Sephora Collection Smoothing Primer

I've been into trying and testing new makeup again, and today I wanted to talk about a new primer that I have reaching for the past few weeks....

The Sephora Collection Smoothing Primer (€12.00/15ml) is a product I bought whilst I was in Paris at the start of September, and I have been addicted to wearing it ever since. 

My skin type is predominantly oily which means I have noticable pores on my face. In a primer, I like products that are slightly more silicone based, as I find that they smooth over my pores nicely.

This primer is exactly that, sillicone based and, like the name suggests, smooths over the face so easily. I love the feeling of my skin after I have used this product, just because it feels baby smooth! I find that a small amount of this product goes a long way, so even though it's 15 ml's it isn't running out as quickly as I thought it would have been!

I find that my makeup is holding up throughout the day. The top layer of my skin is still oily, unfortunately that will never change, however once I've blotted the oil away, my makeup itself hasn't moved or worn off. Little things like my blush is still vibrant and the coverage on my skin is still there too. 

The packing of the product is something that initially caught my eye. I love the little frosted glass case, it's so nice to hold! I also love the fact that this has a pump, it's so hygienic and just a pleasure to crack out and use. I have total control on how much product is released so nothing is wasted too. Also, even though at times this product may be at the bottom of my makeup stash, weirdly it has never looked grubby! I can't say the same for other products in my bag...

I wasn't expecting to love this product as much as I have, however when I've just had a look online, it's not really widely sold on the American or British Sephora website so earlier I linked the Australian website which is the actual product I have, and here is the next closest thing to what I have described above! 

This product is also quite similiar to Lancôme La Base Pro Primer (£28.50/25ml), so if you were a fan of that, you might also like this product too! If you would like to see a round up of all of the primers that I have tried and tested click here! 

I would love to know your thoughts about this product or if you have tried anything similar! Let me know down below and be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Kiko Milano Highlighting Effect Fluid Concealer

I've been quiet on here for the past month however what I really wanted to talk to you all about was a new addition into my make-up routine that I have been in love with.

Kiko Milano is one of my favourite drugstore brands just because you get such good quality items for such an affordable price. Two months ago I popped into their store in Paris and found a gem that I can't wait to talk to you about...

The Kiko Milano Highlighting Effect Fluid Concealer (£7.90/2ml) is a product I think most people need in their life. This product is brilliant to use under the eyes, to help lift and brighten, however can also be used on other areas of the face. The consistency is super light, so I find that it blends in easily without looking too heavy. I like that it adds a bit of coverage, rather than being too pigmented and really noticeable on the skin. I think people who like makeup that enhances their complexion would really like this product.
I try to focus this product more on the inner corner of my eye, as I find that this makes my eyes look more brighter and awake. I either pat this on with my fingers or use a brush to blend...

I am in love with the packaging of this product, it's encased in a black pen-like structure which feels weighty, and just looks and feels more expensive than it is. There is a button on the end to pump more product out, and it has a brush to apply the product. I'm really careful not to pump out too much product since that would make the whole contraption super messy!

I love this brush on this concealer as it's so easy to be precise when applying the product. The product itself would be amazing to travel with, just because it's easy to slot into a purse or a pocket.

I use the shade 05 Caramel, and there are 8 shades within the collection, which I think is a decent range. I like that the shade of this colour is more yellow toned, and so really does help to cancel out any blue tones on the skin and so aids with the brightening effect.

This product is a product which I reach for daily, and has just become such a staple for me. So if you are on the lookout for a new lightweight concealer, this may just be the one for you!

I would love to know your thoughts about this product or if you have tried anything similar! Let me know down below and be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

The only eyeshadow palette you need: bareMinerals Bare Naturals Palette

Last month I was incredibly lucky to win an Instagram competition by bareMinerals. The prize was their latest eyeshadow palette. Firstly I couldn't believe that Instagram competitions were legit, and secondly I was just blown away by my prize. The  bareMinerals Bare Naturals Palette (1.2g/£39.00) arrived promptly at my door no less than three days later and after these few weeks I am so excited to share my review with you all...

