Four New Additions

At the start of the year I found myself in one of those moods where I just wanted to have a massive clear out in terms of my dressing table. I admit I was hoarding an unrealistic amount of skincare that I knew I wouldn't use anymore, and a lot of eye shadow palettes that were sitting away being unloved and unused.

Instead of getting rid of the palettes I don't use anymore, I decided to pass these to people who I knew would use them and love them. Which means I have found room for some of the palettes I'd been keeping my eye on, without feeling guilty for having a ridiculous amount of palettes not being used enough.
The first one I've added to my collection is one that has actually been in the beauty industry for a long time now and it is the Jeffree Star Blood Sugar palette. This is a palette where I just didn't know whether to take the plunge or not, it has a lot of extremely good reviews but I just didn't know if it was worth the price point. Then Christmas rolled around and I thought I would ask for it as a present and now I am the proud owner of a cult classic palette from Jeffree Star Cosmetics.

Another palette that follows a similar colour scheme is the Urban Decay Naked Cherry, and I am a huge fan of Urban Decay shadows anyway and own almost all of the palettes so I felt like this was something that I would eventually pick up even if it wasn't right now. But I love the colours in this palette and until this and Blood Sugar palette entered my collection, I didn't have a huge variety of pink toned palettes that were a formula I liked to use. 
One that I have owned for a couple of months now but haven't had too much of a chance to experiment with is the Morphe James Charles palette, which just caught my eye. I told myself I didn't need it and I wasn't going to buy it but I just couldn't help myself seeing it in person, this palette has everything and I can't wait to start playing around with this and using all the different colours.

The last palette and the newest to the collection is the Sosu x Keilidh Cashell palette which is the perfect palette for a natural eye look, but also has pops of colour for those who want to add this into their looks. The size of the palette is great as well, and I'm excited to start using this and see what I can come up as I have seen so many different looks being created with just this one palette.

A couple of these palettes I have used a few times, a couple of them I have yet to test out but I'm sure I will letting you all know how I get on with them once I've given them a fair test run. Have any of you tried these palettes? Love, hate, gimme your thoughts in the comments!

Twenty Eighteen

Oh, 2018, what a strange year you were. I feel as though the year taught me a few different things and so to start the New Year, I thought I'd share them with all of you.
1. Saving is Better Than Spending After a pretty spendy Christmas on myself, friends and family, I've decided to reign it all in, and start to think about saving more than I'm spending and just having more control over what I'm buying and making certain things more of a treat. I'm starting to set the boundaries of what I need versus what I just want. And I feel like this is a lesson that everyone can take on board, cause as much as people like to spend, I also like to know I have some money put aside ready to set my future up.
2. There's No Better Time Than Now This almost leads in to my last one, so I had already decided as soon as Christmas was done that I wasn't spending anymore money. And it made me think, why do people wait for a new year to start before they decide to start changing things? If you really wanted to change something, it's something that you could change at any time and shouldn't just be because of the New Year.
3. Set Yourself Realistic Goals If you are someone who likes to set resolutions, that's completely fine but I've always found that sometimes it's better to set yourself an end goal for the year, instead of trying to change too many thins in your life at once. And always make sure that the goal is a realistic one as it's something that you want to be able to say you've managed to achieve 12 months later.
4. Everything Does Happen for a Reason I wouldn't say I've ever been someone who doesn't believe this, but I've always been sceptical of it, just due to the type of person I am. However, I feel like 2018 has it's ups and downs and it really did show me that sometimes things have to happen in your life for you to be able to move on and make changes, and it usually always works out for the best even if it doesn't feel like it at the time!
5. Sometimes You Have to Put Yourself First It's okay to have some time to yourself and be selfish from time to time, how are you supposed to look after the people around you if you don't give yourself time to look after yourself? I feel as though the last year has showed me that I need to take more time for me and just put my feelings and self care first more often because at the end of the day, you're the most important person in your life. 6. It's Okay Not To Be Okay Over the past year, I feel like this has a been a phrase that has been drummed into people and it really is true! The last year has been one of the most testing years for me in terms of who I am as a person and where my own head is at, and it truly makes you realise you don't know mental health until you live it. I can safely say, I'm glad I took the courage to do something about the way I'd been feeling and can say it's made almost every aspect of my life so much better, including my job, relationships and just how I feel about life in general.
I hope you've all enjoyed this little read, and hopefully I'll be back soon with another one! Let me know what kind of goals and resolutions you are setting for yourself in 2019!

