New Maybelline UK releases!

A good rifel through Boots and Superdrug usually ends with me purchasing a few new products to try out! This time one of my favourite brands, Maybelline, had some exciting new offerings. I know there has been much hype about the 'Colour elixir' lip glosses in the States, but until now they haven't been available in the UK, so as soon as I saw them I grabbed one (que very excited, kid in a candy shop type of face)! Snuggled up next to the elixirs were the new 'Colour drama intense Velvet lip pencils', which I have heard absolutely nothing about but was very intrigued by . As it happened Maybelline was also on 3 for 2 in Boots (can I get a whoop whoop), so I picked up 2 pencils and 1 colour elixir.

Now I haven't had time to put these to the test properly, but my first impression is very good! I picked up the colour elixir in the shade 105 'Petal Plush' and this has been firmly on my lips over the course of the last week. I can certainly see what the hype has been about. Its creamy, pigmented, not drying, long lasting and glossy without it being overkill. I am now eagerly awaiting my next trip to Boots, to pick up another shade.

Top to bottom: Colour Sensational Elixr lip in 105 Petal Plush, Intense Velvet lip pencil in 140 Minimalist, Velvet lip pencil in 630 Nude Perfection. 

On first impressions the pencils seem beautiful. They too are really pigmented, smooth and seem to leave a slight stain to the lips. Having not tried many lip pencils, its difficult to compare them to other brands such as Nars (maybe that's something I need to do). These come in 10 different shades, including an orangey red and a berry colour.
Overall my first impression is really good and I can't wait to pick up a few more shades of both products. Have you tried any of these, what are your thoughts?

Maybelline Colour Sensational Exlir lip: £6.99

Maybelline Colour Drama, Velvet lip pencil lipstick: £4.99

G xxx

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I treated myself to some Bobbi Brown...whoops

I went in for a bronzer and came out with 3 things....this budgeting thing isn't going to plan!!!!! In fairness the other two were things I had been eyeing up for ages and one was limited edition (you have to grab these things whilst you can right?). 

 First up in my little spendfest was this gorgeous Limited edition 'Surf and Sand' palette. It was love at first sight when I saw this and once I had swatched them and realised how gorgeously buttery they are I couldn't get to the checkout fast enough! This seems like the perfect palette to take away with you and with its gorgeous mixture of cool toned matte and shimmer shadows, you could create a wide variety of looks.

Now I know these shimmer bricks are something of a cult product but I have been resisting temptation for a VERY long time. I had originally had my eye on the Rose shimmer one but when I saw this gorgeous one in 'Nectar' my heart skipped a little beat! As many of you will know I love peachy, coral blushers and this seemed like perfect thing to compliment it. Unlike the bronze ones, these aren't colours I would use on both cheeks and eyes (for me anyway), but it was just too stunning to leave!!

Finally....the one thing I actually went in for. If you saw my last post (Soap and Glory 'Solar Powder'), you will know how much I raved about it and love it!! It is still my top bronzer, however this Bobbi Brown one has some of a 'cult' status in the beauty world and I have been dying to try it for ages. I got matched with the shade 'Golden Light' and it is a brilliant match for my pale skin tone. This totally matte bronzer seems to compliment my skin tone beautifully.





So as I'm sure you will agree, I have been a little naughty!! Bobbi Brown is one of those brands I love, but for some reason I see it as being a more luxurious brand than some others....why is this?! Anyway I can't wait to try all these out properly, I'm a tad excited!!

Have you tried any of these products? Which shimmer brick is your favourite?!

xxx
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Soap and Glory 'Solar Powder'

Way back in the January sales I picked up one of the 'Soap and Glory' christmas palettes. In it was a 'Solar powder', 'Love at first blush' and 'Glow all out'. For a few months I dipped in and out of it, only using it occasionally. However since the weather got warmer I was looking for the perfect bronzer and decided to 'shop my stash'. For some reason I had pushed this one to one side and didn't previously think much of it. Oh how things change!! I am literally in love with this bronzer, so much so I made a massive dent in the one from my palette and decided to purchase an individual one for travelling and to keep in my bag.

So what do I love about it, well the main attraction is the two colours, 1 light and 1 more mid tone. For someone as fair as me this is a god send, as I can mix the two colours to create the perfect shade. The darker side is matte, whilst the lighter side does have a slight shimmer to it, but not too much.
As you can see from the picture it has the usual 'S&G' embossed on the middle of the product. When you first by it, this does have a light pink shimmer overlay on it, but this goes as soon as you use it.
I always forget how cute Soap and Glory packaging is, its a lovely mixture of sturdy cardboard esq packaging with a sleek and fun design on the front.

For me this is defiantly my HG bronzer, not a label I give out very often at all. This product retails for £11 for 9g, which I think is a total steal!
So what is your favourite bronzer? What is your favourite product from the S&G range?

xxx
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Space NK/ Selfridges haul

Its not often I go down to London, so when I decided to go yesterday, I knew it was time to have a spend!! There are so many makeup brands we simply cant get in the deep dark depths of Norfolk and although you can buy them on line, picking shades is a bit of a risk.

