20th Birthday Weekend

Hello my lovelies I have a Day In The Life post for you all today. You are probably unaware but it was my 20th birthday last Sunday - 20 I know. I don't know why but 20 just sounds like a big jump from 19. No longer a teenager but a sophisticated and mature adult in the making. 

Over the weekend I have definitely been spoilt and I thought I would share some of my adventures.  

I was definitely spoilt by my family and friends. I'm not sure who was more excited to open presents me or my cat. Some of the amazing gifts that I was treated to included money, tokens, chocolates, candles, autobiographies, a DVD, recipe books, beautiful tulips, pink champagne, pyjamas, nail polish, a coconut gift box from The Body Shop and a Pandora bracelet. I feel so lucky to have been treated to such gorgeous gifts and I cannot believe I am lucky enough to have a Pandora bracelet I feel very grown up all of a sudden. A Pandora bracelet alone would have been an overly generous gift. They are so special and I can't wait to start my life long adventure of collecting beautiful charms. Very special indeed. Can we all take a moment to appreciate how pretty the wrapping paper is, well done Mum you did good!

I felt very spoilt just with the gifts alone but to find out that I was then treated to a trip to London with Mum was incredible. We do love a London outing. 

As a combined birthday present my Gran and Grandad had treated me and Mum to Afternoon Tea at The Ritz in London. Incredible. A once in a life time experience and definitely something on both our bucket lists. It didn't just end there. Mum had paid for us to stay in London overnight but not just at any hotel, The Hilton. Yes, the Hilton. Wow. Incredible. Let me just say this it certainly didn't disappoint. 

After a lovely breakfast,  Nespresso coffee and a whole lot of squealing we packed and set off for the train station. Fuelled with my favourite of an Amaretti Latte from Cafe Nero we were London bound where we then headed off to the Hilton at London Bridge. 

The hotel room was the nicest hotel room that I had ever seen. I loved the bohemian and minimalist design. It was really quiet yet you're amongst the hustle and bustle of London yet you could of easily been in the middle of no where in the countryside. The room was accompanied by the best mini bar that I have ever seen, a massive wide screen tv, a beautiful ensuite, a kettle, free snacks and an iron. It's the small things in life that please me. We chilled out and unpacked before getting changed for The Ritz. 

What I wore:

Dress - Topshop

Blazer - New Look

Black coat with white fur collar - Miss Selfride

Heels - Asos 

Black Tights

Bracelet - Pandora

Silver Hoop earrings - New Look

Silver Necklace - Topshop

Black Bag - Topshop

Nail Polish - Kuala-berry by OPI

We headed off in our traditional London taxi - how sophisticated. This meant we could turn up as two  classy, sophisticated women who weren't wind swept and slightly red and sweaty from dealing with rush hour on the London underground in heels. It's also something you only do once in life so we thought if you're going to go to The Ritz you might as well do it properly and in style. 

As we arrived at The Ritz we walked up the red carpet. Afternoon tea was served in The Palm Court which was absolutely stunning. The design and architecture was beautiful, cream and pink walls, roses, chandeliers it is hard to describe just how beautiful it was. Definitely a must see and a once in a life time experience. During our visit there was beautiful harp music being played which was so calming and relaxing. All of the guests were dolled up in all of their finery it was just incredible. The tables were all immaculate with the poshest cutlery and china I have ever seen. Words really cannot do it justice. I'm still gobsmacked and in ore of the whole experience. Throughout our visit I kept saying to Mum 'I hope I'm sophisticated enough for this' but luckily there were no spillages, fires or scenes so I can say I coped in high social formalities.

I'm not really a massive tea fan, in fact I don't like it at all. The only tea that I will tolerate is Peppermint or mint tea so I plumped for Peppermint. I was actually pleasantly surprised as I really enjoyed it and ended up drinking two and a half cups. It went really well with the food as well so i can highly recommend it. Mum opted for her favourite of Jasmine tea. It's so posh, the waiters even pore the tea for you, the only work you have to do is lifting the cup to drink your tea.

