Monday 27 October 2014

Collection Little Mix All About The Eyes Palette review



I love me a good neutral eyeshadow palette. I have more than what's deemed normal and acceptable, but I can't get enough of them. I've had the Collection Little Mix All About The Eyes Palette for a good month or so now. I'd seen it doing the rounds on blogs but it wasn't until I walked into Superdrug and saw it for a mere £2.50 that I knew I needed it in my collection. 

The palette comes with six shades including Feather, Sunkissed, Golden Sand, Dazzling Brown, Cocoa Dream and Blackbird. It has everything you'd possibly need to create a beautiful smoky eye. The pigmentation is decent, and the quality is more than acceptable. For less than £3, you just can't complain. (P.S It's also available in Boots).

What do you think of the eyeshadow palette?
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Thursday 23 October 2014

KIKO Luxurious Make Up Collection


Hello! Me again. I hope you're all not forgetting who I am. As you already know, KIKO Cosmetics is without a doubt my favourite make up brand. Not only are their products fantastic quality and their range is extensive, the entire brand is extremely affordable. What's not to love?! The Italian make up brand is back with a new collection, and this time it looks even more luxe than the last one.

Luxurious has been inspired by the glory of a wealthy kingdom. The packaging is not only gold and elegant, it's sophisticated and the products come in desirable cases to collect. There range comes with six products in a total of 13 different shades. All of which are classy and absolutely perfect for autumn and the party season.

KIKO Precious Illuminating Bronzer* - £18.00
This illuminating bronzer helps to soften and smooth the skin, giving off an airbrushed - but natural - look. The powder captures and reflects the light to leave the skin looking radiant and bright. It comes with a mixture of four shades which complement each other beautifully for an all over glow. This isn't a bronzer to contour the skin - it's one to be used across the entire face.

KIKO Magnificent Highlighter in Royal Gold* - £10.00
I originally thought this was a concealer and starting applying it underneath my eye area, only to be left with glittering under eyes - not the best look. However as a highlighter - the product's intended use - it's bloody brilliant. The water-based formula blends into the skin beautifully and leaves being a fresh and radiant look. The twist-up stylo makes the product a complete breeze to use too.

KIKO Luxurious Face Brush* - £16.00
I do love a good kabuki! This one is great for blending foundation into the skin as the fluffy, dense bristles ensures an even and smooth finish. I also love blending powder formulas into the skin with this brush as it gives a precise finish and blends very well. The packaging of this brush is stunning. It comes with a golden handle and a matching case - perfect for travelling and touch-ups.

What do you think of the new collection?
*PR Sample
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Thursday 16 October 2014

A London haul with my two best friends



Phew, what a hectic week it's been. Since starting work full time, I feel like I never get a minute to myself - not that I'm complaining, I adore my job - I just miss blogging a lot. Last weekend I visited London with my two best friends. It was lovely as we hadn't seen each other since May. Keeping up with friends is a nightmare when you leave uni but I think it really shows you who your true friends are. And Anna and Lauren are definitely the best a girl could wish for. During my break up, even though they couldn't physically be there, they were always on the end of the phone and I can't thank them enough for that. 

Anyway, enough of the sobby stuff. A bit about London. We had a lot of fun! The biggest event of the weekend was going to see The Lion King. It's without a doubt my favourite animated film and I'd been wanted to watch the stage show for as long as I can remember. The show was a spectacle and completely breathtaking. It's definitely one of those "you need to see it to believe it" shows and I couldn't stop crying; it was that unreal. Before the Lion King, we went out for food and cocktails (although I had a glass of a Coke because I'm a non-drinker) which of course, was lovely. 

The following day we visited Regent Street for a spot of shopping. One of the best things about being in the capital was the fact that we all have really good jobs, so money wasn't a worry. It was wonderful to be able to do as we please. We went for breakfast and had cake, spent too much money in KIKO (eeeeek my first time in the store of my favourite brand) and Ted Baker and had lots of fun in H&M's in store photobooth. Needless to say, the weekend was perfect and we had a lot of gossip and laughs to exchange. I was sad to leave the pair of them but I'm looking forward to our next adventure. 

The main items I bought:
I couldn't resist this purse when I saw it. It's the perfect shade of pink and I adore rose gold. I'm currently saving for the matching bag which is even more beautiful.

I saw these nifty wipes and immediately put them into my basket. I barely get time to exfoliate any more so hopefully these will come in handy.

As soon as I saw these, I knew I had to pick a couple up. They're incredibly long lasting and beautifully pigmented.

I didn't originally set out to get a lipstick but the moment I saw this nude, I knew it'd suit me wonderfully. And I was right. It's nice and pigmented and super creamy.

I LOVE the Kiss Balms so I desperately wanted to add another to my collection. I chose Pineapple because it's a gorgeous wearable nude that's perfect for the day time.

I'm obsessed with anything honey-scented and this smells delicious. I've used it in a couple of baths since and I adore it. I need more from the Honeymania range.

Did I need a new bronzer? Nope. But I couldn't resist this as it's the most perfect shade for my fair skin. It blends beautifully onto the skin and the packaging is to die for.

