Marc Jacobs Gel highliners

Marc Jacobs Highliner - £20.00 each* 

These are everywhere at the moment as so many bloggers have received them through Influenster. I was lucky enough to be chosen for this campaign and I have to admit I am really loving these liners. They are an incredibly creamy and so ridiculously pigmented, I'm not normally one for lining my water line as I have super watery eyes however these stay put for hours and don't end up half way down my face. They are completely retractable which is something I look for in a liner as I hate having to sharpen them, these also have mini sharpeners on the end so you can sharpen the tip of the liner for more precise liner work. I have used the brown shade on the upper lid and I have to say it isn't my favourite for smudging as it sets down so incredibly fast! If you are looking for a liner you an smudge for a more smokey look these definitely aren't for you. That being said these work incredibly on the lid for a graphic liner and really do stay put even on my oily lids. 

The shade selection in this range is however quite impressive, they have some beautiful really bright vibrant colours which would look amazing for graphic liner. I have to say I am really impressed with these but I do think you can get very similar formulas which perhaps don't last quite as long from the drugstore. I think if you want to spend £20 on a liner pencil these are beautiful ones however you definitely don't need them. 

Pink of me and (earth)quake

A little NYX haul

I feel like it's been such a long time since I've picked anything up from NYX. When it was initially released in the UK I picked up so much however since then I've rarely gone near the stand. However I decided I was going to do a full face of the brand for youtube so I needed to pick up a couple of bits just to finish off the look. So without further ado lets get into what I picked up. 

I have been meaning to pick up the Born to glow liquid illuminator for the longest time as I have heard really good things about it both for mixing into foundations and wearing as a highlight on the cheeks. I went for the shade sunbeam which is the lightest available. It's a beautiful sheeny very light pink shade which isn't too icy. I wanted one of the blushes and when I saw the shade Crimson I just couldn't resist. It's a beautiful incredibly bright red shade with a very slight silver shimmer in it. This gives the perfect rosy flush to the cheeks and even though it looks super scary in the pan it looks amazing on the cheeks. 

I didn't have a brow gel from the line so I grabbed a tinted brow mascara in the shade Espresso which is my normal shade in NYX's brow range. I have to say it is a little too warm toned which I was surprised at as all the other products in this shade are nice and grey toned. That being said as long as I use a grey toned product underneath it isn't too much of a problem. A cult favourite from NYX is the Jumbo eye pencil in Milk which is another product I've been meaning to buy forever. I actually had to use a white liner on my lid the other day which reminded me I need to buy this. It is a very stark white shade which just does a fabulous job of priming the eyes as well as intensifying bright shades on the lid. 

Second to last I picked up two more of the glitter shades, the first being Rose which is a beautiful chunky rose coloured glitter and the second being Ice. Ice is a iridescent much finer glitter than the other shades I have. It reflects so many different colours and I cannot wait to use it. Finally I picked up two more of my favourite drugstore glosses. The butter glosses are so pigmented yet not super sticky and gross like so many glosses from the drugstore can be. I have actually already finished one of the shades I have so I decided it was about time that I picked up some more. The first shade I got was Angel food cake which is a deep pinky nude shade and the other was Fortune cookie which is a standard light nude shade. 

That's what I have picked up from NYX recently, I'd love to know what your favourites are. 

My 5 favourite eyeshadow palettes

If you aren't new here you will more than likely be aware that I have a lot of palettes... like a lot. So narrowing it down to five was tricky, it turns out my favourites are all warm toned but that doesn't surprise me at all. So lets get into the palettes and why I love them. 

First we have Modern renaissance, I feel like everyone loves this palette and never stops talking about it but I just couldn't leave it out of my top five as I use it so much. I have to say this is probably my most used palette in my collection. If I don't know what to do with my eyes I reach for this and the look always turns out beautiful. One thing I do wish is that it had a few more shimmers however I feel like my prayers have been answered after seeing the press images for Soft glam. The formula of these is amazing and I have to say this is probably my favourite palette of all time. 

Coloured Raine is like Modern renaissance on steroids. Its a lot brighter meaning it does tend to get neglected on an everyday basis however this one gets used to death when it comes to any sort of special event. The metallic shades are incredible, so foiled and are just so intense even without wetting my brush. The only shade in the palette which doesn't swatch great is Ladyship which is the deep purple however it works beautifully on the lids. 

The Juvias place Nubain palette is brilliant for people who don't want any pinky shades in their warm palette. This is pretty much exclusively warm browns although there is a couple of shades which are more on the orangey side. This again is another fabulous everyday palette. The only issue I have with this one is the fact that there isn't a highlight shade for my skin tone however I know it is a Black owned brand therefore I really don't mind having to reach for a single highlighting shade. 