The bareMinerals Bare Naturals Palette is divine. I love it so much. It's a palette everyone could have - much like the Urban Decay Naked Palette. However what makes this palette better than any other I have tried is that there is 8 matte shades, out of a total of 14. Isn't that brilliant? Even the Naked palettes only had 2 out of 12 matte shades. For me, this means that this palette is more versatile - I am able to create subtle looks with a variety of different shades, but also can make a classic smoky eye and choose between three matte shades to add to the crease.
This palette is well designed in terms of it's shades and formulas but also it's actual contents; I love that there is this nifty little brush included that has two sides, one to pack on the colour and the other to blend it out. Additionally the mirror on this palette surpasses any mirror on any palette I own, and so this would be brilliant to travel with. The casing also has a magnetic closure so all your shadows and the brush stay safe!

I am the most impressed with the actual formula of the product. In terms of longevity on the lid, I have very oily eyelids and this formula hardly creased on me. But more notably, as soon as I swatched this I gasped as I wasn't expected the pigments to be that intense. This has to be one of the most pigmented palettes I own, even the lighter shades showed up on my skin, and weren't chalky in the slightest! Either the lighter colours disappear on my skin or are too powdery, however these were vibrant and just so easy to work with! The shimmery colours are buttery and are such a joy to use, I didn't have any fallout and they went on effortlessly.
You can just tell that bareMinerals have really thought about the colours in this palette, you can see that every shimmery colour has a complimentary matte shade to help blend it out into the crease. It just means that you actually use this palette and no other eyeshadows, which is the true purpose of a palette.

I just can't believe I have the pleasure of owning this palette and if you guys can at least go and see it in person, I think you'll be able to see what I am talking about. I think there is a lot of competition for eyeshadows on the market, you don't need to spend a lot to get good quality, however these eyeshadows have really held their own, and I think there was a need to perfect that everyday palette.

I would love to know your thoughts about this product! Let me know down below and be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Makeup Mistakes + Fixes!

As we get older, we find new ways to do old things. So I present to you a few of the mistakes I used to do when I first started applying makeup. If you are a novice you might be able to learn from this, however if you are a pro at makeup then these may sound a bit familiar!

1) Artificial Lighting

Not having the right lighting can be catastrophic when it comes to makeup application. I'm not even exaggerating. I've applied makeup to go out in the day and when I came across a mirror the truth was revealed!

Dark lighting can make you over-apply products because you can't see it show up well on the skin. Artificial lighting is a bit more deceiving as it goes two ways, making you look flawless or it makes every attempt to hid your insecurities come out. I think the best way to deal with lighting is to go with natural lighting - as this is representative of how you will look outside. Actually, it might be a good idea to use the lighting that you will mostly be in, so natural lighting if you are spending the day outside, artificial lighting if you will be cooped up inside all day - this way the makeup you apply will look the same in your destination.

2) Eyeliner stability

Eyeliner is a product that almost everyone wants to master, however no amount of tutorials can really help with application, as you need to tailor your eyeliner to your eye shape and do this independently. I remember trying to learn how to do a liquid liner that suited me and it was a painfully slow process and no matter what I did, my liner would never be smooth and fluid, there would always be some bump in the line. So one tip that really helped me was to keep my elbow propped up by my desk. This meant that my hand couldn't drop down if I paused and just gave me more stability, rather than doing my liner midair.

3) Flat foundation brush

Brushes and makeup tools do have their day, and when I started to apply makeup, it was the age of the flat foundation brush. This isn't a bad tool at all, I think in combination with the bad lighting and my over-inflated confidence I misused this tool. I literally used to paint my face, so there was no blending out the edges of the face or just blending in general. I found that my makeup used to sit on top of my skin rather than be a part of it. Now I still use brushes, but for my base makeup, my Beautyblender is the holy grail, as it makes my makeup looks more seamless and skin-like, with minimal effort!

4) Blending eye shadow

Eyeshadow was one of the last things I got into. I used to wear foundation and blush mostly when I was 15 and although I liked eye shadow I knew that I didn't know how to be a pro at applying it. One of the biggest mistakes I made was using the same brush for everything, for the all over the lid colour and the crease shade and sometimes I still do this now, however my precision has changed. Before I just wanted to maximum pigment on my eyes and then things would be really tough to blend. Now I'm more keyed up to how well things will blend out, and if I want a subtle eye - how to go about it. One of the tricks that I know a lot of people use is to use a clean blending brush constantly to make sure there are no harsh lines. I think this really works, as when you use a blending brush that was used previously, the colour is still on the brush and you don't get that seamless finish, ombre style.

