Everyday makeup routine // current favourites

It's been a while since I've had a proper chat about my current makeup routine and my favourites, so I decided to combine the two and discuss what I've been loving so much, that I've been using them all on the regular. It is officially the summer holidays!! So I've spent the last couple of days either shopping for my first ever classroom, or just lounging about and relaxing at long last. So this makeup routine is more what I was doing in the final weeks of term, whist I was supply teaching (more on that in an update post!).

Starting with the base, I have been LOVING using the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow (£38.50) after applying my favourite moisturiser. As I have been so exhausted since way Easter time - really there has been SO much going on, I feel like my skin really has suffered the consequences 😪. Late nights, stress, dehydration, you all know the drill and my skin will need a good amount of pampering this summer to get back on track. As a little cheat, I've been using the wonder glow to add some glow and not only does my foundation look better over the top, but it just adds a gorgeous sheen to the skin. On no makeup days I like mixing a little in with my moisturiser too. I think there are better liquid lighters out there in terms of intensity, but this is a beautiful before foundation step. The base of choice, has been the Wet'n'wild photo foundation in golden beige ($5.99) . I've linked the site where I purchased mine from, and if you don't spend over £15 you won't be charged customs. Anyways this foundation is gorgeous, I love it and I can't believe it's so incredibly affordable! I definitely will be repurchasing it - the shade match is amaaaazing, the coverage is medium and the finish is pretty natural. Let me know if you'd like a full review.

Also it's not often that I talk about foundation brushes, because I am a HUGE beauty blender fan...but I have just gone about 3 months without using one. I really couldn't justify picking another one up whilst I was training and not earning a penny, so I decided to use face brushes and fingers. Don't get me wrong, beauty blenders are still the one and only tool for me if I HAD to pick, but actually the Morphe E6 brush (£15.00) is brilliant. I felt like I was using less product with this brush and with a stippling motion, the size of the brush meant my face was blended in next to no time - perfect for anyone with a busy morning routine. I used to adore the RT buffing brush, but I've literally chucked those out since I've had this in my collection, cause they just do not compare!

Moving on to concealer, old habits die hard here! Well, actually in the last couple of months I did try this phase of going for a lighter coverage undereye, but nothing would work as well as my beloved Kevyn Aucoin Sensual skin enhancer in SX07 (£38.00) reviewed here.  And what I love most about this pot of goodness is that you can actually adjust the coverage if need be. It's my tried and tested and has definitely earned the title of H.G. And to set it, as you can tell from the photo I have been loving yet another U.S drugtore product - the wet'n'wild contouring powder in caramel toffee ($5.99). Majorly hit pan and I will be ordering another one soon, because I love it, the yellow powder is so brightening and its really comparable to more high end powders. I also still do my 'light bake' with whatever loose powder I am using, I don't have a particular favourite at the moment, but just search loose powder in the side bar if you want to know my thoughts on the ones I've used.

Brows...really not much has changed here either! I am still smitten with the ABH dip brow in chocolate (£15.00) and in total shock that it has lasted this long. I have often added a couple of drops of the kiko mixing solution (not on the website for some strange reason!) which works really well at reviving it. The brush I've been obsessed with for the last few months is actually the primark brow brush (£2.50), it honestly rivals brushes that are 4-5X the price, I highly recommend you picking it up.

The eyeshadow palette of choice has been the Zoeva Cocoa blend (£18.00), which is genuinely one of the best palette out there right now. The mattes are creamy enough and have good pigment and the shimmer shades are beautiful on the lid. Colourwise, it is just perfection - with all the shades I need for a basic look. Don't get me wrong, my single shadows palette is still my all time favourite because of the amazing variety and formula - but I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for a daily palette with the basics you need if you're a warm toned lover! The mascara of choice has been the Essence rock n doll (£2.80) because it adds a lovely amount of volume - not the most length, but its a goodie!