As well as makeup I also brought quite a few clothes.....its fair to say I over spent...oops!!!!
My first stop was Selfridges, where I was on a mission to find the 'Giorgio Armani Luminous silk foundation'. The guy on the counter was quite simple lovely and was so helpful. He matched me up to the correct shade (number 5) and wasn't one of these pushy sales people who tries to sell you the whole stand in 5 mins. When he tried this foundation on me my first reaction was WOW, which I never ever say when I first try a foundation....I can't wait to wear this properly.
Next up I went down to the holy grail that is Space NK. Despite knowing what I was going in for I spent ages in there perusing all the brands and even got given a glass of champagne! The lovely ladies in there matched me up to the 'Kevin Aucoin Sensual skin enhancer' (SX2) and the 'NARS Pure radiant tinted moisturiser'(Finland Light). As I am writing this I am wearing the NARS tinted moisturiser and am so surprised by its lasting power and coverage. Whilst I was in there my eyes spotted the Hourglass ambient lighting blushers. These are so stunning and eye catching when you see them. I picked up the shade 'Mood Exposure' which is a gorgeous rose gold, plumy, blush. I also grabbed a small version of the Oribe dry texturising spray. This stuff is soooooo expensive so I hope its worth it!!!!

I cannot wait to try all these products and share my thoughts on them. A lot of these are blogger favourites so i'm intrigued to see what all the hype is about and if they live up to my expectations. 

I hope you are all enjoying this gorgeous Sunday afternoon!!

I would love to know your thoughts on these products. 

G

xxxxxxx

The Spring nail pick

Now the gorgeous warm weather has officially arrived I can finally bust out my Spring/ Summer nails, clothes and makeup! Now I know Spring has technically been here a while, but lets face it, in England, it hasn't felt like it! For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you will have seen the huge abundance of nail polish I accidentally own (whoops). I was on the hunt for my Spring polishes and I picked 4 of my favourite ones to share with you!

L-R/ T-B: Bourjois So laque glossy 06 Adora-bleu, Maybelline Superstay 615 Mint for life,
Essie 249 go ginza, Essie 73 cute as a button.

All of these colours are ones I would wear on both my hands and feet and all have good lasting power on my nails. Essie is one of my favourite drugstore nail polish brands. One of the things I love is the brushes, they are nice a big (without being so big they go over the edge of your nail) and you only need 2 coats. The formulation isn't watery and makes me fool proof application. 

When I brought the Maybelline nail polish in 'Mint for life', I thought it may be a dupe for Essie 'Mint candy apple'. However this is actually a much softer, much more muted mint green colour and if I'm honest I actually prefer the tone of it. This formulation is amazing, it dries really quickly, goes on smoothly, and lasts the longest out of all of them on my nails. 

The Bourjois one is a beaut, with its striking blue/ lilac tones. Blue is not a colour I often opt for but in Spring it just seems to draw me in. I love the colour of this polish which is why its included. However the only draw back is the formulation. Once its on my nails it does last well, especially on my toes, but getting it on is a bit of a pain. It is such a watery nail polish, which means I am always making sure I take most of it off the brush before I apply it so as to avoid my whole finger being blue.  You can see what I mean in the above shot, as the colour is all down the side of my nail ( I left this in so you could see). I did own another from this collection but the colour wasn't over ally great so I threw it away. Despite this I do reach for this one on those days where i'm not in a rush and have time to  faff over my nails without running out of the door.

Prices: Essie £7.99

Maybelline £4.00 ish (although I couldn't find these online)

Bourjois £5.99

So what are your favourite Spring/ Summer nail polishes? I would love to know so I can try some out!! 

Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin, instagram and twitter!

xxx

Bourjois Shine edition lipstick: 27

I have had my eye on this lipstick for a while, but being a bit of a lip product junkie, the dreaded 'Do I really need it' question kept coming into my bed. So when the beloved Boots '3 for 2' offer came back I took it as a sign to get it!! I am so glad I did, it has fast become my most loved lip product.

I have this is the shade '27', its a gorgeous sheer pink, that makes my lips look super healthy. I have had so many compliments when I wear this. Considering its so sheer, this actually has really good lasting power and leaves a slight stain on my lips. The packaging is gorgeous and very different to anything else I own. For some reason I really like the green/ silver/ pink combo together,  it looks summery and quite expensive.

I am totally desperate to try some more Bourjois lipsticks from this range. Have you got any recommendations?!
This retails for £7.99 in Boots and Superdrug and is currently in  the '3 for 2' offer.

xx

CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation review and mini comparison!

