Purple Reign, Purple Reign!

Goooood evening!!

Now as much as I love summer (and all that warm sunshine when we actually get it!) Autumn is definitely my favourite time of year. The cold, crisp days with crunchy leaves on the ground & snuggly layers make me so happy! One of my favourite things about this time of year is the change in make up palette, with much darker yet warmer shades being used. Because of this, I thought it would be a good time to discuss some of my favourite purple products, as this is a colour that I shall be using a lot over the next few months.

I'll start with the lips, and there are 2 products in my collection which stand out the most to me. Firstly is the Revlon ColourBurst Balm Stain in the shade 005 (Crush). 

This is a product which I purchased a little while ago in anticipation of Autumn starting! It's priced at £7.99 in Boots but I purchased it during a 3 for 2 offer across Revlon product, which they have started again now so it's a good time to go and get it! The lip stain has a beautiful gloss to it and applies very smoothly to the lips. The pointed crayon shape is ideal for getting into the corners of the lips so I don't require lip liner when wearing it. I find that the colour does need to be reapplied after eating, drinking etc but it does not wear off as quickly as other products that I've tried, so really not a bad choice if you're looking for something a bit less maintenance. It also isn't as drastic in colour as some of the other purples on the market, so if you are unsure about trying out darker shades this could be a good staring point. 

The second lip product is the Rimmel London Lasting Finish lipstick in shade 128 (Starry Eyed). 

As you can see, this is slightly more darker than the Revlon crayon but I'm all for dark purple lips! I purchased this for £4.99 from Boots and actually bought it because I had a MAC Creme Sheen shade (A23-Dare You) that I was really disappointed with & they were similar colours! Unlike the MAC lipstick, this one did not dry out my lips and was also much longer lasting. The lipstick itself is really creamy so applies nice & evenly, and I just love the colour! I do use a lip liner with this one (Rimmel London Lasting Finish- 1000 Kisses) to keep my lines neat & tidy. A good product with a very reasonable price tag!

Next up we move to the eyes, and this is quite a new purchase for me but one that I have used a lot already! It is the MAC Pro Palette refill pan eyeshadow in the shade Sketch, which was £10 (to be used in the Pro Palette).

I hadn't heard of this colour before, but since using it (and loving it!) I have had many compliments, and strangely enough the assistant that served me in MAC was actually wearing it herself when I purchased. It does look slightly brown in the picture which is annoying as in reality it is a beautiful deep shade of purple. The colour blends so well due to the high pigmentation and applies so evenly. It is the perfect shade for the A/W smokey eye and I can't recommend it enough! It's one that I will certainly be repurchasing throughout the season!

Finally I have chosen one for the nails, and this is a polish from Barry M in the shade RedBlack. 

If you have read any of my other posts you may have worked out by now that I'm a bit of a Barry M fan! Of all the colours I own (and believe me, there are quite a lot!) this has to be one of my favourites. It's an absolute steal at only £2.99 from Boots or Superdrug and there's normally always a 3 for 2 offer or similar as well. The colour is PERFECT for A/W, I'm just sad that I only tend to wear it in the colder months before swapping it for brighter shades in the Spring. I would say that you definitely need to apply 2 layers, as the first cost is a bit patchy & thin looking and is mainly a red tone. Once you have applied the second coat though you get the gorgeous dark colours coming through and achieve the result above. I adore the glossiness which really compliments the colour, and provided that you use a top coat the varnish does stay on for a very respectable amount of time. It really is a great product! 

That's it for my purple faves, I hope you enjoyed reading about them and maybe even try some yourself. Comment below with your favourite purple coloured products that you feel are missing, I'm very keen to try out some more!

Until next time xo

September Favourites

Hello lovely ones!

It's time for the next instalment of monthly faves...and this month is full of some classic products that I can't get enough of! 

Firstly I'll start with Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral & Flirty Blush. This should be a staple item for everyone's beauty collection, and is an old favourite of mine. It smells divine, and as with all Batiste product the packaging is gorgeous and girly! I use this on days when my hair could do with a wash but I simply haven't got the time to do so! I'm unfortunate in the sense that my hair is very dry on the ends but it seems to produce a lot of oil at the root, so I need to wash my hair every other day to avoid it looking greasy! This is my go-to for inbetween washes & a complete bargain as it lasts for so long. I've just repurchased this bottle from Superdrug and was lucky enough to catch their half price offer, so only paid £2.49 for 400ml. Perfect! The offer is still live online & in stores so go and grab yours quickly! 

