Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful festive season. I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year. It's also the time when Lush starts to bring out its cute Christmas goodies and of course I had to buy some.

 (L-R: So White Bath bomb, Candy Mountain Bubblebar, Dashing Santa Bath bomb, Christmas Eve Bubblebar)



Firstly, I'd like to let you all know that I have new camera, a DSLR camera to be precise (no more point and shoot) so the quality of the pictures has changed dramatically, I'm still figuring it out but I can already see a big difference! The lighting isn't great but it's to be expected in the winter. Anyway, just thought I'd let you all know incase you're wondering why my pictures are different.
On to the haul, I didn't pick up too many things because I had already purchased some Lush goodies a couple of months back and I wanted to try out some things I'd never seen or heard of before. Except for Candy Mountain, that is one of my favourites and I couldn't help but repurchase it.
The products that intrigued me the most were So White and Christmas Eve, I liked the way they looked and they sounded so adorable. They also smell amazing and would compliment each other well in a bath.
Lastly, I purchased Dashing Santa because you have to buy at least one Santa product during Christmas time (it's an unwritten rule) and it was just too cute to pass up. Not to mention it smells like sherbert!
 I haven't tried any of these products yet but I'm really excited to!

Have you bought any Lush products recently?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

 

Collection Big Fake Curves Mascara Review

Hello everyone! I hope you're all well. I've noticed recently that voluminous and full lashes are back in for autumn and winter, so I thought I'd hop on the bandwagon with Collection's new offering in the form of the Big Fake Curves mascara.

 In all honesty I purchased this on a whim. I needed a new mascara and I just grabbed this because it was cheap and the wand intrigued me.
As you can see the wand is plastic and consists of two spheres with spikey bristles. The wand is massive (much like the Rimmel Scandal Eyes ones). It's so big that it ends up getting slightly stuck in the top of the tube which causes me to flick mascara everywhere, it's so annoying!
The packaging is nice and simple in a slim black tube with pink and white writing. There's not really anything else to write home about, you get what you pay for.
The mascara itself was very wet when I first used it and did smudge because the huge wand was making application tricky. It did give a nice curl to my lashes and a decent amount of volume but I found by the second coat my eyelashes were starting to get clumpy and I know this sounds weird but it made my eyelashes feel heavy and weighed down which made it uncomfortable to wear for long periods. It doesn't really add much length but it does define the lashes. 
The lasting power of this mascara isn't amazing either, after about 3 hours it would be smudged on my brow bone and would start to flake off. Even though the lasting power is bad, taking it off is also a challenge, even with my oil-based cleanser it doesn't come off completely and i have to rub my eyes a lot to get it off, which is not good for them. 
Also this mascara has dried up already and I've only had it for 3 weeks! Not impressed and the drier it gets the worse it is. 
Overall, I wasn't very pleased with this mascara, the first application was nice but it pretty much went downhill after that. I wont be repurchasing it again even if it was only £4.99 .

Have you tried the Big Fake Curves mascara yet?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil Review

Hello everyone! I hope you're all well. Firstly, I would like to apologise for being MIA, I've been swamped with assignments and exam preparation, I've had no time for myself let alone planning and writing blog posts.
Anyway, I've changed up my cleansing routine recently and I've really noticed a difference with the removal of my makeup.

I've switched from a cream cleanser to an oil. I opted for the L'Oreal cleansing oil because it was easy and cheap way for me to test a cleansing oil.
At first I was apprehensive to try it because I thought an oil would be a catastrophe for my oily skin. Boy was I wrong! 
I think I've found my new favourite cleansing formula! 
The L'Oreal cleansing oil is lightweight yet very moisturising, my skin always feels so soft after using it.
I use about 3 pumps to cleanse my whole face, including my eye makeup. I have sensitive eyes but this doesn't irritate them at all.
I like to mix it with water once I've massaged it into my skin to create an emulsion (as seen in the picture) then I wipe it off with a damp flannel.
It takes off pretty much all my makeup, unless I'm wearing a stubborn mascara, then I have to use a bit of eye makeup remover but otherwise it's amazing!
I like the packaging, the orange plastic bottle really makes it stand out in your bathroom cabinet.
I'm so glad the bottle is transparent because I hate it when you can't see how much product you have left and that day arrives where you have a mini heart attack when you realise it's all gone! 
Also it has a pump which makes dispensing the product quick and simple, although you do need a light hand because a lot does come out.
The oil does have a slight smell but it's not offensive and it disappears once you wash it off.
The only problem for some people with this oil is that it contains mineral oils (it's the main ingredient), personally I don't have a problem with it but a word of warning anyway.
Overall, this is a lovely cleanser and one I would recommend it if you want to remove a lot of makeup.
I'll be sad when I've ran out of this but it does give me an excuse to try out the BodyShop cleansing oil. 
This product can be purchased from Boots for £7.99 .

