December Favorites

Happy New Year!!! December was the start of winter and the perfect time to bring out all of your winter makeup and clothes, particularly the dark lips and cool toned eye looks. 2016 was not one of my favourite years so far, for many reasons, but I feel like it is the one that I have developed, as a person, in the most so far. In today's post I want to tell you about what makeup products I enjoyed using the most.

Lips: I adore dark lips and winter is the season I that I can pull them off the most. I have tried a few new lippies recently and here is what I have loved and recommend you check out!

Makeup Revolution: Rebel with cause. I love makeup revolution and have quite a lot of their products, I even got some for Christmas! Last year I got this lipstick and have enjoyed it ever since. It is only £1 and has amazing pigmentation, it is in fact a  dupe of MAC's rebel, it even duped the name!

PS super matte liquid lipstick in the shade Kendall. It is a lilac shade, and it is perfect for when you don't want to be too bold with your lipstick but want a subtle statement. It is unusual and a bit patchy but for £2 you can't go wrong.

Essence matt matt matt lipgloss in the shade 03 girl of today. It is a cool toned pink mauve, and is just the right mix of dark and bright. it was only £2.30 and eventhough it doesn't dry down fully matte is long wearing and has a nice finish.

Eyes: I tend to tone down the eyes in winter and go for a bold lip instead, or I love to do a blue smokey look.

For a good base for any eye look I use the essence pencil eyeliner in 04 white. It blocks out any colour on the lid and makes the eyeshadows pop with their true colours. I also use this to highlight my face if I want a matte look but also a healthy glow. I originally bought it for my waterline but it disappears quickly - you would need a waterproof one.

Finally for my face I like the W7 night glow, which is a cream highlight and a dupe for benefit's high beam. I enjoy using this under powder for a subtle look; or on top of powder and under highlight to make the highlight stay all day and have an extra intense appearance. I was cautious about this because I have oily skin  but it would work with any skin type.

I hope you enjoyed my monthly favourites and it gave you some ideas of what to try!!!<3

Christmas wish list

Christmas is not too far away now, and everyone's getting excited! In today's blog post I am going to tell you what I have asked for, for Christmas. I wrote everything on a list so I don't know who is getting me what and which are going to be in my stocking. I didn't ask for anything really expensive but I do want quite a few things.

I got my friends lush bath bombs/ bubble bars that I picked out for them, each a different one that I thought they would like. When we went shopping we went to lush and they admired the bath bombs, I picked ones that they liked the look of but couldn't afford at the time.

A twenty one pilots jumper is one of the things I really want because I don't have any sweatshirts (the ones you pull over your head) and twenty one pilots is my favourite band, which is why I want some of their merch. I will post photos after Christmas, when I have received my presents.

I also asked for the benefit goof proof brow pencil. I got the mini in a previous Elle magazine edition and fell in love with the way it makes my brows look, so I'm getting a full size version. I don't have many high end products so this will be a good start to my collection.

As I'm into highlighter recently, I asked for the Makeup Revolution pro glow palette; a palette full of 8 different highlighters. It costs £10 which is a really good price, as I don't think I will ever run out or need to buy another highlight (I probably will anyway though!).

On my list I also have some things from amazon. I would love some eyeshadow blending brushes (because you can never blend too much and I want different brushes for different colours, and won't have to wash them every time I use them). I also want the dupe of the artis brushes (because tbh who can afford them) and a dupe of the clairosonic (who can afford that either).

There is also the Dan and Phil go outside book because I am a huge phan.

That is basically all the things on my "main" list but I have a list for things I want, but aren't a priority - such as Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks because I want to try them out but I know they are hard to get. Also MAC lipsticks are on there because I want to try them but not desperately.

I hope you enjoyed this! <3

POUNDLAND, LUSH, PRIMARK AND SUPERDRUG HAUL!!!

Everything has been on sale recently, so people don't have to spend the world on their Christmas shopping. I decided to go out and take advantage of these deals and get some things I've been wanting for a while, but in the end I just got things that caught my eye and weren't too expensive. My mum came with me and we got loads of Christmas presents, some for myself. I think it's best if you pick out your own presents because only you know what you want.

I love poundland, and it was the first shop we went to. I only got 3 things, but to me they should be worth more than £1 each. Firstly I got the makeup gallery acrylic nail polish organiser, which I am using to store lipsticks and my leighton denny nail polish (the £12 one from the Elle magazine).

I also got a pack of 6 deep cleansing nose strips, by dermaV10. Everyone has used to Biore ones recently but I don't see the point in spending that much on them. Therefore I want to try these first before I purchase the more expensive version.

Finally, I got a perfume because I want to start a collection and have heard a few good reviews on poundland perfume. I got the Kappa perfume, which is pink and it's packaging has 2 people sitting back to back on it. It was only a pound so I haven't lost much if I don't enjoy it; and I'm sure a friend will take it if I don't want it.

Then we went into lush and I had to get some more Christmas presents for friends. I already had some and got 2 more bath bombs (rose jam bubbleroon and sakura bomb). I haven't tried anything that I got for my friends and I want to try everything! It was just under £8 for both of them. My mum got me a snow fairy shower gel as a stocking filler, whih was just under £4.

Next I went to primark, I only got 3 things in there. 2 belts: one for me (a beige-cream colour) and my mum got a brown one which had decoration on it. They cost £5 for both (mine was £2). Then I chose a bag for a Christmas present, it was £12 but I don't remember the name.

