Kate Moss lipstick collection for Rimmel - 03 & 08

     If you follow me on twitter you'll know that a few weeks ago I picked up two Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks in the hope to find a new perfect every day shade. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw the collection, though there are some beauties, no particular shade caught my eye. There just didn't seem to be any that jumped out at me as a 'me' shade. So naturally I spent half an hour swatching and comparing until I finally decided that 03 and 08 were going to join my little lipstick family.

 

The shade 03 is a nude with a touch of pink, but sat next to nudes like Hue by Mac it almost has a purple tint to it, which you can catch a glimpse of in the swatch. It comes out as a really gorgeous milky nude pink and looks amazing worn with Nars Turkish Delight lip gloss on top. The shade 08 is quite a bit darker and is a pink with almost berry undertones. It's not as wearable as 03, but it's still a stunning colour and looks amazing with a simple look & a flick of eyeliner. The pigmentation is amazing, they last for hours, and they are so moisturising which is always a plus when you have precarious lips like mine!

03 Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick

08 Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick

Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick - Left: 03  Right: 08

Because its so wearable, 03 has become my every day go to lipstick. It just gives me that effortless nude lip without washing me out, so what more could you ask? Have you picked up any of the Kate Moss lipsticks & which are your favourites? I'm definitely considering getting a few more.

Thanks,

Matte nails

Recently I have been going crazy over matte nails, so I picked up the Gosh matte effect top coat a few weeks ago & have been trying it out on top of pretty much every nail polish I own! It's safe to say I have found a favourite combination, and the winner is another newbie and it's O.P.I's 'William tell me about O.P.I'. The dark plum colour is a lighter version of O.P.I's notorious 'Lincoln park after dark' so it still retains its plummy tint even after a few coats. 

As you can see, it doesn't give a completely matte look, because there is a slight bit of shine there, but it's still such a gorgeous effect. The application is really smooth, making it easy to use & it dries surprisingly quickly. I've got to admit, the Matte top coat does seem to make the polishes chip more easily than usual, but you still get a few days of flawless, edgy nails! I love this look for winter & feel like it's such a easy and fun trend to follow. What trends will you be playing around with this winter?

Thanks,

New make-up storage

I got a little bit too excited the other day when I was strolling through Asda and I came across this acrylic storage system. I'd been looking for acrylic storage for my lipsticks but on the internet they can be quite pricey so when I saw this I had to get it. This bad boy only cost £8 and it's the perfect size for holding a few favourite products on your dressing table.

 

Just thought I'd show you guys my amazing find, I really love it! My morning routine is so much easier now that I don't have to rummage through my drawers for my every day make-up. Let me know if you guys have anything similar, I'm tempted to go all out on acrylic storage!

Thanks, 

My Coral Love

Over the past few months I have found myself drawn to all things coral, and so I have managed to accumulate quite a few new new coral favourites. These beauties have been a perfect bright for summer and will definitely be making an appearance this winter too. A coral cheek or lip is supposed to be big this A/W, so I thought why not show you my coral loves.

Now you all know how much I love my lipstick, but I've got to admit it's not often I'll brave a bright lip during the day. These three beauties have helped me to step out of my box, and I've grown to absolutely love them! The Barry M one is a little drying for me, but if you put a lip balm on first it's good to go. It's quite a unique, bright colour and looks absolutely stunning when worn right. The YSL one is by far my favourite, and the Rouge Voluptes are probably my favourite lipsticks ever simply because the formulation is perfect for me! They're so moisturising and this shade is not too 'out there' so it can easily be worn during the day while still looking effortless. Mac Costa Chic is the brightest of the three, and is probably more of a pink with a touch of coral to it. The colour pigmentation is amazing, and even though it's a frost, it really doesn't have much shimmer. It's a stunning bright that I'll definitely be wearing this winter with just a flick of eyeliner & a cosy knit.

 

Barry M Lip Paint 147          YSL Rouge Volupte #30 Faubourg Peach      Mac Costa Chic

Before my little love affair with make-up, I always stuck to pink blush simply because it's the stereotypical blush colour. Though I do love a pink blush, without a doubt coral suits me better and gives a far more natural glow to my face. When I realised what they could do to my complexion, these three quickly became my favourites! The Topshop cream blush actually comes out a very pinky coral colour when swatched, making it far more wearable than the daunting orange it appears in the pan! The formulation is gorgeous and it finishes as a powder so it's a good one for those who are a little scared to dive right in to the world of cream blush. Mac Melba has basically not left my side this entire month. It looks phenomenal with a tan, and though it isn't a typical blush shade that I'd pick out, it has quickly become a favourite because of the glow it gives and how natural it looks. Benefit Coralista has been a favourite of mine for a while, and is perhaps the reason I have become so obsessed with all things coral! In pan it looks like a pinky coral but when swatched it is a light shimmery pink with coral undertones, giving an amazing healthy glow.

