Top Three | Drugstore Concealers

Wooo we are back with another top three post! This time its my favourite concealers that are budget friendly and all three of these can be picked up easily from boots or superdrug. Before 2015 I would only swear by ONE concealer from the drugstore, so to find two more this year that I love enough to put in a top three post - is pretty darn awesome! Concealers are a key in my makeup routine and they always have been. Back when I first started wearing more makeup than just a bit of eyeliner, I stayed away from foundations because I didn’t see the need for it and I was always advised to protect my young, fresh skin. But concealer to cover those horrendous hereditary dark circles was something I just did not want to avoid! It almost became a comfort blanket in a way. There is NO was I could afford or justify a gorgeous little pot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer when I was 17!

So I turned to the highstreet and believe me  I’ve tried more concealers than any other makeup product (even eyeliners) so boy did I go through a LOT. These three had to be fantastic for me, in order to land themselves a position in this post and it is not often that I repurchase a concealer again because so often they don't meet the mark for me. But this trio will most certainly be repurchased over and over. As concealers are quite subjective, I’ll try to be as detailed as possible so you can get a good idea of if it may work for you.


1. Rimmel Lasting Finish concealer 03 Warm Beige | £5.50 | Review
I ADORE this concealer from Rimmel because I feel like the drugstore have finally come out with a corrector shade which is (just about) suitable for WOC, who have darker circles than those with fairer skin. Granted it is not the MOST peachy toned concealer on the market, however it really does work well for correcting the darkness and brightening up the whole under eye area and actually you only need a small amount. It is a cream concealer and because of its consistency, if you over apply this you’ll most likely get creasing after a couple of hours, however if you apply just the amount you need to correct you’ll be absolutely fine. I actually get a lot less creasing from this concealer than from my previous favourite, the benefit erase paste in 3 and is only when I stopped using the benefit version and switched it up, that I actually realised how much creasing erase paste was giving me! So the fact that this budget concealer corrects my dark circles practically as well as the much more pricy option AND it doesn’t give me issues with creasing just makes me ridiculously happy.

I also love how the consistency is just the right amount of creamy, where you don’t have to warm it up with your ring finger too much - you can pretty much just dab your finger into the pot and apply it. It’s also forgiving on dry areas and doesn’t sink into very fine lines. When I only have 5-10 minutes to do my makeup I’ll opt for this and then if I have time I’ll put a little concealer over the top to hide the peachiness and brighten up the whole area. However if I don’t have time it’s not the end of the world. I mean I  LOVE to have a flawless under eye but sometimes I just don’t have time to correct, conceal and set the area, so if it does come to that I’m quite happy to just use this for a normal day.

You’ll like this if: You have dark circles and need a peachy toned concealer to correct darkness which won’t crease like crazy and is also light enough to be a base for a brighter concealer over the top.

2. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | £4.19
This is the concealer that not only took the blogging world by storm, but also stole me heart. I cannot tell you how many tubes of these I’ve purchased...at least 12 if not more because it is so fantastic. I also normally wait till there’s a 3for2 deal and stock up, I currently have two tubes of unopened lasting perfection!! Anyway this concealer is definitely medium/full coverage and I love that, because so many budget concealers lack of coverage and sometimes I find myself layering and layering and I still don’t get the coverage I want from them. This stuff though packs enough coverage with one swipe and the doe foot applicator is awesome too. I use shade three on a day-to-day basis, it is around the same colour as my skintone, probably a tiny bit lighter and it really brightens the undereyes whilst not compromising on covering up the dark circles! I do tend to still use a corrector underneath, as like I said, I adore that flawless under-eye look and because the formula of this concealer is a little thicker I find that once it sets it doesn't really crease on me. Some people don’t like this concealer for their under-eyes due to the formula being a little heavier, however I did notice when coming back to this concealer after using a high-end one for a couple of weeks that it does set and last.

It is definitely not a luminous concealer though, so if you’re lucky enough to not have dark circles I probably wouldn’t recommend this for the under-eyes. If you can get away with it, opt for something light and glowy instead. As for blemishes, this stuff works great as well, again like I said because of its formula, it sets and stays in place. For me lasting perfection is one of those concealers I can really rely on and know that it’ll pack a punch when I need it.

You’ll like this if: You need a high coverage concealer which’ll cover darkness whilst actually lasting throughout the day. You’ll also like this if you opt for light/medium coverage bases but want a reliable concealer to cover blemishes here and there. I honestly think that if you can find the right shade, you’ll find a use for this be it covering dark circles OR blemishes, it works well and there aren’t many concealers who tick both those boxes!

