What's In My Work Bag?

I've just started doing some work at Kiss FM radio station in London, which is really exciting! I have to travel up from where I live near Brighton to Oxford Street in London. The things I carry in my bag are a bit different to what I carry day to day, so I thought I'd share the contents of my work bag with you.

My work bag itself is a cheapy, from Primark! I can't remember the exact price but it was no more than £12. It's a fantastic size and style for work, and has handy compartments inside.
Let's get the more boring things out the way first. An umbrella, I live in the UK so rain is to be expected and I don't want to be caught in a downpour. I always have paracetamol, Strepsils and plasters on me, because you never know when you might need them. When you're in London hand sanitizer is a must, especially as I have to get the tube, the one I have is just a simple Detol one, but it does the job.
I have a nail strengthening nail varnish, as I have unbelievably weak nails and I like to always make sure I have this varnish on as it helps a lot.
Chewing gum! Another must. I hate not having fresh breath, or having a funny taste in my mouth, so minty Extra gum is great for sorting that out. I always have a piece after my lunch.
Then we have my keys, my freelance pass so I can get into the building, and a very handy device - a portable iPhone charger. Any iPhone owner will know that these phones are great, but the battery life isn't very impressive. The Anker pink portable charger is a complete lifesaver. And of course, I always have my iPhone with me, as well as my iPod for music on the train.
A notebook and pen, part of my job is doing research for the radio shows so it's great to keep things jotted down.
My purse, which I've had for quite a while but I really like it. It's from Topshop, it's very simple but I like that's soft, not bulky and heavy but has enough compartments in it for all my cards (I have quite a few loyalty cards…they're the best).
My new sunglasses! It's May, so the sun is making an appearance more and more, and I have very sensitive eyes, these sunglasses from Warehouse are really gorgeous.

Lastly, the thing I think you'll be interested in the most, my makeup bag. I don't take many things with
me for work, but just a few in case I need to top up during the day. I know the day I don't take it will be the day I need something in it! Garnier hand cream - I hate having dry hands, and this one is non-sticky and quick drying - winner. Nars Luguna Bronzer, I actually carry this more for the mirror instead as it's a great size. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - my favourite! Real Techniques Blush Brush, it's a great multi-tasker. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, just for some touch ups. Rimmel Eyebrow pencil. Burt's Bees Mango Lip Balm, because who likes chapped lips?! And, of course, I have a couple of lip product choices, always. These ones are Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 19, and Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.

What's the number one thing you have to carry in your

handbag?

x

P.S The Cosmopolitan Blog Awards are coming up! I'd be so happy if you could nominate me for 'Best New Beauty Blog' http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/campus/cash-and-careers/student-careers/enter  :)

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | Review

Concealer is a makeup product I cannot live without. When you have the right one it will make you look more awake by hiding those under eye circles and will hide your blemishes to make your skin look more flawless than it actually is.
Normally I stick to my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - it's cheap, it has amazing coverage, lasts a long time and conceals anything I want it to, however recently I've been finding it quite drying on my skin, so I picked up the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer to try.

I'm not the biggest fan of the Wake Me Up foundation, purely because it clings to dry patches and has glitter particles in it, so if you're in the sun you'll end up with that Edward Cullen effect. I didn't expect the concealer to have the same sparkly bits in it, I mean why would you put glitter in a product that's supposed to hide blemishes? That'll just draw attention to them! But I was wrong, the concealer does contain the same glitter particles, so it can't be used on blemishes…annoying!
I could rant on and on about the glitter particles, but I shall just say that they're pointless, make you look kinda weird in the sunlight and the Wake Me Up products would be a lot better without them.
Sparkles aside I do like the concealer - I adore the texture, it feels light, not at all dry and blends without any problems. The coverage isn't as high as the Collection concealer but it's still good, concealing under eye circles well. Rimmel claim this has an 'anti-fatigue effect', which I suppose it does, it does make me look more awake. They also say it illumines, which is achieved by those glitter particles….I don't want a concealer/highlighter hybrid, especially for blemishes, thankyou very much.

Without concealer (left) With Concealer (right)

So, I have a definite love/hate relationship with this concealer. I love that it's so non-drying and really covers those circles you get after a not so great nights sleep, but the glitter in it ruins it for me. For the price of £5.49 you can get better.

ENTER MY MAKEUP GIVEAWAY HERE

The Lipstick I'm Currently Loving

Lipstick's are my favourite of all makeup products. I love wearing different shades, trying out new brands, and I like how a look can be completely made just by what colour you're wearing on your lips.
My all time favourite lipsticks from the high-street/drugstore are the Kate Moss for Rimmel ones, and lately I've rediscovered my love for shade 19.

