July Favourites

Hello everyone, I hope you're doing well. Today I'm going to be sharing my July favourites, time really is flying by and soon enough I'm sure I'll be struggling to get up one blog post a week - so I have some work to do in the last few weeks off! July was, like I said in my update post, a really wonderful month and I also got to try a bunch of new makeup and I had been saving up for the longest time. Some of these things are a little random but they're items I have been wanting to share with you all for the longest time, without doing a whole blog post on it.

So starting off with my favourite base products of July, the base that has been floating my boat is the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in shade 7 (£32.00), which I shared in this haul. Although I could probably easily get away with shade 6, this foundation is gloriously glow without looking oily in the slightest. A light/medium coverage which lasts really well on the skin and makes me look super healthy and almost like my skin is just naturally this radiant (hah if only!). I was worried that this would be a very over-priced tinted moisturiser, but so far it is totally worth the money, one of those you get what you pay for products. If you're a fan of a lighter glowing finish you need to check this out! If you prefer a medium/full then give it a miss. My corrector of choice is actually a very new product to my stash, I've only had it for about two weeks so its a bit premature to put it in my favourites - but that really shows how much I adore it already! To be honest I'm not sure why I dismissed this corrector+concealer offering from the highstreet, the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Medium (£10.00) but now I have it, it is here to STAY. I think the main reason why I always avoided it was because there were never testers available in store, but the shade medium is really great. It is one of the best corrector shades I have tried, the perfect peachy colour and the formula is also perfection - not too thick, not too dry, not too creamy...I LOVE IT. The only thing I can really moan about here, is the fact that despite the slightly bulky packaging, the amount of corrector itself isn't great. I love how it includes a little powder, mirror and concealer too which does make it good value for money...I just wish they either included more corrector or they sold it separately (which would be even better).

I rediscovered Benefit's Hoola (£23.50) this month, its always a bronzer I go back to because its just a couple of shades deeper than my skintone and totally matte. So when I want to use one product which'll warm up my face and add a little definition too Hoola is where its at. Its low maintenance, blends so well and is a great tone - not too red, nor too orange or grey! Quickly mentioning my favourite lipstick of the month, because I will have an indepth review up this weekend, but I have been really loving Colourpop's ultra satin lipstick in Echo Park ($6.00). The hype with this formula is so justified and I can't wait to discuss it further soon. Echo park is a beautiful summer colour when worn alone but I love how it can be mixed too - a great formula to check out for sure.

Moving onto the eyes, for the first time ever I have been really obsessed with a mascara...which is pretty odd if you know me well. I genuinely used to dislike mascara a lot (I even wrote a blog post on why it is not my friend loool click %here% if you're super bored and wanna read), so to find a mascara I look forwards to applying is a very great achievement. The Tarte Gifted mascara ($21.00) is amazing, volumising with just one swipe and buildable without becoming too clumpy. It doesn't flake or smudge on me and the best part is the removal is super easy too. Seriously I like it A LOT. I just wish it was cheaper in the U.K thats the only downside because it costs over £20 here...VS £15ish in the U.S 🙄 I recently treated myself to The Balms Schwing Liner (£12.00), (yes its a treat because I'm used to spending a fiver max on eyeliner) because it has been on my to-try list for the longest time. It isn't 100000% LOVE with this liner, only because I'm disappointed in the applicator. I've already had to snip off that annoying bit that is kind of attached to the tip and totally SABOTAGES any attempt at a wing liner...that's the sort of applicator problem I'd expect from a £2 liquid liner. However the intensity of the blackness is incredible and it lasts really really well on my eyes which has meant that any other liner I have open right now has been thrown to the side.

As I get more into eyeshadows I become more obsessed with building the perfect brush kit - this Elaina Badro brush is the BEST for smoking out the lower lashine, something I never used to do but it makes a huge difference. I like that its not so much a pencil brush, more of a tiny shader brush so its perfect for really blending out any shadow in smaller areas - the only thing I'm sad about it that it is no longer available on the beautybay website! ☹️

And finally the more randomish faves, I'm going to have to start with this amazing Tony Moly Avocado Nutrition Sheet Mask which was recommended by a lovely reader Shehroon. I had seen these face masks floating about the blogosphere, but when I realised what a great deal you could purchase them on from Ebay I had to snap them up! 3 for less than £3 from this seller - it does come from out of the U.K though, so it takes a while but its totally worth it. Korean skincare is amazing and this mask is no exception, I put it on for 20 minutes the other day and my skin drank it up...yes I looked a bit terrifying, but it made a huge amount of difference and the next morning my dull and drained skin looked fresh, radiant and plump.

