How to: Clean Makeup Brushes

Cleaning makeup brushes is something that I know a lot of people struggle with. This is such a tedious task and we should all clean our brushes a lot more than we do! I try and clean my brushes once every week, but it usually ends up being once every two weeks. It is so important to clean makeup brushes regularly as it stops bacteria from spreading around your face, preventing spots and impurities.

A lot of people reach for cosmetic brush cleaner, which personally, I think is a big mistake – especially if your brushes are a bit more high-end and pricey where the bristles are usually made of natural hair and are of a much higher quality. I find that cosmetic brush cleaner is far too harsh for makeup brushes because of the amount of chemicals that are in them. I found that this dried out my brushes and made them look and feel quite sparse. You wouldn’t put chemicals like this on your hair, so why do it to your makeup brushes?  Because of this, I now use Dove shampoo as it is a much more natural product and does not affect my brushes in anyway. This shampoo thoroughly cleanses my brushes and leaves them feeling super soft. Every few washes, I tend to add just a tiny amount of Dove conditioner just to maintain the condition of my brushes and to prevent them from drying out.

I start off by filling the sink, or a bowl with warm water and just moisten the brush. Depending on the brush that I am cleaning, determines how much shampoo that I use. For my powder, foundation and bronzer brushes, I use quite a bit as they tend to get the dirtiest and are the larger brushes that I use. Whereas eye shadow brushes and other smaller brushes, I don’t use as much shampoo. I also try not to waste water, by using the same bowl of water for my smaller brushes and the ones that aren’t so dirty, and then separate bowls of water for each of my larger, more dirty brushes. This way, I am saving water, yet I don’t want to defeat the objecting of cleaning my brushes, by putting them into dirty water.

I put the shampoo into the palm of my hand and then swirl the brushes around until I am satisfied that I have covered it all. I then put the brush into the warm water, rinsing out the shampoo until the brushes are clean. The thing I love about having white makeup brushes, is that it is so easy to know when they are clean!

 

I usually clean my makeup brushes at night and leave them on top of a flannel or small towel on top of my radiator over night so that they are dry and ready to use the next morning!

The above images show my makeup brushes before and after they have been cleaned.

I hope this has given you some idea as to how to clean your makeup brushes without harming the bristles! Let me know if you have any other ways of cleaning your brushes!

L’Oreal Infallible Foundation

As I said in a previous post, the two foundations that I use on a daily basis are NARS Sheer Glow and NARS All Day Luminous Weightless. I love both of these products and they both suit my skin type, which is combination. I use Sheer Glow on the days where my skin is a bit drier, such as this time of year, as my skin tends to dry up as it gets colder. All Day Luminous Weightless is better when my skin is a bit oilier. These cost £31, and £32 and I have been trying to find a cheaper alternative for a while now, for days when I don’t need a lot of makeup or if I’m only going to be out for an hour or so.

This doesn’t mean I am going to be neglecting my NARS’ foundations!

I have finally found it…

This is the L’Oreal 24H Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation. I bought this in the shade 200 (Golden Sand) and it suits my skin tone perfectly. This foundation lasts me all day and doesn’t transfer, which is a bonus! It is so easy to blend and is medium coverage, but could easily be built up for a fuller looking complexion which is what I tend to do. I only bought this two weeks ago, and I have worn it every single day since I bought it.

It gives a dewy, satin finish and really brightens and hydrates the skin which is really important, especially during cold, winter months. It has a pump already attached which is massive plus! I also find that one pump is enough to cover the whole of my face, however if I want more of a fuller coverage then I tend to use two. Here is how much one pump distributes, which I feel is enough for a medium coverage look.

I alternate between two foundations brushes, however they both do the job perfectly. These are the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques and the Zoeva 102 Silk Finish, which clearly need cleaning!

It is very similar to NARS Sheer Glow in terms of formula and finish, so this is perfect if you want something like Sheer Glow but can’t afford the £31 or if you just can’t justify spending that amount of money on foundation. This only costs £9.99 so is a perfect alternative.