What is your favourite cleansing oil?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

Rimmel Stay Matte BB Cream Review

Hello everyone! I feel like I've been gone from blogging for ages! But I do have an excuse, I've been a bit swamped with university work at the moment due to year long modules being turned into semester long ones, but I could go on about that all day. 
Anyway, you all know I love a good BB Cream, mainly Asian ones because they are generally better. However I've finally found a Western one that I like.

This BB Cream I speak of is an offering from Rimmel as part of their Stay Matte range. 
My one and only problem with this product is the packaging, I think it looks a bit tacky and cheap. But my biggest problem is that it leaks and gets everywhere. As you can see from the picture it gets all over the nozzle and the tube (that was from cleaning it the night before as well). I have to keep wiping it off constantly, it's so wasteful! However the size of the tube is ideal for traveling because it's so compact.
The formula of this BB cream surprised me, I was expecting it to be very thick and gel-like. Instead it was a very thin, watery consistency which means you have to be quite quick when using it because it does start to run down your hand. Due to its light texture it's so easy to blend but you have to work fast because it does set a matte finish. I like to use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush (Review Here ) because I find it gets the most coverage out of it and blends it in seamlessly. I have tried using my fingers to apply it but it just streaks like crazy!
As with all BB creams it has a light coverage, I haven't tried building it up so I'm not sure if you could get medium coverage out of it. It's a great at evening out my skin tone and dulling down any redness or blemishes. I liked using this in the summer when I wanted a lighter base and my skin was more oily. But for the colder months I prefer fuller coverage.
I picked up the shade light as I knew I'd be taking it on holiday and I would get a tan. The shade range is limited to only 4 shades (in store)  and doesn't cater to darker skin tones, a problem all BB cream brands still haven't solved.
It lasted a good 6 hours on my skin but after that my skin starts to looks shiny and my blemishes are starting to show through.
I wouldn't recommend using this if you have dry skin because it does have a tendency to cling heavily to dry patches. However, if you have oily skin and are just starting out with makeup this would be a good option to start with.
This product can be purchased from Boots for £6.99 .

Have you tried the Rimmel Matte BB Cream yet?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx 

 
   
 



 

Giveaway Closed!

Hello everyone! I know this announcement is very late but I've had a hectic week at university and finding the time to write anything has been a struggle. 
Anyway, the giveaway has finally ended and the winner is... Georgia Weedon (check out her blog here ). 
Congratulations Georgia! Your prizes have been shipped out and they are on their way to you.

Thank you to everyone for checking out my giveaway!

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Bloglovin'

xx

NYX Love In Rio Palette Review

Hello everyone! Have you entered my giveaway yet? No? Then stop reading this and go and enter! 
Anyway, this past week I've been trying out more eyeshadows and experimenting with palettes. The one I've been reaching for during the day is the NYX Love In Rio trio (ha, that rhymed) palette in Segredos de Giselle.

Firstly, the packaging is super cute with the little bow on the opening clasp, it's a perfect size for traveling because it's compact. I like the little window where you can see the eyeshadow shades. However, a mirror would be more practical for travel so you can touch up your eye makeup. 
On to the eyeshadows, all three are shimmery with a slight gold undertone. I was a bit skeptical about the formula because I'd heard NYX eyeshadows can be chalky with fall-out. But they were lovely, they felt smooth and blended seamlessly without any fall-out and they are nicely pigmented, especially the bronze shade. Speaking of the bronze shade, it's my favourite! It adds a subtle smokey look to the eye that is perfect for daytime wear.
The longevity is reasonable, they last about 5 hours before they crease and fade. I always use a primer to make the eyeshadows last longer but after about 7 hours they crease like crazy. 
Overall, I have been really enjoying using this palette and I want to try out more NYX eyeshadows in the future. 
This palette can be purchased from the NYX website for £6 . 

