Instagrams to Follow

Living in a world of social media, it's easy to get lost in the realms of tweets, posts, pictures and videos. And I can admit, I am one of those people who sometimes finds myself using social media way more than necessary, so I thought I would share with you some of my favourite Instagram accounts!

I have to admit that most of these accounts are beauty related and so I thought I would start it off with the one fashion account I absolutely adore! And this account is caitlinheathxo and this would be a great acount to follow if you love trends such as the fishnets, graphic tees and jumpers, and lace up everything! I'm someone who always keeps my fashion very basic with intentions of changing it up and this account has been giving me all the inspiration I need, I'd highly recommend checking this girl out!

This next account is not only one of my favourite Instagram accounts but a favourite of mine on YouTube as well, it's jamiegenevieve. She is an absolutely beautiful and talented makeup artist, and so this account is everything beauty, and I could scroll on through this for hours! If you love a variety of makeup looks, ranging from natural to full glam this is the one for you and she uses a lot of neutral colours which will always be my favourite colour palette!

Someone I've been following for a long time now is grgctts who is also a makeup artist, and I feel like I can take so much inspiration from this girls looks because she is just as pale as me! She's incredibly talented and does a variety of different looks ranging from neutral to colour and so I always find there's something to take from her posts, and I feel like she has a look for everyone on her account!

The next account I love is lydiaemillen who is an all round blogger and YouTuber and so this account is all about lifestyle, fashion and beauty, and I love this because it feels so real! Scrolling through her feed is aesthetically pleasing as well, but I love how her photos range from one thing to another, instead of all being based on one topic, as I feel like this makes it appealing to a wider audience! Also her and her fiance are both extremely cute and she does often post pictures of them together!

My final favourite is cartiamallan who is honestly one of the most inspirational people on the internet that I've come across. She is also a YouTuber and I'd highly suggest checking out her channel, but I love her Instagram for the photos and the captions, because she's always so true and really promotes positivity and a happy state of mind! I would say that her account is more of a lifestyle one, but I love seeing the places she visits, and the people she goes with, and she is another person who is as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside!

Do any of you have any Instagram accounts you could recommend? I always love following new people! 

Kylie Cosmetic Favourites

As someone who has buying Kylie Lipkit's since she first released them, I realised that I'd never done any type of post about them on here. And so I thought I would share with you all what my favourite shades are currently, and what I think of the lipkits in general as I know there has been a lot of mixed reviews floating around the internet!

The very first shade I bought was Candy K and still to this day it is probably my most loved and worn shade, it's just so easy to wear with pretty much any makeup look! I find that if you're looking for a pink based nude, then this is the one to get, personally for me being so fair, finding a nude that looks good is difficult but with this have the pinky tones to it, it makes it so easy to wear! I can wear this on a day to day basis or for a more full on look, as I think that it compliments a lot of makeup looks from a simple winged liner or a blown out smokey eye!
Throughout the end of summer last year, all I wore on my lips was the shade Kristen and I bought this one as soon as it was released and I'm so glad I did! This is a lovely deep pink strawberry shade and I love wearing this with minimal makeup because it can be used as a statement lip. I'm someone who loves to wear a red lip in the colder months and so this is the perfect option for me in the warmer months, and it means you can wear less makeup while looking like I've made an effort! I also think that this is a perfect shade for all complexions and so would highly recommend this one to everyone!

As someone who likes to wear a lot of warm browns and oranges on my eyes, I've found that I reach for the shade Ginger a lot as it seems to compliment these warm tones. Again this is a colour that can easily be worn on it's own as a statement lip, but I do tend to reach for this one more when I have a more warm tone to my eye look, as I feel like it just brings it altogether! This is definitely a colour I would recommend for all complexions, because on me its a very stand out lip that some people wouldn't find as easy to wear but on darker complexions, it would be a really nice lighter shade with a hint of peach to it almost!
The last favourite is the shade Love Bite and  I find that this is one that I reach for on occasions more than day to day basis, as you really don't have to try too much or can you wear tones that match if you are someone who likes to go full glam! I love this shade because although it is another purple, it's a beautiful mauve purple and not just the stereotypical purple. And as far as purple shades go, I do find that this is an easy one to wear because of its muted, more dusky tones, and again this is one that would look gorgeous on all complexions, so if you're someone who enjoys these tones or just likes a more bold and out there lip colour, I'd highly recommend trying this one!

