Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything
you wanted! I’ve just got a quick post today on the makeup I got for Christmas,
I haven’t got a chance to use everything yet so I’ll hopefully do a few more posts
in the New Year with swatches and reviews but here’s what I got!
I've had the Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks set on my wish
list for the longest time and I’m so glad I have it now! It includes three mini
melted liquefied long wear lipsticks and three of their love flush blushes. The
set includes the melted lipsticks in the shades Nude, Fig and Peony and the
Love Flush blushes in the shades Love Hangover, Justify My Love and Your Love
is King!
I also asked for the Zoeva Naturally Yours palette which is full of
gorgeous neutral tones and has a mixture of mattes and shimmers! I know
everyone seems to really love the Cocoa Blend palette but this one stood out to
me more!
I then got a few Soap and Glory bits and pieces including the Perfect
Ten eyeshadow palette and Well I’ll Be Glammed makeup set! As you will have
seen from posts here and here, I’m no stranger to Soap and Glory makeup so when
I saw this set with a few of my favourites like the Archery brow pencil and Solar
Powder bronzer in, I asked for it too! There are a couple of products in it that
I’ve tried in the past that I know I don’t like such as the blush which I get
no colour payoff from and the mascara which does nothing for my lashes that I
will probably pass on to other family members but I love everything else in the
set and the brushes are so soft!
So that’s everything makeup related that I got for Christmas! I was
also really lucky to receive some other lovely presents including a FitBit
which I've wanted for ages! I’m hoping it will give me a bit of motivation to actually
get fit! (I love seeing how many steps my iPhone counts in a day but I don’t have
it on me all the time so hoping to see a lot more with this!)
You may also have seen a few bits I treated myself to for Christmas
over on my Instagram and I may have been tempted by a few of the sales too so
keep an eye on that if you want to see what else I treated myself to!
Let me know what you got for Christmas and if you found any bargains in
the sales!
First off, when did it become Christmas Eve! This month seems to have
gone so quickly and I can’t believe its Christmas tomorrow! Anyway, I thought I
would put a quick post up today, a little earlier than I usually would, to show
you the latest colour I can’t stop repainting my nails with - Essie Midnight Cami.This shade has not been off my nails the past month and it will be on them all
over Christmas too!
It's described by Essie as a deep twilight blue with shimmer and I absolutely
love it! It’s so dark its almost black but when you catch it in the light you
see a gorgeous subtle shimmer that gives it a little extra somethin’ somethin’.
My photo of this shade on my nails (and cuticles - oops) really doesn’t do this nail polish
any justice but hopefully you can see the shimmer a little more in the bottle!
(Sidenote - photography and editing are two things I really want to work on
this year!)
As usual I have been using my trusty OPI Nail Envy as a base coat and
Seche Vite as a top coat. I usually find that Essie polishes chip very easily
on my but this combo is working really well and its at least three days before I
have a few chips at the top of my nails! The Seche Vite also saves me so much
drying time! The Essie brush is wide enough that three swipes does my full nail
and the colour is opaque in two coats and it the most perfect wintery deep blue!
What do you think of this shade? Can you recommend me any others I might
like?
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and get what you wished for and
thanks so much for all your comments this year!
Hi everyone, last empties of the year for me! These have been my
favourite posts to write but I always let my empty containers build up a little
too much so I’ll try and make them shorter in the new year! Have a scroll
through and let me know if you’ve used anything and what you thought!
Haircare
Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo
Strength and Shine
This is one of my favourite shampoos, I love the smell and how clean it
makes my hair feel, it’s only £1 in Poundland and I've already repurchased!
Tressemme 24 Hour Body Blow Dry Lotion
I've had this for absolutely ages and use it nearly every time I wash
my hair. I don’t notice it doing much for volume but it smells lovely and
doesn’t weigh my hair done. I probably won’t repurchase straight away.
Philip B Forever Shine Shampoo and
Conditioner with Mega Bounce
I got these free with an order on BeautyBay.com and really liked the
conditioner but didn’t see anything special with the shampoo. The samples are
small so I maybe didn’t use it enough but the full sizes are ridiculously
expensive so I won’t be repurchasing! It has a strange smell but I quite liked it!
Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Shampoo
and Conditioner
I really didn’t like these, again because of the size I probably didn’t
get a great feel for them but my hair didn’t feel clean even after two washes and
the conditioner was just OK. I wouldn’t repurchase!
L’Occitane 5 Essential Oils Shampoo and
Conditioner
Again these were more samples that I got from this beauty box but I
really didn’t like them!
I have greasy hair so washing it with an essential oil shampoo did not
agree with it at all and I had to go back and wash it with my normal shampoo. I
ended up doing the first wash with this one then second wash with my own to get
it used up. The conditioner was OK but not good enough to make me want to
repurchase. If you have dry hair these may work better for you!
REN Pro Vitamin Conditioner
Not a fan of the smell of this conditioner and again because of the
size I found it hard to see if it made a difference. I wouldn’t repurchase.
Skincare
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
I found this to be quite a dry oil when I first tried it but got used
to it and really liked it in the end! I got it in a beauty box and it lasted
way longer than I thought considering it’s such a small bottle but a little
goes a long way! Would repurchase!
Pixi Glow Tonic
Again another sample from a beauty box, I used this when I was away
last month to save me carrying my full size or having to decant it! I love this
toner and would have loved to keep the mini bottle for the future but it leaked
everywhere! Already repurchased the full size which you can read about here!
Lush Popcorn lip scrub
This is a daily essential for me, I love using it in the morning before
putting on my lipstick as it gives me such a good smooth base. Have already
repurchased and won one on VelvetBlush’s giveaway so my lips are very grateful!
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with
Avocado
This is really creamy and hydrating and I love using it at night-time
but it’s too rich for me during the day. I have a few other eye creams to use
up then I will be repurchasing! Full review here!
Boots Essentials Eye Make Up Remover Gel
This isn’t the greatest at actually removing eye makeup but I love it
in the morning as its so cooling. Already repurchased!
Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup
Remover
This has featured on my blog many times before as I love it so much!
It’s an oil based eye makeup remover and it’s so good at removing waterproof
eye makeup! Already repurchased and using!
Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day
Cream
I really liked this, it’s light and hydrating, and perfect for taking
with you if you are travelling and have liquid restrictions to stick to. I
would repurchase in the future when I’m finished a few other moisturisers!
Eyeko Mascara Off Eye Makeup Remover
Wipes
I usually don’t use wipes at all but again I got these in a beauty box
a while back and took them with me on trips away. They were nicely moist, smelt
lovely and were very gentle and effective at removing my waterproof eye makeup.
They are about £6 for 10 wipes so I probably won’t repurchase but they were so
handy to have!
Bodycare
St Tropez Tan Optimiser Body Polish
My mum wasn’t using this so gave it to me to finish but to be honest it’s
not the greatest scrub I’ve ever used so I wouldn’t repurchase!
Nuxe Body Fondant Shower Gel
This lathered up well but smells horrible, so I wouldn’t repurchase!
REN Neroli and Grapefruit Body Cream and
Body Wash
This has quite a light refreshing citrusy scent but I don’t love it and
I wasn’t blown away by either of these so I wouldn’t repurchase.
Philip B Nordic Wood Hair and Body Shampoo
This smells a little like bathroom cleaner to me and I prefer my body
wash to be more perfumed so I wouldn’t repurchase!
Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream
This has quite an orangey scent but it’s not my favourite hand cream, I
feel like my hands were actually a little dry after using it, so I wouldn’t
repurchase.
Fragrance
Soap and Glory Mist You Madly Fragrance
Mist
This is my favourite Soap and Glory scent! It’s a nice weighty metal
bottle and it smells lovely however it’s dearer than the body spray which I
think smells slightly stronger so I’ll probably just stick to that for the time
being!
DKNY Be Delicious Skin Hydrating Eau de
Toilette Spray
Be Delicious is one of my favourite perfumes so when I saw this version
last year for around £15 I snapped it up! I love popping this in my bag for
touch-ups throughout the day and it’s so light and refreshing with a slight
apple scent. I already have another one of these!