Have you tried any of the Love In Rio palettes yet?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

 

10K Page Views Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I know this post is going up a day late but I was extremely busy yesterday and just didn't have the time. Anyway, here it is, my 10k page views giveaway!

I still can't believe I've hit over 10k page views, it's insane! Of course that wouldn't be possible without each and every person who takes the time to read my blog and I'd just like to say a great big thank you to all of you. 
I never thought my blog would get this far, it's just a little hobby that has been growing each day with hard work and persistence and I hope to carry on this blog for as long as possible. I hope you all can continue to follow me on my blogging journey and see where it will take us. 
Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff, I'm sure you all want to know what you have a chance of winning, there's:

A fox necklace from Daisy-Mae Jewellery

A cute elephant mobile phone stand/holder

Makeup Revolution Blusher

Makeup Revolution Lipstick

Barry M Gel Nail Polish

All you have to do to have a chance of winning is to complete the Rafflecopter entries below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for stopping by!

xx  

What I Spent Saturday

Hello everyone! I know this post normally goes up on a Sunday but I have something exciting going up tomorrow, so I'm showing you what I've recently bought today.

 Featured Products

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Active Night Care

Boots Extracts Brazil Nut Body Butter

Barry M Showgirl Mascara

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Oriental)

Barry M Gel Nail Polish (Cardamom, Chai)

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Active Concentrate

Yes To Tomatoes Daily Clarifying Cleanser

This shopping trip to Boots mostly consisted of me buying things that I've ran out of, which gave me an excuse to try out new products, or at least that's what I keep telling myself. I've given my skincare routine a complete overhaul and I will keep you all updated with future posts on how the products are working for me. 
Also there's a clue in here to tomorrows post, can you guess what it could be? 
I hope you've enjoyed having a peek at my current beauty haul. 

What beauty products have you purchased recently?

Thank you for stopping by!

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Bloglovin' 

xx

 

Bourjois Color Edition 24HR Cream Eyeshadow Review

Hello everyone! Lately I've been keeping my eye makeup very simple with just a wash of one colour over the lid with some mascara and I'm good to go. What is the colour you ask, well I'm about to tell you (and show you). 

As you can see from the picture above I've really been loving this cream eyeshadow from Bourjois. It's one of their 24HR cream eyeshadows in the shade petal de glace. 
It's a gorgeous taupey bronze shade with a slight shimmer, although it is coming up more bronze in the photo it does have a distinct taupe undertone to it in real life.  
The texture of this eyeshadow is lovely, it applies smoothly, it's not sticky or tacky and is easy to blend. I also like that it sets to a powder which is perfect for my oily eyelids because it doesn't crease or fade. 
The packaging is a lot like the Maybelline Color Tattoos, except the pot is plastic instead of glass, which I prefer because I won't have to worry about it shattering if I dropped it. 
I definately prefer these to the Color Tattoos, they last longer and don't crease. This eyeshadow lasts about 6 hours on my eyes before they start fading. 
This shade is similar to on and on bronze from Maybelline but better. If you like cream eyeshadows but suffer from oily eyelids I'd recommend these instead of the Color Tattoos. 
They can be purchased from Boots for £6.99 .

Have you tried these cream eyeshadows yet?
Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

 

 

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub Review

Hello everyone! Autumn is being to roll in and with the colder weather there's drier skin. I for one hate having dry, flakey skin. It's just not nice. So it's about time I whip out a body scrub to slough it all off and this one from Soap and Glory is a corker!

