Cosmic Bronze Eyeshadow Quad by Fleur de Force

When it was announced Fleur was releasing a makeup range I was really excited - she was the first beauty blogger I started following and I always turn to her when I'm looking for a review of a product as I find she's almost always right and has brilliant taste in makeup. I knew her makeup line would be special, because I couldn't imagine her releasing something she wasn't 100% happy with. It's taken me a little while to get my hands on her products, but better late than never!

L'Oreal Pais Super Liner Perfect Slim

I love a liquid liner all year around, but there's something about the festive season that makes me reach for the liner pen even more - nothing quite beats the cat-eye flick and a red lip!

I'm quite a fuss-pot when it comes to eyeliners, they have to be the right intense black colour, the perfect size and they must be long lasting. I've always gone with the Soap & Glory option which is brilliant, but after hearing rave reviews about the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner I thought I'd give it a go to see how it compared.

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil

Winter is the season I really amp it up with my skincare. I like to give my skin that extra boost and little bit of help to fight off the cold weather and give it a little extra lovin'.
I was doing some researching into new products to try and saw a lot of people saying how important an oil is and how much it can make a difference to the appearance of your skin, me being the skincare fiend I am decided to purchase an oil to add into my routine.
Pai is a brand I'd wanted to try for a while, having heard lots of brilliant reviews about their products and knowing they're all organic and vegan made me instantly interested in seeing what they had to offer. I took a look at their website and saw they had a Rosehip oil, and I instantly made a purchase.

Beauty Handbag Saviours

Us girls all have those few products we can't leave the house without, right? Mine change quite frequently but I always carry a few handbag saviours around with me, as well as at least 6 lipsticks (oops!).

Christmas Gift Guide - For Her

I love buying Christmas presents for other people, and actually get far more joy going out and choosing gifts for people I care about and seeing them happy when they open them than receiving presents myself. Although it's something I always look forward to it can be easy to get stuck in a rut and not know what to get someone, so I thought I'd give you a little helping hand!
I've complied a list of gift ideas, ranging from major bargains and stocking fillers to more luxury and pricey gifts for a lucky recipient. Whether you find something in this post ideal for a loved one or not I hope it gives you so inspiration, maybe you see something you can add to your own Christmas wish
 list!

November Favourites 2015

We all say it every month, but November really seems to have flown by so fast I don't quite know what's happened. We're now into December, which is a little crazy, the last month of the 2015 and lots of exciting things to look forward to (eeeeekkk Christmas!).
November's been quite a strange month for me, I've been backwards and forwards to doctors and hospitals with a hip injury and have been off work so I haven't had all that much time for shopping and discovering new products. That being said there have been a few things that have stood out as favourites this month.

All year around I'm normally a reds nail varnish girl; bright red in warmer months and berry toned reds in colder months, however I've been used a gorgeous grey colour on my nails during most of November and totally loving it. Essie's Chinchilly nail polish (£7.99) is a gorgeous grey with hints of purple in it, with the perfect balance between being cool and warm. The neutral tone manages to look classy yet edgy at the same time, meaning it goes well with any outfit or suits any occasion.

New - Dove DermaSpa

I can't remember the last time I used a product from Dove. They're just not a brand I think to turn to for skincare/bodycare, but when they approached me to see if I wanted to try some products from their new DermaSpa range I was excited to give them a go.
Dove, in partnership with leading skin and beauty experts, have created it's most scientifically-advanced body care products ever, with industry leading technology resulting from 10 years of skincare research and the involvement of 280 scientists the Dove DermaSpa range was born.

I was sent a few products from the range, and I've picked my favourite 3 to share with you.
The two products I got the best results from were hand creams, I know...I know...I don't normally like hand creams so this goes to show how good the Dove ones are.

The one I've been using every night for a restorative treatment is the DermaSpa Intensive hand cream (£4.99), which is designed to instantly soothe and restore very dry skin. This is a richer formulation out of the two, so I use it once I've got into bed and am ready to sleep; I rub it well into my hands and let it work it's magic overnight. It's non-greasy but quite heavy, and I find it works wonders at helping any dryness to vanish. If you have sensitive skin I think this would be ideal for you as it isn't scented and feels soothing.