Makeup
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
Another beauty box sample, I absolutely loved this when I first got it
and saved it for special occasions. However, the best before on the back says 6
months and I noticed a sharp decline in quality after this time! I do have another
one that I haven’t opened yet and I’m hoping its OK because I really did like
this when I first started using it and thought it kept my makeup looking better
for longer! I love getting them in beauty boxes but I wouldn’t repurchase it on
its own!
Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily
Skin
This is my favourite daytime foundation; Buff is a really good colour match
for me, it has great coverage and last all day on me! Already repurchased and
using!
NYX HD Concealer
I loved this!! It’s so light, creamy and hydrating. I haven’t used it
under the eyes as I use different concealer for that but this is perfect over
spots and areas of pigmentation as it gives such good coverage. I already have
another one opened that I’m using!
Max Factor Mastertouch Under eye Concealer
This featured in one of my first posts here and I’m so glad to be finished it.
I have repurchased this concealer so many times in the past but the shade
wasn’t working for me and I wasn’t happy with the coverage. Won’t be
repurchasing!
Carmex Pomegranate Moisturising Lip Balm
I love this, it’s just a clear balm that lasts ages on my lips and made
them feel really hydrated and gave them a bit of shine. I have so many lip
balms to get through otherwise I would repurchase this straight away!
Apologies again for such a ridiculously long empties post! So glad to
get some of those sample sizes finished though! Let me know if you’ve tried anything
or what you thought of it!
Since I got Pixi’s Glow Tonic earlier this year I have been absolutely
in love with it so on a recent splurge on Cult Beauty I decided to go for this
serum as a little extra add on to my skincare routine! It’s described as a
concentrated exfoliating gel and as it contains AHA’s, it may increase the
skins sensitivity to sunlight. The product itself is distributed from a dropper
and has a thick silky consistency and actually feels a little slimy to me but
in a good way!
A few drops spread easily over my face and neck and dries in quickly
ready for my moisturiser over the top. Pixi says it’s “brightening, hydrating
and clarifying” and I would have to agree. While I don’t see drastic results
over night there is a subtle difference in my skin and it looks clearer when I wake
up and flakiness (nice) is at a minimum. It’s obviously not all down to this serum
but it’s a welcome addition to my skincare routine! The only con to this would
be that the bottle top can get a little messy when putting the dropper back in!
There is so much hype about this as a primer! I think it stems from
NikkieTutorials originally who I haven’t watched before but I've seen it
mentioned and blogged about by so many people! When I saw half price in Boots
for £2.67 I slipped it into my basket to see what the fuss was about. It’s a
really weighty bottle with a lot of product although it doesn’t have a pump
which I usually don’t mind with things like foundation bottles but with this I
sometimes find myself tipping it just a little too far then trying to scoop it
back in as so much comes out!
The balm is lightweight with a thin consistency and dries in quickly on
my face ready for makeup. I’m so impressed by this! It’s a lot cheaper than many
primers, especially if bought while on offer and its works better than a lot of
them too! I’m definitely a lot less shiny than I usually am at lunchtime when I
top up my powder and the makeup on my nose which is the first to go throughout
the day is still hanging in! So glad I picked this up!
This fragrance free Nivea micellar water promises to remove eye makeup
gently, cleanse deeply and remove makeup with the sensitive version moisturising
and reducing three signs of sensitive skin – redness, tightness and dryness
leaving skin feeling soft and supple and looking healthy and beautiful. The range
offers three options for different skin types, Sensitive Caring for sensitive
skin, Gentle Caring for dry skin and Caring for normal skin.
Micellar water is something that honestly I have never really been
interested in. I've read the hype about Bioderma and the Garnier micellar
waters and never been tempted and as a bit of a skincare snob, I wasn’t expecting
much from this. Two cotton pads get the majority of my makeup off (I do like to
cake it on) but I still like to go in with a balm or oil cleanser afterwards to
make sure I have all my makeup off. The micellar water does what it says in
terms of sensitive skin though, it doesn’t flair any redness or make my skin
feel tight or dry which I really like about it! It also doesn’t leave a residue
after use but on its own its not enough to make me feel like I’ve have a deep
clean. Overall, I am not fully converted to micellar waters; however this is a
great option as it’s so gentle! Oh and it’s great for getting rid of swatches of
my arm after a blog photo taking session! Available at all major retailers!