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in Shade 19 (£5.49) (damn I wish they gave them proper names!) is a kind of deep, warm pink colour, with nudey undertones and it's slightly berry like, in my opinion. I do find this a difficult colour to describe, thank goodness for pictures! Anyway, whatever colour you call it it's gorgeous. It's quite neutral but adds a lovely colour to the lips, which I love. I especially like how the shade looks on my skin tone, I think it suits me well and I always get compliments when I wear it. So if you're quite a pale girl this lipstick might be worth checking out, actually check it out whatever your skin tone -  I think it'll suit everyone!

This lipstick is from the Spring collection of the Kate Moss lipsticks. I don't know if the formulation is slightly different but it definitely isn't quite the same as the original line. Firstly the smell is different - I can't put my finger on what it smells like, it's not unpleasant it's just different. The pigmentation is still amazing, undeniably great, and the colour payoff is outstanding.
I find this lipstick to be a touch more drying than the other Kate Moss lipsticks I have, it's not super drying but with the other lipsticks I kind of forget I have anything on my lips, whereas with 19 I can definitely feel something there. I also found it didn't last quite as long as the others - still a good 3 hours but if you're eating or drink it fades quite fast. It applies easily and smoothly and doesn't go weird if you have slightly flaky or chapped lips.
I completely love this lipstick all in all, I think it's brilliant quality for the price and I highly recommend it to anybody.

Have you tried the Kate Moss

lipsticks?

x

Have you ENTERED my GIVEAWAY yet? :)

How To De-puff And Brighten Your Eyes

We all have those days when we wake up after a not so great sleep and our eyes look tired, puffy and not how we'd like them to be, but fear not, I have some tips on how to prevent those under eye circles and some tricks on how to make them go away!

Prevention

I'm sure we'd all just prefer to never have puffy eyes again, unfortunately that's not likely, but there are some things we
can do to prevent it from happening so often.
1. Get a good nights sleep! Sounds obvious, and well…it is, but it's really effective. Go to bed early, make sure you're relaxed and have that 8 + hours you need. If you're not sleeping enough your eyes will most probably look dull, red and tired. Another tip is to sleep with your head slightly elevated, this prevents puffiness.
2. Eat well! What you eat and drink really does effect your body, including your eyes. Food that is high in sodium (cheese, marmite, popcorn, salt, etc), carbs (pasta, bread, cakes, etc) and fat can make you retain water, which causes your eyes to become puffy. But protein like fish and tofu is really good.
3. Stay hydrated! Eyes tend to become puffy due to water retention, which is caused by excess salt in and around the eye (this is why when you cry your eyes go puffy). Making sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day is good for reducing eye swelling and will keep you hydrating, but downing a huge glass of water before bed might cause the opposite effect as your body will retain that water until you wake up. Try drinking a green tea after your evening meal, it's good for your skin and good for your eyes, and keep away from drinks that dehydrate you (caffeine and alcohol) and salt!
4. Exercise! This improves circulation around your body.

De-puff

1. Cold cucumber slices! Apply the cold cucumber slices to your eye, leave for 3 minutes and then repeat with fresh slices a few times. The coolness will soothe the eye and help to de-puff. Cucumber also contains several vitamins and acids that will help reduce water retention.
2. Cold, raw potato slices! If you can't stand the smell of cucumber (like me) then potato is a good alternative, it will do the same job as the cucumber.
3. Frozen spoon! Place a spoon in the freezer the night before, then when you wake up simply apply the cold spoon under your eye for 30 seconds each.
4. Raw egg whites! Separate the egg white from the yolk of one egg and apply the egg white directly under the eye using some tissue or cotton wool, leave it to dry for a couple of minutes - under your eyes will start to feel quite tight, then rinse off the egg white. Your eyes will look less puffy and the nutrition in the egg will also help reduce water retention. You can also use cold milk!
5. Cold tea bags! You can use either caffeinated tea bags - caffeine helps reduce the swelling, or you can use herbal/green tea bags - these contain anti-inflamitary and anti-irritants that will really soothe your eyes. Soak the tea bags in hot water the night before, then place them in the fridge overnight, in the morning make sure you squeeze out any excess water and then place them on your eyes for 3-5 minutes.