3. Barry M Flawless Light Reflecting Concealer in shade 2 | £4.49

This is the newest concealer in my stash and its definitely one of those ‘the blogger made me buy it’ purchases! After I read a certain review (which I’ll link below), I knew I had to try this stuff because I loved the sound of it! Although its not super high coverage which is what I normally go for, nor is it salmon/peach toned, this is one of the best highlighting concealers I have come across. Hence the name ‘light reflecting concealer’, because it does bring a subtle radiance to the skin, whilst feeling lightweight and brightening up the skin. The applicator is a brush style which I really like because it distributes less product that a doe-foot and for the lightweight consistency that this has it works well. The formula is creamy, hydrating and it does not cake! I love the shade 2 because it’s definitely yellow toned which can be hard to find in the highstreet. I personally think this concealer has a medium coverage, so I don’t use it for my dark circles. However I use this as a highlight all over the usual places (tops of the cheekbones, forehead, down the nose etc). It blends so easily into the skin and I love how it remains the colour that it appears when it is applied. I will be picking up shade 1 which also has a yellow undertone because when I wear lighter bases I’ll mix 1+2 together to get a brighter look and I know I’ll be repurchasing these over and over! It feels so good to know that I have finally found a brightening/highlighting concealer for a budget price because I have been on the hunt for one for at least a year and a half! Also I love how the packaging is totally transparent and ALL the product gets used up! The more you use it the more the product all goes down, so there is no wastage at all - a huge thumbs up from me!

You’ll like this if: You’re looking for a beautifully luminous concealer with medium coverage and you want a budget concealer for highlighting and brightening up the skin. If you’re lucky enough to not have dark circles you NEED to try this for under the eyes! But I feel like if you can find the right shade you should pick it up regardless ^_^

(here’s the review I was talking about!)

So those are my top three drugstore concealers, ones that have made me so happy because they work really well for me! I know I’ll be repurchasing each of these and I’m chuffed that I can take advantage of the great offers that the drugstore offer, which aren’t easy to find when it comes to highend makeup. I hope that you’ve seen something that might work for you and I REALLY hope that if you do end up purchasing any of these you’ll enjoy them just as much as I have!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Top Three | Drugstore Concealers

Wooo we are back with another top three post! This time its my favourite concealers that are budget friendly and all three of these can be picked up easily from boots or superdrug. Before 2015 I would only swear by ONE concealer from the drugstore, so to find two more this year that I love enough to put in a top three post - is pretty darn awesome! Concealers are a key in my makeup routine and they always have been. Back when I first started wearing more makeup than just a bit of eyeliner, I stayed away from foundations because I didn’t see the need for it and I was always advised to protect my young, fresh skin. But concealer to cover those horrendous hereditary dark circles was something I just did not want to avoid! It almost became a comfort blanket in a way. There is NO was I could afford or justify a gorgeous little pot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer when I was 17!

LOTW | Barry M Matte Me Up in 3 Dress Rehearsal

I’ve had a couple of weeks of pretty deep or bold colours so this week I wanted to go back to my usual low maintenance, MLBB sort of shade. I purchased the Barry M Matte Me Up in 3 towards the end of the summer time and I didn’t really get a chance to use it much. So it’s been really fun wearing this all seven days of the week, as (finally) its a shade I get to wear to work as well as to uni - woohoo!



Price: £4.99


Colour: A gorgeous pinky nude shade, which is very very close to my natural lip colour but a little brighter. I think that is what makes it so wearable because it’s not too light, not beige or peachy in tone, it actually is similar to my lips. With one swipe it appears a little more nude, with two swipes it leans more on the pink shade on my pigmented lips. Worn alone it does look a little more pink than I prefer, so I balance this out with using one of my HG lip liners, which I’ll discuss below!

One Swipe, Two Swipes, MUFE 3C Lipliner

Formula and Lasting time: These are called ‘matte me ups’ however they’re in a crayon, twist up form so I half expected a balm type of product, similar to the Rimmel colour rush balms. I should add that they do actually come in more of a tip form, but clearly that has worn away. Luckily the fact that the nib is more flat doesn't make application messy or challenging at all. I wouldn’t describe it as totally matte, its somewhere in-between a matte and a creamy satin formula, which works really well. So its not like a glossy balm at all, rather it is as comfortable as matte formula can get because technically its NOT a hard core matte. So if you're expecting that, or avoiding these because you're not a fan of matte lipsticks then that is important to note!

The product doesn't feather or bleed, nor does it dry out my lips at all and it also packs a punch with the pigmentation! Alone it lasts around 3 hours before fading and with lipliner as a base it lasts decently for 4.5/5 hours (which is why lipliners are the key to makeup success!).  It does sort of transfer, which brings me back to the fact that it is not totally matte, but overall the formula is such that it stays in place which is awesome.

Favourite Way To Wear It: By far my favourite way is to line and half fill in the lips with the Make Up For Ever Aqua Lipliner in 3C (reviewed here and swatched above on right right) and then to swipe this once or twice all over the lips. I've raved about this lipliner in the review and basically named it as my HG liner, because its the only shade that really gives me a believably larger pout when I over-line a little. The 3C liner with Dress Rehearsal over the top achieves a lovely fuller lips look, without being over the top in any way. I felt comfortable wearing this anywhere and I loved how I could apply it and then just forget about it, which is something I can never do when wearing a bold or bright look that is not totally matte!