We were then served an amazing first course which featured six sandwiches each:
Ham and Mustard
Egg and Cress
Cucumber and Dill
Cheese and Chutney
Chicken Mayonaise
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

The sandwiches were beautiful and so precise. Each sandwich was served on a different type of bread and equally delicious. Some of the sandwiches were ones I wouldn't normally choose yet they were all so delicious. Apparently these were only a taster and then another plate of sandwiches also arrived which were accompanied by freshly baked scones. They were the nicest scones I had ever eaten. I usually think scones are going to be quite dense and heavy yet these were so light ad fluffy. They were served alongside clotted cream and strawberry jam and the jam was the nicest jam I had ever eaten I could have quite easily just eaten a bowl of it on it's own.

The final course was the cake round, I mean you have to have cake on your birthday it's the law in my eyes. They were so beautiful and delicate. We took lot's of photos to remember them but then tucked straight into:
Lemon Macaroons
Chocolate and Hazelnut Mouse Torte with a Salted Caramel Sauce
Winter Berry Vanilla Fruit Tart
White Chocolate and Amaretti Choux Bun

If these weren't enough, one of the waiters popped by with his trolly full of wonders and provided yet more cakes:
Orange Madera Cake with White Chocolate Icing
Rhubarb Frangipani Tart

The cakes were so delicious and baked to perfection I don't think I could pick a favourite. Being a baking lover this was right up my street. As we left we were given The Ritz 'party bags' well that's what I like to call them anyway. These featured a box each of The Ritz handmade chocolate truffles which were presented in a chocolate box in the shape of a top hat I mean wow. My birthday was full of never ending surprises.

After checking out the poshest toilets in the world we headed back to our hotel room feeling totally stuffed but with two mahoosive smiles across our faces.

Mum further surprised me with a little outing up The Shard as you do. I still can't believe how close our hotel room was to it, it was just perfect and literally round the corner. Neither of us have been in the Shard before so following on our motto, if you're going to do it you might as well do it properly.

What an experience. The views were breathtaking. I'm so glad we visited in the evening when it was dark as London looked so beautiful all lit up. When you get to The Shard it is very sleek and swift and you are whisked up to the 68th floor instantly where you can walk around and even treat yourself to a glass of champagne. January isn't famous for the best weather so if you visit The Shard in the winter I would definitely recommend visiting in the evening. It's funny as we were walking to The Shard we were amongst the crowds and the hustle and bustle yet when you are up the top London looks very still and peaceful. Like The Ritz this is a once in a life time experience for me and what a very special way to end a very special birthday. I feel so touched and spoilt.

After The Shard we walked back to our hotel where we treated ourselves to some cocktails in the bar. I love cocktails I think they are really fun, pretty and delicious and there are so many mad combinations that you can create.

The next morning I woke up and enjoyed a coffee in my bed watching the tv, heaven. Why is it socially acceptable to have a kettle in your hotel room yet if you had one in your bedroom at home people would think you were really weird. Personally I think this would be a great idea. It was so special to wake up in London, something that I have never done before. The weather was gorgeous, it was warm and blue skies it was the perfect way to wake up.

We headed out for breakfast where I requested Bill's, a personal favourite of ours. We seem to be working our way through visiting Bill's restaurants across the country. Even though we were in the middle of London it was a really calm and peaceful walk to Bill's where we were treated to stunning views of The Shard, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Thames.

I love trying new things so we both plumped for breakfasts we haven't tried before. I chose the scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon and Mum chose the Eggs Royale. Both of which looked delicious and they tasted even more delicious then they looked.

After a stressful journey back from brocken down trains, train diversions, train delays and even train cancelations we made it back and went for a walk on The Downs. We both love walking on the Downs I find it so peaceful and it was the perfect way to end the perfect weekend.

Yesterday Mum baked the most incredible birthday cake for me: Chocolate Sponge with Coconut icing topped with White Chocolate.
Heaven on a plate, imagine a bounty bar in cake form. I absolutely adore chocolate and coconut so what more could you ask for?

I had the best weekend ever, I never dreamed I could be so spoilt and treated so much in one weekend. I feel so lucky. I can't stop smiling when ever I look back at the pictures and remember all of the crazy adventures.

XXX

Peanut Butter Cookies

Good evening my lovelies, I hope your Monday was almost bearable. This morning I was in a baking mood and seeing as we have two very empty and sad looking cake tins in the house I thought it was about time that they were topped up. I haven't uploaded a baking blog post for a while now so I thought it was only time that I cracked on and got going again. This is my first baking post for 2016 so that's quite special.

