Blogmas Day 24 - 2014 Beauty Product Favourites

Good afternoon my lovelies and Happy Christmas Eve! I can't believe that it is the last day of Blogmas, the time has flown by and I have really enjoyed writing a blog post everyday. Although I think that this may be my last post for 2014 and I might treat myself to some time off until the New Year. So I thought what better way to end the blog posts for this year with a 2014 favourites. I found it difficult selecting my favourite products that I have loved from the whole year and writing this now I can already think of extra products that I have also loved but I've got to be sensible otherwise I could go on forever listing more and more products. 2014 has been a special year as I have achieved a few things this year such as finishing my a-levels, passing my driving test and it has also been the year that I started my blog back in August. I have loved developing my blog and watching it grow. It is a hobby for me that has become more and more important and I will be carrying on with it next year. I have noticed as it has grown the more love and time that I have put into it. Sometimes I look back at my earlier posts and I can already see a difference in the quality of my posts. I currently have 10 followers which probably doesn't seem many to most people but to me it seems a lot. I remember when I first started blogging and thinking that nobody is reading these and just hopping that one day I will gain a follower to show that what I'm doing might be good. So I just wanted to say a big thank you to my followers for supporting my blog which has turned into my baby.

Enough waffling for now, a favourite hair care product for me is the Garnier Ultimate Blends Sleek Perfecter range which has been a recent discovery for me. I honestly think that this has helped to save my ends. As I have mentioned before years of straightening my hair has left it a little on the damage side so when it comes to hair care products I am always on the hunt for new products that will restore or revive damaged hair. Since using products from the range my hair has appeared shinier and healthier. I think that it has also grown more since using these probably as the ends are breaking less. After using these products I don't need to worry about styling my hair or applying heat. If you have dry hair or split ends then I would recommend that you try these products. I know that this shouldn't be an important factor but they also smell of coconut of which I have recently developed a love for.

Moving onto make-up and starting with skin care, there will be no surprises in the fact that this one is in my 2014 favourites. It is the Maybelline baby Skin Face primer which I'm pretty sure is mentioned in at least half of my blog posts. This is just a really good affordable primer that reduces the appearance of pores, makes your foundation appear smoother and it also helps to make your make-up last for longer. It's just a really good affordable every day primer. I would say that it has an oily base to it which would usually make me go no as I have very oily skin but I think that it actually helps to reduce my oily skin as they say you counteract the oil with oil. This means I don't tend to worry about applying powder throughout the day anymore which is an added bonus for me. I use this pretty much everyday and it is an essential in my make-up routine.

The second face product in my favourites is by Bourjois and it is the Delice de poudre duo with a bronzer and highlighter. I don't know why but I the chocolate bronzing powder has never appealed to me before, I have read lots of posts of other bloggers raving about it but I also thought that it was a bit gimmicky in the fact it looks and smells like chocolate. Although I hate to miss a new trend so I finally gave in and I was pleasantly surprised. I find it really good to contour with as both products appear very natural on the face. I use this most days as part of my everyday make-up routine to add some definition to my face as I am conscious of the fact I have chubby cheeks. I personally think that it's a really good product and it doesn't need the gimmicky packaging. It is a matte bronzer and the highlighter has a really pretty gold shimmer to it. I will be 100% repurchasing this when it runs out.

Moving onto eyes, again there will be no surprises that I'm mentioning this product - the Barry M Showgirl mascara with extra volume. I have never been one to get excited about mascaras where as lip, nail and eye products I do and I am always buying more to try and test even though I don't need them. With mascaras I previously would stick to Maybelline as they do amazing mascaras and theres that old saying 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. When I picked up two Barry M nail varnishes in the autumn there was an offer on that meant I got this new free mascara of which after testing I have fallen in love with. I just think that it is a really good everyday mascara as it adds volume but also length and definition. It has a really good all-rounder brush. I also love the packaging as I have a bit of a weakness for rose gold. Actually that's how I would describe this product as a really good all-rounder as although it claims to specialise in volume, it also adds other aspects to your eyes. The good thing about Barry M is that they are really affordable products yet at a good quality.