If you’re looking for a new foundation, I would highly recommend this one and I will most definitely be repurchasing!

November Favourites

I know this post is a little bit late as we are already 6 days into December, but here are all of the things that I have been loving throughout the month of November.

 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer is the first thing that I have been loving this month. I mentioned this in a previous post, but I absolutely love this product! It is such a lovely colour that would suit all skin tones, it is so easy to blend and you can build it up for that more dramatic look or keep it nice and subtle. This is great for contouring or just to add a bit of colour.

Marc Jacob’s Daisy Dream Perfume is one of my all-time favourite perfumes. I’ve had it for a while now but it seems to have made its way to the back of my perfume drawer. I fancied a bit of a change and I have been wearing this everyday throughout November. It is such a subtle scent, and is rather floral and fresh. The bottle of this product is absolutely beautiful and is such high quality. I will definitely be repurchasing this!

The next thing I have been loving this month is my 13” Apple MacBook Pro. I bought this for when I started university back in September. I have never really been a massive fan of technology, I always think the simpler, the better, but I am really impressed with this laptop. I only really intended on using it for my uni work, but I’ve found myself using it everyday. It is very quick, the image quality and graphics are brilliant and they are extremely thin and lightweight. They are very pricey, but I definitely think they are worth the investment.

Mac Ruby Red Lipstick is another thing that seems to have lost its way in my makeup collection. As it is getting closer to Christmas and we are well in to the festive season, I thought this would be the perfect time to be sporting a red lip. This is very much a matte lipstick, the staying power is excellent and it lasts for hours without having to reapply.

I placed an order with Feel Unique and received two free samples. One of them was the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara and the second was a sample of the Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume. The mascara has a bristle brush, which isn’t something I would usually go for after using a plastic brush on Benefit’s Roller Lash, but I found myself really liking this product and I think I’m going to have to go out and purchase the full-sized one. I have never tried anything from Tom Ford before but this is definitely making me want to try even more. The Black Orchid perfume is absolutely gorgeous, although it is quite heavily scented, it smells wonderful and it has now made its way on to my Christmas list.

That is my November Favourites – let me know what you’ve been loving recently!

Pre-Christmas Shopping Trip

As we are fast approaching Christmas, I thought I would treat myself to a few bits and pieces before I get stuck in with my Christmas shopping. This little trip consisted of a few beauty products, skincare, haircare and clothing.

The first beauty product is something that I have been meaning to get for such a long time.  This is Benefit’s Hoola Bronzer. I have read so many mixed reviews on this product, so I was slightly apprehensive about trying it but I am so glad that I did. This bronzer is so easy to blend into the skin and would suit all skin tones; it isn’t too cool, nor too warm toned and is something you can wear all year round. It is also very buildable, allowing you to have a more subtle look, or something a bit more bold. Definitely worth the £23.50.

Next, is another product from Benefit; Roller Lash Mascara. This mascara is phenomenal. I know so many people that don’t like it, but this has become my all-time favourite mascara and is definitely a staple. I don’t need to curl my eyelashes beforehand, and I get so many compliments when I wear it. It costs £19.50 and I have already bought a back-up for when this one runs out!

Finding a decent primer is something I’m sure we all struggle with. Barry M is never a brand I considered, other than for nail varnishes, but when I saw their new range of primers, I thought I’d give it a try for £5.99. I chose the Flawless Brightening Primer for dull skin. This is pore minimising and mattifying, which are the two main things that I look for in a primer and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did just that. My makeup lasts a lot longer before I have to re-powder and it really does minimise my pores! Win, win.

I love this time of year because it means I can finally wear knitted scarves! So far, I have bought two; both from Topshop. The first one is dark grey and has two different monochrome patterns on it. It is extremely thick and cosy so it is perfect for this time of year! The second one is a burnt orange/rust colour and is slightly thinner than the grey one, however it is still incredibly soft and warm.

To get into the Christmas spirit a little bit more, I went into my local Yankee Candle shop and bought Sparkling Cinnamon. I never used to be that keen on the spicier, Christmas scents but this year I seem to have fallen in love with them! This candle isn’t too heavily scented and doesn’t smell too strongly of cinnamon and now I am starting to wish I bought the bigger jar!