Make-up

Using the right makeup can really help you to look more wide awake and diminish those pesky dark circles.
1. A good concealer will become your best friend! Opt for a concealer that has a peachy or yellow tone to at, this will cancel out the purple or blue hues and brighten the area. Make sure your concealer is nice and creamy, you don't want anything drying!
2. Don't go heavy with eyeshadow, dark eyeshadows can make you look more tired, go for light, brightening colours, but by all means go in with lots of mascara to widen your eyes.
3. Create an illusion of bigger eyes, just like you can highlight your cheekbones, you can highlight the right areas of your eyes to make them stand out, appear wider and more awake. Use a lighter colour eyeshadow with shimmer and apply it to the middle of your eyelid and the inner corner of your eye - this will really make your eyes look more awake and alert. Using a white eyeliner on the bottom lash line will also help.


If you follow those tips you'll have beautifully awake, de-puffed, bright eyes in no time!

Hope this helped you!

x

A Pretty Pink Pairing

I've never really delved into the world of lip product pairing, I always just stick to one product on my lips at one time, but recently I tried pairing a lipstick and a lipgloss together and to my surprise I really liked it!

Whilst looking through my draw of lipsticks recently I came across one of the first lipsticks I got that had been shoved to the back of the draw and forgotten about, it's a lipstick by Avon called Pout.
Pout is a really pretty cool toned pale pink, it's a gorgeous creamy texture and I really love the packaging. Although I do like the lipstick I have found that I much prefer the look of it paired with a lipgloss, and my lipgloss of choice is from the Revlon Colorburst range, the shade is Pink Ice. 

Lipstick only

Lipstick and gloss together

 SWATCHES TOP TO BOTTOM -
Avon lipstick in Pout
Revlon lipgloss in Pink Ice
Both products together

Pink Ice is a a very pale pink with silver shimmer particles running through it, I find it makes the lipstick look a bit lighter but also adds dimension and more shine. I'm glad I've found a lipstick to wear with this lipgloss because on it's on I'm not too fond of it, purely because on pale skin like mine it can make me look a bit washed out.

Both products feel nice on the lips, the Revlon lipgloss isn't sticky and isn't gloopy like some glosses can be, they're not the longest wearing products in the world, I'd say a 2-3 hours, but I can overlook that.
The two products work together really well and I really love this combination for a pretty and subtle lip look.

My Fragrance - LOUD By Tommy Hilfiger

I'm not someone who owns loads of fragrances, nor am I someone who would spend £60 on a bottle of perfume, however I love fragrance, smelling nice and trying out different scents.

My favourite, and one that's been my perfume for about 2 years, is Loud by Tommy Hilfiger.

I'm useless when it comes to describing scents, so sorry in advance, but I think this perfume is quite a warm scent and it definitely has floral notes in it. When you first spray it I think it smells quite sweet, but then it smells warm, and the spicy floral scent kicks in. There's hints of rose in there, lychee and spices. It's not at all overpowering, nor is it sickly which I often find perfumes to be.

Something I adore about this fragrance is how long it lasts! I find so many perfumes fade within a couple of hours, or sometimes less, but this is different. I sprayed this onto a scarf and I could still smell it months later, which is amazing, I hate having to carry around a perfume bottle!

The Loud perfume was designed to be 'Rock and Roll' and actually I do agree that it is. You'll have to go and smell it to see what I mean!

I also love the bottle, it's simple but really cute. Oh, and the best part is it's inexpensive at £10 from Escentual!
Overal this is a definite winner for me!
 Buy it here!

What's your current fragrance?

x

Real Techniques Role Reversal

The Real Techniques range is my favourite brand of makeup brushes. There are so many to choose from, they're affordable, they look pretty, they're easy to clean, they dry quickly and I love the way they make my makeup look.

Two of the brushes I own are the Brush Blush and the Contour Brush which is part of the Core Collections kit. I adore both of these brushes and use them daily, however I do use them for different things. The blush brush I find is best for contouring, and the contour brush is brilliant for applying blush, so there's a role reversal going on!

The blush brush is practically just a larger version of the contour brush. They both have those tapered bristles which make them great for blending in your product. You apply the powder to the top bristles and then the bristles on the outer part of the brush will help to blend it all in, so you're not left with an awful harsh line.
The reason I prefer to use the blush brush to contour is because it is larger and has more bristles to help blend my bronzer. Although the contour brush is perfectly great at doing it's job I found I was sometimes left with too harsh a line, it was too precise for a daytime look, so I'd always go in afterwards trying to blend it out…but I don't need to do that with the blush brush!
The contour brush is amazing for applying blush though, it's the perfect size! It's also a dream to apply highlighter with and even help to blend in concealer.

If you have both of these brushes I suggest swapping the uses around and seeing how you get on!
If you don't have these brushes I highly recommend them…and any of the others from the Real Techniques range!

