Holiday photos - Iceland

Hey guys, today I thought I would show you some of the photos from my recent trip to Iceland. I had an absolutely amazing time and visited some incredible places as well as seeing some incredible thing like Dolphins in the wild. Today I thought I would show you a very small selection of the hundreds of photos I took. I hope you enjoy this and would love to know if you have ever been to Iceland.

 



The Billionth Kat Von D review since October

So Kat Von D has taken the UK by storm since their launch over here late last year and I've been holding off doing this review as I have seen so many of them it has been ridiculous. However as I got a couple of bits for Christmas I thought I might as well stick my opinions into the mix so without further ado lets get on with it.



Everlasting Liquid lipsticks in Bow N Arrow and Lolita 2 - £16

 

Oh damn I love these things. I first wore one on Christmas day and it lasted all throughout the meal and still looked beautiful afterwards. They are a fairly thin formula meaning that they feel incredibly comfortable but also aren't as drying. They are incredibly opaque and the two shades I have tried thus far are completely streak proof (Although I have heard the darker shades can be a little). One thing I hear a lot of people say about these is that they find the applicator to be too long however I find I can get a perfectly precise application. That being said both shades I have are nude and I am not sure it would be as easy with the darker or brighter shades.





Left - Bow n Arrow -  Right - Lolita II

 

Shade and Light quad in Rust - £17.00

 

I didn't actually realise how affordable these little quads are. For £17 you get four incredibly beautiful shadows which are rich in pigment and have an incredibly buttery texture. These are so beautifully blendable however due to this I do find they can sometimes have a lot of fall out so I tend to go for them before I do my base makeup. What I love about this palette is the fact it is perfect for if I need a matte shade whilst creating a warm look however it still works beautifully as a stand alone palette.

Rust Quad

 

Shade and Light eye contour palette - £37.00

These shadows are exactly the same as the little palette. They are beautifully pigmented, creamy, blendable and basically just a dream to work with. Again they do have a very small amount of fall out but as I said before this isn't something that really bothers me. Due to the incredibly creamy texture I do find these crease a little easier than other shadows however I find that this is easily sorted with a good eye primer. I love the fact that this palette has a mix of both cooler and warmer tones making it very versatile.

 



Now I'm not a fan of cardboard packaging however this is incredibly sturdy and I really feel like it would fare well even when traveling. I also love the fact there is a huge mirror making it even better for travel. Again like the smaller quad it makes for a perfect standalone palette as well as something that mixes well with a shimmery palette like Urban decay Moondust.
 



So that's it for today's review. I really hoped you enjoyed this post! Let me know what your favourites from the collection are because I definitely need to try some more!

 



Current go to bases

I am having a bit of a moment currently and I have found myself completely focused on finding my perfect base products. Today I thought I would talk about three of my current favourites.

 

Clarins BB skin detox fluid - 00

 

I've seen such mixed reviews on this product but I personally love it. It's an incredibly light weight formula however it still offers a good medium coverage. For my dry sin this is perfect as it feels incredibly hydrating and I find that it doesn't sink into any dry patches no matter how long I've been wearing it. It also wears very well and I don't find it separates on my incredibly dry nose which a large majority of foundations do.  The one thing I will say about this is that it definitely is a little bit dark for me however I love it so much I just tend to put a little more bronzer than usual on my neck. I definitely think that if you have dry skin and are on the lookout for a new foundation this one would be perfect.

 

 

Urban Decay Naked skin foundation - 0.5

 

Could I write a post about foundations without mentioning this one. I have to say this is my all time favourite foundation. Like the Clarins one it is incredibly light and almost feels like you have nothing at all on the skin. It has such a stunning dewy finish and is just the ideal foundation for people with dry skin. Again it doesn't sink into any dry patches and lasts so beautifully. What I also love about this us that it isn't an oil based formula meaning there is no chance of it looking oily even on the hottest of days. I also find that this shade is super duper pale and pretty much matches me perfectly. It also had a pretty good colour range and also comes in both pink and yellow undertones. .5 being pink and whole numbers being yellow toned.

 

Clarins, Urban Decay, Bourjois.

Bourjois Healthy mix Serum - 51

 

This is 100% my all time favourite drugstore foundation. Although it is a little thinner than the other two it still doesn't feel heavy on the skin. Again as with the other two this doesn't sink into any of my dry skin (Can you tell that's the main thing I look for) This one also smells really nice which I mean is always a bonus. Out of three this one has the most satin finish out of the three however it still gives the skin a really stunning healthy glow. It is definitely one I would recommend for anyone with dry skin who are on a budget although I will warn you that all Bourjois foundations are quite yellow toned.