Overall: I love this lip product from Barry M, the colour is so workable for me, despite being a little on the pink side on my lips (although it doesn’t really come across like that in the swatch!) I love how easy it is to wear. On the weeks I have a crazy colour which I can’t wear to work, I’ll keep this in my handbag and just swipe it on as its the type of shade that is understated, yet still manages to make me look pulled together. I don’t even need a mirror when I apply it and the fact that you can pretty much just twist up the product makes it even better. I don’t think the actual packaging is super sturdy but I really cannot complain for the price and for how well it works.

Available from: Boots, Superdrugs and ASOS!

Rating: 8.5

Repurchase? Yes I would pick this shade up again, its the type of product that could live in my car and just be a back up if I don’t have time in the morning y’know?

Have you tried any of the Barry M Matte Me Ups?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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LOTW | Barry M Matte Me Up in 3 Dress Rehearsal

I’ve had a couple of weeks of pretty deep or bold colours so this week I wanted to go back to my usual low maintenance, MLBB sort of shade. I purchased the Barry M Matte Me Up in 3 towards the end of the summer time and I didn’t really get a chance to use it much. So it’s been really fun wearing this all seven days of the week, as (finally) its a shade I get to wear to work as well as to uni - woohoo!

Top Three | Autumn Nail Polishes

Hey all! Time for another Top Three, this time with my favourite nail polish shades for the season. I don’t know what it is about autumn, but it brings out the vampyness in me, especially when it comes to the nails. I don’t always find it easy to choose nail polish colours which are complimentary to my warm skintone, some shade just look so off! These three however are my go-to, ride or die shades, y'know the the ones which just look on point every single time? These are those..

1. Zoya Polish in Aubrey* | £11 | link
This is one of my favourite purple shades to wear all year around, but in the autumn time I like to mix it up with a bit of gold detailing here and there. I adore the shade Aubrey for some reason, maybe that it makes me start humming hotling bling??, but this creamy mauvy-purple colour looks so beautiful against a warm skintone! The formula of this is great, on par with O.P.I for sure and with two coats I find it lasts well for at least 5 days with no chips or flaking off.


2. Rimmel Lycra Pro in 425 My Denim | £2.49 | link
The only blue shade that I really like on my nails is this type of deep royal blue. Again it looks so striking against olive skintones and makes a nice change from my usual purples. I LOVE the 'maxi' brush from this line. When I first pulled it out I thought it would be much too thick and messy to use, however it somehow makes it easier to apply the polish?? It cover the whole nail efficiently and there are no bits to fill in afterwards, which is the case with smaller fiddly brushes.


3. Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Cosmo | £2.99 | Review | link
Finally a gorgeous deep purple shade which can be built up and turned into a even  darker purple with an extra coat. Berry Cosmo takes around two coats minimum to get a nice opaque colour and without a topcoat it lasts a decent amount of time. This colour is the most vampy of them all and looks stunning alone, but even better paired with some nail accessories (I shall link you a throwback post below!). The Barry M formulas are awesome for the budget price and you can normally pick them up in a 3for2.

Related:

Autumn nail picks 2014

Eid Nail Art ft. Berry Cosmo

Those are my top three nail picks for autumn! Do you have any favourites?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Top Three | Autumn Nail Polishes

Hey all! Time for another Top Three, this time with my favourite nail polish shades for the season. I don’t know what it is about autumn, but it brings out the vampyness in me, especially when it comes to the nails. I don’t always find it easy to choose nail polish colours which are complimentary to my warm skintone, some shade just look so off! These three however are my go-to, ride or die shades, y'know the the ones which just look on point every single time? These are those..

September Favourites 2015

Hello ladies, I hope you’re all doing well. I missed out my favourites of August, because most of them were the products that I put into my travel makeup bag post. This month I have a bunch to share with you, a couple of new things and some older rediscoveries so lets get started.


 Base wise the month of September was focused on flawless. As briefly mentioned in my Aug/Sept catchup post here I had a lot of wedding events going on and so my key needs from my foundations were to cover well and not flash back in photos. The DiorSkin Star Foundation is one of my all time favourite foundations, it helps me to achieve beautiful looking skin, with a little glow and great lasting power. It does have SPF but it still looks lovely in photos...idk how but hey! The other foundation which has been floating my boat is a brand new one - the Too Faced Born This Way in Warm Beige. I picked this up with a gift voucher and used it on myself and my mum for two weddings, verdict? we both loved it. Phenomenal coverage, yet light on the skin and nothing too matte or dewy, a happy medium! The only slight issue was selecting the right shade, for me this is a tad dark - nothing a bit of highlighting can’t fix but I think I would have been good with natural beige too...or perhaps a mix, but who has $60 to spend on mixing foundations -.- Anyways it’s not too much of a difference and you can’t tell anyway thanks to my hijab.

