Haul | NYX At Boots

I'm sure everyone and their mothers are now aware that NYX Cosmetics is now available to buy from Boots Online (hopefully it will make an appearance in stores soon!). So of course being the makeup obsessive that I am, I had to make an order straight away and let me tell you waiting for that text message to say it was available to collect felt like it took weeks and was painstakingly long but when it eventually came through I couldn't wait to run into town and pick up my goodies. So here is what I purchased...

NYX Hot Singles Eyeshadow (Shades: Lace, Damage Control, Heat & Sin)

NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow (Shades: Frostbite & Mermaid)

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams (Shades: Stockholm, Copenhagen & Cannes)

NYX High Voltage Lipstick (Shade: Feline)

NYX Slide On Eye Pencil (Shades: Black & Golden Bronze)

NYX HD Concealer (Shade: Fair)

That's everything I purchased but I have already given my sister a Christmas list of what I would like so hopefully will be adding to my collection on Christmas Day.

If you would like to see a more in depth review on any of the products I showed, let me know in the comments below.

Have you made a NYX order from boots yet? If yes, what's your favourite product?

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Beauty | Christmas Sets

It's that time of year again where we all peruse websites like Boots and Debenhams to see what our favourite beauty brands are offering for Christmas. So I thought I would share with you a few I have found which I would love to receive (or buy myself) for Christmas.

Nails Inc Snow Globe Christmas Gift Set - £15.00

I love a good glitter polish round Christmas time so when I came across this Nails Inc one I instantly fell in love. And what's great about it is because you have to shake it up to activate it you can control how glittery you want the polish.

Urban Decay Smoky Palette - £38.00

As an avid fan of the Urban Decay palettes and already owning the Naked and Naked 2 I am always looking to add to my collection. The Smoky Palette is the latest member of the Naked family and I definitely need to have it.

Laura Geller So Scrumptious Gift Set - £45.00

I don't own any Laura Geller makeup but I have heard great things about it. This set is available in two different shades, Light & Medium and contains 5 products and a duel ended brush. This seems like the perfect kit to try out some of her products.

Benefit Real Cheeky Party Set - £29.50

I already love Benefit Box Blushers so to have a set with not only 4 blushers but a bronzer, highlighter, eyeliner and mascara is a definite winner for me. I was gutted that I missed out on last years blusher set so I think I might treat myself to this years one.

BareMinerals Fabled Favourites Set - $24.00

This one is a little bit of a slip up, as I found these products a few days before writing this post I'm not sure where I first saw it but now can only find it on the Ulta website. But fear not BareMinerals have a lot of fantastic sets available for us brits over on the Debenhams site here.

Bumble and Bumble Full Of Cheer Thickening Hair Care Set - £22.00

Having only tried the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray and not getting on with it, I would like to try some other products out and thicker hair is something I'm always looking to achieve. I've read some great reviews on the Dry Spun Finishing spray so this is the perfect gift to try it out.

Make Up For Ever Artist Eye Studio - £40.00

Again another brand I have yet to try and I've heard a lot through Youtube that their eyeshadows are meant to be amazing quality. Plus the mix of colours in the palette look so pretty and outside my comfort zone which is what I need to start doing.

What are some of your favourite beauty gift sets this year?

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Beauty | Favourite Autumn Lipsticks

One of my favourite type of blog posts to read at this time of the year is definitely posts all to do with Autumn makeup looks or collections. So I thought why not show you my top picks for lipsticks that I feel best suit the glorious season (and yes they are all of a similar shade!).

I picked this gorgeous beauty up from IMATS this year from BeautyBCosmetics and have loved it ever since. It goes on a high pigmented liquid and dries to a flat matte finish and as long as I put a lip balm underneath it doesn't dry out my lips either. The colour 'Backstage' is exactly what Autumn is for me.

This is one of those perfect products for when you're on the go. It's pigmented enough for a full on colour but also sheer enough to quickly swipe on when you're in a rush and want something on your lips. You may notice a theme of my favourite Autumn colours but 'Pomegranate Margarita' is a gorgeous pink shade.

I got very excited when I saw the NYX Butter Lipsticks (now available on boots!!) at this years IMATS. As the queue was moving so fast I literally grabbed the colours I could see so can't wait to buy more. They are incredibly moisturising pigmented lipsticks. Slightly darker of the two I'm mentioning 'Licorice' is the perfect wine colour.

'Hunk' is perfect when I want to wear a Autumnal colour but don't want to go for the classic dark wine/purple colour. It's a mix between a pink and a purple and is cute as a bright alternative.

My sister picked this up for me on her recent trip to Barcelona. It was hard picking a colour as the European Sephora Site doesn't show you everything they sell so my sister sent me pictures of the stand and I just chose from that . This is more on the browner tone side of lipsticks but when I'm not feeling my dark reds or brights then this is perfect!

