Monthly Favourites | February 2014

The sun is shining and if this is a sign of things to come then I'm ready to welcome March with open arms! A month full of new beauty launches always goes down as a good month with me and February kept churning them out - a couple of which have made the cut into my favourites. And in completely none beauty related news...bring on pancake day!!

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Elusive (Review here)

These are definitely one of the best launches of February, Revlon have got it so right! A drug store brand matte finish with a close to perfect formula and an amazing shade range - could we have asked for anymore?! The shade Elusive has been my go to daytime lip colour recently, it's a work appropriate dusky pink that applies easily and stays put!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Oil (Post here)

I primarily got this to try and fade some marks from a breakout that I could just not leave alone (I'm a picker and I will never learn!) Which it's actually worked really well for and I'm really pleased with the results but it has also made my skin so baby soft and smooth and all dry patches are now a thing of the past!

MAC Eye shadow Palette

I don't know why I didn't make my own eye shadow quad earlier! There hasn't been a day since Christmas that I haven't used this in some way, the quality is absolutely amazing as is the colour pay off. The four shades that make up the palette are Shroom, All that Gitters, Satin Taupe and Espresso so I've got a highight shade, a couple of shimmery shades and something for the crease or eyebrows - I love a multifunctional shade!

Models Own Hyper Gel in Cornflower Gleam (Post here)

A bit of sunshine and the promise of Spring means it's not long before I'm raiding my nail varnishes for pastels! Cornflower Gleam is one of Models Own newest Hyper Gel collection which have a glossy, smooth finish and come in a selection of vibrant shades.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint

This stuff is amazing, it's creamy and the coverage is heavy duty, it also doesn't budge for a good few hours and I can forgive the tiny bit of creasing because it works so well. This is one of the best under eye concealers that I've tried in a long time and the price just makes it better!

Follow me on Twitter | Bloglovin' | Like me on Facebook

Valentine's Outfit Ideas

Valentine's day is looming and whether you've got a date with your man or your girls you'll need an amazing outfit to wear so I've done the hard work for you and picked out a few looks for whatever your plans are on this day of love - all you need to do is click add to basket!

Jumper - Missguided, Skirt - Missguided, Shoes - ASOS, Nail Varnish - Essie In The Cab-ana, Bracelet - ASOS, Matte Balm in Elusive- Revlon

I am a big fan of the PVC pencil skirt look at the minute but the weather is making it impossible for me to wear it like Kim Kardashian does in sunny LA so I've taken some style inspiration from our very own Lucy Meck and paired it with a fluffy jumper which looks cute and also lowers the chance of frostbite! This look is all about the skirt so the shoes and accessories are pretty low key but with a pop of colour on the nails and my favourite lip product of the moment making an appearance too!

Shirt - Topshop, Jeans - Topshop, Shoes - Vivienne Westwood for Melissa, Watch - Marc Jacobs, Nail Varnish - Models Own Hedonist, Lipstick - MAC Morange

Now this is the most me outfit out of these and I think this is what I'm going to wear when Joel and I go out for our meal on Friday night. I couldn't live without my Topshop Leigh jeans, they're the most worn thing in my wardrobe (apart from my work uniform - bleurgh) They're my first port of call for a night that's not too dressy but they still look nice with a shirt tucked in and some heels. It is V day so lets throw in some hearts and neon coral to brighten it up and then some chunky arm candy to finish it off!

Dress - ASOS, Shoes - ASOS, Necklace - River Island, Nails in Rose Petal - Topshop, Lipstick in Candy Yum Yum - MAC

I'm such a sucker for stripes so I absolutely love this dress and in the name of love have picked some red and pink accessories - maybe it would be better if you were going for a posh sit down meal with the size of those heels! The dress has got quite a high neckline so I've blinged it up with a statement necklace and if that doesn't blind your date for the night then Candy Yum Yum will!

Follow me on Twitter | Bloglovin' | Like me on Facebook

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms | Elusive, Mischievous & Audacious

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms, £7.99

I don't think I've been as excited about a drugstore launch as I was for these little matte beauties to hit our UK shelves! I'm definitely more of a matte girl than I am glossy and the range of colours they've brought out make it impossible for there not to be something for everything - and to add to the temptation Boots have thrown in a 3 for 2 on all Revlon so it would be rude not to pick up a couple.

To take advantage of the Boots offer I got three shades - Mischievous is my staple peachy orange, Audacious is the most perfect bright orangey red and elusive was a last minute addition to my basket because they didn't have the one I wanted in stock and has actually turned out to be my favorite which is a dusky pink shade. There are another seven colours to chose from ranging from deep purples to 'your lips but better' nudes, I've still got my eye on Unapologetic which is a really standout pinky red but as it was sold out everywhere it looks like everyone else had their eye on it too! Sometimes mattes can be hit or miss when it comes to formula but Revlon have got these spot on, they're not drying and although they go on really matte they're almost creamy and soft. I couldn't ask for a better colour pay off in one swipe and like most matte formulas once they're on, they're on whatever you may be doing with your lips! They have a minty scent which I quite like and they twist up from the bottom so you don't need to faff around with a pencil sharpener, I also really like the matte packaging and the fact that they're all colour coordinated so it's easy to just grab and go.

I've had the most horrendous cold this week so that's why there's a lack of lip swatches, no one wants to see my dry, germy pout and I didn't want to miss out on the excitement while I was getting them in tip top condition but hopefully you get the gist of the colours with these swatches! I'm definitely going to be going back for a couple more shades and I can't see myself wearing anything else on my lips for a while - long live the matte finish!