 My absolute favourite concealer and highlighter in one has been the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX06 it is highly pigmented, creamy and brightens like no other. I’m still working on how to stop it creasing as much, but the rest of it works so well that I don’t mind TOO much. Also the Charlotte Tilbury flawless airbrushed powder in medium is ALL that it’s cracked out to be. Honestly this powder is glorious, a little goes a long way and despite the lack of more colours this one is a good match. I once got home after an eight hour day and powdered half my face...I kid you not it was like fresh makeup. Incredible. I have normal/dehydrated skin so powder isn’t part of my everyday routine but a light dusting of this when I need my makeup to last longer is perfect.

The Kat Von D Shade and Light palette is something I’m still in awe of (despite managing to create a dent in the middle contour shade -_-). I love how versatile it is and how I can set, brighten, contour and bronze my face using use this one palette - I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, it is PERFECT! On the rare days I didn’t pick the palette up I rediscovered Benefit’s Hoola which is one of my all time favourite bronzers. I didn’t think it would work so well for my medium skintone but I’ve found it’s so great for warming my face up AND adding a nice contour line with the awesome brush included. I tend to reach for this when I’m doing a 4 product face as it’s quick and easy to use and makes a huge difference. If you haven’t found your perfect matte bronzer and you have light-medium skin check out hoola!

Moving on to the brows, a brush mentioned in my recent haul has totally changed my brow game. I know, a pretty dramatic statement to make but I’m not even kidding the Anastasia Beverly Hills Large Synthetic Duo Brow Brush #12 is worth every penny. I don’t know what it is about the shape, but it works better than any other slanted brush I’ve used in the past and I find it so easy to shape and add more to my sparse brows with the Dipbrow pomade. Plus dat spoolie. Yaaaaaas. I have been loving the Topshop Magic Liner in Engraved it’s super black and the nib makes it SO easy to draw a great cat eye. I’ve switched my liner shape up since using this pen, my wings are more elongated and I’m really enjoying them like that! Finally my favourite Mascara of the past for weeks, yes I ACTUALLY have a mascara in my faves! Is the Benefit They’re Real, I got the full sized version ages ago when it was really discounted and only opened it up for the weddings - this is such a good thickening mascara. Yes it’s a pain to remove but it makes such a huge difference, especially when used with a bit more of a lengthening formula underneath. Pricy but worth it!

The lip products that I’ve been reaching for are all from the highstreet! Sleek’s Matte Me in Birthday Suit used alone or with a deeper lip liner has been one of my favourite lip looks to go for. It’s a mauvey/nude shade and I think it is so flattering on medium skintones. Plus it doesn’t budge for ages so it’s great for a long day, because I’m rubbish at remembering to touch up. Moving on to a very new product to in stash, the Barry M Matte Me in 3 which I picked up online on a whim, not knowing what to expect. It’s a chunky crayon type of product with a beautifully creamy consistency which feels SO comfortable on the lips and provides a good wash of colour in one swipe. This shade is definitely a MLBB for me, surprise surprise and I find it perfect for when I’m in a rush! I have been LOVING lipliners in the past few months, but the one that stands out the most is the Rimmel 1000 kisses lipliner in Tiramisu. For some reason this doesn’t get enough love on the blogosphere, it’s a beautiful nude shade which isn’t too pink. It’s a mix of brown and peach and it’s the lipliner I’ll go for when I want fuller looking lips without that obvious over-lined look. It creates believable pouty lips and for the small price tag the quality is phenomenal. Highly recommend you check out the whole line!

 Finally on to the skincare bits, firstly we have the Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist which is brilliant - an ethical alternative to the UD one FINALLY! It kept out makeup up flawlessly throughout all the wedding events, the countless hugs and kisses with family members and the humid conditions. It also refreshes and hydrates the skin which is always nice when it’s a hot and icky day. The Una Brennan Vitamin C Cleansing Oil has been a favourite for months - it’s the only product that actually makes me excited for take my makeup off and I am obsessed. A little oil gentle massaged onto the skin breaks down the majority of my makeup and it leaves my skin feeling so hydrated! It is brightening and I can’t imagine my night time routine without it.

And those are my favourites from the last month and a bit! Right now back to my Uni reading (which I’m really enjoying right now!).

Reviews from this post:

Dior Star Foundation

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette

Topshop Magic Liner

What were your favourites from the month of September?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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September Favourites 2015

Hello ladies, I hope you’re all doing well. I missed out my favourites of August, because most of them were the products that I put into my travel makeup bag post. This month I have a bunch to share with you, a couple of new things and some older rediscoveries so lets get started.

Eid Gift Guide Part 1 | Beauty Edition

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing fantastically. As it will be Eid in approximately two weeks I thought it was an appropriate time to post a little gift guide or two for you all! Although these are titled with Eid they are great ideas for any occasion, be it birthdays or anniversarys, so I hope they're useful to all my readers. Gift giving is a Sunnah therefore is highly encouraged, plus we all like getting gifts so why not shade the love? ^_^ Life is too short not to spread a bit of happiness. This guide will be for the ladies, so your sisters, mothers, aunties, cousins and friends. I have linked everything I'm mentioning so have a click and check it out for yourself, also I've tried to get the best prices and any special offers on too.

The fist category is of course beauty (high-end)  so lets begin...

