Avon's Arrived || Brochures 04 & 05!

Hello everyone!

So today I've got a few things to show you that I bought from the last couple of Avon brochures including some super exciting new products!

Let's all ignore the fact that at first glance I seem to have gone for a monochrome theme since I didn't even realise until I came to write this post.

But anyway, I have been so excited by some of the new products that Avon are releasing as I think they are trying to branch out to a younger target audience (no complaints from me!).

This is the Ideal Flawless Cream Concealer in the shade Fair. This is basically a highly pigmented cream concealer with medium coverage. I really like this as although it is a cream product, it isn't too thick which makes it easy to blend out. I have the lightest of three shades, and it is a great eye cover-up/highlight colour. Another massive pro is that it has a really smooth finish and doesn't tend to crease under my eyes. I think this is the best concealer that Avon does and I'd recommend it to anyone!

This winter I have been seriously loving matte nails, and although Avon has sold matte formulas in the past, they have revamped the whole product to give the Magic Effects Matte Nail Enamel. I bought the shades White and Black as these are super wearable colours for everyday. The formula of these polishes are really nice and they last well without chipping. 

Next is a different item to what I normally get from Avon and it is the Floral Clusters Drama Necklace in White. I don't tend to get much jewellery from Avon (apart from my beloved rose-gold watch) and I just think it is all a bit old for me and I wouldn't personally wear it.  However this necklace really caught my eye. It is a gold chained statement necklace with three white floral-designed clusters. I think this is a really good necklace to have as you can pair it with tonnes of different looks.

Lastly, Avon has released a new colour selection of their Ultra Colour Indulgence Lipstick. This is a really smooth gel-like formula, which although is sheerer than the other lipsticks, creates that super plump glossy lip. I got the shade Tawny Rose which is a dark pink/brown nude. This colour is a perfect 'your lips but better' shade and because it is SO glossy, you don't need to wear a lipgloss over the top which I love!

Have you tried any of these products too?

Review & Swatches || Revolution Eye Shadow Palette

Hello everyone!

During my last visit to Superdrug I noticed this new brand up for sale, and in specific this eye shadow palette. Revolution (Makeup Revolution London) is a relatively inexpensive yet high quality brand. I picked up their Redemption Palette Iconic 1 palette, which has a prefect range of party colours, and getting 12 different shades (with quite big pans too) for a drug store product is an instant winner!

The colours range from a pale pink to dark black/grey shades, with a mix of matte and shimmery shades. All of the shades are really pigmented and easy to blend which helps to create quick eye looks. My favourite shades include the light brown shade (three from the left) as it is a great matte crease shade, and the shimmery yellow-gold shade (six from the left) as it applies so pigmented and glittery!

Have you ever tried this palette and what is your favourite shade?

Monthly Favourites || October 2014

Hello my lovelies!

October was a pretty crazy month for me as it included my 18th birthday *woop woop* but I've finally got around to writing my October favourites!

So let's start with make-up...

I had a slight moment in the middle of Next when I saw a tiny little NYX stand at the other end of the shop and did a quick shuffle over to it. I didn't even realise that they were selling NYX on the English high street, but obviously I picked up a few things. I had never tried NYX before but I think it's safe to say that I love their products! So the first thing I've been loving is the NYX Blush in the shade Mocha. I wanted a darker autumnal shade, and this deep pink/red shade is really perfect and super easy to blend. Obviously everyone and their dog has raved about NYX blushes on the internet, and I'm so glad I have tried one out as I now know why!

Next thing is the Soap and Glory Archery brow pencil in the shade Hot Chocolate. This is just such a good brow product - you can use it to define the edges or fill in sparse areas of your brows and it always looks great. The colour is really natural and not too red which I find some brow products to be, and paired with a good brow gel makes the perfect brow!

I've been absolutely obsessed with the Kiko Smart Lip Pencil in the shade 712 which is another Kylie Jenner-esque pink/mauve nude shade. I've been loving this lip colour for autumn, and this lip pencil has been so useful; whether I use it to define my lips or just use it all over the lips, it creates such a gorgeous 90's lip. 