I absolutely adore peanut butter. I always have done ever since I was a little girl. Me and my Mum have been a little bit obsessed with trying all of the different ranges of organic nut butters. Previously I had only tried peanut butter but we have now also discovered things like almond, hazelnut, cashew, macadamia, brazil nut and even pumpkin seed butter. The list is endless and there are dozens of others we are still yet to try all ranging from smooth to crunchy. We might even try making our own. We love toasting seeds and nuts so we might as well try making our own butters. Gradually I have been converting Mum to peanut butter in sweets such as chocolates and cookies. Over Christmas we had some amazing white chocolate and peanut butter chocolate truffles which were sensational. I am obsessed with peanut butter at the moment I want to try and incorporate it into biscuits, cakes, cheesecakes, whoopie pies and so many more.

Yes I realise I have written an entire paragraph just about peanut butter.

I thought I would start off simple and bake some peanut butter cookies. These aren't the prettiest of cookies but they honestly taste delicious. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet but this was a new recipe and I was dead chuffed with these. The cookies are golden and crisp yet they are really gooey in the middle. Just how a cookie should be. You could use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter but I opted for crunchy. Two reasons: A) I have never tried crunchy peanut butter before and I wanted to test it out and B) I thought it would give the cookies a bit of texture. Crunchy worked really well although I would still be intrigued to try smooth as well. For the cookies you will need to use a firm peanut butter, not the gorgeous Meridan organic peanut butters that you can find in health food shops with a more oily consistency which I adore in a toasted pitta bread. I still found a firm really nice organic peanut butter that didn't have the artificial taste that some can have. The one I used was from a brand called Whole Earth.

These are best enjoyed whilst warm and freshly baked from the oven. I know this for a fact as I enjoyed two of these today with a Nespresso coffee. I would recommend a couple of these with a warm cup of coffee it is a very good match. They are so quick and easy to make with very few ingredients. I know if need be such as guests or an empty biscuit tin I could knock a batch up instantly and feel like a supreme domestic goddess.

Ingredients - makes 10

200g crunchy or smooth peanut butter
150g golden caster sugar
1 egg

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°Fan/ Gas mark 4 and grease and line two baking trays with baking paper

2) Mix the peanut butter and sugar together in a large bowl

3) Mix in the egg to your peanut butter mixture to form a dough

4) Place cherry tomato sized dough balls evenly on a baking tray. Press each ball a little to form a flat surface

5) Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden

6) Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely

If you are a peanut butter freak like me then you will love these simple sweet treats. Let me know in the comments if you try these and how you found them. I think my next experiment might be some peanut butter chocolate brownies.

XXX

Naked By Urban Decay

L-R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Hello my lovelies, I have another treat for you all today in the form of a review of yet another palette - such fun! Palettes and in particular eye shadow palettes have seem to become my beauty weakness over the past couple of years. I'm a sucker for trying new palettes revealing multiples of beauties all concealed within a mini box that is very satisfying to open. Urban Decay is one of my all time favourite make-up brands. I adore the Naked collection that they have introduced which incorporates natural shades for a more natural look. The Naked collection has grown from eyeshadows, foundations and cheek palettes the list is endless. However, the standout for me personally will always be the iconic eyeshadow palettes and I think the majority of beauty fans out there will agree with me on that. When ever anyone mentions Urban Decay I would bet money that the first thing that will spring into peoples minds will be the Naked Eyeshadow Palettes.

I was such a lucky girly to receive the Naked 3 and the Naked 2 Basics palettes from my Mum for Christmas 2014 which I instantly fell in love with and I have continued to use both palettes on a regular basis ever since. They have to be all time favourites. I'm a sucker for neutral eyeshadows and ever since receiving the previous palettes I have had my eye on the Naked palette ever since. I must have been an extremely good girly for 2015 as Christmas 2015 saw me lucky enough to receive the Naked palette from my gorgeous mother - I love you Mum! The Naked palette is the original palette that the majority of beauty lovers will have started out with. It is composed of 12 beautiful warm tonned neutral shades. These include a mixture of formulations, a highlighter, browns, golds, rose gold and a couple of blue shades. I don't have to say anything when I look at this palette, the smile across my face from ear to ear says it all. I have been dying to write this blog post so I can then go on to use the palette.