I do really want to invest in her lip glosses next, as I'm someone who rarely reaches for glosses, but with Candy K being a favourite shade, I would love to know what the gloss version is like! How many of you have tried products from Kylie Cosmetics, and what are your thoughts? I'd love to know if we have similar favourites!

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!

2015 Favourites

It's unreal to think that its been a year since my last yearly favourites, and I can't lie, I feel as though many of these products will be the same as last year because I can't help but be a creature of habit! And I also wanted to say that I really want to stick to a post schedule this year, as last year started well for me and then went pretty downhill towards the end!

PRIMER: L'Oreal Skin Perfection Magic Instant Blur I've gone through two of these this year, and I did try to use other primers after I used up the first one but I decided to come back to it, as I feel like it works well blurring any pores or imperfections, and it does make my makeup last a little longer than it would without a primer FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION: Mac Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 I'm pretty sure that this would have been my favourite foundation for last year as well, but I still continue to love it and use it a lot. This year I did finish up a bottle and for about a month I didn't repurchase it but finally caved and had to buy a new one as I found myself not knowing what foundation to use and wishing that I still had this one to use! I also find that this does a good job at covering almost everything up, and so I use less concealer! MEDIUM COVERAGE FOUNDATION: Makeup Forever HD I know that some people will say that this is also a full coverage or at least build able, but I tend to find that on my skin, it is more a of a medium coverage because I'm used to the coverage of the MAC foundation but I would recommend this highly as it's such a nice finish and feels so lightweight on the skin! It's also perfect for photographs as there's no flashback. CONCEALER: Collection Lasting Perfection Probably one of the cheapest concealers and still everyone raves about how good it is, I love that this concealer is so light that it works for me and it has amazing coverage, I use it for both under the eye and covering any imperfections and once it's been set with a powder, it looks so nice and so I will continue to use this, but I do tend to find that I need to stock up whenever my shade is available because they sell out fast! POWDER: Mac Studio Fix I am someone who prefers a full finish foundation and ever since I've had this powder, I've been using it to set my liquid foundation and I just find that it helps keep my oiliness at bay and I now can't imagine using a lighter powder to set everything! CONTOUR: Benefit Hoola Bronzer So, at first I found this powder to be pretty scary because it's so pigmented and I'm someone who is so fair and bronzer shows up immediately, so I've learnt that less is more with this and I also like to use the brush that comes with it to blend out my contour and I just find that it works so well and doesn't look orange on my skin! BRONZER: The Body Shop Honey Bronzer I love this bronzer, I use the lightest shade and I've had this bronzer for well over a year and only just hit pan, but I just find that it looks so nice for my skin colour, it makes me look bronzed which is a miracle and doesn't make me look like I've just bathed myself in a bronzer that is way too dark. BLUSH: Natural Collection Peach Melba I had someone suggest this to me on a previous blog post and I can't thank them enough because this is my go to for every makeup look, it's so natural and I'm not too keen on pink blushes so I love this and will continue to use it every day, and for the price point its really a steal! HIGHLIGHT: Sand (Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Palette) This is one of the only highlights I can use that doesn't make me look oily by the end of the day and just looks like I have a glow as such, but I'm a fan of the whole palette so its a win win situation!

