Quick and Easy Smokey Eye.

I am a major fan of an intense smokey eye look however I'm not so fond of the time it takes to achieve, so when I found this quick and easy way of creating a similar look I figured I may aswell share it - so here goes! 

For any smokey eye I use an eye primer and for this look I used the Urban Decay Primer Potion as it locks the shadows in place for long wear! I then reached for my Clinique gel liner in Black Honey but you can use any shade of gel liner which is the main thing I love about this look, the same steps can be used in any colour, a black gel can create a gorgeous smokey eye in the same way as I have done this look and is great for the holiday season. However the Black Honey shade is this beautiful purple toned brown with gold running through it - I pat this on and keep adding layers to create as much intensity as I want I then blend the edges with a fluffy brush so theres no harsh lines. 

For the second step I used a similar toned shadow and placed this over the top, this helps set the gel liner and again add more intensity. For my look I used the mid brown shade in the Morning Java palette from Clinique which has that similar purple undertone running through. To add abit more depth I then picked up a small amount of the darkest shade in the palette and placed this on the outer corner and blended the excess into the crease. I then took the same two colour on a small shader brush and took it under the eye to bring it all together! 

To finish I used lots of mascara and right now I keep reaching for the Max Factor Velvet Volume mascara which does exactly what it says on the tin, I have also found it really extends my lashes whilst leaving them feeling soft rather than others that can feel stiff and uncomfortable on the eyes. 

I'm really enjoying wearing this look at the moment and will definitely be trying it in different colours to see how many different looks I can achieve (stay tuned!) I hope you enjoyed this post - I read every comment and will reply to any questions! 

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Complexion Perfection!

So the party season is upon us again, and the full coverage foundations, glittery eyeshadows and red lipsticks are being dusted off for their return. I have been looking for a flawless complexion duo for a while now and although I do have other foundations and concealers that I enjoy using these two new additions are my bit of luxury for when I need that perfected face.

Tom Ford is a brand I have always lusted after and really just signifies luxury to me, the packaging is always sleek and everything just feels special - which of course it should for its hefty price tag! Now for the foundation I chose to try the Traceless Perfecting Foundation which once applied gives a luminous glow to the skin, and although it feels lightweight the coverage is exactly how I like it - covers everything whilst still looking like your own skin. I have tried applying this base with a brush and RT sponge and it works well with  both, the brush gives a higher coverage but the sponge creates a seamless finish, so for the most perfected look I tend to use both.
Then onto concealer which if you're blessed with good skin you can skip however my genetic dark circles (thanks mom!) mean I have to keep one in my routine, so I figured why not try the Concealing Pen which is a twist up and a sponge top applicator which I am really liking for when I need to do touch ups during the day. Similar to the foundation the formula is lightweight yet pigmented and has no problem brightening my undereye area so definitely one to try if you have the same concerns.

Often with luxury beauty products I have some speculation about if its going to be worth the bruise to my bank card but these have been totally worth it to me. I certainly wont be wearing them everyday but im finding being able to reach for them when I have somewhere more special to go or if I'm having a bad time with my skin to be a great option and I would really recommend them for anyone that doesn't mind the splurge!

Thanks for reading, I read every comment and will reply to any questions!

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Current Loves.

Each month I like to try and mix up my make-up routine and this month I have decided to give a couple of newer products in my collection a go. The Dior BB Creme has been a favourite base of mine for a while, and is one I often reach for on days off, as it's so lightweight but gives great coverage. I have tried out one of the new Eyes to Hypnotise by Charlotte Tilbury, I got it in The Huntress which is the bronzey shade that works beautifully with the Dolce Vita palette- it also came with a liner in the shade Amber Haze which again is a bronze, lovely for the winter season. Another newbie to my collection is the Kiko Moon Dust face powder in Mysterious Pink which is my perfect blush, it's a neutral/warm toned pink marbled with a subtle gold glow, this looks gorgeous when it hits the light and saves time in your routine as you dont have to use a highlighter on top! Lastly, it has to be a berry lip and these Lip Pops from Clinique are perfect as the primer infused formula allows them to wear longer and more evenly which is great with darker shades, my favourite at the moment is Berry Pop however Rebel Pop is on my list next!