Moving on to the face powders, it has been a bit of a Narssist party! The laguna-orgasm duo (which you can get an adorable mini version of for just £15!!), is something I kept with my throughout my time in Pakistan, partly for the mirror but also because laguna is a must have for me. As for that iconic blush shade, I certainly don't mind it, but its not something I would purchase the full size of. That mini size is literally perfection, I mean I've not had the chance to see it in person yet, but what an affordable and great way to try some NARS iconics! The second NARS product is the One shocking moment palette (limited edition). I have loved using the various shades in this and I'm so pleased I picked it up, because again it was a very affordable way to try several of their products in one go! To be honest it was tucked away, for far too long, so I've ensured I'm using it on a regular basis and I've got a really good feel for those, so keep an eye out. And finally a non-nars product! The Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in that glow (£40) reviewed here is just my favourite for everyday, its beautiful and if you don't own a glow kit yet....YA NEED ONE OKAY.

And finally on to the lips, I have been obsessed with my oldschool jordana lip liner in tawny ($),which I saw years ago on Carli Bybel's channel. It is perfect, the ideal MLBB shade and great for slightly over lining. The formula is fantastic too, so much so that I had to pick up a back up last month. The Huda Beauty Liquid Lipstick in bombshell (£18.00) and The Balm Meet Matte Hughes in committed (£15.00) reviewed here are the two liquid lippies that have been used the most recently. They're both beautiful pink shades, with fairly similar formulas actually - neither are too thick or heavy and to be honest they don't have the best longevity, but they're lovely! That colourpop lippie is actually their ultra glossy lip in weho (I think!), because I've been loving to switch it up with a different finish. YES, colourpop is a pain in the butt to ship over, but I am soooo impressed with weho, because it's such a comfortable creamy, non-sticky gloss - big big fan.


And that is just about it everybody! Those are my current favourites and go-to products, a mix of high end and low, U.S and UK.

What have you been loving recently? 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Everyday makeup routine // current favourites

Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

To prime or not to prime?

Personally I only use a primer on a special occasion, because I tend to stick to my Soap and Glory (£14.99) SPF 50 as being a base, which is so important ladies! I have written a post on it before, but the basic jist is that it manages to get makeup to stick onto the face AND protect the skin. However the Topshop airbrush primer (£12.00) is fantastic for providing a smooth canvas if you have uneven skin. If your makeup melts away quickly, spritz your face with a makeup setting spray after moisturising, but before applying any makeup - the MUFE Mist and Fix 30ml (£8.00) is travel size and very affordable to try out.

Foundation

If we are talking strictly bases you can buy in the drugstore, I would recommend the Bourjois Health Mix Foundation (£10.00) which has a beautiful medium coverage and really leaves a healthy glow to the skin. However the shade range isn't fantastic...so I highly recommend the EX1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation (£12.50), which I didn't love at first but I've grown to like it a lot. I find its quite versatile, though the finish is more on the matte side, if you mix it with some illuminator or even a tin drop of oil you can achieve a glowy finish. The coverage is great too, a solid medium but buildable. I tend to apply it with my E.L.F Stippling brush (£4.50) when I'm wearing it for 'everyday' as it sheers it out a little. They have actually recently released a bunch of new shades, so its no longer limited to just olive skintones. My new shade is 6.0 and I found their website quite helpful when trying to determine the perfect match here.

Correctors and Concealers

My all time favourite corrector is the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Medium (£10.00), which IS pricy for the amount of corrector you actually get! This is a three piece kit and the good thing is, I can use each of the items just fine, however it is the corrector which I love the most. It is the perfect shade for neutralising my horrendous dark circles and works even better than a similar Benefit product! Pricy, but worth it...especially when theres a 3for2 deal on! In terms of actual concealers, the L.A Girl Pro Concealers creamy beige (£5.00) and Collection Lasting Perfection in 3 (£4.19) are my two tried and tested. The L.A girl one is more hydrating, yet has great pigmentation and manages to conceal and brighten at the same time. The collection one is thicker, creamier and if you have dry under-eyes won't be your cup of tea, but as long as I have colour corrected it works a charm.

