Monthly Favourites: April

I don't normally do monthly favourite posts but this month I've discovered (and rediscovered) some really lovely products so I thought I'd show you all.

Xen-Tan Perfect Blend Custom Self-Tan* - £34.99

My and fake tan don't usually get on but this month I've been loving this fake tan. Before this, I'd never tried Xen-Tan before but it's really amazing and fool proof. You can see my full review of this product and find my fake tanning routine here.

AEOS Refreshing Hydrating Mist* - $89.00

This is becoming my favourite toner and I'm so sad that this is only a small sample as I'm unsure as to whether or not I'll be able to repurchase it as it is expensive (it converts to around £55). You can see my full review of this product here.

Skin79 Supper Beblesh Balm BB Triple Function - £16.00

I absolutely love this and it's become my favourite foundation recently. It's provides perfect coverage and leaves a lovely finish on the skin. You can see my full review of this BB cream and see how it applies here.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover* - £4.99

I've been seeing this making its rounds on the blogosphere and I didn't quite believe how good it was until I tried it myself. It really is so quick and easy and it also smells quite nice compared to the usual nail polish remover smell.

17 Shine Control Loose Powder - £5.49

I bought this for just £2 thanks to the Advantage Card machines in Boots and I love it so much. I've used it every day but it just doesn't seem to go down as there's so much product inside it. It doesn't cake the skin and melts away to keep shine at bay throughout the day. My favourite powder ever.

Britney Spears Cosmic Radiance - £29.00

I have all of the Britney perfumes and I always change which one I use on a day-to-day basis. But this month, I can't stop wearing the Cosmic Radiance perfume. It reminds me of freshers week as it's all I wore throughout it which of course, is a happy smell! You can see my full Britney perfume collection here.

Renouve Anti-Aging Every Day Defense* - £22.00

I think I've become addicted to this product. It's a hand cream/anti-ager/sanitiser in one and I just can't stop using it. I have two of them (a gold and a pink one) and one sits on my desk and the other goes everywhere with me. Perfection in a bottle. You can see my full review of this product here.

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle - £4.59

I've been wearing this lipstick every single day without fail. It's the perfect nude colour that makes lips look super glossy! You can see my full review of this lipstick and a swatch here.

Collection 2000 All Day Colour Mascara in clear - £2.99

I use this as a brow set and I can't believe I've gone my entire life without them. It keeps my eyebrows in place all day long and it's super cheap. I'm a convert!
What products have you been loving this month?

xxx
*PR Sample

BRITNEY SERIES: Stronger Make Up

I've always been a fan of Britney's make up in her music video for her single 'Stronger.' And tonight, I haven't had anything to do so I thought I'd attempt to recreate it. I'm quite happy with how it turned out even though I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to make up. You can enlarge these images aswell to take a closer look!

I used No7's Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in the colour Pewter as an all over base colour. I also took it into the corner of my eye and underneath my lower lash line to brighten up and give the powder shadows something to stick to. After this, I used Urban Decay's Gunmetal in the crease and winged this colour out to elongate the eye. I then outlined Gunmetal with Urban Decay's Creep and then blended the two colours together. After this, I mixed both of the colours together and used them towards the outside of my lower lash line. To then brighten up the eyes, I took a mixture of Urban Decay's Pistol and Verve and blended both of these colours from the inside corner of my eye to the darker corners. I then took both of these colours underneath my lash line and blended into the darker ones aswell. After this, I lined my upper lash line with 17's Liquid Liner and my waterline with Gosh's Kohl Eye Liner in the colour White. I curled my lashes with No7's Lash Curler and then applied one coat of Avon's Supershock Mascara before applying Kiss False Lashes in the style 02. After all of this, I took some random glitter and pressed this over my entire upper eye to make it glow more.

I used MAC's Studio Sculpt foundation all over my skin and then Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection Concealer to cover up my scarring, spots and tidy up around the eye area. To contour my face, I used Sleek's Face Contour Kit in the Light and contoured underneath my cheekbones and the outside edges of my nose. I also used the highlight part on the upper area of my cheekbones. I also used Bourjois Blush in Rose De Jaspe to further contour and add some colour to the cheeks. On my lips, I used a mixture of 17's Ultimate Volume Lipgloss in Very Berry and Barbara Daly's Mega Shine Lipgloss in Breeze.

Above, you can see Britney's make up from the music video. I must add as I always do that I'm not a professional make up artist; I'm just someone who loves playing around with make up! And also, I couldn't recreate the look exactly because I have no idea which colours her make up artist was using at the time. But I've tried my hardest! I thought that this look wouldn't be very wearable but the more I look at it, the more I love it. It's really beautiful and even though both the eyes and the lips are strong, they go so perfectly together!

What do you think? Do you like these posts and would you like to see more?

xxx

OTN - Geek Night!

A quick post to show you my make up and outfit from last night. It was geek night and we didn't really have a long time getting ready before going out because we were attending the 'Rugby Auction' beforehand (basically an event were lots of rugby boys get naked). So I kept everything pretty simple..

