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!

My Every Day Winter Makeup Routine

Good morning and happy Monday beauties! Can we talk about how cold this weekend was? Even though winter has not yet started, it certainly feels like we are right in the middle of it. With dropping temperatures and icy winds, it's hard to want to leave the house at all, especially in the morning when it's dark out and all you want is 5 more minutes in bed. I love winter, I really do but getting up in the morning…not so much. This is why, the night before I will lay out my clothes and sort out my hair, keeping my morning routine as simple as possible as all I have to do is my make-up. In the morning, when I'm still half-asleep I do not want to overthink or overdo my makeup, I want products with a long-lasting finish, great coverage and a natural look. Ever since fall started I switched round my products and here are my go to winter makeup goodies I can bet on every day.

My Top 5 Fall 2016 Beauty Trends

Doing my make-up and getting dolled up is quite possibly one of my favourite things about this colder season. Add to that list Netflix marathons, wearing lots and lots of layers, burning my favourite candles and all the pair of boots I can buy wear and I have my perfect autumn. I have always been a summer person, but fall has this way of warming its way in to my heart that no other season has. Plus when it comes to beauty, everything becomes easier when the weather turns chilly outside; forget having make-up run down you face, oily t-zones and sweaty foreheads! Fall also means I can be braver with colour; my darker lip shades come out to play, as do my glittery eyeshadows, both of which are proving to be popular beauty trends for the season! If you want to know about some other trends too, keep reading!

My Autumn Beauty Must Haves

When I think of which beauty products to go for in the fall I think of lots and lots of moisturisers to sort out my dry skin, lip balms to avoid chapped lips and heavy duty face creams to ensure my skin is always nourished. I also love wearing darker shades for the lips and eyes; burgundy and wine lipstick shades, and gold/metallic eyeshadows in particular are my favourite. So today I thought I'd share a few new goodies I have been playing around with lately and which are going to be just perfect for fall.

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Blush Palette: Must Have?

When the UD x Gwen Eyeshadow Palette was released I could barely contain my excitement and really wanted to get my hands on it by Christmas. I did, I reviewed it and I've been loving it every day; it is THE palette for me and the one I've been reaching for ever since. The collection, designed by Gwen herself however did not stop at a single palette; lipsticks and liners, a blush palette and a brow kit would shortly be released. Despite not being as much hyped as the pioneer of the collection, all other items do look lovely and one that particularly caught my eye is the Blush Palette.

The Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Blush Palette (£35 for 0.54oz.) contains 6 versatile shades of blushes, bronzer and highlighter, all designed to give us Gwen’s glowing, contoured skin. The packaging is as sleek and big as the eyeshadow palette, a gorgeous white and gold case that is eye-catching but also extremely prone to dirt and make-up stains, but I can live with that. The shades have an Afterglow formula and it is said to last for 8 hours giving a sheer coverage. Shades are as follows:

From LEFT to RIGHT:

Top Row: 

Cherry: Light pink satin/ Easy: Deep rose with gold shimmer/ Angel: Champagne-nude shimmer.

Bottom Row:

Lo-Fi: Soft Bronze Matte/ Hush: Medium pink with gold shimmer/ OC: Soft pink with peach shift.

Out of the 6, 3 are firm favourites: Easy, Angel and Hush. Easy is a blush shade I've always wanted to have in my collection. It’s a medium-dark rosy plum with both warm and cool undertones. It blends out rather nicely and doesn't leave me looking too flushed, but with the perfect amount of colour. This shade wore well for 8 hours on me and was still there after a heavy gym session at the end of the day.

On my skin, Angel is more of a highlighter than a blush. It is light-medium golden champagne with warm undertones and a frosted sheen. I love its pigmentation which is not too over the top. It has a blendable texture and lasts around 7/8 hours too.

And lastly Hush, a light-medium rose copper with warm undertones. Despite not being so high coverage, I love how soft the powdery texture was. I find this one to be on the sheer side a lot more than the others and it is perfect for use over damp foundation. 