I've already talked about the NYX Matte Lipstick in the shade Whipped Caviar in my most recent post (Autumn 2014 Favourite Lip Colours), but I had to put it in here too as I've literally nearly used up the whole bullet. It's another pink/mauve nude shade but it has a matte finish which is my favourite type of lip to wear. 

I've also been loving using my Real Techniques Contour Brush to apply and blend out concealer under the eyes. I don't tend to use the brush to apply contour, and so have been using it under the eyes as it has the perfect tapered end to allow super easy concealer application. The softness of the brush is also really nice and not too harsh on the sensitive skin, and it blends out the concealer really well. 

Obviously there would be a nail varnish in my favourites, and honestly autumn is my favourite time for nail varnishes as I love wearing darker colours as the weather starts to get colder. One I've been constantly reaching for is the Barry M Matte Nail Paint in the shade Black Espresso. I'm sure I've talked about it before, but I always end up going back to this formula of nail varnish as they are so quick and easy to apply, and come in a great variety of autumnal shades. 

Lastly we have the film Rock of Ages. Now you might think this is a bit random, but I'd heard loads about the musical in theatres, and couldn't resist watching given how much I love a good musical, and I have to admit that I'm hooked. I've watched the film so many times now and have actually booked tickets to go and see it in London during November! It is such a good musical made up of classic 1980s rock songs - obviously I wasn't around in the 80s but still found myself singing along to most of the songs! This is such a good film, and I'd highly recommend seeing it even if it is just for the songs!

Hope you enjoyed reading my October Favourites!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your monthly favourites?

:)

Consequences of Retail Therapy || Beauty Haul

Hey Guys!

So I went to Milton Keynes shopping yesterday, and lets say came back with a significantly lighter purse! I actually went to do my driving theory test, and obviously had to peruse the beauty shops there! I must admit that I splurged a bit, but in the end I failed my theory by one mark, so I was glad to have all this as a cheer-me-up! So yeah, there is a mix of drugstore and high-end products, and some I've been looking forward to trying and will review them once I've tried them out properly. 

So the first thing that I've been so excited to get is the Barry M Flawless Matte Finish Oil Free Foundation in the shade Ivory.

I've read great reviews about this on various blogs and have been waiting to get to a Superdrug in order to buy it! It claims to be 'super blendable' with a 'hydrating formula'. The swatch I tried on my hand feels really smooth and it has a really light formula, which hopefully will look nice on the skin. So yeah, really looking forward to trying this and at something like £6 a bottle, you can't really go wrong!

Next is the H&M BB Cream Brush.

This is basically a dense, angled stippling brush. I've never tried any H&M cosmetic products before, but I've been looking for a new foundation brush and thought I'd give it a try. It's really soft and thick, and  has a nice flat top, which can be used for BB/CC cream or liquid foundations. Hopefully this brush will be really good for buffing out foundation when applying.

Next, surprise surprise, is a nail varnish. Literally cannot go anywhere without coming back with a nail varnish! This is the Barry M Silk Nail Paint in the shade Meadow which is like a shimmery pale blue.

This new range of Barry M Nail Paints is supposed to look like silk after you've applied it, and looks good so far. I quickly tried on one coat when I got back yesterday, and it's pretty sheer, so am guessing you'd need a few coats. They had a really pretty selection of spring colours, so if this one is good, I'll definitely have to find an excuse to get some more!

Next is one of my favourite products that I use on a daily basis, and it's the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in the shade 001 Transparent.

I go through these bad boys like they're going out of fashion really. This is such a great setting powder, especially if you've got oily skin, as it gives a really great matte finish to our foundation as well as making it last for ages. I cannot speak highly enough of this product, and as I'm sure many beauty bloggers would agree, if you haven't tried it yet you really are missing out!

Next is a more expensive product, but I literally fell in love with it as soon as I swatched it. It's the MAC Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow in the shade Expensive Pink.

This is such a gorgeous, dusty-rose gold pink shade with a heavy gold shimmer through it. It is also quite a coral-toned shade, which makes it very wearable for summer. I cannot wait to start trying out a few looks with this, as the swatches I did were so pigmented and creamy. 