I have been searching for a decent eye cream and serum for so long now, so I went into The Body Shop as they had 30% off and picked up the Nutriganics Smoothing Serum and the Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate. These are the slightly pricier products that they sell, but just by trying several different products out on the back of my hand, you can certainly tell the difference! I always think its worth spending that little bit more when it comes to skincare, especially during the colder months. I am so excited to try these out and will definitely be writing a blog post dedicated just to these at some point!

Another product from The Body Shop is something that I use every single day and have had to repurchase so many times. This is the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. This stuff is absolutely amazing, it removes makeup so easily, even waterproof mascara, and it leaves my skin feeling so clean and hydrated. I apply two pumps of this to dry skin, starting to remove my eye makeup, making my way around the rest of my face. It is always good to double cleanse, either with the same product or a different one. This has definitely become a staple in my skincare collection and lasts me months before I need to buy another!

Finally! I also bought two products from the Lee Stafford section in Boots. I bought the ‘Hair that Never Grows Past a Certain Length’ treatment and the ‘Coco Loco Coconut Mask’. I have used the hair growth one before and it really improved the condition of my hair and it smells amazing! I use the OGX Coconut Water and Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner and the coconut has worked absolute wonders for my hair and I have seen so many good reviews on the Lee Stafford Coco Loco mask, so of course I HAD to buy it!

That is everything I got from my pre Christmas shopping trip – I best finish my actual Christmas shopping now!

ZOEVA MAKEUP BRUSHES

About six months ago, I thought I’d treat myself to some new makeup brushes and scrap my old ones. After quite a bit of research, I finally settled on Zoeva. There were soooo many brushes to choose from, but I eventually decided to buy one of the sets rather than individual brushes as I found that the sets included everything that I needed.

The set that I bought was the Rose Golden Luxury Set. And as I am obsessed with anything that is rose gold or copper, this was a bit of a no brainer. This set includes 8 beautiful brushes;

Face;

106 Powder – Apply loose and pressed powder

102 Silk Finish – Apply and blend foundation

110 Face Shape – Contour the face shape with cream and powder products

127 Luxe Sheer Cheek – Apply powder blush

142 Concealer Buffer – Apply and blend concealer

Eyes;

227 Luxe Soft Definer – Softly blend and smooth eye shadow

231 Luxe Petit Crease – Accentuating and blending in the crease

317 Wing Liner – Detailed eyeliner strokes and a perfect wing

(website description)

These brushes are so incredibly soft and are an absolute dream to use. I genuinely think I will struggle using any other brand of makeup brushes now and I have added another set of brushes to my Christmas wish list.

The 106 Powder brush makes it so easy to apply powder and because of its size, you only need to use a small amount of powder.

The 102 Silk Finish makes applying and blending foundation so much easier, and it doesn’t leave any brush marks. The rounded edge makes it possible to reach all areas when applying foundation and gives a flawless looking complexion.

Contouring is made easy with the 110 Face Shape brush. Before this brush, I was far too scared to even attempt to contour, but this brush fits into the cheekbones perfectly and makes blending cream and powder products so simplistic.

I use the 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek brush for bronzer as opposed to blush. I just think it works a lot better to apply bronzer as the shape of it also fits nicely into the cheekbones, as opposed to the apples of the cheeks.

I do actually use the 142 Concealer Buffer for concealer. However, I only use this brush to conceal any redness around my nose as I feel this just suits me better. I use my beauty blender to conceal under my eyes and any blemishes that I may have.

The 227 Luxe Soft Definer is the perfect brush to apply an all-over lid colour and is super soft! This brush is also extremely fluffy, so it can also be used as a blending brush.

Applying eye shadow into the crease is something a lot of people struggle with. However, the 231 Luxe Petit Crease makes this job A LOT easier. It fits into the crease perfectly and is just as soft as the 227.