Dose of colours Baked browns is my favourite travel palette it has five beautiful matte shades and is so nice and compact. This one is ideal if you aren't a makeup junkie and just want a more refined palette. I also love the fact this is in a hard case plastic as the rest in today's post as the rest are in reinforced cardboard which really bugs me! Anyway back to the palette it self. The shadows are beautiful and creamy and blend like an absolute dream. I feel like this is the perfect beginners palette. 

The final palette in today's line up is the Violet Voss Holy grail palette. This is a more versatile palette than all the others as it has twenty shades. This has some incredible transition shades and is one I tend to pull out if the palette I'm using doesn't have what I want. This also has some stunning metallic shades which are perfect for Halo eyes. These shadows as with all the shadows in this post are beautiful and blendable. 

That's it for today, I would love to know what your top five shadow palettes are! 

My thoughts on - Glossier

Since launching UK shipping I'm pretty sure Glossier has been featured on at least 3/4 of UK beauty blogs. Not to be one to avoid getting involved I thought I would stick my opinions into the giant barrel of opinions, all be it a little late. I actually got this stuff off my grandparents for Christmas so have been giving it a good trial in the past couple of weeks. 

So starting off with the skincare, I got the Phase one starter set. This included the Milky jelly cleanser, the Priming moisturiser and a Balm dot com. I was hoping I would be able to use the Milky jelly cleanser at night as I had heard it was quite nourishing however for me, who admittedly does wear a lot of makeup it is just not enough. I find that when I'm wearing basic makeup this does a perfectly good job of removing it however when it comes to my everyday makeup it just doesn't quite have the kick I need to get everything off. That being said it has fit really well into my morning routine and is really lovely and refreshing for a morning cleanse. The Priming moisturiser is a really lovely product for under makeup. It has a slight tackiness meaning makeup sticks really nice to it. I don't find on my dry skin this is hydrating enough to use as a moisturiser however as a primer type product it works really nicely. Finally for phase one we have the Balm dot com, I went for the cherry flavour and I have to admit I was a teeny bit disappointed it is just very synthetic and I sort of wish I'd gone for a lesser scented version. It has a slight red tint to it which isn't too much even when I'm not wearing any makeup it just makes the lips look really nice and plump. In terms of moisturising it's no Nuxe Reve de meal but it is up there with my favourite balms. 

Jam, Dusk, Haze. 

Moving onto the makeup I got two of the sets, the first being the Cloud paint duo. I went for the shades Haze which is such a beautiful peachy brown natural colour. It almost adds a little sculpting to the face and is definitely the one out of the two I've used the most. The other shade I picked out is Dusk which is an almost jam colour. It isn't half as scary as it looks and blends out to a really stunning slight berry toned flush. These are like nothing I've ever tried before, they are almost slightly gel like in texture and blend out beautifully even over powdered skin. I find I can use a beauty blender, my fingers or a brush to blend and they still look gorgeous. 

The other makeup based set was the Phase two set which includes the Stretch concealer, Boy brow and a Generation G lipstick. I was expecting to really love the Stretch concealer as Anna from Vivianna does makeup mentions it all the time however I find personally it just doesn't quite pack the punch coverage wise. It is really gorgeous and hydrating I just wish it did have a little more coverage.  This is definitely one I will be using on lower coverage makeup days. The Boy brow is an amazing brow gel which reminds me a lot of the Benefit Gimme brow. I got the shade brown which is a really nice ashy deep brown shade. I think out of everything this is one of my favourites along with the Cloud paints. Finally we have the Generation G lipstick, I picked the shade Jam in the end which is a beautiful berry shade. The formula of these is so strange and like nothing I have tried before. They are incredibly matte but also very sheer. I wasn't;t sure how I'd feel about the formula however I am actually really impressed, I love this shade as it gives a stunning berry tone to the lips. 

Overall I have been pretty impressed with the Glossier range however there have been a few products that I don't think live up to the huge hype surrounding them. 

A lush haul

With not having a bath at uni I don't go into lush very often anymore, however I decided to go in recently and try some of their non-bath requiring products as I have only tried a few. So without further ado lets get into today's haul. 

I have seen the Sleepy body lotion all over instagram at the moment and I was curious to see whether it worked or not. It smells beautifully relaxing but isn't too heavy on the lavender. I can honestly say I have used this the past couple of nights and I have felt like I've slept better. I don't whether it is a placebo but I'm just chuffed its working. Another product I have heard so much about is the D'fluff shaving cream. This smells like strawberries and has the strangest consistency, it is almost a solid oil type product. I used this for the first time yesterday and I am so impressed. Not only is it a lot less messy than your traditional shaving foam it felt like it gave a much closer shave and left my legs feeling really hydrated. 

