Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette - Swatches and Review

Howdy all! How are you all doing? Can you tell I'm in a good mood already? I'm not sure if its a sugar overdose or not... 

The Too Faced Boudoir Eye Palette has popped up quite a few times now on my blog, but I haven't yet shown you in-depth exactly what you get for your money, and just how amazing this product it (so basically, I could have said a review, but you know.. that's just too easy.)

Oh and a little warning for all the gigglers, It IS a "boudoir" inspired collection after all, so some of the names are a little raunchy. At least none are as bad as Nars' Deep Throat... 

So one thing which is obvious about this product is just how gorgeous the packaging is. Its a metal tin, and the size is reasonable enough for travel, and I'm already singing its praises without showing you the inside...

Each row of three shadows are categorised into looks for Day, Classic and Fashion looks. Some of the shades are more pigmented than others, but the colour selection is fantastic, as is the range of shimmer and matte shades. The application and longevity of these products is fantastic, I have applied them without primer (which is something I don't usually do) and found that they lasted up to 8 hours without creasing. (For reference, my skin type is normal, and I don't have oily eyelids) None of the products have fall down other than In the Buff, the lightest shade, which when applied reminds me of MAC's Brule, and isn't actually as white as it appears in the picture above.

Inside the lid of the product is this amazing little step-by-step on how to use the shadows, for a Day, Classic and Fashion inspired look. It shows pictorials on using the shadows, and also has numbered instructions which will come in handy for those who are novices to eyeshadow.

I feel as if I should apologize in advance for the stereotypical "arm swatches" that are coming up...

Left to right: (Day; In the Buff, Fuzzy Handcuffs, Voulez-Vous. Classic; Satin Sheets, Sugar Walls, Garter Belt. Fashion; Birthday Suit, Lap Dance, French Tickler)

I wouldn't necessarily say its my "most-used" palette, as my MAC palette holds my eyebrow powders too, so sheer laziness often makes me use the one that I already have out. But, I cannot physically recommend this palette enough, the shadows are amazing quality, and for all neutral lovers provide a great mix of tones for all eye colours and day-to-night styles.

I bought my palette off Beauty Bay for £29.00.

(GIF credit: GIFBAY)

Will You Still Love Me, When I'm no Longer Young and Beautiful?

Have you all seen The Great Gatsby yet? I bet you're also getting bored of the chatter surrounding it? My apologies for joining in on it. Anyway... I feel like I've been waiting absolute years to watch it! The date just kept getting pushed further and further away, I thought I'd never get to see it. Despite the very long wait, my excitement grew to an extent I didn't know was even possible, so I thought maybe I'd end up leaving the cinema a little disappointed. Oh, how wrong I was. Its a beautiful, spectacular film, and I cannot lie, I spent the majority of the 2+ hours admiring Carey Mulligan's makeup, hair and nails (oh, and not to forget the clothes.. the flappers, fringing and nude tones aplenty.)

Anyway, I went to see it last Wednesday evening and I decided to get into the roaring twenties spirit with Gatsby inspired makeup and mani. I did cheat a little with my hair, seeing as it was freshly blow-dried it was poker straight and looking super shiny, so I decided to skip the faux-bob, and just do my makeup twenties-inspired, I used a champagne colour across my eye-lid, a strong cat-eye liner flick, and MAC's Rebel on my lips. I did this half-moon mani with Essie's Skirting the Issue, and a pack of WHSmith hole reinforcers. Yes, I used something found in an office for a manicure. 

To recreate my manicure you need; Base coat, Nail varnish (any opaque or semi-sheer will do, but darks are the best) Top coat and hole reinforcers. Apply the base coat as you would normally, to avoid any staining, then, after applying to the back of your hand to remove some of the "stickiness" of the stickers, apply on your nail at the bottom to cover up the part of the nail where there will be no colour. Paint the tips, then when the polish is dry, carefully peel off the stickers and clear up any mistakes with a cotton bud and nail polish remover and then apply a top coat to prevent the polish from chipping.

Hope you've enjoyed this very quick post for today! I'd planned on taking pictures for new posts, but I prefer to use natural light, and thanks to the icky weather I don't have a lot of it. Sob, thanks Britain! 

I'm also coming close to my first followers milestone, so keep your eye out for a giveaway in the near future! 

Inside: My Essie Collection

Hi you lovely lot! How was your weekend? Mine was quiet, and chilled and peaceful spent with numerous films, shopping, lunch with friends and dinners with family. Perfect!

Another collection today! Instead of showing you my full nail polish collection (which could take a good few hours) I thought I'd show you my favourite nail polish brand, Essie, and the colours (as well as treatments) I own.

My favourite nail polish EVER, and the first nail polish I bought by Essie is Ballet Slippers, I bought this when I was super excited to hear about Essie coming to the UK in Boots, and since then haven't looked back. This little "I'll give them a go." started my love affair with Essie, and their incredible polishes.

