My Favourite 5 Blogs Of 2013

Long time no see!!

Yes I'm back and cannot tell you how excited I am to get back in to blogging! My laptop issues still are not fixed but I have acquired myself a iPad air!! So do bare with me whilst I get used to blogging on this thing.

So to get back into the swing of things I thought I would start off easy with a post of my 5 favourite blogs of 2013. Because although I couldn't blog that certainly didn't stop me from reading all your lovely blogs. So without further ado...

Hannah over at Cosmetic Crave is definitely one of my favourite blogs to look out for when she does a new post. From reviews to hauls I love reading what Hannah has to say.

Laura over at Lola And Behold is one of my closest blogging buddies. We met last year and I truly trust what she has to say about products. I read her blog long before I met her and continue to love reading it.

Sophie at Sophie Rose Hearts is also another one of my closest blogging buddies. What I love about Sophie's blog is her lifestyle posts. I especially loved seeing her trip to Paris through her eyes.

Hayley over at Beauty Rambles takes the most gorgeous blog pictures which really are eye catching. From nail polish to lush products Hayley has plenty to tell you about.

Katie over at SugarFixxBeauty is someone who's style I completely adore. And can we just talk about her gorgeous pink hair for a minute!! She takes lovely blog pictures and the content is just a delight to read.

So there we have it my favourite 5 blogs from last year. I look forward to reading all your lovely blogs this year and hopefully discovering some new ones to follow.

Thanks again for all of you who have stuck by me during my hiatus!

Til next time...

FOTD | Autumn Gold Day to Night

I really want to start doing more of these types of posts especially with the festive period springing upon us. I also chose to do a little twist and go from a day look and transfer it so it was suitable for a night out or if you're going out for a meal. So without further ado, welcome to my FOTD.

Having blue eyes I like to wear more neutral/brown/bronze shades as it accentuates my eyes. Which is perfect for me when it comes to Autumn/Fall. Although this year I'm hoping to incorporate more colour into my eyes such as greens and purples so watch out for future FOTD.

To start with on my face I used my beloved Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer followed by L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation and Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer to hide those pesky breakouts I've been having recently.

On my cheeks I just wanted a subtle glow of colour so I chose Benefits Coralista just lightly swept on the apples of my cheeks with a highlight of RiRi Hearts MAC Diamonds Cream Colour Base. I lightly bronzed my temples and hollows of my cheeks with MUA Bronzed Perfection.

Now the fun part, my eyes. For a base I just used my MAC Painterly Paintpot all over the lid and under along the lashline. Then to really make the colour pop I used the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 621 Pure Gold all over the lid up to the crease. I then patted MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow on top and moved on to the next colour. To define my crease I used Maybelline MNY My Shadow in 721 which is a shimmery brown colour and blended that out. I also took this colour under my eye and blended it along. I chose a Phloof! from my MAC palette to highlight my brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes.

I lined my eyes with Guerlain Liquid EyeLiner in black, tightlined with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Zero and applied a couple of coats of CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume mascara. I filled my eyebrows with MAC Charcoal Brown eyeshadow. To finish the look of I chose a very natural lipstick, Laura Mercier Creme Lip Colour in Caramel. Voila my autumn day makeup look.

Now for the twist.... Let's darken the look for night time.

All I did to achieve this was take the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Liner and lined my waterline. Applied a couple more coats of mascara, this time I used L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume. And finally switched up the lip colour for a more berry colour. I chose MUA £1 Lipstick in Shade 2.

Hope you enjoyed this kind of post. Do give me feedback in the comments below and look out for future FOTD.

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'

A Perfect Molton Brown Christmas

If you've followed my blog for a while you will know a couple of months ago I started a new job with Molton Brown so I thought what better way to kick off my series of Christmas posts than to talk about what Molton Brown has to offer this year.

I just want to add in a disclaimer here that yes I do work for Molton Brown but this post is of my own doing and I was not asked to write anything for the company itself. So on that note let's get started...

Frankincense & Allspice Hand Wash £16.00 | Frankincense & Allspice Hand Lotion £20.00

Myrrh, Musk & Cypress Hand Wash £16.00 | Myrrh, Musk & Cypress Hand Lotion £20.00

These are the two festive scents for this year and I've got to say my favourite by far is the Frankincense & Allspice. Described on the website as "Presents unwrapped. Mulled wine on the stove. Cinnamon sticks hanging from the hearth." this is the perfect scent for winter/christmas time.

Myrrh, Musk & Cypress is more on the excuse the pun muskier side which isn't a scent I would normally lean towards. Described as "The quiet of the church. Treasures in giltboxes. Scents of occassion." Again another wintery scent. Both also available in single wick candles priced at £36.00 which would make perfect little gifts for those special people in your life. Next onto the sets.