Powders

Over the years I have liked powders more and more, because quite frankly I cannot wear makeup without a light bit of baking under the eyes these days! When I don't I notice the most awful creasing and melting of my undereye concealer. My favourite brightening yellow powder for under the eye is the Wet 'n' Wild Megaglo contouring palette in Caramel Toffee ($4.99), which I have a post on here. I like to bake with the Coty Airspun loose powder ($8.99) which works really well. I keep it on for about 50 seconds and then brush it off - works like a charm. I don't have a favourite face powder for all over the face, instead I just use the excess of the coty powder over my T-Zone which can get a little oily sometimes.

Contour, Bronzer, Blush and Highlight

For bronzing the face, Topshop's Mohawk (£9.00) is my all time favourite shade and formula from the highstreet. It is beautiful for those of you who have an olive medium skintone and provides the perfect warmth of the skin. Contouring wise, if you're looking for a really strong one which sharpens your features the Natural collection shadow in crushed walnut (£2.00) works a treat! I would advise you go with a light hand though. I have a few favourite blushers from the highstreet, the Sleek blush by 3 in spice (£10.00) is gorgeous for a medium skintone and I often will mix and match the shades. The value for money there is fantastic and so is the pigmentation! I also enjoy the Rimmel soft colour blush in pink rose (£4.00), which has been a long time favourite of mine and mentioned on my blog many times. It is a gorgeous natural flush and you are at no risk of looking like a clown. I have to say for highlight, I am a firm stickler for my highend ones - especially ABH! But when I think my collection and the one I would want to repurchase, I go back to the Topshop Glow Pot (£9.00) or their baked highlighter - either one is BEAUTIFUL. A little goes a long way and both of them can look very natural on the skin, or be built up for a more intense glow.

Brows, Liner and Mascara

Brows is a tough one because I am again so used to my ABH products, which are well worth the investment ladies! However if they're out of your budget, I would recommend checking out the Freedom eyebrow kit (£3.50) which I used to use all the time. It has a range of shades and even a gel in the kit, as well as a mirror, applicator and mini tweezers - the biggest bargain of all time! If you like a bolder brow and don't mind practicing, pick up their version of the ABH drip brow (here for a fiver). I don't think its quite as good as the ABH, but it does the job so long as you have a good spoolie. I am a real fusspot when it comes to eyeliner, but if I HAD to pick one I'd recommend The Balm's Schwing liner (£13.50). Not the cheapest, but by far the best you can pick up in superdrug or online! It is extremly black and lasts all day long. The applicator is thin and relatively easy to create cat eyes with, once you get the hang of it. When it comes to mascara, the only drugstore brand I ever spend money on is Essence! The 'I love crazy volume mascara' (£2.80) is a firm favourite and worth at least 4x the price.

Lips

Finally I'd recommend you pick up a good lip liner and the Rimmel 1000 kisses lip liner in spice (£3.00), is one I have back ups on, just in case they stop making it! My favourite affordable lipsticks are most definitely the Wet n wild mega last lipsticks ($2.00). They're very pigmented, beautifully creamy and ridiculously cheap - you can find a bunch of reviews for them on my blog by searching wetnwild! Liquid lipstick wise, The Balm's Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipsticks (£13.50) are fantastic. They feel comfortable, have a good pigmentation and aren't too drying. At the moment there is a cute little gift set available to purchase for the holidays, which contains 6 of the shades and is sold out everywhere, but keep an eye out, its a good one!

Final Touches...

How could I type up a makeup starter kit without my all time favourite Mario Badescu Facial spray (£7.50). It is definitely my go-to spray for before and after makeup, it hydrates the skin, diminishes any powderyness left on the face and just leaves me with a subtle glow. Although I am loving a more expensive version a little more, I'll always have a bottle of this in my collection!


