5 Beauty Goodies That I Love (And You're Going To Too!)

It's been a while since I've talked anything beauty related over on this blog of mine and today that is about to change. Despite shying away from the subject these past few months, I have continued to try new products, most of which landed on my doorstep. I have tried to contain myself for about a year now and not buy unessential things, only replacing products that run out and goodies I can really justify the need (or "the want"). Which is why I am glad to have found new favourites amongst the load I received and today I wanted to share these with you. Keep on reading to find out what products I've been loving lately!

New Bling: Shopping For Cheap Jewellery Online

I am all up for a bargain, especially when it comes to two of my favourite things, make-up tools and jewellery. When Shop MissA contacted me, I confess I had not heard of them before. But boy was I intrigued to find out that everything on their website retails for as little as $1. Spoilt for choice, it was extremely hard not to choose the entire website. Despite containing many make-up items such as lipsticks and eyeshadows, I shied away from those because I'm extremely picky when it comes to finding the right products and I wasn't sure about the quality to be quite honest. Make-up tools and jewellery were a different story however as I saw the brand e.l.f. and was excited to give it a try. 

One can never have too many blending eye brushes and that is exactly what I thought when I chose the e.l.f. Essential Blending Eye Brush* for $1. You read that right. It blends extremely well, the bristles are soft yet dense enabling the creation of a natural finish to any eye look. And, I also got myself an e.l.f. Eyelash Curler* because shame on me I've never had one. It is of really great quality, comes with a replacement pad and does its job at curling my lashes prior to mascara application. Needless to say I am in love with these bits, and am really looking forward to adding a few more brushes to my collection.

Onto jewellery, I went for a few earrings because a girl can always do with more earrings. Truth be told, my ears are very sensitive and I usually only wear gold earrings but given I don’t plan on wearing these more than a few hours, they are good addition my ever growing stash. Front & Back Pearl Earrings* are extremely popular thanks to Dior so of course, I got me a cheapy pair. I wore it on my Faux Fur & Leather look and a lot of people complimented on it so if you were wondering what I was wearing; now you know. And being a flower is power kinda girl, these gorgeous Flower Chandelier Earrings* found their way to my basket and I can’t wait to wear them come spring. 

Two things my jewellery collection is lacking of are rings and bracelets and that is because I always end up wearing the same bling (ie. engagement ring and Pandora bracelet) over and over again. In the attempt to switch things up a little these beautiful rings were also sent to me; from left to right we have: a Caged Ring*, a Coil Ring* and an Arrow Caged Ring*, all of which I'm happy to report don’t leave my fingers green. 

Additionally, when I saw the variety of charms on the website, I knew I had to get me a Charm Bracelet* too. I picked out charms that mean something to me, like family, faith, music and blogging. In terms of quality they aren't comparable to Pandora standards but they are fun and cute and make up a great looking bracelet that is sure to add that extra touch to a casual outfit. 

Flower Dangle Dust Plug*

All in all, I love everything I received and this haul really proves that low prices do not automatically mean poor quality. Sure the jewellery quality isn't out of this world, but if you want that little something every now and then to spice up your look, MissA is the place for you to check out. Also, I cannot fault the make-up tools; e.l.f. is definitely a brand I've wanted to try for ages now and I am so glad they stock a few products from them as now I know what all the fuss is about!

What do you think of my $1 goodies? Let me know below! 

Thanks for reading beauties and have a nice day ahead!

xoxo

*All items sent by the brand. All opinions are my own (disclaimer here).

Beauty Haul: KIKO MILANO Lipsticks

I am totally going out on a limb here and NOT going to write about Black Friday because to be honest, I don’t think I can bear reading another blog post about all the amazing deals we should take advantage of. We get it, it’s Black Friday but how much stuff do you actually NEED? I can understand buying a few things but spending like there is no tomorrow sounds a bit ridic to me. 

Anywho, let’s get down to why we are here. I recently popped into a KIKO store and decide to peruse around the lipstick section as I have cleared out my make-up stash because believe it or not, lipstick does have an expiring date. Change in colour, texture or smell are all big warning signs that your lipstick has expired so I checked all of mine and quite a few simply had to be tossed. Throwing out make-up hurts but it also meant I could go out and buy a few replacements. I did think about popping into MAC but every time I step into a store I manage to get the worst (or no) customer service so I chose KIKO instead. They are cheaper, still amazing quality and the girl was very patient with me whilst I picked out the following shades.