Before talking about the eyeshadows I thought I would quickly ramble on about the beautiful packaging that Urban Decay seem to specialise in and always go to town with. The 12 gems are concealed in a luxurious dark brown felt box that is decorated in shimmery gold sparkly writing. The felt feels almost like velvet, it is so soft and luxurious. The later palettes are all in tin boxes which may survive a bit better over time and make a slightly more satisfying noise to open and shut however there is a very special feel to this one. Inside the box full of wonders is an Urban Decay brown Naked eyeshadow brush. This is a dual ended brush. One end is used for applying the eyeshadow to the eyelid and the other is for blending eyeshadows together. Not your cheap sponges that do absolutely nothing I can tell you that. So much attention is put towards the packaging. The Naked 3 palette which features gorgeous rose gold shades has a pink eyeshadow brush yet the Naked brush is golden brown incorporating the warm toned neutral brown look achieved by this palette. The brushes are amazing. They pick up so much product and are so easy to use. The fact that they are dual ended is a massive bonus as it means you have everything you need all in one place - perfect for travelling which is further aided by the addition of a good sized mirror. Why I haven't considered buying make-up brushes from Urban Decay I don't know; maybe it should be a New Years Resolution for 2016?

There are 12 eyeshadows in the palette:

Virgin - A golden white highlighter with golden undertones running through it. This is perfect for applying under your eyebrow and in the inner corner of your eyes to brighten your eyes.

Sin - A shimmery pale pink shade, again perfect for the inner corner of your eyes. I always go for neutral browns or rose golden pinks as I feel they compliment my green eyes.

Naked - A beautiful pale brown matte shade that would be perfect for a smoky eye look.

Sidecar - A shimmery pale brown that is probably more cooler toned, possibly the only non-warm toned shadow in the palette. Beautiful specks of gold glitter run through Sidecar.

Buck - One of my favourites now, I know this matte dark brown shade will have so many uses and that I will find myself incorporating this eyeshadow on a daily basis.

Half Baked - A stand out from the crowd kind of shade, this is a gorgeous satin gold shade that would be perfect for a night out or if you want to do something that extra special with your eye make-up.

Smog  - Another favourite of mine, this is a gorgeous satin shimmery dark brown with gold undertones towards it. It is slightly lighter then Buck although I recon a combination of Buck, Half Baked and Smog would be absolutely stunning.

Darkhorse - A darker brown to Smog, think dark chocolate as supposed to milk. Similar to Smog this is also a shimmery shade with small specks of gold shimmer.

Toasted - This also has a satin finish towards it. You could use this alongside Sin for a rose gold eye make-up look. This is a darker rose gold shade with brown undertones. If you love rose gold eye make-up which is a combination of browns and pinks then you will love the Naked 3 palette.

Hustle - This is the darkest brown shade in the palette that would be perfect for contouring in the outer corner of the eye. This will be highly pigmented so you won't need much product to achieve that smokey effect. It is a rich dark brown with subtle shimmer towards it.

Creep - This is quite a versatile shade as it could be seen as different colours alongside different eyeshadows. I mainly think that it is a shimmery black shade which you could use as an eyeliner. It also has a slight blue undertone towards it which can also make it have a slightly dark denim appearance.

Gunmetal - I'll be totally honest I'm not sure if I will use this eyeshadow as I'm not sure how blue eyeshadow will compliment green eyes? I will still give it a go and see if I can blend it with some brown shades maybe. Any suggestions then let me know. Never the less it is still a gorgeous eyeshadow and if I had brown eyes I would be using and experimenting with it all of the time. Gunmetal is a shimmery pale blue denim shade with specks of gold glitter incorporated. You could apply it in the outer corner of your eye for a pop of colour.

Urban Decay have also included a sample of four of their eyeshadow primers. An eyeshadow primer is applied on your eyelid before the eyeshadow. It allows your make-up to stay in place for longer and stops it from smudging. I would apply a primmer if I needed my make-up to last a long time such as a  night out or a special occasion. I'm a bit lazy and don't bother on a day to day basis as I'm not that fussed for work. Shocking I know. An eyeshadow primer is worth investing in as they also stop your eyeshadow from creasing which really bugs me.

