January Favourites

It's the end of January already and I feel like this month absolutely flew by. Sometimes, I start to worry that I'll blink and be 80 years old! Anyway, here's what I have been loving this month...

I won't bang on about these two too much as I did a post 'Get ready with Revlon' here, which is worth checking out if you're thinking of picking up a few of their products.

I got a subtle grown out roots/dipdye this month and a bit of a chop. My hair is in such better condition after having an inch off, so I have been purchasing hair goodies to help it look tip-top. First up, this banana conditioner from The Body Shop (haul here) is so lovely! My hair feels super nourished and I love the scent. When they finally get the shampoo back in stock I will be grabbing one for double banana time.

The second hair product I picked up was an Amelia Liana induced purchase and it's really good. The Charles Worthington Texturizing Spray has great hold and actually makes your hair bigger and better. There is no way I am spending billions on the Orbe dry texturing spray and this is much better than the Bumble & Bumble one too, as well as being wayyyy cheaper.

I'm not hugely into baths, but I have really enjoyed them of late, thanks to the Therapie Himalayan Bath Salts. The smell of these are incredible and instantly relaxing. I keep sniffing them whenever I walk past the pot, weird huh? I am intending to check out my local health shop ones though, in case they are a more affordable dupe!

My skin has been breaking out and being a bit temperamental, so I've been using lots of skincare products. I've really been enjoying the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer after I have cleansed. It leaves you skin feeling fresh and revitalised and I think it's helped to calm my skin down and get it looking a bit less stressed out.

Link me your favs below, I'm always on the look out! 

Bloglovin | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | WIWT  

Winter lips.

I love how festive everyone looks during the winter months and a sweep of colour across your lips is a great way to spice up your everyday makeup ready for the Christmas party season. These are my favorite lip products right now...

Maybelline Color Sensational Shine Gloss in Stellar Berry. I literally wear this so much! I am one of those avid lip gloss haters as well, so this is quite surprising. I cant stand them if they are too shiny or sticky in anyway possible. This gloss is just perfect. I don't notice it on my lips and when it starts to fade after a cocktail or two (ok, maybe more...), there's still a nice stain on your lips. Love, love, LOVE. You can actually see the colour better in this fotd post, it's raining so hard here my room is like a cave!

Rimmel Kate Moss 01. Everyone needs a classic red lip, it's like the law. The Rimmel lipsticks from Kate Moss have a great formula and are really true to their colour. 01 is a classic red Hollywood shade, which makes you look super glamorous.

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in Pink Power. Personally, I think bright and bold just works during the holiday season. Some people aren't a fan of a red lip and feel more comfortable in a pink shade. This lipstick from 17 is a great bright pink, that isn't too Barbie-esque. It also lasts forever and is less than a fiver!

Estee Lauder Pure Color in Fig. I'm not sure if they still do this particular shade, but it's basically a less in your face red. I like to wear these sorts of shades in the daytime as they give your makeup a little somethin-somethin, but you don't have to keep re-applying or worry that you look to done-up.

Miners Lip Colour in Mulled Wine. Such a Christmas appropriate name! This lipstick is a metallic-brown-bronze-kinda shade that I got in a Glossybox a while ago. I probably wouldn't pick it myself, but I really like the colour once applied. It's almost the best option if you don't want a nude lip or something too loud and bright either. I don't think this is easy to get hold of to be honest, but No7 have some great brown-nude shades too.

What are your go-to colours this season? Also, how hard is it to take this many photos of your own face?! The more I took the more psychotic or dead behind the eyes (sometimes a combo) I looked ha.

Bloglovin | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | WIWT 

Current Favorites

I missed my November favorites, so thought I would round up what I have been loving lately...

Essie Favorites for Fall Duo. I did a post here on my recent essie purchases, as these were my first encounter with the brand. I think they are quite expensive for a nail varnish when you can get some really great ones for a few pounds, but they are seriously amazing. They are one of the best formulas I have ever used, hands down. I can see the beginning of a huge collection already...(this duo here looks too good).

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick in Fig (123). I used this in a recent fotd post here, and I absolutely love it! It's so perfect for Christmas and is a lovely non-in-your-face red. I've worn it a few times to work too by blotting it with my fingers and then putting a small amount of lip balm over the top. Highly recommend! 

Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. My skin has been in really good condition lately and I think this cleansing oil has a lot to do with it. I've been using it once or twice a week and I have had minimal breakouts, my pores look smaller and I've managed to ditch the foundation for just a bit of concealer and bronzer. I talked about this and the clay mask in more depth here, but I'll be sure to share my current skin routine soon.  

VO5 Volume Boost Weather Resistant Gel Spray.  This was just lying around my house, so since it was bought I think the packaging has been re-designed. I picked this up randomly the other day and spritzed it through my roots and then a little all over, flipped my head upside down and blow dried to discover gigantic hair. I wasn't expecting it to do much so blow-dried it a bit out of control and my hair was huge! I've been using it in a controlled mannar for a while now and I am very impressed.