Left to right (Marshmallow, Fiji, Ballet Slippers, Eternal Optimist, In stitches)

From top to bottom (In Stitches, Cute as a Button, Meet me at Sunset, Bahama Mama)

From left to right (Chinchilly, Merino cool, Smokin' Hot, Skirting the Issue, Recessionista)

From right to left (Mint Candy Apple, Butler Please, Maximillian Strasse Her, Cocktail Bling)

I thought I'd tell you my "Top 5" too, but when I came to narrow down the list, I had to make it 6, woops...
My favourite, in order, are; Ballet Slippers, Fiji, Chinchilly, Skirting the Issue, Meet me at Sunset and Butler Please.

Left to Right (Base Coat- Rock Solid, Top Coat-No Chips Ahead, Top Coat-Matte About You)

Hope you've enjoyed this post, and I haven't made you want to indulge in Essie polishes too much. And like I've always said, I'm more than willing to swatch or review things in more detail. I just don't want to be filling your feed with swatches if they aren't going to get looked at!

Lots of love.

Jumping on the BBandwagon

It's Fridaaaay again! And it's a bank holiday weekend, so let's hope British weather brings us a little sun for BBQ's all round.

So at first, I thought the whole BB cream was a bit of a novelty. It seemed like something which I didn't need, a light coverage foundation with a different name. It's no secret that I have a love for Dior, and the woman on my local Dior counter remembers me well so gives me a few free samples when I go in store. When I bought a few things a couple months back she matched me up to the new BB cream and gave me one of those lovely little pots filled with it. I tried it just because it was Dior. When I applied it and looked back at myself in the mirror, I was astonished by how bright and glowing my skin looked. After a day of wear, I went straight online to Debenhams and ordered the full size tube. Thus starting, my love for BB creams...

Clarins Skin Perfecting BB cream c/o Escentual

Dior Nudeskin BB cream

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB cream

Its quite the collection saying I was completely unimpressed when they came out. And I cannot lie, if another brand brought one out which caught my eye, I would consider buying it. BB creams seem to have much more illuminating and resurfacing effects than a foundation, and when applied with your fingers, mesh with your skin making you look flawless and as if glowing from the inside.

Dior's BB offering is one of the newer offerings, and my personal favourite (not just cause the packaging is pink) I think out of the three I own, despite having "nude" in the title, it has the most coverage. Although I do like a light-coverage, I feel much more confident with a little bit more, and not so "Is she looking at me because I look like an alcoholic just coming off a 4-day bender?" 

I bought the Dr Jart one after hearing so much about the brand, and seeing it on offer for an amazing £10 in Boots! And I must say, it isn't my favourite, I think the texture is a little thick, so it requires a lot of blending, and quickly, before it sets and you end up with a streaky, three-tones-too-dark face. Once blended, it does provide the perfect skin look which you expect from a BB, as is perfect for days when you're not doing anything fancy and don't want to waste expensive products. 

Escentual very kindly sent me the very new BB cream from Clarins, in the lightest shade they have. I thought that if anything, it'd be too light for me, oh how wrong I was... As you can see from the swatches below, when blended out, the colour becomes a lot less obvious, but is still a visible change from my skin tone. I gave this one to my Aunty, who is yet to try BB creams and she loved it, said it evened out her skin tone and even covered the redness she occasionally gets in her cheeks. She has a cool skin tone, whereas I have a neutral, and it worked well for both of us, seeing as it doesn't have any yellow or pink undertones, just another reason to love it. (Although I think I may have to hide it)...

Despite the colour being a little off, I thought I would slick on a little fake tan in my body to try match it up better, and thought I'd road test it while I was spending a day at home. This product lasted a reasonable amount of time on my skin, and dried to a natural matte finish. The coverage is actually very light because it required so much blending, but I did try to build it up, and it worked so I would say it's definetly build able for people with skin concerns. I would recommend this BB cream for summer, and for medium skin tones, but if you're classed as having a "porcelain" skin tone, you will look the teensiest bit like an Oompa Loompa. 

I cannot wait for the weather to warm up, so I can get a little tan and start wearing this on a day-to-day basis, as it truly is a lovely BB cream but just currently a little too dark for my casper-like skintone.

So, have you all jumped on the BBandwagon yet, or are you still to do so? I recommend getting matched up to Dior's offering in-store if you're new to BB creams, it's pretty much a fool-proof and incredible addition to your make-up bags.

Hope you all have an amazing bank holiday weekend. Don't get too drunk...

Crown Brush: Brush Haul and Review

Its fridaaaaay! Which means, the weekend is here! So I've got you a mini haul and review on the incredible brand that is Crown Brush! 