Then we have the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser.

This was a bit more expensive than I thought it would be, but I'd heard such good reviews about it, I couldn't  pass the chance to pick it up. This product is essentially a face primer, targeted at minimising the look of pores. It is a transparent cream, that actually looks matte when it comes out. It smooths out really nice and smoothly on the skin, and hopefully it will help my makeup to stay out of my pores for a good amount of time. 

Next is a second product from H&M and that is their Eyebrow Fix. 

This is basically a clear mascara like gel, that you brush through your brows to set any powder or product. It has quite a large wand to apply the product with, and hopefully it won't be too crunchy or dry horribly when it's actually on the brows, so fingers crossed for this product.

Lastly we have what I think is my favorite thing that I've bought in quite a while! I went to the MAC counter and was looking for an off-red lipstick that wasn't too bright, since I tend to go for bright or dark reds, and the woman at the counter suggested this shade so I tried it on and literally couldn't leave without it! It's the MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in the shade On Hold.

It is just the most beautiful red with slight pink/orange undertones. It isn't too bright and because it is a Cremesheen lipstick, it's very moisturising and creamy. This is by far my favourite lipstick now, and I'm beyond excited to start wearing it!

So yeah that's everything to show today! I hope you enjoyed seeing everything I got, and I'll post full reviews on everything once I've tried them out and seen what they're like!

Christmas 2013 Beauty Presents

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I had such a good Christmas, and thought I'd share the beauty related presents that I got from my friends and family.

I received so many lovely presents which I am really excited to use! First I got the Just Pink Fragrance Collection from Next.

This is my favourite everyday perfume, and I ran out of my first bottle a few weeks ago, so this was perfect timing. It consists of the Eau de Parfum,  a Body Lotion, and a Body Spray, all with the Just Pink scent. I like it because it has quite a strong,floral fragrance, but it's not overpowering. I love this perfume for everyday, and will definitely be using it all year round!

Next, I got a few Barry M products.

First is the Smokin' Hot Eyeshadow and Blush Palette. It has six eye shadows, which can all be used to create a black/grey smoky eye. All of the shades have really good pigmentation, and lead to a very glam eyeshadow look, which is perfect for going out and party looks. 

Then is the Barry M Nail Paints in Magenta Glitter and Limited Edition C. They are both really pretty, glittery top coats and, especially the silver glitter, will look good on top of any colour nail varnish. Then is the Barry M Lipstick in shade 145. This is a bright Fuchsia pink with purple undertones. Its not as bright on thee lips as it appears, but I think that's good, because it means you can build up a brightness of colour that you want. 

Some of my favourite products, and ones that I have used for the longest are from the Body Shop.

A few old classics I got is the Mango Shower Gel and the Mango Body Butter. The mango scent is my favourite one from Body Shop, and I regularly use their body butter as a body moisturiser, especially in Winter, because it's so rich and thick. The new products I can't wait to try are the Born Lippy Lip Balms in the flavours Lychee, Strawberry and Pomegranate. So far they all smell SO good, and I am hoping that they will be really moisturising and good for my lips, but Body Shop already have a good reputation in my eyes so I'm sure that I'll love them. 

Then we have a few products from Avon that I've wanted to try for ages!

On the left is the Avon 8-in-1 Eye Palette in the shade The Metallics. I really wanted this palette for the festive time, because as you can guess, all the shades are metallic. This means that you can get a really festive look really easily. What I also liked about this palette was the range of shades. There are a few more out-there shades (like the teal or mustard shade), which I am really excited to try and use. I also got the Avon Eyeshadow in Cosmic Brown. This is a beautiful, shimmery baked eyeshadow, with lots of different shades of brown, and a fine gold glitter running through it. When you apply it, and mix it all up, you get a really nice light bronze-gold colour, which is perfect for creating subtle smokey eyes from natural colours.   

Lastly, my favourite product, and possibly my favourite present this year, was from one of my friends; and I got this maybe a week before Christmas and have literally used it everyday since! 