Cherry; a cool-toned pink, Lo-Fi; a brown with warm and rather orange undertones and OC; a yellowy-green peach with pink shift aren't ones I usually go for but all apply well and smoothly so I can see them growing on me.

All in all, I find pigmentation to be semi-opaque rather than sheer which is something I like. The formula of the shades is a medium, buildable coverage (apart from Hush) and all shades apply evenly and smoothly giving streak- free colour. Packaging and shade wise, I am quite happy with my purchase but unlike the eyeshadow palette, I don’t believe this will be a product that everyone will be rushing out to buy. I went for it myself because 1. I had a £5 discount on feelunique.com and 2. I am low on blushers so a palette could easily fix that and 3. it's Urban Decay. Having said that, I do not think this is a must-have despite being limited edition and worth more than £45. It works well on my skin but might not show up as well on medium to dark skintones making it a miss for those darker ladies. But what do you think?

Will you be getting this palette? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading beauties and wishing you all a nice week ahead!

xoxo

My November Favourites 2015

October was very uneventful when it came to gathering my monthly favourites, mostly because what I had been loving throughout August & September seemed to stick for October too. November however was all about revisiting some of my old favs as well as discovering a few new ones. 

Beauty Favourites

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette | £38
I raved and raved about this beauty here and ever since the air has turned colder, this is the palette I have been reaching for daily. Despite being designed for the creation of smoky eyes, I find this little gem extremely versatile, allowing me to come up daytime looks too, thanks to its lighter shades, High and Combust. If you wish to see a more detailed review as well as swatches, check out my previous post here.

Royal Apothic Body Lotion | £14.50

Lotion is a winter must and my dry skin has for sure been secretly thanking me for slapping this all over right after a hot shower. If you remember seeing this before, I got this on my last Glossybox (see all contents here) and I am so glad I did because I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. I won't describe its scent because I wouldn't be doing it any justice with my failed sense of smell. But I find it to be an incredibly nourishing body lotion with the right consistency and texture, that is absorbed at a speedy rate and doesn't feel sticky or oily. LOVE this!

Lanolips 101 Ointment | £7.99

If you are a dry lip sufferer like me, you will know how hard it is to find something that actually works. This however, outperforms all other types of lip balms, giving them a natural shine and healing sore lips as well as corners of the mouth. Boots sell a multitude of lip products which stay on momentarily but I know when I put Lanolips, my lips will feel nourished instantly and for longer. It does cost a bit more than ordinary lip balms, but I am finding it to be well worth its price tag. This is another Glossybox find, this time from the October instalment (here).

Miss Dior Eau de Toilette | £46.32

This is my 3rd bottle already and I can't have rave enough about it (and I won't). In a nutshell, this exudes femininity with its elegant and fruity smell which is also sweet but not too over the top. I will even go as far as saying that this is my all time favourite perfume, and one that I will surely repurchase over and over again in the foreseeable future.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream* | £1.99

Dry limps anyone? With this, you only need the smallest amount to moisturise even the driest skin. I use it as an intensive hand and foot cream too, and it leaves both my hands feet so soft and supple, and looking like I have had a mani and pedi done. Even though its consistency is thicker than your usual hand cream, it is non-greasy and absorbs quickly. And to top it all off, it has that amazing Cocoa Butter we all love. This stuff is seriously amazing!

Fashion Favourites

CLUSE La Bohéme Gold White/Pink Watch* | €89.95

A new watch was on my Christmas wishlist but Santa came a little earlier this year! When Cluse got in touch, I could hardly say no to a beauty such as this one. This model features an ultra thin case with a 38 mm diameter which is a little larger than what I would usually wear, but it is crafted with such precision that I find it nothing less than sophisticated and elegant. Better yet, if I get tired of the pink strap, it can be easily interchanged for the various colours available. This has not left my wrist ever since it arrived and I am sure I will wear it continuously throughout fall and spring.