Best Hair Products Of 2013

During 2013 I experimented with quite a few different hair products. My hair is naturally very thick..there's lots of it, curly, and can get quite dry or frizzy. I wanted to get that under control and have beautiful, sleek, more manageable hair and finally I think I have found products that really work for me.

The first being TRESemme Naturals Vibrantly Smoothing Conditioner . This stuff is amazing. I've never used a conditioner that makes my hair feel so incredibly soft, and look so shiny, I noticed a change after just one wash. The best thing is for a massive bottle it's only £4.50.
Next up is TRESemme Oil Elixir. This is an oil you apply to wet hair after washing it. It contains macadamia oil and grape seed oil which both help to leave your hair feeling soft, looking shiny and a lot healthier. It's a bit pricier at £9.99 but it's definitely worth it. I've had a lot of compliments on my hair after I started using this!
I can be quite fussy when it comes to heat defence sprays, I don't like it when they weigh my hair down, leave it looking greasy or smell chemically. The Aussie Take The Heat spray does none of those things - it works really well and I love it.
As I said before, I have thick hair and it can look very voluminous, however I sometimes find I want more volume on top so my hair doesn't look weighed down. The VO5 Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray has been a god send. You spray this into the roots of your hair, rub it in and taa-daa! It gives your roots a boost without the damage that real back-combing does. The can lasts ages as well, so for the mere price of £3.79 you can't go wrong.
After I use the back-combing spray I like to secure my hairstyle with Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla Hair Spray. Hairspray is another thing I'm quite fussy about. Why do they have to make hairsprays smell SO vile and strong? Why do they have to make your hair crunchy? This one doesn't!
The smell is amazing, but not overpowering. Fudge claim this has a 'soft touch finish' - which I half agree with. It doesn't make your hair feel crunchy, but you can feel you have hairspray in, which I overlook because this spray really does hold my hair in place brilliantly!

What's your number one

hair product?

x

Explaining My Absence And A Little Catch Up

Remember me? It's been a while!

You have or may not have noticed my absence over the last month, but I definitely have missed this site, the people that comment on my posts, and reading everyone else's posts.

The reason why I've been away is that my internet broke (hurrah…). Just before Christmas everything just went wrong at my house, first the Sky box broke so we had no TV over the Christmas period, then our telephone line went, which of course meant the internet went as well. Definitely not an ideal situation, although it did mean I got round to reading a lot of books, which was a joy!

All is okay now… internet has just been fixed, it's still rather slow but it's useable and we'll be getting a new provider very soon which I'm thankful for.

So, what have I missed? I know I've missed all the Christmas posts which I'm gutted about, and sad I didn't get to write mine as well, I was looking forward to it. But all the beauty related things I got for Christmas will be making their way onto my blog in some way I'm sure…whether it's in review form, favourites or 'What's On My Face' form, they'll be here.

As from tomorrow I'm back with beauty posts, but for todays I thought I'd just fill you in on what happened and share with you some of my photos from the last month.

The end of December was filled with DVD watching, reading, eating lots and family time. I love Christmas a lot, it was a busy one this year but I enjoyed it, if I'm honest I still feel like it's Christmas now, I don't want to let go! January has been good so far as well, I went up to London to meet my friend Suzanne who lives in Canada. It was so lovely to see her, we walked around London all day, showed her the sights and took a little trip to Winter Wonderland. 

It was also one of my best friends birthday's the other day so we had a really good night out celebrating that with her…I even wore a dress, shock horror (picture proof below).

I'll leave you with the pictures that sum up my last month..

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas

and New Year

x

Keeping Your Lips Soft This Winter

Winter brings cold temperatures, strong winds and other harsh weather that is not great for our skin.
Chapped lips are a problem most of us experience during this time, due to the skin on our lips being much thinner and more sensitive than the rest of the skin on our face, and they can be rather sore, annoying and let's face it, not attractive at all.
Here are some tips on how to avoid those dry lips!

