Monthly Favourites | February

Hey there lovely ladies! Can you believe we're now in the third month of 2013? That's crazy! Time flies when you're having fun, and I've had a pretty busy month. The highlight of my February was the Professional Beauty exhibition (read my post here) and getting news through that I'll be spending a month in Australia with family at the end of the year which I'm of course super excited about. At the end of each month I love reading what everyone's been loving and also share with you lovely lot what have been my favourite products from the last 30 days (or 28 as were in February!).

Probably my favourite purchase of the year so far was the Urban Decay Naked Palette (read my review here). I still can't believe it took me so long to take the plunge, but it is most definitely my favourite make-up product out of my entire collection. The colours are so versatile and wearable for both day and night and ideal to create the perfect smokey eye. I don't want to bang on too long about this little beauty, so I'll move swiftly onwards. I also got my hands on the Solar Powder bronzer from Soap and Glory, which has meant I can save my MAC 'Give Me Sun' bronzer for special occasions or when I want to glam my face up a bit more than usual. It is a half matte and half shimmer block so leaves the skin with a gorgeous dewy finish on the cheekbones without being orange or going patchy throughout the day. I've also been obsessing over my newest Victoria's Secret lipstick. They've only just introduced these in-store and were previously only sold online, so I took advantage of the situation when I was last there and picked up several shades, my favourite being 'True'. It has a much lighter colour pay off than what it appears as, and the finish is amazing. It's so moisturising - think a MAC Cremesheen mixed with a lip butter and you get the idea.  I couldn't possibly have a monthly favourites post without mentioning some sort of Soap and Glory product! It just so happens that this month I've been loving two of their bath and skincare products, the 'Rich and Foamous' body wash and the 'Feel Good Factor' facial moisturiser. I have a huge thing for almond, vanilla and shea butter scents, and the body wash has all of these combined. I may review this product in full sometime soon, but until then all you need to know is this - it's amazing! I'm not a massive fan of the Sugar Crush products as I don't particularly like the scent, but this is a great alternative. The 'Feel Good Factor' is a lovely consistency, but don't worry I haven't parted ways with my 'For Daily Youth' moisturiser. I mix the two together to get the best of both worlds. Something I've been lusting over for as long as I can remember is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. This thing is a lifesaver! Out of all of my brushes, this is definitely my favourite. It applies foundation so easily without leaving brush lines, not to mention it washes like a dream too. No more malting brushes! I have an upcoming 'Favourite Make Up Brushes' post, so make sure you check back if you're interested.

What have been your favourite products in February?

Christmas Wishlist

Hi everyone, I'm getting so excited knowing Christmas is under a week away! I originally planned to do a Soap and Glory post tonight but by the time I got home it was far too dark to take blog worthy photos. Sob. I know it's a little late to start posting 'Wishlist' posts but I thought I'd show you a few of the things I've asked for and am hoping to receive under the tree.

1. YSL  Rouge Volupte Perle 107 Impetuous Beige 

I was recently reading Fisi over at 'Oh Snap Babes' post about this gorgeous YSL shade and I just love it! I absolutely adore these lipsticks their formulas are so thick and creamy and the pigmentation is to die for. I love this shade as it's not too out there and is a nice nude pink which I'm partial to.

2. Thierry Mugler Alien Eau De Parfum 

Anyone who knows me personally will know that this is my signature scent. People often tell me they know I'm in the room once they catch a sniff of its gorgeous smell. It's a much loved fragrance and lasts all day, and as I'm starting to run out of my current bottle I desperately need a replacement! 

3. Real Techniques Core Collection

I know a few of you may be shocked but I only own one Real Techniques brush! I own the infamous stippling brush (read my review here) and it is by far my most used brush. I can only imagine how great the core collection is as a few bloggers have said in the past so I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the core collection. 

4. Boohoo Gold Sequin Sleeve Khaki Jacket

Not one of my friends isn't lusting after this jacket! I absolutely love it and I haven't ordered one sooner because I'm crossing my fingers to have my own on Christmas Day. It may not be the most practical of jackets but put a bit of sequin with some khaki and I'm on board. I've seen Millie Mackintosh and Katie Price wearing it too which makes it that little bit more lustable!

5. New Look Bubblegum Pink Onesie

Okay I have a little bit of a confession to make ... I now have a collection of NINE onesies. I know it sounds bad but I live in mine. I'm not a slob, honest, but as soon as I get home I look forward to pulling my onesie on. This one is a little pricey at £70 but the quality is amazing and it's a piece you can keep forever. 