Randomly I decided to give the Volcano foot mask a go as I suffer with dry skin on my feet. I'm yet to try this as I currently have a huge blister on my foot however once that is healed I'm definitely going to be giving it a go. The texture is quite rough and granular so I imagine it is going to both scrub and hydrate. I also picked up a Woosh shower jelly which is one of my favourite products that lush do. It is a beautiful citrus scented shower jelly which is amazing and refreshing in a morning shower. 

Finally I picked up a couple of bits for the face. I actually forgot to photograph the Oatifix fresh face mask as it was still in the fridge. This again isn't one I have tried yet but the laden lush said it was good for hydration and very soothing so I am definitely excited to give it a go. I also picked up Bunny moon jelly face mask which is one of the strangest masks I have ever tried. It is a jelly which you warm up on the back of the hand into a paste. This one is incredibly soothing and made a really lovely mask for drier skin types. I've got a feeling this is going to be a regular purchase. Finally for today's haul I picked up the Eu Roma water, I know a lot of people love the tea tree toner but I feel as though it might be too dry for me so I decided to give this one a go instead. It smells of roses which I am not the biggest fan of however I do find it's very subtle so I don't find it an issue. 

Best in beauty 2017 - Makeup

I'm not going to lie this post is a long one so if you make it to the end you get a huge high five from me! Today I thought I would share my 2017 makeup favourites with you. I love getting to the end of the year and reading all these posts as they give me so many amazing recommendations for the following year! So without further ado lets get into it.. 

Primer wise there has only been on for me and that's the Stila One step nourishing primer. This is hands down the most amazing primer for anyone with dry skin. It really helps to add moisture to the skin and gives a nice tacky base to put foundation on top off. I find a lot of hydrating primers tend to compromise on the extension of wear time however this one doesn't which I love. Moving onto foundations I wanted to mention the Maybelline dream satin liquid which has definitely been my favourite drugstore foundation of the year. This has a really beautiful satin finish, as the name may suggest. Despite it having a satin finish it doesn't fall into any dry patches and just sits really flawlessly on the skin. I feel like this is definitely one of those foundations that would work for the majority of skin tones. 

I also picked out two of my favourite higher end foundations. The Lancome teint idole foundation is the most stunning high coverage foundation which doesn't cling to any dry patches or anything like that. It is also crazily pale which is perfect for my Snow White winter complexion. I also wanted to mention the YSL Touche éclat foundation which is a really beautiful super glowy foundation. It has a really stunning medium glowy coverage and just makes the skin look so healthy. The only issue I have with this is it is a little dark despite being the palest shade. Concealer wise I have loved Mac prolongwear, this is incredibly high coverage so is the one I reach for when I'm wearing a more high coverage look as it can look a little heavy if I wear it with a very light base. This lasts such a crazy amount of time and makes the most perfect night out concealer. 

Bronzer wise I finally got round to trying the Soap and glory Solar powder which I feel like is just one of those universally loved bronzers. I like the fact it has two shades in it however I find I only really reach for the darker shade as even on me I find the lighter shade to just be a little too light. It has no glitter in it however it seems to have a really pretty glow to it. I also had to mention Nars laguna which I finally got round to picking up in the full size this year. It is definitely more of an orange toned bronze than the soap and glory one so I do have to be a little more careful however I still love it and it is one I reach for all the time. I also wanted to mention the Clinique Chubby stick in curvy contour which on me is definitely more of a bronzer. I wear this all the time as it gives the most stunning natural bronzed look to the skin. This is one I love for both a no makeup day and for a heavier more glam look. 

Blush wise I had to mention the Urban decay Afterglow blushes. They are just the most stunning, creamy blendable blushes. I honestly don't know what else to say about these other than that you need them in your life. I also wanted to mention Benefit Galifornia which I pretty much used for the entire summer. It is a stunning glowy coral shade which makes the skin look so flushed and luminous. I actually need to dig this back out as I haven't used it enough in the past couple of months. Highlight wise I am completely obsessed with the Barry M Chrome drops, they are incredibly metallic and add the most stunning in your face glow which I love. My favourite shade is definitely Precious pearl which is a stunning white base with a pink duo chrome. For powder highlights it had to be Urban Decay's Sin which is a perfect champagne shade which I'm pretty sure I've used at least three times a week every week since I bought it. 

