Winter Nail Trend

Wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, handing out presents, or toasting the new year, groomed hands are essential during this time of year, and it's important to have the nails to match. This season, a low key sparkle will glam up any outfit - cozy pajamas or your favourite LBD...

This nail polish by Leighton Denny in the shade Temptress will at a subtle hint of sophistication to the winter months. Temptress is a deep plum colour with gold glitter in it, and it looks gorgeous on the nails. The dark colour doesn't seem too depressing and is lifted and given elegance by the gold hints. This nail polish will attract and draw the eye without being overwhelming.

(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

Review: Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

This product usually retails for £12, and does what it says on the box. You can get it in either Black or Navy Blue, although I purchased mine in Black. The colour pay off is really intense and the formula is smooth and non-sticky. The product doesn't flake or smudge and it lasted for the whole day when I tried it out, something which I was not expecting.

It is a felt tip applicator which is perfect if, like me, you can't use normal liquid eyeliner applicators - they're so hard to use and I always poke myself in the eye!

The packaging, as well as the product itself, is sleek and upmarket, and isn't trashy in any way,

The only drawback is that the positioning of the tip makes cat eyes a little awkward to do, but it's not impossible. 

Despite that, I would 100% buy this again and recommend it other people too!

(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

L'Occitane Wins Again

A few weeks ago, I was given bottles of L'Occitane Shampoo and Conditioner in the mini versions by a friend. I decided to try give them a try as I'd never used L'occitane products before, but I'd heard of their really good reputation.

These are really good for those of you who, like me, have dry/damaged hair as they replenish your hair's natural oil levels. They leave your hair feeling silky, light, and they give it a shine without making it look greasy.
I also found that my hair didn't get greasy as quickly as it does with other shampoos/conditioners, which I really liked.

This product smells great too! It smells kind of floral but with a hint of orange, and it's so good!





(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

Surprised By Miss Sporty

Ok, so everyone has heard positive things about higher end mascaras from brands like Estee Lauder, YSL, MAC, the list goes on...
The other day, I ran into Superdrug to pick up a mascara, and the first brand I saw was Miss Sporty. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting miracles, I just needed a cheap mascara to throw in my bag. The one I picked up was from their 'Curve It' line, the 'Pump It Up Booster'. I loved this mascara so much, I went back and bought another, this one the 'Pump Up Extra Lash'.

The Lash Booster (the orange one) has a curved brush which is really easy to use and it lifts your lashes and gives a slight, natural looking curve - this is the one that I have started to use for daytime makeup as it doesn't look to overpowering and dramatic. The formula is light and it doesn't feel like you have anything on your lashes. The other really good thing about this mascara is that it defines your lashes and doesn't make them clump; It basically looks like you have naturally amazing lashes!

The Extra Lash (the pink one) has a slight rectangular brush which is good for getting the corner lashes (I cannot stand it when they stick out weirdly). This formula is a little different in that it has a lot more volumising capability... and I do mean a lot. When I first put this on, I was taken aback - It is on par with my MAC mascaras, and I love those...
This product is very black and very intense, and I would recommend this for less casual events.

Both of these products have wands that are made of plastic. I really like this because they really separate and accentuate your lashes, and the mascara doesn't clump or stick. They also have real staying power - these won't smudge half way through the night.

If you're looking for a mascara with a small price but a big impact, I would definitely encourage you to purchase these!









(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

Red Alert!

I never really used to wear lipstick as I couldn't find the right shade for my skin colour - I have quite pale skin so I thought that pinks and reds washed me out and plum shades were just out of the question!
I was clearly looking the wrong place, because in the past 3 months, I've found 3 shades of red that I absolutely love! They are from a wide variety of beauty makes, but all can be found in drug stores.

Revlon Intense Colour Burst Matte Balm

This is an interesting twist on the coloured balms which became popular a few years ago. It comes in chunky but sleek looking packaging with silver detailing, whilst the actual surface colour depends on the colour of the balm. The product has a crayon applicator - I'm not the biggest fan of these because once you wear down the tip, the product becomes flat and a little messy, but it's usable and definitely not a deal breaker.

