Holy Grail palette !

Product Background: 

Collaboration of Violet Voss and YouTuber Laura Lee. Shadows came in the normal style Violet Voss palette and contains a large mirror. Palette has twenty eye shadows, and formulations of the colours vary, it contains a combination of mattes, shimmers and buttery textured eye shadows.

Price: £38.00

            

(With flash)

Hit or Miss?

Like all palettes I got this palette after watching numerous views and was drawn into the trap and I gave up into temptation. The moment it went on sale I got it, however, like many of the products I currently have, it sat in my makeup box for over a month. I finally decided to try it about 3 weeks ago and have found myself constantly reaching for it. There have been days that I've only used the palette due to the versatility of the shades, I've used it for almost all of my makeup looks whether it be neutral makeup or glam. My favourite shades in the palette are; Hissy Fit, Bitty and 1988, the texture of the shadows are unbelievable, they are so creamy, buttery and highly pigmented. This palette has become by far my favourite collaboration palette of 2016, it is so versatile and I have seen numerous people of different skin shades try it and the colours still show up so beautifully. Also the matte shades are highly pigmented so they do not become dry or chalky, since there are a vast range of mattes and there are shades that can be used as transition shades. My favourite matte colour from the palette is Alabama, it is a rich brown shade that I often use to deepen my crease or create a soft smoky. However, there's one shade in the palette I really dislike and never reach for and that is the shade 'Lou', it is suppose to be a matte black but has shimmer in it? I hate any black shade with shimmer in it cause it defeats the whole purpose of using a black shade. This palette was a truly a hit with me. The palette is currently out of stock, I am not sure whether it was limited or not, but I really hope they bring it back so I can buy another one. 

   (Without Flash)

Application:

With this palette I've found the best way to apply the buttery eye shadows are with a wet synthetic brush or your fingers. Since the shadows are highly pigmented, I've found that when using  my brush dry it tends to lead to a lot more fallout.

Realistic Night Routine.

Becoming a night owl the last couple of months has taken its toll on my night time routine, at one point I was following my night time routine non-stop. However, its slowly slipped out of my hands, but I've finally found a realistic routine that I can stick to every night.

Every night I always start with my teeth, I've never been a person to fall into the trap of 'teeth whitening toothpastes'. But after trying the Colgate MaxWhite, I've fallen into the trap, not because the toothpaste has amazing abilities that make your teeth automatically white. But, because after using the toothpaste, my teeth feel super clean and almost have a sheen to them. Some nights, especially weekends I use clay masks, my favourite one currently is Charcoal activated clay mask. I use this mask as a way to just sit back and relax to be honest. Also, the clay mask cleans all the built up dirt from during the week on my face, and deeply exfoliates my skin and neck.  However, on the days I don't use the clay mask, I use my all-time favourite facial cleanser that I have recommend to almost everyone I know. The 'Bioré 'Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser', I don't think words do any justice to this facial cleanser. Being someone who's tried every facial cleanser under the sun from Clean & clear to Neutorgena, This facial cleanser is different because it lifts dirt off your face which leaves your face feeling clean and smooth. Yes I know, I love charcoal. 

After washing my face, I usually use a warm towel to get rid of any excess product that's left on my face. Since I struggle with dry skin its important I use a water based moisturizer, the current one I use is a Vitamin E based one that I got from The Body Shop. I've been using this for the last couple of weeks and can really see an improvement in my skin. It starting to have a natural glow and doesn't feel as dry as usual, think this would be perfect for winter/autumn as that's the period of time where my face tends to dry up the most. You'll think after using all those products on my face I'd stop? Nope. Lastly before sleeping I rub in some Oils of Life from The Body Shop to further hydrate my face and give me a glow.  On a totally unrelated note, I think I've found the best smelling hand and body lotion that I use every night, it literally smells like bubblegum and sweets. 