5) The use of products

When I was a kid, I was never really taught why people wear makeup. As in, I think when I first started to apply it, my goal was to make myself look like someone new - I think sometimes in the media we see the total transformation that makeup can really do. However I think there is some good inspiration on the internet, teaching kids nowadays the purpose of products and how they should be applying it. For instance, foundation is to even out the skin tone, so we don't treat it like concealer because the goal is to even out the base, not hide imperfections. Eyeliner is used to define the eyes, but we don't always need a jet black liquid liner to do this, a simple brown eye shadow blended in at the root of the lashes can also do the trick. I think this information is out there, however I don't think everyone accesses it.

I would love to know what makeup mistakes you guys used to make that seem so obvious to you now! Let me know down below and be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30

Summer is coming in waves in the UK, and when we had our first bout of sunshine, I knew I needed to upgrade on my SPF and typically, my daily moisturiser was also on it's last legs. Luckily, I knew that Kiehl's had just released their new Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30 (£24.50/50ml), which I was instantly drawn to...

Kiehl's have always been a skincare brand that I have loved. Midnight Recovery Concentrate (£38.00/30ml) was one of my favourite skincare products of all time, and because my skin reacted so well to that, I knew that I could trust this brand to take care of my skin. 

Just for reference, my skin is quite intolerant of certain skincare, it's on the oily side too, however I can get dry skin at times. So my skin is really combination, but more extreme on either side. I know, I totally lost the skincare lottery here.

The Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30 (£24.50/50ml), is an intensive facial cream, that really moisturises the surface of the skin. This is slightly on the heavy side, and a complete contrast to the Hydra Genius by L'Oreal, but this is what I needed for my skin. This is perfect for any skin type, because even if it's slightly more present on the skins surface it does sink in and provide that barrier between your skincare and makeup. Also you really don't need much of this, around a pea sized amount is perfect, as it blends far along the skin. Since using this my skin hasn't been dry at all, and it hasn't made my skin even more oily either, so I am super happy with this product.

A contrast of this product compared to the original Ultra Facial Cream, is that this contains peppermint oil, which is slightly cooling on the skin, and is perfect for those early mornings! The more obvious contrast is the added SPF 30. SPF is super important generally, and also if you suffer from hyper-pigmentation as sunlight can further darken the melanin in the skin, exacerbating these areas. Since this product is broad spectrum, this means you are protected from both UVA and UVB rays rather than just one. I have been using this moisturiser for over a month now and it has already helped to even out my skin tone, and has balanced my skin type out too. 

All in all, this moisturiser is amazing, I just love how it's just all you need in a moisturiser. I love the packaging too, firstly it's filled to the brim and secondly there is a second lid to stop the product getting on the actual lid. It's great for travel and it looks like I've used nothing so it's well worth the money! I think this is a moisturiser that most people will get on with, and if you need a new moisturiser or SPF then Kiehl's would be my first stop!
Have you tried this product? Let me know down below and be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

L'Oréal Paris Hydra Genius

Recently I've been all about L'Oréal skincare, it's affordable and my skin just reacts nicely to it which is brilliant. So when L'Oréal released their new moisturiser, I kinda had to have it...

The L'Oréal Paris Hydra Genius (£9.99/70ml) is a moisturiser which is lightweight on the skin. Infused with Hyaluronic acid, this product aims to hydrate your skin deeply, without leaving a greasy residue on the surface. This product also contains Aloe water which is one of my favourite skincare ingredients, Aloe Vera itself is known for it's healing properties, and also for being great for sensitive skin. These two ingredients are things which I feel like every skin type will benefit from. 

What I think is extra special about this product is that L'Oréal have focused on making this product for different skin types, so I purchased the 'combination/oily' Hydra Genius as my skin does tend to be a mix of dry and oily. There is also a 'dry' and 'sensitive' version available.

Although this is a stand alone moisturiser, I find that I tend to use this as a serum, as this sinks in super fast. The reason I put on moisturiser on top of it is so my skin has a moisturised feel to it, so that there is some residual product sitting on top of my skin, so I apply a bit of my Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30 (£24.50/50ml) over the top, so that my face is primed and ready for makeup. This is just how I like to apply this product, it's always good to play around with products to see how it best suits you!
 I also tend to use around 1 pump of this too, which covers my while face and neck nicely. I love the packaging of the product, it looks and feels so sleek. Also the fact it's a pump makes me love this product more, as it's more hygienic and easy to use. 