I bow down to the holy grail that is CHANEL makeup! I hold my hands up and shout "I am a CHANEL addict". When I heard about the new foundation offering from this mighty makeup (and fashion) powerhouse, I knew there was a bottle out there with my name on it. I have recently been loving their Vitalumiere Aqua foundation and was wondering if this would live up to that standard.

The first thing I have to say is that this foundation is, in my eyes, very different to the Vitalumiere aqua. On my skin the Aqua is very dewy, has quite a light but buildable coverage and needs setting with a powder. However the Perfection foundation drys to more of a matte finish, provides more of a medium coverage and I don't need to set it with a powder. For me it totally depends what look I want that day as to which of these two foundations I would reach for. Both have really good lasting power on me, but I would say the Perfection lasts slightly longer and wears off a little better on my slightly oily skin. 

The packaging of this is sleek, compact and sophisticated with a totally black exterior and simple white writing. I really like their compact packaging as it makes travelling a million times easier.

This product cost £33 for 30ml! Trust me it is totally worth it!

Do you like CHANEL foundations? Which one is your favourite?! 

Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin, twitter and Instagram!!

xxx

Tanya Burr lips and nails

Since getting into blogging and watching You Tube, Tanya Burr has been one of those people you just can't help but love. She comes across as one of the most genuine, kind, funny and a happy people in the social media world (plus she's from Norwich..my home town). So when she brought out her lips and nails line I was really intrigued to get my hands on the products. I can be a little funny with buying things online, usually I really like to see the product and the colours in person. So when she announced they were coming into Superdrug, I decided to seize the day! On Wednesday (the day they came out), I hot footed it to Superdrug in Norwich and decided to pick up 1 lipgloss and 1 nail polish.   The shop was crazy and so many people were surrounding her display!

I had been eyeing up this lipgloss in the colour 'First Date'  and it didn't disappoint in person. Its a gorgeous, subtle, nude, pink colour, which looks gorgeous on the lips. As soon as I got out of the store, I went and tried it on! The first thing I noticed was the pigmentation..WOW! I am not usually a lover of lip glosses, purely for the reason that they often don't provide enough colour for me, but these are incredible! Whats also lovely is that as the sheen wears off you are still left with a soft glow on the lips and all the colour. I had this on for a good few hours and found the lasting power to be incredible! The other bonus is the smell.....I want to eat it!! I am desperate to get my hands on a couple more. Any suggestions which shades?! 

The nail polish shade I went for was 'Peaches and Cream'. I am usually really funny with peach shades, as sometimes they can make me look like I have really dirty hands (sounds odd I know)! So many shades of peach just don't suit me. However this one stood out as it isn't a dark peach, but more of a light, cool toned peach. On my nails, it looks gorgeous! The formula is really good and they apply really easily. I am only on my 2nd day wear, so i'm not sure what the lasting power is yet...we shall see!!  

Tanyas lip glosses retail at £6.99 in Superdrug and her nail polishes are £5.99. I think these are really reasonable prices, considering the gorgeous quality, packaging and formulas! 

Have you tried Tanyas products? Which is your favourite?! I really want to try some more from the range so would love to hear your shade suggestions!! 

Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin, twitter and instagram!!

Happy Friday!!!!!

xxx

Benefit: Stay don't stray eye primer

When my beloved Urban Decay primer potion for eyes ran out I decided to be brave and try something new. Having had the usual look through blogs and YT videos I decided I liked the sound of this offering from Benefit. It would seem I am on some sort of Benefit roll at the moment. However these really are the only products I own from them, but I think I may slowly be becoming a convert! 

I had really high hopes for this product and it would seem it lives up to this expectation. The staying power is really good and provides a really good clear canvas for eyeshadow application I really like the fact it comes with a doe foot applicator as I feel I can only use the amount I want without squeezing out too much (story of my life)! I really like this packaging as its simple, pretty, slim and practical. I recently wore this for a night out and my eyeshadow stayed in place beautifully on my horribly oily eyelids. 

What is your favourite eyeshadow primer? Have you tried this product? 

 xx

Benefit Rockateur

If you saw my previous 'Saturday splurge' you will know that Benefits Rockateur blush finally won me over! Whilst the gorgeous rose gold tones always appealed, the shimmery top coat really put me off as I was concerned it might run through the blush. However whilst purchasing a new Porefessional primer the sales assistant tried this on me and it was love! The first thing was that I don't own anything anywhere near similar to this colour, which as a makeup lover is a massive draw. It also gives a really natural glow to the skin and can be built up to give more colour if desired. I am not over ally keen on the packaging design as I find it bordering on slightly tacky, but I do love the box style of it.  

When you first open the box you are immediately drawn to the beautifully embellished blusher shining back at you! The shimmer is a really thin overlay and luckily doesn't run through the blush itself as I know this would have stopped me buying it. I love the fact that it can be a really sheer blush but can equally be built up. This blush costs £23.50 for 5.0g , which is quite a big price tag, especially when you realise MAC blushers are £18 for 6.0g. I think with Benefit you defiantly pay for the decorative packaging and embellishment in their products.  However the gorgeous product inside totally makes up for the hefty price!! 