Luminous Chrome Metallic Lipstick 714 Violet | £4.80

As suggested by its name, this collection aims to give a metallic finish for full coloured lips with shimmery brightness. Violet is a vivid intense purple colour with silver micro glitters in it. Its texture is very creamy and thus, incredibly comfortable to wear. As with any other creamy textured lipstick, this isn’t as long lasting as a matte lipstick would be, but I much prefer sheer lippies for the winter as my dry lips don’t suffer as bad. This is enriched with K2 Repulp (whatever that is) which according to Google assists in stimulating the production of Hyaluronic acid, keeping the moisture level of the lips ideal and increasing their fullness, not that I need any help in that department. Despite being a wearable shade I know it’s not for everyone, but the collection is quite contemporary and I'm sure that for less than a fiver you are bound to find a shade you will love.

Glossy Dream Sheer Lipstick 205 Wine | £6.20

Another sheer lippie, see a pattern here? I confess that I was drawn to this due to its packaging, don’t judge me because I know you guys do the exact same thing. The bullet looks gorgeous and despite having a few other plum shades in my stash, I wanted something softer for winter that could be worn to work for example where I can’t really rock a bold wine matte lipstick because of weird looks I will get from people. This is the perfect very sheer wine shade; moisturising and easy to wear are amongst its qualities and thus by far my favourite purchase on this haul. 

Rebel Romantic Intensely Lavish Lipstick 06 Melodious Wine | £4.80

Again amazing packaging, who doesn't love a bit of gold?! A deep burgundy shade screams fall and that is exactly what I decided I needed when picking this up right at the till when I was about to pay for my other lipsticks. The packaging is lush, with a magnetic close lid and despite being a rather creamy bullet, the colour pay -off is gorgeous with a slight sheen finish. Pigmentation is noticeable from the first swipe; the colour is fairly long wearing (5 hours before re-application is needed) and it does not settle into fine lines. I remember something about these being limited edition so if you like the look of this or the other shades make sure you hurry.

Gossamer Emotion Creamy Lipstick 110 Wine | £6.20

I know what you are thinking, another Wine shade and my friends, that is exactly right. I loved number 2 so much that I wanted a similar colour but with a brighter and bolder finish and this is the perfect wine-pearly burgundy colour. This is a lot more pigmented than the Glossy Dream and despite not being in the slightest matte; I find it to be quite a good dupe for MAC’s Rebel as well (which has been on my wishlist forever) but for a fraction of the price, this was a sweet deal to pass. To some, these wine shades I picked up may look completely similar but they are really not. 

Right to Left: 714 Violet, 205 Wine, 06 Melodious Wine and 110 Wine.

Have you recently picked up any new shades that I should know about? Let me know below!

Happy Friday beauties and I hope you all have a nice weekend ahead!

xoxo

NYX Cosmetics Loose Pearl Eye Shadows: Pearl & Nude

With an endless amount of eyeshadow palettes, I probably didn't need any more make-up but that didn't stop me from buying a few things; shame on me. Fun fact: I'm a tad (read very) clumsy, so loose powder, loose blushers and anything else with the term "loose" in its name and "me" are never a good combination. However having recently attended Olympia Beauty, I knew I had to pick out a few loose eyeshadow pigments from NYX to try out, after all I had heard nothing but good things about them. I may be very late to the party but here's what I think about these:

I chose 2 shades; Pearl, a pale baby pink and Nude, a pale gold shimmer. Both shades are incredibly pretty and definitely give that extra kick on any eye make-up look. Pearl, being a light sparkling pink is very similar to MAC's Swish which I had a few years ago but sadly lost so I am glad this shade is back in my make-up stash. Nude on the other hand is unlike anything I have; its light frosted gold colour is perfect for highlighting the inner corner of the eyes on a more warm make-up look and definitely one I will keep reaching for this fall.

These shadows are amazingly pigmented so you truly only need a teeny tiny amount per application thus these will last me quite a long time despite very small. Packaging wise I'm not impressed. Problem 1: the lid screws off to expose a very small opening which is much to small to fit a brush inside. Problem 2: if you are like me, you end up pouring some product on its cap and creating a big glittery mess because guess what, the cap is way too small too. Conclusion reached: I was right to fear anything called "loose"...

But leaving the packaging issue aside, having worn both with and without primer, I would say the lasting power is pretty good and I am quite impressed at these little things. I probably wouldn't purchase any more because well, they're messy and I just can't deal with these types of products, but now that I've purchased these two I will make sure I wear them and get my money's worth. Oh, they're only £2 at the moment here, so if you don't mind the rubbish packaging and maybe even move the product to a bigger container, these are pretty and a nice addition to your collection.

What do you think of these? Any tips on how to use loose products? If so, do share them with me, any advice is truly appreciated! 