6. Soap & Glory Best Of All Gift Set 

I don't think I've seen one beauty blogger who hasn't either a) bought this b) asked for this or c) lusted after this. The fact it's currently on offer at Boots and I know of some people who have gone out and bought two for themselves. I for one am so excited to get my hands on this and have a good old pamper!

What have you asked for Christmas?

♥

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Hi Girls! Autumn is well and truly here, and it's time to dig out the scarves and gloves again. Boooo. I love nothing better than a good deal at Boots or Superdrug, and when I was in Westfield over the weekend I took full advantage of the 'Buy 1 get 1 half price' offer on cosmetics. Yes, I'm ridiculously late to jump on the lip butter bandwagon, but I decided (after oomphing and aahing for several minutes over my choice of which shade to buy) to pick one up and generally see what all the fuss was about after reading countless blog reviews on them all.

At first I was a little put off the thought of a lip butter as I thought it would feel too melty and gooey, and after seeing all the awful testers I very nearly decided aginst purchasing it altogether but decided to try it anyway. Revlon claims that the lip butters are 'a mango, shea and coconut butter formula that boosts lip moisture by 156%' so it was finally time for me to ditch the Vaseline. I absolutely love the packaging. I may sound slightly odd saying that packaging is important, but I love the way products look in my make up bag and it gives me a sense of enjoyment. Weird. The lid is an opaque hot pink colour with a quilted effect and covers the entire tube of lipstick when on.

I opted for 'Sweet Tart', a warm peachy pink colour when applied that literally melts onto the lips. I have a real problem for light pinks and nudes, and they are my definite go-to choice of colour for everyday, so the choice of colour was perfect. The creamy formula makes it a dream to apply, and it leaves a subtle glossy finish which always looks great. Not only is the colour pay off fantastic, but it left my lips feeling moisturised too and as though I had slathered layers upon layers of Carmex rather than a lipstick. For only £7.99 I reckon I've found a new lip product to get me through Winter, soothing dry chapped lips while looking great at the same time.

Have you tried Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters? Which is your favourite shade?

MAC 'Shy Girl' Lipstick Dupe - NYX 'Pumpkin Pie'

Hi Everyone! I haven't got round to blogging for over a week! I've been so busy getting ready for my holiday which is now only just around the corner. I took myself to Westfield in Stratford throughout the weekend and popped into MAC just to buy myself some foundation. What ended up happening was ridiculous, as I ended up coming out of the store with a bag full of goodies including the cremesheen lipstick in the shade Shy Girl. I met Amy Childs last Wednesday at her perfume launch on Oxford Street and I loved the lipstick she had on. I asked her what it was and turns out it was from none other than trusty MAC! 

Alot of people are somewhat dubious as to why you would spend £14.00 on a lipstick, but my MAC collection has never failed me. I love the cremesheen range as they add the perfect amount of gloss without becoming sticky and have a fantastic formula which means there is extra staying power and it never budges out of place. The only thing I probably dislike is the smell. It has that awful smell of chemicals which is really off putting, especially first thing in the morning. I was also looking through my make-up box a few days back (yes a box. I don't do make-up bags) when I came across a lipstick I'd forgotten I owned and hadn't even opened. To my horror, the shades were practically identical. I purchased 'Pumpkin Pie' a few months back for no more than £3.00 and although the formula doesn't quite match up to MAC's Shy Girl, it's still a lipstick I could use on the go.

I'm an absolute sucker for nudes and pale pinks, so for colour this definitely gets a 10 out of 10 from me! Pumpkin Pie is a very subtle colour, and isn't nearly as pigmented as Shy Girl as I found myself applying up to three coats to achieve a similar colour. It didn't glide on as easily as Shy Girl, but for only £3.00 it's hard to justify why I can't use my NYX more often. It contains a small amount of gloss, again not too much that it's sticky and sits awkwardly on my lips. I did find that after a few hours that the cracks in my lips were beginning to show but it was easily fixed by a quick top up. For packaging, I obviously completely prefer that of MAC's Shy Girl. All the lipsticks from MAC are so sleek looking, and I can't help but think Pumpkin Pie is a little tacky looking. It will be absolutely perfect to replace my Shy Girl lipstick when I go on holiday as I'm so clumsy and will probably end up dropping my MAC into the sea! I've bought a load of drugstore lipsticks recently for this purpose and may post a small haul showing you all what goodies I've managed to find.