Last week I thought I would search for some make-up brushes. As much as I try to keep my brushes clean and sanitised, it isn't possible to clean every brush I use, every day. So I wanted to look for some lip, brow and cheek brushes at a much more affordable price than those in MAC. I'd heard great things about the brand Crown Brush from Zoe Newlove (check out her blog, she's an incredibly talented lady), so I thought I'd give them a go. 

The hardest part was narrowing down how many brushes I bought, there's so many variations of every single brush you're spoilt for choice! I went through the site and just kept clicking that "Add to basket" button, and after a lot of "Do I really need a tenth buffing brush?" style questions, I narrowed it down to these eight brushes which are (from left to right):

C100 Mini Tapered Blush
C441 Pro Blending Crease
C404 Small Duo-fibre Face Brush
R101 Gold Retractable Lip Brush
BK12 Deluxe Synthetic Lip Brush
BK44 Lip/Liner Brush
C158 Angle Liner/Spoolie
BK35 Angle Brow

I bet you're thinking how many lip brushes does a girl need to buy in one purchase right?! Well, I have reasons behind the purchases... The Lip/Liner brush was bought as I find having a different lip brush for each colour (not every one, but reds, pinks, plums etc.) is ideal so you don't end up getting a dirty purple coloured lip when you go to apply a sheer pink. I got the retractable black lip brush to have a travel-friendly one, because lets be serious, who wants red lipstick smeared all over the inside of their make-up bags? The gold one was, just.. gold. So yeah, I wanted a brush because its gold. I'm shallow, I know...
And to clarify, these are all incredible brushes and do the job of applying lipstick perfectly. They also passed the "How well will it apply a matte MAC lipstick?" test, which is pretty hard to pass seeing as they aren't the easiest lipsticks to apply!

Apologies for the already dirtied brush, I was a little over-excited when they arrived. You know how the whole beauty world is insane for MAC's infamous 217 Blending Brush, which is an incredible brush, which makes eyeshadow application a breeze. Well, I think that Crown Brush may have just topped the 217 with their Pro blending crease brush. It does boast similarities to the MAC 217, but it is fluffier, less dense, and a little more tapered, perfect for those who like a defined crease. And the best part of the Crown version? You can buy FIVE of these for the same price as ONE by MAC. I know which one I'll be stocking up on...

I also really like the angled brushes for applying my favourite brow powders, Omega and Charcoal Brown. Where as I used to use a disposable mascara wand to brush through my brows, I now have the angled brush and the spoolie in the same place, which is amazing if you're forever forgetting where you've left things (like me!) The other angled brush I got after asking Zoe which brush she uses on her brows. I haven't actually got around to using it yet, but if it's anything like the others I've used so far, I know I'm well and truly in for a treat. 

I got this dinky duo-fibre face brush for the days when I want lightweight foundation application, and a smaller brush means you have more control over the product, and exactly how much you're applying. Its a good brush for the price, does what it says on the tin, but if you want medium or heavy coverage, this brush isn't for you. I had actually bought the little blusher brush for applying powder blusher, but after trying it with a few different products, I have come to realise that this is amazing for applying cream blushers! Because of its tiny size, its the perfect accompanying brush to the new Bourjois cream blush, as you can see exactly where the product is, and the small size makes it harder for anyone new to cream blush to go overboard with the product.

I physically cannot recommend this brand enough. Their customer service is incredible, the products are incredible and the delivery is so speedy I almost thought I was seeing things when it came through my door! If you want to order anything from Crown Brush, find them here.

Inside: My Makeup Collection Part THREE

The messiest drawer and my palettes are the last part of my makeup collection and here it is... hope you enjoy...

This drawer is my last, and the messiest. Its pretty much a jumble of all the things which won't fit in the other drawers, and a couple of my spare products (the majority are kept in my old storage system)

In this drawer is:
L'oreal True Match Powder
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Rendezvous, Honey and Crush
Dr Jart Water fuse BB cream
Avon Smooth Minerals powder foundation in Ivory
Spare mascaras (Avon Super extend, and Supershock MAX Limited edition pink packaging, and L'oreal False lash flutter)
Avon Glimmerstick brow definer in Blonde
There's also a couple samples of Clarins BB cream hiding in the back

I'm not shrinking... that bottle of primer really is that big! I love this product. I'm sure you're all pretty familiar with Laura Mercier primers, this is one I got from Space NK, which is a bonus size of the Radiance version. It gives your skin a really gorgeous natural looking glow, without the use of any shimmery particles.

All of my palettes sit in my little ombre box at the side of my Muji drawers. I like keeping them here because it makes it easier to access them, see which is which and the majority of them are a little too big to be stored in one of the drawers.