I'm actually in love with this product and use it twice daily. I think it's lovely to have a product on the high street which rivals high-end skincare. This is a product which I think most people will love, just because it caters for all and just does a great job. 

I would love to know if you have tried this, and whether you would be interested in purchasing a product like this, or if you have one like this! Also be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Birchbox: June 2017

I was lucky to receive the June Birchbox as a late birthday present this month. I love the concept of this brand, delivering new and upcoming, or well loved beauty products to try and test. This months Birchbox came in a bag, which is perfect for days at the beach as the material of the bag is easy to clean and very durable.

The first thing that popped out of this bag was the Scrub Love Coconut Mango Body Scrub (£12.95/200g). This product is so ideal for summer, I feel like sometimes we worry about facial skincare rather than body care! Still I was prepared to dismiss this product, as who wants to spend a lot of money on a scrub that you wash away right? When I used this product, I was completely blown away, I used around a tablespoon of the scrub and that was enough to scrub my whole body. The scrub itself is mostly particles with no gel or liquid which makes the scrub really do its job properly. It does have oil in it, so it's not all just grit. The smell is incredible, it did not overtly smell of coconut nor mango, but just a nice tropical scent, enough to make you wish you were in a tropical paradise!  The scrub was vigorous, but the coconut oil left behind just made me love this product even more, as my body was just ready for the day once I stepped out of the shower. For anyone who is looking for a real scrub, this is honestly the best product I have tried! 

I was also so happy to receive the Cowshed Cowpat Moisturising Hand Cream (£8.00/50ml), just because I haven't tried anything from the brand before, and I've heard such good things about it. This hand cream is a good staple for any handbag, it absorbs well into the skin and doesn't leave any greasy residue. The scent is really different, this product strives to be unisex which I find refreshing! This product contains Grapefruit oil and Coriander oil to help circulation and also Shea and Cocoa butter to help to nourish dry skin. In terms of texture, this feels like a lotion, however has the power of a heavy duty cream! I actually stick this product on my feet too because it really is good at hydrating dry skin. 

The amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (£20.00/232ml), is a product I didn't think I would get much use out of. However, a week after the box arrived, I slept in after my alarm went off, and only had less than half an hour to get ready and this product literally saved my hair. I don't really use dry shampoo as I was my hair every day. I know, it's so bad for my hair. But what I especially liked about this dry shampoo was that it didn't leave a build up of product in my hair, and it just added an extra few hours of wear back into my hair. This would be great for anyone who likes to use dry shampoo period, but also those who like to use it over a period of days, as this is such a light spray.

The last few bits that were in the Birchbox was an Eyebrow Pencil from Meech and Mia (£12.99/1g), I haven't heard of this brand before but I was sceptical of trying an eyebrow pencil as I hadn't tried one in a few years! Once I tried this one though, I was sold. It's lightly pigmented, and has a slightly waxy feel to it, and just looks natural on the brows. It's weird, it's like a new generation of eyebrow pencils, that accentuates brows rather than drawing them on! This pencil is designed for sparse brows, and so if you are like me, and are not naturally gifted with full brows this pencil could be a game changer for you!

Another interesting product was the Arrow Enhance Waterproof Eyeliner + Brightener (£12.00/0.8g), which is a light pink eyeliner, which is perfect masking tired, red eyes! So although I love the concept of this eyeliner, and the longevity is also brilliant, the product itself slightly balls up on my eyes, and leaves residue in my eyelashes, which isn't ideal. Also I probably should address that on my eyes, the colour is quite noticeable, just because of how tanned my skin is. I think on lighter skin this product might look more natural! What I have been doing with this product is using this on my waterline and then adding my eyeliner of choice over it, as it extenuates the colour of my eyeliner, as it's such a light colour. So if I am wearing brown or green eyeliner, priming my waterline with this eyeliner is perfect as the colour just looks more vibrant and the eyeliner actually has something to stick to too, and so doesn't disintegrate as easily!

I was super happy with this Birchbox, as I just think the selection was things I needed but just didn't buy for myself! I would love to know if you have tried Birchbox and your experiences of it! Also be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Scrub

I love skincare. When L'Oreal released their masks, it was a hit with the majority of the population! So I was excited when they released a scrub version, which could be used more on a daily basis. 

