Midweek Wish List #18

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You'll be pleased to know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth but I've just had a really rough week and blogging has taken a bit of a back seat but is there any better way to lift your spirits than making a lust list of pretty thing that you hope Santa might come across?! The post man has brought me a couple of nice parcels recently so I'm going to make an extra effort to get back to my blogging best, sometimes when the shit hits the fan you just can't bring yourself to do the things you usually love but as Elizabeth Taylor once said 'pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together' and how can I argue with that?!

1. Hallelujah, a NARS palette that doesn't include Deep Throat or Orgasm! I know that they're the most popular blusher shades but I already own both and am light years away from hitting pan so I can never justify parting with my pennies for something I already own. This is the Splendor In The Grass palette which includes three blushers and a highlighter, what a beauty!

2. We're less than a week away from December so there's no denying that party season has arrived and if you can't wear head to toe sequins at Christmas than when can you? I absolutely adore this Topshop dress but it comes with a hefty £68 price tag which I've been trying to talk myself into for a good week or so but I'm not quite there yet.

3. Roll on January, my lips are crying out for these Revlon Colourbust matte balms! I predict that the blogging world are going to go crazy over these when they finally make it to the UK. I don't think I've seen one of the ten shades that I don't want yet, Boots better have a 3 for 2 on when these come out!

4. My beloved Real Techniques foundation brush is losing bristles at a ridiculous pace and I'm fed up of picking them off my face when I'm doing my make up! I don't own any other MAC brushes but I've heard some really good things about them and Debenhams had 10% off so I'm guessing you can put two and two together, oops!

5. Surprise, Surprise another coral lipstick that I'm dreaming of - how many can one girl own before it becomes an addiction?! I love Illamasqua and a week doesn't go by without me using a product of theirs but I've never tried a lipstick so I think it's about time that that changed.

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E.l.f St Lucia Cream Blush and Bronze Duo

Elf, Cream Blush & Bronze Duo £3.75

All I've ever wanted is sculpted cheek bones a la Kim Kardashian or Alexa Chung but as I was born with an extremely round moon face it ain't going to happen without the help of a great product, Ladies and gentlemen I have found that great product and it happens to be only £3.75!

I took full advantage of an E.l.f 50% off offer and snapped this up as soon as I saw that it was was in stock (the first time I had ever seen it in stock!) I absolutely love E.l.f products and this is hands down the best thing I've tried from them. The packaging is extremely NARSesque with the sleek black palette, white writing and a nice sized mirror inside the lid, this is actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be but I'm not complaining - the more product the better! The blush side is a rosey pink and a little goes a long way so make sure you use it sparingly. I've never used a cream bronzer before, I usually stick to powder but out of the summer months when I'm not as sunkissed and even when I've got a bit of a tan they usually come out too dark or too orange and instead of leaving me with killer cheekbones I just look strange and mucky but this bronzer is a complete gem! It's a flat colour so no sparkles or shimmer and it's a really subtle tan shade with no orangey tones. I usually dab it along the hollows of my cheeks and then blend it out with the Real Techniques stippling brush but I've read that some people use the Expert Face brush and take the product straight from the pan so I'll have to give that a go. The formula is really smooth and creamy so it's easy to work with, layer and blend - even a contouring rookie like me ends up with something that resembles cheekbones!

I cannot rave about this enough, it's the best £3.75 that I've ever spent!

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November Glossybox 2013

Glossybox, £10 plus p&p

After last months extremely disappointing Glossybox I was hoping that they'd make it up to us in some shape or form this time around but I'm still undecided! On first impressions It looks like a good box because there's a lot of full sized products that bulk it out which is a definite contrast to lasts months tiny little products that were rattling around in that big old box. The theme of the box is a Glossy Wishlist just in time for Christmas so lets have a look what their idea of a stocking filler is!

Vichy Idealia Life Serum

Can you get any better than a little pink bag filled with skincare goodies?! This has to be the star of the box this month, I'm really excited to try these skincare saviors out and get my skin looking lovely for these Christmas parties that are coming up.

Emite Make Up Micronized Eyeshadow in Dams

Oh dear, this isn't for me at all! This is a pure black eyeshadow free from all nasties and perfect for sensitive eyed girlies. I've seen that there have been some better shades doing the rounds in other boxes and if I got more of a neutral shade then I definitely would have some use for this but this is far too scary for me!

Yves Rocher Hand Cream

I don't think that a girl can ever have too much hand cream, I've got one in every bag, every room and at work so this will happily join them. I really like the smell of this but it makes me hungry because it smells so much like the strawberry centered chocolate you get in Roses!

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry For Nails

I'm going to have a nail painting session tonight and I cannot wait to test this out. Waiting for my nails to dry is the bain of my life and if this spray can put a stop to that then I'm buying in bulk.