Original - This is a neutral shade yet it will dry invisible

Eden - Has a neutral matte finish that will also help to brighten your eyes

Sin - A gorgeous shimmery champagne shade that also adds a little bit of shimmer and colour

Anti-Aging - As well as being a primer, it also claims to improve radiance, brighten your skin and improve the appearance of fine lines. Being 19, anti-aging products aren't something I ever look over or think about although I did recently read that there are benefits in the long term by starting to use anti-aging products in your twenties. Seeing as I'm 20 in under two weeks maybe I'll test this one first.

I will let you all know how I get on with these and which ones I would recommend trying. Maybe I will become converted, who knows.

Urban Decay eyeshadows have an absolutely incredible formulation towards them. They are really creamy and easy to apply to the eyelid and blend together for your desired look. They are highly pigmented, unlike other eyeshadows you really don't need much product meaning one of these babies will last you a hell of a long time. If you wanted to treat someone special or if you know someone who is starting out with make-up, maybe a relative, then this would make a gorgeous gift. It contains all of the eyeshadows needed for a natural and neutral eye make-up look. I love that so many of the shades have a shimmer and gold twist towards them. Even though matte shades can be easier for an everyday look, I'm a sucker for a bit of glitter so this is right up my street. There are endless combinations of different eye make-up looks that you could come up with and achieve by using the Naked palette alone. If I had to chose three favourite shades it would have to be Buck, Half Baked and Smog although there isn't a single shade that I don't love. I even think Virgin maybe a new favourite highlighter of mine as I love the champagne golden finish towards it. I also love the fact that Urban Decay name their eyeshadows, I don't know why I guess it's the little things in life that count. It just makes it easier for me to go on and on talking about them all. I would highly recommend this palette in fact I think it is an essential and a must have. I could go on boring you all for hours talking about just how much I love it.

If you are interested in reading my previous blog posts on Urban Decay products from the Naked range you can click the links below:

Naked 3
Naked 2 Basics 

XXX

Boudoir Eyes By Too Faced

Good afternoon my lovelies and a Happy Tuesday to you all. I have another gorgeous make-up blog post for you all today that will leave you feeling all warm and cosy inside. Too Faced is a brand that I find myself spending hours and hours gazing over yet it isn't a brand that is readily available in the UK and even if you are lucky enough to find one or two bits and bobs I'm pretty sure you can't browse through the entire collection. This saddens me immensely as Too Faced is a gorgeous brand with top quality and luxurious products; their packaging is always on point and I particularly love their make-up palettes. If you are new to Too Faced or still need convincing just google their range of eye shadow palettes and look up their chocolate bar ones. Any brand that incorporates make-up and chocolate is a winner in my eyes.

I have had my eyes on their eyeshadow palettes for years and years now especially the Natural and Boudoir Eyes Palette. Whilst in Paris my amazing Mother purchased the Boudoir palette for me which she saved and treated me to for Christmas. Feeling very lucky and spoilt when ever I look at this palette I feel all warm and glowy inside and I am reminded of our gorgeous Paris adventure and warming sunshine and blue skies. This is very much needed in this dreary, cold, wet and dark time of year. If it wasn't for Christmas I don't think I would particularly like winter.

The Boudoir palette is packaged in this gorgeous pale pink tin designed as a luxurious and vintage mattress. It excites me when palettes are packaged in tins as they feel more sturdy and special. Does this apply to anyone else out there or is it just me? Inside the tin full of dreams which may I add makes a very satisfying noise when you open and close it; are nine gorgeous eye shadows ranging from matte to shimmery. As well as the eyeshadows there is a pretty decent sized mirror making this palette perfect for travelling or a hand bag essential. Especially the fact that the nine beauties are concealed in a magnetic tin you know they will travel safely.

The eyeshadows have been categorised into three different looks: day, classic and fashion. Too Faced have also included a little 'booklet' on how you can use the eyeshdows to achieve the desired look. This would be perfect if you are new to make-up or want some advice or new ideas to get you started. However, once your confidence is booming you don't have to stick to these combinations, you could go crazy and spice it up a bit by mixing different combinations. The world is your oyster so have fun and experiment.