Foundation - Estee Lauder's Double Wear

Concealer - Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

Powder - Rimmel's Stay Matte

Blush - Bourjois in Rose De Jaspe

Eye Liner - 17's Liquid Liner

Mascara - Revlon's Double Twist

Eye Brows - HD Brow Palette *

Lip Stick - MAC's Costa Chic

Lip Gloss - Lancome's Juicy Tube in Fraise

Shirt - Primark (My sisters)

Skirt - Debenhams

Bag - Market in Lincoln (My sisters)

Tights - Primark

Glasses - Primark

Braces - Primark

Tie - Online? (My sisters)

I thought I'd also show you my sister's outfit. She went dressed as an American Footballer and her and her friend made the outfit by themselves and I have to say, it looked amazing!

So there is my very nerdy outfit of the night! Have you ever dressed up as a geek before? In all honesty, I didn feel pretty uncomfortable in such a tight skirt!

xxx

OTN's - Face & Dress

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures before I went out last night but I've searched through last night's pictures and I've chosen two of them which show off my outfit and make up the best. I must warn you though - these pictures were taken out!

Foundation - Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra 24H

Concealer - Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

Powder - Witch's Pressed Powder

Bronzer - Sleek's Contour Kit

Highlight - Avon's Colour and Contour in Rose Glow

Blush - Bourjois' Blush in Rose De Jaspe

Eye Shadows - Urban Decay's Verve, Pistol and Gunmetal

Eye Liner - 17's Liquid Liner

Mascara - Lancome's Hypnose Mascara

Lipstick - Lancome's Juicy Tube in Fraise

Dress - Primark

Belt - Came with the dress from Primark

Cardigan - Warehouse

Bag - Topshop

So overall, last night was an incredible night. Greg James from Radio 1 ended up coming down to do a DJ set and to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. Zane Lowe (also from Radio 1) has been down to Lincoln before in Freshers Week and he just remixed songs so I was expecting the same from Greg James. But he didn't, and he was actually very good!

xxx

Swatched - Favourite Blushers Part Two

As promised, here is part two of my favourite blushers mini series! You can view part one here.

L-R, Top to Bottom

Avon Colour and Contour in Rose Glow

This blush looks very shimmery in the pan but on the skin it doesn't make you looking like a glowing vampire. Instead it perks the skin up and believe it or not, it's perfect for the day time. A gorgeous dusky pink colour with a beautiful champagne highlight colour.

Blusher by Barry M in BL 2

This blush looks so scary in the pan but when used lightly it leaves such a gorgeous Barbie pink on the cheeks that is just so pretty! I use this whenever I'm feeling a bit down or sad as it makes me smile.

Blush Bourjois in 95 Rose De Jaspe

I'm in love with this colour! It's a pinky/coral that has purple/gold/silver shimmer running throughout it. It's so easy to work with and is just so pretty. An instant pick-me-up and very cheap!

L-R Avon Colour & Contour in Rose Gold (Blush then Highlight), Barry M Blush in BL 2, Bourjois Blush in Rose De Jaspe.

What are your favourite blushers? Do you enjoy these kind of posts?

See more of my recently swatched favourites -

Lipglosses

Naked 2 Palette

MAC Lipsticks

Single Eyeshadows

All My Swatches Posts

xxx

Current Favourites

I've missed so many monthly favourites so I thought I'd catch up a bit and do a 'current favourites' post. These are the products that I've been loving for a while now!

Clockwise from top.

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub

I've always loved this scrub however I find myself using it a lot more nowadays. With the weather in English slowly getting better (minus today) I'm wearing less clothing which means my skin needs to be as soft as possible. This smells delicious and also does the job. It's a bit expensive for a drugstore scrub but it's completely worth it.

 Avene Extremely Rich Compensating Cream

My skin has been a nightmare recently and at one point, it was completely dry. My make up wouldn't apply nice and I generally did not want to leave the house. Then this moisturiser came to the rescue. I'd always had it in my collection but I'd never really used it. It's a lovely moisturiser that smells fresh, sinks into the skin quickly and provides a gorgeous, supple base for make up. 

  Accessories Blush in Pretty Pink

This is lovely blush that can be used gently as a highlighter or full on a blush. There isn't much more that I can except for that I'll let the swatch do the talking.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

I've only just recently bought this after being a bit bored of my Collection 2000 concealer. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful full coverage concealer but I wanted to try something new. This appealed to me mainly because of the smell - it smells gorgeous and fruity! It's medium but buildable coverage and I find that with two coats, any blemishes are completely covered. It lasts throughout the day and it's also perfect for using underneath the eyes as it's anti fatigue.

Sigma Tapered Blending E40 Brush

I've always used a foundation brush to blend my concealer yet after 'discovering' Tanya Burr's tutorials I've been using this blending brush and it's amazing. It makes blending concealer so much easier, quicker and allows the concealer to look flawless.