I am really pleased I brought this as a little treat for myself. I really, really want to try some other Benefit products! What are your favourites?! I would love to try Hoola for the summer. Have you tried this? What  do you think?

Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin and twitter and instagram ! :-)

xxx

Weekend splurge!

You know how it goes, you nip into the city to pick up 1 thing and come out with multiple items!! Well this seems to be the story of my life at the moment! I went in for conditioner and came out with more than just a bottle of hair product...oopppsss!! To make myself feel less guilty I thought I would share my little purchases with you all (then it has another purpose right?).

As you can see I got a tad over excited at the Benefit counter! I can honestly say its been such a long time since I purchased any Benefit products. I used to be an avid user of The Porefessional   but its £24.50 price tag stopped me repurchasing. However recently I have struggling with visible pores so I decided to treat myself and get a new tube. I also recently used up the last of my Urban Decay eye primer, which lasted me a ridiculous amount of time. I had heard so much about the STAY DONT STRAY £20.50  eye primer that I decided to give this a try and see how it fares in comparison.  I will be sure to do a full review/ comparison when I have had a chance to try it for a while.  My final Benefit purchase was their beautiful Rockateur blush £23.50. I have to say this was most defiantly a purchase on a whim! This blush had never appealed to me, mainly because I thought it would be overally shimmery. I ask the sales assistant to try it on me and instantly fell in love. It is such a beautiful rose gold colour, which makes my skin look (as cheesy as it sounds) 'lit from within'. I cannot wait to try this properly! 

Moving on from Benefit, I next happened to walk past the Estee Lauder counter, when my eyes were drawn to the holy grail that is Bronze Goddess perfume. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for its arrival, as my bottle from last year is only 1/3 full and this is simply my favourite summer scent. As it is limited edition I snapped it up quicker than you can say "beauty addict"! At £47 it was a naughty purchase, but one I had been waiting to make! 

My final stop was Boots, where I picked up a new conditioner and a 17 shimmer brick. I think I must have been on a 'bronze' mission after I smelt the sweet scent of summer so my eyes were instantly drawn to the 17 Shimmer brick £4.99 . I am really looking forward to playing around with this to see what kind of things I can do with it. Im hoping some of the colours will look pretty on the eyes. My final purchase was the conditioner I originally went in for. I decided to try a new one, so opted for the Garnier Ultimate blends, silly smoother. I have heard some people talk about this range and so decided to see what I make of it. I'm not sure how it will fair as I have a really sensitive scalp and so some products give me a really itchy head! We shall see!! This is currently on offer at £1.94 but is usually £3.89. 

So there you go, my random, spontaneous, naughty but very satisfying Saturday splurge! Have you splurged recently? If so what did you buy? Do you tend to splurge on makeup or clothes?! I would love to know. Please don't forget to follow me on bloglovin! 

xxx

March Favourites

Its that time again already! Where does time go?! So this month I have been desperately trying (and failing) to adhere to a spending ban. Needless to say I found this soooo hard! Some of this months favourite products are ones I have found whilst 'Shopping my stash',  but there is one that was a naughty purchase this month. 

Soap and Glory 'Butter Yourself' Body cream £ 10.50

This is one of my favourite body butters (well the 'Soap and Glory' ones are generally). I love the scent, texture, packaging...everything basically!! This leaves my skin feeling super soft and hydrated. 

M.A.C Teddy Eye Kohl £14.00

This is my second Teddy pencil, it has to be my all time favourite eye liner from any brand. Its a gorgeous brown with some slight shimmer running through it. I tend to blend it up from my lash line and it blends like a dream, but sets really well afterwards. 

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 04 £18.00

I have 2 of these in 02 and 04. They are moisturising, give a natural tint and and wear off beautifully! I keep both of mine in my handbag and they are most defiantly my go to lip product. 

M.A.C Creme Cup lipstick £15.00 (I swear these keep going up)

This never used to be a lipstick which appealed to me, but after seeing my friend wear it on her wedding day it is most defiantly a new fave! I haven't worn lipstick much this month, but when I have  this is the one I have reached for! Its a gorgeous nude pink with a slightly glossy finish. It doesn't dry my lips out and it lasts well on my lips, although not as long as matte lipsticks. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in 10 Beige £32

I always used to think this foundation would provide too little coverage for me. However after trying a sample of it, I realised that it provides the most gorgeous finish and with a little concealer, my skin looks flawless! This is a beautiful foundation with a slightly dewy finish. This has been my go to foundation all month! 

Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay perfume sample size. 30 ml £39, 100ml £78

I am most defiantly buying this perfume in a full size. This scent sums up the winter/ spring transition perfectly for me. Its floral scent lasts all day and my skin. I have had so many compliments when wearing this. A full review can be found on this blog!