Thanks for reading, I read every comment and will reply to any questions!

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Dior Addict Lipstick - Im obsessed!

Although I love my makeup, lip products are always my favourite things to try and these from Dior have not let me down! I now have three shades, the one in the image is shade '881 Fashion Night' which is a fuscia toned purple that is great for anyone that loves a berry lip but isn't ready to rock anything too intense. I have now picked up a coral shade in '437 Charmante' which is gorgeous with a bronze toned eye look, and finally my most recent purchase is a neutral pink tone that I wear for my everyday look in the shade '260 Rose Deshabille'.

I've found these lipsticks to be very versatile, depending on the look I am going for I have worn them on their own, over just a lipliner, or on top of another lipstick - all of which wear beautifully and make even the dryest of formulas comfortable. 

I would recommend these to anyone and they would make a lovely Christmas present or a nice little treat to yourself as there is a shade for everyone's style! 

Thanks for reading! Please leave any comments below, I read every one!

X 

Flamingo Candles

During Christmas I picked up a fair few candles (far too many!) and on boxing day I had a look on the Flamingo Candles site and saw their Christmas scents had been reduced so I picked up a couple as they sounded far too yummy to leave. Although they were technically part of the Christmas range I would use these scents out of the season as they smell so good and as its still the colder weather these are really comforting scents. 

The best things about these candles is they are made out of soy wax so they dont cause black smoke which is a major bonus, the scents are also fairly strong so you dont have to have them burning for hours on end in order to fill your room with the scent making them last longer. The brand have such a good range so there is pretty much a scent for everyone, they normally retail for £12 a candle but I got these for £6 each which was a really great buy. 

The two scents I picked up are Chocolate Orange, which smells exactly the same as a Terry's Chocolate Orange, weirdly one of my favourite scents but not sure if it will get too sickly, I may have to burn it in short periods. Secondly is Vanilla & Spice, this one is just the perfect warm winter scent, just comforting and seasonal. 

I will definitely be trying more of their range soon, let me know if you have tried any and which ones you would recommend! I read every comment and will reply to any questions.

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2014 Favourites

Where has this year gone? I cant quite believe its time to write this post, but here we are days before we enter 2015 and start a whole new year! I decided that instead of doing a December favourites I would do a 2014 favourites, as there is quite a few things that I have really loved this year and think they are worth a mention. I have got a few beauty products first (obviously!) and then just a couple of random ones that I've just really enjoyed. 

First off I'll start with the base products that I have found this year and are now complete staples in my everyday routine. L'Oreal's True Match was blogger influenced by reading such amazing things and needing a cheaper alternative to my YSL bases I chose to give this a go and I LOVE it! The finish is so lovely and is buildable without going cakey, it doesn't move all day and the shade match is just amazing. Secondly I picked up The Time Balm Concealer by TheBalm, this is a high cover concealer in a pot and literally covers everything, I use this everyday even if I dont wear base. Finally I started using the Maybelline Eraser Eye in the clear and red packaging about 2 years ago and loved it, I had hear about the lightening one but it was impossible to find in the UK until earlier this year a guy who runs a make-up stall in a market near me had a full basket of them so I had to pick one up (or 3...) the finish of this is so beautiful, and gives a really awakened look under the eyes. 

L-R: Chic, Aurora, Exotic Island, Heart Skips a Beat, Misltoe Kisses, Enchanted Forest. 

Now this represents a whole brand, the Tanya Burr Cosmetics collection has to be my favourite releases of 2014; From the nail varnishes to lipglosses to eyelashes, I love them all. The lipglosses do have an edge for me though, as I'm not the biggest fan of the whole hair stuck to face effect I tend to give them a miss, but these are so lovely and feel really moisturising. My favourite shade is definitely Enchanted Forest, this over Mac's Rebel has been my most used lip combination in December. 