I've also loved the Soap and Glory SPF 50 (£15.00), it is a must have in my routine. Not only does it protect my skin, but it also works as a primer - two birds in one stone! Also there is currently an offer on, buy one get one half price on S&G products which I took advantage of as although these items are from the highstreet, they do add up when purchased full price!

Something you rarely see on my blog, but I HAD to mention it - the Canon 50mm lens dupe! In February I dropped my Canon lens and it literally broke within 2 seconds and was not repairable. I was gutted, mostly because when I got that lens a couple of years ago I snagged it for just about £60 and when I checked on Amazon it went up to £90 - still an okay price but way out of my student budget. I loved the 50mm, its amazing for portraits especially and whenever I have blurry background photo on my blog its because of this lens. So like I said I was very upset, but after doing a bit of research I found a 'dupe' and figured for £35 it was worth a go. I purchased the Yongnuo YN50mm F/1.8 AF/MF Standard Prime Lens for Canon EOS Rebel Camera and to be honest I wasn't expecting much...but after using it for the past few months I can't even tell the difference! It is incredible, works just as well if not better and now costs 1/3 of the price - if you own a Canon SLR, you need this lens in your life. Easily one of the best purchases of the year for me!

Last but not least the most gorgeous lashes I have tried in a while and for the most insane bargain of a price - winning! I picked these up on a whim, as I usually have bad luck with ebay lashes but these looked different. They come in a pack of three and cost only £1.19!! (Link here)Yes three pairs of lashes for just over a quid and they're sooo beautiful. They're 3D lashes which means they're really fluttery and they basically made my eid makeup look so much better ^_^ I recently ordered another couple of packs of these cause I'll be using them whenever theres a special occasion on myself and friend/family.

I also ordered a pack to giveaway, so fill in the rafflecopter and read the T&Cs carefully. This is open worldwide and I'm not advertising it in the title cause I'm SICK of annoying giveaway accounts entering - but I still want to do mini giveaways like these now and again!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There you have it, my July faves! What have you been loving in the month of July?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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July Favourites

Hello everyone, I hope you're doing well. Today I'm going to be sharing my July favourites, time really is flying by and soon enough I'm sure I'll be struggling to get up one blog post a week - so I have some work to do in the last few weeks off! July was, like I said in my update post, a really wonderful month and I also got to try a bunch of new makeup and I had been saving up for the longest time. Some of these things are a little random but they're items I have been wanting to share with you all for the longest time, without doing a whole blog post on it.

March 2016 Update

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well today! My update for this month really isn't very long, so I decided to add a small haul to keep things a little more interesting ^_^

Ending University

*exhales* Can any of you believe that I completed university this month? Three years of hard work, sweat, tears, procrastination, procrastination and oh yes currently writing a 10,000 word dissertation on procrastination too! At the end of my final lecture and the whole drive home, I have to admit I felt pretty emotional. I mean half of me felt like university started only last month and all the memories of meeting people, sitting on stinky buses, missing trains then waiting another 20 minutes for the next one and spending tonnes of money on coffee, taxis and Greggs all came rushing back to me. Then I started thinking about everything I have accomplished in my three years at uni and it hit me that, although I didn't have the typical University experience, of staying away at a campus and meeting life-long friends - University had helped me grow intellectually, in maturity, confidence, independence and of course it has stretched my waist line too (but we'll skip past that shall we). The other half of me has been so excited to get away from exams and deadlines, I want to fast forwards to the years I'll be earning a decent salary, travelling often and... well getting into the real world.

Yesterday I submitted my final Psychology assignment and it was very bittersweet. I know a part of me will really miss the somewhat relaxed student lifestyle, which allows me to sleep at 4am and wake up as late as I like (mum is so excited for this to end though haha). I do feel ready for the end of University and to begin my career as a teacher though and I'm excited to see what the future holds (once I've completed and submitted my dissertation of course..OH and I have one exam left too haha).

Filming, Birthdays & Burgers
So March basically consisted of me writing and frantically handing in four assignments and participating in a presentation on OCD. We all know how stressful group work at a University level can be, however I think we did pretty well and we even got together and filmed a short clip too. I took charge of the filming and editing and to be honest I was in my absolute element - I enjoyed it all ^_^ The actual presentation itself was mortifying of course, however we got through it and the markers of the presentation actually asked if we had made the video ourselves! I was flattered, thrilled and pretty proud about this haha...and we got the grade we deserved. In between this stressful time, it was my dad's birthday and my uncle's birthday too. My uncle turned the big 40 so we all went out to Birmingham to celebrate. I asked my lovely readers to recommend me the best halal places and we ended up going with Ibrahim's Grill and Steakhouse which was a great choice! Pictured above is the burger and chips my sister ate and I of course had to have a chicken steak (I was too hungry to take a photo at this point though). It's always nice to make a bit of time for family, especially when you've spent most of the month chugging down coffee and junk food, whilst weeping about everything under the sun, stressed was not a strong enough word.

