Life ¦ Taking a very involuntary break

So I may or may not have managed to smash the screen on my laptop, which means I'm going to be taking a little break from blogging as I can't actually manage to add any pictures to any of my posts meaning that I can't really write any. I actually dropped of my laptop to be repaired yesterday so I'm hoping that it shouldn't take to long to be fixed and I should be back blogging at some point late next week!

Thanks for reading,

Cole x

Beauty ¦ New additions from The Body shop

Why is it that all my skincare always seems to run out at the same time. I was in desperate need of a new cleanser and moisturizer so when I received an email telling me that the body shop had 30% off I was straight on the website. I feel like I was pretty restrained although I did pick up the BB cream which was definitely not an essential purchase but I'd have had to have paid for shipping if I hadn't have picked it up and I was definitely not prepared to pay that!

 

I decided to pick up the Vitamin E Intense moisture cream for Dry skin as I've heard really good things about this range. My skin has been so gross and dry recently I wanted something super hydrating. This is incredibly thick and really feels like it is adding lots of moisture into the skin. I've been using this for about 5 days now and I have already found that my skin is feeling much more hydrated and my makeup has been sitting much better.

 

The Camomile silky cleansing oil is something I have used before and really enjoyed so I'm looking forward to using it again. Finally I picked up the BB cream as I had heard so many good things about it, I went for the lightest shade and I actually think it might be a little to light for me (I am not sure how to deal with this it has never happened before) It has a very light coverage and I find the finish is very very dewy so I've actually been pairing it with the L'Oreal BB powder to avoid ending up looking a little too glowy. However paired with the powder I've been really enjoying it as it feels so lightweight on the skin.

 

So that's it for today's little body shop haul, I'd love to know what products you love from there as I feel like I haven't tried anything new from them in ages!

Beauty ¦ Sleek Matte me lip creams

I love a good matte lip cream and these are no exception. These are definitely my favourite drugstore under £5 liquid lipstick. The fact that they have also just released another 6 shades makes me a very happy gal. The shades I currently have are the very hyped Birthday suit which was one of those colours branded a Kylie Jenner nude and the very spring esque Petal.

Birthday suit is a really beautiful browny pinky nude which is one of those that works perfectly with basically every look ever. This is one of those shades that I find myself reaching for on a very regular basis and one that has made a fair few appearances on my blog. Petal is a much lighter baby pink shade, however it isn't one of those super blue toned Barbie soft pinks. It has quite a rosy undertone making it a stunning spring/summer shade without it being to pale.

In terms of formula these are hands down one of the best that I have tried. They dry down super matte however they don't feel at all drying on the lips. They don't have that slightly tacky feeling that some liquid lipsticks have when they dry down which is something I personally really like. In terms of lasting power these are pretty incredible, I really would like to try one of the darker shades just to see how wear time compares however I find that these are absolutely fine to eat and drink with and I get a good 6 hours out of them before they really look like they need reapplying. I really like the simple packaging as it is easy to see what shade you are using (and they also look nice when you photograph them #bloggerlife)

The only thing I'm not 100% sold on is the applicator, I personally prefer a curved applicator as I just find it makes it much easier to apply the lipstick. The straight wand does have a little flexibility so you can move if to fit the lips a little however I would definitely prefer it if they had a more curved wand or even just the traditional doe foot applicator.

Overall if you love a good liquid lipstick I would definitely recommend these. I am definitely going to be purchasing some of the new shades next time I get the chance to swatch them.





Left - Birthday suit Right - Petal

Lifestyle ¦ What I ate #1

 

I absolutely love reading food posts however they are something that I really haven't posted many of on my blog recently. However I am hoping that that is going to change. Hopefully in the next couple of months you should see some recipes, graze box posts and more what I ate posts as at the moment my blog is super beauty heavy which I like however just want to mix it up a little. I've been on a massive health kick recently and I've been trying to eat as healthy as possible as well as going to the gym (My gym update post is coming soon) I've also been trying to force myself to eat breakfast as I have a very bad habit of skipping it.

 

So without further ado lets get on and see what I ate on this particular day.

 

Breakfast

 

Plain porridge, seeds of one pomegranate, 5 strawberry's and a teaspoon of honey to sweeten.

 

Lunch

 

Veggie noodle salad - Half a nest of noodles, celery, cherry tomatoes, spinach, mangetout, yellow pepper carrot, cashew nuts.