My next favourite is something that has finally found its way into my collection! I'm talking about the Shu Uemura eyelash curler, which I purchased for £20 in my local Space NK store. I have heard people rave about these curlers time and time again, so finally gave in to see what all the hype was about! I have to say that I think the hype is well deserved! I'm not a big curler fan as I never seem to get any results with them, but I can really see the difference when I use these! They definitely lengthen my lashes (and evenly which is a rarity for me!), perfect for using before applying mascara/fake lashes.

Next up is the Nivea Sensitive 3in1 Micellar Cleansing Water. I actually first tried this because I received it in my Glossybox, but it's a product I would repurchase without hesitation. All of the main supermarkets & drug stores sell it for between £4-£5. The formula is designed to remove make up whilst deeply cleansing, and feels amazing on my skin. It's cooling, soothing & refreshing, and it's really nice to use a product that doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy. It's so light!! I suffer from dry skin on my nose (very annoying!) but since using this the dryness seems to have cleared up quite significantly. 10 out of 10 from me. 

Sticking with facial products, I've decided to include an old favourite of mine in this month's favourites. I first started using Johnsons 'Make Up Be Gone- Pampering' wipes a couple of years ago, but having recently run out of them & being without them for a week or so has made me really appreciate them again! There are 2 things that I love most about these. Firstly, the scent is divine. I usually adore the smell of all Johnsons product, it reminds me of clean & cuddly babies! These wipes do not disappoint in that area, my face always smells very good after using them (reading that back that's actually a really weird sentence, who smells their face?! But you get the idea!!). The second reason for me only wanting to use these is because of how moist they stay. My absolute pet hate with make up wipes is when they dry out in the packet, so when it comes to removing make up they are rough on your skin. It makes me SO MAD!!! I've never had this problem with these, all 25 wipes in the packet retain their moisture very nicely. I always purchase these from Asda as they almost always have them on a '3 packs for £6' offer. Worth every penny in my humble opinion!  

One for the eyebrows now! The HD Brows palette made it into my August Favourites, and now the pencil has made it in to this month's list! I opted for the shade 'Foxy' again to match my palette, as my hair is a light brown I don't want it looking too dark. What's great about this pencil is that the product applies really smoothly, and there is a sharpener built into the lid which is very handy! I simply use the pencil to outline the brows, which I then fill in with my powder from the palette. I couldn't believe what a difference the pencil made, it made the shape so defined and created much cleaner angles that I couldn't achieve with just the powder. It also makes it much easier for me to match both eyebrows!!! I'm so pleased that I started getting HD brows earlier this year, and the products for me to use at home in between appointments are the perfect range/brand extension. Top marks! 

Finally we come on to my last favourite of the month. This comes from L'Oreal, it is the Professionnel Mythic Oil and like the Nivea product I first came across this in my Glossybox (thanks Glossybox team!!). As previously mentioned, the ends of my hair are very dry and I find it hard to make them look healthy without chopping all of my hair off! This oil has actually started to work wonders for me though. I apply a few pumps evenly through the hair (leaving the roots and just concentrating on the mid-lengths to ends), it's best applied to damp hair so I use it once out of the shower. Because it's only a few pumps needed each time I find that the bottle as lasted me really well so far. It can be purchased for £15 from feelunique.com, along with the rest of the range which I must confess I have also gone on to purchase! I would recommend using this site as there is free delivery on orders over £30 and they are very quick to get the product to you. It also saves you lugging the products around in a carrier bag which could be a problem if like me, you want it all! Did I mention that it also smells amazing?! I love it a lot!

And that's it for my September favourites! I hope you enjoyed reading, and if last month was anything to go by then I will be writing my next favourite list in no time...where is time going??!!

Comment below if you would like more info about any of these products, and let me know how you've found them if you've used them. Would they make it on to your favourites list?! 

Until next time xo

AW14 Haul (Part 1)

Hello again!

As we are moving into October, I thought now would be a good time to upload my first Autumn/Winter haul featuring items & products that I've purchased recently. The sun was shining & it was actually really hot on the day that I chose to do this, so it may not look very Autumnal! Some of the pieces are not entirely winter looking, but the colours & patterns certainly are as well as the cute details. As it gets colder I would piece these looks together with cosy jumpers, cardigans & tights, but you get the idea! The retailer and price will be listed below each photo, enjoy! 