Vitage Natural Skin glow vitality £18

This is a stunning 'glow' power which creates a naturally highlighted face without the crazy shimmer. Although there is a small amount of glitter in this powder, it is almost untraceable on the skin. This is a mineral based highlighter, which on the downside means it can be slightly messy, but it is totally worth it. This is possibly one of the best day time highlighters. 

Urban decay Naked 3 palette £37

This was my naughty little purchase this month....I totally caved. I have done a full review on this as it is simply too beautiful to put into a few words. Its range of matte and shimmer shades mixed with the stunning pink undertones makes for a truly unique and gorgeous palette! I have used this pretty much every day since I purchased it. The range of looks both day and night are endless. 

What have your favourites been this month?! Have you tried any of my favourites, if so which one?! I would love to hear your comments and suggestions for products to try!  

I would love it if you would follow me on bloglovin! It truly would make my day!  

xx

Giving into the hype...Urban Decay Naked 3

I have finally caved and purchased the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette! For the longest time I refused to buy into all the hype and excitement surrounding this stunning palette but alas to no avail. I am an avid user of the original Naked palette but I never brought the Naked 2 for the simple reason that it just didn't grab me! It all seemed a bit 'samey' and nothing particularly new. However this beautiful palette is like nothing I already own. 

This palette leans much more towards the pink side of the neutral scale but without reminding me of the horrible barbie pinks I wore as a young teenager (unfortunately this did happen)! The shade buzz reminds me ever so slightly of a shade from my Clinque 'Pink Chocolate' quad. However 'Buzz' comes off a lot deeper and is a much warmer tone. 

The palette itself contains 12 eye shadows, 3 of which are matte shades. 'Nooner' is a really lovely crease colour, which I have been wearing blended down into 'Liar' with 'Factory' on the outside corner. The only downside to these shadows is they do need a primer underneath as I find otherwise they tend to slide about throughout the day. This palette does come with some of the Urban Decay primer samples, but I think for the price a good mini sized primer potion would have been a better choice. It also comes with a dual ended brush, which I really like. One end is really flat and is so ideal to pack colour onto the lid, whilst the other end is slightly fluffier and brilliant for blending. 

It has defiantly been giving my original Naked palette a run for its money. This palette retails for £37 in the UK. 

Which of the Urban Decay Naked palettes is your most loved? I would love to know!

xx

Empties: The first edition

So I have decide to take the plunge into the strange world of writing all about empty bottles! To begin with I never really understood this craze, but now I secretly love it. I have been quite good at remembering to 'keep my rubbish', which to begin with was harder than I thought.  Its actually quite therapeutic as I can now see that although I buy a lot of products, I also get through more than I think I do.  So here goes.....

I seem to have got through a lot of bath products so far this year. The cold weather has obviously made me gravitate towards a bath instead of a shower.  In my Christmas stocking this year I got given the Soap and Glory 'The Daily Soothe' £8, which is basically a bit like a bubble bath. The idea is that you put a handful under the running tap and watch the bubbles appear. Although I liked it, I wasn't blown away by it, so probably wouldn't repurchase. A bath product I love (and that is crazy cheap) is my Morrisons 'Relax' bubble bath (I think this is around £1). Its a standard bubble bath but the lavender and chamomile really helps me to relax and just so happen to my 2 of my most loved scents.  My final 'bath' product is my Boots 'Epsom salts' £1.49. This was recommended to me to help my body relax and de-stress. As you may know I have suffered with bad skin in the past and sometimes it can be down to my body being stressed out. I find using these really helps my body calm down and provides me with some of the minerals my body needs to be calmer. This was my 4th pot of these and I already have another in my bath room....they are a total lifesaver!!
Going back to 'Soap and Glory' I recently finished my 'Sugar Crush fresh and foamy body wash' £6.50. This is my second bottle of this and I simply love the scent. It always leaves me smelling really good and makes me feel incredibly clean. I would most defiantly buy this again. I have tried a few of their scents and am currently using the 'Rich and foamous' body wash.  Another shower gel I used up was the Palmolive Aroma therapy shower gel £2.09. For some reason I hated this shower gel, it took all my effort to use the whole bottle. I found it quite drying and just a bit 'blah' really. I will not be buying this again.  In January I was on the hunt for a new body scrub when I spotted this Champneys 'Exotic retreat body glow'  £10 (It was on offer for £5) in Boots. I had never tried anything from this brand before and had heard mixed reviews. However I was pleasantly surprised. This isn't a harsh body scrub and so doesn't feel rough on my skin. It is incredibly moisturising and leaves my skin feeling super soft and lovely. Considering it is a drugstore product, it feels very luxurious. If this was on offer I would buy it again but for some reason I feel £10 may be a little too much to spend on a body scrub!??
Now onto non- bath related products. 'Clean and Clear deep cleansing lotion' £2.99', is one of those products I really enjoy, but am not sure why. I think its that moment where I have cleansed my face with a wash and just want to check everything is off. Looking at that clean cotton pad (or slightly dirty one, depending how badly I cleansed) is incredibly satisfying. I find this helps to keep my spots at bay and have already got through 3 bottles! I love it! For my evening eye cream I have been using 'Estee Lauder Advanced Night repair eye'  £38. I have been using this for years and its fair to say I will continue to do so. Its a brilliant, moisturing eye cream that I have become slightly dependant on. It stops my eyes looking puffy and tired and is an all round wonder product.
As you all know I love PRIORI and Vitage products so it will come as no surprise that there is one of their empty bottles in this post. Usually I use my PRIORI cleanser but for some reason I changed it up and used the 'Vitage Reveitalising daily cleanse' £24. I really enjoyed using this product. It cleansed my skin incredibly well and left it feeling super soft. I really felt like my skin was getting a deep clean from this, which for me is a sign of a really good cleanser. I simply can't choose between that and my PRIORI one, so I may well have to keep swapping.
Last but not least I used up my favourite deodorant 'Dove invisible dry roll on' £2.30. The reason I always use this is because it doesn't leave white marks on my clothes and it keeps me smelling fresh all day!! Its a lifesaver!
Wow this was a lonnnggggg post!! If you are still reading then well done. So do you like posts like these? Have you tried any of these products? Would you like to see more posts like this? I would love to know. Please leave me a comment and don't forget to follow me on bloglovin.