Finally I went into Superdrug and got a Rimmel London lipstick. Eventhough they had a 3 for 2, I didn't find 3 things I wanted and only got 1. It is in the shade "coral in gold" and it is stunning. It is bright coral-orange with gold shimmer and I can't wait to wear it, especially in summer. I had been looking for a colour like it for a while and this one is perfect!!!

Hope you enjoyed my haul!!! <3

November favourites

This month has been cold but as normal in winter(even though it's still autumn) the sky was blue and there was few days of bad weather. If it's raining I don't usually wear makeup because it just comes off or gets smeared across my face, but there was a lot of good weather. I tried to do my makeup as often as I could so I could test out some new techniques.

Maybelline lash sensational is my mascara favourite and loads of others love it too! I don't have the waterproof one but it still has a good staying power and I could probably get away with wearing this in a drizzle. The colour is strong (mine is the shade black) and it fans out my lashes the way I want - it might be my favourite mascara!!!

Rimmel Match perfection is my choice for foundation, I have the shade 010 light porcelain. It does pretty much exactly what it says on the bottle and I have really enjoyed using it. It is a bit light but all of my concealers are too dark so this balances my face out. My only fault with this is that it has a dewy finish (it does say it keeps skin hydrated) but I can easily fix that with powder. I would recommend this to any skin type (if you can find a shade - they don't go very dark) but take caution if you have oily skin.

For my powder I like to use the MUA pro base prime and conceal powder. This has 4 colours but is a shade of beige when you swirl them together, it looks translucent on the skin so any skin colour can use it. It does mattify and I use this alone on days I just want to set my makeup. If I want a matte finish for the whole day I will use a matte powder and this on top to lock it in place and it lasts most of the day.

Chapped lips are a big problem for me in the colder months so I always have a lip balm to hand. Recently I have enjoyed the body shop's born lippy in passionberry. I love the scent, it moisturises my lips and lasts a while so I don't have to reapply it too much.

Also, I have been getting into matte liquid lipsticks more and more, testing different ones to find my favourite. I love the MUA velvet lip lacquer in "tranquillity", I have a review of it on my instagram, so go check it out!

That was all of the makeup products I've been loving this month, hope you've enjoyed it!<3

November Elle magazine

I'm back with another review of a copy of the Elle magazine, this time the November edition. If you can tell I don't actually buy it for the magazine, but for the free gift and only buy the magazine if it is a freebie I want.

This month the magazine was giving away a free nail polish, valued at £12, by Leighton Denny. I would never buy a nail polish at this price so I thought it would be a great opportunity to test out one of life's luxuries - expensive products that act like drugstore ones. As you can probably tell I have tested the nail polish and don't rate it at it's £12 price tag. However I am pleased I tried it, am pleased I bought it and would willing buy another for £4.

The packaging is beautiful. It is a glass bottle (as expected) and the cap has a metal bit inside the glass and it looks very posh. The main bit of the bottle is a rectangle and the cap is a cylinder, giving a nice effect. The bottle feels quite heavy and expensive, I have it on top of my drawers as decoration, which is what I do will most of my expensive makeup.

The actual product is ok but it reminds me of the Barry m nail polishes. The brush is small and an average brush, I prefer wider ones with rounded off bottoms, for easier application. The formula is thin and you have to use 2 coats, but I do that with all nail polishes. The colour I have is "sink into mink" and it is an unusual grey with a brown undertone. It reminds me of posh spice, the liquid lipstick by jeffree star. I don't actually own posh spice but have seen swatches online.

Overall, I think that if you want the polish for aesthetic purposes and can afford it, go for it. They have some nice colours and I would've gotten more if the shades had been different, I already had similar ones. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to get this because it didn't wow me.

Hope this review helped and you enjoyed it!<3

Ciate Nail Polish Review

In the July edition of 'Elle' magazine (I know, ages ago!!!), there were full size bottles of the Ciate London Paint Pots, in a range of shades to choose from. The magazines were on offer for £2.50 and usually the nail polishes are £9!!! It was such a good deal I had to get (at least) one. In the end I got two, in the shades "the glossip" and "amazing gracie".

Firstly, the shade "the glossip" is a stunning bright orangy coral, it is very unique and unusual and I think it would complement any skin tone. It is pigmented, with a good coverage but the formula is quite thin.

The other shade "amazing gracie" is a off-white pink shade and I thought it would look nice on my pale skin tone. However, it is really really pale and I think that might be the reason it is not pigmented. It is even thinner than the other shade I have and the pigment is not good at all. It didn't apply well and I do not recommend this shade.

Sorry it took so long for this review, I had to try them and compare them to my other, cheaper, nail polishes!!! <3

"The glossip" on the left and "amazing gracie" on the right

SFX makeup

Recently I went shopping and (finally) picked up some fake blood and liquid latex (both from Claire's lol). This is because I want to try out some sfx looks and I can only really do this if I have liquid latex and fake blood. I wanted the ones from Freedom (from their Halloween range that they recently brought out), but they were sold out. I also want to get some white face paint to do some looks with and I will be posting them on my instagram @makeup.basicallyx so when I post them be sure to check them out! I already do fake bruises and want to incorporate them into my looks. I might even do some tutorials.

Matte liquid lipsticks-drugstore best and worst

I own 7 matte liquid lipsticks in total an today I want to show you which I like the most and the least. They are all drugstore but range in price from £2 to £9. I will do them in price order, of what I paid for them.