Heavenly's Desserts

We FINALLY got to visit the most talked about desserts place ever and it took me a good 5 minutes to hunt this beauty down on the menu - if I'm not mistaken I believe it's called 'I'll have what he's having'. A warm slightly vanilla flavoured waffle, split into four and drizzled with white chocolate, strawberry sauce, freshly cut strawberries, whipped cream and a sprinkle of sugar. It was literally heavenly, I can't think of a better word to describe this...wonderful, fantastic, amazing, fabulous, scrumptious...they are simply not enough. This dessert is the queen of all desserts for me and although I'm kind of glad I don't live near enough to Birmingham to have this on a regular basis - I CAN'T WAIT TILL I GET TO HAVE IT AGAIN! 

At the end of February I was kindly sent a small size of Benefit's Pore fessional Matte Rescue* which is designed to be used along side their pore fessional original primer (which is great by the way, it really does blur pores!). I have used this a handful of times, concentrating it only on my nose, because for some reason that's the part of my face which gets oily. Used under the NARS TM, I found it worked a treat, keeping shine at bay for ages and it also meant that I didn't have to use a powder to touch up! However used under my MUFE Ultra HD, I didn't see a big difference. It with-held oil for around 1-2 hours and then I got the usual shine. I still need to test this out some more, as I have had pretty mixed experiences thusfar... but the gel like consistency I likes!

The Haul

So moving onto the haul part of this post, if you know anything about me then you know that when I'm stressed I ONLINE SHOP. Last week I bought the Philips Lumea, which my mum kindly went in halves for...though it was still a blow to my bank account. However early pay day colliding with three deadlines meant procrastination turned into extra spending too. I went onto the beautiful site: here and I was blown away by how cute AND beautifuo the stationary was. Honestly these items were quite the treat, but nothing motivates me like stationary (it used to be make-up but I am a somewhat changed woman after going 6 months without buying any!). I love the cute little ribbon and label with my name on it too, personal touches like that really make me appreciate businesses more! I purchased the Rifle Paper Co. TO-DO notepad, small, compact and beautiful! The colours, the illustration and the quality - is gorgeous and although it was a little smaller than I expected, it's actually a great size for jotting down things to do haha.

I also purchased a duo pack of notebooks, these are totally plain on the inside and pretty small in size (A6 size). I didn't manage to get a picture of the second book, which it a light pink with gold polka dots, however you can see it on their website here. I mainly purchased it for the green floral book, as it is stunning, the gold detail amongst the roses..how could I not? (Tis rather expensive, but I don't indulge in stationary too often, that's my excuse).

Finally the most useful item from my haul and the one I'll be reaching for the most, is this monthly planner. It's essentially like a calendar in one small book. It has a waterproof cover making it very practical for day to day use and I have to say I love the format of the little squares. There's nothing like seeing the month ahead on one spread. I've slotted in blog posts, put in deadlines, birthdays and other important dates. I just prefer using a book/paper and pen, rather than my phone or laptop when it comes to planning in this format. There are 12 double page spreads, which are blank so you can circle the month and use it from whichever date you please. There are also note pages at the back and right at the front, there is yet another monthly spreadsheet which actually spans the whole year. Why am I writing so much detail, I actually don't know..I think you get the picture!

So there's my little haul and my update, how did your month go?

*This post contains press samples or products gifted to me. All opinions are my own. For more info check my Disclaimer.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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March 2016 Update

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well today! My update for this month really isn't very long, so I decided to add a small haul to keep things a little more interesting ^_^

February Favourites

Hello lovely people, I hope you're having a great start to the weekend so far. Today I'm going to be sharing the products I loved during the month of February, a real mix of skincare and makeup. I definitely got back into eyeshadow this month, thanks to my giftcard and new additions which have been very exciting, so lets get started!

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in St. Moritz | £29.50

This has been my go-to base of choice in February, mainly because its so quick to apply with just the tips of my fingers and it works really well at evening out the skin-tone too. For an everyday base this is ideal, it covers up discolouration, brightens and leaves a dewy and radiant finish to the skin. Although at first St. Moritz looks a little dark, I find the colour lightens slightly once I'm done applying my makeup. I will say however that as my skin is normal/combo now, with an oily nose, I do always have to apply powder to my nose area if I don't want to look super shiny a few hours later! So for oily skinned girls I feel like face powder would be necessary if you use this as it'll increase  longevity too. I love that this base contains SPF of 30, it means I can skip that step in the morning, so if you're usually in a rush when doing makeup and you want a dewy base which evens out the skin, you should definitely try this out!