Day

In The Buff - Matte white shade which is the perfect highlighter
Fuzzy Handcuffs - Matte pale pink rosy brown shade
Voulez-Vous - Rich dark chocolate brown shade perfect for contouring in the outer corner of your eye

Classic

Satin Sheets - Gorgeous pale pink satin highlighter
Sugar Walls - Shimmery pale brown
Garter Belt - Matte grey

Fassion

Birthday Suit - Satin taupe gold perfect for a golden highlight
Lap Dance - Satin grey with brown under tonnes
French Tickler - Black with a slight golden sparkle, perfect for smoky eyes and a night out or as an eyeliner

All of the eyeshadow shades are gorgeous and I know that I will find a use for each and every single one of these. If I had to chose my top three favourites it would have to be Voulez-Vous, Sugar Walls and Birthday Suit. Sometimes in a palette you can find yourself with two or three shades that you never use; you sometimes look at them and think 'Oh maybe I'll find a use for this one' but one or two years down the line and you still haven't touched it yet I know each and everyone of these shades will be used. The formulation of the eyeshadows is incredible they are really creamy, blendable and highly pigmented. I would highly recommend the Too Faced eyeshadows and now I know that I will want to increase my collection. Who knows maybe this time next year I'll be lucky enough to receive another palette and I'll be writing a very similar blog post. Or I may have spontaneous splurge myself, watch this space my lovelies.

XXX

Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection

L-R: Triangle Foundation 101, Flat Contour 301, Oval Shadow 200

Is it weird that I get excited by make-up brushes? Probably but I'm sure every beauty blogger would agree with me that they get that buzz and squeal at a new make-up brush. I love the Real Technique brush collection especially as the creators started off with their own beauty blog and were then lucky enough to design their own collection. Just imagine how incredible that would be to have that opportunity. I have quite a few make-up brushes from their original collection. Although the Real Technique brushes are a little more pricier then other high street brushes they are definitely worth that extra bit of money. Just using the correct make-up brush can instantly transform how you apply your make-up and the finished result.

When I saw the introduction of the Bold Metal's Collection it instantly appealed to me. Although I will be honest I was put off by the price. These are over double the price to the original collection and when the original collection is so good I have spent a long time debating if it would be worth it.

For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive this gift set from my Gran and Grandad which contains three of the seven brushes from the collection. I feel so spoilt as I have had my eye on these for what feels like a life time.

I love how the Real Techniques brushes also provide you with tips of how to use the brushes effectively and you can also go on to their website where they teach you the 'science' in how they create their make-up brushes and what makes them so effective.

I adore the packaging. I'm all for metallic and who can resist the rose gold, silver and gold design of the brushes. Even the beautiful snow white brush fibres have gold, pink and silver inning through them. They look so special and pristine I almost don't want to use them to spoil them yet at the same time I'm dying to dive in and try them out. But hey I can always wash them so option two wins on that contest.

The brush fibres are incredibly soft, even softer then the original collection if that is even possible. The brushes have weighted handles aiding control for pressure variations and they have tapered tips allowing you to gain a build able finish. See what I mean about the science behind the brushes. The gold brushes are designed for your foundation, the rose gold are designed for the overall finish and contouring such as blusher, bronzer and highlighters and the silver brushes are designed for your eye make-up.

In the Bold Metals Selection pack there are three brushes:

Triangle Foundation 101
It's very rare to find a triangular make-up brush in fact I don't think I've seen one before. This brush has multiple functions as you can use the larger flatter edges for applying your base make-up to wider sections of your face such as your forehead or you can use the triangular points for contouring or applying your make-up to the smaller creases such as around your eyes and nose. I adore the gold packaging it looks very luxurious. I know I will definitely get great use out of this brush for contouring possibly using bronzer or when applying concealer and foundation around my eyes and nose.

Flat Contour 301 
What can I say I am and will always be a sucker for Rose Gold - beautiful. This is a denser brush and I think possibly my favourite from the collection. I know I will be using this for applying blusher and highlighter for when contouring. It's the perfect 'cheek' shape brush to get the desired coverage. I believe this is the optimum blusher brush and I would chose this design over the more typical blusher brushes.

Oval Shadow 200
This could be an all in one eye shadow brush. The brush head is the perfect size for all over eye lid coverage of the eyeshadow application yet the softness and roundness is also perfect for contouring your eye make-up and blending for a softer finish. Once again I am absolutely loving the gorgeous silver packaging of the brush.