Topshop Head over Heels             Mac Melba               Benefit Coralista

Nail varnishes are a little self-explanatory, but I thought I'd show you the three that I absolutely love. I know they look very similar, but Topshop Art School is by far the most orange of the three, whereas Essie Carousel Coral is more on the pink side. Estee Lauder's Tempting Melon seems to be the perfect balance, and though it's actually my mums that I'm 'borrowing', it'll be a favourite all winter when I feel like I need a little splash of colour.

Topshop Art School           Estee Lauder Tempting Melon        Essie Carousel Coral

What have you guys been obsessing about lately?

Thanks, 

DIY dip-dye

     Let's face it, sometimes you get a little bored of your wardrobe & when your bank account looks like a trip to the high street might be fatal, a little DIY session is exactly what you need! A few weeks ago I posted an OOTD photo on my twitter of me wearing a dip-dye top & I'd taken a few photos whilst making it so I thought I'd do a cheeky blog post running through how we made it. It all started when my friend Vicky & I decided to give the world of DIY a go as we went on a dip-dyeing frenzy! We went for the easy option & used white t-shirts (Peacocks £5 on sale) & tank tops (H&M 3.99), & chose a gorgeous purple fabric dye. 

 

 

 We bought the dye from Hobbycraft & it was Burlesque Red by Dylon, which only set us back £3.29 & we've still got half of the pack left for our next dip-dying adventure! We didn't exactly follow the instructions on the back of the packet (naughty), instead we just poured 3 litres of water in to a bowl & tipped in half of the packet of dye & gave it a stir. Simples! We did the whole thing in the garden, because I wouldn't trust myself to not get dye all over the carpet, & we basically just dipped the tops in to the dye up to wherever we wanted our dip-dye effect to start. I decided to flick some of the dye on to the upper half of the vest top to create a sort of splatter effect, and we left them in the dye for about two minutes. We then simply took them out & laid them out on the grass to dry.

 

Once they were dry we hand-washed them to get rid of any excess dye & then once we'd dried them they were ready to wear! We were surprisingly happy with the way they turned out, especially because we'd never done it before & frankly I thought our first attempt would be a disaster. I still won't wash them with any other clothes for a while because I don't want to find out just how far this luck will stretch! Here's the photo of how I styled it in the OOTD, so that you can see what one of them looks like on & two photos of my finished tops.

We had loads of fun making them, & it's just a nice way of adding something unique to your wardrobe without the hefty price tag! Have you been doing any DIY with your clothes lately? 

Thanks,

My Holiday face

     Honey, I'm home! Yes, I'm back from my holiday to Egypt & like every make-up extremist I packed far too much make-up so I thought I'd do a post on what I actually ended up using. So here's my holiday face...

 

This is what I wore in the evenings only of course, I went completely natural in the day to avoid looking like my face was melting off. Still, I kept it very natural in the evenings too, so lets go through what products I used...

Clockwise from top left: Mac Melba Blush, The Body Shop baked bronzer in warm glow, YSL faux cils mascara, Jemma Kidd dewy glow all over radiance creme, The Body Shop vitamin E tinted moisture lotion, Clarins instant light natural lip perfector in 02, Sleek contour kit in light.

Seeing as I've now got a bit of a tan, I'll be using these products on effortless days at uni, 'cus they give such a natural sunkissed look.What are your favourite products to use with a tan?

Thanks, 

The cheaper options: Bourjois healthy mix & No7 hot cloth cleanser.

     I've decided that my spending is getting a little out of control, so I took a look at my 'want list' & decided to buy some cheaper dupes/alternatives instead. Who knows, some of the cheaper alternatives might surprise me & leave me converted!

    So everyone's in love with the Liz Earle cleanse & polish, and I am no exception. I've recently run out of mine, so of course a replacement went straight on my list. The Liz Earle c&p definitely isn't the most expensive cleanser, the starter kit is £13.25 (the 100ml cleanse & polish + 2 muslin cloths) & it's a little cheaper if you just buy the bottle on it's own. That may not seem like a ridiculous amount, and it's not, but No7 also does a 200ml hot cloth cleanser that comes with a muslin cloth for £9. With a £5 off no7 voucher that makes it an amazing £4, for double the amount of product as the Liz Earle, so I couldn't resist!

     The two cleansers are very different in consistency, and the no7 definitely doesn't act as a dupe. It doesn't have the herbal smell of the Liz Earle one & the texture is more similar to a light cream face wash than the thick texture of the Liz Earle.