L.A Girl Pro Conceal Concealer in Creamy Beige | £2.98

I have definitely re-discovered the L.A girl concealer which took the makeup world by storm last year and I am so glad that I have! It is one of my all time favourites and this particular shade is so perfect for my under-eyes. I find that the slight orange tone when you first apply it, really brightens up the area when blended out. I always have to go in with a corrector shade first (I'll link the review to my current favourite below), however this is one of the only concealers that doesn't crease, shade wise it matches really well and best of all is really affordable! Most of you will know that I love beautyjoint.com for U.S beauty, however you can now order them for a similar price from Amazon which I've linked above, so if you don't want to order internationally there are more options available which is great.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer | £23.50

I've owned this bronzer for months now, but it's never really been one I've reached for on a daily basis. At first I was obsessed with the Too Faced chocolate soleil, then NARS Laguna and then of course the Kat Von D contour kit. You may be able to tell I love me some bronzer! Of course all of those mentioned products are much loved, but this month I wanted less of a focus on proper contouring and a product which would add warmth and a subtle amount of definition. I totally forgot that Hoola is quite unique, although it looks almost orange in the pan, it actually applies slightly grey toned and it's also buildable! Especially for adding a natural looking nose contour, but also a great all rounder - Hoola is brilliant and works great for light to medium skintones.

Topshop Beauty Highlighter in Horizon | £10.00

If there is one thing Topshop do fantastically, it's highlighters! You may know that I adore their glow pots, one of the best cream highlighers I have ever tried (reviewed already). I have had Horizon for a few months, but I was saving it for the summer time as it looks super bronzy in the pan. However it's quite deceiving because although it appears as if it could be a bronzer, it's the most gorgeous rose gold tone highlight with a silver/bronzy mix too. Wow, that has to be the worst description I have ever written of a product ._. If you're Stromboli or darker in skintone, you need to try this out! Don't be alarmed that it isn't the typical champagne/brighter gold colour, because on olive/medium skintones this looks gorgeous and when the light hits there is a slight silver tone which is super flattering. At the same time it's not an in your face kind of highlighter which means I've been wearing it every single day that I've applied makeup and it is BEAUTIFUL.

Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow Palette | Review

I made this eyeshadow palette months ago and since ordering some MUG shades I have really gotten back into experimenting with shadows again! If you read my haul you will know that I ordered a lot of crease and transition shades, as well as a few base shades. I didn't pick up a highlight/ base colour or my absolute favourite shade of eyeshadows (gold tones) because I already have the perfect ones in this Inglot palette ^_^ The light yellow shadow (313) is literally perfection for every single day because I use a concealer to cover the darkness on my eyelids and I need a bright powder to set it in place. The cooler gold shadow in 155 is probably my most favourite gold I own, it is beautiful and the formula of these shadows are wonderful. They last all day long, the pigmentation doesn't fade and I am so glad that I've put this back into my daily rotation again.

Make Up Geek Eyeshadow in Creme Brulee | £4.95

I have been enjoying many of these beautiful eyeshadows, yes they are totally worth the hype! However the shade Creme Brulee has been my all time favourite and the one I opted for everyday, along side Inglot's 313. I have heard countless beauty gurus rave about this shade and I always wondered why...well, let me share this wisdom with you all today!  It is a MAGICAL shade, sure it looks pretty boring in the pan, but it literally pulls together any eyeshadow look you create. Adding this to the crease, then popping a couple of other shades on, then using this shade again to blend the whole crease area together...et voila you have an eyeshadow look which appears to have taken a lot longer than it seemed!

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette | £15.50

THIS PALETTE IS WORTH ALL THE HYPE IT GETS. It is officially my favourite neutrals palette, you only need one swipe because the pigmentation is so fantastic. The formula is creamy and each shade is super blendable too. I've swatched a couple of my favourite shades below to show how beautiful they are ^_^ If you've been umming and ahhing about this, trust me and just pick it up, you'll thank me later because the hype is totally real.

Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara | £2.80

I cannot sing this mascara's praises enough, it is ahhhhhmazing. Pretty much the perfect voluminising mascara and it costs less than £3 which makes it even more brilliant. Granted it does give slightly clumpy lashes, but that's nothing a decent lengthening mascara can't sort out. I've said before that I'm not really a mascara kind of girl, because it is such a hassle to remove. However I've had this particular one for a good couple of weeks now and it's showing no signs of drying out...so I thought I should get a couple more uses out of it before I throw it away - and this month I've fallen for it all over again. A real must have in my collection for sure.