The Ultimate Eid gift you could give a sister this month has to be the Blame it on NARS cheeks palette! (£45) It’s a little bit pricey but if you have the budget for it, or wish to combine it for their Eid and birthday present, believe me any woman would be thrilled to own it. The first cheek palette
which does not contain any of their iconic shades, including Laguna - because I’m sure we all have at least one of those! It has Casino which is the ideal bronzer for medium/dark skintones a deeper highlight shade (satalite of love) as well as two limited edition blusher shades AND A MINI ITA BRUSH! Yes I do blame it on the NARS, cause mine arrived in the post today and I am overall very impressed. Whether for yourself or a loved one this is seriously one of the best gift anyone could give that's make-up related.


I would always recommend Too Faced for their eyeshadow palettes, they are creamy and pigmented, plus the colours work together really well. I love both the Chocolate Bar (£39 normally £45) and the Natural Eyes (£32) palettes. Similarly I think anything from The Balm cosmetics always makes for a wonderful gift, the packaging is adorable and the products are well worth the price, with exceptional quality. The California driver licence palette (£16.50) is one of my favourites, it’s about the size of a debit card so it's super travel friendly and it contains brilliant shades - I treated myself to this when I passed my driving test and it’s like a little keepsake from that milestone, so if any of your loved ones are planning on doing their test this could be the perfect little encouragement hehe.


I think makeup brushes always make for wonderful gifts because anyone who wears makeup needs brushes, especially those who think they don't. Brushes can change a girl's life for real. The  Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Kits (£56.95) are so beautiful and the quality is on par with all the top brush brands. I don’t personally own it but I know it would be an amazing gift which would last a long time too! Also each brush technically costs £7 each which is generally cheaper than buying it individually plus you get a study clutch to keep them safe in.  If Zoeva isn’t in your budget I really recommend picking up one or two of the Real Techniques brush kits which are great value for money. My personal favourite is Real Techniques Sam’s picks (£29.99)- reviewed here which contains 90% of brushes anyone could need. Also the iconic Beautyblender (£13.95 normally £16.00) - to those who have not tried this, you may think it is just a sponge, but no, no no no no it’s not. This is the queen of tools for makeup application, you’ll find it hard to get a more flawless application with any other brush and I truly believe every woman needs at least one in her collection.

Anything Charlotte Tilbury looks swoonworthy, but it’s quite a high end brand, so I recommend picking up some of her Lip Cheats (£16) to give as gifts because they're somewhat affordable, at least in comparison to other high-end gifts. Pillow talk and Iconic Nude are the two that catch my eye.

Okay now on to the drugstore/highstreet and more budget alternatives because I know some of you are thinking...errr Iqra, the above is great and all but I'm a student and I do not have the budget for giving those out at gifts! Don't worry guys... I did try to spread out the cost from around £16+ but fear not, the below are cheaper yet still good quality makeup gifts that would make awesome presents!

I love the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit (£6.49) which I reviewed here and I think its perfect for anyone starting out in contouring, or anyone who's looking for an affordable kit! It truly is a gem from the drugstore and affordable enough to buy a couple and spread the chiselled love tehe. Eyeshadow palettes always make great gifts and from the high-street I think Sleek Palettes (£7.99) and Makeup Revolution (£4-£8) have the absolute BEST quality that you could get for a budget price. Especially the I heart chocolate palette reviewed here which  is a great dupe to the chocolate bar one mentioned above! Barry M also make awesome Nail polishes (£3-£4) with so many shades and formulas to choose from and buying a trio with perhaps a neutral shade, bright shade and a dark shade would make a really nice gift. Sleek are also fantastic for blushers, have a browse of their blush-by-3s and single ones too! Very affordable compared to high-end, but without compromising on the quality so I'm certain Sleek items would be highly appreciated!

I wouldn't recommend buying anyone foundations and concealers, because they're very easy to get  wrong due to the different undertones and finishes, but I think lip products make great gifts. Some of the best you can get are the Rimmel Lipliners (£3-£4), Rimmel Lipsticks (£5-6) and Sleek Matte Me's (£5) they're affordable, generally comfortable to wear and come in a decent range of colours. Also with each of these brands, boots has little special offers such as free gifts when you spend over £10 or buy one get one half price making it the idea time to stock up for yourself and for gifts!

I always have a browse of the ASOS Beauty section because they normally have sales on and they also sell great little gift sets too. A good example is of this REN Glow and Go (£12) which has the 1 minute facial mask mask and the Glycolactic Radiance Mask, both of which work well with all skintypes and are from a brand that contains no parabens and are made from as natural ingredients as possible.

Another good idea is picking up a makeup bag and then filling it with a couple of things mentioned above. I think this is one of the best gifts you can give a girl - it's somewhat personalised gift and so useful too!

