it feels on my skin & it's a great solution for a dull, dry complexion.

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep
I put a lot of effort into maintaining & filling in my eyebrows. I'm definitely one of those annoying 'brows on fleek' people & want them to look as good as possible. I adore all of my Anastasia Beverly Hills products but I was drawn to this brow gel from Benefit because the tiny brush seemed ideal for defining the hairs at the front of my brows. It's easy to control & the formula is fairly dry so you don't end up splodging excess product all over the skin which does sometimes happen with the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel. Just a few strokes deliver fuller, darker brows that still look natural. The water-resistant fibre gel adheres to the tiniest of hairs filling in gaps & keeping everything in place. It really beefs up the hairs so it'd be great for anyone with sparse brows. The Medium/Deep shade is a good match for me. It's cool-toned & not too dark so it doesn't make my brows look fake. It works well on it's own & also looks fab applied alongside my Anastasia products.

NYX Powder Blush in Taupe
I've been getting back into contouring this year & one contour product that I'd always wanted to try is NYX's Taupe blush. Often hailed as the quintessential contour colour for us pale girls, I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to purchase it. Although NYX is now stocked on FeelUnique & Boots I had to order it off eBay as NYX actually changed their powder blush formula. Apparently the HD version of this blush isn't quite as good as the original so I wanted to make sure I got the right one. Taupe is a matte cool-toned brown that mimics the appearance of a natural shadow. The pigment isn't too strong but that works to your advantage when contouring. It blends easily & you can build up the colour where you need to. It's a very flattering, natural shade that never looks muddy on the skin. The price is really affordable so I would recommend this product to contouring beginners & experts alike.

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Love Me Beauty Box January 2014

Love Me Beauty Box* - £10 + £2.95 Delivery

Another month, another Love Me Beauty box & it sure is a good'un! Love Me Beauty launched last year as the beauty box with a choice. Every month you get to choose between three boxes, each with a slightly different menu of products. Only you know what kind of products you want to try so this method is much better than getting sent loads of stuff you'll never use. I personally love having a few options & it's always exciting to check out the new menus. This month I went for menu three because I'm a big fan of Arran Aromatics & this box had the least scary shade of eyeshadow in it! It contains four full sized products & one sample. It's rare to find a beauty box that consistently sends out so many proper products. That's just one of the many reasons why Love Me Beauty is such a fab service. Here's what I received:

Anatomicals Rose & Jasmine Body Cleanser
I'm kinda bored of Anatomicals products popping up in beauty boxes. Apart from the colourful packaging & witty product names I don't feel like they have much to offer. You can never have too many shower gels though & I do really like the scent of this product. Rose & jasmine are two of my faves!

Pureology Colour Stylist Silk Bodifier
I've heard a lot of hype about Pureology products so I was excited to finally try one of them out. This is a volumising mousse for coloured hair. A lot of the mousses I've tried in the past would make my hair feel sticky & horrible. This one is much nicer. My hair felt really soft after using this & had a lovely shine to it. It didn't add that much volume to my hair but it did make it feel a lot thicker & fuller. I'd really recommend trying this if you have fine hair.

Arran Aromatics Apothecary Wheatgerm & Vitamin E Soap
I've been using a few different products from Arran Aromatics recently & they make some great quality stuff. I used to always buy the Lush body soaps but they ended up being quite pricey for what they were. This soap is a lot cheaper but just as lovely. I tend to think that soap is more drying than shower gels however this one is actually quite moisturising. The bar has got oatmeal particles inside which are fairly gentle yet exfoliate effectively. The wheatgerm & vitamin E ensure that your skin stays soft. I love trying out new body scrubs & I highly rate the Arran Aromatics ones. They're some of the best around with both exfoliating & moisturising properties.




Cosmetics À La Carte Divine Lash Mascara
I'd only vaguely heard of Cosmetics À La Carte before but the product that really piqued my interest in this box was their Divine Lash Mascara. This mascara alone costs £23 so January's box is excellent value for money. I'm wearing it in the above photo and as you can see it provides your lashes with lots of length, separation & definition. The slim brush easily fits into the corners to coat every tiny little lash. It's not as volumising as I would like but that means that it's not clumpy either. My lashes stayed well curled with this mascara & I've not experienced any flaking or smudging with it. Pretty impressive I'd say!

NYX Single Eyeshadow in Toffee Shimmer
On the menu it said that NYX Sahara eyeshadow was supposed to be in this box but instead I received Toffee Shimmer. I really like this colour though as it's just a very pretty sheer white gold shimmery shade. You can use it as a regular eyeshadow but I think it works really well as a highlight colour - both on the eyes & the face. In the above photo I packed it onto my eyelids & then blended it right up to my brow bone. I have a couple of NYX eyeshadow palettes & generally I think they're pretty good quality. You can expect lots of fallout though. Luckily that doesn't matter with a light colour like this. The texture is a little bit chalky but the colour is really nice.

All in all I think this was a brilliant box with a great selection of hair, body & makeup products. It was nice to see some different brands included as well. The contents are valued at nearly £40 so this box is well worth paying a tenner for. You can subscribe to Love Me Beauty for £10 a month plus £2.95 delivery with no minimum subscription term. Visit the Love Me Beauty website to find out more.

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Meadowhaul

Lol sorry for the title, I do love a bad pun! Anyways here some of stuff I bought during my many trips to Meadowhall last month. I also kept going for the amazing food they have. I must've gone to Chilango at least 4 times where I had these magnificent chicken quesadillas and bought 8 cupcakes from Fancie because they are quite simply divine, the chocolate peanut butter one was amaze! Theres even a new ice cream parlor called Marble Slab Creamery where they sell cake flavour ice cream, nom.






MAC - I made two trips to MAC. The first time I bought Enchantee Kissable Lip Colour from the Peacocky collection and Impassioned lipstick. Not sure why Impassioned looks red here, but really its a fabulous bright pink. The second time I went for some more classics so I got Angel & Hue lipsticks as well as adding to my eyeshadow palette (nearly full now yay!) with Woodwinked & Satin Taupe.




NYX - I wandered into BHS once and was pleasantly surprised to find that the one in Meadowhall stocks NYX makeup! So heads up anyone who lives near Sheffield, if you want NYX stuff go to BHS. They don't have the full range as they didn't have any of the round lipsticks but they had tons of fabulous eye shadow palettes. I picked up the Smokey Eye & Nude On Nude ones. If you're one of the unfortunate peoeple who still can't get their hands on an Urban Decay Naked palette, I whole heartedly recommend the NYX Nude On Nude palette instead. There are some really gorgeous colours in it. What I love most about these palettes is how dinky they are! They're so tiny which means they are the perfect size for your makeup bag. And they even contain two different lip colours in each, perfection. I also got some of the Jumbo Eye Pencils in Milk, Pots & Pans, Slate and Black Bean. These are perfect for creating a really quick and easy smokey eye or as an eyeshadow base. I think its quite well known that Milk is an especially good base for bright eyeshadows. I like to use it on my waterline and inner eye corners to really make my eyes look bigger and brighter.


Extras - I had my roots done last month and the guy who did my hair has made my roots slightly yellower than the rest of my hair (smh...) so I went to Extras and bought some of the La Riche Directions hair dye. I got the white toner and silver colours. Not sure which to try first. I quite fancy the idea of having proper silver hair or maybe even lilac (obviously all the lilac haired girls on tumblr are influencing my choices here!) I really cant decide. But my hair is all messed up at the moment so hopefully these will sort it.