January Favourites

A new year and a new round of favourites, how is it that we have already reached the end of January? Time is moving seriously fast, it won't be long until we're all celebrating Christmas and the coming of 2017!

Surprisingly I have been preventing myself from buying beauty products this month, and this does mean that I have been using products that I'd completely forgotten I had instead of sticking with my usual. I went through a phase last year where all I would use for my brows was the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade and because it's a product that will literally hold your brows in place all day, I decided to only use it for nights out or special occasions, but for the last couple of months I have gone back to using this everyday. I love the way that I can use this product to really carve the brows out and with the right brush you can still achieve the hairlike strokes that everyone craves for their brows!
I remember raving about the Smashbox Primer Water not long after it's release last year and although some people think that it is a gimmick and doesn't really work, I have been relying on this product before foundation this month, because my skin has been dehydrated and this just places moisture into the skin before applying anything else. And this leads me onto my next product which is a foundation, and I'm not really someone who is a lover of drug store foundations but I'd had this one for a while and decided that I would try it again and my gosh I am glad I did! The Revlon Colorstay Foundation has been my go to, and I use the formula for oily and combination skin because although my skin has been dehydrated it is still oily which I have to admit is a real pain! But I have to admit that this seems to keep oils at bay throughout the day and I can put this on in the morning and it won't fade anywhere near as much as some other foundations that I have used in the past! And I have to say that the shade range for this foundation is actually impressive for something out of the drugstore, I would highly recommend checking that one out!

So a while ago I saw everyone raving about the MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul and without even considering it, I had ordered. Then came the problem of me being so pale and this having a very beige tone to it, and so I put off using it for so long in case it looked too stark on my skin! But just recently I decided to try it out with a bronzed look and a very light hand when it came to applying this product and I think I've found my perfect way to wear this blush and I'm pretty happy about it! This blush also has a lovely gold pearl to it which makes the cheeks shimmer slightly which I think really adds to the look!
I have also been using a different tool to apply my foundation recently and this is a blending sponge from Chi Chi Cosmetics and honestly I think I bought it because it was blue but I prefer this over my Real Techniques sponge because it seems softer on my skin and has the pointed end to it making it great for applying product around the nose and in the under eye area. But I know that Chi Chi isn't easily assessable in the UK and so I feel like when it's time comes to an end, I will go back to the much loved Real Techniques sponge!

A product that I have gone back and forth with since I got it is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, it's one of those products that works for me sometimes but not all the time. I love it because it is a concealer that is actually light enough for my skin which is always a bonus and if my foundation is a little too dark, I can semi highlight with it, but I only tend to use this on my under eye area day to day. However I feel like sometimes it just doesn't quite cut it for coverage with me, my under eyes are very dark sometimes and so layering is what happens but I love how lightweight this concealer feels and I do think that I will end up repurchasing this when it's gone!
I recently made a post all about my Z Palette containing my Makeup Geek shadows and I feel like for most of this month, this was the palette that I would reach for because it's custom and you put the shades you want in there, so you know there's always going to be an eyeshadow look you can create that will suit you and your own preference. But I have been also using the Makeup Revolution Awesome Metals Rose Gold eyeshadow as well either on the centre and inner of the lid or just in the inner corner as a pop to the shadows I'm already wearing. And I just find that it creates a really nice metallic foiled look to the eye and I must admit whenever I was wearing this, I seemed to receive more compliments which is never a bad thing!
What products have you been loving this month, anything you think I should try out? Let me know in the comments!

Chi Chi Cosmetics

I posted a photo on Instagram towards the end of January of a few things I ordered from Chi Chi Cosmetics and after being able to try out the products, I thought I'd do a little haul for you all!

Now firstly, this was an expensive package because living in the UK, I ended up paying custom charges on this when it arrived but I have to admit, I would probably do it again purely for the quality of these products (and the fact that Australians/New Zealanders rave about this brand! 

The one thing I really want to order was unfortunately out of stock, and that was the Fabulous and Flawless foundation (good reason to place another order though, right?) However since receiving the package I have a new found favourite product from everything that I bought and that is the 3D Magic Lash mascara, I have pretty crappy lashes when it comes to volume and holding a curl but thismmascars does what it says! It really does give you more of a 3D lash, it enhances them and I feel like I need to make another order even if it's to stock up on this one product!