Most Used Palettes

I'm always so used to writing about all my favourite products as a collective, and so I thought that I would break it down and just write about my favourite palettes. So here's a mix of eyeshadow, contour and highlight palettes that I love and use all the time!
The first palette I love using is one of the newest ones in my collection I think, and it's the Urban Decay Naked Heat which I must say might just be my favourite out of the Urban Decay palettes! As someone who wears a lot of warm brown and orange tones on my eyes, this palette has everything that I love! And as all the other Urban Decay palettes, the pigmentation is amazing but it's still so easy to use and blend no matter how advanced you are with eyeshadow!

A brand that I continue to love is Anastasia Beverly Hills, and I have a few palettes that I continuously use from them! The first one is their Pro Series Contour Kit and I have mine in the shade light/medium which does work well for super fair skin although they could bring out a few fairer shades I think! I don't tend to use the banana shade in this because it just doesn't work for my skin, but the middle contour shade is the perfect colour for me, and the highlight is so subtle and pretty! If you haven't tried this palette, I would highly recommend to anyone who is into contouring and highlighting.

Another palette from this brand is a cult classic, and I feel like it would be wrong to not include it, as I can't imagine not having this and of course its the Modern Renaissance palette! This is the original eye shadow palette that everyone has and loves and if you don't own it yet, you need it! Filled with warm tones (which we all love) but you have the  lovely pops of colour that can spice up your eyeshadow look! This is a palette I could definitely take travelling and not need anything else!

The last palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills is the newest to my collection, and this is the Sugar Glow Kit and as someone with super fair skin, highlights for my skin are difficult to find! And I bought this one mainly for the paler white and pink shades but I've found that the other two shades also work so nicely on my skin and can be doubled up as eyeshadows so I do get my wear out of all these shades! But they all have a lovely buildable formula and so I find that I can this for day time wear or night time wear, and they all blend in to the skin so nicely!
The last two palettes I have to talk about are both from Morphe which is the brand that just blew up on social media and everyone seems to love them! The first palette is another cult classic and this is the Morphe 35O which everyone and their dog owns! And if you don't own this, you probably should, because it's something that can work for everyone, it's filled with all the warm tones you could want from a palette! All the Morphe shadows I've tried have been incredible for the pigment whether its the matte or shimmer shades, and all the shadows are so easy to blend and this palette is no exception, and there's definitely a reason that this palette is always sold out!

And the last palette I have to talk about, is possibly my favourite out of all of them, and this is the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill which was unbelievably difficult to get hold of and still is! But it's the one palette I take everywhere with me because it's got all the warm brown tones that I love, but its also filled with an array of colours to brighten up any look, and the shimmers in this palette really pack a punch so I don't feel like you can go wrong with this one! I also love the first two pale shades in the palette as they make such an incredible for on the face as well as the eye!

Do any of you own any of these palettes and love them just as much as me? Or do you have any palettes you would recommend me picking up, I'd love to know in the comments!

The Ultimate Glow

Just recently I feel like I've been really embracing being more glowy and less matte but only in the right areas for my face. I think I've been enjoying this look more as it doesn't make my face look so flat, and it just makes the skin look a lot healthier and bright which I've really been liking! And so I thought I'd share the products I've been using to achieve this look, because we all deserve to have a brighter, glowing look to our skin! 

The first product I like to use is one that I forgot I even had until I was clearing out my drawers is the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer which I used to be so scared to use and I think that's why it ended up at the back of drawer! Having oily skin, and using a product with shimmer or brightening properties in can seem like a recipe for disaster however, I decided to start using this as a primer everywhere except my t-zone and it has been great! It keeps the not so oily areas of my face looking dewy and so when the rest of my face decides to start producing the oil, everything all looks how it's supposed to! I think this would be a great product for anyone with dry skin!
The next product is something that I'm sure everyone is familiar with by now and most probably tried out and that is the Iconic London Illuminator. I use the shade Shine for my skin tone as it's the lightest one they sell but they do have a few different shades to choose from depending on what you want from this product! I've only used this product two different ways so far but I'm sure there's a lot more uses for it than that, and the first way I like to use this is mixed in to foundations just to give them a dewy look if they are a matte formula and I think it gives the skin a really nice healthy glow!