The L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Scrub (£5.99/150ml) is super lovely to use. I've had it for around a month now, and I still get excited to use this. Like I said earlier it's for daily use, and so it's not an abrasive scrub, and has a creamy formula that encases the manual exfoliation beads. I find that it invigorates my skin and does add a nice glow to my face.

However as much as I love to scrub my face everyday, I find that sometimes I need more of a harsh scrub to fully get rid of my dry skin every now and then. So my trick with this product is to use it as a mask on dry skin, and leave it on for a few minutes because once the creamy formula has dried down, you are left with more beads to give your skin a nice proper exfoliation. I love how I can use this however I want, I love the traditional mask but I prefer the versatility of this product too. 

I actually also love the packaging, it's quite sleek, and I don't think it would be too much of a hassle to travel with because it's on the slim side. I think you also get a nice amount of product for your money. I think most people would love this product, as it's gentle and just a nice addition to my skincare without advertising a ton of benefits. My skin type is oily, which is sensitive and sometimes intolerant to certain products, so if my skin agrees with this, I'm sure most people will love this too!

Have you used this product? If so, let me know down below in the comments! I would also love to know what your favourite scrub is!
Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Curently Testing

I've been on a bit of a make-up ban recently. In the last few months, I haven't bought much, just using everything in my collection, just to finally finish some products, so I can justify new purchases in the future. I had finally finished a few items so I treated myself to a couple of new products that I am now currently testing. So I'll give you my first impressions!

Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolour (£7.99/1.7g)

This product is a hybrid between a lip colour and a lip balm. Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, this product merges skincare and makeup, which I love. I find products like this so easy to use and need less maintenance throughout the day. You don't need to constantly reapply if you don't want to and just let it fade naturally, or you can reapply without needing a mirror. I just love how the ball is in your court, I think this is how make-up is supposed to be, you calling the shots rather than the product. Hopefully that made sense! I love the shade ranges of these, they were all quite wearable, but I love my nudes. This colour is a nude for me, but is probably a nice browney pink for anyone with lighter skin. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof (£7.99/9.5ml)

Lash Sensational is one of the most hyped mascaras of the past year and this is the first time I am trying it. I know! I'm the worst beauty blogger! But since my mascara ran out, the Lash Sensational was the next mascara on my radar. I have to get waterproof, since my lashes don't hold a curl without a waterproof formula. My thoughts: I think I need to wait for the formula to dry out a bit, since it's so wet at the moment, it's a super messy mascara to apply, and my lashes are quite thin, so my eyelids get the brunt of the product, which is not the look I was hoping to achieve! Apart from that, when I can concentrate most the product on my eyelashes,  I do like this product - I think it lengthens and adds blackness and thickness to my lashes. I think it's super nice to layer this up too. It does hold my lashes up too, but I think that'll get even more better when the formula is more dry.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (£16.00/0.55ml)

I've heard amazing things about this liner, and it did not disappoint. I love how precise the nib is, like out of all the eyeliners I think  I have ever tried, this is the most precise application I have ever gotten. Surprisingly, the nib is an actual brush, which I thought would make the eyeliner more messy and more prone to mistakes. However, this beats my Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner which had a felt tip applicator. I'm so quick at doing a winged liner look, which is a feat because I don't apply liquid liner on a daily basis, it's something I have fazes of, and currently this eyeliner is prolonging my liquid winged liner faze for now.
In terms of it's longevity, this liner has withheld the most brutal of English weather, which included a waterfall-like rain on one occasion, and my eyeliner was still exactly as it had been when it was first applied! I would recommend this to every liner lover out there!

NYX Profession Matte Makeup  Blotting Sheets (£5.50/50 sheets)

My Sephora Blotting Sheets were life, and unfortunately they ran out so I wanted to try a blotting sheet for around the same price point and I knew NYX produced some. They have a selection of different types of blotting sheets, but I'm a believer in simplicity and there was just one job I wanted to be done properly, and that was to get rid of the oil and shine on my face. After using these from NYX I think I prefer the Sephora ones. These NYX ones feels like grease proof paper, which feels a bit cheap for me. it's not that thick either. I feel like I have to use two sheets for my whole face, whereas with the Sephora ones I found that I could use both sides, because the oil wouldn't really secrete through to the other side. I'm going to still use these NYX ones up, but I think I'm either going to have to head to a Sephora or find another brand which supplies them next time. 