 

Dressing - Soy sauce, Sweet chilli sauce, Olive oil

 

Kettle bites Mozzarella and pesto lentil twists (If you like pesto you need to try these!)

 



Dinner

 

Veggie Fajitas (Peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce) with sour cream and cheesy nachos.

 



Beauty ¦ The glosses for gloss haters

 

 

Now I am no gloss fan at all, in fact I would say that a strong 98% of all the glosses I have tried I have really hated. However today I thought I would show you the three glosses that I can wear without me wanting to take it straight off my lips. These three are not sticky and with the Clarins one I actually feel like I can wear them with my hair down without everything getting a nasty sticky mess.

 

Nyx Butter Glosses -

These are something that I have only very recently tried as I'd heard so much about them and I can see why. These are really smooth glosses that don't feel sticky at all. These are heavily vanilla scented so if you aren't a fan of heavy scents then these might not be for you however other than that I really haven't got anything bad to say about them. I love the fact that the packaging matches the shade in the tubes as it makes it super easy to find them in my collection.

 

Maybelline Colour sensational Glosses -

These are the best of you want a bright gloss, these are probably out of the three the stickiest however they are in no way as sticky as a lot of the glosses I have tried. They have a typical fruity scent that a lot of glosses have. Something I like about these is how pigmented they are. I find a lot of glosses tend to lack in pigment however these really pack a punch.

 

Clarins Instant light lip perfector glosses -  

I'd put these somewhere on the scale between a gloss and a balm, these are very sheer and in all honesty i'm not sure you need more than one shade as they are so sheer. That being said I don't have any of the darker shades. As I said before these are not sticky at all. The one thing I'm not a fan of with these is the applicator the sponge kind of grosses me out as I feel like it collects all the extra gloss.

 



Beauty ¦ Testing out NYX cosmetics.

Oh my lord I cannot even explain how excited I was when I walked into the Boots in Manchester arndale to see a NYX counter staring right back at me. Today I thought I would go through the products that I have tried so far and do little mini reviews for each of them. I will be putting up individual more in depth reviews of each of these product over the next couple of months so if you'd like to know more about anything let me know in the comments.

 

Soft matte lip cream - Antwerp

I'm going to be honest I am really not a fan of these, I expected to really love these as so many people say however I just find that it really weirdly flaked off my lips and it never set down like I expect a matte liquid lipstick to do.

 

Liquid suede lipstick - Soft spoken

This is what I expected the Soft matte lip creams to be. This sets down to a really matte finish but it still feels comfortable on the lips. I also really love the shade of this it's a beautiful dark nude shade.

 

Butter glosses - Crème Brule and Tiramisu

I am so impressed with these. I usually really hate glosses however these are so comfortable on the lips and are in no way sticky at all. Crème Brule is a really pretty light pink shade and Tiramisu is a darker more nude pink shade.  

 

Left to Right - Liquid suede in soft spoken, Soft matte lip cream in Antwerp, Butter glosses in Crème Brule and Tiramisu, Brow gel in Brunette, Gotcha covered concealer in Ivory, High definition blush in Taupe, Single shadow in LOL.

Eyebrow Gel - Brunette

This is quite a stiff brow gel and it gives the brow a super sleek pretty heavy kind of look however if I am really careful I can make it a little more light and natural. One thing I will say is that this is quite a red toned shade and the shade selection is quite limited.

 

Gotcha covered concealer - Ivory

I really don't like this, it is incredibly dry and hard to buff in. I think if you had very oily skin it might work really well but with my dry skin it looks incredibly cakey and it feels very uncomfortable to wear. It is such a shame though as this shade is absolutely perfect for under my eyes to highlight.

 

High definition blush - Taupe

This is the best grey toned contour that I've tried in a while, I still really love my Barry M contour kit but I am a big fan of this to. It is a really nice finely milled powder and it's perfect for paler skinned girls as it is very grey toned.

 

Single eyeshadow - LOL

Can we first just take a minute to appreciate how epic the colour of this shadow is. The pigment is really strong and the shadow feels very soft and I've found myself reaching for it a lot when I'm wearing an orangey smokey eye.

 

So that's it for todays post, I really hope you enjoyed this and I would love for you to leave you NYX  recommendations below.

 

Beauty ¦ On rotation - Mascaras

So can we just take a minute to be proud of me as I only have 3 mascaras open at once. I feel like mascara isn't something that gets reviewed very often so today I thought I would tell you my thoughts on the three I am currently using. These three are actually coming to the end of their lives so if you have any recommendations leave them in the comments.

