Liquid Lipstick Loving

Hello everyone! 

It's been a little while since I did a beauty product review and there is a very simple explanation. In the summer I don't wear a lot of makeup, I prefer that more natural glowing look given by the sun itself. However, now that autumn is rapidly approaching expect beauty reviews, looks and how to's galore :-) 

I am always super picky when it comes to my lipsticks, so I have been waiting to find a really good high street liquid lipstick before I try it and then inevitably splurge on a high end product! Maybelline have very recently released a set of 6-8 (depending on which country you are in) matte liquid lipsticks. These are the Vivid Matte Liquids by ColorSensational, the official lipsticks of New York Fashion Week! 

Left to right: 45 Possessed Plum and 05 Nude Flush

I decided to go for two autumnal colours from the range, as I'm not quite feeling the bold red lips yet and the muted nudes are definitely more of a summer thing for me. I chose 45 Possessed Plum and 05 Nude Flush (yeah, I know I said I didn't want a nude, but this one is more pink). I actually found them very different, so I'm going to write about them individually. 

Nude Flush is actually not a true nude, it is very definitely a pink. I love the duskiness of this shade, given to it by the matte finish. It makes me think of late bloom roses. The texture is very creamy, and almost feels like a satin on the lips. It feels quite cooling as it dries, which sounds weird, but is actually quite nice! I found that Nude Flush took quite a while to dry onto the lips and doesn't have the best staying power. However, the lovely colour and the fabulous matte finish more than make up for it. 

Possessed Plum is just as creamy as Nude Flush, but dries in half the time. I'm not sure if that's the same for all the products, or if I have one weird one? The finish is lovely, not as dark as in the bottle, but it is quite buildable. You can apply it lightly for a light plum tone or build the colour for a deep berry look. I really love the matte finish, matte berry tones are so on trend for this autumn and I have been wearing this most days since I bought it. The colour fades slowly over a couple of hours if you are eating and drinking, but it does fade evenly so you can avoid that dreaded line around your lips you sometimes get with other lip products! 

Concerning the other colours, there is a range from a vivid orange, red, berries and different nudes and browns. They are all lovely colours and there really is something for everyone. If you want to try out the liquid lipstick formula without breaking the bank, check these out :-) They are £6.99 each! 

Have you tried these? Let me know your favourite liquid lipstick in the comments below! Also please show me some love, this is my 100th post and I can't quite believe it has got this far! Thank you for your continued support and kind comments :-)

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!

Going Nude

Hello everyone! 

I know I always go on about how much I love a bright red lip, but in recent months I have really grown to love the subtle tones of a nude lipstick. In the same way people quest for their signature red, others hunt for the ideal nude. Somehow I, much to my purse's despair, have managed to join both quests. So I come to you today with a few tips on how to find the perfect type of nude lipstick for you! 

I can't really advise on all the skin tones and hair colours out there as I can't change my looks at will! However, I can tell you about my four favourites and why I love them, with tips added in where I can. There are four main varieties in my lipstick armoury: natural nude, sheer nude, pinky nude and browny nude. 

Left to right: Patisserie, Beige Rose, Ex-Girlfriend and Alice 

This natural nude is the best one I have been able to find and I'd say the tiny amount left is testimony to how much I love it. This is the Urban Decay nude lipstick from the Gwen Stefani collection in the shade Ex-Girlfriend. I think this colour would suit anyone really, it gives a barely there look, but with a slight shine to it from its moisturising properties. This type of nude is quite easy to match to any skin tone as it the most neutral of all the neutral shades. This type of nude is a key part to anyone's makeup collection, it's so easy to just glide on and look smart! 

The sheer nude is the hardest to pull off, the wrong tone can wash someone out completely! These are the ones to try in the shop before you buy them. When I first saw this lipstick I fell head over heels in love with it! The gorgeous sheer quality of it, with the metallic pink streak running through makes it perfect for me. It helps bring a rosiness to my skin, so for someone who is pale and loving pinks this is ideal, however, I would stay clear if you have a more yellow tone to your skin. Go for this one if you love a fresh faced, rosy look :-) This one isn't readily available anymore, it's the Alice lipstick from the Alice Through the Looking Glass collection by Urban Decay, but in Urban Decay's new Vice relaunch I'm sure you can find something similar. Velvet Teddy by MAC is quite a good dupe for this one too! 

