Recent Beauty Additions

Well we're not even 3 weeks into 2018 and I'm already stressed to the max! It's been the most hectic few weeks. Whole family illness paired with back to school & back to work means I've barely had time to think, let alone write a blog post. New Year's resolution = sit down and actually write a post. So here I am!

Negativity aside, I was seriously spoilt rotten at Christmas, so I thought I'd pop all my beauty bits into a post and show all you beauty lovers in the hope it might brighten up this very cold and dull January.

NARS The Veil Cheek Palette

NYX Warm Neutrals Palette

L'Oreal Matte Lip Paint in Babe In

Bare Minerals Take Me With You Set

Max Factor Lipfinity Long Lasting Lipsticks 

MAC Cremeblend Blush in Something Special

MAC Snowball Mini Lipstick Set in Cool

Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue EDT Gift Set

NUXE Cracker (Micellar Water, Creme Fraiche De Beaut & Huile Prodigieuse)

L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Face Mask

HOW CUTE are those mini MAC lipsticks please? Expect to see a lot of these beauts in upcoming posts!

November Favourites

HAPPY DECEMBER bitchezzzz. Soz but I just can't hide my excitement. Despite the fact I didn't even get an advent calendar *eye roll*. So I'm gonna attempt BLOGMAS this year. Meaning a post every single day. I've planned them on my little excell spreadsheet, but whether or not I get time to actually write and publish one every day is another matter. It's the thought that counts though right?

Fragrance of the year? MISSGUIDED Babe Power

When MISSGUIDED launched their first fragrance earlier this year, I don't think they had any idea just how well it would do. It sold out in less than 3 hours and became the top selling fragrance in THE FRAGRANCE SHOP, beating cult favourites like Paco Rabanne's Lady Million & Miss Dior.

Christmas 2017 Beauty Releases

I dunno about you guys, but one of my favourite things to do around this time of year is browse the web for the latest releases from some of my favourite brands. Often, they bring out Limited Edition Christmas gift sets that are often excellent value for money. I've put together a list of some of my favourites. You're welcome....

Recent Foundation Buys

So in one of my recent posts I talked about candles being my guilty pleasure. Well it seems I have more than one. Please don't judge, send help! I just have this thing with trying new foundations. It really is all about the base for me. I do buy foundation more than any other makeup item, but thankfully none of these were ridiculously over priced so I don't feel too bad about it.

A Body Shop Haul

I feel like The Body Shop doesn't get half as much credit as it deserves. They do the most amazing skincare, and their shower goodies are to die for. They're even bringing it when it comes to makeup! Over the last few months I've picked up a few things so I thought I'd bunch them together into a haul. I was very kindly invited to The Body Shop Middlesbrough back in August to check out some of their latest ranges, and then I also attended a Body Shop At Home Party with my girl Ella! So here's what I picked up...

MAC Velvet Teddy

Could this be MAC's most popular lipstick? I reckon it's up there! I finally got my hands on Velvet Teddy - don't ask me why it took me so long! I've always had this irrational fear of matte lipsticks, don't really know why, as one of my alltime faves is a matte (hello Rimmel Kate Moss 107). Anyway, I finally decided to treat myself and ohhhh was I pleased. Guys, it's bloody GORGEOUS. Literally the perfect brown nude.

The Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Dupe

Who doesn't love a good dupe? Well, I've found a bloody good one for you all today. Although I can't take full credit for this one, as I first saw it posted in the Facebook group 'Mrs Gloss & The Goss'. The big bunch of enablers, ha! 

May Favourites

Eeeee well it's June tomorrow. How did that happen? Summer is well and truly upon us now isn't it?! I know I haven't blogged properly in a while, but I've been loving the same products on a daily basis for a good couple of months now.

Tropic Skincare | An Introduction

Well hellooo! I know, it's been a while. I solemnly swear to get back into blogging and social media.  Although I do feel like I've said this before. Anyway, I was lucky enough to be able to trial some gorgeous new skincare from a brand relatively new to me, thanks to a friend who is a brand ambassador, so I thought I'd write a post on them. I mean, how cute is the 'borrow box?'.

Latest in Beauty | Beauty & The Beast

Well hellloooo. I'm back after a long, unplanned blogging break. I didn't blog throughout the whole of February, even though I had posts planned. Life just took over and I let everything get on top of me. I've been training with Nail Harmony UK to become a Nail Technician so I've been trying to focus on that, aswell as decorating a little salon room at home, looking after the little angels and trying to cope with a bloomin' vile stomach bug that lasted almost a week! Argh! Anyway, I'm back with this gorgeous beauty box from Latest in Beauty.