Sleek Face Contour Kit Light

I bought this a while back but I didn't like it so I swapped it for something else. But I recently won it in Jess' giveaway and I haven't stopped using it since! I've been using it with a range of different brushes and I think that the brush you use makes a big difference to the product.

17 Photo Flawless Primer

The cheapest primer out there and I adore it. It fills in pores, makes make up last longer and provides a lovely, velvety base for make up. This is comparable to Gosh's Velvet Touch Primer yet it's just £4.99. A definite must have!

MAC Costa Chic

My current favourite lipstick! It's perfect dapped onto lips to create a stain or applied straight from the tube to create full on, powerful lips. You can view the swatch here and me wearing it here.

Trilogy Very Gentle Calming Fluid

As I mentioned earlier, my skin has been a nightmare recently and I've been finding it really hard to apply foundation without it sinking into my dry areas. This has been an absolute godsend. I pour my foundation out (Estee Lauder's Double Wear) and mix it in with this fluid and it waters down my foundation and makes the formula more like a tinted moisturiser - but with flawless, full coverage.

Lush Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Cream

This has now been discontinued but before it was, I stocked up. I love the smell of this and I love the way that it lingers on your skin and in the bathroom after you've used it. It's also moisturising on the skin! The only problem is the consistency which is why it's been discontinued.

Britney Spears Radiance

As a big Britney fan I have all of her frangrances and this one is possibly my favourite. I'm no good at describing smells but it really is beautiful! I have 2 bottles of this perfume; one that I bought myself and another that I was sent by Britney's UK publicist for winning a competition - this is why I love the 100ml one more because it seems  much more special!

Amplex Natural Deodorant

I carry this with my everywhere because it's such a lovely deodorant. It's scentless, isn't sticky, doesn't leave marks and drys into the skin very quickly. Infact, I don't know why I carry it with me because I never need touch ups as it lasts all day.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

My skin staple. I just can't describe how flawless this cleanser is. You've probably heard about it a lot and it does not have one bad review written about it. It's completely changed my skin and I'm still in love with it - nearly a year on.

What products have you been loving recently? Have you tried any of my favourites?

xxx

FOTD

Well, Face of Yesterday! I also apologise that it isn't good quality - I took it on my phone.

Foundation - Estee Lauder Double Wear

Concealer - Bourjois Healthy Mix

Eye Concealer - Benefit Boi-ing

Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte

Blush - MAC Pink Swoon

Contour - Sleek Contour Kit in Light

Highlight - Liz Earle Sheer Gold Shimmer

Eyeshadow - Urban Decay Virgin, Sin, Buck and Sidecar

Eyeliner - Urban Decay 24/7 in Whisky

Lipstick - MAC Costa Chic

This is a really simple look that I wore to college. It's quick and easy to do and it looks asthough I'm not wearing a lot of make up which of course, is perfect for college! I am in love with MAC's Costa Chic and I'm constantly wearing. In the above picture, I've just dabbed it on to give a stained look. But it can be applied straight from the tube to give a more done look.

I hope you're all okay :) what make up have you been loving recently?

xxx

My Eyeshadow Collection

I don't have many eyeshadows; mainly because I'm not that interested in them. I have a few palettes and a few singles, mostly which are drugstore brands. However, I only tend to use my Urban Decay Naked palette just because it's that good! I'm not going to swatch everything you can see in the above picture (I'm just going to show a few of my favourites) however if there's something you'd like to see more closely or swatched, let me know!

L-R Flutter Palette, The Body Show Frosted Glitter, 2x Sleek Storm Palette, 17 Night Sky, 17 Glitter Spirit, Urban Decay Side Car, Urban Decay Gun Metal, Urban Decay Sin.

And here are these swatches more closely.. 

L-R Flutter Palette, The Body Show Frosted Glitter, 2x Sleek Storm Palette, 17 Night Sky, 17 Glitter Spirit

L-R 1x Sleek Storm Palette, 17 Night Sky, 17 Glitter Spirit, Urban Decay Side Car, Urban Decay Gun Metal, Urban Decay Sin.

L-R 17 Mardi Gras, 17 Chalice, MUA Shade 3, No7 Stay Perfect Mousse in Pewter, Maxfactor Smoky Eye Effect in Onyx Smoke (the white and black), Bourjous Shimmering Shine Liquid E/S in 36

L-R Bare Minerals Glisten, The Body Shop Mineral Eyeshadow in Radiant Graphite, Purus Sheer Bronze, No7 Stay Perfect Antique Rose, No7 Stay Perfect Truffle, No7 Stay Perfect Khaki.

And finally, I thought I'd show you this beautiful little palette that I received in a swap. 

It's so beautiful! I tried swatching it but as you can see from the above pictures, the eyeshadows merged a little bit :( I not be using this because it's just too pretty to ruin haha! But this is No7's Eye Colour Palette in Paradise.

What are your favourite eyeshadows?

xxx