L-R: Inglot 313, Inglot 155, Zoeva cocoa blend 4 swatches, one swipe of creme brulee at the end!

Alpha H Liquid Gold | £33.50

I purchased a duo pack of this back in the X-mas sales for an insane price, literally 2for1 and after hearing about this for a few months I couldn't resist that deal! Liquid gold is a chemical exfoliator which has been designed for the treatment and reduction of skin issues such as hyper-pigmentation, age spots, sun damage and scarring. The magic ingredients are the glycolic acid and the liquorice root extract. The very next morning after I apply this, my skin looks brighter and feels smoother too. It also dries out spots considerably and I have noticed a difference in the hyper-pigmentation around my mouth. I need to continue using it consistently for a few more weeks before I write an in-depth review, but I simply had to give it a mention in this post because it has evened out my skintone more than I had expected. (Not quite as much as I want, but I shall keep using it regularly!). Also two weeks ago I discovered a great budget product which has SIMILAR results..watch this space, I may have stumbled across a wonderful alternative!

Nuxe Creme Fraiche Serum | £27.50

Another bargain from the sales, this serum by one of my favourite skincare brands ever has been a skincare game changer. To be honest for the full price, I would expect nothing less because almost £30 for a serum is pricey for my student budget. The serum claims to provide 24 hour moisturisation, as well as soothe the skin. It is super lightweight, absorbs into my skin easily and it really does make my moisturiser sink deeper/better into my skin, rather than sit on the surface. The weather has been so much colder in February than December/January (so typical *rolls eyes*) and with that my skin has been freaking out a little. This serum went a long way in balancing it out and taking away that horrid tight dehydrated feeling almost instantly. I'm not sure if I would repurchase unless it was on a similar sale, but whilst it's in my collection I will be using it daily.

Antipodes Moisture Boost Minis | £12.99

Antipodes is another skincare brand favourite of mine, so when I saw this duo I simply had to pick it up. Like I mentioned in the above paragraph, my skin has been pretty dehydrated so I started using the Divine Face Oil  from the start of February. The blend of avocado oil and rosehip oil really do work to hydrate the skin without making it feel greasy at all. I have also been using it now and again to mix with the EX1 foundation which is just a little too thick for my liking. A tiny bit of this oil makes the absolute world of difference, it helps the base blend so much easier and takes away any cakeyness as well as adding a subtle glow! The Vanilla Pod hyrating day cream smells wonderful and a little bit goes a long way too. Again like the oil, it feels light on the skin yet still manages to add a boost of hydration. The size of the products are great too, so I'd highly recommend picking up this kit as the full sized products can be rather expensive.

Phew, that post felt like it took an age to write! I'm sure I'm the last person to share my February favourites, so please link your post below if you've written one OR let me know you favourite product from the last month!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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February Favourites

Hello lovely people, I hope you're having a great start to the weekend so far. Today I'm going to be sharing the products I loved during the month of February, a real mix of skincare and makeup. I definitely got back into eyeshadow this month, thanks to my giftcard and new additions which have been very exciting, so lets get started!

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.

Inside My Travel Makeup Bag

Hey everyone! I was hoping to have this post up before my short trip away to the Lake District, however I just didn’t have the time, so here’s a look inside my makeup bag with a little feedback of how I got on with the stuff I took. Such great English I speak!! Anyways isn’t the bag itself gorgeous? Such a bargain of a find from Primark for only £3! The moment I saw it I thought of the popular Urban Outfitters version and it was a great buy because I easily carried my makeup, skincare and body-washes inside.

The Base
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in St. Moritz (£29) I went for this because it’s the most travel friendly of all bases, the packaging can’t smash nor is it heavy and it also contains SPF 30. This shade looks a little too dark at first but as it is a TM it blends just fine and leaves a healthy light/medium coverage. It’s also easy to apply with the fingers so no brush necessary. I really enjoyed using this overall, but I’m not sure that it’s better than the MUFE Face & Body (reviewed) because even with powder it did fade after 7ish hours. I was however always using a light layer and I didn’t use a primer so perhaps that’s why, but I’ll report back when I’ve used it long enough.
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX06 (£36.50) You all know that I love concealers, it’s the one step that I won’t skip out due to my relentless dark circles! So when I had to pick just one, this was at the top of my list, full coverage, water-proof, long-lasting, creamy, brightening...and the list goes on. The only issue I have is that it can crease but with the right techniques it can work a treat.
Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder in 53 (£9.00) This has been my favourite face powder for a while, it provides light coverage, keeps any base in place for longer and matches my skintone pretty well! The mirror inside is also really handy for travelling and I always use this with a kabuki brush I got from a Dior highlighter. It worked well at setting the SSE, I don’t normally use this under my eyes because I prefer a yellow toned one, however it did the job decently well!