My last beauty favourite is this perfume from Next called Gold. I picked this up at the start of December just looking for one I can wear everyday and not worry about the price tag as this 75ml set was £14! 

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Mandarin

Heart: Ylang Ylang, Muguet

Base: Musk, Amber

As soon as I saw the notes of this perfume I had to give it a go it just sounded like a fragrance I would love, and I wasn't wrong. this goes to a really warm sweet scent on me without going down the candy scent route. The amber is probably the most prominent note on me and lasts for such a long time. I would recommend Next scents to anyone, their range is great and for such an affordable price. 

For my first non-beauty product I had to feature this Yankee Candle scent. Candy Cane Lane has to be my all time favourite candle scent ever! And that is saying alot, I have already burnt 2 of the Votive versions of this and have a back up plus these two jars (yes im obsessed) I just cant get enough of the sweet mint scent that it gives, really festive and also quite fresh. The best way for me to describe this is probably the smell of an After Eight chocolate, just that subtle mint wrapped in a real sweetness, just lovely. 

Finally is Ed Sheeran's album X, this album is always on repeat, no matter what mood I'm in I just find this so relaxing and uplifting. My favourite songs off the album would probably be, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea and Afire Love, all beautiful and just lovely songs. 

So thats it for my 2014 favourites, I have loved loads of things this year but didnt want to make this post so long to read you would be here till 2016! I hope you've had a great Christmas and have a fantastic New Year, let me know any of your 2014 favourites in the comments below, I read every one and reply to any questions. 

See you next year! 

X

Stocking Fillers: Christmas Candles

As a bit of a candle hoarder I could have done a full post on every scent from Yankee Candle however I wanted to done one on alternatives for people who dont want to spend that much on a candle or just want an alternative. All four scents are ones I've bought in the last month so if you are looking to get any of these for yourself or a present they should still be available. 

The best value candle and the biggest one I have bought is also the cheapest at £1.99 from Home Bargains and although doesn't have that room filling in 5 seconds scent it does warm up nicely and add a subtle sweetness thats really nice if like me you just like to have candles on for the light and atmosphere, plus burning this one for longer periods of time isnt so bad since its such a good buy! 

The second cheaper choice a little beauty from Primark, for £1.50 this cute candle comes in a red metallic tin and once opened the top of the candle is a red glitter snowflake. The scent in this one is actually really nice and does fill the room, it is a sweet christmas scent as these are my favourites so if you dont like the sugary sweet smells this one probably wont be the one for you. 

The last of the bargains is this Glade scent in Roasted Chestnut and Macaroon, this was on offer for £2 instead of £5 and smells sooooo good! I would really recommend this one, it leaves the whole room smelling amazing and it even spreads into the rest of the house. There were about 4/5 in their Christmas range so I'm sure there is something to suit everyones taste. 

Now for my favourite! Christmas Pudding by Lily Flame Candles is the most delicious smelling candle I have ever owned and have now tried a couple from the brand and I am slowly converting from Yankee as these seem to last longer and the scents are all so lovely. Another one from their festive line called Jack Frost smells like lemon pudding and gives a beautiful citrus, sweet, warm scent that makes a great change. 

Let me know if there is any Christmas candles you would recommend, I read every comment and reply to any questions! 

X

Christmas Gift Ideas: The Naked Palettes.

Now December is just around the corner and gift guides are continuously filling up the blogging feeds I decided to do a post on something that isn't exclusive at Christmas but is a very nice present for anyone. Urban Decay's Naked Palette range is one of my favourites and I have a space in my heart for all of them however I do of course have a favourite and one that I dont use all that much so today I'm going to just do a quick talk through of each palette so if you're are considering gifting one or even treating yourself hopefully this will help you decide which one is for you. 