What are your favourite Autumn lip colours/lipsticks?

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Beauty | My Everyday Makeup

When I'm working, which often feels like all the time I tend to stick to the same group of products and have my set routine which means I can have my makeup done in about 10-15 minutes. I like to use my days off to experiment with different products and if I find I love a product a lot I will switch it round into my routine. So I just wanted to share with you what I use in my everyday makeup routine...

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer £9.99

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer 'Light' £7.99

NYX HD Photogenic Concealer £5.50

L'Oreal Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation £7.99

MAC Studio Fix Powder £22.00

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer 'Sunny' £1.99

Revlon Highlighting Palette 'Rose Glow' £9.99

Makeup Revolution Baked Blusher 'All I Think About Is You' £2.50

What are your everyday makeup products?

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Wishlist | Kiko Milano Cosmetics

Kiko is quickly becoming one of my favourite high street brands and lucky for me a few months back they opened a store in Brighton so I can easily get my fix! With a mix of cheaper products and some more on the expensive side I feel there is something for everyones budget. I have bought a few bits from there already so thought I would let you know what other bits I'm looking forward to picking up in the future.

Rebel Romantic Intensely Lavish Lipstick £6.90

I picked up this lipstick in the shade 02 Pretty Mauve a couple of weeks ago and instantly fell in love. Not only is the rose gold packaging to die for but the lipstick itself has amazing pigmentation and is so hydrating it leaves your lips feeling super soft. The packaging is heavier than your normal lipstick so gives it a luxurious feel. With the rest of the collection offering perfect shades for Autumn I will be buying more.

Invisible Anti-Shine Setting Powder £11.90

As a girl with combination oily skin I'm always on the look out for a good powder to set my makeup with. Currently I use MAC Studio Fix Powder which is actually a powder foundation (I love full coverage by the way) but as this is half the price, I'm willing to give it a go to see how it fairs.

Smart Lipstick £3.90

I have a lipstick problem! I probably own 10 of near enough the same shade but I can't help but to buy new lipsticks. So when I came across Kikos Smart Lipsticks I grabbed a shade which looked fairly like velvet teddy (because I'm still in my Kylie Jenner phase) and thought I'd give it a go. Well now I need to go back and buy every other shade they produce because for £3.90 you are getting in my opinion Mac quality lipsticks.

Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow £6.90
I already own 2 shades of their Stick Eyeshadows and they are perfect for when I'm up early for work and just want something simply to sweep over the whole lid! With 32 shades available I definitely will be picking a few more to add to my collection.

Energy Fusion Serum £15.90
I first tried their Crystal Fusion Serum a few months back when it was released as part of a collection and enjoyed using it until it was no longer available. So when I found out they were re-releasing it but with two new additions I had to check them out. I think I want to try out the Energy Fusion version next which is a illuminating serum so I will keep you updated when I purchase it.

Have you Kiko before? What are your favourite products?

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Worth The Hype? | Makeup Revolution Goddess Of Love Highlighter

This is my very first worth the hype post, so if you do enjoy these type of posts do let me know and I will try to post some more. Everyone in the blogging community by now has heard of the fantastic brand Makeup Revolution and their amazing quality products for such a low price. I own a lot of their eyeshadow palettes and blushers palettes and I absolutely love them and reach for them everyday. Which is why it pains me to say I haven't had the same amazing experience with this product.

The Goddess Of Love Triple Baked Highlighter is a gorgeous golden highlight with a nice sheen and when I swatched it with my finger it looked AMAZING! But unfortunately when I went to apply it with my brush the colour payoff just wasn't what I expected. It's not very pigmented like some other highlighters I own. So I attempted to apply with my fingers which made the pigmentation better but wasn't the easiest to blend out so I ended up with blobs of highlight on my face. For the bargain price of £4.99 it's not the biggest loss but I would definitely recommend skipping this item and spending that £5 on some of their other products (especially their eyeshadow and blusher palettes!!). So do I think it's worth the hype... Not so much this product but the brand as a whole YES!!

Have you tried these highlighters? What were your thoughts?

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Review | L.A.B.² Strokes Of Genius Eye Brush Set

My quest for growing my makeup brush collection is ongoing and recently I got to try out the L.A.B² Strokes Of Genius Eye Brush Set*. L.A.B² is an American brand which aims to bring high quality brushes at a fraction of the price of the competition. Their philosophy is to have Beauty Without Compromise and promise to always give Luxe For Less. The brushes come in neon orange and black packaging which stands out and is very eye catching. You can see the brushes through the plastic display sleeve which is always nice so you can see before you buy. On the back is a lot of useful information including a cut out guide on how best to use each brush.

In the set you get 5 essential brushes to create anything from a simple natural look to a dramatic smoky eye. All their brushes have rubberized handles which I find makes the brush comfortable to hold and easy to guide. Also each brush has its usage printed on the brush handle which is very handy.