Do you own any MAC Cremesheen lipsticks? Which is your favourite shade?

☮

July Favourites

So, it's that time of month where all beauty bloggers reveal their favourite finds from throughout the month. I admit that July has been a great month for me in terms of finding lovely products which I've been in turn obsessing over, and I'd love to share them all with you. This is my first monthly favourites post and it's a little picture heavy so I apologise in advance.

Sleep Rollers - You must have been hiding under a rock if you haven't heard of these little beauties. I bought them a few months back and ever since then I've worn them at every given opportunity as I love them so much. I'm planning to do a full review of these, as I know rollers and especially Sleep Rollers are a hair product that people are very apprehensive about. But they're great for me, and I've been using them all month to achieve big bouncy hair. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo for Dark Brown Hair - Sometimes you just can't be bothered to wash your locks, and have to sit through blow drying your hair with the annoying prospect of being unable to style your hair on the day it has been washed. I've been loving the dry shampoo from Batiste which adds a tone of dark brown to your hair, which is great if your roots begin to come through. (I'm slightly guilty of this now, my natural hair is blonde so it looks disgustingly grey against my dark brown hair. Eek!)

St Tropez Gradual Tan Moisturiser - In recently raved about the infamous Dove Summer Glow Body Moisturiser, but I've found an even better replacement. Sure, it may be a little on the pricey side, but for a gradual tanning product which delivers nicer, longer lasting results I can just about justify it. I am loving this stuff, and plan to write a full review on it soon.

ReBorn at New Look Cross and Pearl Necklace - If you read my blog you'll know that I recently bought this necklace for a bargain of only £6.00 at New Look in Westfield, London. Since then, I've been wearing it with pretty much everything. I love that it's so versatile and doesn't catch in my long hair either which is a huge added bonus. Read my full review on it here. 

Benefit Get Bent Mascara - I love Benefit make up, and I've never been disappointed when purchasing something. I love the packaging of this mascara and it looks lovely in my make-up bag when I could never usually find my mascara buried under everything. It gives my lashes great volume and the brush is angled which makes for great application.

Nails Inc in Love Potion - I'm a complete sucker for pale barbie pink nail polishes as I find that they really bring out a tan. Nails Inc have a great selection of colours, and this ticks all the right boxes. It's chip resistant, long lasting and very pigmented. I only need to apply one coat and I'm good to go.

MAC Lusture Lipstick in Jubilee - As I've mentioned in previous posts, I absolutely adore pale pink and nude lipsticks. Having accumulated quite the collection on lipsticks, I've been using MAC's Lusture lipstick which gives a lovely glossy finish and long lasting colour. 

Rescue Oil - It's almost time to put on my bikini and get tanning when I jet off on holiday in a few weeks time. EEEK! I've been doing some body prep and begun using Rescue Oil which contains the same ingredients as Bio Oil but is a fraction of the price. I'm planning to do a full review of this sometime soon so I can tell you just how amazing this stuff is!

Soap and Glory Flake Away - I adore Soap and Glory! The packaging, the smell, the price and of course the product. Flake Away is great as an exfoliator to prepare your skin for tanning, and it makes it unbelievably soft. It makes e that little less frightened to get my legs out when the sun shines.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub - I am so addicted to this stuff, and find myself reaching for it at every given moment before I put my make-up on. I recently done a review on it here so take a read and see why I love it so much.

What were your favourite products from this month?


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Topshop Lipstick in Pillow Talk

I bought another lipstick. Yes, another one. I really need to stop this ridiculous obsession some time soon, I haven't even opened some and the pile gets bigger and bigger by the day, quite literally. Being new to Topshop make-up and being super impressed by the 'Head Over Heels' blush, (read my review here) I was really excited when I picked up this lipstick. I've heard so many rave reviews about the lipsticks in the Topshop range, and especially 'Pillow Talk' known for its great colour pay-off and ultra moisturising qualities. I'm a complete sucker for pale pinks and nudes so this ticked the box with my name next to it.


I think one of the main reasons people love the lipsticks is the packaging. It has a theme which runs across the entire make-up range and it's so girly and pretty. I love the box everything comes in and I actually keep them (upright if you may ask so I can see which colour I'm choosing. Sad I know) in a box on my dressing table. The lipstick itself is pretty standard, nothing too fancy just plain white made with metal. I like the way it clicks into place so easily when you're finished with it. I notice these kind of things as there's nothing worse than when lipstick lids fall off in your make-up bag. 