Moving onto the eyes, Essence really dominated the eyeliner category. This year their cushion liner and the Waterproof pen liner have both been my favourites. They are both so highly pigmented, easy to apply and super long lasting. I think if I had to pick a favourite I would probably say the cushion liner however they're both amazing. I also think Essence killed it with their Metal shock liquid shadows which are super pigmented and metallic shadows which work both as a base and as a stand alone shade. There shade Stars and stories is definitely my favourite as it is a stunning metallic rose shade. Mascara wise I had to mention the Lash paradise from L'oreal which I have seen in so many of these yearly roundups. This is the best drugstore mascara I have tried in a long time, I have huge problems with mascaras ending up half way down my face so I tend to gravitate towards higher end ones however this has really impressed me and has become a staple in my collection. I was also sent the Urban Decay perversion mascara* which is another one which I have been wearing pretty much religiously since trying it. 

For me 2017 has even the year of the palette. I have tried so many incredible shadow formulas and it took me forever to decide which would make it into this post. In the end I managed to get it down to my top five which is still excessive. The first I had to mention are the Anastasia palettes. I know a lot of people weren't impressed by subculture however I actually really like it. Don't get me wrong it isn't quite modern renaissance quality however it is still beautiful and one I reach for more often than I thought I would when I first heard all the bad reviews. I'm also a huge fan of the metallics in the new prism palette. The Juvia's place palettes have the most amazing creamy formula especially the metallic shades. They aren't the most cohesive palettes however I still love then and don't mind reaching for a matte palette for a cream shade to set the lid and a transition. If you want some really stunning, high quality bright shades these are the palettes I would recommend. 

Moving onto some more wearable palettes, the Dose of colours Baked browns palette is the most perfect neutral warm brown eye palette. I've taken this with me on so many little trips and nights away as it is just so easy. The shades are so beautifully blendable and I cannot wait to try the two newest extensions to the range. Another incredible all matte palette is the Kat Von D Shade and light eye palette. This is one of those palettes which I don't often use exclusively however it is the perfect one to reach for when I need a transition or a matte black. I think everyone who is into makeup should have a palette like this in their collection as it is just such a staple. The shadows are incredible quality and definitely make me want to try more Kat Von D shadows. 

The final palette I wanted to mention is the Coloured Raine Queen of hearts palette. I am so obsessed with this one, if I had to pick a palette to show all of my favourite shades of the year this would be the one. The metallics are the most stunning foiled looking shadows and the mattes, although a couple of them don't swatch great they look incredible on the eyes. Finally to round off this huge yearly favourites I had to mention the Jeffree star Liquid lips. I actually started off the year with only four of these and have ended with a collection of 48 which is crazy but just shows how much I love them. There is such a huge shade range from the most basic of nudes to some super crazy colours. The formula is also really lovely and doesn't feel drying on the lips at all even after hours and hours of wear. 

So that's it for my yearly favourites, I really hope you enjoyed this and don't forget to leave your yearly favourites down below for other people to check out! 

Best in beauty 2017 - Skincare

What a year 2017 was for beauty, today I thought I would show you my skincare favourites from the year. I also have a huge makeup favourites coming in the next couple of days too. So without further ado lets get into the products. 

First off I had to mention sheet masks, I have to say there isn't a particular sheet mask I love it's sort of a general love. Some of my favourites however include, the Garnier moisture bomb ones, the Boots ingredients masks and the Soap and glory ones. I just like the convenience of a sheet mask as there is no messing around to remove it. Moving onto makeup removers I love the Garnier Micellar and oil cleansing water. It isn't often I only remove my makeup with a micellar water however if I do this is the one I reach for. This potentially isn't going to work for very oily skins as it definitely leaves a little residue on the skin. I also wanted to mention the Primark micellar water as this stuff is incredible at removing any lip swatches and has saved me during many swatching videos. 

To help keep my skin clear I've been loving the Nip and fab glycolic fix daily cleansing pads. I must be on my fourth of fish tub of these. I just find they do a really nice job of keeping blemishes at bay and making sure that all traces of makeup are gone off my face. I also wanted to mention the La Roche posay Effeclar duo + which is amazing at keep my skin clear. It's one of those products that I could never be without in my skincare routine. 

As you probably all know I have super duper dry skin and discovering hydraluron has literally saved it. It is a very light gel texture but adds the most insane amount of moisture. I find this sits beautifully under foundation therefore I use it morning and night. Another product which has really helped get my dry skin in check is the Decleor Aromessence iris which is a stunning really beautifully textured oil. Although I have been loving sheet masks sometimes a traditional mask is just needed and for that I have been loving the No7 beautiful skin hydrating mask. This is a mask I reach for if I am having a particularly hard time with my skin and if it is feeling super dry and tight. This does a really fab job of soothing whilst adding the hydration my skin wants. 

The final thing isn't skincare however I wanted to mention it in one of these posts and it seemed to fit better in the skincare one than the makeup one. It's the Jo Malone Peony and blush suede cologne. This smells incredible and has definitely become my signature scent. Don't get me wrong it isn't cheap but I just absolutely love it.