Dress, £34.99, River Island

Boots, £29.99, New Look

Jumper with faux leather sleeves, £12.99 H&M

Leggings, £25.00, River Island

Loafers, £8.00, Primark

Leggings & Loafers as above

Tunic top with faux leather panel, £30.00, River Island

Top, £16.00 and black high-waisted Joni jeans, £36.00, both Topshop

Loafers as above 

Monochrome shirt with sheer panel, £25.00, Topshop

Black Joni jeans as above

Top with scalloped details, £16.00, Topshop

Black Joni high-waisted jeans & boots as above

High-necked top, £11.50, Forever 21

Fedora, £7.00, Primark

Black Joni high-waisted jeans and boots as above 

White top with black mesh detail, £26.00, Topshop

Black Joni high-waisted jeans and loafers as above

Navy shirt with gold button detail, £10.00, Primark 

Black ripped Leigh jeans, £40.00, Topshop

Loafers as above

Burgundy knitted bobble hat, £2.50, Primark

Burgundy knitted gloves, £1.50, Primark

Black long sleeved top with button detail, £7.99, H&M

Jeans, £19.99, Bershka

Long knitted jumper, £12.00, Primark

White basic tshirt, £6.99, H&M

Jeans and loafers, as above

And the ultimate AW14 fashion purchase....!

Penguin Christmas jumper, £12.00, Primark

Jeans & loafers as above

As well as clothing, I have also purchased a few other AW products. I LOVE Yankee Candles, especially their Winter ranges, so I was thrilled to see these in my local Asda superstore.

The set was £6.00, and I also purchased the individual one for £1.00 as it wasn't included in the set but I loved it! I love the wintery, Christmassy scents of this collection and can't wait to start burning them!

I also visited the MAC counter at John Lewis to pick up some new products and walked away with this!

MAC Pro Palette, £4.00 

Pro palette refill shadows in Shroom and Sketch, £10.00 each

Annoyingly, the Sketch shade looks brown here but the shade is actually a deep purple, and it's GORGEOUS! It blends so nicely and creates the most perfect AW smokey eye. 

Finally, I purchased 3 of the new L'oreal Colour Riche shades, shown below.

£6.99 each (though purchased in a 3 for 2 offer), Superdrug.

I will be doing a separate post on these once I have worn them a few more times so that I can give a more in-depth review. 

And that concludes my first AW14 haul, I hope that you enjoyed reading & found some useful AW pieces that you might purchase! I am planning to do another one once I have gotten round to purchasing a coat and some extra pieces so keep an eye out for that! Comment below with your favourite pieces & let me know of any other essentials that you have found for the new seasons! 

Until next time xo

The Body Shop Product Review

Hi guys,

I just wanted to write a quick post about something that I stumbled upon unintentionally, but I love! I'm talking about the Warming Miracle Mask from The Body Shop, which was given to me as a free gift for signing up to the 'Love Your Body' card (full sized bottle I might add!). 

It's the first time that I have used a self-warming product, and I have to say that I was very impressed! As soon as I began to massage it into my face the heat started to come through, and it felt sooo therapeutic! The scent is also very pleasant without being overpowering. 

The mask acts as a clay when applied, I used a generous amount and spread it in an even layer across my face and left it to do its thing for about 5 minutes as instructed. The warming formula is designed to open the pores for a deep cleanse, whilst the ginger & cinnamon oils invigorate and the algae purifies the skin. 

Once finished, I rinsed the mask off and was happy with the result. It felt a lot softer & refreshed! I have used it quite a few times since then & will continue to do so, as it provides a nice pampering treat a couple of times a week. The product costs £10, so when my free bottle runs out I will happily restock it! 

Let me know your thoughts if you've tried this product, or if you have used any other self-warming products that you would recommend. 

Thanks for reading, until next time! 

July Beauty Favourites!

Hello!

So as it is still early(ish) in August, I thought the best place to start with my beauty product reviews would be with a post about my July favourites!

July was a very good month for product purchases, I think I was pleased with everything that I bought. Here is a round up of my thoughts…

From top left: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Barry M Gelly Polish in Rosehip, Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe, Bourjois Volumizer Mascara, Revlon Colourburst in Demure, MAC eye kohl in Fascinating, and Real Techniques Powder Brush

Now, I just want to mention that I wouldn't normally have this many products in my favourite list, but as I said before it was a good month for shopping! So on to the item breakdowns:

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub- £5.50 from Lush stores

This does exactly what it says on the pot! Essentially it's sugar and oil mixed together with colouring (so may seem overpriced) but it is done oh-so-well! There are a range of 'flavours' to choose from, but I opted for the bubblegum as personally I think it had the nicest smell. I certainly wasn't disappointed. You just rub the scrub across your lips and it seems to do the trick. If like me you suffer from dry lips, this is a great product to use. They felt much plumper afterwards too, and tasted incredibly sweet. The only downside is that this definitely needs to be done in front of a mirror, as even when you may think you have licked away all of the sugar granules there may be some left! I would definitely recommend though, I was very pleased with this buy.