Thanks for reading xxx

Jo Malone

Norwich was recently lucky enough to get a Jo Malone store and having heard so much about it, I had to pick some bits up! Over Christmas I purchased the Peony and Blush Suede perfume. This perfume has a beautifully strong floral scent and was one of the first ones I had tried in store. One of the first things I noticed about their perfumes was the quality, they are very strong and have wonderful lasting power on my skin, unlike some of the cheaper brands. The prices are fairly steep but I am an avid believer that with somethings you get what you pay for. This 30ml bottle retails at £39 in the UK and the 100ml retails at £78.

Knowing about my new love for Jo Malone, my parents brought me their limited edition 'Christmas Cracker'. In it was this Blackberry and Bay mini perfume, a mini Grapefruit body creme and a mini Lime, Basil and Mandarin body and hand wash. I'm not entirely sure how much this cost but I have a feeling it was around the £30 mark. This was a brilliant way to get to know some of their other scents and experience how they wear on my skin. I have to say the Blackberry and Bay perfume is gorgeous and I will most defiantly be purchasing a full size of this when this runs out. The other two scents are beautiful but I'm not sure they are the sorts of scents I would wear as a perfume. The body creme and body wash were so luxurious and a real treat to use! The full size body and hand wash retails at £32 for 250ml and the body creme retails at £50 for 175ml.

Whats your favourite Jo Malone product? I would love any recommendations to try! 

xx

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February Favourites!

The speed that this year is going by is totally mind boggling! How is it already March?! Anyway this month I have been trying lots of new things and some of them I totally LOVE!! So here goes...

Dior Skin NUDE in shade 010- £32.00

This is such an incredible foundation. It has amazing lasting power, a good selection of colours, and provides light to medium (buildable) coverage. This foundation looks beautiful on the skin, providing a slightly natural glow, making me look like I have had a really good night sleep!! I have worn this pretty much every day since I purchased it (which is a major rarity for me). 

Vitage Age Defence Power Skin repair- £53 

For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will know I am a massive fan of PRIORI and Vitage skin care. These two companies make incredible products that work beautifully together. I have been using their products on and off for the last 2 years and its fair to say I will never stray from them again. This is my 5th tub of this moisturiser and I adore it. This doesn't break me out, doesn't contain any nasties, is a super- antioxidant and is anti ageing! Its a total miracle worker and I adore it! Although it has a big price tag, it is totally worth it. I get mine from Louise Thomas Minns (if your in the Norwich area) who owns the amazing skin lounge U and your skin www.uandyourskin.co.uk. Although she doesn't sell it online, you should pay her website and youtube channel a visit, she is my skin guru!!! 

PRIORI Daily Defence protector spf 30- £17

This is my daily, everyday sunscreen. It is non- greasy and has a gorgeous soft feel to it. It is a broad spectrum sunscreen so it protects against both UVA and UVB rays, which is turn stops sun damage and ageing. I really like this product and it has lasted me ages. It sits beautifully under makeup and has no nasties in it!! YAY.

Dior Rosy Glow- £30.50

Im not going to say too much about this as I did a blog post on it recently!! All I'm going to say is I LOVE it!!! It is such a clever product.

Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow paint in 'Rich Russet'- £4.99

This is my go to eye shadow for my manic work days. It is so easy to blend, lasts all day and looks beautiful. This product really surprised me as usually drugstore eye shadows don't last particularly well on me. However this super offering from Rimmel is giving my beloved Maybelline colour tattoo and run for its money. It must be good!