    Despite their differences, the two are used in the exact same way & can both be used on the eye area. After you've applied the cleanser, you run the muslin cloth under warm water, ring out the excess and then place the cloth over your face to open up your pores. You then lightly polish off the cleanser and you're done. Though it may not be quite as good as the Liz Earle, the no7 one does its job amazingly, leaving my skin deeply cleansed and soft. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a creamy hot cloth cleanser, and for £4 you can't go wrong!

     The second thing on my want list was Nars sheer glow foundation which is a whopping £30. That'd definitely be something I'd have to save up for to justify, so when I heard that Bourjois does a foundation with a similar consistency, I had to check it out. The foundation many Youtubers & Bloggers have been going wild about is the Bourjois healthy mix foundation that costs around £10, & it really is a beauty! 

     Before I bang on about it, I thought I'd let you know that I have normal/dry skin, but I do sometimes get oily on my t-zone. I can't say how similar it is to the Nars foundation because I don't own it myself, but I am very impressed! The foundation claims to be 'radiance boosting' and give a 'perfectly glowing complexion' so it's right up my street! It has a semi-matte finish and it blends beautifully, giving a flawless yet natural finish. Also, it doesn't highlight any dry sections on my face (which I'm always worried about). It gives light/medium coverage, so it evens out your skin but you'll still need concealer for any blemishes. It has quite a runny consistency, and seems to take longer than normal to dry on the skin which can be a pain if you're in a rush. It has a lovely fruity scent, as it contains 'radiance boosting' fruits such as apricot, melon, apple and ginger, but we all know that scented foundations are renowned for their ability to make people break-out. I don't have sensitive skin & other scented foundations have been fine on me so I thought it was worth the risk. As of yet it has been perfect so no complaints from me. In case you were wondering, the scent doesn't hang around on your face, it lasts about 30 seconds and then it's gone. The foundation also claims to last 16 hours, but I rarely wear make-up for that long so haven't been able to test it out. I absolutely love the fact that it has a pump, which is a massive advantage for me because I find it more hygienic & it allows you to control the amount of product you release, meaning less waste. It also doesn't have any SPF in it so though this make seem like a disadvantage for some people, I prefer it because it means that I won't look like a ghost in photos! All in all, I'm loving this foundation so far & I definitely think it was worth the £10.

     Have you found any cheaper dupes/alternatives for high-end products lately? I'd love to know what your favourite drugstore products are because for now I'm avoiding high-end brands like the plague. Fingers crossed I stick to it!

Thanks, 

Urban Decay 15 year anniversary eyeshadow palette

     I have been so excited about this palette ever since I heard they were releasing it! Before I had seen it I thought it would be full of bright, daring colours, because Urban Decay do like their brights, but to my surprise most of the shades are very wearable & the palette would be perfect for all natural eye/smokey eye looks! There are a few more daring shades if you fancy a pop of colour, making the palette more versatile & enabling you the freedom to play around & create some adventurous looks! This palette is simply gorgeous! Each shade is brand new for this palette, offering a perfect mix of lights & darks, neutrals & brights, satisfying every possible eyeshadow need. 

 

All in all I am so impressed by this palette, it's so versatile & would be perfect for just about anyone! Every shadow is really pigmented, offering amazing colour pay-off. Some shadows are ridiculously shimmery, such as Midnight Rodeo, so you have to be really careful about fall-out, but that's no surprise when you're dealing with Urban Decay shadows. As long as you can handle the shimmery fall-out, you'll love this palette! The packing is simply sensational, it looks like every penny of the £39 went to good use! The velvet-lined compartment that holds the palette gives it that extra touch of glamour, & the shiny gun-metal box has beautiful detailing giving it an ornate look, making it a perfect dressing table feature!

 

Midnight rodeo, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Chase

                                         
                                            Tainted, Junkshow, Omen, Evidence, Deep End

                                         
                                                 Deeper, M.I.A, Ace, Blackout, Half Truth

    You can buy the palette from House of Fraser or Debenhams for £39 which seems steep but for 15 shadows that's only £2.60 per shadow, which is a dream compared to Mac's shadows that are a whopping £11.50 each! At least have a look in store & go see for yourself. If any of you have already picked up this palette, let me know what you think. Does it give the Naked palette a run for it's money? Any thoughts girls?

Thanks,

OOTD: polka dots & studded shorts

     Today I was messing about with my DSLR & I found my fisheye lens, so I thought I'd have a bit of fun & make an outfit of the day with it. Today I'm just off to the shops so I'm keeping it casual, & no surprise it's pouring here in London so I'll definitely be needing the leather jacket! I haven't posted one of these before, which is strange seeing as I have more clothes than sense, so this is the first of many!

Polka dot blouse: H&M

Studded denim shorts: Topshop

Leather Jacket: River Island

Necklace: H&M

Lipstick: Mac's Costa Chic

Thanks,