The Bathing Treasures Collection £38.00 | The Gingerlily Trio £45.00

The Explorer Collection £40.00 | The Bath & Body Treasures Collection £42.00

First valued at £60.00 but costing only £38.00 is the Bathing Treasures Collection which is the cutest gift set filled with 12 mini body washes in a variety of scents. Ranging from the spicy Pink Pepperpod to the relaxing Ylang Ylang you can truly try out every different temptation.

Next is the gorgeous Gingerlily Trio. This is my favourite scent that Molton Brown do which is strange as it's fragrance family is floriental and I normally hate anything floral. In this set is a full size bodywash, full size body lotion and a little gingerlily candle which smells amazing!!

This set is for the men in your life consisting of four body washes and a shampoo. The Explorer Collection is great if you're buying for someone who has never tried Molton Brown before or if you just don't know what kind of scent they like. All products are travel size so perfect if you know they are on the go a lot.

Another miniatures set is the Bath & Body Treasures Collection. This time you get 6 body washes with the matching scented body lotions. Valued at £66.00 but priced at only £42.00 this is a great deal and perfect again if they have never tried Molton Brown before or just want to try out different scents before committing to the full size product.

The Pink Pepperpod Trio £60.00 | The Great Escape Collection £40.00
The Pamper & Preen Collection £46.00 | The Patchouli & Saffron Collection £72.00

This full size Pink Pepperpod Trio is perfect for anyone who likes a spicy oriental scent. Saving £12.00 on buying the products individually is a bargain and you will be equipped for your full shower routine. Body Scrub, Body Wash & Body Lotion completes this pink set.

 The next set is the Great Escape Collection, a six piece travel shower gel gift set. Three of the washes come in the traditional Molton Brown bottles and the other three in perfect for travelling squeezy tubes which makes this set perfect for avid travellers.

The Pamper & Preen Collection is the only set which involves bath products with skincare and body products. Including a sample size of their Peruvian Maca Anti-Ageing Hydra-Creme and Desert Blossom Hand Rescue this set is perfect for anyone wanting to try out their lets just say it more on the expensive side face cream.

Last but not least is the Patchouli & Saffron Collection which if I'm honest is definitely a distinctive scent. For me personally it's too strong a scent but this particular scent was released for their 40th anniversary this year and has a very 70's inspired packaging. Just like the Pink Pepperpod Trio all these products are full size. The set includes the body wash, body lotion and candle.

Have you tried Molton Brown before? Do any of their Christmas sets catch your eye?

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'

Haul | Boots Trip

I had been feeling lately like my foundation just wasn't working for my skin any more so of course that's a good excuse to go shopping... right! So me, my mum and sister popped in to town and I can't go shopping without visiting Boots. I think this trip was the longest I've ever spent in boots, literally we were in there for a good hour and a half to two hours. Now I've just realised I completely forgot to photograph the new foundation I purchased but after spending what felt like an eternity looking at every other foundation in the store I finally settled on the L'Oreal Lumi Magique in R/C/K2 Rose Porcelain.

Now I have a confession to make. I've come to the realisation that I've been in denial of how tanned I am and have been lingering on to my summer colour for too long and now is the time to embrace my paleness. So I took the time to properly try out each shade and even got second advice from the lovely Smashbox consultant. It costs £10.99 which is in between drugstore prices and high end. I've been wearing it for a couple of weeks so look out for a review soon.

Next I headed over to the Smashbox counter as I was looking for a good concealer and had never tried anything from them before. The consultant was so helpful and not at all pushy so I knew her opinion was completely genuine. After sitting down and chatting to her and trying out different products I ended up purchasing the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light and Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer.

She tried out both products and I think I'm going to love them. The primer costs £25.00 and the concealer was £17.00. A bit on the pricey side but I think they are both going to be worth it. Again a full review will be up on the blog soon.

Next I had a browse of the Seventeen counter and I picked up the CC Cream after seeing my sister used it and made her skin look flawless. I have yet to try it and I feel it won't look as flawless on me as I suffer from scarring from spots but you don't know until you try right! At the low cost of £6.99 will it be a hit or miss?

And finally I had seen a lot of bloggers talking about the 17 Wild Metallic Eyes. Since Maybelline released their Colour Tattoo it seems every other brand is releasing their own versions so since I love the Maybelline ones I thought I'd give this one a go. I got it in Wild Nude which is a champagne taupe colour with shimmer. At such an affordable price of £3.99 you can't really go wrong.

Have you been on any shopping splurges lately?

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'

Review | MAC RiRi Collction

SURPRISE... Yes I'm back! I'm sorry for my slight hiatus but I did explain it in my last post so I just want to say thank you for sticking by my little blog. But I am back and what better thing to be back talking about then the thing I'm most passionate about...MAKEUP! And not just any makeup but the MAC RiRi collection.