BROWS: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade and L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper These two products have been the best combination for my eyebrows this year, and I'm someone who is all in for the strong brow and so I use my dip brow to fill everything in and create the desired shape and then I use the brow plumper to add more volume and set them in place. Honestly this combination will insure that your brows are in place for hours and I love that the plumper is warm toned and so it works well with my hair colour and the eye looks I usually wear. EYE PRIMER: Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow base I can't rave about this eye primer enough, it's the only one I'll use now and it just keeps my oily lids at bay and I can trust that whatever eyeshadow is going on top of this will be there for the whole day with no creasing, so what more can I ask for? SINGLE SHADOW: Makeup Geek Frappe Ever since I've had this shadow, I tend to find that it's my go to warm toned brown for almost any eye look, and for the price of Makeup Geek shadows, I really don't think it gets much better! And this is a brown that looks good in a mixture of eye looks or just on its own and I use it both ways. CREAM SHADOW: Maybelline Colour Tattoo On and On Bronze I have loved this for a long time and I think that everyone and their cats own at least one of the colour tattoos, the formula of these is so incredible for a drugstore brand, and I use this on this own, as a base, or part of a complete eye look, and built up to full opacity this is a beautiful shade and I feel like it compliments blue eyes extremely well! SHADOW PALETTE: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Who doesn't like this palette? No one. I think everyone needs this palette in their collection because it's got so many different potential eye looks in there, and I can use this for both natural day to day and dramatic night looks. I tend to find myself taking this with me when I'm away from home because it has everything you need and it smells like chocolate, so it doesn't get much better! EYE LINER: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner I'm not someone who wears eyeliner too often, personally I find that it takes me far too long but I have to admit that whenever I want to wear some sort of eyeliner, I tend to go for this, as I find gels easier than pens and also this gel lasts so long on the eyes and doesn't transfer into the crease of my eye. MASCARA: Maybelline Lash Sensational I think this will be the only mascara I use from the drugstore for a long time now, I do tend to use the waterproof version purely because I prefer waterproof formulas, but this mascara makes my lashes look longer and thicker which is exactly what you want and it holds a curl which is pretty important for some people also!

NUDE LIPSTICK: Mac Velvet Teddy Is it really a surprise? I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like this lipstick and I feel like it's one that suits pretty much every skin tone and I just find that it's a go to nude and its a matte formula which is what I tend to lean towards so I will go back to this time and time again. BOLD LIPSTICK: Nars Audacious Lipstick in Liv As someone who wears a lot of berry and purple shades, I struggled to decide on one that is a favourite but I always find that people compliment this lipstick and its one that I find very comfortable on the lips and I die for the packaging of these lipsticks, as well as the inside product! LIP BALM: Nuxe Reve De Miel This has been my favourite lip balm for as long as I can remember now and admittedly sometimes I forget to use it and I know it because my lips will hate me, but I must admit if you use this as part of the skincare routine, you shouldn't ever experience dry lips as this is so highly moisturising and nourishing and I also love this its a matte finish because I hate the look of glossy balms on the lips!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and that you also enjoyed my favourites from the past year. Let me know what you'd been loving, or if any of my favourites are the same as yours!

June Favourites

This month has been a bit of a crazy one and for some reason hasn't gone as quickly as the rest but for I started off the month travelling for various concerts and then finished it with celebrations for my mums birthday! So in between all these things and work, it's been a month filled with full face makeup which I've enjoyed but my skin really hasn't! But these are my favourites for the month of June!

There's a photograph coming up in my next Five Inspiring Things post and I fell in love with the makeup and since then, I've been trying to recreate it and there's ones eyeshadow that I've been using constantly for it! Omega by MAC which is a beige toned taupey brown and I've been using it all over the lid with a smoked out lash line using a dark brown (almost black) kind of eyeshadow and although it's still not what I see in the picture, I've been liking it! And by like, I mean that I wore this look for almost a week straight which is kind of crazy for me!
Let's praise the heavens because there is now a new concealer that I'm really loving and although I use my Collection Lasting Perfection one all the time, I just find that it's so difficult to get hold of and so I've been trying different concealers out! With the launch of Make Up Forever in the UK, I made an order and with that came the Full Cover Concealer and anyone who doesn't have this concealer, really needs it in their life! This covers pretty much everything, so when my acne really plays up, I know that I have this to help out, and it's light enough for me which is something that I tend to struggle with!
An favoruite that is reappearing this month is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder that I decided to pick up when I was browsing in Boots! And I remember buying this a good few years ago when I started to take makeup a lot more seriously and I have tried a lot of powders since but there is something about this drugstore offering that is seriously great! I always use the translucent shade and I just find that this sets my foundation for so long in comparison to other drugstore powders and it doesn't look at all cakey on the skin which everyone knows is a bonus!
Staying with the line of older products, something that I feel I've been using a lot more just recently is the Sleek Contour Kit and I've mainly been using the highlight side of this which I think is beautiful and not over the top for everyday use which is always great! I know there are some people who don't like to use this as they find it to be chunky with glitter but I don't find that mine is like this and so I don't know whether it's a luck of the draw kind of thing! But I really would recommend this product because the contour shade is also great and so easy to use and I think for the price of this you can't go wrong especially if you're starting out with powder contouring! 