I also ordered two of the Glamourous Palette Duo, one in Bronzes and the other in Naturals and I'm pretty sure everyone has seen at least one version of these palettes on Instagram at some point! The pigmentation is incredible for the price and I can see why they are highly coveted for something that is pretty much drugstore price! I wouldn't say I use them on a daily basis but if I didn't have palettes such as the Urban Decay Nakeds or the Too Faced Chocolate Bar then I would probably use these a lot more! And I have to admit the colours in the bronze palette are beautiful, you get a mixture of red and orange tones, along with more burgundy and purple tones! Along with these palettes, I also got one of the Baked Eyeshadows in the shade Call Me, and this I like to use all over the lid with nothing else, or as a highlight both on the eye and the face, because it has the nice sheen that comes with baked products!

Something that I had wanted to try ever since hearing about the brand was the Eyebrow Pencil in the shade Taupe, and this comes highly recommended but YouTuber Shaaanxo and although I do like this product, it's not one that I reach for all the time, and I feel like it's one that needs sharpening after a few used to be able to create hair like strokes in the brow! 

As I wanting to try a variety of products, I also decided to order a Viva la Diva Lipstick and I have to admit going by the shades of the website was pretty hard, but I found one that was a matte formula - which is what I tend to wear, and also in a burgundy, purple shade (Lady Bump) and I have only worn this a few times, but it lasts so well on the lips and the colour is to die for, but it's one of those lipsticks you can't wear on a daily basis unless you want really dry lips! 

Have you bought any products from Chi Chi Cosmetics before? Would you buy anything based off my reccomendstions?

Abigail

xo

February Favourites

I'm back with the favourites from the shortest month and this month I've found it quite difficult to find things I've been using religiously! But alas, here are the few things that I have loved throughout the month of February!

Most of the products for this month have been things that I stopped using and instead of buying new things, I thought I would have a little root through my make up and see what I could find! From previous posts, some of you will know that I am not a fan of blusher, at least not anything too pink or red, however, just recently I have rekindled my love for the Soap and Glory Love at First Blush which for me works as a blush and highlight all in one! The blush is built up of blocks of different colour and so I tend to stick with the lighter shades and I find that my cheeks never look too flushed which is a bonus! 

Staying on the lines of the face, after buying the Sigma F80 a while ago now and using that pretty much every day, I kind of forgot that I had other face brushes and one that I've began using again is Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and I forgot how much I loved this brush, its so dense and I find that it's great for really buffing foundation in because I am someone who prefers a full coverage foundation and sometimes they can look cakey if they aren't buffed in enough!

A new product that I've gladly welcomed into my routine is the Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and for someone that has extremely oily eyelids, a good base is an unspoken rule, and I have to admit I'm always sceptical about primers but this one does last, and keeps my eye shadow in place even when I am doing a ten hour shift at work so this will definitely be one that I will repurchase! And on top of this primer, I have been wearing a MAC shadow that I bought and never really used to begin with but after seeing Anna use it, I knew I would love it! And this eye shadow is Sable which I have been wearing all over the lid, blended out at the edges, it's a beautiful bronze come plum shade and a lot of people have complimented how blue my eyes look when I have been wearing it!

I'm someone who doesn't wear eyeliner too often but when I do, I usually turn towards a gel liner because I find them easier to use than most liquid liners, but when I was sorting through all my eyeliners, I came across the L'Oreal Super Liner So Couture which was actually a free gift with a purchase but nevertheless the pen on this is so small that you can get the most precise line which is great! If anyone knows where to get this in the UK, please let me know! Most of this months favourites seemed to be based on the eyes but I have also been loving the Chi Chi Cosmetics 3D Magic Lash which is a mascara which makes my lashes look so good, I find the results similar to They're Real but it's no where near as difficult to remove! 

The last favourite for this month has to be Taylor Swift, I think me and my friend have been listening to her non stop, I've honestly had her albums on repeat in my car and I have no idea where this little obsession has come from, but I don't think its stopping any time soon!