 

Miss sporty Studio lash dark lasher mascara -

For such an affordable mascara this one is absolutely brilliant. It doesn't offer much volume however if you want long lashes this is perfect. I find that I do get a little bit of smudging under my eyes but it isn't anywhere near as bad as some mascaras I've tried. In terms of holding a curl I find this one actually works really nicely. My lashes don't stay as curled as they do when I'm wearing other mascaras however overall for the price I really like this one.

 

 

Benefit They're real -

If you are a regular reader you will know that this is one of my favourite mascaras of all time. This tube is just about done now so I'm not enjoying it as much as when it's new however I do still enjoy using it. This is one of those mascaras that sticks around forever which is actually my only bugbear with it as it is almost impossible to get off. This one really holds a curl and is perfect for people who's mascara smudges under their eyes as I find it goes nowhere.

 

Maxfactor False lash effect -

I think at this current moment with my They're real in the dried up state it is this is definitely my favourite. I've found that despite the fact this isn't the waterproof version it doesn't smudge on me and I find it also holds a curl nicely while still being fairly easy to remove. I really love the fact that this gives both volume and length. I also find it builds really nicely so if you want a fairly light mascara you can just use one coat but if you want a little more drama it will layer without going really gross and clumpy.

 



Beauty ¦ Bourjois Radiance reveal concealer

Can we just take a minute to appreciate that this concealer costs a grand total of £8. Like seriously I would pay more than double for a concealer that looked like this and not even bat and eyelid about it. Not only is the packaging impressive but I'm also super impressed with the formula. It is a high coverage super dewy looking concealer which leaves under the eyes looking wide awake. I've found that this concealer is definitely more suited for under the eyes however it can be used of blemishes if it is all I have with me. I wasn't 100% sure if the colour would be good when I ordered it as it only actually comes in three shades. I went for the light shade and it is actually a pretty good match considering the limited range.

In terms of lasting power I do find that this can settle into the creases of the eyes if I don't set it however I am personally not bothered y the extra step as I love the way it looks under the eyes so much. The formula of this is incredibly hydrating which does mean that it tends to slip around a little bit but again that problem can be solved with a little bit of powder. After powdering I find that I can get a good 7 hours wear out of this before it starts to look a little rough around the edges.

Overall I am super impressed with this and I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a hydrating glowy concealer.



Beauty ¦ Anastasia Dip brow

This is one of those products that is just so hyped up I had to try it. I have literally heard so many good things about this product and I have to say that I 100% agree with all of the hype. I ordered off Beauty bay so I had to guess in terms of the shade I decided to go for. In the end I ordered medium brown and spent the time it took to arrive worrying that it was probably going to be to light however when it arrived it was actually the opposite. I actually find this shade is a little to dark for my almost black eyebrows however as I used it more the better it seemed to work for me. The texture of this product is super creamy and at first I was a little concerned that it was just going to slip off my eyebrows however I was blown away by the lasting power. When I went to take this off it was till 99% perfect and I'm honestly pretty convinced I could have slept in it and my brows would have still looked okay. One thing I will say is that it isn't the easiest product to work with and I definitely wouldn't recommend this for beginners as you can very easily end up going over the top and ending up with sharpie brows.  

I am seriously blown away by this product and I would honestly recommend it to anyone who has a little bit of previous brow experience and is on the lookout for a product that isn't going to go anywhere. 

Beauty ¦ The best of the palettes

So I think I may have a small addiction. Today I thought I would run through all of my favourite palettes with you. I feel like I have a fairly good mix of drugstore and high end palettes to talk to you about today so without further ado lets get on or else this post is going to end up about a million words long. 

Urban Decay Naked basics - This is the first even high end piece of makeup I owned and I still really love this palette. It is super great for travelling as it is so little and compact. I also really love the shade Faint for my brows and I pretty much used it consistently for about a year. These are some of the most lovely matte shadows that I have ever used, they blend like an absolute dream and are so lovely and creamy just like all other urban decay shadows. 

Urban Decay Naked 1 - Another incredible palette from Urban decay, I don't find myself reaching for this as often as I used to however it is something that I love having in my collection and a palette that I will always love using. Just like in the Basics palette the shadows are incredibly creamy and highly pigmented. 

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani - The final palette from Urban Decay is the stunning Gwen Stefani palette. I absolutely love the mix of shades in this palette. I find that the pops of colour in the palette work really well with the other shadows a although there are a couple of shades I will never use like the super yellow gold. 