That is part 1 of my gift guide - all the beauty bits that I think your female family members and friends would love to receive! Keep an eye out for part 2 and 3 coming up later today!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Eid Gift Guide Part 1 | Beauty Edition

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing fantastically. As it will be Eid in approximately two weeks I thought it was an appropriate time to post a little gift guide or two for you all! Although these are titled with Eid they are great ideas for any occasion, be it birthdays or anniversarys, so I hope they're useful to all my readers. Gift giving is a Sunnah therefore is highly encouraged, plus we all like getting gifts so why not shade the love? ^_^ Life is too short not to spread a bit of happiness. This guide will be for the ladies, so your sisters, mothers, aunties, cousins and friends. I have linked everything I'm mentioning so have a click and check it out for yourself, also I've tried to get the best prices and any special offers on too.

The fist category is of course beauty (high-end)  so lets begin...

The Ultimate Eid gift you could give a sister this month has to be the Blame it on NARS cheeks palette! (£45) It’s a little bit pricey but if you have the budget for it, or wish to combine it for their Eid and birthday present, believe me any woman would be thrilled to own it. The first cheek palette
which does not contain any of their iconic shades, including Laguna - because I’m sure we all have at least one of those! It has Casino which is the ideal bronzer for medium/dark skintones a deeper highlight shade (satalite of love) as well as two limited edition blusher shades AND A MINI ITA BRUSH! Yes I do blame it on the NARS, cause mine arrived in the post today and I am overall very impressed. Whether for yourself or a loved one this is seriously one of the best gift anyone could give that's make-up related.

Review | Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Barry M are my all time favourites when it comes to nail varnishes, but aside from those I’ve never really tried much of their makeup line. As the high-street is catching up with contouring craze (though I feel like Sleek were there way before anyone else) it’s exciting to try out what there is to offer at a budget price. The Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit costs £6.49 and just to give you a heads up I liked this so much that I bought one for each of my best-friends!

The size of the kit is great for traveling and for storage, it slots away neatly and isn’t annoyingly bulky. Cardboard packaging isn’t the most sturdy of course, but it does the job well enough and is super lightweight. It keeps shut with a sturdy magnetic fastening and on the inside of the lid they have included three detailed and useful illustrations on where to put each shade. This was actually the first contour kit I purchased aside from Sleek because I was happy with using individual bronzers to add definition (e.g Bahama Mama from The Balm review) and similarly individuals powders to highlight (Ben Nye Banana Powder Review and Mary-Lou from The Balm Review).

It contains 3 matte shades, one to highlight which is slightly yellow toned, one to bronze and add that natural sunkissed warmth and finally the slightly grey-toned contour to sculpt out your cheekbones. The highlight shade I assumed would be good for setting the under-eye but a couple of hours later I found that it just didn’t hold up half as well as my trusty Ben Nye banana powder or my Bourjois healthy balance one. So personally I’m not going to be using it to set liquid or cream concealer but it works pretty well to brighten up all the areas you use your regular highlighter, especially for a work day or a quick 5 minute makeup routine. I love that the bronzer doesn’t lean on the orange side of things but a light hand is necessary because it’s super pigmented and matte which means it can be easy to over-do it. Finally the contour shade is not the most defining I’ve ever come across but it certainly does the job. I love that it’s cool toned and will work for those with light skin to those with olive skin too.

The powders are beautifully soft and aptly pigmented, but they don’t come off as harsh on the skin. Price point these are the obvious choice for anyone new to contouring but the quality means its well worth purchasing for everyone. Contouring doesn’t have to be all fancy or take 500 steps, if you think about it when you apply a base you’re changing all your skin-colour to the same and losing the dimensions and contours of the face, so a bit of shadow here and there and highlight in the right places is to a certain extend necessary (especially if wearing a medium/full coverage base).

Final Verdict:

Product rating: 8 

Pros: It contains everything a beginner needs to start contouring, the powders are soft and pigmented yet very blendable, the packaging is lightweight, travel friendly and fastens shut with magnets making it secure. It’s super affordable and you get a decent amount of product in each pan, the shades could work for those with light to medium skintones and none of the colours are orange based which is brilliant! It contains detailed illustrations telling you where to put each powder and I think this is the perfect little kit for day-to-day slight definition and highlight.

Cons: On my skin it doesn’t last all day, I wouldn’t opt for this on a day where I want my makeup to last from A.M - Night.

Repurchase? As I’ve recently bought a high-end contour kit (keep your eyes out for the next few Thursdays it’ll be featured then) I don’t think I will be buying this again anytime soon but in a few years time, I wouldn’t rule it out! It’s a great kit for those first getting into contouring and for those who are looking for an affordable kit which does what it says on the tin.

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Review | Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Barry M are my all time favourites when it comes to nail varnishes, but aside from those I’ve never really tried much of their makeup line. As the high-street is catching up with contouring craze (though I feel like Sleek were there way before anyone else) it’s exciting to try out what there is to offer at a budget price. The Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit costs £6.49 and just to give you a heads up I liked this so much that I bought one for each of my best-friends!

April Favourites 2015

Hey all! I’m gonna share my favourites of the last month as usual. Not a lot this time around so hopefully this post isn’t too long (plus I should probably be writing essays - shhh!)


Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer in 030 (£5.50) - I won’t go on and on about this because I reviewed it here but essentially it’s a pretty good corrector that won’t cost you more than £6. It doesn’t cake, crease, settle in fine lines and it has a decent amount of coverage too. Aside from the fact that the texture takes a little getting used to, it’s pretty wonderful!

Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base (£2.50) - I have owned this particular base for a couple of months now and I’m not sure why I haven’t written a full review already (don’t worry, it’s coming soon). With a doefoot applicator it’s easy to apply and the colour (skintone) means it covers up all discolouration on the eyelid as well as acts like a base for eyeshadows. This really makes eyeshadow pop and it’s probably the best one I have ever tried from the highstreet. Plus it’s super affordable! There’s another surprising use that this offers but I shall discuss that in the full review ^_^



Topshop Blush in Do It Again (£7.00) - Somewhat similar to NARS Orgasm blush only less red and more peach, this has been the perfect in-between spring and summer time shade. It’s not soft and delicate, nor is it hard core glitter fever shimmer-in-ya-face, it sits somewhere in between! If you have olive skin you’re gonna like this. I also appreciate the mirror inside, very handy for when you’re travelling!

Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid SPF 50+ (£15) - I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated using this, a big thanks to Tanjia and Maryam from Beauteabible for discussing this months and months ago. They stated that it is a Kiehls dupe, which by the way is an unethical brand, so it’s great there is a cheaper yet equally effective ethical option. But aside from the amazing level of protection that this provides it also acts like a primer, my Diorskin Nude foundation lasts so much longer on my face, which if you have read the review you’ll know was my main issue with it! As I’m always going to be applying SPF from now on, I’m happy this acts like a two-in-one and it’s non-greasy which gives it another thumbs up. Not the cheapest spf but your skin is very delicate and deserves a bit of tlc with quality products (always try to get this during their 3for2s).



Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit (£6.49) - My final favourite of the month has to be this budget contour kit which packs a punch in terms of pigmentation and is suitable for light-medium skintones. As I’ve mentioned before the lightest shade isn’t great for setting the undereye but it is a nice natural looking highlight, perfect for everyday! Whilst the whole Kim K look isn’t achievable on a daily basis, nor is it necessarily wanted that often, I do think if you’re wearing foundation you need to lightly contour and highlight just to bring back the natural light/shade of the face and to avoid looking flat. This kit is great if you’re a beginner but do make sure you use a light hand and blend out as well as you can to avoid streaks.

Those are all my favourites from April! I’m guessing there will be more skincare faves for May because exams = stress = sad skin! What were some of your favourites of the month?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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April Favourites 2015

Hey all! I’m gonna share my favourites of the last month as usual. Not a lot this time around so hopefully this post isn’t too long (plus I should probably be writing essays - shhh!)

New In | Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer 030, Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer & Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all well, today I’m going to be doing a kind of first impression/ initial thoughts of three products which I bought mid-March so I’ve had a good few weeks to have a play with them.  All of them were very exciting for me, I love it when the drugstore brings out new and potentially awesome products so I had my hopes high!
Starting off with the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Primer (£6.99) I was very unsure about what to expect for this. I only own two other primers and usually I see it as a bit of an unnecessary extra step, unless you have oily skin or large pores. Of course I’ve always wanted to find something that could really make my base last longer, but it just seemed a faff. However the price and name of this one intrigued me to pick it up. I have to admit I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the addition of this guy to my makeup routine, after toning and moisturising I apply a little bit all over the face and it does a great job in creating a smooth canvas. I noticed my makeup went on smoother and actually looked better which I didn’t expect, but probably should have as it’s labelled ‘skin perfecting’! It claims it extends the wear of foundation for up to eight hours and I have had no melting face when wearing this - but I will do a full review of it in a few weeks to confirm whether that’s true or not. It certainly does help makeup application that is for sure!
First impressions: 7.5/10

Next is the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Concealer - 030 (£5.50) and when I first saw this on ASOS I instantly thought of Benefit’s boi-ing concealer, it has the same style of packaging and for that price and the promise of high coverage I had to give it a go! This colour is a light peachy shade, quite a bit lighter than my favourite (Benefit’s erase paste 3) and it has a slightly creamy consistency. Prepping the under-eyes before applying this is a MUST and so is warming it up gently in the pan. As the shade is quite light I really didn’t have high expectations, however much to my surprise it did a great job at correcting the darkness with one layer! I bought this as a corrector type of product, with the intention of using a creamy, brightening concealer on top however for an everyday, Uni face of makeup I would happily just wear this. Some darkness still shows (about 80% is corrected) but that is still wonderful for daily basis.  As far as adding another concealer over the top - no caking or creasing because this is such a lightweight product. Is it a better corrector than erase paste? No because it’s not as peach in tone, is it an affordable alternative? yes!
First impressions: 8.5/10