Chanel Illusion D Ombre in 82 Emerveille- £24

I first came across this eyeshadow when I did the Pixiwoo course last summer. As soon as I tried it I went out an purchased it and love it so much I have now hit pan (or glass as its a glass pot, but you get the idea). This is my go to no makeup, makeup eyeshadow. It is slightly shimmery but not in an overpowering sense. I usually tend to put it all over my eye and blend some bronzer through the crease to create a simple but effective eye look. This lasts really, really well and looks beautiful over the course of the day. I have been on the hunt for a drugstore dupe but as of yet I have had no luck! 

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer- £5.99

I did a blog post all about this beauty! It is an incredible drugstore primer, which I use every single day!! I love it so much I have just re-purchased it (the sign of true love)!!

Sleek Brow Stylist in Light- £5.99

This is a new offering from Sleek, which I picked up on a recent visit to Superdrug. This product is quite waxy, but is really easy to use. It has a slanted tip, which is brilliant for shaping the wider and thinner parts of your brows with the thicker and thinner sides. This also has a spooly on the other end to help create that natural look. 

Illamasqua Freak Eau De Parfum 75ml- £59

I first tried this perfume as a sample when it first came out. I have been desperate to get the full size ever since. So when it went into their sale over Christmas, I jumped at the chance to get it. I ended up paying £25 for this 75ml bottle, which is now back up to £59 (what a bargain). This has quite a dark, floral, night time scent, which lasts really well on my skin. I have had so many compliments on this when I have been wearing it. 

What have you been loving this month?! I would truly love to know! Please don't forget to follow!

xx

Dior Rosy Glow

The Dior makeup counter has been really drawing me in recently, with so many beautiful pieces of makeup and equally stunning packaging! I have found it very difficult to resist temptation and recently picked up two products, which I have worn literally every day since!!
This blush is rather on the expensive side at £30.50 for 7.5g and in honesty I kept talking myself out of purchasing it. However I am such a blusher junkie that in the end my heart won the battle. Despite the bright pink appearance, this blush adjusts to the moisture in your skin, thus creating the perfect colour for your skin on your cheeks. This colour is slightly more muted on my 'English rose' type complexion, but gives me a healthy, pink, pinched cheeks sort of a look. In the pan this blush is a bright pink, with blue undertones and this defiantly translates onto my skin.
I totally adore this blush as it doesn't look like I have lots of blusher on, it just looks like I have naturally flushed, healthy cheeks. This lasts all day on my skin and doesn't go blotchy or funny over the course of the day, which in my eyes is the sign of an incredible blusher.
 I have been wearing this over the top of the 'Dior Skin Nude' foundation and have found the combination of these two together to be simply beautiful! These are without a doubt two of my top products of February!

Have you tried any of the Dior products? Which ones are you favourite? Do you like these self adjusting blushers?

Rimmel Primers

I am not usually one for drugstore primers. I just don't seem to find them to be as effective as some of the higher end ones like Laura Mericer, MAC or Hourglass. However Rimmel have totally won me over with two brilliant offerings.

The 'Fix and Perfect PRO' is a lovely primer, which is brilliant for a bad skin day. Sometimes my skin just needs a bit of oomph to it and this brightens it up, whilst still be mattifying, I find it leaves my skin looking beautiful and really helps my makeup to stay on. This claims to be a 5 in 1 makeup by smoothing, resurfacing (not sure of this one), brightening, mattifying and protecting.  I am currently on my 2nd tube of this and at £6.99 for 30ml its a total steal.
The most recent offering from Rimmel is there 'Stay Matte' primer from their 'Mattifying' range. Although the 'Fix and Perfect' Primer is mattifying I would say this product is even more so. My skin can be really oily some days and other days it can be quite dry and lifeless. On days where my skin is really oily or I know my makeup will need to be on a long time, I always opt for the 'Stay Matte' primer. My makeup sits beautifully over the top of this and it helps it last all day. I am yet to try it with their 'Stay Matte Foundation' though! This product retails for £5.99  for 30ml in the UK.

What are your favourite primers? Do you tend to use higher end or drugstore primers?! I would love to know!

xx

Meet Herbie

So today, I am stepping away from the beauty related posts and welcoming you into my world a little bit. Back in 2012,  I made the decision to get a dog. Having grown up with them, I had always desperately wanted one. My ex's mum has two Lhasa Apsos and as soon as I met them, I fell in love. Having always had big dogs such as Golden retrievers, wanting a small dog was a bit of a change. This wasn't a breed I had really come across much, but they are beautiful and are such little characters. They originate from Tibet and were used to warn guards when someone was entering a temple or monastery.  For quite a long time they could only be gifted by the noble men in Tibet as they were seen to be too sacred to be kept as domestic pets. The belief was that once the Lhasa's owner died their soul would enter the Lhasa's body. They were also considered to bring good luck to their owners.