This month I had a belated birthday present given to me by one of my amazing friends who gave me the highly coveted Velvet Teddy and I'm in love with a lipstick, if that is even possible! I don't feel like I need to rave about this too much as every other blogger has done exactly that but honestly, this is one of those lipsticks that you can reach for at any time, any occasion with any makeup look, a holy grail product in my eyes and well worth picking up!
Quite a while ago I made a post about blushers and a recommendation from another blogger was the Natural Collection Peach Melba blush and I eventually remembered to pick it up when I was shopping in boots and I must say for the price this is a seriously good blusher! This is a beautiful peach colour that would work with a lot of paler skin tones and so great for me, but the one thing about this is the pigmentation which really is very good for a drugstore product! With the pigment being so good, I do find that you have to have a lighter hand with these, but I do think I will be buying some more of the shades as they are something I don't think you can go wrong with!
Let's thank the heavens for my next favourite because I think it's a product that I will be forever repurchasing, and that is the Dermalogica Overnight Treatment which is the greatest thing to enter my skincare routine! As an acne sufferer, I have scars and so I feel the need to cover up with full face makeup most of the time, and after seeing YouTuber Claire rave about this product I knew that I needed to get it! And I've only been using this product for about two weeks now, and there is a noticeable difference in my skin already and for anyone who has acne and sensitive skin, I really would recommend this! I use it after I've cleansed my face at night and then place my moisturiser on top to lock it all in, but it doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all and really does help!

May Favourites

Yes, another month has rolled around and so that can only mean one thing, it's time for the favourite things of this month! This month hasn't been super exciting or experimental with products and I do feel like I have some recurring products from old favourites! 

Some of you may have seen my recent Body Shop haul and so naturally, there are a couple of products that I have found myself continuously using! The first of these products being the Vitamin E Moisture Serum which I find has been a great help for my skin, as at the moment, it has been lacking hydration even though I do tend to lean on the oily side. But I would recommend this for anyone who has drier skin, as the hydration properties this has, have really helped the areas of dehydration on my skin! And the other product which I have seen being talked about is the Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask and I use this every night once I've cleansed my face and I have seen a visible difference in my skin since using it! I feel as though my skin looks refreshed and bouncier as cliché as that sounds! 

This month, I did treat myself to some new higher end products, and there a couple of them that I have been using on a daily basis almost! The Benefit Hoola Bronzer is something that I'd put off getting for quite a while, as I didn't know if it would be worth the hype for someone of my complexion (pretty darn pale) but I was wrong and I'm glad I gave into the hype! Not only do I love the actual product itself but the brush that comes with it, is also super handy for those who like to contour (me!) and I find although the colour does look super dark in the box, it is in fact not muddy looking at all, and will probably now be my go to contour powder! 

An indulgent purchase that I made quite a while ago was the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in the shade Mirage, courtesy of well known Tanya Burr! I always found myself saving this for a special occasions and just recently, I have found myself using it more regularly as its such a pretty colour and its an eyeshadow that can just be put on the lid and without any other shadows, still look like you've made an effort!

Two more beauty products that I have been using a lot throughout this month are the Nyx Blush in the shade Peach which actually isn't too peach like the name would suggest! However, I do love the colour of this blush and for the price of these blushes they are so nice to use! The pigmentation is incredible and I do find myself having to use a very light hand and I would buy more of these, I already have my eye on some of the other shades! The other product is the MAC Eyeshadow in the shade Shroom and I have been using this as my cheekbone highlight, and this works so well, because its a white highlight and for someone who is pale like me, I always like to work with white or pink based highlights!

The other product is something that I would still deem as something that's considerably new and was well raved about - therefore I gave into the hype! The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer is something that I am glad that I spent the money on, it is a concealer that claims to be weightless while still being full coverage and I really think that it lives up to these claims! Not only is this great concealer, but I've finally found a liquid concealer that is a light enough shade for me to be able to highlight under my eyes, and I never thought I would see the day!