 The second way I use it is as a normal highlighter because there's just something about the way a liquid highlighter sinks in the skin and just looks so fresh and complete! But if you are feeling extra like me most of the time, you can always put a powder highlighter on top!!
Moving onto powder highlighters, I decided to take the plunge and buy an Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit and I bought the Sugar version. I'm in love with it and I mean I was nervous spending that sort of money on highlighters, but these truly are worth the hype! They look so amazing on the skin, because they aren't a chunky formula and with having the range of colours it gives you so much variety in one place! I also think these would look so good on the eyes but that's something that I haven't done yet.

Do any of you have your holy grail products for being glowing to the Gods? I would love to know what you recommend!

A Makeup Shakeup

I'm someone who gets so comfortable with routines and having a semi organised lifestyle, and this is no different for my makeup routine. However, just recently I've been finding myself trying out n

ew (and old things) and leaving some of my former holy grail products behind and so I thought I'd let you all in on what new stuff has been making changes to my face!

Something that I always seem to struggle with is finding a foundation that works for me for a long period of time, and so I feel like I'm constantly on the hunt for something new or just mixing a bunch of foundations together to see what works! At the moment what seems to be working for me is my very loved No 7 Beautifully Matte Light foundation which isn't anything new however, I've been mixing it with the Urban Decay All Nighter  and this combination together just seems to look flawless on my skin and last for such a long time! And I have to say that I don't think I'd go back to using the Urban Decay one on it's own as I found that it could be very drying on the skin and this is coming from someone who suffers with oily skin!
The next product that's new to my routine is something that I wish I had started using when it first launched! And this is the Benefit Hoola Lite and I can't thank Benefit enough for bringing all us pale skinned girls a bronzer that we can actually use without the worry of  looking orange! And I was someone who was determined to use the original Hoola even though I knew it was waaay too dark for me so I couldn't be happier that I now have the pale version in my life, because it's such a beautiful bronzer that just glides on effortlessly and can easily be built up or left as a light wash of colour depending on personal preference! High recommend for all the pale skinned girls out there!

As all makeup lovers will know, if you have a ridiculous amount of eyeshadow palettes, there's always gonna be some that you forget to use and somehow I stopped using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance  and I really don't know how! But I've just recently picked it up again and fallen back in love with because I haven't stopped using it since! I don't even feel like I need to ramble about this product too much though, because it's been raved about by near enough everyone and if you haven't tried it out yet, I dunno what you're waiting for!
After finishing my last primer, I decided to try something new and I had seen a lot of people trying out The Body Shop Instamatte and I have been loving it so much, I'm now on my second tube! Being a silicone based primer, I use this mainly on my t-zone and I've found that it's really helped with the application of other products on top and it also helps with the longevity of makeup considering my skin is very oily! This product can also be used for a variety of things such as an eyeshadow base, a topcoat for lipstick to mattify a can be used on top of foundation for an oils that need controlling through the day! 
Something I've been using from the drugstore for a while now is the Rimmel Insta Contour Stick in the shade light and I feel like I've fallen in love with this! As someone who does like to cream contour, this is such a simple product to use! But I do have to admit, I only use the contour side of this, because I don't really feel like the highlighting side does anything. However the contour side is so creamy and easy to blend which makes it so good for every day use, and it also isn't too dark for my skin which is always a bonus!

I have also finally found a highlight that works so well with pale skin and it's the Ofra x Nikkie highlight in the shade Glazed Donut. It's an almost white highlight and I just find that it gives a lovely sheen on the skin for everyday use but its something that can also be built up to give a really intense glow on the skin! And I just find myself using this almost everyday because its so easy to use and goes with all the makeup looks I do!
These are just a few of things in my routine at the moment that I am loving, have any of you tried these products and love them as well? What are you favourite things to use in your collection?

New Year, No Resolutions

With it being a new year, what better time to find some inspiration and start writing again! And I thought my first post should be something related to having a new start, but it's almost strange that I've decided to start this new year off with no resolutions set in stone.
I thought this year I would change things up and not decide on any resolutions because they never seem to stick anyway! And I just thought that I'd put less stress on myself by making silly little changes and if anything does actually change it's just a bonus! But I think, just by sitting here writing this post, something is changing. 
So, if any of you feel like you're putting to much pressure on yourself by setting yourself unrealistic resolutions, who cares if you break them? I think that any time of year can be for a change, and you don't need a 'new year, new me' mind set! But start by taking baby steps, because things don't just happen over night, and don't make yourself feel bad for things not falling into place as quickly as you think they should.
I know this is a short post but I thought I'd start off with something simple to get myself back into it, and I hope you enjoy reading this! Have any of you set resolutions, or not set any like me? Let me know!