B. Quick One Coat Professional Finish Nail Polish

Taking into account how much time I spend in Superdrug I am pretty suprised that I've never tried their own brand before! I'm not one to turn my nose up at a top coat because I use them every time I paint my nails but this one is all gold and shimmery which is my idea of  nail hell. Like the eyeshadow, I've seen some really nice Autunmy colours in other boxes so I just got unlucky with the shade.

This box was a definite improvement on last months but it's still just alright. I'll get use out of a few things but I feel like I was blinded by the size of the products but what would you prefer a family sized bar of Kinnerton chocolate (The chocolate from cheap advent calendars) or a Cadburys Freddo - Need I say more?!

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Midweek Wish List #17

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1. I'm as drawn to a peachy lip product as a moth is to a flame so naturally this Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss is screaming out for me to take it home. I'm not usually a glossy kind of girl but this is literally peach perfection so I'm not letting that put me off and don't know how much longer I can resist this baby!

2. Isn't it pretty?! This Bobbi Brown Smokey Warm Eye Palette is definitely one of my top picks for this years Christmas offerings. I am a definite neutral eye girl so I love all of these shades - Santa if you're listening pretty please can this make its way under my tree?

3. I don't have a foundation that I love at the minute and if the base isn't right then the rest of my face doesn't have a chance! I have read so many good reviews about this and who am I to shun the hype?! This may already be on its way to me after I accidentally clicked 'proceed to checkout' when ASOS had 20% off the other day so watch this space!

4. Another typically Jade colour is this MAC lipstick in Ravishing which is described as by MAC as a 'clean light peachy coral'. Coral and peachy in the same sentence?! Be still my beating heart! 

5. The festive period is fast approaching which means that party season is upon us and I want to have the fullest, featheriest lashes humanly possibly at the party. These are apparently Kimmy K's eyelashes of choice and if they're good enough for a night in LA then they are good enough for a night in Loughborough!

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My Top 5 Autumn/Winter Nail Picks

Autumn calls for revisiting the vampy nail colours that haven't seen the light of day for a good few months and leaving the pastels and neons to gather dust until the sun shows it's face again! I'm finding it harder than most to ditch the brights but now I've had a rummage in my collection and have rediscovered these beauties it's getting that little bit easier to move on!

Topshop Stolen Sapphires

This was my first ever Topshop nail varnish and it may (meaning definitely has) have sparked a bit of a love affair with these polka dot capped lovelies. This is a really unique colour, it's a striking deep blue with a hint of purple thrown in, it takes a couple of coats to make it opaque but other than that goes on smoothly.

YSL Jade Imperial

Another first for me is this YSL nail varnish in Jade Imperial and I now realise why these are so pricey - the formula is pure perfection. One coat is all you need, it goes on smoothly, the colour isn't washed out or streaky and you'll be using your hands again in no time because the drying time is amazing! I really didn't want to fall in love with this like I have because the price tag makes my purse cry.

Ciate Fade To Greige 

I overlooked this colour when I got it in my Mini Mani Month calendar last year and it wasn't until I dug it out and got so many compliments on the colour that I realised how pretty it was. Fade to Greige is confusing, is it mauve? is it grey? is it taupe? I don't have a clue but it looks gorgeous on so I'll live with the confusion! I've only ever owned these tiny little Ciate Paint Pots so I don't know if it's specific to them but I find the wear time is not so good, even with a base coat and top coat after just a day or two of wear they start looking messy.

Barry M Grey

Barry M has had a bit of an overhaul of late and this is a few years old now so I'm guessing the formula has been improved. Barry M have all the shades under the sun but sometimes the formula can let it down and be a bit too thick, but for the price who am I to complain?! I really like a grey nail, it's a more subtle variation of black and compliments paler winter skin.

Ciate Dangerous Affair

You can't let the cold months go by without an obligatory blood red nail! I have the same issues with the wear time of this as I do with Fade to Greige but in its unchipped days it is really nice. This went on a little streaky so it took an extra coat to get it looking even.

What have you been wearing on your nails now that Autumn is officially here?

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Topshop Crescent Moon Highlighter

  

Topshop, Crescent Moon Highlighter £10.00

Topshop are hands down smashing it in the highlighter stakes, thanks to them I have found my holy grail cream highlighter and now powder highlighter and the prices don't make my bank balance weep either which is always an added bonus! 

This was without a doubt love at first swatch, Crescent Moon is the most beautiful iridescent peachy champagne shade - the perfect accompaniment to pale skin. This isn't glittery or shimmery in the slightest and I don't quite know how to explain it any better than it leaves your skin with a lovely sheen. This sits on top of existing makeup perfectly and doesn't settle into pores or draw attention to them at all. I use the Real Techniques expert face brush to apply this to my cheek bones, bridge of my nose and brow bones and then with my finger add a little bit to my cupids bow. I usually go for cream or liquid highlighters which are definitely more of an in your face dewy glow but with Crescent moon it's much more of a subtle look and might work better if you're prone to a bit of oiliness! 