I really hope this was helpful for you all! It was so nice to sit down and blog without worrying about my huge to-do list, I kind of despair when I see the lack of posts I've managed to get up this year :( But thankyou SO much for continuing to read and support my blog, I hugely appreciate it!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

My go-to / 'everyday' makeup routine

Hello everyone, it has been over a week since I have had the chance to sit down and blog because I have started my teacher training journey and all I can say thus-far is that I'm VERY TIRED. It'll inevitably get a little easier once I get out of the erratic and super relaxed university lifestyle (i.e no real routine and plenty of late nights followed by lie-ins). I thought I'd ease back into blogging with my go-to makeup as of late. This was kind of my everyday summer makeup, because I had a lot more time of course and this is kind of like my favourites post of August too, because these are the products I reached for again and again.

My base of choice has been the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in 7 (£32.00), I wore this throughout my London trip and pretty much every-time I wore makeup in August. It is so beautiful when applied, whether my skin was in a good state or more on the dry/rough side, some how light wonder foundation manages to not accentuate any flaw whilst still providing enough coverage to get me that 'my skin but lets face it, way better'. My skin glows like no tomorrow, without looking sweaty or disco-balling. In fact it looks VERY similar to that famous tutorial Charlotte T did on her youtube channel, recreating Amal Clooney's wedding makeup. I've probably watched it about 20 times, if you don't know what I'm on about this is what I'm talking about! Just to give you an idea of how much I love this, I'm thinking about purchasing the shade 6 for the winter time, as 7 will be far too light. Now I own a silly amount of bases, so to even consider picking up another shade of one I already have really speaks volumes.

Application: I've liked applying this with the Real Techniques Buffing brush, I find it doesn't alter the coverage unlike when I tried it with a damp beauty blender. 

Concealer wise I have been OBSESSED with the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in medium (£10.00) and I really cannot believe I have skipped over this time and time again in the highstreet! This is probably the most perfect corrector shade I have ever tried for my dark circles, I've recently been using the Benefit erase paste again, which I used to swear by and it has nothing on this at all - plus its double the price! As for concealer, I've been using the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX07 (£38.00) which is true HG status for me and I adore it. The coverage is fantastic, a little goes a long way and when set correctly. I have a detailed post of the SSEs coming up in the near future because they're rather expensive and not the easiest to work with, but I can't imagine my makeup routine without it now, so it must be pretty fantastic.

Application: The corrector I always apply with my ring finger in the darkest areas under my eyes. One layer is more than enough to actually correct the darkness and it doesn't cake up at all - so great! I've recently been doing most of the concealer application with the same finger too, getting the majority of it blended in and then finishing off with the beauty blender before setting. 

Setting wise, theres nothing better than the Kat Von D Shade + Light palette ($45.00) coming to the UK really soon 🎉 which is definitely HG status for me. I love mixing the lightest colour with the yellow shade and it both sets and highlights the face perfectly. When I don't use this palette, I massively notice a difference in my makeup so it is another staple. If I have time I'll lightly bake under the eyes with the Coty Airspun loose powder ($8.99), which works really well to set down such a creamy formula like the KA SSE!

Application: Real Techniques Setting brush (£4.89) for the yellow powder and a damp beauty blender for the bake!

Moving on to the cheeks, this summer I have been using my usual blusher of choice: NARS Deep Throat (£23.00) which is basically the most beautiful blush for everyday that was ever invented. I tent to stick to the same KVD palette for bronzing up the face, using the middle shade in a 3 shape for adding warmth and the shade on the left to sculpt out the cheeks. For highlight, Laura Geller's Gilded Honey (£21.00) has been my go-to. When I first got this, I didn't love the baked formula but if you use more of a stiffer brush it picks up the product better.

Application: for blusher I use pretty much any synthetic round brush, my favourite of late has been one from an ebay set I reviewed here. I've been using the large fluffy powder brush in the same set for bronzer and for highlight it's been all about the Morphe M501 (£6.25). Like I said the bristles are a little more firm as a natural haired brush, which makes it excellent for picking up powder formulas. 