Follow me on Twitter | Bloglovin' | Like me on Facebook

Countdown to Christmas - 6 Days to go! | My Festive Red Lip Picks

If Christmas isn't the time to rock a red lip then when the hell is?! I don't need an excuse to wear a bold lip but those reds that might not get all the love that they deserve definitely get a bit more attention throughout the festive season. I've had a rummage through my stash and picked out my six favourite reds that will take you from Christmas eve through to Boxing day and beyond!

MAC Morange

If you want  a stand out pout this Christmas then Morange is definitely the way to go! This is one of my favourite and most worn lipsticks. Morange is a vibrant orange that leans enough on the red side to make it wearable and not too scary. This looks amazing with simple eye make up making it the center of attention.

Topshop Ohh La La

Okay, this might not be a typical festive red per se but a coral this pretty, how could I leave it out?! This is definitely the type of shade that is more in my comfort zone and I reach for on a regular basis. I really like this colour and formula, it doesn't look out of place in the day but it can add a pop of colour when built up for a night out, I usually pair it with the Illamasqua lip pencil in Power to intensify the colour and make it last a bit longer - because it's glossy it tends to wear off quite quickly.

MAC Dangerous 

This is the closest that I'm going to get to a true red in my Festive picks and it's still with an Orange twist! Dangerous is from the Retro Matte collection and is perfect for a day when you're not going to stop eating or drinking because this baby doesn't budge.

Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

If a bold lip isn't really your thing then a Lip Butter is more of a subtle take on the look. Wild Watermelon is a sheer red shade and the formula is so moisturizing.

MAC RiRi Woo

Another Retro Matte that I can only describe as a deep Hollywood style red, you wouldn't look out of place rubbing shoulders with the film stars of the 50's in this! Like Dangerous it's a turkey proof finish and will stay on until you scrub it off.

Illamasqua Mistress

Mistress is a very similar vivid Orangey red to Morange but in gloss form. I'm really not a glossy lipped kind of girl but I actually quite like this, it isn't overly sticky and lasts for a lot longer than I expected and even when there are signs of it wearing off it leaves a really noticeable stain so you don't lose the colour, just the glossiness.

I don't know about you but I'm ready to get my red lip on!!

Follow me on Twitter | Bloglovin' | Like me on Facebook

Midweek Wish List #18

1-2-3-4-5

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.

Follow me on Twitter | Bloglovin' | Like me on Facebook

Revlon Lip Butters in Wild Watermelon and Juicy Papaya

 

 

Revlon, Lip Butters £7.99

Once I saw a few new limited edition lip butter shades floating around the blogosphere I knew that they had to be mine! I already own a couple of lip butters and Strawberry Shortcake was my go to lip product last summer. These are two of the four limited edition shades that aren't officially being launched until April (but can be found on Boots & Superdrug websites) the other two shades are called Sorbet and Pink Lemonade which will no doubt be added to my collection sometime soon - I just can't help myself!! I can't fault the formula of lip butters, they glide on like a dream, there's definitely no pulling or sticking to dry patches, they're moisturising and leave a glossy finish with a good colour pay off which is easy to build up. They also have that vanilla MAC like smell to them which I love. Wild Watermelon looks very red in the tube but once applied it does have a strong pink tone to it, I don't think I could find a better way to describe it than the colour of the inside of a watermelon! It applies quite sheer but can be built up to be bright. Like all lip butters they don't last an amazing length of time on your lips and this lasted a good 2 hours but it did leave a dark red stain on my lips. Juicy Papaya was the lip butter than I was most looking forward to trying because the colour looked right up my street but I'm sad to say I was disappointed, boohoo!! The colour pay off wasn't great and it looked about the same shade of my lips just glossier. I've seen swatches of this on darker skin on other blogs and it looks gorgeous so I don't know if it's just the fact that I am excessively pale right now and when I've St Morized it will be the lip butter of my dreams that I imagined it to be so I'm definitely going to persevere!

Midweek Wish List #5

1♥2♥3♥4♥5
(This has unintentionally turned out to be the pinkest wishlist in the world!)

1. Another week another Topshop dress that I just need in my life!! There's no denying that this dress is super pretty and just screaming out to be worn all spring long.

2. Revlon have brought out some new limited edition shades of their wonderful lip butters. I've got my beady little eyes on Juicy Papaya, Wild Watermelon and Pink Lemonade and these should already be mine after a scout around Boots and Superdrug on Monday only to find that they don't have them in yet, boo! I think a cheeky little Boots.com order is on the cards, I know patience is a virtue but this can't count when it comes to limited edition lip products can it?! 

3. I think I must be in a spring state of mind as I can't imagine going through the season without these on my nails and did I mention they're scented? They'll take you back to your gel pen sniffing days!

4. I couldn't live without my Tangle Teezer and I've took to taking it in the shower with me to brush through my conditioner but if you own one as well you'll know that they're pretty hard to hold on to and if you drop them on a hard floor they go down with a bang so add water and conditioner to the mix, they're nearly impossible to hold on to. This is a special shower Tangle Teezer, easier to hold on to, easier for the water to get through, hello tangle free hair!

5. When I was on the hunt for the new lip butters this dinky little thing caught my eye and in true beauty blogger style I didn't want to buy it without reading a couple of reviews first and there doesn't seem to be one good one about these which is a shame because they concept of this lip and cheek tint is very exciting but no matter how cute the packaging is if the product isn't good it isn't worth a purchase.