£2 - PS super matte liquid lipstick(Primark) in the shade "07 Kendall"

• Dries down quickly
• Longlasting
• Large applicator, too big for my personal preference
• Drying(but most matte ones are)

£2.30 - essence matt matt matt long lasting lipgloss in the shade "03 Girl of Today"

• Doesn't dry down, looks like a lipgloss
• Pigmented
• Longlasting
• Wears away evenly but comes off if you eat

£2.70 - W7 full time lip colour in the shade "Angel Dust"

• Dries down quickly
• Short staying power
• Wears away patchy
• If used with gloss it balls up
• Not much product

£3 - Makeup Revolution salvation velvet lacquer in the shade "What I Believe"
I think I might have one from a bad batch because I have heard a lot of rave about these, but I was really disappointed with mine. Therefore, I might purchase another shade to try it out again.

• Pigmented
• Creamy
• Doesn't dry down
• Sticky and patchy

£3 - MUA luxe velvet lacquer in the shade "tranquillity"

• Thinner than old formula
• Pigmented
• Strong smell, wears away once dried
• Dries quickly
• Light weight

£3 - MUA luxe velvet lacquer in the shade "funk" (old packaging and formula)

• Pigmented
• Doe foot applicator
• Long staying power
• Hard to reapply
• Dries quickly

£8.95 - Bourjois rouge edition velvet in the shade "02 frambourjoise"

• Doesn't fully dry down
• Wears off patchy
• Thin formula and a sheer consistency (not necessarily a bad thing)
• Short applicator, I hard to apply

In order from PS (left) to Bourjois (right)

*side note* after swatching them I found that the W7 and the PS were the most long wearing.
If you want a pigmented lipgloss, go for the essence one. Overall I found that the best are by MUA and the PS one is also good for the price. I think you need to test for yourself to see what suits you and what you are looking for in a lipstick, these are just my personal opinions.

October favs!!!

This month has been busy, doing my GCSEs but also getting a week off for half term, most of which I've spent with a cold. I've already started preparing my Christmas list, because I'm one of the most difficult people to buy for (I'm mainly asking for makeup this year lol). Anyway\y, lets get into what products I have enjoyed using in October.

The first two products are both from the same brand "beauty formulas" and one is a clay mask, the other is their detoxifying mask. They both have activated charcoal and are really good for your skin. They are only £1 each and I found them in savers, I haven't seen them anywhere else. I have really enjoyed using them, afterwards my skin feels super soft and they seem to be helping with my spots.

I have been using the simple kind to skin hydrating moisturiser for a while now. At first I thought it was just an average boring moisturiser, which didn't do much. However, now it works really well, it just took a bit of getting used to. Now when I use it, it makes my skin feel really nice and it doesn't hydrate too much (it is a light moisturiser) which is good because of my oily skin.

A shampoo I have loved recently is the Schwarzkopf Gliss shampoo (the purple one), which helps volumises and strengthen thin and fragile hair. I would 100% recommend this and it really saved my hair, which was dry and flat. Now I have a decent amount of volume and is also made it shiny, in general it made my hair healthy.

Now we are in autumn, which is the prime time for a dark lip. I have quite a few and like them all but a few have been standing out from the rest. One is them is the Barry M core balmy in "current bun" which is a tinted lip balm  with a decent amount of pigment and an amazing smell. It smells like berries and it brings the best of both worlds: the moisturising centre helps with chapped lips in the colder months and the colour has a really strong pigment, it looks like a slightly sheer lipstick. However if you use a lip liner you can't tell it isn't a lipstick. It also wears evenly and I've had it for a while, it hasn't disappointed me yet.

A newer autumn lip colour that I've been loving is by essence. It is the matt matt matt long lasting lipgloss in the shade "03 girl of today" which is a dark pink colour. The thing I find weird though, is that it doesn't dry matte. It has a glossy finish but feels a bit drying, so that is quite unusual. Despite that I've worn it a few times and have enjoyed it, so will keep testing it out a bit more. It was only £2.30 so I might pick up a few more shades from the collection.

Lush Halloween products!

Every year lush come out with new seasonal products, and I thought I'd try the ones that caught my eye! I only got two bath bombs(its expensive in there) but chose the ones I thought looked the most interesting. When Halloween passes and Christmas time is approaching I will definitely try out some things from the Christmas range. 

*By the way I am not sure if either of these are new or have been brought back from last year*

The first one that I picked out is simply called "pumpkin" and I can't wait to try it!  It looks like a jack o lantern, an orange pumpkin and it smells like autumn. These are £3.95 each and turn the bath orange. The best part is the smell. It smells like warm cinnamon and vanilla, basically home baking.

The other bath bomb that really stood out to me was "Monsters' ball" which looks adorable!!! I couldn't decide between lord of misrule, but this one is definitely cuter! It looks like a little purple monster with one eye and it definitely looks unique. They are £4.25 each and they turn your bath into swirls of blue, purple and pink, almost pastel but still cool enough for autumn! It has 3 different oils in it and cocoa butter, so it is really good for your skin.

They are both vegan and I would recommend either or try out some others from the range, they all looked amazing!

Makeup and skincare haul!!!

The other day we had a teacher training day and a day off, so I thought it was the perfect time to go shopping!!! So I dragged some friends out to the nearest shopping centre and slashed some cash!(not that much though considering). There's a John Lewis that just opened up nearby so we went there to stare at the makeup we were going to ask for, for Christmas. Y
There's a MAC, Urban Decay, Nars, etc.