Finally moving on to the eye makeup (as I change up the lips all the time), I have really loved wearing a warm eyemakeup look whenever I've had the time. When I went to London, I decided to use my lovely ABH palette to create a quad of shades I could use everyday. Since then I've not actually switched them out because I've been enjoying them so much. The red shade is ABH Sienna - basically the most perfect terracotta brown there ever was in all the lands, a little bit of this in the crease and along the lower lashline is all I need to add some depth and warmth. The shade to the right of Sienna is ABH Peach Sorbet - a lovely all over the lid colour for brightening up any look and it is perfect for everyday too. Going clockwise, I had to pick MUG's Mirage - my all time fave brow bone highlight. It is a beautiful satin formula which is slightly off-white and again works fantastically as an inner corner highlight too for everyday. Finally the most wonderful crease shade to ever exist: MUG Creme Brulee SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS EYESHADOW! You can already see I've made a bit of a dent in it and it is by far a game changer. Yes it looks like nothing much in the pan, but trust me it makes a world of difference.

My eyeliner of choice has been The Balm's Schwing Liquid Liner (£13.50) which is SUPER pigmented. It's actually the darkest liner I have ever used in my life and the best part is the colour lasts all day. Sadly it is not without its issues however, if you happen to get water on your face it transfers instantly and runs down the cheeks very dramatically. Still it works well for the most part and I can create a dramatic sharp line with little to no effort. Finally, last but not least, my mascara of choice in the Tarte Gifted Mascara (£21.52) which has knocked benefit's They're Real out of the water for me. It separates and adds volume like no other mascara, it layers up well and the best part is that it's really easy to remove, major dealbreaker! 


So that is my go-to makeup routine, especially for the summer time. Of course I switched things up now and again, however I did largely stick to these products and I wanted to share them all with you. I do however want to reduce these kinds of posts in which I talk about loads of products, they're getting really uninspiring for me to type and I feel like they're kind of repetitive too. Just to let you know, I am currently deep into my teacher training course and I am REALLY busy. However I do want to continue blogging and reading other blogs and commenting whenever I can, just bear with me! The next two posts are going to be quite specific as they have been requested and on my to-do list for quite a long while. After those posts I'm not really sure, but I imagine I'll be trying to switch up my content a little and do more focused reviews as they're the most 'useful' posts I feel like I share!

What are some of your staple makeup products that you reach for without even thinking about?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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My go-to / 'everyday' makeup routine

Hello everyone, it has been over a week since I have had the chance to sit down and blog because I have started my teacher training journey and all I can say thus-far is that I'm VERY TIRED. It'll inevitably get a little easier once I get out of the erratic and super relaxed university lifestyle (i.e no real routine and plenty of late nights followed by lie-ins). I thought I'd ease back into blogging with my go-to makeup as of late. This was kind of my everyday summer makeup, because I had a lot more time of course and this is kind of like my favourites post of August too, because these are the products I reached for again and again.

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.

LOTW | The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick in Committed

Hello everyone! This will be my last lipstick of the week for a while, as I have quite a few colourpop LLS coming in the post, so will be testing those out and reviewing them in groups of four instead ^_^ Anyway this week I have worn The Balm's Committed for most of the days I've been wearing makeup and I really really like it. So much so that I included it in my May faves too.

Price: This liquid lipstick costs £13.50 which is the typical pricepoint for this brand, right in-between highstreet and highend. Although having said that, it's made more affordable because its available on ASOS and Feelunique, two sites which often have some sort of discount on.

Packaging: A simple plastic tube with a silver lid and a bit of cutesy The Balm image on the front! I like how easy it is to see the colour through the clear tube and theres not a lot to say about the packaging aside from that it's neat and functional. The doe-foot applicator is comfortable to use and I really like how it distributes just the right amount of product too.

Formula and Lasting time: The Balm's liquid lipstick line is awesome, the formula is very light weight and it lasts a looong time! With eating and drinking it has remained in place for 7 hours - pretty impressive seeing as I devoured a scrumptious GBK burger. By the 8.5 hour mark the colour had definitely faded but it still looked decent (don't you just love it when your lippie fades evenly ^_^). It feels kind of cooling on the lips as it dries down. The formula itself isn't very liquid like, it's more on the cream side of things. It does remind me ever so slightly of the Stila formula, however these are a lot less thick. They take longer to dry than your average liquid lipstick formula which is on the runny side, so it will transfer a little for the first 10/15 minutes after application. 

