My top 10 from 2014

 Happy new year! I thought for my 1st post of the new year I would do a little round up of 10 things I have loved over the last year. 

I love these types of blog posts and videos as I love seeing what people actually use IRL - don't get me wrong, I love a good haul but it's also nice to see what actually makes the cut isn't it?

So here they are 10 of my favourites from the 2014...

First up is make up, in 2014 it would seem that I became slightly obsessed with MAC as my 3 favourite products are all from there. 

 The first is a lovely mineralize blush in the colour Dainty. This has been my bush of choice almost every day since I bought it back in early spring and being a self confessed blush horder that is high praise indeed. Dainty is a beautiful yellow toned pink with soft gold shimmer running through giving you that perfect suble glow to the cheeks, I have been using this with my ELF blush brush and loving the results.

When It comes to eye shadow I haven't looked much further than my MAC quad in recent months I have been loving the rusty orange/pink tones on my eyes and so its no wonder my first two MAC shadow purchases were a rusty bronze brown and a plum-pink! Antiqued and Cranberry have been my go to eye looks recently, they're both really bold colours and are both really good 'slap-on-and-go' colors, all they need is a little bit of blending round the edges and you look like you have put loads of effort into your look. Cranberry is a gorgeous red toned pink that looks amazing against blue and green eyes- wearing this on its own gives you that really cool heroin chic/ lived in make up look and Antiqued is a beautiful bronzey brown again great on my blue eyes, I find it can add dimension to your standard brown smokey eye.

As a side note I am also really enjoying my third MAC eye shadow 'Brun' a muted black brown - I use this in my brows and its just the perfect colour for my dark ashy coloured brows. Would definitely recommend for all darker haired girls!  

My final make up favourite has to be my best discovery of the year by far (along with every other beauty addicts favourite discovery I'm sure) and that discovery is MAC's Velvet Teddy lipstick. There has been SO much hype around this product for months now and whether or not this was the lipstick worn by that Kardashian/Jenner sister who I will not be naming on my blog (anyone else totally sick of that description for nude lipsticks?!) All that aside this lipstick deserves all the hype, its a really flattering beige nude that is completely matte on the lips. Despite being a massive bold lip kinda girl in the past I just find this so easy to wear and have probably worn this every single day since I bought it back in the autumn. 

Next up is a perfume, my favourite perfume in fact - Alien by Thierry Mugler. I always find myself buying a bottle of this around autumn/winter time it's a gorgeous warming, oriental floral scent that just makes me feel so happy and comforted whenever I smell it. I won't ramble on too much about this one as I am going to dedicate a post to it in the near future!

Nails are not something I am that into, I'll be honest it's something that seems more of a chore than a pampering experience in my opinion but since buying the Seche Vite topcoat it has made the process a lot more enjoyable. Not the most exciting purchase in the world but I've always heard really good things about this topcoat and so I decided to get it. It dries really fast and keeps my nails looking shiny and chip free. Simple!

I had two standout skincare faves last year the first is the No7 hot cloth cleanser - this is so nice to use it takes all my makeup off and leaves my skin feeling super clean and it doesn't give me any spots, which is a bonus. I have used a couple of different hot cloth cleansers in the past including the Liz Earle one and I find this one just as good if not better and it is a lot cheaper. 

The second skincare standout is the la roche posay effaclar duo, I still have no idea what you would call this stuff, it's a sort of hybrid between a moisturiser/ serum and a spot treatment but I do know that I love the effect it has on my skin, whenever it feels inflamed or spotty I apply this and it just seems to calm everything down. The only thing I would say is that I always need to scrub this off in the morning before applying makeup because it can leave a weird film sometimes on my skin.

My next favourite is a fashion one, I love fashion and have way too many favourite items of clothing to mention in one blog post so I decided to pick one item that I have worn the most since I bought it and I finally chose this Pull and Bear leather jacket, I love everything about this, the texture the style and of course the shearling collar, the jacket is made of quite thick material which is perfect for this weather but I don't think its something I can transition into the warmer months. It's just the perfect jacket and goes with everything from dresses to jeans. I will mention that I had to size up with this item if you're interested in this jacket be aware the sizing runs quite small I have this in a large when I would usually choose a medium.