The pinky nude is super fun, I love the matte finish to this particular one. It instantly creates a classic, natural look for both everyday and evening wear. This tone is good for people who have a bit of a tan. So I like to wear this in summer when I have a bit more colour to my cheeks. This lipstick smells like chocolate, which is an added bonus for any chocoholics out there! It is the shade Beige Rose from Bigune. I know here it looks very very pink, but once on it is much more subtle and most definitely a nude! You can see it better in the swatch picture above :-) 

The final type here is the browny nude. This one can also be tricky to pull off, but as long as you find the right balance of brown vs pink for you then you should be grand! I love this shade, it is my everyday work go to. There is a slight shimmer to it which means it looks put together without being too in your face. I like the way this shade is buildable so you can amp it up a little bit if you want to wear this lippy on an evening out :-) This is the much revered Patisserie from MAC. Nobody does nudes like MAC so if you are looking for your shade I would definitely search there first, their lipsticks are both affordable and part of a huge range, so there really is something for everyone! 

What is your favourite nude shade? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

YSL and Benefit Mini-Haul

Hello everyone! 

The other day I was browsing in Sephora, as you do, and oops some treats just fell into my basket! I had actually been eyeing up these two products for a while, so why not? It's all for the good cause of providing reviews for you guys :-) 

I had heard rave reviews of the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks, so many people love these products and I have to say I can see why. It would be so easy to go mad and buy them all. The packaging alone makes them collectible. I think it is actually the best lipstick packaging I have ever seen. The classy gold bullets with the YSL wrought chain around them is simply beautiful, add to that the way the coloured band around the bullet reflects the colour of the lipstick and you have pure perfection. They aren't just a lipstick though, they are also an oil based lip treatment which nourishes the lips with 6 essential oils as well as having fantastic pigmentation. I have definitely fallen in love with these, just look at this colour! Y'all should go get one, right now! I went for the colour 41 Corail à Porter, which is a lovely peachy, coral pink, perfect for summer and so wearable as an everyday girly colour. 

I really struggle with eyeshadow primer, my eyes are so sensitive that all the cult classics like the Urban Decay potion primer make them puffy and sore! Which is such a shame, as it is a much raved about product. I tentatively tried some samples of Benefit Air Patrol and it worked like a dream! Maybe it's the BB cream element that makes it more gentle on my eyelids? Since I've been using it my eyeshadow stays on so well. The only thing is that it is quite hard to start using the product. Normally you turn the bottom part once for each eye so you have the perfect amount of product, but the first time I had to turn it so many times to get it to work! You have to be patient and wait for the product to start appearing out of the sponge tip, which is not great if you are low on patience. 

I love the packaging, with the old school US army pin-up theme, it looks so sleek and pretty. However, they have done the whole extra sticky out bit of cardboard on the packet again, which is so pointless! Never mind, it's the product that counts and I honestly couldn't recommend it more highly! 

Have you guys tried these products? Let me know in the comments below :-) P.S. Follow my facebook here.

xoxo

April Favourites

Hello everyone! 

Where did the last month go?! I swear I only started March a couple of days ago. Well, never mind let’s get cracking with what I was loving through April. Let’s split it into hair, body, makeup and general life :-) 

Since I’ve been in Paris I have been going out more in the evenings to explore and meet new friends. It has been fabulous! However, the last thing you need on an evening out is flat hair. My favourite remedy for this is a good old texturising spray. Usually I like a sea salt spray, but this time I’ve been trying a mineral powder fixing spray on fluffed up hair. The L’Oréal Wild Stylers spray by Tecni.art is so lovely! I flip my head upside down, brush back my hair and then spray this in and I’m good to go. It doesn’t make my hair sticky or dry, but it lasts for hours! 

For body there are two products I have been really loving. The first is a new one to the Body Shop, they have out a new range of spa type products called Spa Of The World. They have three different scents, of the three I prefer the Hawaiian Kukui Cream smell as it is so heady and luxurious! The body lotion is so creamy and buttery on my skin. It applies super smoothly and soaks in incredibly quickly. My skin feels so soft and hydrated since I started using it. 