To celebrate the release of Disney's live action Beauty & The Beast on 17th March, Latest in Beauty have curated 2 limited edition beauty boxes; one for him, and one for her. I obviously went for the one for her, as it was a gift from me to me.

The box itself contains 7 products inspired by the film, so think French brands, red roses and delicate skincare.

GATINEAU RADIANCE ENHANCING GOMMAGE

CAUDALIE VINOSOURCE MOISTURIZING SORBET

BURT'S BEES LIPSTICK IN BLUSH BASIN

L'OCCITANE ROSES ET REINES HAND & NAIL CREAM

SOIGNÉ BETTERAVES ROUGES NAIL POLISH

LATEST IN BEAUTY GOLD COMPACT MIRROR

ORIBE GOLD LUST DRY SHAMPOO

The boxes retail at just £20, which I think is an absolute steal. I know the box will take pride of place on my shelves as it looks like a giant book with the design running round onto the spine. LOVE.

Beauty & The Beast was always my absolute favourite Disney film and I cannot WAIT to see the live action remake in a week's time!

Get yours HERE before they sell out.

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MAC Rebel Lipstick

MAC Rebel Lipstick | £15.50

This lipstick has been on my wishlist for (no lie) about 2 years and I really don't know why it's taken until now to get my hands on it! MAC Rebel. Look at it. JUST LOOK. It's the most perfect deep, purple, berry shade. But it's like no other berry lipstick I own. It's just so unique and I can see now why it's such a cult favourite. It looks quite scary and not very wearable in the bullet, but once it's on the lips it's just stunning. It brightens up the complexion and even makes my teeth look whiter. It's not too dark or gothic. It's just beautiful. I've been wearing it loads lately, both day and night.

Rebel is a Satin formula, which has actually become my favourite formula. They're semi-matte, but feel super comfortable and creamy on the lips and tend to last so much longer than Cremesheens. The lasting power of this lipstick is the best of all my MACs. It wears really evenly and leaves behind a gorgeous berry stain that lasts through the night. It's a bit of a bugger to remove but that's certainly not a bad thing. We all want our lipsticks to last don't we?

Now I know you're all gonna run out and buy this. And if you're not, why not?

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NEW IN: Maybelline. Spring 2017

If you're not aware, I'm part of the Maybelline's #MaybellineSquad, basically meaning I'm lucky enough to get sent a selection of their new releases every couple of months. Now, I'm in no way expected to post about them, but to be honest I'm just a massive fan of Maybelline, always have been, so I often find their new releases are exciting enough to post about. Plus, the lovely ladies are kind enough to send me all of these wonderful goodies, the least I could do is showcase them on my blog. Feast your eyes on this lovely lot...

Firstly, there's 2 new palettes to get stuck into, one of which I own nothing of it's kind. A Lip Contour Palette! What is this sorcery?  Look how pretty...

Maybelline Lip Contour Palette in Blushed Bombshell* | £9.99 | link

How stunning? The Lip Contour Palette in Blushed Bombshell* has the ability to create 3 different lip looks, using the prime, line, colour and highlight system. I watched Rachel Leary's recent video where she uses this palette and it's so dreamy! I haven't had a proper play with it yet but I'm out partying Friday and Saturday this weekend (I knoww, wild child - not!), so I'm definitely gonna give it a whirl. 

The other palette is the new Master Camo Colour Correcting Palette in Light*. I love these kind of palettes as I get quite a lot of redness especially around my nose.

Maybelline Master Camo Colour Correcting Palette in Light* |£9.99 | link

Again, I haven't had change to try this yet, but I've had a little feel and they feel ultra creamy and blendable. 

Maybelline Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer in Fair* | £4.99 | link

Maybelline have also released a creamy concealer crayon! MY FAVOURITE KIND! The Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer in 10 Fair* reminds me very much of my all time favourite concealer (Soap & Glory Kick Ass Blur & Brighten Concealer Crayon). I've got such high hopes for this badboy and think it will be perfect for brightening up the under eye area & sharpening the brows etc.

They've also released some new lip products to their already massive range. The ones that have excited me most have to be the new Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons*. Now I think there's 6 to choose from and I have the shade Sugary 10, which is a beautiful watermelon pink, which I suspect will be a handbag favourite of mine come springtime.

Also in their new lineup is another shade to add to my Color Sensational Matte Nudes*. The shade Brown Sugar is very on trend at the minute, but admittedly it's one that might take some getting used to. Along with that, I got one of the new Color Stay Shaping Lip Liners* in the shade Brick Red. A true, brick red lip liner is always good to have in so I'm looking forward to giving this a go.