For those of you who follow me on twitter you will know that this month I decided to treat myself to a new laptop after not having one for almost a year! I'm now finding it so much easier to keep up with blogging and the social media attached to my blog, and I am so glad that I decided to do this! And with a new laptop comes the return on watching more Netflix, and another one of my favourites for this month is the show Pretty Little Liars which I have been obsessed with! I mean, I have been watching this show till 4am, or at any given opportunity, it's definitely becoming a problem!

What are your favourites for this month? Have any of you tried any of the same products?

Abigail

xo

April Favourites

The months keep going quicker and quicker, it honestly feels like I was writing my March favourites about a week ago! But yes, we are here again in this transitional month where I feel like I have changed up my make up routine a little bit and so this is what I've been enjoying using...

A foundation that I'd been eyeing up for quite a while now is the Maybelline Superstay Better Skin and the only reason I'd put off from buying it was because the colour range wasn't too great! However, I decided to just pick up the lightest shade which is very pink and luckily my skin tone has a very pink undertone, but I do have to bronze my neck a little because the foundation is still a little but too dark! Problems of a pale girl! I may do a full review on this in a few weeks as this claims to help the look of skin from three weeks of using it. I also like to apply this foundation with the Sigma F80 which I believe everyone should own because it just makes blending foundation so easy, especially if they have a thicker consistency!

A product that I've started to rave about is the Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil which is a drugstore dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz which I also love but if you can pay less for something that does the same thing, why not?! I also just find it so easy to use, and I love that one end has a spoolie so if I go anywhere and need to take my make up bag, I know I don't need to take a separate spoolie which is always handy! The only downside to this brow pencil is that it only comes in two shades and I find that the blonde one works for me but I could see why some people wouldn't be able to use these due to not having a colour that would match!

Bourjois is a brand that I love, however being ridiculously pale, the foundations don't work for me as they are always too dark and so I was sceptical about trying the Healthy Balance Powder, purely because I knew that those also come in different colours and I didn't know how much of the colour transferred onto the skin. I picked up the lightest shade (which I think is 51) and so far I have been loving it, and I don't find that it makes my foundation look any different and it leaves your skin looking healthy but sets the foundation well! It also comes in a tiny compact with a mirror so easy for use on the go, which makes this winner all round!

Another product for Bourjois is the Bronzing Primer and I love this because we all know that when the weather gets warmer, the cream products come out to play, and this seems like a dupe for the Soleil Tan De Chanel which has been on my wishlist for the longest time! But I love this because it really warms up the skin without making it look too muddy, and it's really easy to blend in because of it's texture! I tend to use the damn sponge to blend it in because it makes it look a lot more natural!

As the weather warms up, it means that oily skinned girls like me have to make sure that whatever we put on our face is going to stay in place, and so this means that I've been using the old faithful Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray which not only sets my makeup for the day but also controls the oil which is great because I don't have to worry about the possibility of the make up on my face disappearing! Another product that I decided to start using again the other day was the Revlon Highlighting Palette in the shade 002 which is great for a blusher and highlight all in one for those lazy days, and I love that it doesn't give off too much colour because it means you can build it up without it looking too much.

My last favourite for this month is the iPhone 6 Plus which I decided to get myself to replace the 5s, and I am loving the bigger screen, it makes things so much easier, and I find that I can now blog on the go due to having a phone with a bigger memory as well! I know that the 6 would have been big enough but I'm one of those people who just has to take it one step further!

I hope you enjoyed this months favourites, what have you been loving for the month of April?

Abigail
xo

March Favourites

This year is already going way too quickly, I mean how is it already the end of March? Before we know it, we'll be putting the clocks back an hour again, and spending more money than necessary for Christmas! Anyway, we all know what the end of the month means... Favourites time, and I'm here to round up a few of my favourite things throughout this month!

I only have one skincare item for this month, and with the weather constantly changing, my skin really isn't liking me at the moment... But I went into Lush about a month ago and decided to pick up the Tea Tree Toner Water because everyone knows that tea tree is good for acne and I think this has improved my skin, but I'm just waiting for the weather to decide if it wants to be cold or warm! 

As my birthday was at the end of Febraury, one of my friends decided to buy me the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette which now means I have all three and I'm so grateful, and since having this palette, I think I've used it almost everyday! I was told that for my complexion, hair and eye colour that the Naked 1 would be better for me but I can honestly see my using the Naked 2 so much more! And the packaging isn't velvet, so I already knew it would be one I could take away with me without it getting dirty! My favourite shades from these palette so far are tease, Snakebite and Suspect!