So, getting on to what I did purchase, I got 3 liquid lipsticks(whoops!) but when I tried them on it turns out 1 didn't dry down matte, but it is really pigmented so I will still wear it as a gloss. It is the Essence matt matt matt long lasting lip-gloss, shade 03 girl of today. I got one of the MUA luxe velvet lip lacquer in the shade tranquillity, which is my favourite matte liquid lipstick formula ever. This is because it dries super quickly, stays put for ages and is really opaque. The last one I got is from Primark, the super matte liquid lipstick in the shade 07 Kendall, which is actually really good. The only thing I don't like about it is that is has a really long and this wand, which is just not the type I like.

I got 2 packs of cotton pads from Primark (you can get 240 for £1!!!), from Wilkos I got a pack of face wipes, because I love the spotless skin ones from simple but am trying to find a cheaper alternative. Then when I went to pound land there was some micellar water (for £1 obvs). I have never heard of the brand before (dermaV10) but I thought I'd give it a go.

I also got a lipliner, from Primark, in the shade nude because I heard someone on YouTube raving about how nice of a nude colour it was. From collection I got their pressed powder in the shade ivory because whenever I get a rimmel stay matte it breaks and this packaging looked sturdier, for half the price.

I got m&ms form poundland and 2 lush bathbombs. They are both from the Halloween range and I couldn't decide which one, so I got both. I got monsters ball which looks amazing and pumpkin, which also looks really nice and they both smell amazing. I'm sure when I use these it'll get me in the Halloween spirit!!!

Thank you for reading <3

My favourite makeup brushes and real techniques dupes!!!

Thes are some of the most important products in your makeup bag. Therefore, you need good ones - but expensive doesn't always mean good. The most expensive makeup brushes I own are real techniques and they aren't too pricy, but I do have cheaper ones I prefer better, for certain things.

I have the Barry M powder brush, and it does a really good job. I have oily skin so tend to like a thicker layer of powder to fully mattify, and this does the job. Also if I just want a thin layer of powder this can do it too, it never streaks or clumps my powder, whatever one I use. I haven't trued any others from the range but I might look into them when I need to replace my current ones - the range isn't very big but they have a few different brushes.

I have 4 real technique brushes (3 face) which came in a set, I don't remember which one but they came with a travel bag if it helps! I have a foundation brush, a highlighter brush, the multitask brush and an eye shadow brush. I like this set because you aren't restricted to what the brushes are used for, for example the highlighter brush can be used to highlight, contour or under the eye powder, and I use the multitask brush for bronzer.

A line of dupes I have found for the real techniques brushes are by Wilkos (I have talked about them before and I think they're only available in England). I only have one of their brushes but there are many in the liner, and because the handle is very similar I am led to believe that Wilkos purposely made them to dupe real techniques. I have the angled blush brush and it is a perfect density - it really is one of my favourite brushes, along with the fact it is only £4 whilst the real technique ones tend to be around £10. In fact, I would say that I prefer it to the real technique ones.

Overall, I recommend that you check out the Wilkos brushes - you might be surprised.

Top to bottom- Barry M, 3 Real Techniques, Wilkos

Recent Haul!!!

A few weeks ago I went shopping and got a ton of new products to try! I will definitely try them out and when I decide how I feel about them I will do individual reviews on each of them.

Items:
Bourjois Aqua Laque shade: 06 feeling reddy
Maybelline Brow drama shade: dark blonde
Maybelline Fit me concealer shade: 15
Rimmel Kate lipstick shade: 03
Rimmel eye shadow stick shade: 007 gossip green
Boots face cosmetic sponge wedges
Flash eyelash serum

I'm looking forward to trying all of these products and reviewing them! <3

I failed my eyeshadow palette challenge...

Hey guys, a couple of weeks ago I discussed my one a week eye shadow palette challenge which I was going to over the summer holidays. However, at the same time I decided to start the 30 day makeup challenge which was full of really inspirational ideas to expend your ideas of how to use makeup(on my instagram if you haven't seen it!). Therefore, I wanted to use a range of makeup because if I only used 1 palette I would've been a bit trapped and not able to try out the looks that I had envisioned.

What I think of: Poundland

POUNDLAND!!!! I love this shop, if you can't already tell. Literally everything is £1. Everything you would need for £1. They even have their own makeup line, but my pound land doesn't carry it currently which is disappointing, I would have done a review on it because I've been hearing good things about it. Oh well. They do sell branded makeup once I saw the Rimmel gel eyeliner in there, only £1!!! Its crazy, how do they make a profit?!?! Something's I suppose you could get a better deal elsewhere but if I need something I tend to head straight to pound land. There is literally no negatives, but if you think of any comment them below!!! Sorry this was a short one <3

Lush Products

Lush is a great shop, found in many countries, which offers a variety of baths bombs, shower gels, shampoos and now a range of cosmetics and skincare. When you walk into Lush, the smell can be a bit overwhelming, so I'm going to tell you what I think are some of the best and not so great products (that I have tried). These are all my own opinion and it is just what worked and what didn't, for me. I'm only writing about things I have tried, a lot more products are available such as perfumes and shampoos, but I can't review them as I haven't tried them.

Bath bombs: AMAZING!!! There is a massive variety and when you walk into Lush I recommend  you look at everything because sometimes the best bath bombs are the smallest or look the plainest.

Bath oils: There are 4 choices of bath oil in my Lush, which is quite a small one but if you go to a larger one, such as the Lush in Oxford Street, London - there is a huge variety. My favourite (from the small option range I have) is "Mmmelting Marshmallow", which has a lovely peach scent.

Bubble bars: Not that great really, but some are good - it depends on your taste. Personally I think it is a bit pricy, it basically just gives you bubbles and maybe a hint of colour. However some, such as the comforter bubble bar, have a lovely scent that lasts. Also, I would only recommend putting a small amount in at once so it lasts a lot longer and you don't need a lot anyway.