Product descriptions:

1. Colgate MaxWhite toothpaste: £3.99
2. Beauty Formula Charcoal Clay Mask: £3.99
3. Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser: £5.24
4. The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist: £9.50
5. The Body Shop Oils Of Life: £28.00

August Favourites

 With summer rapidly coming to an end, August has by far been one of my favourite months purely because I was able to play around with some 'NYX' products. Being able to have a NYX stand close to me now, I can finally binge on as many products as I like which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. However, this month I also tried my first 'The Body Shop' makeup product and I was pretty amazed by the quality of the product and it almost completely blew me away.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette:

Retail Price: £40

This palette has become one of my favourite eye shadow palettes of all time, I was a ride or die for the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette for so long. But I must admit this palette has topped it, the colours are so versatile and the ability to create various eye looks whether it be a smokey, soft summer eye look or simple eye look. This palette has been my go-to palette all summer. My favourite aspect of this palette is the pigmentation (literally to die for), also the colour "Baby", yes I've used it as a face highlighter which I was truly surprised at to be frankly honest. I haven't yet discovered a dupe for this palette but I'd suggest you try it out as it is the most versatile palette I have ever tried, from the matte colours to the shimmer shades. The pigmentation is light and buttery, and so easily to apply, however there are some colours that almost too pigmented which results to fall out. But I'd rather pigmentation and a little fall out over patchiness any day, who wouldn't?

NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray:

Retail Price: £7

After a long time of using MAC fix+ as my water based setting spray, I finally came across a new setting spray that is prefect for dry skin. What I've learnt about this spray is a little goes a long way, a couple of sprays and you're good to go. Having dry skin, especially around my cheek and nose area, makes it especially hard to be able to wear a matte finish. After trying this product out for about 2 weeks, I can finally wear a matte finish using a dewy finish setting spray. Confusing right? well, the dewy setting spray doesn't make your face look oily and needing to powder throughout the day. But rather gives you a healthy glow finish and a natural looking glow. There have been days where I've not worn makeup but rather just sprayed a little of the setting spray on my face and it's given me a moisturizing finish.  The best thing about this spray is the price, NYX also have the same spray but in Matte finish so if you have oil to combination skin that would be a good try for you.

The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation: 

Retail Price: £15

Discovering this foundation so late in the summer is really a bummer since the foundation has SPF 15 and I could of truly used the sun protection on the hottest days in London. After searching for a drugstore foundation that I could use on a daily basis without using my high-end brands has been a struggle. From trying Maybelline to Revlon, I just couldn't find a drugstore foundation that worked with my skin. Going into The Body Shop, I wouldn't have imagined I would walk out with a foundation. After finding the cream I was searching for, I couldn't help but notice they had a massive stand with a ton of makeup products. I couldn't help but find myself rummaging through the foundations looking for my shade, after finding my shade I was rather pleased with myself since it was a constant battle finding a shade that matched me. This foundation is a perfect drugstore foundation, purely because it doesn't soak into your skin but sits perfectly on my face. Also it has a natural glow, something I've been searching in a foundation for as long as I could remember. The only downside to this foundation is after wearing it for about 6 hours or so it starts to oxidase.  

                                           Maybelline Blush in Cosmopolitan:

Retail Price: £4.49

For as long as I could remember I was never a person to consistently wear blush, there was just something about it I just didn't like. I felt as though the colour would just sit on my face and not blend in. I have now realised blush wasn't the problem but rather the 'wrong' blush I was wearing. I have been wearing this blush throughout the entire summer, as it would blend into my skin so easily due to the pigmentation. The colour is a light pink therefore applying a little goes a long way and it does help that it has glitter which shines through after applying it. I've set a goal of trying the vast colour range they had in store since the pigmentation is so good. Even though the pigmentation is good, I'd suggest you use a damp beauty blender when applying as it allows for the colour to stand out and applies easier.  

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Berlin:

Retail Price: £5.50

These Soft Matte Creams have always been a favourite of mine but for some reason after wearing them for so long I lost interest in them. Not so long ago I discovered the Boots not far from me had finally gotten a NYX stand, and I knew I had to buy some new Lip Creams. The stand looked incredible if I do say so myself, and the variety of Lip cream colours available, I had to literally drag myself away. I purchased a range of 'nudes' and 'dark browns', and since then I have fallen back in love with these Lip Creams. 'Berlin' has become by far my favourite brown/nude shade as I have worn it practically everyday and for every look possible. I think I will head to Boots again to repurchase 'Berlin' as I already think I am running out and would defiantly need it for fall. 

Valentine's Day

Being someone who uses Valentine's Day as an excuse to eat a truck load of chocolate I don't really take part in Valentine's Day. But I love all the romantic movies that come on, but working this year so I will be missing that. Anyways, I've been seeing a lot of looks and wanted to add my own twist on Valentine's Day looks/pampering.