Have
you tried anything I've mentioned? What did you think? Tell me what’s new in
your skincare stash!
*denotes
a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.
I actually got this and the Alpha H in the gift with purchase Cult Beauty had last month, it was just too good to pass up for me! This product is
so hyped up in the blogging world and I caved last year when they finally started
stocking it on more online shops and I had a 20% off code for ASOS.com! It’s
such a gentle but effective exfoliating toner that promises to remove dead skin
cells while toning, smoothing and refining skin texture. I am so sceptical when
it comes to blogger hype and will usually try to find something wrong with the product
but with this I just can’t, I love it! My acne prone skin laps it up and it
just makes my skin feel smoother and clearer and its one I will continue to
repurchase! The 250ml I’m using at the minute (not pictured) has lasted me around
a year because you don’t need a lot and I sometimes only use it at morning or night
instead of both to save it!
I've spoken about this before in this post on my Skincare Saviours and it’s another one I love having in my
stash and miss when it’s not there! It’s an overnight chemical exfoliator that
claims to resurface the skin and help to diminish wrinkles, pigmentation and
sun damage. Again, another product I bought because of the hype and another one
that totally lives up to its claims for me! The mornings after I use this, my
skin just looks better, it’s clearer, more even, and plump and my old acne scar
pigmentation doesn’t look as obvious. Couldn’t be without this now!
This is my Holy Grail going out foundation, I love the stuff! Finding a
shade match can be a little dodgy and I’m on my second or third match at the minute
(Desert Beige) which I’m happy with when I have tan on. Nothing else compares
to the coverage of this though. It’s not for everyone, but as someone who had bad
acne until a few years ago and still has scarring this foundation is a godsend
and makes me feel so much more confident when I have it on. I usually apply
with either my fingers or a beauty blender and you have to work quickly as it
sets fast but once this is on it is going nowhere. I've come in from nights out
and my makeup looks as good then as when I went out hours before. The only possible
downside is that is has SPF 10 in it which does give a bit of flashback but it’s
a small price to pay for the amazing coverage and lasting power it gives!
Man I love this stuff. I was hoping I wouldn’t because its expensive
buts it’s just a lovely cleansing balm that leaves my skin feeling soft,
hydrated and most importantly, clean. A little bit goes a long way with this
which is why I didn’t feel so bad repurchasing but I did wait for a 20% off
code! It’s so gentle and works really well over the eye area too which I love and
it has quite a strong orange smell which I got used to quickly! It doesn’t feel
drying in the slightest and it’s just a really luxurious feeling cleanser that I’m
glad to have back!
Have you tried any of these products before? What did you think?
Hi everyone, I wanted to get a post up today with a gift with purchase
that’s currently available in Boots! If you spend £6 on selected SEVENTEEN
products you get a free pouch with three makeup brushes! Here’s what I bought!
SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder
I go through powder quite quickly and my Holy Grail powder is No7
Perfect Light pressed powder, being that SEVENTEEN is meant to be the baby
sister brand of No7 I thought I would try one of their powders. I went with
Stay Time as I like mattifying powders that help make my makeup last and so far
I’ve been really impressed with the stay time (geddit) of this powder! I have
it in the shade Fair and although I do prefer my setting powders to be
translucent, this doesn’t add any noticeable colour to my face and I’m really
impressed with its lasting power!
SEVENTEEN Blush Powder
The packaging of the blusher is not my favourite thing in the world as
it’s a screw cap and I just find it more fiddly than anything but the range of
colours is great and I had a hard time picking just one! I eventually settled
on China Pink which is a lovely bright matte pink colour that has a great amount of
pigmentation and lasts all day on my cheeks! The best thing about these blushes
– they’re only £2.99!
l-r Blush in China Pink, Stay Time powder in Fair
The GWP includes a black glitter pouch with three makeup brushes, one
for cheeks, eyes and lips. They are all a lot softer than I was expecting and
the cheek brush works well to apply the blush evenly, the eye brush is great
for applying a darker shadow colour in the outer corner and the lip brush has been perfect
to use to apply the lip products in my In the Balm of Your Hand palette!
Have you seen all the Christmas makeup GWP’s in Boots at the minute?