Shower gel: There are many fragrances to choose from but I chose "the comforter" because I love that berry scent. The scent is really strong but vanishes really quickly, so probably isn't worth £5 for 100ml.

Lip scrub: FABULOUS!!! These are £5.50 for a 25g pot but well worth it, in my opinion. You only need a tiny bit at a time and it tastes delicious because it's basically sugar (don't go eating it though!). You probably could make a D.I.Y lip scrub that is very similar, but who has the time for that?

Face moisturiser: Enzymion: Nothing special really, I dislike the scent and it doesn't really do much for my skin, like my regular moisturiser but way more expensive!

Charity Hand Cream: IN LOVE!!! This does have quite a greasy feel to it but softens hands instantly, this is my soft hand secret! Plus it's for charity, £1 for 10g of £3.50 for 100g!!!

Comment if you agree or disagree with any of my reviews and leave your opinions, especially of products I haven't covered, I'd love to hear it!!! <3

What I think of: Rimmel London

Today I want to do an overview of Rimmel London makeup, from the small range that I personally own. My friend loves Rimmel Makeup and convinced me to try some of, which I did and I'm glad I did.

Stay matte primer: This is the best primer I have ever tried, it minimises pores, mattifies and keeps makeup on for longer. And it's £5.99.

Match perfection foundation: It's ok and you can probably find a good shade, I don't know how dark it gets (probably not very) but if you are so pale you can't find a good match anywhere else, just try 'light porcelain'. It has an oily texture so not ideal if you have oily skin.

Wake me up concealer: It is a good, brightening concealer with a thin consistency. However, the palest shade is a light tan colour, so I have to mix it to get a good colour.

Stay matte powder: The classic powder that everyone raves about, I think that it's just ok. It's chalky, doesn't last long and the packaging is horrific but you get 14g for £3.99 so it's not too bad of a deal.

Natural bronzer: I have two shades; 22 sun bronze and 25 sun glow. As you will have guessed, 22 is lighter than 25. I use 22 as a contour shade, it isn't too warm toned but it isn't cooled toned either. I think it works well for a summery bronzy contour look. I use 25 as just a regular bronzer but I have to use a very light hand.

Eye shadow, 5 colour: 022 Brixton brown. It is a very wearable palette, with some nude shades and a shimmery red, which is a nice twist. I like this palette but the shadows do crease and wear off a bit throughout the day.

Scandal eyes Rockin curves mascara: It is an ok mascara, it has a weird shaped wand. I go through phases with this, I either love it or hate it, but I haven't used it much recently so it is time to get rid of it, it was ok but there are much better ones at the drugstore.

Lasting finish lipstick, 058 drop of sherry: It is a really  nice red-pink lipstick which glides on really smoothly. However, as this is advertised as a 'lasting finish lipstick' it fades pretty quickly. It doesn't last long at all and if I wear it I know I will definitely need to top it up multiple times.

August favourites

I can't believe the holidays are nearly over! It has gone so quickly and I've had so much fun. I'm going to be in year 10 this year and am going to start my GCSE's!!!

Anyway, I'm going to tell you about what I've been loving and reaching for in August.

W7 in the buff palette: Finally I have realised that I love it! It just has a great mix of shimmery shades, I do wish it had a few more mattes though because I love to have a matte as a base in my crease. I did use one of the shades from my Rimmel London 5 palette, the dark brown, as my crease/transition  shade.

Rimmel stay matte primer: I get really oily skin anyway, but in summer I just turn into a greasy mess. This helps a lot, under makeup or even alone, it reduces my pores and my shine, I can't ask for anything more really.

Benefit they're real mascara: I have the mini size and it is just a good mascara, there are some just as good or better at the drugstore but this is the one I have been reaching for recently.

Makeup Revolution sugar and spice blush palette: This highly pigmented blush palette comes with 6 matte shades, one baked blush and one highlighter, all with stunning pigmentation. It is definitely for the fuchsia lovers and you need a really light hand.

Bourjois rouge edition velvet, 02 frambourjoise: This is a really pretty dark pink shade with a lovely smell and the softest texture ever. It doesn't last an awfully long time but wears evenly and isn't too hard to remove. Quite a thin consistency but easy to apply.

Comment below what products you have been loving recently!!! <3

What I think of: Primark

As a teenager with little money, I am always on the hunt for a bargain - whether it be for clothes, makeup or anything else really. Even if I am not actually paying for it I still want that accomplished feeling when you get a good deal. I recently discovered Primark, a shop where they sell clothes and shoes for cheap; they also have their own makeup line now.

They always have things on sale so it is a great place if you want a good deal, the clothes generally aren't bad either! There will be something for everyone's taste. You can always find a t-shirt for £2 or some jeans for a fiver! Genuinely their stuff is great.

However, good deals come at a cost. They use sweatshops (not much difference from other highly know retailers, but still to be thought about). If you don't know, sweatshops are factories in LEDCs (Less Economically Developed Countries) where the workers are paid very little for their long hours and put in horrible conditions. A lot of other companies use sweat shops as well, only the really pricy ones don't, so there isn't much difference between buying from Primark and a slightly more expensive shop. I just thought I'd share all of the pros and cons of the shop(in my opinion).

There are not many cons of Primark and overall I think it's a good shop and I would recommend it.

Comment below if you disagree or agree with anything or have something to add <3

Finish 15 by Halloween

I'm going to introduce you guys to a project pan I am taking part in, finish 15 by Halloween. Basically I just want to pan or finish off some products by October 31st, which is a decent amount of time and I'm sure I can get at least a few completely finished off.