Urban Decay Naked 2 is one of the most gorgeous nude eye palettes ever. I love this, and after buying mine, my Aunty went and got one too, so there are now two Naked palettes in our house! I didn't open this palette to take a picture. You all know what this looks like...

This is actually the first time I have posted about the Clarins eye quad from last Christmas' Odyssey collection. Its three matte brown/nude shades, and a very gold glittery shadow, so sparkly that it could rival all the glitter around the festive season. 

I'm so happy I've filled my MAC Eye Palette! I love all the colours I have in this, and use them on a day-to-day basis. From left to right the colours I own are (Vanilla, Brule, Quarry, Omega, Cork, Woodwinked, Patina, Satin Taupe, Charcoal Brown, Embark, Sumptuous Olive, Club, Cranberry, Sketch, Carbon) I know people enjoy reading about these, shall I post about them with swatches and looks? I like using Omega and Charcoal Brown on my brows, Vanilla as a non-shimmery highlighter, and Carbon is a great powder alternative to using pencil or liquid eyeliner. 

Upon filling my eye palette, I thought it was time to start a blush palette. (Oh, MAC why are you so addictive?) I currently only have Harmony, which I use as a contour shade, and Desert Rose, which is one of my favourite blusher shades, a beautiful dusky pink.

This gorgeous Too Faced Boudoir eyes palette has popped up a few times on my blog (and Instagram!) now, and is quickly becoming one of my favourites. I really should do a post on this beauty...

This MAC eye quad is the Rimal Dahabia palette from the new Art of the Eye collection. Its shades are Shroom, Soft Brown, Beauty Burst, Najm el Lail. I had never been particularly interested in buying Shroom before, but now its becoming one of my favourites, it works all over the lid, or as a brow-bone and inner tear-duct area highlight.

These products are some of the make-up related ones which are too large, or just don't have a home in my drawers. I love the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray for making my makeup last all day. MAC's Fix+ I use for setting my makeup if I have gone for a dewy look. I also like to use it if my foundation looks a little cakey, by spraying it on a clean buffing brush and buffing the foundation into my skin. Origins VitaZing is amazing for those days where your skin needs to be left to breathe, but needs brightening. MAC Strobe Cream is one of my newer products, and I haven't found the best technique for using it yet (any suggestions?) Clinique's Super CityBlock is something I use in the Summer months to keep my skin protected from the sun's harmful UV rays (bla-bla.) Mister Radiant is the only thing I own by Givenchy, and I wish I had more, as this is incredible, its a gel with little beads of colour, which work to brighten and even the skin tone, this product is amazing as a primer, or on its own. This Works Perfect Look Skin Miracle is supposed to be used on its own to makes your skin look "miraculous," but I prefer to use it as a primer, it evens skin tone, and also brightens (it works incredibly with Revlon Nearly Naked!)

And there you have it... my Makeup collection! Is there anything else you'd like to see? DVD's? Skincare/Bodycare? Nail polish? In my wardrobe? My shoes? etc. Let me know. I'm definetly going to be doing a DVD one, as people always seem more than interested in what I've been watching. And, as mentioned in my previous posts, I am more than willing to swatch anything, or do looks using it so let me know in the comments and I'll get straight to work! 

Wishes and Wants #3 All Beauty

I'm forever compiling wishlists in my head. This time, everything I want seems to be beauty related...

Emma Hardie Natural Lift Eye Serum

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment

Caudalie Divine Oil

Chanel Le Volume de Chanel mascara in Noir

Nars Multiple in South Beach

Calvin Klein Euphoria EDP

Caudalie Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colours in Frenzy and Pirate

I've been lusting after quite a few things by brands I haven't tried, or have a few products from recently. Caudalie is a brand which isn't the easiest to get in the UK, its doable, but not easily accessible unless you live in a city. I at the moment have nothing by this brand, and I really want to try more oil-based products, for hair, skin and body, and Caudalie's Divine Oil seems to be well-loved by most. I've also been enjoying using face masks more than normal, but I'm quite fussy about which I use because cheap masks tend to break me out, I remember loving peel masks as a child and I want to give them a go again, and Caudalie's enzymatic peel mask seems like it would do a great job at brightening up my skin. Keeping in with the skincare, I said in a post the other day that I was in the market for a new eye-cream, after a little scouring of my favourite beauty websites, I decided I'd like to try my first Emma Hardie product, in the form of this eye serum.

I keep seeing pictures of these lip balms by Fresh on Instagram and Pinterest, the packaging is SO cute, and because I'm becoming a fan of tinted lip balms, I'd very much love one of these. Can't tell I'm a sucker for pretty packaging? I picked up Calvin Klein Euphoria a while back in Boots because I loved the crescent shaped bottle, and I fell in love with the scent. I wouldn't mind someone treating me to this.