I might be biased as this is the only powder highlighter that I've used but I did swatch it against NARS Albatross and this was a lot prettier in colour and more pigmented on my first impression and you also get a lot of product for the tenner that it's going to set you back. I need to start psyching myself up for an all you can eat Chinese marathon that I'm going to tonight, elasticated waists at the ready!! 

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MAC In Synch Lip Pencil

 

 

 

MAC, Lip pencil in In Synch £12.00

 

 

I haven't really dabbled in the realms of lip pencils that much but with the beautiful choice of colours that MAC offer I had myself thinking why the devil not?! And with my love for peachy lips In Synch was definitely the shade for me.

 

In Synch is a peachy pink colour with orange tones, the perfect accompaniment to warm nudes and peach shades. The pencil itself it quite hard to apply and very drying so it's probably best to prep your lips with a balm before you set to work! You can either wear this alone and embrace the matte finish or layer it up with a gloss or lipstick. My favourite pairing at the minute is In Synch layered underneath Crème Cup which is a Cremesheen lipstick and by wearing a liner underneath the wear time is increased by a good couple of hours. If you don't fancy wearing this all over your lips then you could use it as it's name suggests and just line the lips to emphasise their shape.

 

I definitely won't be passing up lip liners anymore now I've seen how they can intensify colour and prolong wear time. How could I have been ignoring these little pencils of wonder for so long?!

 

                                  

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Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer

 

 

 

Maybelline, Eraser Eye Concealer £7.99

 

I will be the first person to admit that I need a bit more help in the under eye department now that I've started working full time and with the festive party season coming up and a lot more late nights on the horizon I can only see these bags turning into suitcases. So when my Benefit Fake Up bit the dust I replaced it with this fairly new launch from Maybelline.

 

I went for the lightest shade which is aptly named 'Light' and it's even a little pale for my translucent skin but I read that it's best to go for a shade lighter for your under eye area anyway in order to conceal and highlight. The little tube that it comes in is really handy and lightweight to carry around with you, I did initially think mine was broken when I first went to use it because I had to twist it round about a million times to get any product out! The tube is topped off with a really soft dome shaped sponge that makes application so easy and if you were on the go you wouldn't have to faff around with brushes or mucky fingers. The only downside of this sponge is that there's no way to detach it and give it a good cleaning but as I reapply my concealer quite a bit during the day it will probably be long gone before it gets the chance to get overly gross.

 

The coverage of this is really good but if you have extreme dark circles then maybe you need something a little bit more heavy duty. It's such a light formula and you can hardly tell that you're wearing it, it feels almost mousse like when applying. My one pet hate about under eye concealers is creasing so I'm always a little bit wary of that when I start using something new but I have experienced no creasing whatsoever with this which makes me a happy bunny! This is a purse friendly concealer that will definitely be able to hide whether you stayed out for one to many the night before!

 

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Monthly Favourites | October 2013

Well, the spookiest month of the year is done and dusted and we're creeping ever closer to Christmas, I've even started my Christmas shopping in an attempt to be super organized this year. It was a bit of a struggle to pick out my favourites for this month because I've been using the same old same old (Blame the fact that I had to pay my car insurance!) and I haven't even had any time to revisit any golden oldies that can make it back on to my favourites list so I've been very uninspired with my make up choices but now the party seasons coming up I'm ready to start shaking it up!

I hate to admit it but I'm as slack as they come when it comes to protecting my hair from heat but would spend hours trying to get the most volume I possibly can out of it and that's where L'Oreal Elnett Volume Heat Protect Spray comes in. You can kill two birds with one stone with this baby, it protects from any heat damage and boy does it add volume. If I spray my hair with this and then dry it upside down I end up looking like something out of Hairspray! When the weather changes my skin really does suffer and it doesn't know whether it wants to be oily or dry but this Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask really does help to calm it down. I can really see a difference in the tone and clarity of my skin once I've rubbed this off with the little sponge that comes with it, the only thing that lets this down is the smell! Another little skincare saviour that I've been swearing by this month is Origins Ginzing. I'm definitely not at my best in the mornings but this really helps, once I've applied my skin looks wide awake and raring to go even if I'm not! Like I said before I've been very unadventurous with my make up this month and MAC Runway Hit (review here) has been my go to lipstick, it's such an easy nude colour to wear and the Retro Matte formula is perfect for a day at work because it's so long wearing - no matter how many cups of tea you drink this isn't budging! I've never used a powder highlighter before and Topshop Crescent Moon is the perfect starting point, it's easy to apply and the colour is gorgeous. Pop this on your cheekbones and you'll look glowing!

I am definitely ready to get a bit more adventurous this month and be a bit less complacent with my makeup choices, it's good to change it up! What were you loving in October?

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