And lastly, there's a couple of the Super Stay 24 Dual Lipsticks*. You know the kind, the balmy primer at one end and the liquid lipstick at the other. I got the shades Steady Red-Y and Pink Goes On. The red looks perfect for Valentine's Day, even though Martin and I don't usually acknowledge that - ha!

All in all I think Maybelline have smashed it for their Spring 2017 releases. I look forward to seeing what's next.

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My Most Reached For Foundations

I've got to admit that my guilty pleasure is definitely foundation (well, along with Yankee candles, and cheese... ooohhhh Boursin, where have you been all my life?). I was a Rimmel girl for a long time, with Match Perfection being my favourite for a good few years. Lately I've found myself reaching for different ones every day just to switch things up a bit. I've put together my 4 favourites of the moment, the ones I find myself reaching for most often.

First up is probably my all time favourite; the YSL Le Teint Touché Eclat Foundation (review here). It's the ultimate in dewy, glowy goodness and has pretty good lasting power too. It's a medium coverage but just looks so fresh and healthy. A more budget alternative and one of the newest in my stash is the L'Oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation. It's slightly thicker in texture to the YSL, with perhaps a little bit more coverage too. I find it perfect for my dry skin as it doesn't cling to dry patches and gives a healthy glow which I love. It lasts well with just the odd t-zone touch up through the day. If I want something long lasting and still fresh looking, I will always opt for the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation. I never used to like this foundation back in the day, but I fell in love with it when they changed the formula during their rebranding and added the comfort serum. Out of all of the foundations I own, this is the one I notice the most by the end of the day. My skin still looks fresh and the coverage is still there. That's something I very rarely get with foundations, as I always go for dewy, fresh ones and they don't tend to last as well as full coverage/matte foundations. Decent work by Rimmel. Last but not least is a foundation that receives a lot of hype; NARS Sheer Glow. I really struggled with this when I first got it and really didn't like it. But the more I've tried and worked with it, the more I find myself reaching for it. Admittedly it is too pale for me, so I often mix a tiny bit of a darker foundation in just to even out the colour a bit. I do now get why it's so hyped up. It's so light on the skin, but still has good coverage and lasts well.

What are your most reached for foundations?

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MAC Twig Lipstick

Oh MAC, you stole my heart from day one. I have 11 MAC lipsticks in my collection now (although it's bothering me that I'm at an odd number, so I think I'm gona have to treat myself to another, paha). The newest in my collection is this beauty, and I'll be honest, it's possibly jumped to the top of my favourites list!! Twig is described as a soft muted brownish-pink, which is basically how I would have described it. It's one of those shades I think everyone needs to own. It's so flattering and the perfect nude for this time of year as it's a bit darker than other every day nudes that I'd choose all year round (e.g. Brave). This one is perfect to achieve that 90's lip trend. It's a Satin formula, and I have to say I've always gone for Cremesheens, but this is now my 3rd Satin and I think I'm converted. Satins are pretty much a semi-matte and feel so creamy and comfortable on the lips. 

MAC Twig

Look how pretty? I've been wearing it pretty much every day since I got it at Christmas, and even on a few nights out, too. FYI, it goes amazingly with a smokey eye. 

Hmmmm, which one to get next?

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Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Eyeshadow palettes are a lot more accessible in the likes of Boots and Superdrug nowadays aren't they? I remember when good nude palettes of 12 were strictly high end, and peasants like me would just have to buy single eyeshadow pots. Maybelline launched The Nudes Palette* around 18 months ago in the UK and I remember everyone going a little bit wild for it. I know since then pretty much every high street brand has launched their own palettes, but this one can still hold it's own. Maybelline have also launched 2 more palettes to their 'Nudes' range since; The Blushed Nudes & The Rock Nudes, both of which are also stunning.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette* consists of 12 neutral shades in a mixture of mattes, semi-mattes and shimmers. All shades in this palette are super wearable and I love how Maybelline have given mini tutorials on the back. They say there's 13 different eye looks to create from the one palette, combining 6 doubles, 4 trios and 3 quads. They say;

This 12-shade eye shadow palette features dazzling colors. From bold beiges and sultry sands to brazen bronzes and tempting taupes, this makeup palette is perfect for creating versatile eye makeup looks.

I was pleasantly surprised with how pigmented and creamy these shadows are. I'd say the shimmers are more pigmented and blend slightly easier than the matte shades, but all in all it's a fantastic little palette. 13 looks for £9.99? Bargain! My favourite combination is the middle quad, to create a bronzed smokey eye. 

Keep your eyes peeled for a review of Maybelline's The Rock Nudes Palette very soon...

 

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The January Skin Detox

You know how it is, January rocks around and we're all feeling a bit low and the weather is quite frankly poo poo. My skin has been showing signs of farrrr too much chocolate, alcohol, late nights and cold weather. For me, a skin detox is essential in Jan, so I've put together my top picks to get my skin back to how it should be.