If you saw my makeup collection posts, you'll know I've been lusting over another Nars Multiple seeing as I very much love my Copacabana one. Millie Mackintosh has said in the past that she loves these, and is often seen sporting the shade South Beach, so with Millie being one of my girl crushes, anything that's good enough for her, is good enough for me.

I do own one thing by Chanel, the infamous Soleil tan de Chanel, which I think is an incredible product, so it's quite surprising that I haven't branched out to try any other products by them. I like the look of their nail polishes, and I think that the shades Pirate and Frenzy would be a welcome addition to my collection. I've heard many good things about Chanel mascaras recently, and being the little mascara hoarder I am, I want in on the craze, the wand of this mascara seems just up my street. If only Chanel grew on trees...

Considering a lot of this has been about trying new brands, and new products from brands I know little about, I'd also like to try; Kiehls, L'occitane, Make Up For Ever, Nuxe (I LOVE the Reve de Miel balm!), Vichy, Avene, Burberry and Givenchy. I don't want much, do I?! 

Inside: My Makeup Collection Part TWO

Here is the second installment of my makeup collection! Hope you guys enjoyed the first, here is another few of my Muji drawers, and what I store inside them...

This is my third drawer, in which I store my cheek products:

Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 and 04 

17 Blusher in Damson Wine (This is a few years old, I think the colour with the same name is now a different shade)

17 Blusher in China Pink

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Flushed and Pinched 

Benefit Benetint

Benefit Travel Size Sun Beam

Nars Blush in Deep Throat 

Nars Highlighter in Albatross (Under Deep Throat) - I can't help but giggle.

Nars Multiple in Copacabana

Benefit Hoola Bronzer 

Benefit Dandelion Blush

First off, my Benefit boxes sit at the front because they are the most attractive of the bunch. My Hoola bronzer has hit pan, and I'll be needing a new one very soon, and I will be repurchasing, when I find a perfect matte bronzer I never seem to let go! My other favourites in here are all the Nars products, especially the multiple, which is amazing for a highlight and an eye colour. I want another one actually, in South Beach, they're so worth the price tag. I'm also getting really into cream blushes (if you couldn't tell?) and I couldn't recommend the little drugstore wonders which are the new Bourjois cream blushes, and the Revlon Photoready, too.

Avon Ideal Luminous Blush in Russet. I love this little thing. I actually got this whilst it was super cheap, around £4 with a free brush, but I think at full size they are around £10 (they are worth even that). For anyone who didn't know my Aunty is an Avon Representative in her spare time, so I get early access to products, and often a lot of freebies and samples. I went on a whim for this one, and boy am I glad I did... Its a gorgeous rich dusky-pink, and its so soft it applies very smoothly. It is so highly pigmented that you need a light hand, meaning this will last you a long, long time! I don't know where Avon can be bought other than through a rep, if anyone does want anything, however, we will place orders for you and send them, provided you pay for the postage. 

The fourth drawer stores mainly mascara, and other eye products:

Maxfactor Masterpiece Max mascara

Clinique Naturally Glossy mascara in Brown

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Excess mascara 

Maxfactor 2000 Calorie mascara 

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara 

Nars Eye Primer 

Maxfactor Eye Brightening mascara for Blue eyes

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping mascara 

Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara 

Benefit's Ooh La Lift

Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Ample Amber 

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner

(All of my mascaras are black unless stated otherwise) Maxfactor is one of the best brands for mascara, I think, every one I have tried by them has been incredible, and the Masterpiece max has been repurchased three times now. The eye-brightening one was actually something I got free when there was an offer in Boots, and I love it, it has little light-reflecting particles which brighten the eye area, and the mascara itself seperates, lifts and lengthens lashes. Soap and Glory Thick and Fast has THE biggest brush I have ever seen, so it takes a bit of time to apply, or you look like Edward Scissorhands tried to apply your mascara. Although I like most of the mascaras I own, I actually do not like Revlon's Grow Luscious, and I'm probably going to give this away. I love Cliniques Chubby Stick for Eyes, its the most amazing idea to have a cream based eye colour in pen form, and the colour payoff is pretty impressive.

I don't have as many eyeliners as most people, as up until a few months ago, I never wore liner. I couldn't find a liquid liner which I liked the brush/applicator of, and I strayed away from kohl liners as my everyday makeup was usually flawless skin, bold brows and a slick of mascara. I have the Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude to line my bottom waterline to take away any redness and brighten up my eye area, I would never use a white liner as it is too stark and false-looking for my personal taste. I LOVE Dior's Art Pen, it's just incredible (and raved about in my last favourites post) and I use the L'oreal Super Liner as a cheaper alternative on days where I'm not going anywhere fancy, or the rest of my makeup is also low-end. The other two are kohl liners by Avon, these are really good liners, I just don't use them very often.