The second product is a kind of a group really. I have never seen the Ushuaia shower gels in the UK so I have been making the most of trying different scents while I’m here. So far I have tried three, but this pomegranate hydrating gel is my favourite. Pomegranate is my favourite fruit, so of course I would love it! The products have a neutral pH and have no parabens, making them very gentle on the skin. I feel so refreshed and awake after using these. 

Now onto makeup, that classic red lip from Charlotte Tilbury has to make an appearance! So Marilyn is a repeated favourite. It is so wearable, for both day and night, and the creamy texture makes it a joy to wear! I have featured this many times, so I won’t waffle on any more about it. 

Lately I have been doing a lot of night shifts and working very long hours. I think my eyes would have been suffering a lot more if I hadn’t been using Benefit’s Puff Off before I apply my makeup in the morning. The smooth gel and cooling iron tip have had such a soothing effect, reducing any soreness or puffiness just as the name suggests! 

Finally, I have been loving spending free time outside in the sun either reading or listening to music. If you were wondering about my deeply fabulous sunglasses…they are vintage, I picked them up in a little store in Bastille called Tilt Vintage a couple of months ago! 

What have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) P.S. Check out my Facebook here.

xoxo

Chasing Away Chapped Lips

Hello everyone,

Whose life is a constant battle against chapped lips from November to April? Mine certainly is, I am so sensitive to the cold. I always delve deep into the realms of lip care at this time of year. I’m sure you were all getting sick of me commenting on this in various posts, so I thought I’d give it it’s very own post and be done with it. 

There is a plethora of lip comfort products out there, some work, some don’t and some just taste so good that they would work if you didn’t lick them off every 5 seconds! Here is my little guide to products that work for me and which are my top rated. 

First off let’s do the balms. I am a sucker for tinted lip balm and I have yet to find one as creamy as the Benefit Benebalm. I like to use the traditional red colour, but they have a whole set ranging from a rosy nude to a deep coral, something for everyone and all that. For me this is a routine buy every autumn. One which my Mam swears by and really got me into is the Clinique range of chubby lipsticks. I am using the colour Whoppin’ Watermelon at the minute, but to be honest I like all of them and buy a different colour every time. They don’t taste amazing, it’s just a standard lipstick flavour, but they do have brilliant colour pay off and feel very soothing on the lips. No matter how much I love the colour, there is a downside, it doesn't last very long and I find myself reapplying multiple times in the day, not ideal! For something more recent, Lush just brought out the gloss The Kiss in their Valentines Day range. I would class this as a balm rather than a gloss as it is quite faint in terms of colour and isn’t really a gloss texture. It feels quite grainy when you first apply it, but the balls soon melt into your lips as they warm up and it does taste amazing! This is one of the ones that gets licked off a lot...

Let's talk Oils and glosses. I chose my three top favourites for this one! I am deeply in love with the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort products. I have the oil in 02 Raspberry (mmmm so yummy!) and the Eclat Minute natural lip perfecter in 01. These two are actually my top rated of all the products in this post, they are so soft and moisturising. Even though one is a gloss and one is an oil they feel very similar, but don't be alarmed they do have their differences. The Eclat Minute is more moisturising and the oil gives you instant protection from the elements. A good product to have by your bed is the L'Occitane shea butter lip balm, it has hardly any fragrance or flavour which is ideal to apply just before bed. It is quite sticky and feels very vaseline-like! It does have some serious moisturising effect though. 

Finally, those dreaded dip your fingers and get very sticky type products. Oh my God I used to hate these, all I could think of were the dirty fingers dipping in and out of the pots. Actually, even now I still always wash my hands before I use them, but some products are worth it. I love the Nivea Vanilla and Macadamia balm, it smells so tasty! It's quite a staple product and most people know and love it, but hey it's one of my favs so it's in the post. I adore this red balm by Lou Lesage, the colour I have is called Loved and that is how I feel about this. I love to rock a classic red lip, but I worry about using lipsticks that will dry out my lips. This is the perfect compromise, the colour pay off is lovely to wear by itself or to add over the top of a lipstick to give a little moisture if you really need that deep pop of colour. This product is a win win in my mind! 