 

So that's it for today, I would love to know what your favourite bases are?

 



New In #1 - First bits from colourpop

So I recently won a giveaway which gave me the opportunity to give some colourpop products a go. I have heard so much good stuff about the brand however I tend to steer clear of ordering from America as customs charges make me want to run and hide. I was really excited to ty out these products but unfortunately they have left me with a little sour taste in my mouth. I am no way near as impressed as I thought I would be so without further ado lets get on.

 

Ultra Matte lip set in Foxy -

 

This little set contains 5 of colourpops best selling Ultra matte liquid lipsticks, these were definitely the thing I was looking forward to trying the most and was actually the thing I ended up liking the least. I loved all five of the shades however they are the driest liquid lipsticks I have ever tried. I found they clung to any slight dry patches instantly and felt like they were sucking all the life out of my lips but when I went near any food or drink they smeared around my face. I expected as they were so drying they would stay really well however whenever they come into contact with pretty much anything they smudge awfully. Overall I was so disappointed with these as I really was expecting them to be my new favourite liquid lipsticks as I've heard so much good stuff.

 

Super shock Highlighter in Spoon -

 

This is so similar to the texture of the L'Oreal L'or highlight which I absolutely love so I was incredibly excited to give it a go however I found it was just a bit too glittery for my liking. I don't have the smallest pores in the world and I found this didn't help them at all. I did like the formula however so would perhaps consider trying another if I saw one in a blog sale however I don't think I would order from their website anytime soon.

 

Spoon, Puppy love, Beeper, Clueless, Tulle, Creeper, More better.

Super shock eyeshadow in Puppy love -

 

I think this is my favourite out of the three product I tried. It has that same formula as the highlighter which is just so difficult to describe but it is a really pretty light peachy almost duo chrome shade. I lie this one all over the lid with some winged liner however I find when I use it in conjunction with other shadows it does make things a tad difficult to blend however I feel like it would probably work better with other shades from colourpop as they will have the same texture.

 

Overall I have to say I haven't been overly impressed with the products I've tried from colourpop so far. I would love for you to let me know in the comments if you have any products you really love from them!

 



Milani Amore matte lip cream - Adorable.

 

 

I promise after this post I'm going to cool it with the liquid lipstick posts as currently it feels like they are all I ever talk about. However today I really wanted to review this one as I am so very in love. I've heard loads of good things about these so when I saw that they were on beauty bay I had to give one a go. There was quite a wide shade range to choose from but I decided to start of with a more basic nude shade. Adorable is a really pretty light browny nude with very little pink in it and I'm pretty sure this along with Kat Von D's bow and arrow which is like it's older more grungey sister I have found my new perfect nude.

 

 

What I love  most about this is that it feels so weightless on the lips and wears beautifully however it is hard to tell with such a nude shade and isn't in anyway dry. A lot of the liquid lipsticks I have tried recently really don't layer well however this isn't one of those. If I do have to layer it which very rarely happens you wouldn't be able to tell where the product had disappeared from as it just seems to mesh together so well. Packaging wise I like it, it looks simple and classy and I have to admit I do like a square liquid lipstick as they just seem to store better. The applicator is your standard basic doe foot which I don't mind however I do prefer applicators that are more chair shaped like the Dose of colours and the Jeffree star ones. That being said I don't find it having the traditional doe foot puts me off using it,

 

Overall I would highly recommend anyone gives these a go especially now they are fairly easy to get your hands on in the UK!

January Makeup 2017

So it's the end of January already and it's time for another monthly makeup post. So without further ado I'm going to get straight into it.

 

Primer wise I've been going for the Clarins Instant radiance primer in the shade 01 which is a beautiful pinky toned glowy primer, this adds a beautiful radiance to the skin and really helps to make the skin look healthy and glowy. Base wise I've been using another Clarins product their Skin detox BB fluid is the most beautiful light base which works so perfectly with my dry skin. It leaves a dewy look to the skin without it going to far and being more sweaty looking. Concealer wise I've been going for Urban Decay Naked skin under my eyes which I'm pretty sure you all know by now is one of my all time favourites and also the Clarins Instant concealer which is another amazing product for anyone with dry skin.



Clarins 01, Benefit High beam, Urban Decay Sin, Mac Fleur power, Urban Decay Bronzed.