The first eyeshadow in my favourites is by Maybelline in Iced Fudge. First of all, what a cute name. I never usually go for single eyeshadows, I prefer pallets as you have all the colours laid out for you that you can use together to contour with without searching through your collection for other colours but thats just me being lazy. Although I think that it's the fact I'm lazy that I love this product so much. This eyeshadow is a beautiful fudge/taupe colour with a beautiful silver shimmer which I would say almost has blue under tonnes to it. It honestly looks beautiful on your eyes and I recon that it's a really good neutral shade that would look good with any eye colour. I love this as it's really easy to apply and I would wear this on it it's own and blend it over my eye lid and jobs a good'en. The shimmer that it has means that I don't bother to contour as it naturally gives some definition to your eye so it's just a quick and easy eyeshadow to use if I'm in a rush. I need to check out what other colours Maybelline do as the formula is also really nice to blend with.

If you told me at the start of 2014 that I would be mentioning these in my yearly favourites I wouldn't have believed you. It's some more Maybelline eyeshadows but this time with a cream formula as it's the 24 hour colour tattoo shadows in On and On Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate. I have always been scared to try cream eyeshadows, they just haven't appealed to me. I think it's because I wear a mouse foundation and the fact I have oily skin that I always thought they wouldn't sit nicely on my eyelids and that they might slide off my face. I know that these aren't a new product this year but it's taken me several years to pluck up the courage to try these and yes I know how sad that sounds. The formula is much nicer then I was expecting although they're called cream eyeshadows the texture isn't like cream it has a more powder feel. I apply some to my ring finger and dap it onto my eyelid. I then blend this out with a brush and then I either leave it like that or I use them as a base and apply some powder on top if I want to contour. I love the bronze colour for the summer and recently i have loved using the pomegranate one as I think it's really pretty for winter and as I have green eyes, it contrasts with my eyes which makes them stand out more. They have become my new obsession and I will be purchasing more colours in the new year, sorry bank account. Other brands to recommend would be Bourjois and Benefit. In 2015 I think I'm going to pluck up the courage to try cream blushers.

The first lip product is a lip scrub from Lush in Mint which honestly tastes and smells amazing. It's a really good exfoliator for your lips if you have dry skin and it also makes lipstick appear smoother if you use this first. You just rub this over your lips and lick off any excess as it's pretty much just flavoured sugar. I then apply my Carmex lip balm on top and it leaves your lips feeling supper soft. These are really affordable and they do a range of flavours such as Mint. Popcorn and Bubblegum and they will last you a long time. I have read so many other posts with people raving about these.

The last products in my 2014 favourites are the new Revlon Colourburst Balms that were brought out at the start of 2014. They brought out two formulas and my favourite from the matte range is Elusive and my favourite from the Lacquer range is Whimsical but in general I have loved the whole range. I love balms and crayons as I think that they are easier to apply to your lips then lipsticks as they are creamier and I find that the shape of the crayon is easier to use. I have a large and growing collection of balms and crayons. The matte formula is as you guest it matte. Although as it's a balm these are easy to wear matte lipsticks as they blend nicely so they won't show up any imperfections in your lips. I think that matte lipsticks look really pretty especially in the spring/summer if you want a more subtle look. You can easily apply a gloss on top is you wanted that something extra. Elusive is a really pretty mauve pink that I loved wearing in the spring as I think that it compliments my green eyes and it is almost a my lips but better colour for me and it just adds that little bit of extra pink to my lips. Whimsical is a more autumn and winter shade. It is a really pretty berry shade that appears purple as the crayon but more redder on the lips. The lacquer balms have shimmer in them which I though that I wouldn't like but your lips don't appear glittery it just gives them an amazing shine. I also love the metallic packaging of the lacquer balms. Both the lacquer and matte balms have a minty scent which I personally love. I'm always tempted to buy more of these as they have a huge range of gorgeous shades each perfect for different seasons and occasions.

So there you have it my 2014 favourites. I hope you enjoyed reading this post my lovelies and let me know in the comments what your favourite products have been from 2014. I hope that you all have an amazing Christmas and I will see you again for 2015!