Lip Balms
Every lip balm out there will promise you soft lips, but not all of them will give you that.
Here are some things to watch out for! When buying a lip balm have a look at the ingredients, you need to AVOID menthol, camphor and phenol - all of these will give your lips that cooling sensation and they will feel soothed, but in the end all it'll do is dry your lips out even more. Artificial fragrance is bad too, they just suck the moisture right out of the lips, same with salicylic acid. Instead of these LOOK OUT FOR hemp oil and jojoba oil, these too oils will will treat your lips and absorb moisture, so will coconut oil. Beeswax and cocoa butter are two ingredients that will give your lips the moisture your after, without causing any unwanted longterm dryness. Lanoline is another great ingredient!
PRODUCTS TO AVOID - Carmex has a great reputation, I used to use it all the time and loved it for a while but after a few months I noticed it was doing nothing for me and was drying my lips out. I looked at the ingredients and bam….I see menthol and camphor, as mentioned before, these ingredients give your lips that amazing cooling sensation but actually it does them no good. Vaseline is one of the other big sellers that is no good, it contains petroleum which acts as another layer over the skin…you think this is good but it isn't. It slows cellar renewable, meaning your lips can't repair themselves as well, it also traps toxins under the skin, and your lips will become dependant on it, so as soon as you stop using the product your lips will become unbearably dry.
AMAZING PRODUCTS - My favourite lip balm, and definitely a great bargain buy is Burt's Bees - I use the mango one because it smells lovely. Burt's Bees contains coconut oil and beeswax to help absorb moisture, lots of vitamins and other ingredients that are great for keeping your lips soft. Kiehl's lip balm is another good option! Clarin's moisture replenishing lip balm is great but pricey, although not as pricey as ByTerry Baume de Rose (£35) but another excellent product, going by the ingredients.

Exfoliate
Exfoliating your lips a few times a week, either with an old toothbrush (make it slightly damp and massage onto the lips) or with a lip scrub (like from Lush) helps to buff away old, dead skin cells.

Makeup
Instead of using normal lipsticks opt for extra moisturising products like Revlon lip butters - they'll give you a nice colour, but won't dry out your lips. Or use a gloss which will help to protect your lips against the cold weather.

Don't lick
Licking your dry or chapped lips will just make them worse! Salvia contains enzymes that will break the skin, also salvia evaporates which will just cause the skin to become more dehydrated.

My two last tips are to take vitamin supplements, and quit smoking. Yep, smoking dries out the lips massively and can cause the skin to break. Yucky!

Hope you found these tips

helpful!

What's your favourite lip balm?

x

Winter Skincare Saviour - Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Winter is my favourite season - I love Christmas, the colder weather, the jumpers, scarves, boots and coats, but it does play havoc with my skin! The wind and freezing temperatures outside aren't great, and having the heating on at home doesn't do it any favours either. Normal moisturisers never quite give my skin the moisture it needs during winter, but I've found a product that works miracles.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is an oil you apply post-toner and pre-moisturiser. I use about 3 or 4 drops and massage it in all over my face. I leave it to sink in a little for a few minutes and then apply my night moisturiser over the top. The oil is made up of 99.8% naturally derived ingredients (bonus) and is paraben-free. Ingredients include squalane, evening primrose oil, omega-6 fatty acids, essential oils - including lavender, which will help replenish the skin, recover radiance, and leave the skin feeling smooth and your complexion looking brighter.
After just one use of this I noticed a difference in my skin, not only did it not feel dry but my completion had definitely improved, and any imperfections I had looked a lot better. I've been using this every night for a month now and not once have I felt my skin was dehydrated, which is amazing! Normally during this time of year my skin constantly feels tight and dry. I've also noticed it's helped a lot to clear up my skin - although I still have imperfections my skin isn't as bad as it was before and the oil is helping to clear up any spot scarring, as often when I got spots they take months and months to disappear.

This oil is a miracle worker, I'd highly recommend this to anyone. People with dry skin will love it and it'll make your skin feel and look so much better, and I know people who've used it who have oily skin and even they adored it! The only downside to this product is it's expensive at £36 for 30ml, however you only need a few drops per night so will last ages and it really does work amazingly.
You can purchase it here.

What's your winter skincare must have?

x

The Best Nude Lipstick

A nude or very natural lipstick is a staple in any makeup bag! I find it a struggle to find the perfect nude lipstick for me. Either they make my complexion look washed out, give me the look of 'foundation lips', are too pale or too dark, or cling to any dry skin, however I have finally found a nude lippy that does none of these things.

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 03 has become one of my most worn lipstick's since I got it a few months ago. I'm a massive fan of the formulation of this lipstick range, I have about 6 of the collection and I'm always after more! The 03 shade didn't disappoint.
It's a gorgeous pinky, slightly brown, nude lipstick. I'm fairly pale but it looks fine against my skin tone, doesn't make me look washed out and gives my lips a tiny wash of colour (it doesn't blank them out, huuurrrah).
The formulation is phenomenal, super pigmented and wonderfully creamy. It applies like a dream and stays put for about 4 hours, maybe more.

This lipstick has been a very welcome edition to my collection and I'm glad I bought it! I'm happy I found my perfect nude, to pair with smokey eyes or just for a minimal makeup look.
This retails for the bargainous price of £5.49! You can buy it here!