I think there's one palette that I always use when I'm going for a soft romantic look; Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. This palette has become a fast approaching favourite palette of mine, it has soft pink colours that work on any skin complexion. Also there are soft pink shimmery shades that are very subtle yet very glamorous. I think this palette is perfect for Valentine's Day as it is very romantic, soft and is not overly dramatic. Before you get ready to put some makeup on you should pamper yourself the night before.

I love mud masks, they keep my skin fresh and it almost looks as though it is glowing. It is so easy to get your hands on one, you can find it in your local drugstore. Just put the mask around your face in thin layers and build it up. It is so easy you can even do it right before you leave or the night before which would be tonight. Rinse with warm water or a damp towel and don't worry this mask is so easy to get off and won't leave your face looking dry.

Lastly if you need to do your nails last minute but don't have time to get them done, I have the perfect method to help your nails look strong and shiny. Firstly cut your nails unless you want them long and fill your nails to make them look even and smooth. After completing those steps, dip your nails in olive oil and leave for 2-3 minutes, you can do this 2-3 times. This will make your nails shiny and if you don't want to use nail polish you don't have to. And for nail vanish I always prefer nude colours but for this occasion I think a hot red would look perfect. Before I forget I think this is the best occasion to use your favourite perfume. mine is the Britney Spears 'Midnight', the smell is so amazing I can't even describe it.

I hope you all have a fabulous day and eat your bodies weight in chocolate!

January Ohhh Yasss and Hell Narhhh

These past few months have been filled with university assignments and January blues. Oh did I mention the weather as well, awful, most days I don't even want to leave my bed. Getting colds after colds, but not so long ago I treated myself to a makeup haul. I think I went a little overboard but it did make me feel better. I now have a few products that have been my favourite since getting them, some are a little priced but others are so inexpensive I was left questioning my existence on why I had not gotten them earlier. This January favourites includes everything from cosmetics to skin care etc and the not so favourites.

January Ohhh YASSS:

1. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer:

This has literally got to be my favourite concealer so far and don't know why it has taken me so long to try it. It's truly amazing and it doesn't crease at all even the days I forget to set it with powder. I got two shades since I didn't want extreme highlighting and wanted something that matched my skin tone. Also I got a little lighter shade for the days I felt like highlighting, and it made it look so natural. I even got away with just wearing the concealer without the foundation and the best thing is that no one realised till I pointed it out. This has literally been the best concealer that I have ever purchased and its perfect for all types of skin combinations.

2. Maybelline Baby Skin- Lightweight Primer:

Being someone with dry skin, it's really hard to find a face primer that doesn't dry up on my face. I've tried a few Primers and have noticed some of their textures are oily and too greasy, but this one did the job for me. It also erased my pores, made my skin look super smooth and also my skin was glowing after putting my foundation on. But the texture is weird, I can't describe it, its just really weird. My foundation also glided onto my skin perfectly without making my foundation look too dry and cakey. And the best thing about it, it's only £7.

3. Too Faced Chocolate Bar:

Can we just discuss how amazing these eye shadows smell incredible like pure chocolate I just want to eat it. The colours are a mixture between matte and shimmery, the shimmery colours are neutral so it's not shimmery colourful. which is good because I love neutral colours. But can I just say how much I love Hazelnut and Creme Brulee, my favourite colours in the palette. The amount of neutral looks you can create with these shadows are endless and you can also give your look a little bit of a glamorous look with the shimmery shades.

4. Freedom Eyebrow Pomade Chocolate:

Guys if you're looking for a dupe for the Anastasia Pomade this is the prefect dupe. The texture is creamy and not dry, after wearing it after a long day it doesn't smear. Also it's available in so a lot of colours therefore there is one for everyone. After having it for an entire month it hasn't dried out and the texture feels like it did when I first got it. I don't know how it'll work on oily or combination skin type but for me it was just amazing.

5. Nivea Facial Wash Gel, Nivea Gentle Exfoliating Scrub and Nivea Sensitive Cream: 

I think I've become a little obsessed with Nivea products, I didn't think anything could outdo my Simple face washes and scrubs, and it pains me to say this but I've found a replacement. These Nivea face wash/scrub is just amaze, I use the face wash in the morning. It literally makes my skin feel refreshed and hydrated. I use the Scrub at night after a long day, and it just digs deep and when I say you can feel it digging because it does burn a little. I have never felt my face so smooth and clean I recommend it to everyone. The face cream is my favourite since it has SPF15 and you know we all need a little protection from the sun. Well not that it's a problem here in the UK.
6. The Body Shop Face brush:

This face brush is so soft and really exfoliates your face, it's pretty amazing to see what a little brush can do. The bristles are so soft and moves easily around your face. This has been an absolute life saver for me as it opens up by clogged pores and it has actually helped with the occasional spots I get on my face.  

January Hell Narhhh: 

1. Revlon Colorstay Concealer:

To be honest I don't even remember getting this concealer but I think it was the start of the month. Omg what a waste I don't even remember how much it was, but no matter what you set it with, it creases. And because I have dry skin this concealer is not creamy enough therefore dried out my face even more. This obviously resulted to my skin becoming ashy and it was just awful, also the concealer just soaked up all my setting powder and my skin looked even drier. 


2. Collection Lasting Colour lipstick- Red carpet and Aubergine kiss:

These colours looked so good and looked creamy and pigmented. But boy was I wrong, when I put it on my lips the Red Carpet one especially. It was so dry, not matte, but just super dry. No matter how much lip balm you put under it, it is just super dry and the texture is also dry and hard to put on the lips. The Aubergine Kiss was a little creamer but the problem with that was it kept leaving a white ring around my lips and also it smeared everywhere. I had to constantly reapply it and the colour comes out really darker than it looks.

Worth the hype?- Carli Palette

As you can all imagine I was super excited when I first received an email from Bhcomestics that it was my turn to get my Carli palette, which at that point I had given up on since I was waiting for it for so long. Being a big fan of Carli I wanted an inexpensive palette and when she came out with her own I was ecstatic.

So after ordering my palette, the shipping was such a long wait and also it costed £9 to get it shipped to the UK I know expensive right? since the palette was roughly £7. But this didn't stop me, I woke up everyday frantically tracking my palette and everyday it would be in LA to the point that it became very frustrating. After waiting about 10 days or so my palette had arrived, I was so excited that the moment I came home I dropped everything and literally ran to it.

My first impressions of the packaging was 'woah' looked amazing since I hadn't seen anything like it, it was white and looked so sophisticated. I didn't use the palette till about Saturday when I was attending a wedding and was excited to try it out since it was spoken about so much. When Saturday rolled around I got my palette out and started using the Plum colour on my crease the first thing I had noticed was none of the colours had names on them but I wasn't too bothered to be honest. After using this I went for the gold/brown shimmery colour okay it pains me to say this but I honestly regretted using that colour, the fall out was so bad that it went everywhere, on the palette and my face. As I went along I noticed this happened with a lot of the shimmery colours, anyways I was able to deal with this after I put a little Fixplus on my brush as the colours actually stayed. Guys the first row of colours as so pigmented, however the shimmery colours are not so pigmented and you notice this throughout but if you use a little Fixplus you're good to go.

After the shadows I moved on to the highlighters and they were amazing guys I can't even describe it. When I say a little goes a long way, my highlight was literally on 'fleek' the whole night, I was admiring it throughout the night. Especially the gold one guys its to die for, I've never owned highlighters except the Sleek ones and what a difference these highlighters made. Also the thing I love about these highlighters are that they are versatile, you can use it on every skin shade, being someone who struggles to find some for my shade and when I do they look ashy but this was perfect. And for the price of the palette the 4 highlighters were just perfect I would even go to say I would of paid the same price for just the highlighters or even more because they're that good.
                     

Even though I had a little problem with the pigmentation of the shadows I didn't expect high end to be honest since the price was so low. But the colours are so beautiful just a little dry but you can work around that. Plus the packaging doesn't look tacky and it's super easy to clean. I think Carli has done so well on this palette even though there are some improvements to be made, it's so awesome that her first palette turned out so good. So the big question is; Is it worth the hype?! Absolutely I would recommend this to anyone looking for decent shadows and amazing highlighters at a reasonable price. Just a little side note, the shadows seem like a dupe of the Naked 3 palette so if that isn't in your price range I'll definitely say stick to Carli's palette. 

3 Hacks to Clear Skin.

Want 3 extremely easy beauty tips that will cost you nothing?


1.water:

Okay so you might have heard this one repeated over and over again but trust me I felt the same. I started drinking 2 litres of water without even realising but after a week or so I started to notice my skin had developed this natural, healthy glow. Also for those of you who tend to break out a lot this will do wonders for your skin. I'm not saying after drinking water your skin will start to clear up in no time but your skin will certainly feel and look healthier, so replace those fizzy drinks with water and you'll be a step closer. 

2.Facials/scrubs:

Listen up, this one is for those of you who wash your face with just water or for those or you who find it difficult to find organic scrubs that work. I've struggled with finding scrubs that don't make me break out for so long, but recently I have been experimenting with creating scrubs and facial washes by using ingredients that are probably sitting in your cupboards right now. Do your research, search your main troubling areas! For example I struggle with occasional breakouts and have found that using my Lemon Honey scrub that I have already blogged about works for my skin. Experiment find what works best for you don't get me wrong there are a lot of amazing scrubs out there that I have yet to discover so till I do I'll be trying everything.

3.Eat Healthy:


So I'm not saying go to your fridge and bin your favourite ice-cream before you guys come at me with pitchforks. But seriously for those of you that might have 1 piece of veggie which is probably in your burger you'll need to start altering your diet. I've noticed me personally since I've stopped chucking down 3 bars of chocolate a day and changing it to 3 pieces of fruit a day. I can truly say I am not breaking out as much and my skin looks so much healthier, don't take my word for it? Try this for a week and you'll notice the difference,but this doesn't mean you can have 3 burgers and 3 pieces of fruits nooo you need to cut the junk out. I know it's hard but ladies clear skin or burger? the decisions tough I know. 

Total coverage

When it comes to concealers and correctors I often look for ones that work well with mild dry skin since I suffer from this. But lately its become difficult to find concealers that provide full coverage without fading away after a couple of hours. However since I was looking for an affordable brand that could cover those highly dreaded black circles, this is when the difficult task began.

I casually watched some tutorials to see the most used affordable concealers/correctors and there was one that was recurring and majority of users used it for contouring. L.A. Girl. Pro.conceal, I did some research and I realised that they had 18 shades including two correctors an orange one and a green one. However not knowing my shade I didn't want to order online. So when I came across it at my favourite store (Beauty Base), I was so happy that I literally got it straight away without hesitation.

I got both the orange corrector and concealer, it took a while to try find my shade but when I did I was satisfied. When I tried on the corrector at first I was unsure but I realised I needed to blend it properly so I grabbed my Real Techniques Beauty Blender, and as I continued to blend all the areas that had troubled me especially with my dark circles began to disappear. After this I started applying my concealer and I got a shade exactly the same as my skin shade as I was not planning to use the concealer as a highlighter. When I applied the concealer onto my eyes as an eyeshadow primer, my eyelids became crease free and the concealer helped my eyeshadow stay on for a long time. The concealer covered up my 'problem areas' and it made my skin glow making it look as though I had applied foundation.

Also the concealers are available in stick form which is a little drier than the liquid form, therefore the stick form is excellent for those with oily skin. But I have not tried it personally therefore cannot comment in its effectiveness. I recommend anyone who has struggle to find an affordable concealer/corrector to try this product as I was truly amazed and it is a multi-purpose product as you can also use it for contouring, What I love about these products are that they are very affordable as they are only £4.99.

Hit or Miss

A couple of weeks ago I got my first contour powder set since I use the liquid technique majority of the times. But I thought it would be a little lighter and look more polished if I put a little powder on top. I was just roaming around Superdrug when I saw a Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour kit. This kit looked very simple as there were only two steps, the Contour section and the Highlighter and the price was quite generous as it was only £6.99.

There were two shades available, the Light/medium or the Medium/dark, they looked very similar to me but I got the darker shade. I was very optimistic about my choice and thought it would be a good alternative since it was lighter. I tried the contour on, and keep in mind that this set is not for deep contouring but can be used lightly for a simple look. I knew this from the get go so there were no surprises there.

At first I was a bit sceptical about getting it because the highlighter looked a little on the ivory side and I wanted it a little lighter. But I didn't really hesitate and thought I would just give it a go. When I tried on the palette I was shocked and speechless, and not in a very good way. When I applied the Contour it wasn't brown and looked almost grey, at first I thought it was my technique and grabbed a different brush since I was using the brush that was in the set.

I started to notice that the more I applied the more visible the grey became, I was a little confused because the colour looked brown in the palette but as soon as it hit my skin it became grey. After a few more tries I got frustrated as it became even more grey, however I still wanted to try on the highlighter as it looked nice and shimmery. I applied the highlighter onto the areas that I would usually highlight and it shimmered like I expected it to, but the product wasted so much in the palette as soon as I would try get some on my brush there was powder everywhere.

Being someone who usually loves easy to use products that do not require a lot of different products I was very disappointed and have not used the product every since and it has just been sitting at the bottom of my makeup bag . This product is defiantly a Miss as it does not live up to its expectations and for me personally the product wastes so much when applying to the brush.  For now I will stick to using my concealers and foundations till I find a better set.

Makeup Wish List.

This post is a little different to my usual product reviews and is way overdue. I know everyone has their own wish list and mine seems to never end since I'm always adding products to it. But being a student and working part-time it is difficult for me to get every product that I want, that's why I try to save up and go for a spree.


Firstly I've wanted this product for sometime now and have watched tons of tutorials on Youtube and some of my favourite Vloggers have this, I'm sure everyone has heard of it and will get my need to having it. It's the Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Series Contour Kit which is £39.00. I know majority of people use the cream kit, but personally I prefer powder because its lighter and does not need a lot of application. Also I usually use like 5 different products to get a perfect contour and it'll be 10x easier to just be able to use one palette.

Next on the list is a palette I haven't seen many Youtubers use but it's the Mac Eye Shadow x15 Warm Neutral which is £65.00. Every time I see this set I think I get a little tear in my eye, because these colours are just to die for. I love the combination of both shimmery and nude colours. I was instantly attached to this set when I first saw it in Mac, this is because majority of the neutral palettes I personally have come across just consist of the boring old brown colours.

After finally finding my shade, I want this product because I have dark circles around my eyes and have seen many people using this and it gave them full coverage. Its the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer which is currently £22.00. The current concealer I use is by L.A. Colours and it is their stick form concealer, it does work pretty well but after a few hours I see my black undereyes forming again. Like surprise I'm back miss me? , so I need a product that gives them full coverage and would love to get my hands on the Nars concealer especially because its creamy and liquids tend to give me full coverage.

Recently I visited Mac and found my ultimate favourite shade of nude lipstick, which is the Mac Velvet Teddy lipstick  and it  is £15.50. I had to literally drag myself away from it when I went to the store, since I was on a makeup ban and had to start saving. So back to the lipstick, I have never found a liptick where you can apply a little on and it makes a huge difference, when I was testing it out I used my finger and just tapped a little on there. But it seemed like I was wearing like 2 layers.

Anyways I could go on and on for days about my makeup wishlist but I'll just leave it here with my top 4 products. Hopefully I will be doing reviews on these products soon and see if they were everything I thought they would be and would love so reviews from my readers about your experiences with these products.

Perfect Lips.

For me personally it is always so hard to find a perfect lip colour for my skin complexion, especially in lighter shades. So I tend to wear the same old nude lip colour. Getting tired of this I set myself a challenge of trying new colours which were out of my comfort zone. I slowly tried different shades of reds to find my perfect match, but this proved a challenge since the ones I picked out were either too light or too dark.

I wasn't going to give up so easily, being a sucker for lip liners it was way easier to find lip liners that were perfect for me than finding actual lipsticks. This is when I discovered the power of mixing lip colours to achieve one I liked. I started casually mixing bright red lipstick with eyeliner pencil just to see my perfect colour. When I became satisfied with the colour I began to search for the same shade, which at first was nearly impossible.

Whilst searching around on the web looking for the colour I wanted, I came across a lipstick on Barry M called 'Genie lipstick', which was matte therefore it was exactly what I was looking for. Not knowing much about the product I decided to read information on it before buying it. I found out the Genie lipstick is able to change into a pink colour best for your shade, I was skeptical about this at first but thought I should give it a try. I ordered it and it came about 2 days later, I was very excited when it came.

When I first applied it to my lips I wasn't a big fan of the colour, but I waited for about 30 more seconds and the shade it turned into was amazing. I had never found a more perfect lipstick for my lips, and even though I thought the lipstick would be smaller in size, when it came it was bigger than I thought it would be. But because of the shade of my lips it wasn't bright pink but it was a pink that was close to red, also it wasn't matte but it wasn't glossy either so it was in between the two. What I really love about this lipstick is it lasts for a very long and does not easily come off which is excellent for me because I hate it when I have to keep reapplying my lipstick. I strongly recommend this to all my readers because it adapts to your lips and everyone is left with a different shade. It is also only £4.49 therefore you won't be spending a ridiculous amount of money to achieve your perfect lip shade.
  

Homemade facial

I know how easy it is to get lost in time and enter a vicious cycle of putting makeup on and wiping it off and not taking care of our skin as we go along . It's important we all set time aside weekly to just relax and take care of our skin. Well I try to keep this going every week and it’s very difficult now since we’ve all got busy schedules, but we should all treat ourselves to a weekly facial. This doesn’t mean we have to go out and spend £50-£70 on a facial but it can be done from the comfort of your own home.

I have been doing this facial mask for a couple of months now and it really gives my skin the opportunity to breathe. I have noticed a massive change in my skin since I’m prone to getting outbreaks, but since using this facial I’ve realised my skin is becoming clearer and softer. Also as this facial only consists of natural ingredients, it is perfect for all my fellow girls with sensitive skin. From my first time using the facial mask I’ve noticed dark circles around my eyes are becoming a little lighter, not a massive change but it still feels good to see a difference.

The face mask consists of fresh lemon, organic honey (does not have to be organic), sugar, hint of olive oil and natural yogurt. The natural yogurt is not essential but I’ve started to recently add it and have noticed it helps my skin glow. You will need 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon and 1 tbsp of natural yogurt. Also to sit back and relax you’ll need 2 slices of cucumber, you can keep this facial on for as long as you want, but I recommend no less than 10 minutes and no more than 30 minutes as it tends to become sticky. 

After you get hold of all your ingredients, mix them altogether and make sure all of the ingredients are mixed well before applying it to your face. Make sure the mixture is not too runny or too thick it must be just in between. The colour isn't very appealing but it will do wonders for you, do not scrub the mask harshly on to your face, take your time and do it slowly and softly. This is your chance to sit back and relax, forget about all your problems/worriers and enjoy your free time. When washing off the scrub use warm water or a soaked towel, wash off the scrub gently and make sure you wash all of the scrub off. If you would like to use the scrub for your neck just double the ingredients. I have seen many people make a batch of this, but do not do this since the ingredients will not be fresh, just make 1 batch each time.

You can alter the ingredients since all of our skins are different and you might be sensitive to one of these ingredients. I love making my own facial masks and cleansers at home so would love to hear more natural cleansers from you all. Especially since I’m now struggling with blackheads and looking for natural remedies or facial scrubs I can find. 

The Simple Life

Being someone who loves facial cleansers I have tried almost all that I could get my hands on. I've even tried natural facials which have worked wonders and I will be sharing those in another blog post. But I know how much of a pain it can be making them everyday, so I went on a hunt for cleansers that I could use both in the morning and at night.

That is when I came across Neutrogena.... I started using it both as a face mask and facial cleanser. Not knowing that I had sensitive skin, I used it as a face mask. I piled it on, but as I left it on for about 2 minutes it started to burn and my skin started to get irritated. I was confused on why this was happening, and after using it one more time my skin started to break out and I got a rash thankfully after a few days it cleared up.

The next day, I went to Boots straightaway and started hunting for a facial cleanser, I felt horrible going out since I only used water to wash my face and not a cleanser. As I was frantically searching for one, I saw a facial cleanser sitting on the top shelf that was on sale 'Simple'. It was a product for sensitive skin, at this point I didn't know I had sensitive skin but this product looked a bit different. To me it looked very natural and I could see through the packaging and it looked clear. Since it was only £2.99 I got it. I didn't get the rest of the products from the same shelf even though they were from the same company because I didn't want to spend a lot since I was expecting the worse.

But I was so wrong the Simple Facial Wash Gel was amazing, as soon as I put it on my face, it felt cleaner and clearer. Also the product was clear so I could tell it didn't contain as much chemicals as my previous products. My skin didn't get irritated and it didn't burn my face, I was so happy finally my skin was clear as I wanted it to be. I was so happy with it and started to get more Simple products, I have recently tried on their Moisturising Face Wash which was £3.99, when applying, it feels like facial cream but its very light and easy to wash. Since using Simple facial cleansers it has cleared all my breakouts and has made my skin, clearer and softer.

                                  

Recently, whilst shopping I saw Simple now had eye products, I was so happy when I saw it since I suffer from dark circles and tired eyes. I got the Simple Revitalising Eye Roll-on for £5.99, I apply it around my eyes, on my eye lids and under my eyes especially on my eye bags. This has been a life saver to me since my eyes are puffy after waking up, but since using the Roll-on it has reduced puffiness and makes my eyes look very refreshed. However this is not an eye moisturiser, I simply use it to refresh my eyes. Also I got the Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make-up Remover for £2.99 this does not only remove make-up, it makes your eyes look as though they are glowing rather than just dull after removing your make up. I drip some on a cotton wool and wipe it gently around my eyes and it also removes waterproof eye make-up. Since finding Simple I have not looked at other facial cleansers and have been really happy with the results Simple has given me, but I am not restricting myself and will soon be hunting for cleaners I can use for my nightly routine. Honestly it has worked wonders for me and I'm not a representative for Simple or anything just a person who is in love with facial cleansers.

Battle Of The Eyeliners !

I know how hard it is to try do your top liner and how difficult it becomes when you do one winged liner perfect but then the other eye just becomes a pain in the backside. So I would go on beauty shopping sprees where I would only buy liquid liners, go home and try it on, then get frustrated when the liner was too light or watery. This occurred a few times before I realised after some time that it wasn't really the fault of the eyeliners but my technique.

Well as you can imagine I watched tons of tutorials on YouTube and every one I watched recommended a different type of eyeliner. So I would get one each time till I got one of each, for example Gel Liner, Liquid Liner and Eyeliner marker. I started to use one for a whole week before moving on to the next one just to see how it was before making my mind up. Also going to Superdrug was amazing since they had each one I wanted for less than £10.

The first one I tried was the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner which was £7.99, in the packet you will find the Gel liner which is in a small pot, at first I thought did I just spend £7.99 for it to finish in a week. But it didn't and about a month later I still have it. Also in the packet there is a Maybelline eyeliner brush which was a life saver since I didn't want to buy a separate brush. I tried it on and it was really easy to use since it wasn't watery and the brush was really helpful as it made it easier to do my winged liner. But the only thing that put me off was that the black wasn't black it was a bit light and also the liner would fade easily.

After trying that for a week I moved on to the second liner which was Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liner and it was £5.99. This was the eyeliner marker so it is in a form of a pen. Which I was happy about since I thought it would be the easiest thing to use but boy was I wrong. For me personally it was really hard to use since the liner would smudge easily and the liner didn't move freely around my eyelids, but I must admit it looked really nice after fully applying it. It just annoyed me in how much effort it took for it to dry as it didn't dry as quickly as other liners causing it to smudge majority of the times.

The final liner I got was recommend to me by my best friend, who I would annoyingly ask how she got her liquid liner so perfect every time I saw her. So after sometime of asking she showed me the liner she used which was Collection Fast Stroke Eye Liner. Wait for it.....the amazing part was it was only £2.99 and after buying all those other liners it was an exciting moment for me. Since the price wasn't so high I didn't set the standards so high, but it instantly proved me wrong. The brush was firmer than the usual ones I got since it didn't move around my eyelids and it was easy to create solid lines. Also the liquid was watery so I imagined it would take some time to dry, but in fact it dried almost straight after I applied it. Since I was obsessed with my liner being black and not jut washed out black, this was perfect as it took only one appliance for it to become jet black. This became my favourite liner and till this day I use it. And I would recommend this to other users who struggle with winged liner like me, especially beginners who are struggling with getting their liners symmetrical as the brush helps create solid lines.

But I didn't want my Maybelline Gel Liner to go to waste so I found a solution to use both liners. As I only had one issue with the Maybelline Gel liner, which was that it wasn't dark enough. I have since used it for creating a base for my winged liner, but go over it with my Collection Liner to make it dark enough that it didn't look washed out.

  (The prices listed are in Pounds therefore may differ for viewers in different countries)

Beauty&Budgets

As a university student I know the pain of having to stay under a certain budget. But just cause I have to stay within a budget doesn't mean I can't treat myself. So a couple weeks ago I went on a hunt for mascara, everyone who has short eyelashes will feel my pain when I say they're a nightmare. It takes about at least 5 coats for my eyelashes to become slightly visible. So as I was strolling between aisles in Superdrug frantically searching, when I found one within my price range.
Collection Big Fake Curves Mascara.

The price wasn't too bad £5, which was a bit of a breather since I was trying to stay under a certain amount. As soon as I went home I tried it and I was impressed almost straight away. As I applied it to my lashes, they instantly became visible, I applied 3 more coats and that was it, I didn't need anymore as my lashes looked fuller and longer without clumps. Also due to the way the brush is designed it spaces each eyelash out evenly and it's really easy to apply to bottom lashes. Since buying this mascara I haven't used any of my other ones, plus I brought another one since then because it was half price :)))). I would highly recommend this to anyone with short eyelashes, cause trust me when I say I know how hard they can be to work with. I am not a fan of false lashes, as they irritate my eyes, mascara is really important to me, so I am thrilled that I've found this one. If I find a better one I will update you guys after using the product for one week.