Maybelline Color Tattoos in Bad to the Bronze and Eternal Gold are amazing cheap alternatives to MAC's Paintpots. Despite the fact that they don't come in many colours, if you're creating a smokey eye, these make a perfect base colour, aswell as giving a gorgeous buildable colour on their own too. These are very versatile, and I love them, I definitely want some of the other colours, anyone got any I should try? 

As I had this post prepared and waiting to go live, I had another little storage system arrive through the post for my lipsticks, so I have changed my lip products over into that and I will post about that within the next week.

The fifth drawer is lip products only:
MAC Lipsticks in (Viva Glam Nicki, Jubilee, Shy Girl, Chatterbox, Ruby Woo, Rebel, Russian Red, Lady Danger)
Bourjois Rouge Edition in 10 and 13
Avon Lipstick (Its a shimmery coral shade, not sure of the name but these were limited edition last summer)
Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Pink Pearl and Coral Tonic
Rimmel Apocolips in Big Bang, Stellar and Apocoliptic
Avon Anew Lipstick in Plumberry
Superdrug Little Pink Tin lip balm
(In the back I have a few Crown Brush lip brushes, a Blistex lip splash, a MUA red lip pencil, and a MAC Pro Longwear Pencil)

Along with the rest of the world, I LOVE Mac Lipsticks. I think they're a reasonable price for how incredible they are, and the colour selection is so vast, you're practically spoiled for choice. And that amazing vanilla scent... doesn't it make you want to lick your lips? (Okay, just me...) I couldn't choose a favourite as I really do love them all the same, and wear them all depending on what makeup look I am going for on that given day. I don't get as much use out of the Rimmel Apocolips as I probably should, but I never know what to do with my eye makeup when wearing them, as they are very, very bold colours. Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks are also incredible, they are about half the price of MAC, and for a drugstore brand, have quite a few shades available to buy. They are a similar finish to MAC Satin lipsticks, I personally think, and they have a similar lasting power too. I have a classic Hollywood red shade, (13) and a red so bright it borders on orange(10).

Within the past few weeks, I've found myself reaching for much more sophisticated pink/brown/nude (I'm not the best at descriptions, lets face it!) shades like Mac's Faux and Cosmo. I LOVE these shades, and seem to always get compliments on these when I am wearing them, and they seem to go with pretty much everything. Pretty and versatile? Check, and check.

Once again, anything you guys want to see swatched, or a look using these, or a review etc. I would be very happy to do them for you, leave a comment below and I'll get straight on it. 

Part three will be up tomorrow, with the messiest of all my drawers and a nosey at all my palettes! 

Another Holy Grail? Origins Ginzing Moisturiser Review

Hey guys! Hope you're all well.

Seems like I've been throwing around the phrase "holy grail" quite a lot recently, doesn't it. Well, despite how it may seem, I do not use this phrase lightly, I've just had a bloody good streak (I'm not sure why I got a British accent in my head then "CHEERIO!") when it comes to finding beauty products which work for me. This time, I've got you a moisturiser from one of my favourite brands when it comes to skincare, Origins. 

For any of you who aren't familiar with the brand, have you been living under a rock? Origins is a brand which strives itself on its earth-friendly practices and all natural and organic ingredients, also they never test on animals. The company pretty much provides everything which you would want a beauty brand to provide, I personally cannot help but love them, and I recommend everyone switches their skincare up to go all natural with Origins! Anyway... the moisturiser...

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser comes in the typical green and white Origins card packaging. I personally really like Origins packaging, I think its so simple, yet effective, and the fact that it is completely recyclable is a bonus. The packaging of the moisturiser itself, is a tub in the most gorgeous shade of orange I think I've ever seen

I wasn't aware of this being launched until I saw images on Nina Dobrev's twitter account of her holding this product at the launch. Then I became so interested I started researching the moisturiser, and I decided I had to have one. I actually have the Ginzing eye cream, and as an eye cream, I didn't particularly like it, (I used it, and still am using it) but I felt that the cream itself and its brightening properties were much more suited to a moisturiser, so imagine my excitement when Origins made it into a moisturiser? Oh, and the ever so gorgeous Nina Dobrev launched it. Yes, I HAD to have it.

The product itself feels almost like a gel on the skin, and thanks to this you need the tiniest amount to moisturise your whole face. Because of this, you can guarantee this pot will last you a good while. Once applied it doesn't feel tacky or heavy on the skin. Previously I have applied my moisturiser and waited about twenty minutes before applying makeup, with this, it soaks in very quickly, so I find I can apply my makeup only five minutes after treating my face to this beauty. Oh, and did I mention the smell? It is the most incredible scent I've ever come across in skincare, its very fruity and orange-like, a little like REN's Radiance regime, but even nicer.