The Cheeks
NARS Blush Duo - Laguna and Orgasm (£30) This was actually limited edition and I’m so glad I picked it up because it was my first encounter with the wonderful Laguna bronzer. I haven’t been giving this enough love so I decided to take it along with me and I loved using it! Orgasm has a lot of gold to it, without over powering the mix of red/pink and it looks super  flattering against olive skin. Unfortunately this duo is actually limited edition, I have found a link which I included above but I’m not sure if they’ll be restocking it. However I think these blush duos are great value for money as you get around 5g of each shade which is very generous for the price.

Sleek Blush in Flamingo (£4.49) reviewed I have had this for ages! Around the two and a half year at least and again I don’t use it enough. It’s a gorgeous slightly blue toned pink shade which is a great change from my typical peach tones that I favour. Especially for the summer time, this shade of pink is perfect and although it involved a fair bit more blending out I really enjoyed popping this onto my cheeks - a true gem from Sleek!

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Highlighter in Gilded Honey (£21) I’ve mentioned this in a couple of posts now but my love for this shows no signs of dying anytime soon! This is the most perfect gold highlighter EVER, beautifully pigmented and small enough to slot neatly in my bag. I also find that baked products are a lot more sturdy to travel with, than powders such as the Mary-Lou Manizer which crumble easily so this is good all round.

The Lips
Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Liner in 2C (£13) I don’t think I’ve had the chance to rave about these on my blog yet, but ladies, these lip liners are IN-CRED-IBLE! They’re my favourite formula of lip liner ever and worth every single penny. 2C is a very natural shade, perhaps a little deeper than my own lips meaning it makes a great base for any lipsticks. I feel like when I slightly over line with this lip-liner it  looks believable and it lasts for a long time too - most of it was still on after a shower!
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (£16) Another newbie to my collection, I decided to take this along with me as a slightly mauve option however I didn’t end up using it! It’s a beautiful lip pencil but I still need to test it out a little before I can decide if it’s worth the pretty hefty price-tag.
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Liner in Tiramisu (£2.99) This range is amazing, Rimmel’s lip liners rival high-end brands effortlessly and Tiramisu is a beautiful shade. It’s a deeper version of MUFE 2C and it’s one that matches a lot of my favourite lipsticks. Again it’s a shade I can always turn to, a quick swipe and I look more pulled together in an instant.
Rimmel London Moisture Renew in Nottinghill Nude (£6.49) has been a long time lipstick favourite, it’s one of the best nudes for my Stromboli skintone and its also really comfortable to wear on the lips. It also works well with any of the lip-liners mentioned above - a great lippie for everyday.
Colourpop Lippie Stix in Brink ($5.00) has been my favourite from the three that I picked up, a dusty taupe with a matte finish - its not really a summer time shade but I’m still obsessed with it. I wore it to Alton Towers where it lasted pretty well! If you guys want a review on the three lippie stix shades I own do let me know ^_^

 The Eyes
Colourpop Super Shock in Get Lucky ($5.00) This has been my go to eye product since I bought it so it was a no brainer for me to include this cute little pot in my makeup bag and I used it every single day. A little over the top to rock golden eyelids on the daily? Not at all ;D Sometimes I used it alone and other times I added some extra shadow. Either way this is the best $5 I’ve spent on eye makeup ever!
Rimmel Eyeshadow Palette in Brixton Brown (currently £5.24) The ideal travel palette, it has a highlight shade a lovely crease shade and a colour for deepening things up. Oh and lets not forget that red shade in the middle, a real pop of colour which I love to mix in with whatever shade I have popped into the crease. The quality of these shadows aren’t the most wonderful on the market, however it works well for such a small and portable palette.
Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in 001 (currently £3.97) this really is a blast from the past - the first eyeliner I ever bought and the one I stuck with throughout year 10. Eyeliner was my jam and this particular one is super black and decently long lasting. In fact it comes pretty high in my list of drugstore lines (coming soon!). The only issue is that the nib isn’t the finest, so it can be easy to overdo it.
Benefit Roller Lash Travel Size this is the only mini Mascara I have open so I took it along but didn’t end up using it. In general though it’s a decent one, it lengthens really well and doesn’t clump however it doesn’t add enough volume. So when I DO use it, a second mascara is essential.