This might not have been the only one I bought! Did you get any?
I thought today I would share my favourite makeup brushes! These
are the ones I use every day and some of them I have doubles for because I love
them so much!
Some powder brushes I've used in the past are massive and
while I like my powder, I sometimes feel a little like they make my makeup look
a little cakey! This one is a great size and works perfectly to spread my
powder evenly over my face! I got it in the Zoeva Rose Golden set which is
expensive to fork out for but the quality of the brushes is amazing so it’s
definitely worth it!
I never used to use this one until maybe the start of the
year when I realised my powder brush wasn't great at reaching under my eyes and
my concealer was creasing a little. This brush solves that problem for me! I sometimes
use a different powder to the one I use all over my face such as a banana
coloured powder to help brighten this area and it works so well, I couldn’t be
without this one now!
No7 brushes are seriously underrated! This is actually the
third incarnation of this brush I have gone through. It was in the first brush
set I ever got years ago in a No7 Christmas set and I used it for blusher until
replacing it when it got a little too worn looking and starting to use it for
contour. I then rebought it a few months ago as they updated the brush line and
mine had started shedding a little! This is my favourite brush for contouring
as it's quite small but not completely flat so there are no harsh lines and it
fits nicely under my cheek bone! It’s really soft so blends easily and it’s
probably my favourite brush ever! I've got about 2 to 3 years daily use out of
each of the previous versions I've had and while it’s quite pricey for a
drugstore brush, if you get them with a £3 off No7 voucher they work out much
better!
I switch quite frequently with this brush and a Zoeva 128 Cream Cheek brush depending on what blusher I am wearing but at the time of
taking these photos I had just got the Hourglass blush palette (found it in
stock online at John Lewis!) and this is the most perfect brush for applying
those blushers! I have preferred to use an angled blush brush for the last few
years as I feel I can apply my blush much more evenly and this and the Zoeva
128 are the perfect size.
I actually have two of these brushes, one from the starter
set (of which this is the only brush I rate) and one from the Nic’s Picks set.
This is by far my favourite brush to apply eyeshadow with. It’s soft, flexible
but not too flexible and applies just the right amount of eyeshadow. I wish
they would make this available as a single brush because I would definitely
pick up a couple more, mine are starting to look a little battered but they
still work really well!
This is my favourite blending brush to use, I love that it’s
angled! I find it fits my crease better and allows me to blend more
effectively! This is another brush I wish Real Techniques would sell separately
as I love it so much!
This is another brush I have two of and originally talked
about in this post! I use this bamboo handled one for my eyebrows when I’m
using powder for my brows or my Anastasia Dipbrow pomade and I also use the one
from the rose gold collection to apply eyeliner (usually just a black eyeshadow).
It’s not too firm so I get a really natural look when using this!
I generally use my fingers or a Real Techniques
sponge/Beauty Blender to apply my foundation so don’t really use brushes for
that! Let me know what your must have brushes are!
I was recently very kindly sent a few Nivea products to try including this body
moisturiser. Now I know a lot of people can’t be bothered moisturising daily
but it’s something I find quite pampering and absolutely essential in the winter
months when the weather is so harsh and indoor heating can dry my skin out!
In winter we layer ourselves up with coats, hats and scarves but it’s
also important that our first layer is a hydrating moisturiser. The NIVEA Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser* contains almond oil to help enhance the skin’s
natural protective layer and its rich texture deeply moisturises the skin. It’s
quite a liquid formulation so it spreads easily and absorbs quickly ready for
layer upon layer of clothes over the top!
It’s got the unmistakable scent of Nivea, which if I’ve said once I’ve
said a thousand times, is one of my favourite scents as it’s so fresh and clean
smelling! It’s also formulated with dry skin in mind so it’s perfect for those
with rough skin that need a little TLC! My skin has been feeling lovely and
hydrated since I've been using it!
As well as layering up my clothes, I've also been doubling up on the
Nivea products and scent! I already had this NIVEA creme care shower cream in
my stash and it’s been lovely using it together with the moisturiser as the
scents really complement each other! It’s so creamy to use and lathers up well
and I love following it up with the rich moisturiser afterwards!