I have a big thing about how products smell so was a bit disappointed that this smelt of absolutely nothing. I'm so glad that it doesn't reek of chemicals and what have you like others do though (cough cough MAC) but for only £8.00 I'm so not complaining. There's nothing worse than when you have dry cracked lips and your lipstick gets stuck inbetween the cracks of your lips. I'm wincing at just the thought of it. But I religiously use Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub (read my review here) and Pillow Talk sits perfectly on top of my lips all day without that dreaded crackle effect. 

For it's colour and texture I'd give this a definite 10/10. It's so creamy you wouldn't believe and glides onto my lips like a dream without it being too sheer to have to apply two or three coats (even though I do as I love to wear statement lips). Because of this, its a really versatile colour as you can build it up by applying more. Pretty self explanatory. It has a slight gloss to it also as it is a velvet moisturising lipstick. So an added bonus too! 

Have you tried Topshop's make-up range? What's your favourite product? I'd love to know.


☮

Revlon: Colour Burst Lipstick in 020 Baby Pink

Another day another lipstick! All I seem to be blogging about is lipstick and make-up recently, I promise I'll be doing some fashion related posts soon. I'm quite new to trying Revlon lip colours but I love the colour stay foundation so was hoping this lipstick would be equally as good. And just as I thought, it is amazing. I fell in love with this colour as it stood out at me next to the dark maroon colours and I loved how pigmented it looked even at the first glance. After swiping a small bit on the back of my hand I fell in love and took it straight to the tills.


The texture isn't too similar to the lip butters that everyone is crazy over as it isn't quite so thick and creamy. It isn't drying either, so there's no worry of having that dreaded crack effect. I can't begin to tell you how much I'm in love with the packaging of this either, it's gorgeous and incredible girly. I love the indented 'Revlon' writing on the actual lipstick itself too. 

As you can see from the swatch it's quite a sheer colour with just the one swipe so it isn't as pigmented as the Kate Moss lipstick (read my review here) making it perfect for Summer. It has a slight shimmer to it so if you aren't keen and prefer block colours I wouldn't recommend this. Other than that I'm going back to Boots tomorrow to pick myself up a few more shades and try the Matte Lipstick from Revlon too :-)

Have you tried the Colour Burst lipsticks from Revlon? What other lipsticks are good that I can try? 

Rimmel London: Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in No.16 Rossetto

Hi Lovely Ladies ♥


I recently made yet another purchase to add to my ever growing lipstick collection after searching high and low for the perfect coral/pink colour to play around with for the Summer. Ever since Kate Moss brought out her lipstick collection for Rimmel I've fallen in love with every single shade, especially shade number 3.


Kate brought out another 3 or 4 shades specifically for Summer, so I had to pick this one up which by all accounts has now sold out in Boots, Superdrug etc. It's a stunning light coral pink shade and is so complimentary with all types of make-up looks. Even though it's quite a pigmented colour, it's easy to tone down by applying only a small amount and then blending it in. 


I got mine from Boots as soon as I saw it as I think it's limited edition for £5.45. *THERE IS AN OFFER IN BOOTS TO BUY A KATE MOSS LIPSTICK PLUS A RIMMEL LYCRA PRO NAIL POLISH FOR £7* so pick yourself up a bargain while stocks last.
So anyway, the lipstick...

As you can see, the colour looks like more of a pink nude in natural daylight, but I can assure you it is more of a subtle coral pink. The flash on my camera is playing up so I can't show you for photographic purposes. The lipstick itself is a real creamy thick texture, which is perfect if you don't want to be topping your lippy up every hour. 


As I said, it's a very pigmented colour which can also be built up to create a more dramatic look. Unlike most lipstick's, it isn't a drying product and the texture is very similar to the new lip butters from Revlon (review to come soon). It glides on so easily and it's so small it can be tucked into the smallest clutch bag on a night out. I love the packaging too!

I smoothed foundation primer (Revlon Beyond Natural Primer, read my review here) beneath the lip colour on its debut on Saturday night beforehand and it definitely made a difference. I only needed to re-apply it once throughout the entire night. It even lasted through countless shots and drinks which to me is a massive bonus!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the smell of this either! It smells absolutely delicious, sort of like a watermelon/strawberry scent. To some people, perfumed products are a big no no, but I just think it's an added bonus to an already great lipstick. I'm looking forward to trying out the other three shades that Kate has brought out in her Spring/Summer collection. 




Have you tried any of the Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel? What did you think and what is your favourite?
♥