Colour: Committed is a shade which seems to look different on different skintones. I first saw Lustrelux talk about it and on her it seemed quite mauvy, whereas it can come off quite peachy on warmer skintones. On me its a MLBB crossed with a peachy/pink shade too.  I'm not a big fan of pink, I prefer mauves and browns, however I do like committed! For me it's the perfect summer liquid lipstick, as it is that little bit brighter than my usual but I can also happily wear this alone. Although I do love to mix up all my lip choices haha, but this one is good to go alone too which is rare. Overall I would say that Committed is one of the most wearable shades for day-to-day and 

Favourite way to wear it: Like I said, I do like wearing this alone with just a slightly deeper lipliner to define the lips a little. However I also have really enjoying mixing this with lighter liquid lipstick shades, specifically Colourpop's Clueless which as you can see swatched below is a cool toned nude pink shade. I don't know if you can see the mix as well as I had hoped, but hopefully you can see that committed and clueless create a gorgeous mix of mauve, nude and MLBB! 

Overall: I really like this liquid lipstick, its comfortable to wear and easy to apply and go without much thought. I love how it doesn't feel thick on the lips, nor does it flake off. The price point is affordable and its pretty easily accessible here in the U.K - which is rare for a lot of the liquid lipstick brands! I don't think the shade range is the best, although they have come out with a couple of newer ones, but nothing has really caught my eye aside from this shade. To be honest I have more than enough liquid lipsticks in my collection at present, especially with my upcoming colourpop order than should be coming in next week EEEEK, so I'm in no rush to pick up anymore. However the formula definitely gets a thumbs up from me and if you're interested in trying liquid lipsticks but dread the thick, flaky formulas - this line is for you!

Rating: 9/10 - knocking off one point because sometimes I have to apply two layers to get an even coat, I don't know if its because the shade isn't too far off my natural lip colour, or if its just the formula? Anyways, not a biggie but worth noting.

Repurchase? Yes I would repurchase committed, like I said it's rare to find a shade which I can pull off alone without a bunch of other products and this works so well for every single day ^_^

Have you tried The Balm's liquid lipstick line?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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LOTW | The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick in Committed

Hello everyone! This will be my last lipstick of the week for a while, as I have quite a few colourpop LLS coming in the post, so will be testing those out and reviewing them in groups of four instead ^_^ Anyway this week I have worn The Balm's Committed for most of the days I've been wearing makeup and I really really like it. So much so that I included it in my May faves too.

May 2016 Favourites

Hello everyone, it feels so great to be writing a monthly favourites again ^_^ This month the majority of my favourites have been new purchases and there is nothing like new makeup to make me feel excited!

I'm going to start off with the least swoon-worthy items, but these are the products that have been helping my makeup game stay relatively strong, so they're just as important! The Freedom Priming Water (£6.00) is supposedly an exact dupe for the smashbox version, which is an unethical brand so I never had any intention of picking it up. Anyway, the freedom brand in general are known for creating cheeky dupes, I know there are mixed opinions on this but personally I think it’s great to have a brand that creates budget alternatives. I DIGRESS. This water contains a high amount of glycerin, which is also a concentrated ingredient in the much talked about Nivea post shave balm. It is the glycerin which helps the makeup stick to the skin and I find this priming water works well. I spray some on just after moisturising, let it set into the skin for 30 seconds and continue with my makeup. When I’ve finished my makeup, I spritz this over the top and my makeup lasts well.  I also love this for further dampening my beauty blender before I start blending out my concealer - it actually makes a difference to the amount of creasing under the eyes!