Items:
1. Miss Sporty the meow look mascara
2.Natural collection lash build mascara
3.Miss Sporty morning baby cream blush, coral flush
4.Miss Sporty so matte pressed powder
5.Miss Sporty just clear mascara
6.Collection lasting perfection concealer
7.Fruity lip gloss
8.Barry M cor balmy, Adam and Eve
9.Rimmel stay matte pressed powder
10.MUA pro-base colour correcting powder
11.MUA lipstick, shade 14 bare
12.Maybelline baby lips, oh orange
13.Maybelline baby lips, pink shock
14.Makeup Revolution focus and fix concealer
15.MUA lip liner, caramel nougat

I'm not panning all of these because I don't like them (I am panning some for that reason though!), some of them are old and I want to use them up or I just don't reach for them and use project pans to help me actually get use out of all of my makeup.

Comment below if you are doing a project pan or want to start one <3

One a week eyeshadow palette

I decided that to use all of my eyeshadow palettes and give them the love they deserve, I am going to use one for a week and no other. This will get me to try them out and use all the shades, I might fall in love with some that I didn't think I would like.

I don't know what order to do them in, I have 4 palettes which I want to use:
MUA undressed,
W7 in the buff,
Makeup Revolution iconic 3,
Makeup revolution fortune favours the brave.

I think that I am going to take the W7 in the buff on holiday with me, this means I literally can't use any other palette. I don't use this palette that much because I just love the MUA undressed so much.

Sorry this was another short one!!! <3

July makeup faves

This blog post will tell you all of the makeup products that I have been LOVING in July.

Primark lip liners: I have two shades, Wine and Dark Pink. They are £1 each and are really creamy and they don't move about, I honestly prefer them to the Rimmel ones which I just find to be too thick. I adore Dark pink as it's just a perfect colour for a dark nudey pinky lip look.

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara: it separates, volumises and lengthens; what else do you want in a mascara? I got it when it had an offer on so it was £5.99, but it normally retails for £7.99.  This is quite pricy if you are on a budget (there are some decent, cheaper alternatives available) but if the price doesn't matter, I would definitely recommend this.

Pure 3 in 1 cleansing wipes: they are from pound world and you get two packs for £1, which is excellent value. They are non-scented wipes that just easily wipe away makeup, and you get 30 for 50p! I got them after a youtuber I watch raved about them and they are great!

MUA highlighter, pink shimmer: I know I've talked about this before but I will rave about it again, it's just amazing!!! It has a holographic shimmer, I can't describe it , it's just amazing and so pigmented!!! When I first got it there was a hard layer on top but when you get it off, it has incredible pigment. Hopefully the swatch will do it justice.

W7 full time lip colour: This is a dual sided lipstick, one side a matte liquid lipstick and one side a clear gloss. I have the shade Angel Dust and it's a stunning dark pink nude(pale skin). The liquid lipstick looks shimmery in the tube but it's completely matte on the lips. The only thing is, don't wear the gloss onto of the liquid lipstick. It makes it move around, ball up and look terrible. However the matte lippie looks great on it's own. It is quite cheap but you only get 6g in total so it isn't actually the best deal. It was a bit disappointing because of the gloss, but it's in my favourites because of the formula of the matte liquid lipstick.

Thanks for reading!!! Comment what product(s) you've been loving recently <3

Wilko's beauty products

Wilkos (Wilkinsons) is a shop (only in England I believe!) that sells everyday essential for an amazing price. They sell everything you could need ranging from garden equipment to cookware to beauty products, the latter of which I will be reviewing today. They do sell brands such as Rimmel and Maybelline but I will be talking about their own brand (not cosmetics but other beauty products).

Firstly, Wilkos' own products (hand cream, lip balm etc.) come in a few fragrances, all of which are really strong. My favourite are orange and pomelo, passion fruit and melon, and strawberry and pomegranate.

Shower gel: this is a nice texture and it was 85p! I really enjoyed it and the packaging was good too.

Hand cream: LOVELY!!! I have 3 of these in all the shades I mentioned as my favourite, they are just nice, refreshing and come in good packaging, a plastic bottle with a pump. They are 95p each.

Lip Balm: MEHHH. These are 95p each and come in a round tin, pretty packaging and you get 15g of product. However, the balm itself it solid as a rock and when you rub it, nothing comes off. Therefore, it is not exactly my favourite product, and has a lot to be desired.

Face primer: I couldn't believe they had a face primer, and for only £3 as well!!! It claimed to be both a light reflecting and a mattifying primer, so I was curious but didn't know what to expect either. It is really soft and is white with a slight pink undertone but this is undetectable when on the skin. I cannot tell you how soft to the touch it is and it makes the skin feel instantly soft and matte. However I haven't really noticed my makeup staying on much more than usual or looking any matter (or any more light-reflecting in fact!) but it might be because of how oily my skin is. In any case, I'm going to keep trying it, to see if it affects my skin in any way.

Makeup brushes: These are the softest makeup brushes I have ever tried, I have the angled blush brush and it's amazing, better that real techniques. If you want a cheap 'dupe' (that I think is better than the real but you need to try for yourself) then this is where you need to be looking.

Overall Wilkos has some hits and some misses, but I think you should try them out yourself if you are interested, hope this blog post helped!!!

Favourite nail polishes

Hey guys, today I'm going to talk about the range of nail polishes that I've been loving recently.