Finally we have the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit (£6.50 ). I first saw this on The Sunday Girl and read that it was a cheaper alternative for the ABH contour kits which are pretty pricy. Initially I didn’t think I would pick it up any time soon as I’m very very happy with my Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer (review) as well as The Balm Bahama Mama (review) for contouring, but I did end up buying it as part of a boots event and I have to say, again for the price, I’m pretty impressed! The powders are decently pigmented and the dark brown one is a great choice for contouring. It would work well for skintones deeper than olive, which is great to see for a drugstore product! The yellow/brightening one is okay, I thought it would be a good setting powder for concealer, like ABH’s banana but within a couple of hours my concealer had creased, so probably won’t be using it to set again! It does work as a great natural highlight for warm skintones though, so not totally redundant! The middle shade is quite a bit warmer, its meant to be a bronzer to add warmth but I have to have a very light hand because it can show up a little intense. Overall its a bargain and well worth picking up if you’re looking for an affordable contour kit! Kinda wish it had a mirror but for the price I can hardly complain ^_^
First impressions: 8.5/10

All in all I am pretty chuffed with everything above! Have you discovered any drugstore gems worth buying recently?

Thank-you for reading ♥
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New In | Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer 030, Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer & Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all well, today I’m going to be doing a kind of first impression/ initial thoughts of three products which I bought mid-March so I’ve had a good few weeks to have a play with them.  All of them were very exciting for me, I love it when the drugstore brings out new and potentially awesome products so I had my hopes high!

Requested | Spring Makeup Essentials

A lovely reader on IG asked if I could do a post on my current makeup bag essentials and I’m a little embarrassed  to say I have QUITE A LOT to run through. As I went through muji drawers and my heart shaped dishes which house my most used makeup items, I couldn’t help but notice the amount building up, but I couldn’t put them down either! I guess these all have their place in my personal Spring makeup faves as well as my current ‘essentials’ and hopefully it can give you some inspiration on how to switch up your routine now the weather is a little warmer and the days are longer!



Oddly my current faves are all from the drugstore, and I’ll start with my concealer (not pictured) but mentioned in my recent favourites which you can read here. I am still in absolute love with the Bourjois CC Cream (33), medium coverage but looks and feels like skin. I actually misplaced this for a few months and really missed it - honestly the BEST drugstore base I have ever used. Reviewed in full here. For spring time when there is heat, there is need for base to be set in place, which is where the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder (53) comes in with a light coverage and no cake. I have also been LOVING using this for the technique described by Wayne Goss Makeup artist (video here) which he got from a beauty workshop run by Fyza. It merges everything together on the face and looks marvellous, I don’t do this every single day but this powder works very well when doing so! I have also been loving cream highlighters over liquid and powders, they merge into the skin effortlessly and look soft yet stunning when they catch the light. I have reviewed Topshop’s Glow in gleam here and another which has a slightly silver sheen is the Kroylan for Glossybox highlighter in Cashmere. I really recommend picking a cream highlighter up, it makes such a difference over powder and in the springtime I like the almost no-makeup makeup look and for everything to be subtle and look effortless - that is exactly what I can achieve with these core base products!


Now don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of cheek products on here, I promise I don’t wear them all at once! Starting off with the PERFECT spring blusher palette, again the all cream one by Sleek - Californ.i.a which has a range of shades and can be applied with the fingers very easily, built up or sheered out and even mixed together! Reviewed HERE.

Another essential for me are the Essence silky touch blusher in 50 sweetheart which is more of a pinky peach and looks ever so subtle but still adds just the right amount of colour to the cheeks. I’ve been ditching the contour (aside from trying out a few new bits from Barry M and Seventeen)  and focusing on warming up my face in a three motion. The Bourjois bronzing primer which is pretty similar to Chanel tan de soleil works beautifully and again as it’s a cream product it looks much more natural and doesn’t leave any streaks. If you find it too orange toned, pop it on under your base and watch the warmth show through. A slightly more glowy alternative is the E.L.F Warm Bronzer which is just wonderful, I’m so sad that the UK E.L.F are closing down because now I’m gonna have to order it again through a US site.

My current eyeshadow palette favourite is the Stila In The Light which has gorgeous natural shades and a great matte brown which can be used as a liner or just to add some definition with a pencil brush. I’ve spoken about this numerous times and whilst I know better quality shadows are available, this palette just ticks a lot of boxes for me. Another recent mention is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige - a must have for light, bright spring makeup as it instantly refreshes the whole makeup look and glides on beautifully not tugging at the eyes at all.

I also switch black liners for brown, a few of my favourites are the Collection fast stroke, Rimmel Scandaleyes Khol liner in brown (and nude) and Stila smudge stick which came with the palette. Brown liners add definition without looking too harsh and I think at least one brown liner should be in everyone’s makeup collection! Finally for the brows, I love using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in brunette to achieve quite shape and definition without it looking bold and, again like I’ve put a lot of effort in!

Those are my current and spring makeup essentials, a lot I know but I love them all and really couldn’t narrow it down D:

P.S It’s worth mentioning Boots, Feel Unique and Look Fantastic have all got some great makeup offers on right now!

What are your spring makeup essentials??

Thank-you for reading ♥
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