What's your favourite nude lipstick?

x

Eyebrow Tips And Tricks!

Whether you believe it or not eyebrows make a massive difference to your face. Shaping and shading your brows correctly can frame your face, help balance facial features, if you're older they can give you a more youthful look by opening up the eye area, make you look more 'put together', and just generally make you look more 'done'.

I have put together some of my best eyebrow tips, from plucking to filling your brows in.

1. Before you get plucking you should brush your eyebrows upwards and trim the long hairs with brow scissors, this will determine the natural shape of your brows before plucking.

2. Determine where you need to pluck! Don't just go straight in with those tweezers or you could easily over pluck. To find out where your brow should start grab a pencil and place it parallel to the side of your nose, that's where your brow should begin.
Next find out where the arch should be, grab that pencil again and align it with the outer edge of your iris, this is where your arch in the brow should be. Finally your brow shouldn't go further than where your brow bone ends.

3. Now you're ready to pluck.  A lot of people find plucking painful, I never have but here are some tips on making plucking a bit more bearable.
 - Pluck after having a hot bath or shower, the pores will be more open.
 - Soak a flannel in hot water, wring it dry and place it over your brows for a minute or two, remove it              then pluck.

4. Don't over pluck. To maintain a natural look don't pluck more than 2 rows of hair and don't pluck too much from above the brow, but you probably will need to pluck some from outer part above to create a very subtle slope.

5. Now you've shaped your eyebrows it's time to fill them in. Decide on your method, either a pencil or a shadow. I personally like to use a shadow because it looks more natural and gives a nicer effect in my opinion.

6. Get the right colour match. Most girls I see use entirely the wrong shade when filling in their brows…it's normally too dark. A rule that often applies is the shade should be 1 or 2 shades lighter than your current hair colour.

7. When filling in your brows it's best to follow your natural brow shape, rather than drawing on a whole new shape like some girls do. But if you have very sparse brows or have a bare patch it's best to use a thin eyebrow brush or even a eyeliner brush and do soft like upwards strokes to mimic the natural hairs.

8. I always start by defining the arch of my brow, just by gently brushing the powder with a brow brush through the brow. Once that's done I move on to the rest of the brows. It's a bit like colouring, don't go outside of the lines! Only ever do this very slightly if you want more definition.

9. Brush through your brows to make sure the powder, or pencil if you decided to use that, is distributed evenly.

10. For unruly brows use some brow gel, or brow set to make sure your brows are set in place all day.

There you have it! Now you should have perfect brows.

For a great budget buy brow kit look here!

I hope you found those tips useful, 

let me know if you try them out or if

you have any more brow tips!

x

The Palette I've Loved For A Year

I love to change around my make-up, use different products, create different looks, so when a product has been reached for nearly every day for a year it makes it very special. The Stila In The Light eyeshadow palette is one of those products.

I got this palette just under a year ago and I've genuinely used at least 1 of the shades more or less every single day that I've worn makeup in that time. I love it a lot, and as you can see from the pictures I've only hit pan on 1 of the 10 shades which just goes to show how pigmented these little shadows are!

L-R bare, kitten, bliss, sunset, sandstone,
champagne, gilded gold, luster, night sky, ebony

The palette consists of 10 shades, all very wearable, all super pigmented and all are long lasting.
There are 4 matte shades (bare, bliss, sandstone and ebony) and 6 shimmery shades (kitten, sunset, champagne, gilded gold, lustre and night sky). All these eyeshadows are very creamy, soft and easy to blend. It also came with a Stila smudge stick in Damsel (brown) but I've used that up! It was lovely.
What I especially love about this palette is how many different looks you can do with it. You can create a really lovely natural look, and you can also create a very pretty smokey eye, and so many other looks in between. The shades I wear most often would probably be kitten, champagne and sandstone (in the crease and outer corner).

L-R bare, kitten, bliss, sunset, sandstone

L-R champagne, gilded gold, luster, night sky, ebony

The only complaint I have about this palette is the packaging, sure it's very pretty but definitely not practical for carrying around or travelling with. The lid is magnetic, there's no clip or anything, so what I have to do is put a hairband around it to stop it coming open if I have it in a bag.

I'd highly recommend this palette. It would make a brilliant Christmas gift!
It seems to be sold out everywhere but HERE! Purchase it for £25…bargain!

What's your most used eyeshadow palette?

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L'Oreal True Match Blush in Rosewood | REVIEW

I was recently in Boots and they had a 3 for 2 deal on…that's just asking for money to be spent!
One of the things I looked for was an Autumn blush, and I came across this one by L'Oreal in the colour Rosewood.