Now, I’m not a fan of gel eyeliner, therefore I don’t actually use the 317 Wing Liner brush for eyeliner. I do however, use it to line my eyebrows before I fill them and it does this jib perfectly!

These brushes make doing makeup so much more enjoyable! They also come with a matching bag, big enough to fit all of your essentials in when you’re out and about!

They cost 65 Euros, which is around £45 and they are definitely worth it!

Next on my list is the Rose Gold Luxury Set Vol. 2 (of course, what else would it be?!).

Let me know what your favourite makeup brushes are!

Links below!

Rose Golden Luxury Brush set

Rose Golden Luxury Vol. 2 Brush set

Copper Brush Holder: Alphabet Gift Shop £6.99

OGX: My Hair Saviour

For years and years, I have been trying to find the right products for my hair. I found it near impossible to find something that helped it grow and helped restore its strength and shine. The amount of money I have spent trying to find the perfect products is ridiculous, but I can finally say that I have found ‘the one’. This is OGX.

When I started high school, I used that much heat on my hair and coloured it so often that I had to have it cut from almost waist-length, to shoulder-length because it was THAT damaged.

I have tried every product you could ever think of, every hair growth treatment, every vitamin, EVERYTHING.

When I saw OGX, I thought I’d give it a try. But, for £6.99 each, I was a bit reluctant. I bought the Coconut Water shampoo and conditioner first. This smells absolutely amazing and made my hair feel so much more hydrated and silky soft.

I loved these so much that I then went on to by the Kukui Oil shampoo and conditioner. I bought this because my hair is naturally curly and goes quite frizzy when it’s humid outside, and this helped massively! It smells amazing and really helped maintain the frizz. At the time that I bought these, Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on and I obviously couldn’t resist. So, alongside the Kukui Oil shampoo and conditioner, I bought the Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil to try and strengthen and repair the damage. This made my hair so soft and shiny and really helped reduce the amount of split ends that I had. I have actually lost this product, so I will definitely need to buy a replacement!

Then, (yes, I did buy even more!) I bought the Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner. This is a thicker formula than the Coconut Water, but it does contain egg whites which are supposed to do wonders for the hair! It has the same scent as the Coconut Water products, but I believe that it this is the product that has made the most difference to my hair.

Alongside these, I have been using the Thick and Full Biotin and Collagen Weightless Reviving Oil Treatment and this is an absolute god send! I use a pea sized amount on towel dried hair and it has made my hair so much stronger and makes it look thicker and fuller. I have been using this product after every wash for the past few weeks and as you can see, it has barely made a dent – well worth the money if you ask me!

My hair has grown several inches in just three months and so many people have commented on the length and the condition of my hair and how much it has improved! I literally could not be any happier with these products and think they are definitely worth the money and I will be adding more of the OGX products to my ever-growing hair care collection.

You can buy these products, as well as the rest of the OGX range from Boots and Superdrug.

CHRISTMAS LUSH HAUL

It’s that time of year where Lush becomes all things festive!

I only really discovered Lush about a year ago, and ever since then I have been completely and utterly obsessed! I was particularly excited when their limited edition Christmas products came out as this is first time I have bought them.

I headed over the Lush store in Birmingham about two weeks ago, and even though they didn’t have everything that I wanted in the store, they had the majority. And, whatever I couldn’t buy from there, I ordered them online when I got home.

Let’s get started…

Firstly, I headed straight on over to the shower gel’s where I picked up ‘Snow Fairy’. Everybody goes on about how much of a staple this is for Christmas time and for a lot of people, this product marks the beginning of the festive season! Snow Fairy is a bit like marmite… You either love it, or you hate it. Me? I absolutely love it! I was a bit hesitant in trying it because I’m not really a huge fan of sweet, sickly scents, which everybody says it is. I don’t like the smell or taste of sweets and much prefer savoury and fresh scented products. This automatically made me think that I wasn’t going to like it, however, even though it is a strong, sweet scent, I personally, didn’t find it overpowering and that it had the perfect balance for me. It also leaves a very subtle scent to your skin after using it and isn’t too heavy. I will definitely be re-purchasing and stocking up on this product!