I hope this has helped you find inspiration to make your lips feel the love! What is your top pick for lip care? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Charlotte Tilbury Review

Hello everyone, 

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand that kind of popped out of nowhere a few years ago, suddenly everyone was raving about her products, especially the lipsticks. Glastonberry is a very deep plum/berry tone that most people seem to go mad for, sadly I couldn’t justify this to myself as I have a very close shade to this from MAC. Instead my Mam and I treated ourselves to the Magic Foundation each and a red lipstick for me…naughty I know! 

The foundation packaging is a real winner for me, it looks very sleek and luxe. The bronze top and frosted glass make it look like a very high quality product. Do beware the lid falling off in your handbag, it can be quite loose if you don’t push it on properly. I picked the number 2 Pale shade as I am quite fair, I also love that it is SPF 15, always good to have some protection from the sun. 

The pump applicator means it is super easy to blob the right amount onto the back of your hand ready to apply with your foundation brush. My Mam tried it first and isn’t really a fan, she thinks the yellow tones aren’t really a good match for her winter skin so she is planning on trialling it again in the summer when she has more of a glow. 

I have to say I’m not wowed by the coverage and texture of this. It’s quite dewy and needs quite a lot of powder to set it properly. If I have it on without powder it doesn’t last very well throughout the day. I’d definitely recommend wearing a setting spray with this as it doesn’t last so well on a long day! If lighter foundation is your favourite choice then I think this is the foundation for you, the texture reminds me of a BB cream. I’m not a big fan of dewy skin really, I like to have a glow. In case you were wondering: 

• Dewy = looks moist on your skin, perfect for people with dryer skin. This should look almost airbrushed as though the light is hitting your skin and lighting it up from outside. 
• Glowing = lit from within, an ethereal tone to your skin as thought the light is shining outwards from beneath your skin. 

Onto the lipstick, I went for the K.I.S.S.I.N.G fallen from the lipstick tree in So Marilyn. I love love love the packaging! Rose gold is so beautiful and it’s quite weighty, a substantial lipstick bullet always feels more high end. I like the CT entwined initials on the lid, discreet, but a good reminder of who designed your fab new lippy.  The colour is a deep red, and does what it says in the name, it makes your lips pop as much as Marilyn’s. It looks like it should be quite matte, I found it’s shinier than expected, but I love it, it doesn’t dry out my lips the way some matte colours can. I think I may form a new addiction to these lipsticks, there are so many colours in the range. It’s so easy to find one to suit you and the staff are always willing to help out, seriously, they were super friendly. 

Do you like Charlotte Tilbury? Let me know which products you’ve tried in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

January Favourites

Hello everyone, 

It’s the end of another month and I honestly cannot tell you where it has flown away to! People always say that January drags by and is a very blue month, I could not disagree more, this month is always super busy for me. As I have mentioned in a couple of my previous posts January can also be very exciting on the new releases front too. 

This is my first ever monthly favourites post so I was kind of nervous about what to put in it, but then I thought to myself “Hatts you are being ridiculous”. I’m just going to go with the flow and share the things I have been enjoying most over this cold and rainy January. 

Let’s start off with the beauty products. In my previous post I told y’all about the YSL gypsy opale palette so I’m not going to repeat all that, but it has definitely been one of my favourites. Since I started using it I have received so many compliments on my healthy, glowing skin. However, I don’t think those compliments have been aimed at my lips, let’s just say my lips and the harsh winter wind are not good bed fellows. This month I have been all about the lip comfort and have been really loving all things soft and moisture. My top products for lips have been the Clarins instant light lip comfort oil and my trusty Clinique chubby stick in 06 woppin' watermelon. Between the two of them, these products have been saving my lips from being a horrible chapped mess! I want to add a quick big up to my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette too for giving me some added colour and light. For a full review check out my post here. 

For general life and joy I have been loving my Sanctuary white lily and damask rose body wash, it is gorgeous and gives such a lovely hint of spring to my skin in the morning. I haven’t had much experience with Sanctuary products and I am excited to try out some of their other fragrances, so stay tuned! Macaroons have been a big feature this month as I have been gobbling them down like they’re going out of fashion. They are one of the many things I miss about no longer living in France, there is nothing like going to your local bakery in the morning to buy some fresh baked macaroons. I have been having to resort to supermarket ones here *sigh*. 