Zoeva Cocoa blend palette - This is the best palette if you are a fan of warm toned shadows. The shades in this palette are really pigmented and the shadows are really great quality for the price. I absolutely love the mix of shades in this palette. If you want to know more I reviewed this //here// 

Collection Your style Your mood - The collection eyeshadows are super impressive for the price. I would say that they are almost as good as the Urban decay ones so considering the fact that this palette is somewhere round the £5 mark there is literally nothing that you can complain about. 

Makeup geek Custom palette - Do I even need to say anything about this one I talk about it enough anyway! These shadows are awesome and super high quality for the affordable price, 

Bobbi Brown Caviar lip and cheek palette - This palette contains 3 matte shadows, 2 sparkle eyeshadows and a lip gloss in Bright pink. The matte shadows are a really lovely smooth texture and blend well. I also really love to press the sparkle shadows over basically any look. I also quite like the gloss however I would say that it isn't my favourite gloss. 

Sleek Vintage romance palette - I love this palette for the autumn and winter. The sleek shadows are pretty fabulous for the price. These are so incredibly pigmented and I absolutely love the gold shades. 

Stila In the light - This is one of the most hyped palettes along with the Naked palettes and I can completely see why. I adore the shade Sunset which is a stunning coppery shade. The only thing that I don't like about this palette is the fact that the packaging is cardboard which is quite flimsy. 

Beauty ¦ The Dewy skin edit

So I used to be obsessed with matte skin however lately my skin just keeps getting drier and drier so today I thought I would show you my favourite products to make my super dry skin look hydrated and glowy. 

Bare Minerals complexion rescue - This stuff is the best for when I'm having a super dry skin day, I personally prefer to use this with my beauty blender as I find that this is how I get the best coverage out of it. It is a light to medium coverage base so it works really nicely for a natural makeup look. If you want to know my review is //Here// 

Bourjois Healthy mix - If you are looking for something that is a little more affordable. This one is very similar in terms of formula to the Bare minerals complexion rescue however it is a little drier. This one makes the skin look super healthy and I find it does have a little more coverage then the Bare minerals. 

Clarins instant concealer - This is my favourite concealer I've ever tried. I have a lot of trouble with under my eyes as they are so dry but this goes on and stays looking really hydrating all day and I am honestly a littl obsessed with it. If you want to know more I have a review up //Here// 

Bourjois Bronzing primer - This is one of my favourite products in the summer. It's perfect for days out in the sun as it is super comfortable to wear and it doesn't move at all. It is so nice for drier skin types as it means that you can add some colour to your face without adding any powder. 

Benefit High beam - I love a good intense highlight however when I'm wearing a super glowy foundation I like to use this as it is so lovely and subtle. It also makes a brilliant base for a more intense highlight. This just gives the skin a super healthy glow and also it lasts for ever as you get so much product in the bottle. 

Stila convertible colour in Fuchsia - This is quite a wet cream blush and when it first goes on the skin it does feel a little tacky. However once it dries down completely it feels almost completely undetectable on the skin which is what I like in a cream blush. This shade is so bright and is the ultimate summer blush shade. 

Maxfactor Miracle touch creamy blush in Soft pink - The formula of this is so similar to the stila one however it is a little less wet when it first goes onto the skin so you have to blend it a little quicker. Other than that though this one is pretty identical to the Stila one. The shade is a little more muted than the stila one however it is still quite a bright shade. 

Fashion ¦ The blush pink obsession.

It is official I think I may be obsessed with this pink shade. I finally got around to picking myself up some new shoes this week and I am so in love with absolutely everything about them. They are the Adidas blush pink Superstar 80's and I am so excited to wear them all the time. I don't tend to wear much colour so these are perfect as they are still pretty neutral but they will add a pop of colour to whatever outfit I'm wearing. 

As well as the shoes I've also been loving Barry M's Speedy Nail paint in the shade Freestyle which is a beautiful darker blush pink which just makes the nails look really clean and it's one of those colours that makes then look like you've had a manicure. Finally I also picked up this beautiful blush suede cami from Primark which was only £5. I really love the little bits of gold detail on this and I feel like I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it especially in the summer. 

Beauty ¦ Gerard cosmetics Hydra matte lipsticks.