What products have you been buying recently?
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Thursday 9 October 2014

Top 10 autumn nail polish shades for under £10



With yesterday's rain, it's safe to say that autumn is well and truly here. Gone are the days of sunglasses and shorts, and out comes to brollies and breeze. With that comes the more muted fall-inspired nails polish shades. I've delved into my collection and dug out my top ten shades for the colder months - and best of all, they're all below a tenner! 

From left to right in the picture of the swatches:

What's your favourite autumn nail polish shade?
*PR Sample
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Saturday 4 October 2014

Home fragrance with Baylis & Harding


If there's one thing I love, it's something that smells good. You can often find candles burning and air fresheners wafting away in my bedroom. It's truly a haven of deliciousness when it comes to scent. One product that has been engulfing my room in fragrance for a good few months now is the Baylis & Harding Diffuser in Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit*, £15.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I've adored having this wonderful product placed on my windowsill. I didn't even know Baylis & Harding produced home fragrances until I received a press release. The moment I read about sweet mandarin and grapefruit, I knew I had to get my paws on it. The scent itself is very fresh and subtle and the product is luxurious yet affordable. 

I first opened the box and let the diffuser run wild after my holiday on July 16. Now, I have around one third of the product left and the scent is still as beautiful and powerful. I can definitely say that once this product has ran out, I'll be buying another. Possibly trying out a different scent. The only problem is - I can't find the product anywhere, aside from on the brand's trade website.

What's your favourite home fragrance brand?
*PR Sample
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Thursday 2 October 2014

Changing your make up for autumn with Boots #GiveItAGo














There's a chill in air, the mornings are getting darker and I've invested in a new coat. It can only mean one thing - autumn is officially here. I'm definitely an autumn fan. I'm not particularly fond of the sun and warm weather, and I think England in particular looks beautiful as the leaves start to turn yellow. I also love layering up and experimenting with different colours. 

When it comes to make up, I don't tend to stray too far from my usual nude eye and bare lips. As a store, Boots are constantly challenging us to #GiveItAGo and were kind enough to send me over a fee products to experiment with. Fresh off the catwalk are cheekbones, brows, flawless skin, berry lips, green nails and smoking eyes. 

1. Banish dull skin with these illuminating face products...
I've actually been trialling this foundation for a while. As a foundation-fiend, I give them a full on robust test before I draw to a conclusion. For me, I like this one. It provides decent coverage with a natural finish and is very long lasting for a high street foundation. One thing I'm not keen on though is he fact that it highlights my pores after a couple of hours. 

I was SO excited when I saw this in my Boots box. I've been wanting to try out one of these chubby sticks for a long time. The beautiful highlighter is a gorgeous golden bronzed colour and creates subtle shimmering cheekbones. I have combination skin so I try and mattify my skin down as much as possible. But adding a hint of this really awakens my complexion. I'm addicted.

I do love a good blush! I haven't tried many products from Revlon for some reason, but this blush palette has upped my opinion on the brand. With five complementing shades of pink, these palette brightens the complexion and awakens the skin. The formula is perfect and the blush blends like a dream. No complaints.

2. Create the perfect autumnal smoky eye with this peeper duo...
I usually stick to browns and golds on my lids, but the moment I saw this trio, I knew it'd probably become my day-to-day palette. Coming with two mattes - grey and navy - and one champagne shimmer, the palette comes with everything you need to create a coloured-smoky eye. The shades aren't the best when it comes to pigmentation, but they are easy to blend and build up. I use the grey all over my lid, blend the navy into my crease and highlight with the champagne shimmer.

When it comes to eyeliners, I like sticking to my two favourites. But for the sake of this challenge, I branched out and embraced the gel eyeliner. The liner itself is smooth and glides onto the lids perfectly. The brush ensures you can create a multitude of perfect looks and the waterproof formula means the liner lasts all day long. In total, it's a great eyeliner. But I generally find pen-formulas easier and quicker to work with so I'll be sticking with my usual.

3. Get this season's statement brows...
With a spoolie one end and a comb the other, this nifty gadget is marvellous. It folds up into a little compact 'thing' which makes it perfect for on-the-go grooming. At £8, it isn't the cheapest but when those wonderful No7 vouchers are released, it's a good idea to snap one up. 

I can't say I'm loyal to brow products as I'm still trying to find "the one" but I haven't found a fault in this one. The palette comes with a brow powder and a wax, is beautifully packaged, reasonably priced and even comes with mini tools. The kit itself is available in four different shades meaning you're almost guaranteed to find a brow-match for you. 

4. Embrace a red lip with new season formulas...
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjois* - £8.99
Oh my, I absolutely love these lipsticks. I must say, when it comes to lipsticks I find myself skipping wearing them. The formulas never seem to suit my lips. But these babies are a god send. They're creamy, long lasting, pigmented, lightweight and exceptionally easy to wear. I now have three different shades and it's only a matter of time before I buy the entire collection. Frambourjois itself is a vibrant red-pink shade, but the formula makes the lipstick nice and wearable. In fact, I've been wearing it a lot recently - which is incredible considering I'm a nude-lip lover...

5. Experiment with colour on the nails...
I love me a good nail polish and despite have a room full of colours, I'd never tried an Essie polish. I can hand on heart say the formula is wonderful. This shade in particular - which is a gorgeous shimmering teal shade - is opaque in just one coat and looks glossy and shiny once dried. Lasting power is great too.

How do you change your make up for the new season? 
*PR Sample
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