It is my Mac Eyeshadow in the shade Jest from the Frost collection. It is the most beautiful light beige colour with a gold-pink shimmer. Its perfect for all over the lid on an everyday basis, or as the base for a shimmery smokey eye. I already love this product, and will no doubt be using it everyday this year! 

So yeah these are my Beauty Christmas Presents which I cannot wait to start using properly! Hope you enjoyed reading it!  

Drugstore Haul! ~ Boots/Superdrug

SHOPPING! Yay I love shopping! But yeah back to the point I went shopping last weekend and thought I'd share the things I picked up.

First I picked up the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in the shade 100 Ivory. I've been wanting to buy this for ages and finally did and I do love this so much! I've been using it everyday and it gives a good coverage and feels so soft on the skin. The only thing that I don't like is that it has glitter in which you can't normally see but in the sun my face looks really glittery which I haven't warmed up to yet.

Next I got the Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in the shade 001 Transparent. I use this as a setting powder over the foundation and it really does ensure that the makeup lasts for a long time so thumbs up for this.

Then I picked up the Collection Pressed Powder in 18 Ivory and I got this in such a pale colour because I've been looking for a matte highlighter but haven't found one I like yet so I saw this and thought I could use it for a highlight and it actually works really well! It's quite pigmented so you have to be light on the brush but in general it's a good product.

Next I got the Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara in Black. I was initially sceptical about this product because it looks quite thick on the wand, but having tried it a few times I actually like it. It is a very good lash separator and volumiser and doesn't leave your lashes like thick or clumpy; they feel nice and light.

Finally, yes you can guess it, nail varnishes! Well in Superdrug there was a three for two offer so I couldn't resist buying some new nail varnishes! First on the left is Models Own Scented Varnish in Banana Split. Oh my this stuff is amazing! Basically there is a whole range of scented nail varnishes which all have different flavours and they all have a scratch and sniff panel on the top! So when you paint your nails, they will also smell of the corresponding fruit!! So yeah absolutely love this because it smells of banana milkshake!

Then I got the Sinful Colors Professional Varnish in 1171 Sweet Nothing. Basically I've only seen this new brand in Boots once before and bought a few colours to try out and they are quite good value for money. They don't last for that long before chipping, but for like £1.99 it's a great price for a nail polish. Also they have similar sized bottles to OPI polishes so you get quite a lot of actual varnish in there! 

Lastly I got the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in 308 Pomegranate. Now I am totally in love with this range and have quite a few already! They are so thick and shiny and do feel like a gel polish. I just love this range so much and needed another to add to my collection and decided to chose this colour as actually it matches the colour of my prom dress so I thought I could paint my nails this colour or prom.

So yeah this was my drugstore haul, I hope you enjoyed it. Comment below and follow for more beauty posts!

Pamper Evening!

Recently I went to a pamper evening with some friends in aid of a charity supporting Chromes Disease, and basically there were loads of stalls and testers for different beauty products.

First thing to tell you was the Tropic Skincare stall. I've had a facial from the tropics range before and basically it's a range of beauty product from a runner up from the tv how The Apprentice, Susan Ma. It's all organic and chemical free products which range from face products like moisturisers and oils to the new set of makeup. 

After trying some if their products my skin literally felt so soft and I couldn't resist buying something, and because some of them were quite expensive, I decided to modestly buy their exfoliating lip balm.

After trying this for a few days I cannot stop! It's basically like a fruity flavoured lip balm but has little exfoliating bits in it so that when you apply it, it scrubs into your lips moisturising them at the same time. So yeah I really love this product and definitely will be trying some of their new makeup.

The next thing that I am totally in love with is the manicure and gel polish I had done! There is a new salon opening in my village and so they were painting nails to become more noticed so I decided to have an OPI Gel Polish and shaping and I literally am IN LOVE. 

I had the colour Strawberry Margarita and its basically a bright pink! I think it's so summery and vibrant and because its a gel polish its lasts for up to three weeks without chipping and looks so nice a shiny too.

So yeah I will definitely be going back and having more gel nail polishes and cannot wait for more colours to be available!