Thanks for reading beauties and have a nice week ahead!

xoxo

The Olympia Beauty Show + NYX Haul

This past weekend was an extremely busy one! On Sunday, the fiancé and I headed to the famous Wedding Fair at the Excel centre for all the wedding inspiration we could get and may I say what an amazing event it turned out to be. But, my weekend didn't end on Sunday, as I took the Monday off to visit the Olympia Exhibition Centre for the Olympia Beauty Show and the Beauty Blogger Awards.

I got to Kensington Olympia station nice and early and headed to the show with my freshly printed “Press” badge. I wasn't too sure what to expect given this was my first time visiting, but as soon as you walk in you are in for a treat. With so much stuff to see, from some brands I had never heard of, to big names like OPI, NYX, China Glaze, Benefit; I really did not even know where to start.

Being the shameless person that I am, I did accept free trials/samples on pretty much everything I was offered, only to turn around and not actually buy the product, #sorrynotsorry. Although, I did rather like this fibre mascara duo I tried but thought I would have a look around to see if anything better came up and now I regret not buying it nor do I remember the name of the brand. Oh well...

Everywhere you turned there was something different to look at; “celebs”, body-painting competitions, teeth whitening, you name it! This place was heaven on earth for beauty enthusiasts.

I knew NYX had a stand, so I of course got me some goodies especially since they were offering 10% off at the show!

Blotting Powder Light £9.45 // Lip Primer Nude £5.40 // Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation Ivory £5.40 // Studio Perfect Primer Lave £9 // Matte Lipstick Alabama £5.85 // Soft Matte Lip Cream Monte Carlo £4.95 // Eyeshadow Base White Pearl £4.95 // Loose Pearl Pigments Nude and Pearl £3.15 each

I did get a little carried away but these were some of the products I've been wanting for quite some time and I now regret not purchasing more of the Soft Matte Lip Creams as the formula is heavenly and so pigmented. Full reviews on some of the above soon!

In the building next door, the Bloggers event was happening and the workshop I attended led by Nikki Taylor and Tracey McAlpine was so interesting and focused on how blogging and beauty is for all, regardless of your age. Blogging should be all about breaking the rules and these ladies certainly know how to do that! 

All in all, this was a great day out despite the horrendous rain, and whilst I wish I could have attended the Blogger Awards ceremony on Sunday, I got to see and get all I wanted on Monday instead. I will definitely be returning next year if Olympia Beauty will have me again!

Did you attend this year? What did you think and what have you purchased?

xoxo

Beauty Haul: Summer Holiday

Goodbye money, hello beauty products! My Monday was a little sucky, mostly because I was too sleepy to be at work. In order to cheer me up a much deserved trip to the nearest Boots was in order (do you guys do that too? :p). And, as you know, when you enter the drugstore fairyland, you cannot come out with just what you actually needed...and that is exactly what happened. I'd rather not disclose how much the final bill was, but here is what I picked up for my upcoming summer holiday (Cyprus, sunshine, beach here I come!).

From left to right we have the Bourjois Paris Maxi Delight Bronzer | £8.99 (shade 2) which I have yet to try, the Bronzing Powder Brush (see here) and the beautiful Bourjois Paris ColorBoost Lip Crayon | £7.99 shade Peach on the Beach. The lipstick is already in my handbag and it is the perfect lippie to wear at the beach as it contains SPF 15 and is so moisturising! These were all Summer Collection free gifts and they couldn't have been more perfect for my summer holiday.

Additionally, I got the famous Bourjois 123 Perfect Colour Correcting Cream | £9.99 in the shade Ivory and it is a great product! I've only used it twice now but I really like how the colour suits my skin perfectly and how light yet good coverage it provides. I think a full review will be in order, what do you girlies think? I also brought home the Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher | £7.99 in the shade Healthy Mix, a spot-on summer orangey blush. I love how it comes with a little brush and mirror, ideal for on-the-go!

L'Oreal products were on sale and who doesn't love a good bargain?! L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Primer | £7.99 has been on my wishlist for so long; I heard great things about this primer and wanted try it out for myself to see how it worked with the Infallible foundation. Fingers crossed it lives up to my expectations. L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Exclusive Nudes | £6.99 are also fairly new and Eva's Nude is a gorgeous marsala colour that stood out for me. The lippie packaging is so expensive looking, and both of these have a reserved spot in my travel nécessaire.

Onto skincare and haircare; if you haven't already found the right solution for blackheads, look no further. Bioré® Deep Cleansing Nose Strips & Face Strips | £5.49 are quickly becoming my July favourites. They work so well and really do remove those stubborn little things. It does hurt a little when you pull, but no pain no gain right?! And last but certainly not least, the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil | £9.99. I reviewed this here but in short: the best oil I have ever used which makes my dry summer hair so much more manageable and shiny! Love it <3

Have you tried any of these?
If you wanna see a review of anything in particular, leave a comment below :)
Thanks for reading beauties and until next time!

xoxo