Next, I picked up Star Dust. This is a bath bomb, so you just drop it into your bath water and watch it fizz away. This product is very simple looking, yet leaves your bath water a lovely pale blue colour and has a very subtle coconut and vanilla scent to it. This product contains Rosewood and Bergamot oil which are both very uplifting, cleansing and antiseptic, meaning this is perfect for a little pick-me-up!

So White is another product that a lot of people associate with Christmas. Similarly, to Star Dust, it is very simple looking as it is just plain white, however when it is dropped into a bath, it turns the water a reddish, pink colour. This product has a very crisp apple scent to it, and includes rose absolute which helps you to feel calm. This is the perfect thing to help you unwind after a stressful day.

The next thing I picked up was Luxury Lush Pud. This product is completely different to So White and Star Dust, as it is extremely colourful on the outside and the inside, which leaves the bath water a variety of colours. The scent of this bath bomb is a lot spicier than the others and is definitely not sweet. This product contains Tonka Absolute and Lavender which are both quite powerful scents and I can definitely smell these, even with it still in the packaging! This is one of my favourite products out of this haul, as it is definitely smells more festive and Christmassy! Lavender is also a very relaxing and soothing scent, so this would be perfect to have just before bed!

Dashing Santa is another bath bomb and this smells a lot fruitier in comparison to the rest of the products. It has a lovely orange fragrance which isn’t too overpowering and leaves the bath water a very deep orange colour. It wasn’t really the fragrance that made me go for this product, as I’m not really into citrus scents, but I just thought that the design of this was too cute! It looks so festive and if this doesn’t get you into the Christmas spirit, I don’t know what will!

Now, onto what I ordered online…

The next two things have the same scent as Snow Fairy so it was fairly obvious that I was going to like them.

The first one is Candy Mountain. This is a bubble bar, so you can re-use it and I think you could probably get between two and four baths out of this. You just crumble some of the bubble bar under the running water and it makes the bath water a baby pink colour and creates lots of bubbles. Again, it is the same scent as Snow Fairy so if you aren’t a fan of that, then you probably won’t like this either.

Next, is the Magic Wand. Again, it is the same scent as Candy Mountain and Snow Fairy so it is very sweet. This is also a reusable bubble bar but on a stick; you hold it under running water or just swirl it around the bath water until you are happy with the colour and the amount of bubbles that are in your bath. It was also the design that drew me into this product as it is very different to the rest of the bath bombs and bubble bars. It also has silver glitter running through it, making the bath water sparkle and leaves your skin glowing.

Finally! The Magic of Christmas… This is another reusable bubble bar. The difference with this wand is that it is actually a cinnamon stick. I feel like this is such a Christmassy product, is smells like cinnamon and almonds and is all things spicy and festive! This is the product that makes me feel the most festive and has such a warm, spicy fragrance to it. The product itself makes the bath water turn orange/gold and has gold glitter running through it and has a little bell tied to the cinnamon stick – how cute!

That is everything from my Lush Haul, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what products you love at Christmas time!

NARS: All Day Luminous Weightless foundation VS Sheer Glow!

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation VS NARS Sheer Glow.

So, the question on everybody’s lips is which of these two foundations they should buy. But honestly, it is completely and utterly down to the skin type of each individual person.

Some people have dry skin, some people have oily skin and others have a combination of the two. I have combination skin so I am quite lucky in the sense that I can use both of these products, however it does depend on how my skin is on the day. The shade that I use in both foundations is Santa Fe.

I am going to talk you through both of these foundations and the different qualities that they have and which one is most likely to suit your skin type.

NARS Sheer Glow offers a variety of different shades. Each shade offers different pigmentation, some of them having more yellow undertones and others having more pink undertones. This makes it easier for people to decide which shade would best suit them.

Sheer Glow is aimed at people with normal to dry skin. This product is also very moisturising when it is applied, leaving the skin feel healthy and hydrated. This helps with the application of the foundation, making it smoother and easier to blend, leaving the skin looking bright and radiant with a dewy, satin finish.