And last, but not least, to keep away the revision blues I have been treating myself to the occasional episode of 90210 on Netflix. I haven’t watched this since it first came out and I still love it just as much now! The Annie, Adrianna, Naomi and Silver drama is the perfect distraction and relaxation after a long revision day. To add a boost of colour to my kitchen I have also been loving fresh flowers, it is almost daffodil season after all! 

What have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Limited Edition Goodies

Hello everyone, 

Recently I have been mildly obsessed (massive understatement) with all the new releases this month! I always think January is very exciting for beauty products as so many companies bring out their spring collections and new products for the new year…just in time for the next student loan instalment…not so good for my bank account honestly. 

The product I was most excited by is the YSL Gypsy Opale face palette. Wow oh wow is this palette gorgeous, pretty much as soon as it came out online I had to order one, luckily I had some money from babysitting so could justify the rather expensive £42.50! It came super fast in the post and the packaging is gorgeous. There is a standard gold YSL cardboard box with instructions/warnings etc. Inside is a small, black velvet pouch embossed with the YSL logo, very decadent looking I must say. 

How beautiful is this!?!

The slim gold palette has a marbled pink - fruschia cover and inside the marbled effect is continued. The different colours are laid out in wavy strips with more space being taken up by the blush and highlight, which is fab because they will be used the most! 

There are 4 “colours” - green, purple, pink and cream aimed to cover all the different requirements for “doing your face”. The green is best swept over areas of redness on your face, maybe where you have a bit of blemish or under the cheekbones in areas of rosacia. The purple is used as an anti-dullness colour and you can put it anywhere that you think your skin isn’t looking at it’s best. I like to sweep some under my cheekbones, down the creases beside my nose and across my forehead towards my hairline. The blush is a beautiful glossy colour, similar to the dandelion blush by Benefit. It is a sort of baby pink with a hint of sparkle, perfect for the rapidly approaching spring season. Finally, onto the highlighter, it is a rich toned cream that will suit all skin tones. It has quite a lot of dazzle to it so can be used sparingly to great effect. I find that it really lights up my complexion when swept under my eyes, down the very top of my cheekbones and over my brow bones. 

I have definitely fallen in love with this palette. I have taken to using it after I have put on my foundation and powder. However, the beauty of this palette is that it can be all you need, if you are in a hurry, or are going for a very light makeup look you can swirl all the colours together and dust them over your face for a natural, sunny style! My only niggle is that with the way I apply it, I require several different brushes, the initial application isn’t an on the move operation, but I do love having it in my makeup bag to quickly touch up my complexion over a long day. 

Another product I am excited about this month is less of a new release, but is also limited edition. It is the Clarins instant light lip comfort oil in 02 raspberry. As far as I know the original 01 honey flavour isn’t limited edition, thankfully, this product is a god send for my poor chapped lips. If you are like me and suffer from damaged and sore lips over the winter months then this is definitely for you! At £18 it is very affordable and a small amount goes a long way. I originally went into John Lewis in search of the honey oil, having heard nothing but rave reviews I thought it was a must try, but the raspberry had such a lovely scent I couldn’t resist. It has quite a strong scent, however, once on the lips the flavour is very subtle and I can instantly feel its nourishing powers. I have found myself reaching for it 3 or 4 times each day, the wide doe sponge applicator makes it so easy to apply on the go and isn't harsh on my lips. 

I have always been a lover of Clarins so it came as no surprise that I adore it, but I had never tried YSL before and was blown away by this palette. Sadly their other limited edition products include a luminous green mascara and an eyeshadow palette with more beautiful packaging than product…bit of a let down after the excitement of the gypsy opale! 

Have you guys tried any of these or do you have something better in your makeup arsenal? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

New Gwen Stefani Range

Hello everyone,

I am so excited about this post, I was going to write about something else, but then I wanted to do this first! How many of you love Urban Decay? Aaand how many of you also love Gwen Stefani? If you are like me and are a big fan of both, then I have amazing news for you and you should definitely keep reading.