MASKS. Masks are the first way I turn when my skin needs a pick me up. I recently discovered The Body Shop Masks and was blown away by the Chinese Ginseng & Rice Polishing Mask. It instantly makes my skin feel ridiculously soft and look a lot healthier. After going in with a exfoliating kind of mask, I like to use some kind of cleanser just to make sure I've removed any remaining masky-residue, and these Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Fix Cleansing Pads are great to swipe across my skin before going in with something a bit more hydrating. For hydration, it's sheet masks to the rescue. I'm obsessed. I just bloody love chilling out in front of the tv with one of those bad boys on. Scaring the kids is an added bonus. Anyway, I've been loving Korean skincare of late, and these Innisfree It's Real Masks are great. There's all different kinds for different skin needs, so they're perfect for a detox as you can do a different one each day to address all kinds of skin probs. As a more readily available option, these Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks are really affordable, give fantastic hydration and are really quite addictive. Obviously in the winter, a lip scrub goes without saying, but I wanted to include it in the post anyway as I've been loving the Lush Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub for a few weeks.

So there you go. A skin detox will have you looking and feeling better in no time! Screw you January blues!!

What are your favourite products for a skin detox?

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Lush Christmas Haul

Ahhhh hello Lush. It's been a while. I popped into my local Lush recently and errrm, went a bit wild. I'm obsessed with their bath bombs at the best of times, so gimme a limited edition Christmas selection and I'm yours. I needed a new lip scrub, but the rest were just because....

Father Christmas Bath Bomb | £3.75 | link

Santasaurus Reusable Bubble Bar | £5.95 | link

Shoot For The Stars | £4.25 | link

Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub | £5.75 | link

Mistletoe Bath Bomb | £4.25 | link

So White Bath Bomb | £4.25 | link

Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb | £4.25 | link

When I got home I noticed they'd popped a little extra something in the bag with a little 'pay it forward' card. They said it was their act of kindness and they just wanted me to pass on the kindness. How lovely. I got the Outback Mate Soap, which smells absolutely divine. I rarely buy soaps from Lush but the one's I've had I've loved.

Have you had any of the Lush Christmas range?

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For Benefit Lovers

Well hellooo! Now I'm being cheeky here and actually blogging one of my own Christmas presents - I know, it's a new low! Hubby said it had to go away for Christmas but I just had to show you all first before it goes out of stock forever! Say hello to Benefit's Dolly Darling Gift Set...

This limited edition gift set contains 4 of their best sellers, 3 of which are full size.. ho ho hooo...

Gimme Brow in 03 Medium (fun size)

Hoola Bronzer

The POREfessional

Roller Lash Mascara

Retailing at £44.50, this limited edition Christmas set is actually worth £73, a bargain in itself. We grabbed it when ASOS had 20% so I've got a massive chuffy on. Love a beauty bargain! I absolutely love Hoola and Roller Lash especially so I'm so happy to get my hands on this set.

Get yours here, if you can.

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Christmas At The Body Shop

It's DECEMBER!! EEEEK! I thought I'd kick start the best month of the year with some amazing Christmas goodies from The Body Shop. I was very kindly invited to my local store last month to view their new Christmas range (we even had Prosecco & Bucks Fizz flavour crisps & bubbly - yum!). They had an offer where if you spend £30 in store you get double points PLUS a free gift worth £20. (NOTE: On 1 & 2 December they will have a similar offer but this time the free gift is worth £30 -2 days only). Anyway, I picked up a couple of Christmas bits as well as one of their new face masks, I then claimed my free gift and the lovely ladies also threw in a couple of extras for me to enjoy. There was SO much to choose from I didn't know where to look first. Obviously I needed to see what Christmassy smells were released this year. They've brought out Frosted Berries, Spiced Apple & Vanilla Chai. I absolutely adore Frosted Berries & Spiced Apple. Vanilla Chai is also beautiful but I get a bit sick of Vanilla scents so I went for the other two. They also have huuuge advent calendars and tonnes of awesome gift sets. I ended up coming home with...

Frosted Berries Foaming Bath - £10

Spiced Apple Shower Gel - £5

Spiced Apple Hand Cream - £4

Frosted Berries Treat Box* -  £8

Candied Plum Bath Fizzer* - £1

Berry Bliss Bath Fizzer* - £1

Fuji Green Tea Festive Picks (Free Gift) - £20
Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask - £15

Frosted Berries Treat Box £8

Fuji Green Tea Festive Picks £20

How amazing!!? They have so many other gorgeous sets available that would make perfect gifts. Get yourselves down to The Body Shop ASAP!!

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