So that's the few beauty bits I've been testing for the past few weeks! Some products I have had longer than others, so that's why I can give more of a full review of it! I would love to know what products you guys are trying out!
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Nip + Fab Makeup

Nip + Fab recently released makeup, I'm sure most of you have either gotten your hands on it already or have at least heard about it! But when I found out a few months ago, I was so excited. It's been a few months since I was truly excited to try new makeup. This range looks so well thought out, and I had to grab a few things for myself...

There was this super cool deal in Superdrug, where if you buy Nip+Fab products that total £12 and over, you get a cool freebies, which includes a makeup bag with a lip-liner, a liquid lipstick and a mascara. So I really didn't have to spend a lot of money to try out a nice portion of the range. 

When I got to the Nip+Fab counter in Superdrug, this Nip+Fab Make up Travel Palette (£9.99/12g) was the product which instantly drew me in, I hadn't seen anyone purchase this, and so I was so intrigued because the colours are just so flattering. I have a similar set from Sleek however I much prefer this one as I love how the contour shade is actually cool toned,  and it's super pigmented so a little really does go a long way. They do this Travel Palette in two shades, either Light/Medium or Medium/Dark, I purchased the Medium/Dark. The blush shade is a deep pink shade, which is not too light, and adds dimension and life to the face. The standout piece in this Travel Palette is the highlight. I think this highlighter is super subtle and is more reflective than most highlights I have tried. I would compare it more to the Becca highlighters and my Cover FX highlighter, as it leaves this sheen of reflective-ness rather than a super noticeable strobe of colour.  I like how you can build it up too. It really is a Travel Palette that I would actually use, and I have constantly been using. 

Spice. Need I say more. I think the Nip+Fab Liquid Lipstick  (£7.95/2.6ml) in the shade Spice is the most talked about product from the whole range, and it took three trips to Superdrug to get this product. The colour of this liquid lipstick is stunning, it's that mix of brown and pink that suits most skin-tones. In terms of application, I have no issues with the wand, and it's super easy to apply. Once applied, it does take a while to dry in, which I'm not fussed about because it's not too drying on the lips, and acts more like a cream lipstick during this stage of application. Other than that, it's your standard liquid lipstick!

The free kit was an exceptional promotion, I got another liquid lipstick in the shade Marshmellow (£7.95/2.6ml), which is a tad too light for me, but I have passed it to my sister who is enjoying it. Although the shade doesn't suit my skin-tone, I think the range of colours they do too are very flattering, in that most people would deviate to this range for their good selection of wearable colours. 

The Nip+Fab Makeup Lip-Liner (£5.95/0.3g) in the shade 02 Fudge is slightly dry in formula, but has a good colour payoff. This colour is slightly too light for me, but I like how it neutralises the colour of my natural lip line, so that when I apply a lip colour on top, my lips look slightly bigger. It also has a matte finish, so making sure your lips are hydrated beforehand is key!

The Nip+Fab Make up Mascara (£9.95/9.5ml) is a mascara that I think most people will like too. It doesn't hold up my lashes, nor was I expecting it to since my eyelashes don't respond to most mascaras. It does however separate my lashes and adds more length to them on top of my normal mascara. I love the traditional wand, and I think that the formula was not too wet nor too dry. If you have short, stubborn lashes like mine, then you can give this mascara a miss, however for anyone with normal lashes, I think this would be such a lovely go-to mascara!

From left to right: Lipliner in shade Fudge, Liquid Lipstick in Marshmellow and Liquid Lipstick in Spice. 

I think you can see how excited I was to purchase and try out this range. I love the small selection of products as I think it's been so well thought out to bring out a range which caters to everyone's needs, however doesn't contain unnecessary products.

I would love to know if you have tried this range? Is there anything I ought to try out? Let me know in the comments below! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Thomas Sabo Glam & Soul Karma Arabesque Bico Watch

 It was my birthday earlier this month, and I was very lucky to receive the watch that I wanted from my family. I love accessories since they have this ability to totally change up an outfit. I only own one other watch, so it was so lovely to now be able to have more variation in my wardrobe...