As I’ve mentioned now that I’m back to buying makeup, liquid lipsticks are my new best friends. However they do dry out the lips no matter how light the formula, so using the Blistex Relief Cream (£2.65) at night as a lip mask has been making all the difference. I wake up with soft plump lips and without this gem of a product, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the Liquid Lipsticks I own! It’s also one of the first products I spoke about on my blog back in 2013, which shows it has stood the test of time.

Talking about Liquid Lipsticks, the two that have been floating my boat in May are offerings from Gerard Cosmetics and The Balm. I reviewed the Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Lipstick in Everything Nice (£9.50) here, which is a beautiful muted orange toned nude colour. When I say orange, I mean it in the most flattering way and there is just a tiny hint. It’s also one of the only shades I like to wear alone, as most ‘nude’ shades just look a little off on me.  I won't waffle on too much as I have a whole review up already, but great shade and an awesome formula!

The most recent addition to my LL stash is The Balm’s Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting liquid lipstick in Committed (£13.50) which I first saw on Katy's snap months ago. This is another everyday kind of shade, although its more pink than I usually go for. It's probably the only sort of colour that I think is appropriate for work from my collection of LLs so far...and the formula is AMAZING. It has an odd cooling effect on the lips and a vanilla scent, dries down fairly quickly and lasts well throughout the day. It does fade in the inner part of the lips after eating oily food, but the fact that this formula doesn't dry my lips out much at all means it's landed a spot in my favourites.

The Coty airspun powder loose powder in translucent ($8.99) has been a firm favourite this month, as has the technique known as 'baking'. Only I don't like to leave the powder on for too long, or else it just looks a little too matte and feels a lot drier than it needs to be. I own the NARS loose powder too, however I much prefer the Coty one for baking, its affordable and does the job well. Plus it really is translucent, at first it looks a little too light but it ends up almost undetectable. There is a LOT less creasing under the eyes and the oily areas are kept under control too! Couldn't ask for a whole lot more really ^_^

The L.A Girl Pro HD Concealer in Pure Beige (£5.00) is my perfect match and I have been using it a tonne this month thanks to those pesky blemishes on my face. The formula of this concealer, as well as the extensive shade range, is what has me coming back to it time and time again!

And finally on the powder front, back to an oldie but an absolute goodie the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette ($46.00) has been popping up all over my social media accounts because I can't stop adoring it, the love for this runs DEEP. I use every single shade, although the yellow shade is clearly the most frequently tapped into. If I only have 5 minutes to do my makeup, this palette is one of the only things I reach for because I can set, bronze, contour and eyeshadow my face in a matter of minutes.

YES THAT IS CHAMPAGNE POP *squeals* one of the best birthday presents I have ever received in my whole entire life (thank-you Ayesha🙊). I finally have the most coveted highlighter on this planet and it is absolutely stunning, no other highlight has been on my face since I received this beauty. The only thing I want to note is, if you have texture on your face, this does highlight them, so either go in with a light hand or wait for the 'poured'/ cream version to be released in the UK. I'm definitely planning on getting my hands on the liquid version and I'm thrilled that its permanent.

The bronzer that I have not been able to put down this month is Topshop's Mohawk (£9.00). I've had it for a while, but always opted for highend bronzers and totally overlooked this gem in my stash! It's a couple of shades deeper then my skintone, so not too red nor grey toned. Just the perfect bronzer shade which warms my complexion up beautifully! I typically do the '3' bronzer motion on the sides of my face and dust some on my nose, which gives me a lovely warmth to my face. It also blends really nicely, resulting in an actually natural look - I am smitten!

As you may know, I've picked up quite a few Morphe eyeshadow brushes lately, however the two that have been most used are the M330 and the M139. The first M330 Blending Crease brush (£4.95) is a brilliant blending brush, for that transition shade, for merging colours together and for everything in between. Its basic but very much an essential and priced at less than a fiver, I need a couple more! The M139 Tapered Crease Blender Brush (£2.50)  is just as amazing, especially if you have a smaller lid space. This brush is like the little sister to the M330 and I love how its half the price too ^_^ another brush that I need to restock on, it's wonderful for the crease too!