Staying with the line of new products, there are three things that I have welcomed into my routine quite happily, the first being Smashbox's Photofinish Primer Water and I was skeptical about this to begin with as it does seem like a gimmicky product but I have to admit, that I would definitely repurchase, because not only does it create a great base for your foundation, it also keeps the skin hydrated, so this would be a great product for those who have drier skin! I also made my first purchase from Bare Minerals which was the Well Rested Under Eye Brightener and this is great for those of you who want that under eye area to be illuminated and highlighted, and I just use this to set the concealer under my eyes! However you could just use it without a concealer, as Bare Minerals are a mineral product brand and so the intention is that the powder is used a straight up concealer! The last new product that I have fallen in love with is the Illamasqua Lipstick in Resist and I did pick this up when they had their sale, but oh my I think I have been wearing this more than any other lipstick I own! It's a deep pink, that I think goes with pretty much any make up look, and I'm not someone who likes to wear pink lipstick too often so I think that speaks for itself! 

As well as some brand new favourites, there are also some old products making an appearance in my daily routine, one of these being the MAC Blush in the shade Fleur Power, which is described as a soft but bright pinkish coral, and I agree with this, and as someone who shies away from blushes due top naturally red skin, I do use this with a light hand! However I must admit that the colour is so lovely, it gives such a gorgeous flush of colour and it is a colour that can be built up on the cheeks! After running low on my Mineralise Skin Finish, instead of buying a new one, I decided to use up a different product first and this is the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot powder, which I have used before, and I find that it locks in my makeup for a decent amount of time, but as an oily skinned girl, I have to touch up no matter what foundations and powders I use! But this is a powder I would recommend if you are looking for something a little bit cheaper and it's available at most drugstores which is always bonus! 

The last favourite for this month, is a lifestyle favourite, and towards the end of the month, I ended up getting rid of my old car and getting a new one. I feel like this is one of the best investments I've made in a long time, and I'm completely in love with my new car and now couldn't imagine having my old one back! 

Any of you tried these products? Love them, hate them? What are your favourites for the month of March?

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!

January Favourites

Most of my favourites for this month are either completely new products to my routine or stuff that I have loved throughout 2014 and so I've kept them as part of what I do pretty much every day!

The two new products that I have been using a lot are the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette which I have been talking about way too much but it's just too good of a plate to not rave about! Although I don't do many ‘evening looks’ this palette can be used for daytime and evening because there is so much colour choice with darker and lighter shades available! And it smells like chocolate when you're using it, what more could you want? And the other is the Nuxe Rêve De Miel which is like heaven for your lips – especially in the cold winter weather! But I just slap some of this on my lips when I need it and just before I go to bed and it lasts so long that I barely feel like I'm thinking about having chapped lips!

I haven't had a particular foundation that I've been going to back to this month as I feel like my skin has been all over the place and I've been using whatever feels best for my skin on the day! But no matter what foundation I've been wearing, you can guarantee that I've been using The Body Shop Instablur primer underneath because this is a primer that managers to smooth over everything and just creates an even base for foundation to be applied on! I've also been using the Honey Bronzer from TBS as well because I'm fairly pale in the summer and so the winter is terrible, I somewhat resemble Caspar the Friendly Ghost and so the lightest shade of this bronzer is nothing too in your face or orange as others would call it! Perfect for all those pale skinned girls out there!

Speaking of being pale, I've also been using the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural as my setting powder because I find that the shade Light is pale enough for me to not have to use a translucent powder as the MSF does give the smallest amount of coverage without altering the colour of my foundation! However if you are more tanned, the same shade is great for an under eye setting powder! 

A skincare product I've been using for a while now is the L’Oreal Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum which is a serum that claims to perfect the look of skin by minissmising the look of pores and hydrating the skin to make it look more youthful. And I can say that I have felt a difference in my skin since using this and I'm now on my second bottle so it can't be half bad! I've always been conscious of my pores and I find that the combination of this and the Instablur primer, I'm not worrying anywhere near as much which I'm happy about!

The last favourite for this month has to be the song Real Love by Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne, and I know this isn't a new song but it's one I have been listening to non stop, I just love Jess’ voice so much!