Rosewood is a gorgeous dark pinky brown with a slight shimmer running through it…so slight I'd call it a sheen rather than a shimmer. In the pan the colour looks very strong and I was almost worried about how dark it would be on my pale skin but I went for it.
When this blush is applied it looks nowhere near as dark as in the pan, because it's quite sheer. If you want a really bold colour you'd have to use a heavy hand and go back in a few times.

I do like the packaging of this, although it is plastic it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy and the blush itself is in a metal pan inside, which flips up and underneath is a mirror and a little brush…which to be honest I will never use, it's very scratchy and just no where near as good as proper brushes like Real Techniques. I don't like that the pan isn't fixed down though, so if you turned it upside down or something when it was open the brush would fall out from underneath.

I tried to get a swatch of this but it was so sheer you couldn't really see, the camera wasn't picking it up. You'll just have to take my word for it that this blush is really gorgeous, I love the shade for a subtle bit of colour during this season.
L'Oreal True Match Blush in Rosewood retails for £7.69 here, and Boots still have their 3 for 2 on!

Have you tried this blush?

What's your 'go to' everyday blush for Autumn/Winter?

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The Budget Buy Brow Kit

Brow's are such an important part of a beauty and makeup routine. Whether you believe it or not brows make such a difference to your face, shaping and shading can help balance your facial features, frame the eyes, and if you're a little bit older they can even give you a more youthful look if done correctly.
The problem is eyebrow kits can be expensive, but I have found a brilliant kit that's so affordable!
Welcome, Fashionista Brow Kit.

I've been using this brow kit for a year now, so that's why it may look a little messy but you can see I use it daily! And I still haven't hit pan. Win!

In this kit, which is a brilliant size for popping into your makeup bag (it's a bit bigger than the palm of my hand) contains 3 brown shades - a very dark one, a medium one and a light almost orangey brown. There is also a wax to set any powder into place. As well as that you get a little double ended brush which I don't use whilst doing my makeup but is fine for on the go touchups, and also a little pair of tweezers which too are good quality. And of course that all important mirror, which is a great size.
The powders themselves are well pigmented, not chalky, don't give any fall out and stay in place on my brows all day even without the wax. I tend to use the medium brown, sometimes I mix in a bit of the darker one too and the colour is great.
I think unless you have black eyebrows or very fair hairs then everyone could make this work for them, whether it's by using a shade on it's on or mixing them.

This kit is £7 from Superdrug, or currently £3.50 HERE!

Beauty Advent Calendars

December is looming!
If you're more a fan of beauty than you are of chocolate, and want to spend a little bit more on a treat to help you countdown to Christmas then these advent calendars might be for you!

WARNING - SPOILERS

A lot of beauty advent calendars are now out of stock, including the Boots one and the Benefit one. But I found some great alternatives if you're still after one!

YOU

The YOU beauty advent calendar is great value for money, you get over £240 worth of products for £49.95. Products include Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream, Dr Lipp Lip Balm, a Sisley face mask, Stila lip glaze, Trilogy night cream, and more. Buy here.

THE BODY SHOP

I love products from The Body Shop, so this one sounds amazing in my opinion. You get over £80 worth of beauty products for £55! Including shea body butter, strawberry shower gel, almond hand cream, mango body whip, white musk body lotion, chocolate soap, a facial brush, Vitamin E night cream, and more of the Body Shops most popular products. Buy here.

CIATÉ

If nail varnish is more your thing then the Ciaté beauty advent calendar is for you. Ciaté do amazing nail varnishes in beautiful colours. In this calendar you get amazing shades, including 3 paint pot glitter shades you can't buy anywhere else. The contents is worth about £200, but you can get your hands on it all for £42, exclusively here.

Will you be purchasing a beauty advent calendar? 

Or are you sticking to chocolate or the

traditional picture ones?

November Wishlist!