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!

Finding Happiness

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We're already a month into the new year and I decided to not make any resolutions at the start of the year as I'm someone who never sticks to them anyway. But as we're getting into this new year, I've had a few ideas of things I want to start up and most of these ideas come from things that will boost happiness within myself and I thought I'd share them with you all!
Last year I really didn't stick to blogging as well as I wanted to, and I'm not going to set myself targets but I really want to get back into it and enjoy it again! So instead of telling myself I should be posting on certain days so many times a week, I'd rather post content I want to and really like the content I'm putting out, and this means the content will be a lot better for all you that are reading it.
I also want this year to be a lot happier for me and so I decided that I need a hobby and I've chosen to join the gym, as not only will exercising release endorphin's which makes you feel a lot happier, but I also want to get my body to a point where I feel comfortable and enjoy what I see, so this seemed like a great way to boost my self confidence as well as boosting my happiness!
Positivity is also something that I really want to focus on and so I've decided to start journaling so that I can write everything down and go back to it to see how much things have changed for me, and just watch my own journey to becoming a lot more positive. And I feel like it's always good to have somewhere to write everything down and get everything out!
Have any of you got any resolutions that you've managed to stick to so far?

A Skincare Update

I made this post well over a year ago now all about my skincare routine, and I feel like my skincare game has changed dramatically in the past few months. I do have two products that are still the same, but everything else has been swapped out for something my skin is appreciating a lot more, which makes me and my skin happier!
My first routine of the day is of course the morning, and as someone who has oily areas to their face, I tend to find that I do produce a lot of oil at night sometimes, and so I use the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to remove everything from my face and I have loved this product for years now! It just leaves my skin feeling so clean and fresh, and it doesn't have anything harsh in it which is great for my sensitive skin! The next product is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray and I use this straight after I've cleansed kind of like a toner, except it just puts hydration back into the skin, and with ingredients such as rose water and aloe, it feels really refreshing on the skin! I then use the Boots Time Delay Youth Maintain Eye Cream which is something I picked up because it was on offer at about £2 and I have been loving it! Since using it, my under eyes have felt a lot more hydrated, and I have also found that concealer applies easier and does not crease at all, so this product has been incredible for me!

This product is one I am still using and have been for a few years, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ and I can honestly say that my acne scarring has been so much better for using this, and I use this everyday without fail as it just helps with any imperfections on the skin. Over the past few months, I have been trying out things from Lancome and the next product I use is the Genifique Youth Activating Serum which is a serum and I just love this because it's super hydrating, and it makes the skin look so radiant and I find that it really helps with any uneven texture on my skin! And lastly I use the Lancome Hydra Zen and since using this as my daily moisturiser, my skin feels a lot more hydrated and the skin texture has also felt a lot smoother which makes me extremely happy!

My evening routine does also include a couple of the same products including the facial spray and eye cream, but there are also a couple of different products. To remove my makeup, I still used the beloved Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil as I feel like it really gets rid of all the makeup so quickly and easily! I also love the fact that it's an oil with a pump which means mess free and just simple to use even when taking my makeup off feels like a chore! And the last product I like to use at night time is the night version of my day moisturiser, which is the Lancome Hydra Zen Nuit and this is the best night moisturiser I've ever used, it leaves my skin completely hydrated and it after regular use it even makes the skin look more luminous in the mornings!
There are also other products I thought I'd mention even though I don't use them everyday, but some of you may find them helpful in your routine as well! I have two different face masks that I like to use, the first being L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox mask and this is designed to deeply cleanse the pores and leave the face "detoxed" without drying the skin out! I love to use them directly on blemishes to really draw them out, or I use this in the places on my face such as my nose and cheeks where my pores are a little bigger just to cleanse them thoroughly. The other mask I like to use is the Manuka Doctor ApiClear Peel Off mask which has been a lifesaver for me since buying it! This mask is designed for congested skin and as someone who suffers with acne and scarring, this has really helped clear up my skin and it also leaves it feeling soft and glowing which is always a bonus!