Blogmas Day 23 - Christmas Nails

Good evening my lovelies, I can't believe that it's Christmas Eve tomorrow it has come around so quickly. It only seems like yesterday that I started my blogmas posts on the 1st of December. Today I have a nail post for you all. Today was my last day at work before Christmas so I thought what better way to relax then do my Christmas nails. Usually at Christmas I paint my nails a nice rich, bright red colour with some silver glitter. Although this year I remember I was Christmas shopping on black Friday and I saw these beauties and I couldn't say no. There was only one packet left and they were in  a small size so I thought that it would be rude not to.

I have never worn fake nails before. I don't know why but they just haven't appealed to me. Seeing as I own way too many nail polishes for a healthy person and that fact that I actually really enjoy painting my nails as I find it quite therapeutic, I just haven't found a need to by them. Although one thing that I'm not good at when it comes to painting my nails is nail art, all I can do is a block colour and maybe some glitter if I'm feeling spontaneous. When I saw these I just fell in love with them. I have read good reviews about Elegant Touch before so I thought why not give it a whirl. These are priced at £7.95 in the shade Snow Globe of which you get a range of different nails of different sizes, tabs and a nail file. When I applied them I used the tabs. You can also buy a glue which is meant to make the nails last longer but I was just being a cheap skate that day.

I first picked the designs I wanted for each nail and found the ones that fitted. What I love about these nails is that they give you loads of nails of different shapes and sizes so that you can find the perfect fit for each nail. You can also file them down to get them the length that you want. To fix the nails you first place one of the tabs on your nail. You then peel off the plastic on top to reveal the sticky side which will attach to the fake nail. Place the fake nail starting at the cuticle end of your finger and press down to stick the fake nails to your real nails and you're done! I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy it was to apply the nails. I will leave an update in the comments as to how long these last and how easy it is to remove the nails. So far I am slightly in love with these. I actually quite like the feel of them on my nails and I love the noise my nails make as I'm typing this blog post out on my laptop.

Let me know in the comments if you have tried these or other good brands to recommend. Elegant Touch do loads of different colours and designs which you should definitely check out. Thank you for reading my lovelies and I'll see you tomorrow for Christmas Eve.

Blogmas Day 22 - Red Festive Make-Up

Good evening my lovelies - the Christmas countdown is currently at only 3 days now. I have a little make-up post for you all today. When I think of Christmas I think of quite a few festive colours such as red, gold, silver, white and purple. When it comes to make-up at Christmas and especially this year I love wearing red make-up wether it's a bit of red lippy or red nail varnish so I thought I would share with you a few of my faves. I wouldn't wear these all together as you might look a bit scary but if you wanted to pick up one product for Christmas, here are a few ideas.

Candle - Colony Noel 
This has been the first year that I have been obsessed with candles and I am currently using this one. To me this smells like Christmas in a candle. It is a mixture of fresh Christmas trees and slightly spicy, it just has a very warm feeling to it. This will look amazing lit on Christmas Day.

Nail Varnish - Barry M (Magnetic Red, Chilli and Blood Orange)
I love wearing red nail varnish I could quite happily wear it all year round. If you read my blog posts regularly then you will know how much I love Barry M. They do an amazing range of colours which are also very affordable. They are really glossy and will last a long time before chipping. If you wanted to add that something extra for Christmas day then you could add some glitter - I personally think that a bit of silver or gold glitter would look amazing.

Blusher - Lace by Sleek
I usually think of these blushes to be more for the spring or summer but there are two redder shades in the trio that would give you a naturally warm glow for the festive season. Sleek blushers are really pigmented so it would take you years to work your way through one so you will get your moneys worth. I think that redder blushers are great for winter as they give your cheeks that natural glow that you get when you have been outside in the cold and then go into the warmth.

Eyeshadow - Metallic Pomegranate by Maybelline
When I think of red make-up eyeshadow isn't something that comes to mind in fact I own no red eyeshadows. The closest eye shadow to red is a cream eyeshadow which I featured in my recent post on my everyday winter make-up routine on Blogmas Day 20. I have been converted to cream eyeshadows after using these Maybelline beauties. You can apply a small amount with your finger and blend it out with a fluffy brush. You can either leave it at that or apply powder eyeshadows on top to contour with. I love this very shade especially as I have green eyes so pinks and purples are good for people with green eyes as the colours clash which makes your eyes stand out more.