The coverage of Sheer Glow is medium to full and can definitely be built up for a fuller looking complexion without it seeming too thick or cakey. Also, a little goes a long way with this product.

Sheer Glow costs £31 for a 30ml bottle. The product is in a small, rounded, glossy glass bottle with a black lid that you just twist-on. The only downside is that this foundation does not come with a pump which makes it a lot harder to distribute to makeup brushes. However, pumps are available to purchase for just £3. Even though you are able to purchase a pump, the lid of Sheer Glow will no longer fit whilst the pump is attached.

Now, onto the All Day Luminous Weightless foundation.

This foundation also has the same shades as Sheer Glow and is also very highly pigmented. The pigments include gold and green tones which help give the luminous effect and counteracts any redness of the skin.

This foundation is best suited for people with an oily complexion. When this product is applied to dry skin or dry patches, the foundation tends to stick and cling to these areas, making the skin appear patchy and flaky. The consistency of the All Day Luminous Weightless foundation is rather watery, therefore needs to be shaken before every use in order to prevent the formula from separating.

All Day Luminous Weightless is quite hard to blend into the skin as it tends to set and dry quite quickly, meaning that you need to work and blend it into the skin at a rather fast pace.
When the foundation has been applied to the skin, it gives the complexion a matte finish which does make the skin look particularly dull in comparison to Sheer Glow, however does look more natural.

This product is also 30ml, costing £32. This foundation comes in a tall, thin bottle with a frosted glass finish and does include a pump, unlike Sheer Glow.

Neither of these products come cheap, however I definitely think they are worth the money and they do go along way. The foundation that you buy does depend on what type of skin you have.

I have combination skin; therefore, I am able to use both of these products. However, I do prefer Sheer Glow overall as it gives my skin a fuller looking complexion and makes it look a lot more glowing. Although if my skin is feeling a little oilier than usual, I will use All Day Luminous Weightless.

I also find that All Day Luminous Weightless is a lot easier to apply with the hands and does give it a better finish, whereas Sheer Glow is a lot better when applied with a brush.

I prefer Sheer Glow as a product, however the presentation and the packaging of All Day Luminous Weightless looks a lot more elegant, especially as a pump is included.

Let me know which one you’ve been loving!

You can buy both of these products from;

http://narscosmetics.co.uk
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk
http://www.johnlewis.com
http://uk.spacenk.com

October Favourites 2015!

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This is my first ‘favourites’ post.

I will be doing this each month to let you know what I have been loving, whether that be beauty products, fashion or lifestyle… But, let’s face it, when we say lifestyle, we actually mean food!

So, my first favourite is a rather new edition to my ever-growing makeup collection, and that is the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I’ve had it for just over a month now and I’ve been using it every day since. I think it is safe to say that I completely and utterly obsessed with it. It covers everything from an everyday natural, nude look to dark and smoky during the evenings. I never usually use the application brushes that come with palettes because they are never as good as the ones that you can buy separately, but I gave this one a try and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! It has a brush both ends, one slightly thicker to use all over the eye-lid and one slightly thinner to get into the crease. All of these colours are highly pigmented, last a very long time and are an absolute dream to blend! This palette also includes four sample pot primers.

The palette consists of 12 beautiful colours, (left to right);

Foxy (matte/cream)
Half Baked (shimmer/gold)
Bootycall (slight shimmer/pale pink)
Chopper (shimmer/rose gold)
Tease (matte/brown with purple undertones)
Snakebite (shimmer/bronze)
Suspect (shimmer/taupe)
Pistol (shimmer/grey)
Verve (shimmer/pearl)
YDK (shimmer/bronze)
Busted (shimmer/dark brown)
Blackout (slight shimmer/black)

In my opinion, this is definitely worth the £38! You can buy this product from Debenhams, House of Fraser and Urban Decay.