Something I'm dying to get this month is Hydraluron, it's a serum that you apply before your moisturiser and it basically helps the moisturiser to sink in a lot more than it normally would. It's supposed to be a miracle worker, and as I suffer from dehydrated skin in the winter this would be amazing.
I really want a tartan scarf! I've been after one for a while, I've tried everywhere to get one - Topshop, New Look, Primark, H&M, River Island, Zara, etc. I might have to resort to eBay!
Origins Drink Up Overnight Intensive Mask is something that's raved about in the blogging world, I'm yet to try it, purely because of the hefty price tag, but I'm hoping this winter I can.
It might be hard to believe because everyone has one but I don't own a Onesie! This year I'll change that. The one pictured above is from ASOS.
Autumn lip colours are my favourite, when I saw the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape I fell in love, it's the most gorgeous plum colour.
I love wearing dresses in the Autumn and Winter, I hate wearing them at any other time of year but especially in December I love them - they make me feel Christmassy for some reason. I like them quite basic so I can layer them up with chunky cardigans, scarves and jackets. The one above is from ASOS.
I'm seriously lacking in Autumn blushes, Nars Blush in Douceur looks so nice, it's a soft pink-brown and I want it!
Lastly is slipper boots! Last year I had some really comfy ones but they're falling apart now, so a pair of new ones is a must. They're so warm and snuggly for winter time. The ones above are from Next.

What's on your November wish list?

The Autumn/Winter Nail

Happy November!
We're well into Autumn now and Winter is just around the corner. During these seasons I change up my nail colours, so I thought I'd share my top 5 Autumn/Winter nail varnishes with you.

L-R Avon Cherry Jubilee, Rimmel Lycra Pro Beige Babe, Studio London Cloudburst,
Studio London Mink, Eye Candy London All Night Long

Autumn/Winter nail colours tend to be a lot darker, and cold shades.

L-R Avon Cherry Jubilee, Rimmel Lycra Pro Beige Babe, Studio London Cloudburst,
Studio London Mink, Eye Candy London All Night Long

My personal favourite of the 5 is Avon's nail wear pro in Cherry Jubilee, it's a gorgeous deep red that's almost burgundy coloured. This shade is the varnish I wear most often in the colder months, and goes with the majority of my outfits. I also find it looks really lovely against paler skin tones. This varnish also lasts well, and dries super fast! You definitely need more than one coat though.
The second nail varnish is Rimmel's Lycra Pro in Beige Babe. I really love the colour of this, it's a browny beige that looks lovely on. I love the applicator because it's nice and thick. Rimmel claims this lasts up to 10 days but I found it only lasted about 3 days on my nails.
The third one along is by Studio London, it came in a set, and it's called Cloudburst. Cloudburst is a lovely navy almost black shade. Navy seems to be very 'in' on nails at the moment so this is really lovely. I also like that it looks black in some light, blue in others, and sometimes grey.
The fourth nail varnish is also by Studio London and came from the same set, this one's called Mink. I don't know quite how to describe the shade, but I'd say it's mauve. It looks very pretty on and it's a great choice if you don't like going too dark on your nails. I love the Studio London nail varnishes, they dry super fast and last a long time on the nails. Only complaint is the small brush applicator.
My last choice is a classic black. Everyone needs a black nail varnish! This one is my favourite and it's called All Night Long by Eye Candy London…I don't see much about this brand, but I got this in Sainsburys and think it's great! The colour lasts a week on my nails and it dries amazingly quickly, which is always good.

What's your favourite nail colour for 

the colder months?

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo - Is It Worth The Hype?

Effaclar Duo by La Roche Posay is one of those skincare products everyone on the blogosphere talks about, raves about even! But is it really worth the hype?

Effaclar Duo is basically a skin treatment that's meant to correct and unclog imperfections, purify pores and reduce the appearance of imperfections or spots. It's a serum like formula that you can use all over your face, or just in problem areas, twice a day.

I'd heard so many bloggers, YouTubers and other people rave about this product but it never crossed my mind to get it because I've never had problems with my skin at all….not until a few months ago.
A few months ago, due to health issues, my skin started to get worse (only a few spots but considering my skin had always been spot and imperfection free). I started getting under the skin spots along my jawline that just wouldn't go….so when I heard Tanya Burr and Ruth Crilly say they had the exact same problem but after using La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo it went away I just had to get it.

I've been using this product for about a month and a half now and I'm so disappointed.
A few days into using it my skin got SUPER dry, even though I applied masses of moisturiser. When I say super dry I mean it, it was horrible, makeup wouldn't sit on it, moisturisers didn't seem to help and it was making the spots sore. However, I'd heard some people say this product makes the skin get worse before it gets better, so I carried on using it.
About a week after using it the dryness was still there but nowhere near as bad, but I'd got more breakouts! But I kept with it…hoping for a miracle.
Now it's been a month and a half and I'm sad to report no miracle. My skin is no longer dry (thankyou E45 and Nivea), but my under the skin spots are still there.
I'm still using this product twice a day, hoping it works….I'll keep you updated but don't hold your breath on good news.

So, the short answer to whether I think La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo is worth the hype is a big no.
It obviously worked for other people, so don't rule it out, but for me it did nothing but burn a £13 hole in my pocket.