I feel like I should apologise in advance to everyone who feels like they have to go and buy this now, but here's the link, you'll probably need it. £23.00 for 50ml on Origins UK

Inside: My Makeup Collection

Promised you lovely lot I would bring a post on my makeup collection, and once I started taking the pictures I thought, one post won't cut it, as it'll end up about 500 pictures long (slight exaggeration) so I'm going to bring this in a few installments so you don't get too bored.

I'm going to start off this post by saying, I have took this pictures from my collection as it stands day-to-day. I have seen numerous videos and blog posts on other bloggers collections and they have been absolutely immaculate, to the point of things being that straight and organised that I think "Are you an alien? No one is THAT tidy." And yes, it isn't the most glamourous, but it works for me, and I like how easy it is to access all my things.

Slight disclaimer, I do throw things away if they get crumbled or out-of-date, so everything here I do use, and I am in no way bragging. Also, if any of the pictures have a weird warm/pink tinge, its my pink curtains, they seem to make my whole bedroom pink! Hope you enjoy...

The whole thing...

The storage system used for my makeup is from Muji (duh) and it is 3 of these stacked on top of each other. The slight ombre little box everything else is in was one of the gift boxes which perfume gift sets come in. I always keep these boxes as they come in so handy for storage. The other half of this box is actually used for my most-used nail polish storage (yes, I'll do my nail polish collection too!)

Here is the things I keep at the top of my makeup storage. All my brushes, and some of my lip balms are kept in this Muji acrylic pen stand. I have Revlon Lip Butters in Strawberry Shortcake, Sweet Tart and Juicy Papaya. I also keep two of my Rouge Pur Couture YSL lipsticks at the top, aswell as my Dior Forever Foundation (which I LOVE) and the infamous Chanel bronzer, which takes up too much room in the drawers. I love the Chanel packaging, so I always enjoy using (and staring) at this. There's also a little kabuki brush up there, which I don't use very often, (I cannot remember where it is from!) but if I need it, its kept handy.

In my first drawer, and my "base" drawer I have:
MAC Prep and Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer in Adjust (mouthful...)
Revlon Nearly Naked
Diorskin Nude BB Creme
Estee Lauder Double Wear
L'oreal Lumi Magique
Rimmel Match Perfection
Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation (In two shades- I'm actually inbetween two, so I tend to mix it.)
Benefit POREfessional

For higher coverage days, I tend to use Laura Mercier or Estee Lauder. Rimmel's Match Perfection is something I go for for quick makeup, as it matches to my skin tone so well, I hardly need to do any blending or buffing to get a perfect, light finish. My lighter coverage foundations are the Revlon Nearly Naked (reviewed here) and I also love the Dior BB creme. Out of all of these, I'd say the L'oreal is my least favourite...

My second drawer is a combination of my most-used and a couple miscellaneous products. In here is:

Rimmel Stay Matte in Translucent (sits on top of Clarins palette)
Benefit Brow Zings in Medium (sits on top MAC Correct and Conceal)
Clarins Odyssey face palette (review here)
MAC Correct and Conceal Palette in Light
Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins
Nars Laguna Bronzer
Benefit Erase Paste in 01 Fair
MAC Brow Set in Beguile
Origins Plantscription Concealer in Light
Tweezerman Brow Mousse
YSL Touche Eclat in 02
Avon Glimmerstick Brow Definer in Blonde
By Terry Touche Veloutee

I tend to use a non-illuminating concealer under my eyes and on blemishes (MAC palette, Erase Paste, Origins plantscription) before using an illuminating one to highlight afterward (YSL, By Terry) so even though it looks like I have tons of concealer, I do use and love every one of them. And brow products, I have some for quick and easy application (Avon definer, Tweezerman brow mousse) and some which I tend to use for a better effect when I have enough time to apply them (Brow Zings, MAC brow set.)

Tanya Burr raved about this in one of her videos earlier this year, when I was at my local Estee Lauder counter I thought I'd have a little nosey, and I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous pink/champagne shade, and the rich red bordering on burgundy. Despite what you may think, these are VERY wearable shades, and if you have light eyes like me, they'll suit you. For reference, my eyes tend to look a different colour in all lights, they can be Blue/Green/Grey... So its a pretty versatile shadow duo!

So, that's a little look into my makeup collection. The rest is coming soon! Keep an eye out for the rest... 

ALSO.. If you want to see any of these products on my face, swatched, in more detail or reviewed drop me a comment below and I'll be very happy to do them for you. But as you can imagine, doing everything would be a little silly if no one is interested! Lots of love.

Holy Grail Mascara

Happy Monday guys. Seeing as Monday's aren't the best day for most of you, I thought I'd bring a mini review on my holy grail mascara! Imagine a bright white light, and angels singing.. it shows my love for this beauty

After the negative post I did the other day on Benefit's They're Real mascara, I mentioned the Dior Iconic Overcurl mascara, and decided I would bring you a post on this, seeing as I think I have finally found a mascara which does exactly what I want and makes my lashes look INCREDIBLE.