My next favourite is another beauty product and that is NARS Sheer Glow. This is another pricey product (£31) but it is very highly pigmented and is super smooth, making it easy to blend into the skin. It leaves the skin looking healthy and hydrated, giving it a satin, dewy finish. It is medium coverage but can definitely be built up to give a fuller looking complexion. This foundation is best suited for people with normal to dry skin and I wear it in the shade Santa Fe. This foundation is brilliant for people that have naturally red cheeks like myself as the pigments within this product counteract redness perfectly. The only downside to this product is that it does not come with a pump, however you can buy these for just £3. You can Sheer Glow from NARS, House of Fraser and John Lewis.

Something else that I have been loving this month, is the Collection Contour Kit. For just £4.19, I couldn’t not buy it! I was a bit sceptical with it being so cheap, but it is amazing and it has made its way into my everyday makeup routine! You can see how much I’ve been loving it as the writing on the packaging is starting to disappear – this is a sign of a much loved product! The contour shade isn’t too dark and I can imagine it suiting a majority of skin colours and the highlight isn’t too shimmery, so you don’t end up looking like you’re covered in glitter! You can build it up to make the contour and highlight more prominent or you can just use a small amount for that little bit of definition. This is also a very good drugstore alternative to the Charlotte Tilbury Sculpt and Highlight which costs £49! The Collection Contour Kit is available from Boots and Superdrug.

I am also loving Ghost Eclipse perfume. It has been out for a while but I have only recently started using it and it has now become my go-to perfume. It is a lovely fruity fragrance but is quite subtle and is not overpowering. It is difficult to find a perfume that lasts the whole day, however I believe that this perfume does just that! It’s one of those perfumes that whenever I wear it, people are always asking me what it is I’ve got on! The bottle of this product is also really pretty and nice to look at, which I feel is sometimes something that perfumes lack. This perfume is perfect for daytime or evening. You can buy this from Boots, Superdrug and Debenhams.

Let me know what you’ve been loving this month!

Autumn Essentials

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It’s that time of year again. Which, by the way, is also my favourite time of year!

Yes, I am talking about Autumn. No, that isn’t to say that I don’t love Summer, but there is just something about getting all wrapped up and cosy that makes me love the colder months that little bit more. I love the dark, cold nights, snuggling up under blankets with a hot chocolate and watching TV.

You just know that it Autumn has arrived when The X Factor is back on our screens! Hello to having no social life from now until Christmas, (not that I had much of one anyway!). Does this count as an essential?

Something that I have always been a bit apprehensive about, is a dark, berry lipstick. I was so unsure about whether or not I would actually be able to pull off wearing such a dark shade on my lips, however, I am so glad that I finally plucked up the courage to try it out because now I am completely and utterly obsessed! I am particularly loving the shade 30 by Kate Moss (Rimmel). It has a slightly more purple tone to it, but I really, really like it. It also goes brilliantly with Maybelline Colour Drama in Berry Much. I find that they both blend really nicely together and they last a really long time before you have to reapply them again.

Another lipstick that I have been loving, is (yes, another!) berry tone. This one is a lot darker and a bit less purple than 30 by Kate Moss. This is Black Cherry by Revlon. I absolutely love this colour. At first, I couldn’t get used to how dark it was and didn’t really think that it suited me but after wearing it a few times, I fell in love! I would also recommend that with any dark lipstick, to use a lip liner first as it makes the application process a whole lot easier. I love this look during the colder months and it also goes perfectly with a gold smoky eye.

Sticking with the berry theme, I recently bought a scarf from Primark (£4). I purposely brought this to match my dark, berry lip and it also looks great with a leather jacket

I am most definitely a bath person anyway, but much more so during Autumn, and to accompany me and my baths, are many, many Lush products. I am a huge Lush fan anyway, but there is just something about using their products when it’s cold that makes them feel so much better! I love their bath bombs and bubble bars in particular and I am so excited that their Halloween and Christmas limited edition products have recently been released!

Candles are also a must when it starts getting colder and darker outside. At the minute, I am loving Yankee Candle Baby Powder. This is such a soft, soothing scent that really helps me to relax and there is nothing cosier than being indoors, wrapped up, with a candle burning whilst it is raining outside!

I hope you enjoyed my Autumn essentials, let me know yours!