Eyeshadow Brush – “Distributes colour evenly onto the lids, crease and brow bone.” I can 100% agree with their description of this brush, it’s the perfect shadow brush to dust a single shade all over the lid and bonus it’s not at all scratchy!

Crease Brush – “Accentuates the crease and blends colours seamlessly together to soften harsh lines.” Eyeshadow is my favourite product to buy and experiment with so blending brushes are a must for me! After all blend is your friend remember! It does exactly what it says on the tin and does it perfectly!

Pointed Eyeliner Brush – “Delivers a precise, firm and even line.” I haven’t managed to try this brush out yet as I’m on a felt tip liner kick at the moment.

Brow & Liner Brush – “Fills in brows and lines eyes for extra definition.” As I said above I like my felt tip liner pens so have only tried this brush on my brows. It’s a great brush for filling in brows and may work better for liner but I think I prefer my Zoeva 322 Brush as it’s more firm so I can really carve out my brows.

Brow & Lash Groomer – “Grooms, combs and defines brows and lashes.” With a spoolie on one end and the comb and brush on the other this is the perfect brush to carry round with you if you travel. I love to use the spoolie to comb through my brows once I’ve filled them in and the brush to tame the beasts but find I don’t use the comb very much. I don’t have the most steady hands so don’t like to use anything near my eye other than a mascara wand.

Overall this is a perfect set for if you’re a beginner with makeup or if you’re more experienced this is a great addition to your collection. This set plus other brushes are available from Superdrug and are on offer at the moment.

Have you tried these brushes before? What were your thoughts?

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*PR Sample gifted to me,

All words and opinions are my own.

Review | L'Oreal Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation

My past experiences with L'Oreal foundations haven't all been positive. I used to often find although they have an extensive range of shades, I could never find one to match my skin tone. They were either too warm or too yellow, even the neutral tones never seemed to quite match. But alas I have found my holy grail foundation from L'Oreal and the colour match is the best I've ever found.

I have a normal/oily skin type, basically my t-zone becomes a shiny mess throughout the day and I couldn't find a foundation where I didn't need to reapply 10 times because it had already slipped off my face or moved around. So I tried the L'Oreal Infallible 24H-Matte foundation and I was so happy when I didn't need to touch up or reapply once.

A little goes a long way with this foundation so the 35ml tube will last you quite a while. It has medium to full buildable coverage and has a flat matte finish. I like to set mine with MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation as I like a full coverage. 

Overall I love this foundation and I think anyone with a normal/oily or oily skin type will love it too. It's available from Boots for £7.99 and is currently on 3 for 2 alongside selected amazing L'Oreal products.

Have you tried this foundation? What were your thoughts?

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Haul | Essence Makeup

Essence is a makeup brand I had only really heard of from people online being that I didn't have any stores near me that ranged it. But a couple of weeks ago I happened to be near a Wilkos so I popped it to see what they had to offer.

I'm just going to quickly add how impressed I am with their range of products and variety of colours etc as I took a good 30 minutes browsing and picking out what I wanted to try out first.

First I picked up two powder products which I've seen multiple times on many blogs. Essence Blush Up! Blusher and Essence Sun Club Bronzer both intrigued me and when I saw them on the stand I immediately picked both up. I have yet to try these out so look forward to reviewing them soon.

Next is another cult product I've seen mentioned a lot and it is their Essence The Gel Nail Polish. I love gel polishes but can't afford to fork out to continuously get them done so when I find a cheap alternate I have to have it in every colour. I will be purchasing more colours in this range.

Finally I picked up a couple of dupes of higher end brands. Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel is a dupe for Benefit Gimme Brow and with a difference of £16 it is definitely worth checking out. I love it and will be repurchasing when I'm done with this one. Also another is Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base which I have found to be a great dupe for NYX HD Eyeshadow Base but at the bargain price of £2.50 it still makes my eyeshadow last all day so is worth the saving.

Do you own anything from Essence? What's your favourite product?

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Wishlist | Kiko Rebel Romantic Collection

Kiko Milano recently released their latest collection Rebel Romantic and as I've been impressed with their past collections I just know I will love this one just as much. If you're unaware of who Kiko Milano are (which I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of them) they started in 1997 and are a Italian professional cosmetics brand. They produce high quality products but at affordable prices which is what I love most about them. So in todays post I thought I would share with you a few things I'm looking forward to getting my hands on from the Rebel Romantic Collection. 

Perfecting Bronzer - £12.90
A bronzer paired with a perfecting powder intrigued me, alongside the incredibly beautiful rose gold packaging I will definitely be purchasing this.

Glowing Potion Perfecting Serum - £13.90
The websites description is 'a perfecting face serum with hyaluronic acid and this may possibly be just a serum like all the others but something inside me is screaming out to buy it.