The problem is now that I have tried and instantly fallen in love with these make-up brushes I want to increase my collection to the entire range which may be slightly tricky for my bank account. Yet like I said above make-up brushes are really worth investing in as they do determine the finished result. You definitely won't get hairs falling out of your brush with these I can guarantee you that. The presentation is stunning but not only that the brushes are incredible and I find the science behind the design really interesting. They are very happily welcomed to my make-up brush family.

Let me know in the comments if you have tried the Real Techniques Bold Metals range and which brushes are your favourites.

XXX

Clinique Chubby Stick Gift Box

Clockwise top left: Grandest Grape, Woppin Wstermelon, Plushest Punch, Pudgy Peony

L-R: Grandest Grape, Woppin Watermelon, Plushest Punch, Pudgy Peony

L-R: Grandest Grape, Woppin Watermelon, Plushest Punch, Pudgy Peony 

Still feeling very spoilt over Christmas I was also lucky enough to receive a Clinique gift set from my Aunty. Clinique always seems like a gorgeous and luxurious brand to me and I would never treat myself to anything from Clinique for just a regular everyday use as I'm not sure I could justify that to my bank account at the moment. Believe me if I could then I would. I always feel very lucky when I'm treated to something from Clinique. The Moisture Surge moisturisers is one of my all time favourite products from Clinique and I would highly recommend it as it feels like you are coating your skin in a soft marshmallow like blanket you know you are really benefiting your skin from using it. I enjoy using it in the evenings before going to bed as you know the natural goodness is being absorbed by your skin over night and you wake up with an amazing radiance feeling. My supplies have been emptied for a year or so but I feel very lucky that my stock supplies have been restored.

I have always wanted to try the Clinique chubby sticks. I love lip crayons I have an ever expanding and over spilling supply. I find them really easy to use and apply and the majority of the time I prefer the balm like formulation of lip crayons to lip sticks. There are so many different types and brands out there to chose from however, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I always think of the Clinique chubby sticks to be the original lip crayon and to have started the whole revolution. I remember when the chubby sticks first came out and everyone and their mother and their mothers daughter were raving about them and everyone was buying the entire range. The hype then seemed to continue for years to follow afterwards. Never being one to miss a trend I was so excited when I opened this present as it is something that has been on my make-up wish list for many years now.

The gift set contained the cutest pink and silver make-up bag. It's so small and dinky you could use it for all four of your chubby sticks or like me it could be a new addition to your handbag for on the go touch-ups. I only take make-up in my handbag if I know I'm going to be out for a long time; for example on a trip to London or if I'm working a longer day at work. I wouldn't take every single make-up item I own; maybe a powder to avoid slipping of make-up and greasiness, a concealer, eyeliner and lip product. The make-up pouch - great word pouch - is perfect handbag size to use for minimal make-up so I know it will be very handy. It would also be great for taking out on a night out with you. The fact that it's pink, sparkly and girly are also major plus points for me.

The chubby sticks themselves have a really glossy finish to them with a balm like formulation. This instantly appeals to me as I find that they look more natural on your lips and they are easier to apply compared to matte products. I feel this gift set is almost designed for me as it contains four berry shades which are right up my street. Having quite pigmented lips I struggle with pale nude/pink/peach lipsticks as I find they wash me out and I also try to avoid orange toned products. To be honest I tend to stick with berry tones all year round not just for Autumn as I feel that they compliment my dark brown hair and green eyes. I know I could quite happily wear each and everyone of these shades and will do at that. These are now in prize place, front row seats in my lip crayon section of my make-up collection.

There are four chubby sticks in the collection:

Plushest Punch 05 
A gorgeous fuchsia with red undertones to it. This is the closest to red shade out of the four. This is from the intense range and therefore highly pigmented so you get a great colour pay off with this one.

Woppin Watermelon 06
This is the palest shade out of the four. It is a gorgeous pastel pink although it appears a darker pink in the photos it applies as a more pale shade yet you can easily build it up to a darker berry pink which I love.