Yes To Carrots Daily Facial Moisturiser

I'm not loyal to any daily moisturiser, I jump between different brands constantly and never seem to find one that wows me.

I've recently been hearing a lot about the 'Yes To..' brand, and knowing that they use natural ingredients made me even more interested in them. I was drawn to the 'Yes To Carrots', purely because I know how wonderful carrots are for the skin and whenever I eat them I feel really good, so a skincare product that contains these orange sticks of amazingness cannot be a bad thing! I purchased the Yes To Carrots Facial Moisturiser (£9.99) and have been using it for a few weeks now, so I thought I'd let you know my thoughts on it.

Halloween Bath Time

During the warmer months I'm definitely a shower over baths type girl, however as soon as the winter winter creeps up on us I instantly crave baths. I find them so comforting, relaxing and uplifting when it's cold, rainy and dark outside. My go-to bath products are always Lush, I love to use their bubble bars, bath bombs, bath melts, everything is amazing and there's so much choice...I'm also a huge fan of the brand itself and respect them massively for the work they do trying to fight animal testing. 

Lush are always bringing out limited edition products to fit the season, and I got my hands on the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar!

Night Time Skincare Routine

I've never felt entirely happy with my skincare routine, especially my PM one. I've never felt like it was doing much for my skin, and some steps I was taking seemed pointless. It's taken me quite a while to find products that really work for me, but I think my current routine might be a winner.

I'll start by saying I have normal to dry skin, that's quite sensitive. I luckily don't tend to get many breakouts (touch wood), but I feel like my skin needs a bit of help with evening complexion.
Also, I haven't included any face masks in this post as I tend to change them up a lot and don't have a stand-out favourite (recommendations welcome!), so this is just my typical every day evening skincare routine!

Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter

I'm all about trying to keep that healthy, glowing look in my skin at the moment. We're well into Autumn, and Winter is rapidly creeping up on us which means my skin is starting to suffer. Keeping on top of my skincare routine helps dramatically, but sometimes I feel like I need miracle makeup products to really awaken my complexion and banish any signs of dullness.
The Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter (£24.50) (longest name ever..) has been my go-to makeup product over the last month.

It's All About That Base

I'm all about that base....(refrains from singing Meghan Trainer.....).
Perfecting your base makes a huge difference to your makeup end result, and I love making sure I'm confident with how my skin looks. Over the years I've collected a few holy-grail base products, ones I know I'll continue to repurchase and have become staples in my day-to-day makeup routine.

Primer isn't something I use every day, simply because I don't need it and sometimes I feel it can clog up my pores. But a product I do use, which isn't marketed as a primer but I find helps to prime my skin and prolong the wear of my foundation, is the Elemis Pro-Illuminating Flash Balm. It's a relatively recent find for me, but it's quickly become a firm favourite for it's brightening, skin perfecting qualities. I'll be posting a full review soon.

Autumn Berries

Autumn is my favourite season. I love the crisp, fresh air, the cold but not unbearably freezing weather, the leaves turning beautiful browns and reds, conkers, Autumn fashion and of course Autumn cosmetics.
As soon as the season comes around I get so excited to whip out the berry lipsticks, nail varnish and when I'm feel adventurous the berry toned eyeshadows (think MAC Cranberry....*swoon*).

Berry lipsticks are my favourite. I'm a huge lover of a smokey eye and nude lip, but something about a berry toned lips makes me so happy. I instantly feel put together, confident and a lot more seasonal. I have a few lipsticks in this category, but I've whittled it down to 1 high end and 1 drugstore favourite.

Top Tips For Healthy, Shiny Hair

Rewind about a two years and you'd see I didn't have the best conditioned hair. It felt constantly dry, not very nourished, it was frizzy and dull. Fast forward to now and you'd see I have very healthy hair, that grows quickly, is shiny, healthy and very rarely feels dry. I've made a few tweaks to my lifestyle that have caused my hair health to improve, and I completely swear by them. If you're having issues with dry or lacklustre hair maybe try these things out.

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf

I've been on the hunt for a new fragrance. I absolutely adore my YSL Black Opium, but sometimes find it a little heavy. I wanted something lighter, more girly but not too sweet, a combination that was actually quite tricky to find, especially as I'm quite fussy when it comes to scents anyway. After trying out goodness knows how many samples (I now have quite the collection) I decided on Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf. What can I say? It was love at first sniff.