For the past year Urban Decay have been working with Gwen Stefani on a range of make up, they took a long time perfecting it as they wanted to find the ideal products to represent Gwen's spirit, fire and versatility. You would assume, based on her bold personality, that all the colours would be bright and very in your face. Whilst amazing for Gwen, this is not so wearable for all of us average Jane's and our day to day lives. 

Having all of these preconceptions I was pleasantly surprised with her first eye shadow palette. There are 15 shades with 12 being brand new. Gwen designed these colours based on what she always wished she had in her palettes, giving a wide range from the bright aquamarine and baby pink to the nude browns and gorgeous rose golds. So wearable and so worth it! Following this release came the huge event this week releasing her blush palette, brow box, lip liners and lipsticks. The blushers match the eyeshadows with a range of pastel pink, fuchsia and bronze tones. I won't say much on the brow box as it looks pretty standard, but come on guys, it's Gwen so it will be fab! 

The lip liners and lip sticks are what I am most excited about. There are six lipliners to match 6 of the lipsticks, enticingly there are another 2 lipsticks which are only available online. They sure know how to make you want to spend, who doesn't love exclusivity? The shades are mostly tones of red with a lot of plum tone, except for two shades, one of which is a lovely pinky nude and another brighter coral pink. I think I am most excited about Plaid (a bold red) and Ex-girlfriend (a taupe toned nude).

These products became available online this week and I thought they didn't become available in store until February, which explains my surprise today when lo and behold there they were in Debenhams. I was out with my housemate searching for the perfect red lipstick. She has quite olive toned skin so we were aiming for a deep, vampy red with more plum tones instead of blue. I had spotted Rocksteady online from Gwen's new collection and thought it would be perfect, we were thrilled to try it out. It looked amazing and of course, she bought it! 

Look how amazing the packaging is, it is bold, bright and gorgeous much like Gwen herself! It looks so decadent and my housemate is thrilled with the colour pay off of the product. She had it on all afternoon and evening, it looked just the same even after dinner. This may have been the added help of the matching lip liner, but I would like to think it was the lippy mainly. It has a very creamy, moisturising texture and almost looks like it has a glossy finish to it. 

First impressions are good in this case, fingers crossed they're right! Are you guys excited about these products? If you have already or cannot wait to get your hands on them let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Go To Autumn Lipsticks

Now that the autumn is officially here I can crack out my favourite autumnal lipsticks. Although it is sad that I am putting away my summer pinky nudes and corals, I am really excited for the berry tones and bold reds! 

My two favourite colours for autumn are red and purple, though I tend to lean more towards red at the end of autumn closer to the Christmas season. 

I adore this deep purple berry tone from Mac in satin Media A24, it is quite a matte colour and has fantastic colour payoff and staying power. If I put this on in the morning it will still be there in the evening no matter what I drink or eat, it only fades to a lighter purple, which I actually quite like. The only slight issue I have with this is that I won’t wear it everyday as it dries out my lips quite a bit, but that could just be because I am prone to dry lips this time of year…

Which is all the more reason to whip out the tinted lip balm! Benebalm is my go to for this time of year, it leaves a lovely glossy sheen to the lips and a faint red tint, it is less intense than the original Bene Tint from Benefit, but I love it for a day time look in the autumn. It is a great muted colour for university and leaves my lips soft and smooth. 

I have another favourite from Benefit and this is this wonderful Nice Knickers plum lipstick from an old range of theirs. I use this one sparingly as it is a discontinued line! Which is such a shame because it is a fabulously creamy lipstick with amazing colour payoff, however, it doesn’t have the best staying power from the creaminess. 

For reds I have two favourites for autumn and those are more from high street brands. The first is this lovely post box red from the Rimmel Kate Moss collection for Comic Relief in Red Nose Red 01. I picked this up last winter and I absolutely love it. The staying power isn’t as good, but the colour is so rich and deep that it makes up for it! 

The second is another red, but less deep and more vibrant than the Rimmel one. This one is L’Oreal color riche 297 in Red Passion and I actually prefer to apply it lightly with my finger, it gives a more relaxed feel to the red lipped classic look. I love to pair my red lipsticks with a tartan scarf, jeans, black suede boots and leather jacket. 

What are your favourite autumn lipsticks? Let me know in the comments below! 

xoxo