Grandest Grape 08
Similar to Plushest Punch this is also from the intense collection and therefore closely resembles the colour of the crayon once applied. Don't be put off by the purple colour, I've found before with other lip crayons that once applied they provide a dark pink berry shade as supposed to a bold purple. One of my favourite lip crayons is a Revlon one called Whimsical which is purple yet appears as a deep berry pink on the lips.

Pudgy Peony 15
This may be my favourite out of the collection. It is a beautiful dark pink berry shade that is right up my street. It also closely resembles my favourite lipsticks which unconsciously all seem to be the same berry pink shade. Similar to Woppin Watermelon you can build this one up for the desired coverage.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post my lovelies. I would love to know which Chubby sticks you all own. I can now proudly say that I am a member of the Chubby Stick Club.

XXX

Get Your Party On! By Benefit

I adore Benefit and over Christmas I was lucky enough to receive the Get Your Party On gift set from my aunty. This is the perfect gift set for me as it contains all of my favourite Benefit products. The Hoola bronzer, They're Real Mascara and High Beam highlighter are all products I use daily if I want to make an effort with my make-up. They would have been going on my birthday list so it is very satisfying to be able to remove them from the list. Benefit is one of my all time favourite make-up brands and I wouldn't normally treat myself to anything to simply 'stock up' on so this was a very good choice indeedy. The fourth product in the tin of wonders is an eyebrow product called Gimmie Brow which I have never tried before yet I have read great reviews about it. I absolutely adore the packaging for the gift set. Benefit always goes to town with their cute and quirky vintage packaging and I love the bold bright green and spinning pictures. I won't lie but the tin kept me entertained for a good five minutes before even opening it.

Hoola Bronzer

This is the best bronzer a girl could wish for and the only bronzer you will need in your life. The bronzer itself is a warm toned matte bronzer that is perfect all year round and I recon it would suit most skin types. It is perfect for contouring to define your cheekbones and to simply add some warmth to your face. It is highly pigmented so you barely need any on your brush. It blends beautifully and it is really easy to build up for the desired look whether it's a more subtle day time look or you want to go all out for an evening look. I adore the cute box packaging. The blushers all come in boxes and I think it would look amazing to have a row of Benefit boxes in my make-up collection. That is the dream. 

High Beam 

The High Beam highlighter is perfect to pair alongside the Hoola bronzer. This is also my favourite highlighter from Benefit. It is a gorgeous champagne pink that easily blends above your cheekbones to give you a natural glow and radiance boost. Applied above Hoola you could give yourself amazing cheekbones. You honestly don't need a huge amount so this will last me a long, long time. I've nearly finished a mini version that I received in a gift set so this couldn't have arrived at a better time.

They're Real 

I have raved and raved about this mascara several times on my blog already. The They're Real mascara has opened my eyes to mascara - see what I did there - and I would never use a another mascara. I tried this for the first time last Christmas when I was a lucky girl and received one from my Mum and sorry to be dramatic but it has transformed my mascara world. Previously I would never understand how people got excited by mascaras as they all had the same effect on my eye lashes yet this one is completely different. One brush and it almost look like I'm wearing false eyelashes. My eye lashes appear like 10 times longer and they appear thicker and more volumised. I naturally have quite long eye lashes so I didn't think this was possible. This mascara suits me to a tee so I just pray to the Beauty Gods that this mascara is never discontinued. I want to write a full separate blog post on this mascara as it is just incredible. I think I might also do the same for Hoola and High Beam. It would be rude not to seeing as they are also favourite products of mine.

Gimmie Brow 

I think I'm in the minority when I say that I'm not a fan of the current trend of bold eyebrows. I never colour of fill mine in as I naturally have quite dark eyebrows. I tried this once and then scared myself in the mirror. However, what I do, do is use an eyebrow brush and brush out any powder after I've applied my powder to make sure that they are their natural colour and not chalky. I trust Benefit 100% and I like trying new things so I will also give this product a go. Who knows maybe it will become another favourite of mine. Especially as this has won multiple beauty awards it can't be a bad product. You simply brush a small amount through your eyebrows and then use an eyebrow brush to brush through the product evenly. Mine is in the shade medium/dark which is very fitting for mine. The brush looks small and dinky and easy to use so I'm really looking forward to trying it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post my lovelies. Let me know in the comments what your favourite Benefit products are and what you were treated to from Benefit over Christmas.

XXX