NARS Sheer Glow, Worth The Hype?

As a lover of beauty blogs and discovering the best makeup trying NARS Sheer Glow foundation has been a long time coming. It's a product I've wanted to try out for what feels like forever, and seeing practically every beauty blogger in existence raving about the foundation just made me long for it even more. When it comes to foundation I do like a light/medium coverage every day, but for nights out, special occasions or just when I want to be a bit more dolled up I always opt for a fuller coverage that'll give me that flawless skin effect.

I can tell you now that I love NARS Sheer Glow! I have the shade Mont Blanc and it's a pretty perfect match.
The foundation comes in typically sleek NARS packaging - a glass bottle with a matte black lid, which feels expensive and sturdy. The only downfall when it comes to packaging is the bottle doesn't come with a pump, meaning you have to tip the product onto the back of your end…..often resulting in too much product which'll go to waste. For a foundation that costs over £30 I'd really expect a pump!
The foundation itself doesn't live up to the name 'sheer glow', as it's not sheer and not especially glowy. The consistency isn't runny, but nor is it thick; it's a brilliant in-between that glides onto the skin smoothly, is beautifully easy to blend and although it's a high coverage looks very natural on the skin. The foundation covers imperfections really well, so well that I don't need to use any concealer (except under my eyes), which is a really bonus.
Another winning point is that Sheer Glow is very long lasting. I often find even more expensive foundations tend to wear off by the end of the day, but NARS have done a fantastic job with the formulation because it looks almost perfect all day.

At £31 for 30ml it's quite pricey, but a little bit of this foundation goes a long way and it's definitely worth the money. It's my favourite foundation ever.

Origins Night-A-Mins Moisturiser - Review

Over the last couple of years that I've got into skincare I've tried out different cleansers, exfoliators and serums but night creams are something I've not focused on much. I've always just gone with a standard moisturiser, and never spent too much. However, recently I was browsing good old eBay and came across a 30ml sample of Origins Night-A-Mins, which is a night moisturiser I've heard rave reviews about but is quite pricey so I've never taken the plunge. A sample seemed like the perfect option, and I'm now considering splurging on the full sized product.

Origins Night-A-Minds is a night cream that's focussed on reduced the dullness of skin, and leave your face feeling refreshed, radiant and moisturised. It's enriched with vitamins C, E and H and has a slightly orangey scent which I really like. I find it isn't too thick nor is it greasy, but it still feels so nourishing and rich on the skin which is perfect for bedtime.
After about a month of use everyday (in conduction with my beloved hydraluron) I've noticed quite a difference in my skin! My skin feels soft and definitely looks more radiant, I've definitely noticed a difference in 'imperfections' as well; I've mentioned before that when I get spots they take a long time to completely fade, but I feel like this moisturiser has really sped up that process and my skin is looking clearer than ever….*touch wood*.
The full size product is £34.50 for 50ml which definitely puts it in the luxury product range, but I do reckon the pot would last you a while and as I always say 'you only get one face, look after it'. If you want to try it out before paying the larger sum of money there are several sample's for sale on eBay, which you can find here.

What's your current night cream?

Do you think it's worth spending more on 

luxury skincare products?

x

The Easy Liquid Eyeliner

When a lot of people hear the words 'liquid eyeliner' they get a bit freaked out. It's notoriously difficult to apply, and fairly tricky to get even…it does however give a beautiful look, and if you're looking to get a cat eye flick then there is no better way.
Gel eyeliners may look the best, but if you're a beginner or don't have a steady hand it can be difficult to get right, and you may end up with uneven flicks, or black smudges around your eyes. Thankfully there is a product to save the day….enter Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner (£6).

I'm sure you've all seen these felt-tip style eyeliners before, they're everywhere! I have tried a few of them before, but the best one I have come across is by Soap & Glory.
Some eyeliners in this style have been a bit of a nightmare for me, whether it's the bulky tip, the short pen or the actual product not coming out well (resulting in streaky eyeliner…not a good look), I've had my issues with them, however the S&G fine marker style tip and easy to hold packaging are a dream, and the look it gives is faultless.
The packaging itself just looks like a pen, but I love that it's quite a long tube; it makes it so much easier to use. The fine point tip is amazing because you can get whatever desired look you want to go for; whether it's a tiny bit of definition on the upper lash line or a more intense look with a flick, you're sorted! The liquid is fantastic; it's jet black, fast drying, smooth and intense.
So, if you're struggling to get on with gel eyeliner, or you just want a product to turn to when you're in a hurry then look no further, Soap & Glory have got it covered with their Supercat Eyeliner.

Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream AND Upcoming Beauty Events

Balance Me is a brand I hadn't tried until recently, but it's a brand I'd heard a lot about and was very excited to try. What really stands out to me is how great their ethos and aim behind the brand; Balance Me uses naturally active botanicals, hi-tech natural formulations and pure grade essential oils to deliver a skincare range that both has aromatherapy inspired aromas and beautiful textures that can be used across all skin types. Their philosophy is 'beauty that works naturally', and they want to restore balance in the skin. Pretty great huh?!

I tried their Moisture Rich Face Cream* (£15), which is targeting at normal to dry/sensitive skin - great for me, as my skin does get quite dry and is definitely sensitive.
My first impression of this product was a bit disheartening, the smell is really rather strong of roses. I tend to stay clear off scented products because they don't normally agree with me skin, and I find them a bit odd when they're very strong and linger. However, if you're into nicely scented face creams I'm sure you'd love it, and if not (like me) it isn't really a big deal.
The cream itself does feel rich, but it isn't at all heavy which I really liked. The texture is very smooth, silky and works into the skin really well. I do find that after applied it made my face feel quite stiff and tight, but that does go away after a little while…it is a bit annoying though.
Now, the big question, have I noticed a change in my skin since using this face cream? Yes, I have. Nothing ground-breaking, but my skin has felt soft, it's looked plumper and the moisturising claims are correct.
So, I was impressed with this moisturiser…I'm not sure it's going to be a holy-grail product for me, but I do like it and would recommend it. I'm excited to try more Balance Me products!


BALANCE ME, MARIE CLAIRE AND DEBENHAMS EVENTS
If you're a Balance Me fan, or would like to know more about the brand then this may interest you.
Balance Me are teaming up with Marie Claire and Debenhams to host 4 in-store events this September and October. Discover personalised skin, body and haircare, and refresh your beauty regime with 15% discount off Balance Me products. You can also talk to skincare experts about your individual needs or skin concerns, as well as getting a personal skin-reading session with Balance Me's mobile skin scanner. They'll be a free-prize draw for the chance to win a Balance Me hamper worth £150, AND you can chat with the members of the Marie Claire team for top beauty tips.
Tickets are £10, this includes a goodie bag worth £75!

All the information here!

30th September - Oxford Street
2nd October - Cardiff
8th October - Chester

Have fun!

x

My All Time Favourite Lipgloss

I've always very much been a lipstick over lipgloss type of gal. I'm not one for constant reapplication, I don't enjoy the sticky feeling, and I certainly don't appreciate the inevitable hair stuck to lips situation, however the NARS lipgloss in Stolen Kisses* (£18.50) (one of their new ones!) has got me reaching for it ever so often.

So, what's so great about  this lipgloss? Well, it's just miles better in every possible way to anything I've tried…(I mean, it really should be considering the price).
The packaging is classic NARS, very simple yet it feels classy and expensive, and you do get a fair amount of product.
Now, the gloss itself is extremely pigmenting, and the colour payoff is stunning. Stolen Kisses is a very natural shade, almost 'my lips but better' but darker and much prettier with a slight hint of shimmer…that to be honest is barely noticeable, but I like that. The colour goes well with any makeup look, I've worn it with a smokey eye and with a 'no-makeup' look and both look pretty gorgeous. I do get complimented when I wear it as well…always a bonus.
The texture is spot on, it's not thick and gloopy nor is it running, and it ranks very low on the stickiness scale; meaning it's extremely comfortable to wear and it doesn't feel like my lips are being glued together.
When it comes down to how long the lipgloss actually stays on the lips I was highly impressed, without eating or drink the shade was still there a good 3 or 4 hours later, obviously it fades over time but nowhere near as much as I had expected from a gloss…I was really surprised!
So, NARS, I applaud you!