Random favourites - 

Favorite TV show of 2014:

Even though I only got into it towards the end of the year my ultimate favourite TV show of the year (possibly of all time) has to be Once Upon A Time. I found this on US Netflix and it is amazing, the premise is slightly cheesy and the 1st couple of episodes are questionable but if you can get over that the show is a winner for me, the story line is great and there are so many twists and turns to keep you hooked. I was obsessed with this show and watched all 3 seasons (and all of 4 so far) in less than a month and it has nothing to do with Colin O'donoghue. Nope. Not at all. Honest.

Favourite Album of 2014: 

A rediscovery for me this year I have been loving City and Colours album 'Sometimes' from way way back in the day, I used to listen to this album back when I was about 16 in college and it brings back so many lovely, nostalgic memories of that time in my life. A couple favourites of mine are 'Hello, I'm in Delaware' and 'Save Your Scissors'.

And that's it, Folks! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and new year and here is to a healthy and happy 2015 <3

Review // Sleek blush by 3 - Pink Lemonade

Sleek blush by 3 in Pink Lemonade £9.99 (Link)

I'm a sucker for a pretty pink blush, so a cute set containing three pretty pink blushes was bound to catch my eye. Sleek blush by 3 in Pink lemonade has been in my possession for a good few months now but it has never really made it's way into my everyday routine but however I've been pulling it out lately and really loving the results!
  I've been a  fan of sleek for a couple of years now every product I've tried from them I have been really impressed with. My two stand out products have to be their shadows and blushes - the colours and pigmentation are some of the best on the high street and their prices are unbeatable for the quality of products in my opinion.
Pink Lemonade is a trio of pink hued blushes - two powder and one cream offering the first being Pink mint, my personal favourite in the palette, a soft baby pink with a golden shimmer that gives a beautiful highlighting glow to the cheeks - perfect for when your skin is looking a little more lackluster than usual.
Macaroon is a mid toned cream blush, I have to say I don't really use cream blushes, I find them quite difficult to work with and much more of a 'faf' to apply when compared to powder blush, nevertheless Macaroon is a pretty colour - a lot rosier in comparison with the other two in the palette and the consistency is really creamy and sets like a powder if you like cream blush this one is a really nice one!
Icing sugar is the more coral of the 3 colours, like pink mint there is a golden shimmer running through this blush giving that beautiful glow to the skin - I think this colour would look gorgeous with a tan, like the rest of the blushes Icing sugar is very pigmented, for everyday I like to layer this on top of pink mint for a hint of colour without going overboard.
I am really enjoying using this palette at the moment, I would recommend this to any blush lover like myself and I will be definitely checking more of these Sleek palettes out in the future!

Currently Loving...

Hey guys!

So because I don't get through enough new stuff each month to justify regular monthly favourites posts, I decided I'm going to share with you today a few things that have been tickling my fancy over the past few months.

Hope you enjoy! 

....

Benefit The porefessional primer:

This little guy has been living in the depths of my makeup bag for over 2 years now (yeah, gross, I know) Unused and unloved it wasn't until recently I pulled it out and rediscovered its mattifying wonderfulness! The porefessional does get it's fair share of hype in the beauty community and for good reason, it really is one of  the best primers out there in my opinion. It is oil free and silicone based so feels lovely and silky when applied onto skin, I don't have a massive problem with large pores so I don't know how well it works to minimize them, but I do find that this covers mine up but doesn't clog them up or break me out at all. My foundation applies seamlessly over this primer and I find I don't get as oily throughout the day when I'm wearing this. The only thing that puts me off this primer is the price tag at £24.50 I think it is completely, ridiculously overpriced, yet I will still continue to buy until I find an alternative *sigh*.

Primark aviator sunglasses

A bit of a random favourite this month but I have been loving wearing these aviator glasses, I've never gone for this style before but i'm really pleased with how they look. I love the simplicity of them and how they aren't too chunky or hard to style, they give a really effortlessly chic vibe and make me feel like Mary-Kate Olsen or something. (lol) Despite this pair being a little flimsy they have been well loved and for £2 you can't go wrong!