So the original Naked Palette, my absolute all time favourite of the whole collection which definitely shows from the battered packaging! These 12 shadows are all warm toned and have two really great transition shades in Naked and Buck both of which are well loved in my particular palette. This one comes in suade effect packaging with a magnet shut which is different to the other two, I find this one to be lighter so also travel friendly. My favourite look with this palette is Virgin as my browbone shade, Naked in the crease, Buck in the outercorner, Sidecar all over the lid and finally Toasted on the bottom lashline. 

Now for the second edition and weirdly this was the first one I bought out of the three and is my least favourite. These are all cool toned shadows and although it contains some really beautiful shades I just dont reach for it very often, I find I use this more when I want to achieve a smokey eye. For my favourite look with this palette I use Bootycall on my brow bone then Suspect all over my lid, I put Snakebite in the outercorner and drag it across the crease then the add more depth I pack Busted right in the outercorner and on the bottom lashline. 

Finally I have the Naked 3 and this one I actually really like, I love purple eyes especially for a Christmas party and these 12 shadows all work together beautifully. I would probably buy this palette for someone who is a bit more confident with makeup as with the other two it is fairly easy to achieve a nice eye look with any combination whereas this may seem slightly scary to someone that keeps things natural. My go to look with these shades is Strange on the browbone, Limit in the crease, Nooner in the outer corner and the bottom lashline with Burnout all over the lid and Dust in the inner corner. 

I really love all of these palettes and think they are a great idea for a Christmas present if you're feeling generous this year! I hope you liked this post, please leave any comments below, I read every one and will reply to any questions! 

X

A Bit Of Sparkle.

Okay so abit of a confession, I am quite a bit of a magpie and love anything with glitter, sparkle or shine so this time of year when it becomes abit more acceptable to go full glitter I always go full force, so when I saw these little treasures I had to pick a couple up. I have always liked the Colour Show collection from Maybelline as they are super affordable and have a really great selection of colours and finishes. 

The Be Brilliant selection are limited edition for the festive season and are £3.99 apposed to the usual £2.99 of their regular shades. My only let down was there wasnt a rose gold or light gold shade which is my favourite however the two I chose are super pretty and look amazing over lots of different colours. 

The silver/multi - coloured shade is called Light It Up and has small silver glitter pieces with larger multi - coloured sparkles aswell, I'm currently loving this one over black as it really stands out. The purple one is called Purple Dazzle and has the purple glitter with large sparkles in blue, green and pink this one looks great over obviously purple but also white or blue-grey. 

My favourite thing about these is the consistency, it is so hard to find a decent glitter nail varnish that applies an even coat across your nails, these do a great job and dry quickly aswell. If you wanted a bit of sparkle this year or even just for one day and didnt want to break the bank these are a great choice and in my opinion better than alot of the more expensive brands. 

So whats your favourite sparkley nail polish? Please leave any comments below, I read every one and will reply to any questions. 

X

Mac Holiday Collection: Gold Pigments

I'm abit of a sucker for anything with a bit of a Christmas twist so when beauty brands come out with their holiday collections I cant wait to see what they've done. I have already got a mini palette from the Bobbi Brown collection which is beautiful and will have a review on very soon. 

Now the Heirloom collection from Mac has had me very excited since I saw the US release however since sadly I dont have a bottomless purse (I wish!) I settled on my favourite item from the Keepsake part of the collection which was the pigment box. 

After alot of go and back and forth between the different boxes I eventually went for the nude/gold pigments although the pink toned one was absolutely beautiful! I chose this set as it is the most wearable for me and means I can incorporate some sparkle into my everyday makeup. 

Shades from L-R

Lithe - cream with subtle shimmer

English Gilt - rose gold 

Pretty it up - olive with gold shimmer

Gold Glitter

Deep Brown - matte dark brown

For only £26 this is such a good buy if you're thinking about trying pigments or if you want alot of different colours. I apply mine by dipping my brush into eye drops just so its damp, this makes the look super shimmery and almost like foil, something i'll be doing alot for the upcoming season. 

Have you tried any of the Mac holiday collection? Let me know any of your favourites in the comments below, I read everyone and reply to any questions

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