Brow wise I've been going a little softer at the moment so I am back to using my Benefit Precisely my brow pencil and topping it off with a little Gimme brow. I find this just gives my brows a slightly more natural look and pairing that with the natural glowy skin I just really like the way it looks. Moving onto eyes I have been using a new palette which I am so in love with. The Ultimate basics palette from Urban decay is so very up my street and I have been reaching for the more warmer tones to create a quite subtle but still a little smokey look. Underneath those shadows I've been using the Kiko everlasting eyeshadow stick in 05 as a base then I've been using pregame as my lid/transition shade, then Extra Bitter in the crease and under the eyes and just to add a little more smokiness I've been popping Faith on the outer third of the eye.


Kiko 07, UD Pre-game, UD Extra Bitter, UD Faith.

Moving back to the face I am back using the Urban Decay Beached bronzer as I just can't seem to stay away from it for 5 minutes. It is just my favourite bronzer of all time and I feel like it is such a good all rounder for any skin tone. Blush wise again I've been using an old favourite, Mac Fleur power is a stunning mix of peach and pink giving the most natural pretty pink flush on the cheeks. Finally for my face I've been going to town with the highlight. I've been using Benefit High beam underneath the Urban decay Sin highlighter and oh lord does it look beautiful.


Kat Von D Bow n Arrow, Clarins 03.

Finally to finish off the look I've actually being reaching for a much glossier lip than normal. Although it doesn start off with a Matte liquid lipstick, Kat Von D Bow n arrow is just my perfect nude shade however to add a little bit of glossiness I've been using the Clarins Instant light natural lip perfector in the shade 03 which is a really pretty browny pink nude.

So that's it! I hope you have enjoyed this months monthly makeup post. Don't forget to let me know what you've been using this month in the comments below! 

Blog posts I loved - January

 

So I did one of these posts at the end of last year and I really enjoyed writing it so I've decided to make it into a little series. At the end of every month I am going to compile a list of my favourite posts and I hope you enjoy reading them too.

 

 

A look inside my bullet journal - Beauty by Kelsey - I really need to get round to starting a bullet journal, I feel like they are the best way to keep organised and  I feel like it something I need in my life. I love reading these posts as I'm always look for some inspiration.

 

My predictions for blogging in 2017 - Hannah Gale - I really enjoyed these posts at the start of the year and Hannah's was my favourite. I really do wish that I had done one of these and I definitely want to do one at the end of this year.

 

100 Blog post ideas to beat bloggers block - Lizzie Gines - I see a lot of these posts and I have to say a lot of them are super similar however I thought Lizzie's post contained some ideas that I have never seen in these kind of posts and some ideas that I may possibly use in the future.

 

How to: Downsize your makeup collection - Aspiring Londoner - This post was so helpful and actually inspired me to have a good clear out. Don't get me wrong I still have too much makeup but I definitely have a little less than I did before.

5 ideas for building your own Eyeshadow palette - Jasmine talks - I love Jasmine's posts and I love custom shadow palette so this was perfect for me. I wish this post was around when I first started purchasing my makeup geek shades as it has sooo many swatches.

2016's Hyped products that were a hell no from me - Through the Mirror - I really do love these kind of posts I think especially as a blogger myself we sometimes need to just stand up and be like hey you all loved this but I thought it was shite. Also the photography is just beautiful.

Life : The end of a chapter - Katie Snooks - This post was just so raw and so incredibly beautifully written. I feel like a lot of bloggers don't ever talk about their life and it's just nice to see such an honest post.

3 Beauty brands I want to try more from - Through the Mirror - As you've probably gathered I've been loving Caitlin's blog recently. I think this is such a brilliant idea for a post as you can not only get recommendations but readers can also benefit. I think I'm definitely going to be writing something along these lines.

Keeping your blog photography interesting : Props and backgrounds - Pint sized beauty - I am a little bored with my photos at the moment and I definitely want to incorporate more props into my pictures to make them a little more interesting. I like the fact that this post contains so many super affordable ideas.

The Vegan Rainbow bowl - The V nice life - Now I'm not vegan but I am vegetarian so I have ended up following some Vegan blogs and I had to share this post with you all because these look incredible. I love a good salad and this is definitely one I'm going to be looking into when I want something a little different.

Everyday Lipsticks in every formula - LPage Beauty - I love a good nude everyday lip and loved the selection in this post. I feel like there is definitely something in here for everyone.