The are two more products that I like to add into my routine and the first one is from La Roche Posay Lotion Micro Exfoliant and this is something that I only use one or twice a week as an exfoliating method. I find that this really gets deep in the pores especially on my nose and after using this, it just makes my skin feel so much smoother which makes applying making a lot easier! And the final product that I like to use is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion which is a product people know about due to Kylie Jenner, and I love this because it dries out spots overnight and really helps to clear up any spots that are just appearing! This product just helps me to worry less abut anything popping up on my face, and so I feel so much better about my skin in general!
Have any of you used any of these products or can recommend anything else to add to my skincare routine? I'd love to know what products you like to use on yourselves!

A New Base

 As I regularly say on this blog, I am someone who is super pale no matter what time of year it is and so when I find a foundation that is pale enough for me, I have to hope that I'm going to fall in love with it! And during the Summer months, I came across a foundation that I've been not stopped using!
I've always been someone who looks for a more matte foundation as I can tend to get an oily t zone, and earlier on this year No7 released the Beautifully Matte foundation but in a light version. So this foundation has been everything I needed, lightweight for when the weather is hotter, a matte finish but still covers everything that I want to be covered, as my skin has cleared up a lot recently meaning I haven't needed a full coverage foundation!

No7 was a brand I'd never really tried out before and after using this foundation, I really have no idea why! But I decided to get colour matched and as I had guessed, I needed the lightest shade they do and so I ended up picking the new foundation Beautifully Matte Light in the shade Calico. I think being colour matched does help, but I have found this foundation is the perfect colour for my skin, and I love this because even though it takes a little more effort to work it into the skin, the results are so worth it! It covers redness and most imperfections extremely well, so I find that I use barely any concealer with it, and it does stay matte all day which is always a bonus for me! But I would say if you are going to buy a No7 product, it is well worth getting colour matched just so you know you are getting the shade that is right for you!

No7 do have a wide range of foundations, so if the matte look isn't for you,I'm sure there is another foundation that would be just as perfect, although I will say that not all the foundations have the same shade range. And so I found that there were other foundations that unfortunately didn't go as light in shade as the Beautifully Matte Light one. I have also been pairing this foundation with the No7 Primer for pore minimising and I just find that the two products work really well and for the price of the No7 foundation I really can't complain!
Have any of you tried the products I've mentioned, if so what do you think? Or will you try any of these products after reading this?

The Everyday Face

I've always been someone who enjoys putting on makeup and takes my time doing it because it's therapeutic in a way, but just recently I have found myself putting on less and less makeup. I'm not sure if it's to reduce the time it takes me to get ready, or whether it's just because when I put on a full face of makeup I do look different! But either way, I thought I would share with you what I've been putting on my face as a basic everyday routine!

I swear by primer and just rceently I have been reaching for either the Nivea Men Post Shave balm (which I do think really works for my skin) or the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer and these both just help the longevity of my makeup but if you want something to help fill pores, then the Soap and Glory one would be the better option for you! When it comes to foundation, I usually switch between a few different ones but my ski has been so dry and flaky in the mornings but will soon turn oily throughout the day and so nearly everyday I have been wearing the L'Oreal Infallible 24H foundation which I loved so much when I first bought and kind of just forgot about it but I need to go and buy a new bottle of this because I have nearly finished it all now! I find that this foundation is full coverage and that I don't use anywhere near as much concealer as I would with other foundations which is a bonus for me and it also just looks lovely on the skin and wears so well throughout the day!
As for concealer, I never find myself using anything besides the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer because it conceals everything perfectly and is a light enough shade for my whole face which is rare for a drugstore concealer! But I don't think I need to rave about this, because everyone has time and time again and I'm sure you've all tried it before now! Due to being oily, I do have to set my face, and for my under eye area I tend to lean towards using the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Light because it sets the area for the whole day and also gives a tiny bit more coverage so that any darkness is completely concealed. Then for the rest of my face I have been using a recent purchase which is the Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Powder and I find it stops my face from looking oily for most of the day, but I also love this because it's transparent meaning there is no extra coverage added to my face but also loose powders can be used for the "baking" method of the oilier areas of the face.