MAC studio finish concealer NW15:

A new discovery for me, I was on the look out for a  full coverage concealer a while back and after a reading a few reviews I decided on this over pro longwear. At first I found studio finish quite hard to work with and couldn't quite get it to work for me with a brush or with my fingers. After a bit of trial and error I have found this stuff to work best when warmed up and patted on with fingers. The formula is very creamy but this stuff is surprisingly full coverage, I predominantly use this under my eyes as I find it really brightens that area up, doesn't crease and stays put all day.

Maybelline color tattoo in on and on bronze:

Totally a year or so late on the 'on and on bronze' band wagon where have I been?! I really love this colour it's one of those perfect swipe and go products that look like you've made way more effort than you actually have. The colour gives depth to my eyes and really compliments my blue eyes and skin tone but I think it would look pretty on everyone, it is a universally flattering shade in my opinion.

Garnier moisture match for normal to dry skin:

I've been using this moisturiser for a long time now and this is actually my second tube of the stuff and I absolutely love it! I don't have especially dry or oily skin but this just keeps my skin soft and hydrated. There is nothing particularly exciting about this moisturiser, it's basic, it's cheap and gets the job done. Simples.

 MAC mineralize blush in Dainty: 

I'll be honest, I actually hated this blush when I first tried it out and proceeded to push it to the bottom of my makeup bag and continue to use other products. However, not being one to waste money I decided to pull it back out and give it a second chance. Dainty is a yellow toned pink with gold shimmer running through it, I don't find the shimmer in the pan translates on the face but it does give a slight sheen effect which I really like. The colour is really flattering on my fair skin and does a really good job of perking up my complexion and giving me a healthy glow.

Bourjois rouge edition velvet in Pink Pong: 

Oh lord, this has to be my ultimate favourite of the entire year so far! I am a self proclaimed lip product  addict and I will admit I get super excited when I see hype around new lipsticks, so you can imagine how thrilled I was about these bad boys and let me tell you - they do not disappoint. The rouge edition velvet's are liquid lipsticks that set matte on the lips. Super opaque from the first swipe the velvet's feel really smooth and comfortable when first applied (not a sticky lip in sight) they are seriously heavy duty in the staying put department-I can vouch for their longevity, I have worn this lipstick for at least a full day even after food and drink it was still going strong! Pink pong is a really vivid pink colour that looks absolutely stunning on the lips, It is my go to bold lip for nights out and I even wear this in the day if i'm feeling particularly brave. 

Have you tried any of these products?

Nars Desire/Laguna Blush - Bronzer Duo

Nars Desire/ Laguna duo £30.00

One swatch 

Hey everyone!

A couple of months ago I did something bad... Really bad, I checked out the NARS website and made my first ever order... dun dun duun. I have had my eye on the coveted Laguna bronzer for a couple of years now, ever since I got into blogs and YouTube and heard all the hype surrounding it.
I had every intention of buying the full size product when I logged onto the website, until I saw this exclusive blush/ bronzer duo for just a couple of pounds difference, so I figured it could be quite interesting to try out 2 products instead of one and the order was placed!

I have been using this product almost every day since it arrived, at first I was apprehensive Laguna looked too warm and the blush looked too pink, like really, really pink but actually this little product is something special. 

Laguna is described as a defused brown with golden shimmer, I use this product to contour and don't find the shimmer to be transferred onto skin. Laguna isn't overly pigmented, something that did surprise me a little when I first swatched it considering how everyone always raves about it and the general quality of other NARS products, however I have heard that the pigment quality does waver a wee bit when it comes to duos so that is something to be aware of when purchasing this product. Despite this I actually find Laguna really lovely, it is very buildable great for someone with a heavy hand like myself, less room to make mistakes. 

As for the blush, Desire is described as a delicate bright pink, which I would agree with. It is a bright, matte, blue toned pink. I will admit it does look terrifying in the pan, but once applied it creates the nicest natural flush to the cheeks. Unlike Laguna, Desire is a lot more pigmented so I would recommend using sparingly! The two products compliment each other really well and are my current favourite colour combination for summer.