Metallic Shine Eye Shadow - £6.90
Eye shadows and eye shadow palettes are what I probably hoard the most. I can't help but to want every colour under the sun although I don't have the confidence to carry most of them off. So these creamy powder eye shadows with a metallic finish sound like just my thing and are available in six shades.

Rebel Bouncy Blush - £9.90
The name alone intrigues me enough to go out and buy these but the description confirms my need for these beauties. A blush with a new sensory aspect and a satin matte finish available in four shades... yes please!!

Have you purchased anything from this collection yet?

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Haul | IMATS 2015

On the 11th July I attended one of the biggest beauty conventions in the UK, IMATS. I've already wrote my post about my experience and you can read that here. So today I want to show you my haul of what I purchased. Please excuse the used brushes, I had previously took the pictures but I wasn't happy with them so I have since used some stuff so apologies for that. I've linked what is available to buy but if it's not linked then it's probably not available in the UK or online. 

Nanshy was one of the stalls I was most excited about visiting. Apart from buying makeup, brushes were the next thing I wanted most as I needed to build up my collection. I had followed Nanshys social media the week leading up to IMATS and was excited when they were offering a £5 off voucher for people going to IMATS. I picked up the Gobsmack Glamorous Onyx Black Face Brush Set and the Marvel 4 in 1 Makeup Blending Sponge. I've already used some of the brushes and they are totally worth the money, and have become my daily brushes!

Zoeva brushes were also on my list so we headed over to the Love Makeup stall and had a look at all the sets they had. Me and Jodie both settled on the Rose Gold Complete Eye Set which comes with 12 essential brushes to complete the perfect eye look. I haven't used all of them yet but the ones I have used I've instantly fallen in love with.

More brushes! Crown is amazing for good quality at a reasonable price so I picked up a couple of face & eye brushes and a makeup brush cleaner. The C473 Pro Contour has become my holy grail brush for contouring and I don't know how I ever got by without it. The C100 Tapered Blush is PERFECT for applying highlighter to the cheekbones and bridge of the nose.

I was so excited to see the BeautyB Cosmetics stall was selling some L.A.Girl products alongside The Balm and Milani so much that I think I may have squealed a little bit! I retained myself knowing I could always order more so I only picked up two of the Matte Flat Finish Pigment Glosses and a Pro Conceal HD Concealer. I have tried the concealer quickly and one of the Matte glosses and can see me using both items constantly.

The stall I hit the hardest was NYX. This was because they had products that aren't available in the UK yet, the queue for the NYX stall is always massive and also because the prices were so good. I'm quite impressed with what I ended up with considering the stand is so busy there's no time to look and swatch things, it's literally a grab and go stall. I picked up a lot of lip products this year including more Butter Glosses in Sugar Cookie, Eclair, Apple Strudel and Raspberry Tart to add to my collection. The main thing I wanted to make sure I got was the Butter Lipsticks. I just grabbed what I thought looked nice and ended up with JuJu, Hunk, Cotton Candy, Licorice and Razzle. I also picked up two of their Slim Lip Pencils in Bloom and Purple Rain, and finally on the lip front I got three of their Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippies in Watermelon Cooler, Pomegranate Margarita and Berry Mojito. The rest was all face and eyes including the Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray, Angel Veil Face Primer, HD Concealer, Infinate Shadow Stick, Eye Shadow Base, Baked Blush, Baked Illuminator and Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner.

Finally I picked up some more bits from Kiss Cosmetics after trying their Sheer Stick (my review can be read here) and loving it. The girls on the stall were so lovely and accommodating and not at all pushy to make sales. I picked up two Lip Vinyls in Seductive Damson and Birthday Suit. The two lippies I picked up were their Limited Edition Kisstick in Osculate Orchid and another Sheer Stick in Breezy Coral.

That is everything I picked up this year. I'm already looking forward to next year and have a mental shopping list going on. Hope you enjoyed this post!

Have you tried any of these items? Do you have a IMATS haul?

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Event | The Body Shop #SummerEdit

A week or two ago me and a bunch of fellow bloggers/youtubers were invited down to the Seattle hotel down Brighton Marina by The Body Shop for their #SummerEdit Event to see their new and upcoming products as well as some of their latest releases. There are so many amazing new products coming out and it was so nice to be able to try them out and experience the direction TBS are taking the brand. Now as I haven't seen some of my best blogging girls in a while I was busy catching up and testing products that I am a little light on photos of the actual event. At the end of the night we were graced with a goodie bag so I will probably have a post up at a later date about that. It was an amazing evening filled with amazing food (quite possibly the best chips I have ever tasted!!), beauty chat with my fellow ladies, the lovely Body Shop ladies and the experts they had there, beautiful scenery and of course gorgeous products.

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