 Firstly, I'm going to talk about the rita ora collab with rimmel, producing a range of nail polishes with fresh, spring colours. Rimmel left them in it's own packaging, so you can tell the brand. I got the shade "878 roll in the grass" which is a lovely turquoise colour. The first coat of this is quite blue but as you build it up, it gets more green.It was £2.99 and you get 8ml of product.

Then I have a maybelline nail polish and it's from their 40 second express finish line in the shade "250". This is a beautiful purple, blue colour with hints of glitter which has a stunning effect on the nails! It has 10ml of product and I got it for £1.99.

Another nail polish I enjoy is the nailsinc polish in the shade "tate" which is a lovely dark red. It has a good pigmentation and formula. It has 10ml of product but I don't know how much it costs (sorry!).

We have a topcoat next, the Barry M matte topcoat. It does what it says on the tin, it makes whatever nail polish you wear beneath it.You get 10ml of product and it was £2.99.

I really enjoy the W7 nail polishes, but particually this pink one in the shade "110 clubbing". It was only £2, and you get 15ml of product! It has a really good amount of pigmemtation and I would definately recommend them.

Makeup Revolution Blush Palette Review

Today I'm going to do a review (comlete with swatches!) of the makeup revolution sugar and spice blush palette. It has some really bright pink shades, along with a couple of neutrals, a shimmer and a stunning highlight. There are 3 other blush palettes but I thought that this one suited my skin tone the best. I might try some others because this one is so good and it's only £6!!!

The packaging is very sleek and black with rose gold writing. It is very shiny which means you can see fingerprints - one of the only faults I have with it. The mirror is huge and you can do your whole makeup with it, if you wanted to. The pan sizes are quite large too so you get quite a lot of product for the price. The matte blushes have a really nice, smooth texture but the shimmer ones feel a bit sandy; luckily it's mostly matte. Despite this I think that all the blushes and the highlight look good on the cheeks and they feel smooth.

The blushes swatch very well except for the highlight, however I think it was drowned out by the writing. The top row can all be everyday blushes, two nudes and one soft bubblegum pink (that can be buit up if you wanted). The highlight is very intense and has a lavander - pink undertone. The bottom row has more intense shades, I particually like the very left one which is a dark, reddish pink. There is also a coral, a dark bubblegum pink and a shimmery pink, all gorgeous shades.

Overall, I would definately check this palette out if you are interested in some bright pink shades or for the nudes. The price is very reasonable and it is well worth it. 

MUA lipsticks review

Today I'm going to show you and give a review of my whole collection of Makeup Academy (MUA) lipsticks. This isn't too big of a collection but I just wanted to share which ones worked (for me) and which ones really didn't. I just love lipsticks and want to help you choose the best of this amazingly cheap brand!!! The lipsticks are all £1 each!

The packaging is very cheap, some of the lids are good quality and some are just terrible, it's hit or miss. When the lid is off the bullet is silver and with the black lipstick, it comes off when I twist the lipstick up! It doesn't happen with any others of mine but my friends claim that the same thing happens to theirs, so it is something to be wary of.

(Left to right) 1,9,11

Shades:
Number 1 is a dark, pinky red that aplies really smoothly and looks good on the lips, however it wears quite patchy.
Number 9 is a frosty browny pink that is very sheer and takes quite a bit to build up, but looks nice on the lips, especially layered.
Number 11 is a warm toned dark nude brown, not as bright as the photo. One of my favourite and goes nicely underneath shade number 9.

(Left to right) 14, barely there, raven

Number 14 is a beautiful, pink undertoned nude shade, perfect for people with pale skin. This is my all time favourite nude lipstick, helped by the fact that it is £1!!!

'Barely there' is a really pale pink, however the formula is terrible!! It is really thick and patchy, it doesn't look nice on the lips and I just can't wear it. Eventhough it is £1 I do not recommend it

'Raven' is a jet black shade and is perfect for halloween or any occasion where you would want a pigmented, creamy black lipstick. I don't wear it often because I can't really pull it off but if you can or want to test it out, you should definately give this a go!

Overall there are some shades I would definately recommend and some that I really wouldn't, but in general they are good lipsticks for only £1!!!

Dupe for Lash Sensational

Today I'm going to show you a possible dupe of the Maybelline Lash Sensational (which is supposed to be a dupe for the Benefit Roller Lash).

The top wand is the Miss Sporty Studio Lash the Meow Look mascara. It costs £2.99 in superdrug and the wand is very similar to the Maybelline Lash Sensational. Half of the wand has short, spikey bristles and the other half is curved with thinner, more densly packed bristles and they are plastic.

The bottom wand is the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara, one of our nations best loved mascaras. The only main difference between them is that the maybelline one has the entire wand curved, whilst the Miss Sporty one has a flat bottom half of the bristles. However I think they perform in a very similar way. The miss sporty one has a wetter formula.

The packaging is a big difference and is one of the places where you can see the price difference. The maybelline one has really nice packaging, and it should seeing as it cost £7.99!! The miss sporty packaging has lacks the wow factor, but I belive the actual mascara makes up for it.




Overall, if you are on a budget I would definately go for the Miss Sporty mascara because it is really amazing. However, the Lash Sensational is also really good and if you want something that is popular, I would choose that.

Elle magazine June Edition

Normally I don't buy magazines, particually fashion ones but as I was walking past this in Tescos it caught my eye. In it you got a mini Benefit goof proof brow pencil, and the magazine was only £4.10! I had to get it, I was looking for a new brow pencil anyway and even if I didn't read much of the magazine it was worth it just for the brow pencil.