Barry M Gelly polish in Rosehip- £3.99 (and part of a 3 for 2 deal) from Boots

I am already a big fan of Barry M nail polishes as I think they are hugely affordable and of rather high quality, I can usually get at least a week's wear before I start to see any signs of chipping. I also tend to buy them in 3's as Boots almost always has an offer on them. The Gelly range always exceeds my expectations, and in particular this colour has been a dream! Not only does it go on so evenly, but the colour is beautiful! I had at least 4 people asking me if I had Shellac on my nails when wearing this as the quality of it seems so high. I did use 2 layers of colour but feel one would probably be enough if you used a generous amount (and weren't such a perfectionist like me!). I am totally in love with this product and shall be repurchasing shortly in case Barry M decide to discontinue. Perfect for Spring and Summer, a massive thumbs up from me!

Nars Sheer Glow in Santa Fe- £31 from Space NK

This has to be the BEST foundation I have ever purchased! I do tend to jump from brand to brand when it comes to foundations as I have found they all tend to be of a similar quality…until now! I can safely say that this will forever be in my make up bag. The coverage is fantastic, the colour is a perfect match for my skin and despite the fact my face can sometimes be dry, it still manages to give me a dewey effect which I have struggled to achieve in the past. I know at £31 it is quite expensive, but in my opinion completely worth it as a little does go a long way with this product. I shall be recommending this to anyone who listens in the future! I only wish I had tried this foundation sooner instead of the Rimmel's, Maybelline's and MACs etc that I was purchasing.

Bourjois Volumizer Mascara- £10.99 from Boots

In the past I have had mixed opinions about Bourjois product, a lot of it has seemed overpriced for the quality that you get. However, this is a product that has pleasantly surprised me. I actually heard about it watching one of Tanya Burr's tutorials as she referred to it as one of her old favourites that she had rediscovered. I trust her judgement and needed a new mascara so decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did. The mascara has 2 'steps' involving 2 different wands. The first brush separates the lashes and gives some volume, the second wand has a thicker brush which builds up the volume without clumping. It is also sensitive to contact wearers, so perfect for me!

Revlon Colourburst Laquer Balm in Demure- £7.99 from Boots

This is a great take on Clinique's chubby stick, I just love Revlon's version! The colour that I purchased (Demure) has a beautiful gloss to it, and can be worn both during the day and at night. Unlike other lip crayons that I have tried, this does not dry out your lips and in fact has been infused with ingredients such as shea butter to keep your lips moisturised when wearing it. My only concern with this is that I did seem to have to reapply quite a lot, but this has been during times when I have been eating and drinking so for the price this isn't too much of a worry. 

MAC eye kohl in Fascinating- £14 from MAC Stores

I was looking for a way to make my eyes look brighter and slightly wider as I feel they can get a bit lost under heavy eye make up, so thought I would try this. It's one of the products that I decided to try before hearing anything about it, and much to my delight have seen it cropping up in tutorials and blogs since then, so I must have done something right! The kohl certainly opens my eyes up when applied to my waterline and disguises any redness that may be there. I am happy on the whole, the only slight disappointment is that it does seem to cling to my lower lashes if I apply 2 or so layers so I have to be cautious not to build the kohl up too much on my eyes.

Real Techniques Powder Brush- £10.99 from Superdrug

I have to confess, I am a bit of a Real Techniques geek! I LOVE their brushes, I purchased my first set early last year and haven't used another brand since (but am open to suggestion if you guys have any!). I haven't bought the powder brush until now as it is quite large for my face and I wasn't sure that I would get much use out of it. As you can probably tell from the colour in the photo though (sorry!) I actually think it's great for applying setting powder and find that when sweeping it across my face the size is perfect. They are so easy to clean and stay incredibly soft for so long that I continue to be impressed by their product.

And that's it…PHEW. Sorry for the essay, I promise to keep it shorter next time. I hope you enjoyed reading, please feel free to leave your feedback and I would love to hear about your experiences with these products :)

Thanks for reading, until next time! xo <3