Other

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Chocolate (£15) reviewed the most long lasting brow product I own, a holiday essential. I’ve spoken about this so much on my blog I feel like I don’t need to go on and on - just have a search through!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Large Synthetic Brow Duo 12 (£15) A newbie but seriously a total game changer. I always debated if it was worth paying extra for a proper brush designed by the Queen of brows - now I only wish I had gone for it earlier. Seriously no other brush can compare, it is amazing. Small enough to add shape without going overboard, slanted enough to create real hair like strokes and that spoolie? Yaaaas - one of my best purchases of 2015 without a doubt!
Makeup Forever Mist and Fix 30ml (£8.00) I’m still testing this out so I thought I would take it along and see if it made a huge difference - but so far not really. I usually test this by spraying half my face and then checking in later on, which showed me that it extends makeup wear marginally. But we shall see!
Topshop Lip Perfector in Ambition (£6.00) I picked this up with the hopes that it would be a lovely nude shade lip balm, however it just doesn’t really show up on my lips! It’s pretty similar to my natural lip colour and although I love the packaging and the whole applicator I wouldn’t repurchase this. It’s a nice little tube to carry around though and it does add a shine whilst doing an alrightish job of moisturising the lips.

The Body Stuff
Sainsburys Travel Set of 3 plastic bottles 50ml (£2.00) Such a bargain! These little sets are essential for anyone travelling away for a week or so, it minimises packaging, weight and they’re recyclable so yay for cute lil bottles. Also this set comes with a mini funnel which helped with the oil a lot.
Inside the bottles I put in the Una Brennan Superfacialist Cleansing Oil, Dove Damage Solutions Intensive Repair Shampoo and the Soap and Glory Clean On Me Body Wash.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (£20) This rather pricey moisturiser has been floating my boat recently, I picked it up on sale and I’m so glad I did because it really is brilliant. They describe it to be a moisturiser, primer and even a makeup remover (not sure about the last one). It nourishes the skin so well and preps it well for makeup too.

Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Night Cream (£5) is awesome. I stopped using any night-cream for a while and just stuck with oils, but since introducing this into my skincare routine I really have felt the benefits. They have done such a good job with this, it manages to take away any tightness without being too heavy and my skin feels so plump once applied.

I also picked up the Nivea Daily Essentials Cleansing Wipes the travel pack which were on special offer at Sainsburys. I got these for removing eye makeup as I normally use an oil based cleanser, however I have to say I don’t recommend these at all. They weren’t kind to that delicate under-eye area and a couple of lashes fell out too which wasn’t pleasant! The other set of wipes I bought were the Sani Hands Anti-Bacterial Hand Wipes which are a travelling essential when you’re eating out in my opinion. These came in super handy and I would definitely buy them again, they have a cool textured surface which helped to clean the hands.

And finally the brushes - but I'm not gonna list them out individually sorry ladies! Let me know if you need any details here, my wrists are aching from all this typing. In short Real Techniques and that fabulous Eco-tools duo (reviewed here) along with the most perfect blending tool ever - the beauty blender which I have a post about coming up soon ^_^

Anyways this post went on for far too long and took me ages to complete D: Serves me right for packaging so much right!

 

What are some of your favourites in your travel makeup bag?

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Inside My Travel Makeup Bag

Hey everyone! I was hoping to have this post up before my short trip away to the Lake District, however I just didn’t have the time, so here’s a look inside my makeup bag with a little feedback of how I got on with the stuff I took. Such great English I speak!! Anyways isn’t the bag itself gorgeous? Such a bargain of a find from Primark for only £3! The moment I saw it I thought of the popular Urban Outfitters version and it was a great buy because I easily carried my makeup, skincare and body-washes inside.

New Muji Additions + a peak inside

I remember the day my first ever Muji package arrived. It was glorious. Unwrapping the beautiful acrylic drawers and setting them up on top of each other, then carefully filling each one up and arranging my makeup so I could see exactly what I have - it was (and still is) a brilliant feeling. I love knowing what I own just by glancing at my dressing table and lets not forget that organising each section by the brand is SO satisfying! (I can’t be the only one ._.). I think I bought my first Muji drawers a year and a half ago, and now I’ve finally completed my set up. They’re fairly affordable for what they are, however I found it easier to purchase 2 drawers at a time, rather than all of the set up in one go. This post is going to talk about my new Muji additions, but let me know if you’d like a full ‘tour’.