Firstly the outerpackaging in one word: BRIGHT!!! It is a bright coral orange colour which instantly makes it eyecatching, probably the main reason I noticed it (good marketing Elle!) but I was also looking out for it (any 'free' samples draw me in). Basically you cant miss it.

If you are interested in the actual magazine the June edition mainly focus' on fashion and beauty (the main reason I got it was for the benefit sample!) and I also got 2 perfume samples.

The packaging is super cute and I'm going to keep it, with the pencil inside it. 

The product packaging is STUNNING. It looks like metal and the lid is super pretty. It is a mini so you dont get a spoolie on the other side but oh well. The pencil is twist up so no need for a sharpener but you don't get much product.

Overall I really like this pencil and would recommend the magazine just for it! Just remember you can't tell what the shade is, it's a total guess. I am thinking of buying the full size product but it is a lot more money than I would want to spend on a brow pencil, so it really does depend on what you want your money to go towards. 

Best Naked Palette dupe?!?!?!

Hey everyone, today I'm going to do a comparison post, on the best drugstore dupe of the Urban Decay naked palettes. I have 3 brands: MUA, Makeup Revolution and W7. I will compare price, weight, pigmemtation, texture. Then I will say which one I think is best.

Firstly, the MUA palettes. These are £4 each and contain 9.6g of product. I have the Undress Me which is the dupe for the naked palette. The packaging is very cheap and plasticy, I have already cracked the lid. However, the eyeshadows themselves are really good quality. The only eyesfavourite am not a fan of is the matte black, but most matte black eyeshadows are the same. All of the other eyeshadows are easy to blend and have beautiful finishes. Also the eyeshadows have names, which helps a lot in tutorials.

The next palette I have is 'in the buff' by W7, which is the dupe for the naked 2 palette. This was £5.99 and has 15.6g of product! The packaging is amazing! It is a very sturdy tin, so you can easily take it away without worrying about breaking it. Furthurmore, these eyeshadows are so creamy and blend so easily, its amazing. To make things even better, the eyshadows have names!

Finally, we have the iconic 3, by Makeup Revolution. This palette has 14g of product and costs £4. I was dissapointed by this palette because I can't use the first or second shades, aswell as the copper-gold. The reasons are that the
white is not pigmented enough to show up and the second and gold shades come out in chunks, so they are basically unusable(pun intended).

Overall, my favourites by far are the w7 eyeshadow palettes, they are just my ideal eyeshadows. The texture is amazing, the finish is beautiful and the packaging is a very high standard. I definately recommend them, they are just amazing!!! If I had to choose a second place, it would be the MUA palette. Eventhough the packaging is cheap and there is less product that both of the others, the textures are beautiful. Some of the Makeup Revolution eyeshadows are brilliant but there were too many disappointing lones to make this palette my second favourite.

Thanks for reading and comment down below if you want me to review anything!!!

Favourite lip balms

Hey guys, today I'm going to share with you which lip balms I've been loving(and wearing tons!!) recently.

                                           As you can see, I have quite a lot of choice!!!

The first lipbalm that I'm currently loving is the Nivea Essential Care (dark blue lid). I got a set of 4they'rea lip balms for christmas, this one is by far my favourite. It's just really simple and has a lovely texture. They are around £1.50.

Next I have more tube lipbalms, which I love for their convenience, they're just great for on the go! These are the Barry M Cor Balmys. I have the shades "Adam and Eve" (left), which is quite a sheer pale pink, it gives a lovely sheen. The second one "Current Bun" (right) is a dark plummy shade. Obviously, it isn't the most pigmented product ever - it is just a lip balm! - but it has a beautiful, wearable colour. I find that berrys are hard to wear, but this one isn't. They are £3.50 each.

The next lipbalm that I'm going to tell you about is (in a tin and it's) the body shop's glazed apple lip balm. They are christmas specials so they are unavailable at the moment. They have a gorgeous smell (funnily, its of apples!) and a really nice texture. They are just great and are £4 each.

The last lip balms that I'm going to show you today are the Nivea Lip Butters. I have 4 flavours: blueberry blush, vanilla and macadamia, caramel cream and raspberry rosé. These are my favourite of all time and they been for a while. They smell amazing and the formula is so good. They are quite thick so they're really good for putting on before you go to bed, you wake up with soft lips! They are about £2 and I really recommend them.

Fortune Favours the Brave palette

Today I'm going to tell you about the Makeup Revolution's collaboration with BritishBeautyBlogger and the palette that they created together. The palette is called "Fortune Favours the Brave" and it is £10, only in superdrug and it's limited edition.

As you can see in the photos, the packaging is stunning and the shade range is amazing. The packaging is a matte gold with a shiny gold symbol. It is very sturdy and travel friendly. It comes with a full size mirror, 30 eye shadows and a double ended brush.
The brush is quite good, considering the price, but the blending side is a bit small - however this will be perfect for travelling.

When I first opened it I was a bit disappointed because I expected the shadows to be bigger, the pans are quite small. The palette only has 16g of product, but (again) I expected more product.

I have swatched all of the shadows; which all differ in pigment. I must admit, I was disappointed when I first swatched these because after so much praise I expected them to be amazing. They are a bit chalky and for a couple of the paler colours there is barely any pigment.

(Sorry some of the pictures are sideways)

If you build up the eye shadows you can have some lovely colours, there were only a couple disappointing ones.

Overall I do quite like this palette, it was £10 and you get names with the shades, so it is perfect for tutorials. I would recommend it because you can create a lot of different looks for different occasions and there are colours to suit everybody.