Christmas! I've used the candle and heart made of bells to represent Christmas, which is my absolute favorite time of year. I'm one of those annoying people who get Christmassy in November and secretly sneak a mince pie and listen to a Christmas song way before December. I've been doing all my Christmas shopping, lighting gorgeous candles (this one was a gift from my friend Jess, I can't find the exact link, but NEXT have loads of great candles) and making things look festive! (the bell decoration was from B&M Bargains). I just love the whole season!

What have you all been loving lately? Leave your links below!

Bloglovin | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | WIWT 

October Favorites

It's the beginning of November, which of course means a bunch of new favorites! I've actually been loving quite a few new things of late, which is bad because I'm always suppose to be on a spending ban. 

17 BB Blemish Balm 
I've been using this practically all month and I really like it. It has a thicker coverage than other bb creams I have used in the past, so more like a lightweight foundation. It is quite a sticky formula, which doesn't sound like a good thing but because I have oily skin I kinda think this makes it stick a bit longer than thinner more liquidy formulas. It's also really affordable, so when your having a skint month it's a great in between before you splurge on a higher end foundation. 

Bumble & Bumble Dry Spun Thickening Spray 
I know you're all probably sick of seeing this on everyone's blogs, but hear me out because I actually thought it was a bit shit when I first got it. First off, its quite expensive for what is essentially a posh hair spray/dry shampoo and when I sprayed it in my hair it just looked a bit messy and not as big as I was expecting. However, being the trooper that I am I persevered and have now realized that if I spray it at the roots and then get a bit of a back comb on it does make my hair look a lot fuller. You have to spend a bit of time working on your hair to get it looking good and that's something I'm bad at! It's me, not you bumble and bumble. 

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder
I did a post about the new Soap & Glory purchases I made here. I decided to get a new powder because my usual Rimmel stay matte was going a little cakey. I absolutely love this powder. It's so finely milled and goes on the face like a light silky layer making it perfect for anyone who needs a little powder or a lot without it sitting on the top of your make up. Seriously impressed! 

Soap & Glory About Prime Eye Primer
Another Soap & Glory product that has really impressed me! I've been using this all month and then the other day I skipped it in my makeup routine and not joking my eyeshadow was creased and barely there. This is particularly great for cream eye shadows like my favorite Maybelline colour tattoos and the illuminating colour (shade, Bright Light) really brightens the eye area too. 

Nivea Powerfruit Refresh Shower Gel
This smells so good. So, so good! I don't get excited about too many shower gels to be fair, but this seriously smells amazing. When I'm sleepy and considering running away to another country so I don't have to go to work, this really wakes me up and makes me feel ready to go. It's a great smell for the autumn, especially if you have been using lots of summery scents up until now and you want something invigorating but in a comforting winter way. I don't actually know what any of that waffle means, but it smells good so buy it. 

17 Trio Eyeshadow in Enchanted Smoke
3 for 2 in Boots got me again. I was instantly drawn to this eyeshadow trio because its so unusual. It has metallic shades that remind me of those metallic pearlescent nail varnishes, but its for your eyes! (obviously) It's perfect if you want to look like you've spent a bit of time creating an eyeshadow look, but you only have 10mins to wrestle your cats and get out of the house. There's a lot of depth to the colors, I love using the pearly purple colour and then popping the dark purple in the crease for some added definition.

Spotify premium
Random fav! I signed up to this about two months ago and I think it's great. I've always had spotify, but only the free version on my laptop. I got this after my boyfriend recommend that I did when he realized my iPod was not only rocking 90s tunes, but was probably last updated when the spice girls were on tour (the first time round). I'm a busy person and it sounds silly but I don't have the time to find and download music, so this is perfect for me. You can discover new music, create playlists and download full albums all for just £10 a month. If you're a busy bee I would recommend getting spotify on your phone. 

Woah, long post! Sorry guys, hopefully it was worth a read...

Bloglovin | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | WIWT 

August Beauty Favorites

Refuse to believe that it's the end of August and the Summer is over, it's crazy! Putting my dislikes of reality aside, here's what I have been loving during the month of August.

As you can see, there isn't that much this month and that's because I was on a self-inflicted shopping ban. I can confirm that the ban has been lifted and a trip to Boots has already occurred! (see instagram). Anyway, here's some further deets: 

Moroccan Oil - £30.45 from lookfantastic

Like everyone, I had already heard of the wonders of Moroccan Oil, but for whatever reason I'd never got round to purchasing any until now. I am so glad I have! I've been applying one pump to the ends of my locks all month and I can definitely tell the difference, my hair is softer and nowhere near as dry as before. Also, as an added bonus, my hair seems to blow dry much better with this in, meaning I haven't had to straighten my hair all month. Love, love, love!

Conditioning Nail Polish Remover Pads - £1.50 from Boots

I can't find the exact same ones online, but these have come in really handy when I've been on the go and my nail varnish has chipped beyond repair. You get 15 pads in the little pot and I only use two in total per removal, so these do actually last quite a long time. The other thing I like about them is my nails feel really moisturized afterwards, sometimes nail varnish removers can leave my nails super dry.