High Street Outlet Kennedy Large Blanket Scarf* | £6.99

Fall wouldn't be complete without a vibrant tartan plaid scarf, and this stunningly soft and cosy scarf is match made in heaven for the chilly days ahead of us. Just like the watch, this has been my every day companion and I love how expensive it looks despite its tiny price tag. Amazing quality, amazing store, amazing prices; check them out here.

What are your favourites this month? Let me know below or leave your links so I can check them out!

Thanks for reading beauties and wishing you all a nice week ahead!
25 days until Christmas Eve, eeeeeep!

xoxo

*Items sent by the brands. All opinions are my own (disclaimer here).

My Favourite Nail and Lip Colours for Fall

Doing my make-up and getting dolled up is quite possibly one of my favourite things about this cold season. Not only that, getting cosy on the sofa watching my favourite winter movie, wearing lots and lots of layers, boots…I mean boots! Generally, I have always been a summer person but this year, fall is stealing my heart! Forget having make-up run down you face, oily t-zone, sweaty foreheads; everything becomes easier when the weather turns chilly outside. 

Fall also means I can be braver with colours; I can totally rock that dark vampy lip look I wasn't able to during summer. And because of that, my fall colour palette looks a lot different in autumn. I still swear by my beloved Urban Decay Naked eyeshadows (because let’s face it, we wear that stuff all year long and rightfully so), but when it comes to nails and lips, the darker and richer shades come out to play! And so for this post, I partnered up with Jill from www.moosielove.com to bring you guys our favourite fall shades, so make sure you head over to Jill's blog to check out hers too!!!

Essie Smokin’ Hot Nail Polish | £7.99

Described as a stone-cold fox grey, this gorgeous shade was a hit when it first came out in Essie's winter 2010 collection. I find it to have a hint of purple undertones making it a dark, but not too dark, blackened mauve. The colour is flattering and my only issue with it is the pigmentation, but nothing 3 coats can’t solve.

Essie Bahama Mama Nail Polish | £7.99

Yes yes, I know this is everybody’s favourite fall polish too but I couldn't not add it to the list! This warm, rich and deep plum shade is quite possibly the shade I go to all year round. It easily lasts for about 7 days and the pigmentation is just right. If I wanted to I could get away with wearing one coat only and that makes it a winner!

Essie Shearling Darling Nail Polish | £7.99

From the winter 2013 collection, this is the perfect winter red shade if you ask me. Described as a plush mahogany/ebony red colour, its consistency is a little thin especially for such a deep dark colour, but I still love it and have had it on my nails for the past 4 days, still looking great and shiny!

Now moving on to my lipsticks and definitely my favourite part...

Rimmel London by Kate Shade 48 Lipstick |£5.49

I first reviewed this back in July when the collection launched (check that out here) and despite wearing it over the summer too, I find this shade much more suitable for fall. This is the only chocolate lipstick I have in my collection and for the price; I have definitely found a keeper.

Maybelline Nude 725 Tantalizing Taupe Lipstick | £6.99

I've mentioned this shade a few times here on the blog and even called it my favourite nude lipstick of all time. I love everything about it; it is a gorgeous nude with pink tones that suits my skin tone extremely well and doesn't wash me out like other nudes do. Its lasting power isn't so great (roughly 3 years) but its formula is moisturising and extremely easy to apply.

Sleek Matte Me Fandango Purple Lip Gloss | £4.99

I talked about the entire collection of these quite popular lip glosses back in April (see swatches and much more here), and you can never go wrong with a bit of purple for autumn. It is vibrant and perfect for a night out in town! 

Maybelline Color Drama Berry Much Lipstick | £4.99

A rich, intense plum/berry shade and quite possibly the most popular drugstore lippie this year. The entire collection offers long lasting, pigmented and precise lip colours; well done Maybelline! I love how versatile this lipstick is as it can be worn quite boldly or just lightly patted for a subtle lip stain. 

There are my favourites; don't forget to check Jill's too and show her some love over at www.moosielove.com. She is super duper lovely, a cat lady like myself and I am a massive fan! Thank you Jill for partnering up with me and looking forward to doing this again soon! :)

What are your must have shades for fall? Let us know below beauties!

xoxo