Herbie is now 1 year and 8 months old, he will be 2 in June.  He is a very happy little dog who loves his walks and LOVES to play. Luckily for me, my sisters dog (a 2 year old Westie called Dasher), is quite often over, so they get lots of play time! There is only so much throwing a soft toy toy around 1 person can do.  He adores his walks, and I must admit to loving a muddy (he hates mud), winters walk!! Generally Herbie spends his days sleeping, playing, eating and running about like a loon. He loves to know people are in the house, but quite often prefers to be snuggled up on my bed out of the way. One bonus of Lhasa's is that they are a non shedding breed, which is perfect for me!
Having Herbie was one of the things that helped me get through the last year, he really is my little miracle.

As a puppy, the day I got him. He was 12 weeks old here.

Anyway I just wanted to share my little monster with you! Hopefully this has given you a little insight into my life. Normal beauty posts will resume at the weekend.

Herbies Key facts:

Birthday:26th June 2012

Favourite food: James Wellbeloved kibble, Wainwrights food trays and any treats going. He also loves a good yoghurt pot. 

Favourite toy: His cuddly lamb or the most noisy squishy duck.

Favourite place: Bed

Dislikes: Mud, water, vets and scary new people. 

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream and CC Eye cream

Bourjois can be quite a hit or miss brand for me, some of their products I love and other are just a bit blah. When I saw their new CC cream range I was unsure whether it would live up to the same standards of their 'Healthy mix' serum foundation. Que...Lisa Eldridge! Well what can I say she was my enabler, for the CC cream at least. The eye cream just seemed to fall into my basket!  These two do however work wonders together. 

I have been using these on and off for a couple of weeks now and its fair to say its love. The website claims that the CC cream itself combines the colour correcting properties of a foundation with the skincare action of a cream. It also has an spf of 15 and claims to have 24 hour hydration. One thing is defiantly true of this CC cream, it evens my skin tone out beautifully. I tend to have some redness in my skin especially around my nose as well as some acne scarring and hyper pigmentation. It creates a really beautiful, natural looking base to apply my makeup too. I do still have to use a concealer with it as it is a very light base, but for those lazy days where I am running errands, it is perfect. Usually I apply a small amount of powder over the top of my more problematic areas, but it still looks natural. I was quite surprised at how well this lasts on my skin. I have worn it to work a few times, which means its typically on around 9 hours and it wears really well. When I first got this I tried lots of ways of applying it. My favourite however is with a MAC 130 as I think it gives a really lovely finish to the skin. 

Did I need another under eye concealer...not really no! However this is a really light, but good covering corrector which doesn't make me feel like I've piled on lots of product to get rid of my dark circles. It is really easily blended and looks beautiful along with the CC cream. The applicator of this concealer is made of silicone and is almost bendy, which I really like because it never feels like its dragging on your under eye area. I usually apply this and then blend it out with  the Real Techniques beauty sponge. You can barely even see its there. 

Have you tried these products? Which Bourjois products are your most loved? I would really love to know!

G xx

Smashbox Full Exposure palette

Having heard so much about Smashbox recently, I have been desperate to get my hands on some of their products. Luckily for me my local Boots store has recently started stocking lots of new high end brands, including...you guessed it. Smashbox!! This palette caught my eye on the display as it has a really good mixture of both matte and shimmer shadows. A lot of 'Neutral' palettes out there seem to contain 1 or 2 mattes surrounded by lots of shimmer. I also love the fact that it contains 2 really good slightly darker, shimmer shades in the form of S6 and S7 (top far right) as well as a matte black. 

The shadows themselves are really creamy and pigmented and they are easily blended to create and endless amount of beautiful looks. My favourite shade is S1 (top, far left), its such a rich, creamy browny, bronze, with flecks of gold running through it.

 This palette also comes with a box full of goodies, including a travel size Full Exposure mascara, a dual ended brush with a fluffy brush and a flat brush aswell as a little booklet demonstrating all the different looks for different eye shapes. I think this is such a brilliant idea!! 

This palette retails for £36 which I think is a brilliant deal (especially if you get your Boots points too)!

Have you tried any Smashbox products? What should I try next, I would love to know! 

Welcome back!

Hello!
Firstly let me apologise for being away for so long. The last year has been a tricky one, with lots of personal problems taking over my life! The last year involved a very bad break up, a move, an operation, a new job, severe anxiety and eventually ending up in the best place I have ever been in my life! Its fair to say its been a tough year and one of self discovery. I am now well and truly a much better version of myself and couldn't be happier! Anyone who knows me knows how much I have missed blogging but I quite simply had lost my mojo.
Anyway a new year, a brand spanking new laptop and a million and one things to write about! I cannot wait!!!!!!
My first new blog post will be up and live on Saturday. I am currently working on updating my blog page and I hope you like its new look.
I hope you have all had a wonderful New Year. If you would like a blog post all about my last year, I'm happy to share it with you but don't want to bore you!

G
xxxxxxx