I've raved about the Pulp Friction Body Scrub in the past but this one is starting to become my new favourite. It's called The Breakfast Scrub, well formely known, it's now the Smoothie Star. 
I picked this one up in the old packaging which concerns me slightly, but it doesn't smell weird or anything so I think it's okay. 
In fact it smells delicious! It's like warm porridge with syrup poured over the top (my perfect winter breakfast). I just can't get enough of it. However, it doesn't taste as good as it smells. I may have sampled it just to find out, I don't recommend trying that. 
The packaging is simple just a round 300ml tub with a pink lid. I do find scrubs in this packaging annoying in the shower though because I have to leave the lid off until I'm finished using it and I end up getting loads of water in it. Maybe they need to try the flip up lid option (*cough Charles Worthington *cough). 
As for the scrub itself it's nice and grainy because of the golden sugar, it's not too abrasive but with all scrubs if your skin is sensitive just have a light hand when using them. The shea butter, almond and honey extracts make your skin feel lovely and smooth afterwards. 
I like to use this once a week to soften up my skin and it works great before shaving to help loosen up any stubborn hairs. 
I highly recommend trying this scrub out, or any of the Soap and Glory scrubs for that matter because their products are fantastic! 
This scrub can be purchased from Boots for £8 .

What is your favourite Soap and Glory Scrub?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

 

The Reading Corner- The Husband's Secret

Hello everyone! I can't believe it's the 1st October already! This year is flying by! I've recently finished The Husband's Secret, I can finally tick it off my reading list.

I heard about this book after reading Gone Girl and a lot of people were saying it was similar and a must-read.
The Husband's Secret is about a woman named Cecilia Fitzpatrick who's a mother of three and a devoted wife, she discovers an envelope written by her husband which says "to be opened only in the event of my death". Curiosity gets the better of Cecilia and she opens it. The letter confesses a terrible secret that could wreck their family's lives and the lives of those around them.
Of course I'm not going to tell you the secret, you'll have to find that out for your self ( I know I'm mean). The story is told from the point of view of three women (Cecilia, Tess and Rachael) who which are all interlinked throughout the novel, living in a small town in Australia. 
I had high expectations for this book, especially after the hype of Gone Girl. In honesty however, this book didn't blow me away. Don't get me wrong it does have enough suspense to keep you reading but it just wasn't gripping enough for me. 
I liked the pace of the book, it was quick and easy to follow, you never felt lost between characters while reading it. 
But it was all a bit predictable, that might be because I've read so many thrillers now that they all seem and a bit samey (is samey a word?). 
If you want an easy way to get into a thriller book this is one to try because it's not too overwhelming. 

Have you read this book yet?

Thank you for stopping by!

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xx

Real Techniques Travel Essentials Brush Set Review

Hello everyone! I'm sorry this post is going up a day late but I had a major blogging cock-up and forgot to write a post for yesterday (big 'ole face palm). Anyway, moving on. I wanted to share with you some new makeup brushes that I've added to my growing collection.

I needed some new brushes to take with me on holiday (I will stop talking about my holiday soon, I promise) but I also needed a case/brush holder and the Travel Essentials Kit from Real Techniques pretty much ticked all my boxes.
I really like the packaging the case is sturdy enough to hold my brushes without them getting damaged during travel and it also folds into a nifty little brush stand, genius! I also love the colours of the brushes, it makes a change from the usual black brushes.
I only use two of the brushes from the set because I find foundation brushes that look like a paint brush don't work for me. Instead I gave it to my mom and she likes it, she said it's very soft.
I love the other two brushes though, they are fantastic quality! The multi task brush is my favourite, I love using it for applying bronzer because it's fluffy enough to blend the product into my skin seamlessly but it's also slightly squished so I can get into the hollows of my cheeks if I want to contour my face. It gets a big thumbs up from me! 
Secondly is the domed shadow brush which I use for applying and blending eyeshadow out on the outer corner and crease of my eyelid. This brush is super soft which is essential because there's nothing worse than a brush scratching at the delicate skin on your eye. It blends eyeshadow out nicely and is a good size to allow more precision to stop me from bringing any colour out too far. 
I love Real Techniques brushes. They was well and don't lose their shape or shed. They are so affordable and the quality is exceptional. I'm definatley going to be purchasing more, I've got my eye on the stippling brush. You can purchase these brushes from Boots or Amazon .

What is your favourite Real Techniques brush?

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xx