Lipstick
107, 110 and 111 by Rimmel Kate Moss 
Wild Watermelon and Unapologetic by Revlon 
Hot Date by The Body Shop 
Red Sunrise by Bourjois

I love wearing red lipstick during the festive season and I will be wearing it on Christmas day. I have shown a range of shades as different shades will suit different people. All of these lipsticks are of an amazing quality. The balms and lip butter are a more buttery and sheer consistency and easier to wear if you haven't worn it before of you're a bit nervous. By using these you can layer it up to give you the colour that you're after. The Kate Moss lipsticks are matte although they still are moisturising and you could apply a red or clear lip gloss on top if you wanted to.

I hope you enjoyed this festive make-up blog post my lovelies.

Blogmas Day 21 - OOTD A Work Christmas Party

Good evening my lovelies - only four days to go now! Last night I had my works Christmas party so I thought I would share with you what I wore. I say outfit of the day but it was more of an outfit of the evening but that has less of a ring to it. It was a 1920s Great Gatsby themed party and yes I know that I really don't look 1920s at all but I had a few issues. I wasn't sure if I was able to go and when I found out that I could it was only a week before so I didn't want to risk ordering a dress as I didn't think that it would arrive on time and also the chances are I wouldn't wear it again so this dress was the closest thing that I could find and I also love this dress. I ordered myself a feather headband which did arrive on time but I couldn't get it to sit on my head without either popping off or making my hair stick out so I gave up in the end as I was rushing from having my family pre-Christmas get together before. It was a really fun night, we had a delicious dinner followed by a casino and disco. Let me know in the comments what Christmas parties you're going to or have been to.

What I'm wearing:

Dress - Asos
Shoes - New Look
Earrings - New Look
Black leather jacket - New Look
Black clutch bag - Primark

I failed in the fact that I didn't get a picture with my jacket or bag - bad blogger but I thought that I would still list them for you all.

Thank you for reading my lovelies and I hope that you have a great evening.

Blogmas Day 20 - My Everyday Winter Make-up Routine 2014

Good Morning my lovelies - only 5 days to go now! So I was looking at my blog the other day and I noticed that my most popular post was My Everyday Autumn Make-up routine which you can read by clicking here. So seeing as it's winter i thought that it would be fitting to write another one for you. A few of the products will be the same but if you've read my previous blog posts you know that if I find a good product I will just stick to it. Today all of my Mum's family are coming round to have a pre-Christmas get together that we call present swap where we exchange presents before Christmas. We do this every year and I love it as it's so nice to see everyone all my aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents and just have a nice catch-up. The make-up look that I have described for you all today is what I'm wearing most days and now currently today. I hope you all enjoy!

After moisturising the first step is to use primer. I'm using my classic Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Face Primer. Now you all know that I'm a high street girl myself and if I can find an amazing product that's affordable then why splash out the cash all the time for more expensive products. Granted if I'm going out then I will use more expensive products as they do have that something extra in the quality but for just an everyday look then I will stick to mainly highstreet products. This primer just makes my skin feel really smooth and soft and it reduces the appearance of pores. What more could you ask for in a primer? This primer has a slightly oily texture and I think that it's good for my skin type as I have oily skin and they say you can counteract the oil by applying oil to oil if that makes sense. After using this product my make-up will last longer and my skin doesn't appear oily.

The next stage is foundation and another product that's the same is my Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse foundation. I don't think I will ever get bored of this foundation. I won't go on and on about it so you can read a full blog post on it by clicking here. To sum it up this is the perfect foundation for me as I'm yet to find a liquid foundation that doesn't make me look sweaty in seconds. This foundation will last a long time and it will make-up my skin appear smoother and more balanced. I can highly recommend this foundation if you have oily skin.

I will then go over any spots/blemishes and my dark circles using my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Unfortunately I am prone to dark circles but this concealer is honestly amazing for my circles. I just apply a small amount under my eye and blend it in using my ring finger. It reduces the darkness and it just brightens my eyes making them appear more awake. It is also really good for reducing the appearance of spots but I personally think that it's best for reducing dark circles.