Often, the description of mascara boasts unrealistic outcomes, like 130% extra length to your lashes, looks just like false lashes (no, false lashes look just like false lashes...) But this one promises "extreme curl and-spectacularly shaped lashes." and believe me, it does the job like a dream! 

The curved wand fits perfectly into the lash-line, and means mascara application becomes quick, easy and faultless, not to mention, the beautiful fanned-out and seperated lash look you gain from just a couple coats of this mascara. I will admit, that for those wanting more length from their mascaras won't get an excessive amount from this, but if you want your lashes to have zero-clumps, a gorgeous curl, incredible volume and a sure-fire way to get closer to Zooey Deschanel esque doe-eyes, you've got a winner. And if you're a sucker for pretty packaging, don't you think Dior has the most gorgeous luxurious feel to their packaging? 

 Now I don't mean to be a pusher... Who am I kidding?! I love making people buy things (its a curse!) Go, go, go pick one of these up at your local Dior counter or online here at Debenhams, who currently have 10% off!! I PROMISE you won't be disappointed.

Favourite things #1

One thing I absolutely love about blogging is the whole "Monthly Favourites" I think its so exciting to see what people have been using and abusing over the past month. However, does no one else become a little bored when you get the ninety-ninth monthly favourites popping up in your blog feed? I personally do, (I read them anyway, life's just so hard?!) so I thought that every month, in the middle of the month, I'm going to bring a "Things I've Been Loving" post to show my favourite things. Just something a little different...

Anyway, here goes...

Beauty Favourites

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette

Nars Eye Primer

Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara

Dior Art Pen

MAC Lady Danger Lipstick

Essie Meet Me at Sunset and Chinchilly 

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I'm a sucker for the Dior counter, and when these came out a few months back I had to have them, and haven't looked back since. The mascara is just perfect for what I want to achieve from my mascara (review coming this week) and the eye-liner is faultless, will not budge, but when trying to remove with my La Roche Posay micellar water, comes off like a dream. The NARS primer is one of my favourites, it makes eyeshadows last longer and crease less. I personally don't have oily eyelids, but for those who do, you really should get your hands on this. 

My nail products of choice this month have been all new additions. Meet me at sunset is a gorgeous orange-toned red shade, perfect for a classic-red alternative, thanks to its semi-sheer finish. It is also perfect for doing matching "lips and tips" with Lady Danger. Chinchilly is a slightly purple-toned grey, which looks incredible on the nails despite how it looks in the bottle. Like all Essie polishes, they have that amazing brush which just works like a charm and makes the painting process super quick and easy (but you all know this already!) Also, I'd been in the market for an amazing top-coat, but Seche Vite has that covered, its high-shine, quick-drying, and prevents chips like no other I've tried. These polishes really are THAT good. 

I'm planning on doing a post on the beauty that is the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes palette, but for now I'm going to just say how fantastic it is for day and night looks, and not to mention the adorable packaging and tutorials in the lid. MAC's Lady Danger is a perfect accompanying product when using the palest colours from this palette, to make bright, natural eyes and a gorgeous bold lip. I actually thought this had been discontinued so I was so excited to get one from MAC's website. 

The Michael Mercier detangling brush for thick hair has been my go-to brush over the past few weeks. It hasn't replaced my much loved GHD paddle brush but I've found myself reaching for this one as its still quite a new addition to my hairbrush family. I've also become quite addicted to using a dry body brush every night. I know that dry body-brushing has tons of benefits, and I've found my skin has just looked and felt much smoother and softer since doing this on a regular basis.

Bumble and Bumble's surf spray is a new favourite of mine. I've had it for a couple months, but I hadn't found the perfect technique for using this. Now after much experimentation, I've found the perfect technique for my hair to create amazingly bohemian beachy waves. Now I need to get my hands on the Surf shampoo and conditioner!

Non- B-E-A-Uty Favourites

My TV addiction over the past few weeks has been Supernatural. From my TV habits its strange that I've only just come across this wonder. But I'm madly obsessed with this. For hot men, creepy monsters and humour, watch this.

Me and my Aunty decided that considering how much water we drink, it seemed only fitting to buy a reusable water bottle, as using plastic ones all the time can be damaging to the environment. I'd heard about the Bobble water-filtering bottle before, and had a nosey on Amazon, when I saw they were about £9 for a 550ml bottle I ordered two, in different colours straight away. This works by filtering all the nastiness out of your water whilst you drink, which not only is better for your health, but improves the taste of your water. I cannot recommend these enough, we love them! 

And on an unrelated note; I'm currently in the market for a new eye cream. I didn't really love Origins Ginzing, anything anyone can recommend?