P.S Don't judge me whilst reading this post - remember I'm very very savy, those Dior foundations? I've not paid full price for a single one :p I actually got Dior star totally free thanks to the Boots advantage card system! I shouldn't have to justify my collection, but I've had a couple of, well not very subtle remarks - so there you have it. Work hard, play hard as they say. *clears throat* so lets get started:

My newest two additions were purchased with the need of keeping all my bases together and in one place, in mind. I decided to pick up the Stackable Acrylic CD Box (£6.95) and it is perfect for holding all the foundations, BB and CC creams I own. It looks gloriously sleek and almost like there is not acrylic in-front! I appreciate how roomy this is, I can arrange bases in whatever order I like. Currently it’s the Dior sisters with my new HG base - the Make Up For Ever Face & Body review coming soon. However I plan on arranging them based on summer shades at the front and winter at the back. I’ve mentioned before that I don't have to worry about my face matching my neck as it's not on show one of the perks of being a Hijabi hehe, however I do prefer using my warmer shades in the summer months as I have tanned a little.

I also bought a smaller version of the two drawers. The Acrylic box 2 drawer narrow (£7.95) is just a tiny bit smaller than the CD box, making it the ideal size to stack underneath. The drawers are a great size for fitting thing in that you need every day. It’s right by my fingertips and having my key 3-4 products close by means I can do my makeup in 5 minutes if need be - yay being organised(ish).

 In my first drawer I have my beloved Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancers in SX08 reviewed and SX06. They’re phenomenal, I use them as concealers and sometimes as a tinted moisturiser too. A tiny bit goes a long way and they have the best coverage ever. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade in Chocolate reviewed here is my go-to brow product, as well as the L.A Girl Pro Concealer in Creamy Beige reviewed here - my most used drugstore concealer. The Essence I heart stage eyeshadow base is pretty awesome, it covers all discolouration and seems to enhance longevity whilst increasing pigmentation of shadows, so when I have the time I use this (otherwise I’ll just apply left over concealer). My Benefit Erase Paste concealer in 3 is a fantastic corrector for those days the SSE doesn’t cut it alone and I also have my current favourite eyeliner - the Soap and Glory Supercat liner which is easy to use and last all day as long as there’s a good base in place. Finally (this little draw fits a lot right!) I have the Topshop Glow Pot in Polished which is part of their limited edition ‘5 years of beauty’ range and recently I have been obsessed with this stuff! The creamy texture makes it so easy to apply and for this new ‘strobing’ trend this is your best-friend - it’s a mix between a silver and a champagne shade and it really gives a beautiful glow as the name suggests.

 On to the second drawer, I have my most used lip products as well as my ‘new ins’. As you can see they’re all a kinda ‘my lips but better’ shade or some variation of it. I currently have the Colourpop Lippie Stix in Frida, Lumiere and Brinx with the last being my current favourite. Gloss wise I’ve been enjoying the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Lunch Date - non-sticky and beautifully pigmented, I find this is excellent on top of lipliners. The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets in 07 Nude-ist and 12 Beau brun are my newest drugstore purchases - first impressions are I can 100% understand the hype. They’re almost weightless on the lips, non-drying whilst being pigmented in one swipe AND long-lasting too. The two Rimmel lipliners East End Snob and Spice reviewed are old time favourites of mine, pigmented creamy and both colours are my cup of tea. I also have two brand new lipliners from Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Liner in 2C and 3C there will be posts dedicated just to these beauties, I shan’t give away too much away but I am absolutely SMITTEN. The Rimmel Provocalips in Make Your Move was an instant hit for me when I first bought it, the shade is my absolute favourite and this stays put for hours on end. You can read the full review here. The Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial was one of the first lip products I really loved, a medium/dusty rose pink shade in a glossy formula. It’s the kinda product I can just throw on and it’ll make you feel a little more put together whilst being comfortable on the lips. The last lipstick Wet’n’Wild in Bare It All is a little on the nude side, but paired with one of the lipliners it looks brilliant! Also one day I will get around to going the neutral wet’n’wilds swatches and review I promise ^_^ Finally I have the mini sample of the Benefit Roller Lash mascara which was a sample in a magazine, you guys know me and mascara we have a love/hate relationship but I have to say I’m quite happy with this for day-to-day.

Phew! That was a longer post than I had intended, I’ve linked everything I’ve mentioned above. Please let me know if you enjoyed this type of post, I personally LOVE Jasmine’s monthly Muji contents update (her blog is here and it’s amazing, the photography, the content and the blogger herself, she’s so genuine and kind!) and if you guys enjoyed reading this I’d like to add more Muji to my posts ^_^

Do you have any Muji storage? What’s your favourite thing about them?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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