I will then set my make-up using the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. This is a big favourite amongst the beauty bloggers and I think that it will be something that is raved about for many more years. They have a huge range of shades to suit many skin tonnes. I just apply the powder over my make-up using my Real Techniques powder brush and it just sets my make-up in place so I don't need to worry about touch-ups throughout the day. if anyone would ask me to recommend them a good yet affordable face powder then I would 100% say this one.

I will then start bronzing my face and recently I have loved using my Bourjois Bronzing and Highlighting powder to contour with. Yes it looks like chocolate and yes it smells like chocolate both of which don't really bother me, I love it just because I think that the actual product is really good. I bronze my face using my Body Shop bronzing brush and I just think that this bronzer looks very natural on your skin and it just adds some warmth and shape to my face. It's a matte bronzer which is another plus for me and I think that, that is why it's perfect for a natural everyday look.

Moving onto blusher I love using my Sleek blusher in Pomegranate during the winter. The Sleek blushers are so pigmented and yet very affordable. They have a huge range of colours so you should definitely check them out. Pomegranate is a gorgeous dark berry shade that I think is perfect for winter as it gives your cheeks a natural glowing look as if you've been outside in the cold and just walked into the warm. You can build it up depending on the look you're after but I usually use a small amount for the day time. I apply the blusher to the apples of my cheeks but I don't draw it out to my cheek bones as I feel that I have a round face so by only applying the blusher to your cheeks it will help to make your cheeks appear smaller.

I will then go back to my Bourjois bronzing and highlighter powder to highlight my face. It is a really pretty cool tonne highlighter that has some shimmer in it. I apply the highlighter above my cheek bones, the middle of my forehead, under my eyebrow bone (not sure what that's actually called) and down the bridge of my nose. You basically apply the highlighter to the areas of your face that would naturally catch the light.

Now that I have finished applying powder to my face I will use my eyebrow brush and brush out any powder in my eyebrows to make them stand out more. I naturally have dark eyebrows that are quite filled in so shock horror I don't actually fill in my brows as I just think that if I did they look too harsh and in your face. The brush also helps to shape my eyebrows.

In November I discovered cream eyeshadows and I have fallen in love with them ever since. I don't know why but I just thought that they wouldn't sit well on my oily skin but I just love how quick and easy they are to use. They aren't slimy and they're more of a powder texture then I was expecting. After my discovery next year I might pluck up the courage to try cream blushers but I'm still a bit nervous although I've swatched the Benefit Majorette blusher which is just gorgeous so I definitely have my eye on that for the spring. For winter I have been wearing more berry shades on my eyes as I naturally have green eyes so purples/plums/pinks are meant to contrast from the green and make your eyes stand out more. Most days I have been wearing the Maybelline 24 hour Colour Tattoo in the shade Metallic Pomegranate. This is a gorgeous dark berry shade with brown under tonnes which makes it easy to apply to your eyelids without looking scary. I use this as the main shade of my eye make-up so I apply this as a base all over my eyelids. I then turn to my Soap And Glory palette in What's Nude. I love these eyeshadows as they are really creamy which makes them easy to blend. I use the shade Pink T in the inner corner of my eyelids as a highlighter. This is a pale pink shade which is perfect for brightening your eyes. I then use that matte brown shade in the outer corner of my eyes and the crease to contour with.

I finish my eye make-up by applying the Barry M Showgirl Mascara with extra volume. To be honest with you I'm bored about talking about this on my blog as I've mentioned this so much recently. It's just a great everyday mascara which adds length and definition but especially volume. I think it looks very natural on your lashes and it just makes your eyes look all fluttery.

To finish my make-up look I will apply my Maybelline lipstick in the shade Stellar Pink. Before applying lipstick I always apply lip balm. It helps to help protect my lips from looking dry and it also makes the lipstick apply smoother without creasing. Don't get me wrong in the winter I'm all for my berry shades but for an everyday look I think rosy pink shades look very pretty and natural for the cooler season. I would prefer to wear darker shades for an evening look.

There you go my current everyday winter make-up routine. I hope you enjoyed reading this and let me know in the comments what products you enjoy using in your winter make-up routine.