I could of easily bought all of it but I had my sensible head on and managed to whittle it down to 2 items although I may try and pick up the 'RiRi Woo Lip Pencil'. I already own 'RiRi Woo Lipstick'so that was already off the list. So the two items I did end up picking up was the 'Her Cocoa' eyeshadow quad and the 'Diamonds' cream colour base.

There are two quads available, 'Her Cocoa' which is more brown neutrals and 'Smoked Cocoa' which is dark smokey colours. I opted for the more brown quad as I knew I would get more daily use out of it. The colours don't have names as far as I can see but the website does have four colour descriptions. You have bright bronze gold, soft peach, chocolate bronze and antique gold. I adore all four shades and have had a chance to wear them all and can say I absolutely love this quad. I have worn them literally everyday since I got the quad.

Sorry about my crappy swatches, this is something I have to work on for my blog. All four colours work well together and I've tried a multiple of combinations and each time I get compliments so this is definitely a winner. It's currently sold out on the website but if you're lucky you may still be able to find it in a MAC store or counter. It retails at £33.00.

I've never owned a cream colour base before so this was a new experience for me and the verdict is in... I love it. Now from previous posts you will know I love my MAC Mineralize Skin Finishers to death and thought nothing would ever compare to them but I've got to say this cream colour base in 'Diamonds' is definitely up there with my favourites. It's described as a golden shade and can range from a light veil to highly dramatic depending on what method you choose to apply it with. I personally choose to use my fingers but I think I will try out different ways to apply it just to see how different the finishing look is.

Again it is sold out online but do check your local store or counter. It retails for £16.50.

Have you purchased anything from the Rihanna collection?

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'

Just My Luck

Hey guys,

Long time I know! Well I just wanted to explain whats been going on in my life at the moment. As some of you might recall in an earlier post I told you that I was starting my new job with Molton Brown. I've settled in and am absoutely loving my new role and all the team are amazing! I took a short hiatus from blogging until i was comfortable with my new working week. Well its been about two months and with a few posts put up here and there I finally have figured out whens easiest to write and schedule posts. So i planned to tap out a few posts today ready for the rest of the week when another obstacle is now in my way. The laptop I share with my mum has decided it doesn't want to play game and when we turn it on the screen remains blank. So needless to say my plan of getting back into blogging has once again been halted. So i just wanted to write this quick post as i felt all you lovely lot who take time out your day to read my little blog deserved an answer as to where i've been lately. I'm not sure how long it will be until we manage to get the laptop fixed so i dont know when my next proper post will be as right now I'm typing this out on my dads tablet and its taken me about an hour to write this little passage out.

Hope you will all forgive me for the lack of posts in the near future!!

Thanks again for sticking by me!!

Review | Chanel Hydramax+ Active Sérum

Up until about a couple of years ago I never used a serum! I didn't know what it's use was and just thought it was one extra step in skincare that wasn't needed. Oh young naive me! Now after being obsessed with beauty items and learning so much new stuff I know that Serum is an important step in skin care and to fight against ageing.

In case your still unsure what a serum is and why we use it I thought I would quickly explain. A serum is a skin care product with high concentrations of certain active ingredients. These can be such things like Hyaluronic acid which helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and Vitamin C to help brighten the skin and help reduce high pigmentation and dark spots. The difference between a serum and a moisturizer is moisturizers are made to keep your skin hydrated by forming a protective barrier between your skin and the outside. Serums penetrate deeper into the skin to deliver the active ingredients.

I was lucky enough to receive this off my friend who won it in a raffle but usually it retails for £59 for 30ml from Boots. I know this is a lot and will probably stop me from repurchasing it as I know there are so many good drugstore serums but if you can afford this then I do really recommend purchasing this and giving it a go. If not then why not think about putting it on a birthday or Christmas list.

Anyway onto my little review. I have definitely noticed a difference since I started using this little beauty. Along with my moisturizer (I use the Super Facialist By Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Defence Daily Moisturiser) these make my skin so hydrated and soft ready for me to apply my makeup in the morning. It is suitable for all skin types and restores radiance and delivers intense hydration. I love the texture of this, it's a gel creme formula and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky as it soaks into the skin quite quickly and doesn't leave a greasy film on the surface. The scent is lovely, fresh and clean.

The packaging like all Chanel products is very sleek and clean cut. The pump bottle is hygienic, means you don't waste any product inside and gives you the perfect amount for a single application. Through the translucent plastic, you can see how much is left, allowing you to stock up when you are running low which is always helpful. As it is plastic, the bottle isn't heavy and is perfect for travelling.

What do you think of Chanel skincare? Would you splash the cash?

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'