A product I've had in my stash for a couple of years now, which I always whip out for every special occasion is the Illamasqua pigment in 'Ore' (£17.00). It is very hard to describe but I'll have a go...a bronzy/gold with flecks of silver and a tiny hint of khaki. Google the shade and you'll hopefully see what I mean from the swatches available online. Anyway I adore this pigment, it's very versatile depending on what colour base you apply underneath and how you apply it too. For my 21st birthday I did a smokey eye, with this packed all over the lid and I was obsessed with how it turned out. It's a pricy little investment, but so worth it for how it adds a gorgeous touch to my eye makeup.

Those are all my favourites of May! Have you tried any of these products?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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May 2016 Favourites

Hello everyone, it feels so great to be writing a monthly favourites again ^_^ This month the majority of my favourites have been new purchases and there is nothing like new makeup to make me feel excited!

Review | The Balm’s Mr. Write (Now) eyeliner in Jac B. Bronze

Hello everyone! Another review from the awesome Balm Cosmetics, this time focusing on their  eyeliner in the shade Jac. B Bronze* (£13.50). If you’re familiar with the brand you will know that they consistently produce high quality products in the cutest packaging. They have a retro 1950’s theme with adorable characters to match. We are all very familiar with Mary, now let me introduce you to Jac B. Bronze and the rest of the Mr. Write (Nows)!

The Mr. Write Now eyeliners come in a total of 8 shades, mainly sticking to the neutral wearable family. There is a nude shade, a black, an olive, a grey, a brown, a plum, a blue and a gorgeous bronze. I was lucky enough to be sent the last shade, which I fell in love with the moment I swatched in it on the back of my hand. Creamy, pigmented and the perfect size to use on the waterline and to line the eyes closely. I enjoyed using this as a replacement to my usual black winged liner too, it was very subtle but still super pretty. Can we take a moment to appreciate how adorable the box is??

I swiped it on my lower lash-line and smudge it a little underneath, instantly getting a softly glamorous smoky effect. I usually leave my lower lash-line free of product, opting for the standard winged liner instead. But ladies and gents, Jac B. Bronze worked like absolute magic, the colour contrasted so well with my brown eyes and really made them pop! Although it's called bronze I would describe the colour as a cross between gold and bronze, it has a cooler tone that your typical bronze, which means it'll look amazing against most eye-colours. It was just the right amount of smoky for a day time look. I personally don’t apply black liner to the bottom unless its a special occasion because on me it can look pretty intense, this bronzy shade on the other hand managed to strike the perfect balance.

The Mr. Write eyeliners are retractable, which is always a bonus, however to make matters even better they’ve included a little sharpener at the end of the pencil! This means that when the tip has worn down a little, you can pull off the end and literally sharpen it to get that ultra precise shape again. The only issue I had with this was spending a good 7 minutes trying to get the end off ._. I like how the lids are the same colour as the pencil itself, it’s really helpful if you own more than one shade.

Lasting time on my eyelids was very impressive - with a bit of light eyeshadow underneath this pencil lasted all day on me. On the lower-lash line is lasted pretty much the whole day (9-10hours), just fading a little towards the end. In the waterline itself after a couple of swipes it stayed put for 6 hours which I was very impressed with. My favourite nude eyeliner is the Rimmel one because it’s so affordable, however in the future I will definitely be picking up the shade Brian as a replacement!
You can purchase Jac or any of the other liners here.

Overall Rating

Rating: 9

Pros: Beautiful bronze/gold colour which really makes brown eyes pop, its a simple way of adding a little bit of glam to your eye-makeup, very pigmented and silky smooth, lasts the whole day on the top lid, lasts a decent 6 hours in the water line, retractable so no sharpener needed...but it has its own little sharpener to keep the tip precise!

Cons: The little sharpener is tricky to get off, but thats about it.

Repurchase? Yes I would, the colour and formula is stunning!

 What is your favourite pencil liner?

 

*This post contains PR 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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