On a day to day basis I don't contour my face but I will bronze up just stop myself from looking like a ghost and bring a little dimension back to the face, and for this I have been leaning towards The Body Shop Honey Bronzer which I have loved for a long time now and I use the lightest shade because I find that isn't harsh on my skin and doesn't look orange at all which of course is a bonus! And if for any reason, I decide I want to wear blush, I will use the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in the shade Nude Mauve which has a sheen to it so it colour as well as a little highlight which for me is a great 2 in 1!
For my brows, even though I keep my face simple, I will still use my beloved Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde to shape and fill them in and then to set them in place I use the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper which adds a little more volume as such tot he brows but you can trust this to set the brows in place for the whole day and a little more without being uncomfortable! Then for my eyes, I have been wearing either no eyeshadow or just a a matte skin tone shade to keep my eyelids from creasing throughout the day, but I have been using mascara for the top and bottom lashes to define my eyes. For the bottom lashes I always use the L'Oreal Telescopic just because the brush is so small and works perfectly for under the eye without getting mascara everywhere and then for my top lashes I don't have a specific mascara that I use, but I have been loving the Revlon Volume and Length and the Lash Sensational which both work well and can be built up to make the lashes look more dramatic if that's something you like to do!

That's all I've been using on my face recently, let me know if any of you use these products or if you're like me and use more makeup for different occasions instead of a day to day basis, I would love to know!

Five Things // 11

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I've been loving the stripes and dungaree trend for a while now, and it's making me feel the need to invest in some more dungarees (maybe long length ones this time!)

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Just recently, I've been so intrigued by Amsterdam and really want to visit this beautiful place

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I really can't wait for the day that Colourpop will ship to the UK, because these colours are all so dreamy. This is the part where I go all heart eye emoji!

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I am totally obsessed with cute lingerie at the moment and I really need to browsing online at so much because I probably will cave and end up buying a lot!

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I think that Khloe has always been my favourite Kardashian but just recently she has been slaying the game, and everything is so on point with her! She kinda makes me want to cut my hair short again, and even her makeup is just flawless, is this a girl crush?! Maybe.

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!

Zoeva En Taupe Palette

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a sucker for the Zoeva palettes, but every time a new one is released I know that I'll eventually buy it. And the latest addition to the family is the En Taupe palette which is built up of ten shades based around the autumnal browns and taupes, leaving us with a very versatile palette.
Like all of there other palettes, each shadow has a lot of product and I honestly think that these palettes can't be beaten especially when it comes to the price point. It also has a mixture of shimmers and mattes, and so I find that I can create natural day time looks with this as well as more dramatic night time looks because this palette has some beautiful glittery and shimmery shades in it! I do find that because this is a more taupe based palette, I don't use it as often as I would like purely because I'm not used to seeing some of the colour with my complexion. 

On the top row of the palette there is a shade perfect for highlighting which is called Stitch by Stitch, and this is just an off white matte shade and I always prefer to have a matte highlight as I'm someone who will go for shimmery shades on the lid and this always helps to balance it all out. There is also two amazing crease shades on the top row, the first being Hour by Hour which is has a peach tone to it and I love this because it reminds me of Makeup Geek's Peach Smoothie  shadow which I use as a transition shade for so many different looks and so whenever I use this palette, that is always my transitional colour. There is also the shade Gallery which is a lot more brown toned and so I find that this works well in the crease and it's a brown that will go with all the other shades in this palette! One of my favourite shades from this palette has to be Old Master and up until recently I was someone who would stay away from glittery eyeshadows but since trying some out, I feel like they look really flattering for special occasions and this is a shade that has a lot of purple to it and then it has fine gold shimmer running through it, and so it looks beautiful with any purple or taupe based looks. 

Then we have the bottom row, which holds more of the shimmery shades, and I think that the shade Outline is my favourite from all the shimmers because it is a lot more brown based and I just tend to find that browns suit more a lot better due to having blue eyes but all the shimmery shades in this palette are so buttery and soft as well as being so easy to work with and the bonus is that there is minimal fallout! But the best shade on this row, I would have to say is the only matte shade called Exquisite which is a straight up taupe purple shade which looks amazing in the crease and outer corner of the eye when using this palette to do an eye look, although I do have to admit that this shade is a lot harder to work with and I feel like you really have to build up colour especially if you're someone who doesn't use a primer for their eyeshadow.

Overall, I would have to say that this a lovely palette and for taupe lovers it is a must have but I do tend to find myself reaching for other Zoeva palettes over this one, plus the pigmentation is a few of these shadows could have been better. However I definitely do have my eye on the new palettes from the spectrum collection that recently launched!
Have any of you tried this palette, if so what are your thoughts? Are there any other Zoeva palettes that you would recommend?