Mac Plum Foolery Blush - £18.00 from Mac

I've already done a full review here, so I won't bore you with the details again. All I will say is this is the perfect A/W blush to take your make up from the peachy pastel summer look in one - big love.

Mac Tarnish Eye Kohl - £14.00 from Mac

So, my mum walked into my room a while back and was totally rocking an electric blue eyeliner, which looked insanely good. Skip forward and I am in LA with work and I find myself at the Mac counter (duhs) where I spot the Plum Foolery Blush and this super long eye pencil in dark green. I've been using this to line my eyes all month (see FOTD here) and not only is it a great alternative to black or brown, but the formula is amazing. I will defintely be repurchasing this and it's even prompted me to buy some metallic liners since.

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Pink Gold & On and On Bronze - £4.99 each from Boots

These little pots have been my go-to eyeshadows all month and I cannot get enough of them. Normally when something says 24hrs I think what a load of kitten poo, however these genuinely do last all day long. These have probably been the stand out product for me this month, I just can't fault them!

I picked up On and On Bronze after Lily Pebbles said she wore it, cuz she's gorge. I wasn't too sure about the Pink Gold, but when you blend it onto the lid it creates a gorgeous champagne nudey tone and I have been wearing it pretty much every day to work. If I could get you to try anything next month, try these!

Above: Mac Tarnish Eye Kohl, Maybelline Pink Gold and Maybelline On and On Bronze

I have blended in the colour tattoo eye shadows pretty well, you can create a more dramatic look by packing the product on or including a powder eye shadow over the top - very versatile!

That's a wrap! Stay tuned for lots more more posts this month and don't forget to follow me on all the below links if you want extra. What have you been loving this month? (not that I need tempting by you all!)

Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | WIWT 

March beauty favorites

As my brother just put it "It's like we've just gone straight from Winter to Summer and skipped spring" HELLO SUNSHINE! As the sun made an appearance, I took the opportunity to use my new camera (still practicing) and catch some rays - let's jump into it...

There have been quite a few beauty favorites I have been loving in March, so I will keep them as short and sweet as possible:

Lady Million Perfume by Paco Rabanne
It just smells so good. It's like the right mix of girly and edgy and it lasts really well. I mentioned before that two of my friends from uni Jess & Fran used to wear this all the time, so it reminds me of them and good times at University which makes me instantly happy. Does anyone else have fragrances that you go back to because of their nostalgic qualities? or just me creepily smelling my friends...

Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation - Buff Beige
Always in my make up bag as its great for when I don't have much of a tan and need something a little more subtle. It has quite a matte finish I think, so it's good if you have oily or combo skin types. Only downside, its pretty small so I get through it quite quickly as it's not a very heavy coverage. It's only £7 ish though and if you shop in Boots every week like me you get money off and vouchers all the time anyways.

Benefit Erase Paste - No 1 Fair
I've only had six hours sleep can you tell? oh no you can't my friend. Still loving this, click here for more deets as I have over talked it already!

Topshop Ooh La La LipstickI mentioned this here and here as it's a recent purchase. It's so summery and just the right shade of coral that isn't too in your face - perfect for daytime and nights out!

MeMeMe Fat Cat Mascara
I got this mascara in a Glossybox a while ago, but only just needed to use it and I have to say I was really impressed. I was coming to the end of my mascara and thought it would be good to take a new one with me to Berlin. I was worried that I would regret taking a mascara I haven't used before in case I was disappointed, but I have to say this mascara made my lashes look super long and it didn't need a thousand coats to do so. It also managed to withstand the snow in Berlin sticking to my lashes without running a single bit - thumbs up.

The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream
Purchased a while back now and still going strong. Really love this cream as it dries really quick and hydrates my skin so well. I have hands like a lizard from being in Berlin at the moment so this is getting even more use than normal.

Real Techniques Stippling brush
Made it into the March favs as well as February's. No need to explain this to my fellow bloggers, but it's a great brush. Sturdy, no loose hairs, compact and leaves your foundation flawless - totes recommend.

The Body Shop Eye Shadow Blending Brush
A #TreatTuesday treat, this brush blends your eye shadow incredibly well. The bristles are super soft and it's a really good size. I use this all the time, especially when my smoky eye has gone a bit smoky face and I need to blend it all together.

Lee Stafford Hair Treatment
If you read my blog already or follow me on Twitter then you will know that I long for long locks. I bought this on one of my many #TreatTuesday 's and have been using it as much as possible to keep my blonde hair looking as fresh as possible. I definitely think it's helped with the ends of my hair especially and it also smells really good. I don't think I will be tripping over my hair anytime soon, but I am glad I chose to try this out.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair
More of a life long fav this one as I have used it for a long time now. I really rate this stuff because my hair is so knotty and has the ability to break hairbrushes if it's in a real tangle. My Grandma actually told me about this a while back and I have to say my hairbrush glides through every time I use it AND it's only £1.99 from Superdrug or Savers.

Phew! Those are my March Favorites, leave me links for yours as I will need to explore some new stuff this month of course :)

 My cat was pretty interested in what I was doing...

 

Until she realised you couldn't eat it. Catching some rays was a better plan!

Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram