New Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Palette

L - R: White Chocolate, Buttercream, Biscuit, Chocolate Milk, Brown Sugar, Espresso

Hello my lovelies a new product for you all. I have recently become obsessed with eye shadow palettes, one that is starting to have a negative effect on my bank account. I have read a lot of blog posts raving about the new Collection Eyes Uncovered palettes. There are three nude palettes in total: Nude (warm tone), grey (cool tone) and a shimmery bronze. I picked up the nude palette which has strong similarities to the Naked Basics palette and the grey one reminds me of the Naked 2 Basics palette whether they are based on them or not I don't know but the packaging and six shades are very similar. After seeing a lot of beauty bloggers raving about the new palettes I thought it would be rude not to try at least one but I won't lie I do also have my eye on the bronze one although as it has a strong shimmer to it I feel as if that one would be more suited to an evening eye make-up look. So i thought I would test this one out first and see how we go. This is the perfect handbag size eye shadow palette for on the go touch ups. It features six semi-matte shades each with a hint of shimmer yet they are mainly matte. Collection is a hughstreet brand that seems to keep popping up recently. For years I never paid much attention to it as I looked at it as being a very cheap brand so I always thought the products wouldn't be any good. Let me tell you, that was a big mistake. Other products to check out would be the ever so famous Lasting Perfection Concealer which I now couldn't live without and I have also seen their new spring collection lipsticks feature on a couple of beauty bloggers blogs and I definitely have my eye on one, two or possibly three shades. The fact that they are such good value is a good thing as they are very affordable yet their products are of a good quality. So when looking for some good deals on high street make-up you should definitely check out Collection.

I love the fact that Collection have named each individual shade similar to what more high end brands. I know this shouldn't really matter but the personal touches count and it's easy to then buy individual shades when you know what they're called. Another thing I love about the names of those shadows is the fact they are all sugar related. I have a rapidly increasing sweet tooth and I love baking so the fact these are chocolate related makes me very happy indeed, not that, that should be important when it comes to eyeshadow but it's the little touches that count.

White Chocolate - This is the perfect highlighting shade for the inner corner of your eye and under the brow bone to help emphasise and brighten your eyes. White chocolate is my favourite type of chocolate so whats not to love about this shade. It is a gorgeous warm tone honey brown shade that is essential in any eye shadow palette. I have a similar individual shade from The Body Shop in Oh Honey if you are looking for a duplicate.

Buttercream - This is one of my favourite shades in the palette simply as it has pink undertones to it. I personally love pink and rose gold eyeshadows as I find they emphasise my eyes as they contrast my green eyes making them appear brighter. I recon that this would make a nice base shade to apply all over the lid to brighten and cover up any eye veins which we all have but don't really want to see.

Biscuit - This is slightly warmer then Buttercream and more similar to White Chocolate. as it has a more golden yellow tone to it. Again similar to Buttercream this would make a good shade to apply all over as a base focussing towards the inner corner of the eye for brightness.

Chocolate Milk - This is another favourite shade in the palette for me. This looks really nice with Buttercream as they both have rosy undertones. As this is a darker brown shade I like to apply this one to the outer corner of the eyes to contour with.

Brown Sugar - This is similar to Chocolate Milk although I would say that it's a brown with grey undertones so slightly cooler perhaps. Again this is a great shade for using to contour with by defining the outer corner of the eye.

Espresso - Is the darkest shade in the palette. It is a really dark brown shade verging on black but not quite which I personally prefer as I think dark brown is easier to wear as I'm always slightly cautious of using black eyeshadow to contour with as a little goes a long way. Depending on the look you are going for, if you wanted a more dramatic look this would look good focussing right in the outer corner to really emphasise your eyes. This shade appears to be the only matte which I think is a good thing when it comes to darker shades.

I love this eye shadow palette and I am definitely tempted to pick up another one, especially seeing as they are such good value being priced at only £3.99 each - bargain! These would also be great if you have your eye on the Naked Basics palettes but you can't quite afford them as they are more pricy and you could get yourself the same amount of similar shades whilst saving yourself £20 odd pounds. The only thing that I don't like about the palette is the cardboard packaging as I have found previously with other products that the cardboard rips and tares after many uses leaving the product awkward to store and carry around with you. Although if the packaging is the only issue then the product can't be all the bad and it is only a minor thing which I am prepared to compromise and live with.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post my lovelies. Let me know in the comments if you have tried these new eye shadow palettes and what you thought of them.

My Everyday Spring Make-Up Routine 2015

Good morning my lovelies, how are you all? I am so excited to write this post for you as they are my favourite types of blog posts to write. It only seems like yesterday that I posted a blog post on my Everyday Winter routine I can't get over how quickly the year is going I wish time would slow down. Spring and Summer are 100% my favourite times of the year. I am definitely someone whose mood is affected by the weather and the transition from Winter to Spring really shows me how much it affects me. I just love Spring as you have the warmer days, sunny weather, flowers start to blossom, actual blossom, lambs and carves are born and I also love the smells you get such as freshly cut grass it is my favourite scent. I always find this time of year to go the quickest which is so frustrating as I wish I had more time to appreciate it and enjoy it more. Anyway, enough waffling and back to make-up. 

Baby Skin Primer By Maybelline

This product had featured in many a blog post on here so one more can't harm it. After moisturising and cleaning my face the first step is to prime your face. Primers help to fill in your pores allowing make-up to apply smoothly to your face giving you more of a natural air brush finish to your foundation. The baby skin primer has a slightly oily texture and having oily skin I thought it would disagree with me and leave me looking really sweaty but I find it has the opposite effect as it leaves my foundation in place for longer and I tend to look less oily. I'm sure I've read somewhere before that a good way to reduce oiliness is to counteract it by applying oily products. 

Dream Matte Mouse Foundation By Maybelline

Oh what a surprise to see this one again. Since starting my blog I have now written three make-up routine blog posts and this one has featured in every single one and I'm sure that it will continue to feature in many more. It is a matte foundation that I apply with my fingers. The good thing about this foundation is that you can easily build it up to achieve the coverage you would like. Like I mentioned previously I have oily skin so I only wear matte foundations otherwise I end up looking as if I've spent the entire day at the gym and really sweaty even with a tonne of powder. It's a shame really as I like the dewy finish more sheer and liquid foundations give so I'm always jealous of people who don't have the same problem. I use the shade 21 Nude. 

Lasting Perfection Concealer By Collection

This is a cult classic amongst the beauty blogger world. This is the perfect concealer and I don;t ever bother to look at others as the old saying goes 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. It is a creamy high coverage concealer that is really good for covering up redness, spots and dark circles. I tend to apply it and blend it in using my ring finger. It provides good coverage and it lasts a long time. I tend to use the shade cool medium in number 2. It is also really affordable which is an added bonus and I wouldn't be without this concealer it is just an essential. 

Stay Matte Powder By Rimmel

Although I use a matte foundation I am still paranoid about looking oily so I will always set my foundation in place using this powder. I am currently using the shade 3 peachy glow but depending on my skin tone throughout the year I tend to alternate between different shades but I will always stick to this formula. Similar to the concealer for many years now this has been a firm favourite amongst the blogging world and it just does the job. I don't really need to touch up my powder throughout the day unless it's a particularly hot day then I might need to but one application seems to do the trick and lats the day. I just apply a small amount using a Real Techniques powder brush all over my face. 

Glam Bronze Bronzer By L'Oreal 

I love this bronzer it is the perfect shade for my skin tonne and complexion. It is a matte bronzer with a tiny hint of shimmer yet it still appears matte on the face. I just find it really easy to apply and blend to give a natural glow to my face and help to define my cheek bones as I'm always conscious I have slightly chubby cheeks. Using a bronzing brush from The Body Shop I apply this under my cheekbones, under my chin and lightly across my forehead to give some natural looking warmth to my face. 

Rockateur Blusher By Benefit

I think this may have to be my favourite blusher - what a bold statement I know. It is a gorgeous rose gold blusher with warm tonnes to it. It has a hint of shimmer to it yet this isn't noticeable on the cheeks. I find it gives a natural warm glow to my face without looking overly pink. It just looks very natural and I think blusher is essential for Spring where as I see bronzer to play a more key role in summer. I just use a blusher brush from The Body Shop and gently apply a small amount over the apples of my cheeks. 

High Beam Highlighter By Benefit

Over Christmas I was lucky enough to receive the Rockitude palette by Benefit. I love the mini palettes they do as it gives you the opportunity to try different products in mini form so you can test them and if they work well you could then go on to purchase a full size product after testing it first. This is a liquid highlighter with a pearly shade to it yet it has a more golden tonne to it and less pink compared to the Girl Meets Pearl highlighter from Benefit. It apply this by dotting three dots above my cheekbones and again blend it out using my ring finger. I find this highlighter provides a natural warm glow to my face without looking overly shimmery. It just emphasises where the light would naturally fall on your cheekbones. Highlighters are usually something that I struggle with but I would highly recommend the Benefit highlighters. My two favourites would have to be Watts Up and High Beam and I will 100% be purchasing a full size version once this one runs out. 

I use an eye brush comb to brush out any powder in my eyebrows. I find it helps to emphasise them and shape them for the day but as I have dark hair for an everyday look I don't bother to fill them in. If it was an evening look when I have more time and I want a fuller make-up appearance then I would but for an everyday look I tend not to.

24 Hour Cream Eyeshadow By Bourjois
I am still loving my cream eyeshadows and no matter what the season is, they still feature in my everyday make-up routine. Everyday for weeks and weeks now I have been using this beautiful shimmery iridescent pale pink shade by Bourjous in the shade Petale De Glace. I would say the Bourjois cream eyeshadows are more powdery compared to the Maybelline versions and I am planning on writing a blog post comparing the two. Again using my ring finger I apply one coat over each eyelid as a base and then another coat focussing on the inner corner of my eye to act as a highlighter and brightener. I love wearing rosy tone eyeshadows as I feel that they compliment and emphasise my green eyes.

Naked 2 Basics Palette By Urban Decay
I have loved using this eyeshadow palette recently. It is composed of six cool tonne shades. I use the shade skimp as a highlighter under my brow bone to brighten and lift it. My other two favourite shades at the moment would have to be cover and primal which are both matte so more subtle for an everyday look where as skimp is the only shade with a hint of shimmer so I use it for highlighting. I apply a couple of coats of cover to the outer corner of my eyes and blend it out to add some definition and naturally emphasise my eyes. I then apply a small amount of primal which is slightly darker to the socket of the outer corner of my eye just to emphasise the contouring effect. I then blend all three shades to give a natural finish using an eyeshadow countering brush from The Body Shop. I love the combination of the pink and the brown and I think it's perfect for an everyday Spring time look. I also take cover under my lower lash line softly just under the outer corner.

Brown Kohl Eyeliner By Barry M
At the start of this year I was converted to brown eyeliner and I don't think I've worn black eyeliner since. I find brown eyeliner actually looks more natural then black and I think in Spring as I tend to go for more blusher I don't really go for a heavy eye make-up look. I find brown eyeliner emphasises the eyes without being noticeable. I only apply this along my water line as I struggle applying eyeliner on top of my eye lids, I'll be honest with you I've just given up really as it never looks right and it takes a lot of effort. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who can't use a liquid eyeliner.

Showgirl Extra Volume Mascara By Barry M 
I picked this up as a freebie at the end of last year and it is still going strong. I'm someone who doesn't use multiple mascaras at one time as it takes me ages to finish them and in the process I find they all start to dry out and I don't fancy smearing bacteria over my eyes. This is a hearty size mascara and you definitely get your money's worth as this has lasted me for six months now and I recon it's now only starting to run out so not bad for a freebie really. This is a really good everyday mascara that does everything. It lengths, defines and increases the volume to your lashes. It's just a genuinely good mascara that I wouldn't be without.

Peach On The Beach Lipstick By Bourjois
This is the last stage to my current make-up routine and let me just say that this has to be one of my favourite lipsticks. First of all, it has the cutest name. Second it is a gorgeous peachy pink shade that is perfect for Spring which is the season for peach. It looks natural and soft on the lips yet it gives you that added extra colour and shine to them that says hello spring. I wouldn't be without this lipstick it is a firm favourite and whenever the sun is out, so is this lipstick. I love lip crayon lipsticks I almost find them easier to apply and they're great handbag sizes for on the go touch ups. I had a major obsession last year where I had to restrain my self from buying more as I went just a little OTT.

I hope you all enjoyed this blog post my lovelies. I certainly enjoyed writing it like I said before make-up routine blog posts are my favourite ones to write and I wouldn't be without them. Let me know in the comments what your Spring make-up essentials are. See you very soon.

April Glossybox 2015

Afternoon my lovelies, two blog posts in less then a week - and in answer to your question, no it's not Christmas or a leap year I'm just feeling a blogging session at the moment maybe it's the sun that's brought this out, who knows. So a lovely little package popped through my door on Thursday and I thought it would only be fair to share it with you. It's the April Glossybox with a limited edition this month of the Iconic Hollywood Edition. I love the quote inside the box "One of the secrets of real beauty is simplicity" Rita Hayworth which I agree with to find inner beauty although if you enjoy enhancing your appearance and outer body with make-up as a hobby then I see no problem with that either. I believe that there were four optional boxes for this month and received the gorgeous pastel sky blue box which I think is so pretty and summery. The shade of blue would make a gorgeous nail polish shade. The box definitely has a different feel towards it this month. The products feel very luxurious and more to pamper yourself with compared to other months. I know I always say this but hold onto your hats kids, I recon this is my favourite box so far. My favourite products from last months box would probably have to be the Dove shampoo and conditioner along with the ncLA nail polish.

Lipstick Pencil By Lord & Berry

This gorgeous pillar box red in the shade Kiss is inspired by the iconic Marilyn Monroe classic bright red lip. I have had my eye on the Lord & Berry lipstick pencils for about a year now after seeing other beauty bloggers rave about them. This lipstick is incredibly creamy which makes application easier. The creaminess means although it is a matte finish it still feels moisturising on the lips. It's also the ideal item in your handbag being so small and dainty for on the go touch ups. It also makes a really satisfying noise when you pull the plastic lid off and don't lie here you will all agree with me on that one. Unsurprisingly I fell in love with this product and it just makes me want to pick more of these up to try which may be slightly unfortunate for my bank account. These are priced at £10 each so pretty reasonable to be honest for a high end lipstick. Since getting ombre put into my hair I am finding red lipstick easier to wear I don't know why I used to always think it suited brunettes more but for some reason I feel it looks softer and less 'out there' now and I just know red lipstick will be a statement colour for me this summer.

Face And Body Moisturiser By Astral

This seems like a pamper product to me. Astral was created in the 1950s and it was a favourite amongst many iconic Hollywood stars so it only seems fair that this moisturiser was included. I will put my hands up and admit I probably don't moisturise as much as I should do especially in the summer and winter months when my skin is the most dry so I'm hoping this will give me a kick up the backside and remind me to include it into my daily routine. As well as using this as a moisturiser, it can also be used to remove make-up so it's a two in one product for you. Seeing as this is only priced at £3.89 I think thats not bad myself so you definitely get your moneys worth. This is going to sit on my bed side table forcing me to use this in the morning and evening so hopefully I will be left with silky soft skin.

Kajal Eyeliner Pen By POP Beauty

This double ended eyeliner is designed to make Elizabeth Taylor's iconic winged cat eyeliner which is now a must have in everybody's every day make-up routine a lot easier to apply. So hands up - this is a product for me. I have always struggled with liquid eyeliner and winged eyeliner is just a no, no. How ever much practice I get or tutorials I watch I feel as if I am the only person who can't perfect that flick so I usually just stick to kohl pencil along the waterline and be done by it. This eyeliner is in the shade sooty black and it's not liquid or kohl, kajal is kind of in the middle it's a creamy pencil form that smudges. Great description there Ellie. Glossybox says to apply the eyeliner you should use the kajal end to trace the upper lash line with short strokes flicking the line up at the outer corners of the eye. If you wanted a smokey eye, you could use the sponge end to blend it out for a softer finish. Whether this will transform my opinion of cat winged eye liner or not who knows but I'm definitely keen to give this ago. You can pick one of these up if you're interested for £6.50 which is a pretty decent price I recon.

Body Lotion By IDC

Oh look another pamper product for you all in the form of a lavender scented body lotion. The smell of lavender always reminds me of hot sunny weather in Provence that just leaves me with a warm glowing feeling inside taking me back to memories of amazing summer holidays there. This product claims to be a luxury item and you could imagine it in the bathrooms of hollywood icons to use when they aren't working and performing when instead they could stay in and having a relaxing evening in. I'm going to save this for when the weather gets that little bit warmer and for when summer arrives. This item is priced at £3.59 which isn't bad for a luxury item.

Nail Polish By Color Club

My Glossybox wouldn't be complete without featuring a nail polish. I have become a little too obsessed with nude nail polish recently. I especially love it during the spring/summer months when I have a bit of a tan going as I find it emphasises my nails and the neutral colours look really feminine and sophisticated for a day time look without being too in your face. This polish is in the shade Barely There which is quite fitting really. It reminds me of the Barry M Gelly shade in Lychee which unsurprisingly I also own as you all know I have a nail polish addiction - along with candles, white chocolate and caramel. What a weird list. This is priced at £4.10 which is early good value and cheaper then a lot of well know high street make-up brands. The nude nail trend was believed to have boomed in the 1050s; probably as they had a bright red statement lip so a nude nail polish gave a more sophisticated look.

I hope that you all enjoyed reading this blog post my lovelies. Let me know in the comments what you got in your Hollywood box this month. I would also love to know if you have tried any of these products and what you thought of them. This has been far my favourite box and the one which has given me the most pleasure to blog about so far. I hope you have all had a lovely weekend enjoying the gorgeous weather.

A Naughty But Nice Beauty Highstreet Splurge

Good afternoon my lovelies. So recently I have experienced an incredibly naughty and slightly on the large side high street beauty haul/ This was 100% a spontaneous expense. Does anyone else do that they aim to go and get one thing and some how come away with like 20 items yet not that one thing that they needed to buy. I needed a toothbrush and did I buy one? No. Although I did manage to pick up a lot of other gems that I thought I would share with you all.

Superdrug Face Packs

I don't know about anyone else but for many years face packs have seemed to fizzle away and organic moisturisers, serums and gels have seem to have taken their place. Having said that I saw theses new face packs and turned into an excited child and grabbed one of each type before having a serious think and putting some back, I say some I mean one or two, possibly three max. I think the problem was that there was a three for two offer on the face packs and giving that they're such good value of 99p each it felt like I wasn't spending money. This is really bad I know as it soon mounts up. My Mum also picked up three as well so we must have looked dead keen staggering up with nine face packs. Another cause for this random splurge was the discovery of a couple of very old face packs in my skin care draw which I didn't want to risk using in the fear of waking up the next day and looking like a pepperoni pizza. Seeing as these were on a good offer I thought it would be rude not to at least try one or two, or maybe six. Although I think of face packs as being quite a 90s thing I have seen them start to crop up and snowball around the beauty blogging world so you never know they could be about to make a dramatic come back. There are loads of other masks to try but I had to try and restrain myself before I spent £30 on face masks which would have been very easy to do.

Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask - I always think that along with Aloe Vera, Cucumber is a classic ingredient in a face pack. Seeing as it's mainly water you feel that it's very natural, pure and gentle on the skin, it's a face pack classic. This pack claims to be ideal for sensitive skin as it is meant to be refreshing and soothing - just what you think of cucumber being when you eat it. Clay masks tend to go try and solid once on your face and are really satisfying to wash off, or is that just me?

White Chocolate Mouse Mask - I have an extremely strong love for white chocolate at the moment, along with caramel it's my new sweet obsession. So when I saw it in a face pack I thought I just had to buy it and which girl would say no to chocolate? This pack is meant to cleanse and nourish your skin. It contains cocoa and shea butter which are really moisturising and nourishing for your skin so this would be ideal for those of you with dry skin. I think this creamy mask will leave your skin feeling super soft afterwards.

Tropical Smoothie Self-Heating Mask - I have a strong love for fruit I could quite happily live off it. I just thought this one would smell amazing and I love the colour of it. I probably didn't need this one but it just looked fun. It contains apricot, pacha and mango oils so it will be full of fruity goodness.

Yoghurt Smoothie Mask - This mask would suit those of you with dry skin, something I don't suffer from luckily, well yet anyway but this one appealed to be because of the ingredients. Honey and yoghurt is my favourite thing to have for breakfast along with fruit and if it's good for your body, surely it's good for your skin. I'm sure theres logic there somewhere.

Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask - This one doesn't sound as exciting or even pleasant to smear across your skin but I picked this one up as it's designed for oily and blemished skin which is what my skin definitely is right now.

Superfruits Exfoliating Mask - This one is ideal for all skin types. I definitely didn't buy this one because it's purple and contains all my favourite fruits, maybe.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Daily Face Scrub

I'm not sure if this is going to sound disgusting or not but previously every morning I would wash my face with a flannel and water but I never used any kind of face soap or cleansing product, please don't judge me. Recently doing longer and extra hours at work has started to take it's toll on my skin which has resulted in me experiencing more outbreaks of spots which isn't pleasant for anyone. This daily face scrub is designed to help eliminate spots. I have used this everyday since purchasing this and it has been incorporated into my everyday skincare routine. The pink grapefruit scent is a new addition to the original but I love the taste and smell of pink grapefruit and this just leaves my skin feeling really refreshed in the mornings. I have since gone on to carry on experiencing spots and blemishes but I think that will happen until all the rubbish has been cleared from my skin but I am noticing a gradual improvement in my skin and I think a no make-up day today will do my skin the world of good. This only cost me £4.95 but I know that it will last me a long time as you only need a small amount so you will definitely get your moneys worth.

Superdrug Cotton Wool Oval Pads

This isn't an exciting purchase but I also picked these cotton wool pads up to remove the face wash. I find these are the perfect size for my face - not too big or too small. You get a decent amount in a pack, 50 which will keep you going. These cost me £1.89 and it was just a boring but necessary purchase to be honest.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Serum and Moisture Control 60 Second Treatment Shot Pack

Again these next two products aren't the most exciting of products but I just happened to be running low so whilst I saw them I thought I would grab them as for some reason when ever I go to get these they always seem to be sold out. Both are holy grail products as far as my hair care routine is concerned. I apply the serum after washing my hair and it's supposed to make your hair stronger and prevent breakage leading to split ends which is always a disadvantage that comes with straightening your hair. It is proved at £5.99 but I find that it will last me months and months and I wouldn't be without it. The treatment shots were a discovery from a glossy box. I use one a week so a box lasts me a month. You massage these into your hair after washing it with shampoo and like the name suggest you leave it in for 60 seconds and then wash it out. I'm not even joking my hair feels so nourished and glossy after using this I feel as if it rejuvenates my hair which lasts for days not just one day after washing your hair. A pack of four will cost you £5.49 but it is definitely worth it if like me you're always conscious of your hair feeling dry, dull and damaged.

Aussie No Rush Body Wash

I have always known Aussie has a hair product brand but recently they have brought out their own bath and shower products. They have brought out as far as I'm aware four different types and I picked up the one called no rush which is meant for a pamper sessions. I'm not even joking but it smells incredible! The scent is described as Jojoba seeds but to be honest all Aussie products remind me of fresh smelling sweets. I would describe this one as similar to parma violets and it's purple so whats not to love about it. The other three also smelt amazing so even if you don't buy any it's worth just giving these a sniff if you're ever in Superdrug. It was priced at £2.99 which isn't bad value either.

Clear Poly Hair Bands

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time you will all know that I am the least adventurous person when it comes to my hair. It's either down straight or shoved up for work. So recently I made a pack to myself to be more adventurous with my hair and I'm king to try new styles including incorporating plates. So I thought these would come in handy and I couldn't find any in my draws so I thought I would invest in some new ones rather then ones that have lost all their elastic. You get 50 in this pack so they should last a decent amount of time but like with hair grips and bands they always some how go missing. I picked these up for £2.09 - bit of a random price but we'll go with it.

Loreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation and Real Techniques Stippling Brush

For those of you who have followed my blog for a long time will no that I am incredibly stuck in my ways when it comes to foundation. Same old story I'm afraid - I have very oily and blemished skin so I look for a high coverage foundation yet most liquid including liquid matte foundations leave me looking oily and sweaty after five seconds. Even with a tonne of powder that just looks cakey and unnatural. My holy grail foundation is the Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse - what a classic. I had just given up trying new foundations to be honest but recently I have read some amazing blog posts raving about the new Loreal liquid matte foundation and for some strange reason I was feeling brave and I pushed the boat up and picked it up. I got this in the shade 10 Porcelain and wait for it - I actually love it! It feels so soft on the skin and it provides a high, natural looking coverage and it doesn't leave me looking cakey. I can't believe that I have discovered a new foundation I am actually dead chuffed with it. I haven't worn it for 24 hours so whether it lasts that long I don't know. I doubt it though I don't think that any of the foundations claiming to last 24 hours will actually last the time length to the same degree to what you started with. You can get one of these for £7.99 and I highly recommend that you check this out. I think I'm going to do a full blog post on this soon, it just deserves more credit.

I also picked up a new Real Techniques brush to apply the foundation with as my mouse foundation i just blend in with my finger but I think that liquid foundations look more natural buffed into your face  using a flat bottomed brush. By this I mean I don't like brushes which are called foundation brushes which look like paint brushes. I find them quite awkward to use as I find it difficult to blend the foundation naturally without looking streaky. I love Real Techniques brushes anyway they are really soft and they are of a good quality so you aren't left with hairs all over your face. They are a little on the pricy side compared to other high street make-up brushes but they are 100% worth the extra money. This one is also pink so whats not to love? I think this is the perfect shape for foundation as it's small and flat bottomed allowing you to buff the foundation to blend it naturally and you can get into creases as well. You can pick one of these brushes up for £10.99 and I would definitely suggest the whole of the Real Techniques collection as if you haven't discovered them before it will change your world in terms of applying make-up.


Strawberry Carmex

Another little random product for you all - a new lip balm. I use to have a little obsession with buying lip balms but who hasn't? Surely every teenage girl went through a stage where they brought way too many lip balms all of different flavours which would then sit there going mouldy and out of date as you didn't physically have time to use them all. I currently have two lip balms on the go and for me I think that's pretty modest. The other lip balm is another Carmex one which is in a pot and it's the cherry one which I am addicted to the scent of. Working in retail I'm often handling money and I don't like the idea of dipping your finger in the pot and then on your lips if you've been handling coins all days it's not very practical to go off and wash your hands every time you want to put lip balm on because you have dry lips. So I thought I'd invest in a Carmex tube - I love the word tube, and this one is in the strawberry scent which isn't to sickly so I was pleasantly surprised. It's just a handy lip balm to use on the go. I love the Carmex lip balms as they are really nourishing and they don't make your lips drier which some lip balms are designed to do with a special chemical - don't ask me which one, to make you use the lip balm more - fun fact for you. You can pick one of these up for £2.69. 

Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Pallet and Lasting Perfection Concealer 

Finally, I had a little splurge at the Collection counter. A few years ago I don't know why but I never really looked at Collection I just ignored it. I think I just thought because it was a cheaper brand the quality wasn't as good however, saying that I have discovered more and more amazing products from Collection and the fact that it's cheaper should be seen as a bonus and not a negative. Collection have recently brought out three Eyes Uncovered pallets all full of natural shades. I picked up one in Nude which has warm tonnes, there is also a bronze shimmery one which I am tempted to go back and pick up as I think it would be amazing for evening eye make-up and the third is a cool tonne grey pallet which reminds me of the Naked 2 Basis which I already own so I didn't pick that one up. I think I may do a separate blog post on this but to sum it up there are six neutral shades two matte and four which are mainly matte with a hint of shimmer. I also love the fact that each shade has an individual name and the fact that these are all chocolate and coffee related is just perfect for me it just makes me love it even more. This will be a perfect everyday pallet which is very natural and wearable but it will give your eyes that something extra. It is also the perfect handbag size for on the go touch ups. I will be honest I did dispose of the cheap sponge brush as I just struggle to use them but just looking at how cute it is means I can get over that quickly. These are priced at £3.99 which is pretty good if you ask me and I won't be surprised if I end up going back and picking up the bronze shades.

The last product that I picked up is a cult classic - it's the ever so famous Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 2 cool medium. This is my holy grail concealer and I could always do with more so I thought I would stock up. This is perfect for covering up dark circles under the eyes and it has extremely high coverage so its also good for covering up spots and blemishes too. This is priced at £4.19 and it has gone up in value over the years but it has just been a classic raved about by beauty bloggers ever since it came out and I recon it will continue to be until it's ever discontinued which it better not be. I honestly don't know what I would do without this bad boy in the morning. After using this concealer it restores faith in me that we can proceed with the day without looking like a spotty panda.

I hope you enjoyed this incredibly long blog post my lovelies. Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what you thought of them. I would also love to know what new discoveries you have recently picked up and have been loving. Enjoy your evening I hope you all have that Friday feeling. 

March Favourites 2015

Hello my lovelies and I can't quite believe that I'm saying this but welcome to April! I honestly can't believe how quickly March has gone, it has flown by but brought us to Spring which is something I am truly grateful for as it is one of my favourite seasons along with Summer. It's Easter weekend so some of you may be enjoying a nice long weekend, unfortunately I have to work Saturday to Tuesday so I thought I would treat myself to a nice blog post for my day off. Easter brings a lot of chocolate and naughty but nice indulgence food so I have a small feeling that my skin may suffer this month so I wouldn't be surprised if concealer and spot treatment products feature in my next monthly favourites post. I think it may have been by December 2015 favourites post where these products also mainly featured. In my last blog post I mentioned how I have rediscovered the blogging bug and I have quite a few blog posts lined up for Easter for you all which I'm so excited about I just need to remember to pace myself and not get carried away and write them all on one day. I've found that whilst blogging it is very easy to get diverted on a tangent and get distracted and believe me for me this isn't difficult.

Fondant Nail Polish By Barry M
I have totally and utterly fallen in love with this nail polish! I have pretty much worn it everyday throughout March and the end of February. It is a gorgeous pale lilac with pink and grey undertones. I just think that it is the perfect colour for Spring and for those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now you will all know that I love my pastel nail shades. I just think that they look very subtle and feminine with that added extra to define your nails without being too in your face. The Barry M Gelly's are my favourite formula - they are really easy to apply, thick, glossy and they have an incredible shine and finish to them. Yet the added bonus to them my lovelies is that they are very affordable. I usually find it difficult to not get carried away buying these babies. I remember when the Gelly's first came out I was totally obsessed with them and a couple of years later I still am to this day. The fact I am sat here with nails that are practically naked only with a base coat I just know that after writing this blog post I will be painting my nails in Fondant. This baby needs to be in constant supply in my nail polish collection.

Glam Bronze Bronzer By L'Oreal 
I purchased this bronzer last Summer and I loved using it and I've recently rediscovered it in my collection. My Bourjois bronzer was coming to an end and I wanted to mix it up a bit and I have found myself turning to this bronzer everyday this past month. It's a matte bronzer although in some lights you can see a tiny amount of shimmer in it although it does look matte on your face. I think the shimmer just gives you a slight glow to make it appear more natural on your face. I think it's the perfect bronzer shade for my skin tone and it's really easy t contour with, I can see a dramatic difference even with using a tiny amount of bronzer. I would definitely 100% repurchase this bronzer, I would say that it is my favourite high street bronzer - wow what a statement that was kids. I have this in the shade 06 Golden Bronze but they do, do other shades as well. It's a bronzer that looks really natural so it's great for contouring to define key features of your face. It's a make-up collection must have in my opinion.

Hand Maid By Soap And Glory
Now I personally think that anti-bacterial hand gel is a handbag essential, especially for when you're out and about and if you stop for something to eat or even if it's just to freshen up. I think I have had at least one hand gel on the go constantly since I was in year 8 at school when there was the outbreak of swine flu so for about seven years now. My current favourite one to use is one by Soap and Glory I think I love it because it just smells really fresh and fruity with the grapefruit scent but it isn't over powering which other ones can be. The packaging is also adorable not that's an important factor when it comes to hand gel. Seeing as I work in retail I just find it useful to have on me and if I've used a public toilet as I never really trust the soap. I've just started a new one of these and I think that it's essential to always have a spare one just in case.

Glazed Apple Body Butter By The Body Shop
I know that this is a Christmas product but at Christmas I was lucky enough to receive a lot of bath and body products which I am still working my way through. I love receiving pamper gifts like these as they always seem more of a treat if someone else buys them for you and I make an effort to make them last a lot longer. This has to be my favourite scent from the body shop - there I've said it, bold statement I know. To me it smells like a cross between fresh apples and sherbet, I love this scent so much I can't put it into words how much I love this scent I could quite happily smell it all day without getting bored of it. Unfortunately this was a Christmas limited edition scent so whether it will be back again at the end of the year I don't know but it was really popular so fingers crossed! I'm still gutted by the fact that they didn't bring back the gingerbread scent from 2013 - does anyone else remember the adorable gingerbread tin packaging? That was another one of my all time favourites, trust me to love the scents that get discontinued. I have always wondered why The Body Shop don't have an Apple scent all year round as they have a lot of other fruit scents and apple is a classic and yes I am aware of the fact I've gone off on a tangent here. Anyway this has just been a classic for me this month and I'm not ashamed to admit to the fact that I may cry once it's gone.

So White Shower Gel By Lush 
Another limited edition product from Christmas here that I have only got round to using in march - whoops. This is another apple scented product, I must have had a thing for apples this past christmas. This reminds me of fresh apples, the freshness that you would associate with the smell of cider yet it isn't too overpowering. It feels really moisturising on the skin leaving you feeling supper fresh after your shower. It also has silver glitter in and I'm not usually one for glitter as I think it looks pretty in the bath but I don't want to be covered in it afterwards but as this is in a shower gel it washes off so you're not twinkling throughout the day. I tried this as bubble bath but I will say it didn't produce many bubbles so it does work better as a shower gel. I'll be sad once this is all gone as it's one of my last Lush products left over from Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed this monthly favourites blog post my lovelies. Let me know in the comments what your favourite products have been this past month. I hope you all have a lovely easter with lots of cheeky indulgences. Bring on the chocolate.