I think I may have found the ultimate liquid lipstick formula. Not only is the formula of these so lovely but the colour selection is insane and I cannot wait to try some more shades. The formula of these is seriously insane, it doesn't matter how dry your lips are they still feel incredibly smooth and hydrating. They dry down completely matte and once they are dry they last for around 6 hours, I do find that they do begin to disappear around the inside of the lips after eating. 

One thing I do like about these is that they don't have a weird smell like so many liquid lipsticks do. I also love the packaging of these it's super simple and nothing crazy but I just think it looks really sleek. These have a standard doe foot applicator which isn't to big meaning that you can get a really precise application.  

Left to right - Iced Mocha, Ecstasy, Serenity. 

So moving onto the colours that I picked up, Iced Mocha is a beautiful medium brown nude shade with pink tones. Ecstasy is a stunning pinky lilac shade, it's on the dark side of a lilac however I would definitely say that it isn't quite a purple. The final shade I have is Serenity which is the Manny MUA shade, it is a really gorgeous medium nude coral shade. 

Overall if you are into liquid lipsticks I would highly recommend giving these ones, they're also currently on buy one get one half price on Beauty bay.

Beauty ¦ April makeup

 

So it's that time of the month once again, today I'm going to be showing you the products I have found myself reaching for the most over the month of April. This month I've been sticking to a very similar look on a day to day basis and just changing up whether or not I wear eyeshadow.

 

 Urban Decay Naked skin foundation - Oh I do love this foundation, I would go as far as to say that it is my favourite everyday foundation. It's a really lovely medium coverage with a glowy finish making it perfect for everyday wear.

 

Clarins Instant light concealer - This concealer is another big favourite at the moment. I actually popped up my review of this //here// so I won't linger on it to much but it is the perfect concealer for anyone with a drier skin type as it offers a really high coverage without being thick and cakey.

 

Benefit Hoola - I've been skipping blush this month and instead just using this pretty much all over my face. I love the shade of this as it has enough orange to warm up the face but not to much so that it makes you look muddy.

 

Barry M Chisel cheeks contour kit - If you are a regular around here you will know how much I love the contour powder in the palette. It is a beautiful grey toned brown which adds a really beautiful natural shadow to the face. If you are pale and are looking for a drugstore contour powder I would definitely recommend this one.

 

MUA Undress your skin shimmer Highlighter in Pink shimmer - I am a little bit obsessed with highlighter at the moment and this is one of my current favourites. It is a beautiful pinky toned shade which adds the most incredible luminosity to the face, I will say though if you prefer a less intense highlight I'd give this one a miss as it is pretty intense.

 

 

Anastasia Dip brow - In all honesty I wasn't a big fan of this the first couple of times that I tried it however NOW I've got used to it I'm getting along with it much better. It is super easy to go overboard and ened up with sharpie eyebrows. I've found that by using a really tiny bit of product I can get a really natural look and I can then build on that. I think my favourite thing about this has to be the lasting power. You can put this one at 7 in the morning and you will still have perfect brows at 7 at night.

 

Benefit Gimme brow - This is my favourite brow setting gel as not only does it lock my brows in place it also gives than a little bit of volume and colour.

 

Urban Decay Primer potion - I feel like I mention this one so much and I feel like it is going to feature in basically all of these monthly makeup posts but I feel like I just need to remind you guys that it is the best and that if you don't already own it you need it.

 

Makeup geek shadows in Shimma Shimma, Peach smoothie, In the spotlight, Mango tango and Cherry cola - Will I ever stop talking about makeup geek eyeshadows? The answer is probably not this month I've been really loving a super corally orange eye. I've been using peach smoothie all over the lid to even out any discoloration then using the shade mango tango in the crease (This shadow is the most insane corally pink ever) then for all over the lid I've been using the foiled eyeshadow in the shade in the spotlight and finishing off the lid with a little bit of cherry cola in the outer third and under the eyes. I've then been using Shimma shimma on my brow bone and inner corner to highlight.

 

Benefit They're real - This is my favourite mascara but I'm pretty sure that a good 98% off you already know that so I'm not going to dwell on it but if you are on the lookout for a high end mascara I would definitely recommend this one.

Sleek Matte me in Birthday suit - I have been a little obsessed with this in April. The shade is a gorgeous pinky nude which reminds me a lot of one of the mac "Kylie Jenner" shades. I love the finish of these lip creams and I actually picked up another shade from superdrug a couple of weeks ago so I'm pretty excited to give that a go.

 

So that's it for this months makeup, I hope you've enjoyed this post and I'd love for you to let me know what makeup you have been loving this month.