I received the Thomas Sabo Glam & Soul Karma Arabesque Bico Watch (£270). I spotted this online a month or two ago and I instantly fell in love. What singles this watch out is that it is dual toned, in regards to the metals used. I love that it has rose gold and silver in it. I own a Guess watch that is rose gold, and I wanted something different in terms of style and aesthetic. I love that now I have a watch that goes with the silver hardware on my bags and jewellery but still compliments my skin-tone. 

Another reason this watch caught my attention was the bead fixture on the side, making this look more like jewellery rather than just a plain watch, I love how this looks with other bracelets, and adds to the other accessories I've worn rather than just being segregated from other things I wanted to wear. 

It's hard to see on the photo's but the face of this watch is slightly pearlescent, so in different light, this watch captures attention, and just makes the watch pretty without being too ostentatious. I love the simplicity of this watch, how it just gives the time without added features of date and other unnecessary details. This is also missing the second hand too, so it is really dialled back in terms of  simplicity. 

Another feature this watch has is the clasp at the back, it's a double clasp which is something I have never seen before, and although it takes an extra few seconds to put on, I find that it is very secure on my hand, and just leaves me with a feeling of security.

I took this watch with me to Budapest for a few days, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test drive the watch. Firstly, I'm glad I didn't break the watch, which was the thing I was most scared of! I found that I don't have to be overly cautious of this watch, which is always good! I haven't scratched it, and it's still in pristine condition. I loved that this watch went with every outfit I wore whilst I was in Budapest. 

I think you can tell how much I love this watch, this post is literally me just fawning over this watch. It's feminine, without being too girly, which is what I think the silver adds and it's practical but looks like jewellery. I can't see anyone not liking this watch.

I would love to know what you guys think, and also if you have any recommendations for me! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Worth the Hype? The Beautyblender

I think it was around two years ago that the Beautyblender was one of the most coveted beauty applicators around the globe. Sounds dramatic, but every girl knew about it. So the hype has died down a bit but it's still widely used. 

I was one of those people who wanted a Beautyblender but also didn't want to fork £16 for a sponge. So when I received it as a gift, I was super excited to try it!

So for all of you who don't know the Beautyblender (£16.00) is a make-up sponge which has completely resurrected the age of the makeup sponges. I actually love this sponge. I am a  total convert and I use mine daily now.  When used damp the Beautyblender just has this ability to apply makeup with coverage, however eliminates any excess product, so you are never left with a cakey finish. On the flip side, the Beautyblender , like with most other sponges, does eat up your product, so you will finish products sooner, but for me once I saw the results I was just sold. When my skin is more dry, I find that using the Beautyblender damp really helps to hydrate my skin, as I'm pressing more water into my skin than I would be with a brush or with my fingers. I like to pat product onto my skin, as I find that I get the best results in terms of coverage and even application! 

Another reason I like sponges is because you can use them damp therefore you can clean them more frequently and it won't affect your schedule. When I clean my brushes, I find that I have to do it the night before I use them to give them enough time to dry, however with a sponge, you can clean it 2 minutes before you use it, if you use it damp. So for all of you guys who are guilty of cleaning brushes, this might help your game a bit more. I also find that it is easier to layer up product when using a sponge, as it doesn't look as noticeable!

I also have the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge and I have to say that I do prefer the Beautyblender, it's texture is just better, however out of all the dupes, I feel like the Real Techniques have got the  texture of the sponge the most accurate. I would say that if you haven't tried the Beautyblender and you do use sponges on a daily basis, then I would definitely recommend that you purchase it. I'm a massive brush fan and it still converted me, but I think the type of foundation you use is also an important factor. I find that more liquid foundations like my NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is easier to blend out then my Dior Forever Foundation which is less runny in consistency. 

So is the Beautyblender worth the hype? I certainly think so. I think it's so nice to have a product which emphasises a more natural, hydrated look, rather than painting on layer after layer of foundation. 

Have you tried it? I would love to know your opinions on this! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

My Trip to Budapest 2017!

A week ago I was in Budapest with my friends, and I had the most amazing time. I've chosen a few of my favourite pictures to show to you guys and I hope you enjoy!

St. Stephen's Basilica

Buda Castle

Shoes on the Danube river

Fisherman's Bastion

Hungarian Parliament Building

Budapest Eye

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