My packaging is a candy apple red and correlates with the colour of the product (shown below)

The product itself is meant to eliminate the need to use a balm underneath the product, and it does work. This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best examples of a colour balm because it does moisteurise your lips as well as having a colour payoff which is impressive for such a product. It's not the best, and don't expect the intense pigmentation of a lipstick or lipstain, but the colour is quite strong. 

This balm dries matte, which I like because it means I don't have wet look lips, which I try to avoid.

L'Oreal Intense Color Riche Lip

I can't get enough of this product! Mine is in the colour 376 Cassis Passion, and it suits my skin and hair so well! The formula is rich and creamy, and the colour is instantly strong, so there's no layering a million times until you get the desired shade.

Although in the picture below it looks kind of pink, it's actually sort of between a red and plum colour, and it looks really good with pale skin.
The packaging is a simple gold plastic with the brand name and range on the lid.

Marks and Spencer 

I actually don't know what range this is from, but it is the most surprising lipstick in this list. I don't usually take own brand supermarket makeup seriously because I always felt like the popular brands are popular for a reason, but how wrong I was...

This product has really sleek dark silver packaging in a slim tube, and is a pleasure to handle. 

The colour itself is a cherry red with pink tones, which I really like so that it doesn't overwhelm my pale skin and make me look like a painted corpse (I've had experience with that scenario...), although, again, the true red doesn't show up well on camera. The product has a creamy, smooth formula that applies really easily and doesn't cake and it's really easy to layer. Also, it's not sticky, so you can move your lips well without them getting stuck together. 

(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

A PSA

Ok, this is going to be really short, but I just discovered that not everyone knows this:

Before bed and/or putting on mascara, but a little bit of vaseline on your lashes. Before bed, it will help take off any last remaining bits of makeup and it will moisteurise your lashes during the night. 

Putting the vaseline on before mascara acts as a base and gives the product something to stick to, helping it last longer. This is especially good for lower end mascaras.

Try it!





(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)

Autumn Is Fast Approaching...

It's the second day of September and I have officially accepted that Autumn is upon us. It's cold, grey, and damp, perfect for snuggling into those jumpers which have been long abandoned at the back of your closet for the summer months, and boots which keep your toes that extra bit warm. The colour palettes become warmer and deeper, whilst lace and silk turn into wool and velvet. I think everyone looks better in Autumn, but maybe that's just because there's less light...
I was skipping around the internet looking at this year's Autumn beauty trends, and there were some recurring themes:

Bare faced beauty: This season, you'll see a lot of bare skin - on your face of course. Bases will have nothing other than the basics; foundation, concealer, primer. Gone are the months of blush, bronzer, highlighter and the rest, now fashion and beauty houses have gotten into the au natural look in a big way!

Pedal to the metal: Metallic shades around the eyes are really flattering as they draw attention away from other areas, and they bring out the natural hue of your eye. Creating wet look textures around the eye brings a polished, high end look. Good drugstore brands of metallic eyeshadows include Bobbi Brown and Collection.

Top and bottom: For absolutely ages, beauty trends have been telling us that top lid eyeliner is the way forward and that everyone who's anyone knows how to perfectly wing eyeliner (something which I wholly fail at, it just always goes wrong). Now, they've done an about turn and this season, it's all about lining your bottom lid too. You can create the perfect smokey eye by doing this, or leave it a defined line. If you feel that this is too harsh, you can smudge whatever eye shadow your'e using onto your lower lid for a less defined, softer look.

Go Nude: Because eyes are becoming such a bold statement, lips are taking a backseat. They are either nude (a look which I personally think makes it look like you have no lips, and therefore scares me a little...) or they are natural and balmy so as not to detract attention from the eyes. This is such a plus, because lipsticks and lip stains are drying and you really don't want chapped lips in the cold months to come.

Colour me bold: Colour has made it's big return to the stage this season (not unlike Kate Bush) and it's absolutely everywhere. Jewel tones such as blue, purple, and (obviously) red will be spotted everywhere. If sporting green eyeliner is a little too bold for you, try toning a smokey eye blue, or wearing both black and purple eyeliner to take the boldness out of it.

(Disclaimer: Certain pictures may not be mine)