Everyday Make-up

Until recently I very rarely wore makeup everyday, and it was even rarer that I stuck to the same products daily. Something changed recently though, and along with wearing makeup almost everyday - I now wear the same few products daily! 

To start off my face I always use a few sprays of the Urban Decay Deslick setting spray, followed by my Smashbox primer. I just find that between the two of these my makeup lasts longer and looks so much better when it's applied. 

I think with my foundations recently I've been focusing on one at a time to try and use them all up, and the one that I've been abusing recently is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation. I do really love this foundation. It works well with my oily skin, any dry patches though it really seems to hate! It's an alright coverage but it is build able and can be made up to a light medium coverage - concealer easily hides anything else I want to cover up. Healthy mix lasts a fairly long time as well on the skin. I could put it on first thing in the morning and maybe only need a slight touch up by late evening ( say around 7/8).

The concealer I've got into the habit of using is the Maybelline Fit Me concealer - my dog recently got at it and burst a whole in the bottom of it - tragic. I got this in a swap box awhile back and I love it! It's got really good coverage, covers all redness easily, hides spots and banishes dark eyes! I'm plagued currently with looking constantly tired and the Fit Me concealer just brightens everything up and makes me look 1000x better. 

Sticking with the face, I've got into the habit again of bronzing up my face a wee bit - by that I do a tiny bit of contouring to make my cubby round face look a bit now shapely. The one I've fallen back in love with, after a short affair with one from Bourjois, is my trusty NARS Laguna. Ah, how I've missed you, it's just the perfect shade and I think the new brush I've been using recently has made the application of it so much better! Blog post will be coming soon on the new brushes! 

For the eyes I've been very minimal, only adding liner or shadows on days where I have more time to play about. But the mascara I've been reaching for recently is the new (is it new?) Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara. I don't know what it is about this mascara but I've gone gaga for it, it just makes my lashes look so black, long and thick. Basically everything I could want from a mascara. It might be love. 

Brow wise, I've been sticking to the always trusty and reliable Benefit Gimmie Brow, I think I'm running a bit low on this now, but I'll be sure to buy a new one. It's just the easiest and simplest way to give your brows that little bit extra - you really can't go wrong with this.  

The last part of my daily makeup would be some kind of lip product, but depending on the day or how I'm feeling would entirely determine what lipstick I wear. A few I've been getting a lot of use out of recently are: MAC Rebel; Too Faced Melted Ruby; and my trusty old Revlon lip crayon. 

What have you been reaching for? 

Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush

Until recently this was my absolute favourite face brush I owned. Also its one, not one is my most expensive brush. I believe this brush was about £20, my brother couldn't rap his head round it, and neither could my make-up loving friend. But, I am make-up obsessed. So, y'know I some how justified it. Logic...
Anyway, I do really love this brush. There are certain foundations I just find so much easier to apply when I use this brush. I find the foundation looks and feels better on the skin, although I'm now favouring a Sigma brush... I think its just because this one needs a really good clean. 
It gives a really nice, barely there - but good coverage - finish to the skin. Something I really favour. Good coverage, but not cakey. I find this brush a little easier to work with than the Real Techniques brush - just because the handle is slightly shorter. 
This is such an awful post, so I'm sorry for that. My feelings for this brush really cant be conveyed. My head really doesn't seem to be screwed on right at the moment... 

Beauty | July Favourites

So I'm a little late with the favourites post this month, even my YT video favourites has gone up a wee bitty late. Apologies, I just don't have much time during the day to write up posts since I'm cramming for my exam resits. I'm praying I can manage it - pray for me please? 

Anyway, as I type its just after 1am and I'm trying to rack my brain to think of the products I've been loving this month. It wasn't actually that hard this month to think of products I've been loving, a few in fact all of the products I've been loving are new and I think for the most part not properly featured on the blog? 

First up is something I got either at the start of July or end of June, either way its something I've used every time I've applied foundation. This product is the absolute wonder that is the Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush - oh dear amazing brush goodness. I genuinely believe that this is better than the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, as much as I love the Buffing Brush I do just think that the UD brush just feels softer on the face and applies a wee bit better than the buffing brush. It costs £20, so its not cheap - but neither is buying the whole set of RT brushes just for that one brush... If you're looking for a new foundation brush I would highly highly highly recommend trying out the Urban Decay Optical Blurring brush - its just perfect. (insert heart eye emoji here)

Next up is a product I got at the same time as the UD brush, this product is the Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel - what a mouthful, eh? My skin recently has just gone absolutely mad, I have no idea whats up with it but I have never been so spotty in my life. I kid you not, its not even like they are on my forehead like they usually are. They've taken to popping up on my cheeks, chin and around my lips!! They are such a nightmare, big red angry spots that hurt like nobody's business!!!! I bought this in a last bit of hope to try get my skin back to a normal amount of spottiness, and my oh my has it helped my face out. I do still have a couple of spots but they are on their way out. At first I was just applying this to the spot but recently I've been popping it all over my face and it feels lovely. They spots have been dried up, the redness is gone and they no longer hurt - YIPPEE! I basically went and bought this because I remembered seeing a post on Gemma from Miss Make-up Magpie's blog (I'll link the post here) and I guess it just stuck with me, she is such an enabler but I really trust her and her posts. I'll be doing a full review on this soon, so look out for that if you want to know more!

Another fairly new product to my collection is the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara that I bought from a blog sale recently. I am so so so glad that I did buy it, the big fat wand just makes your lashes look so black, long and thick. Very big and fluttery, everything I want and more in a mascara. I absolutely love this, it gives quite a good curl as well. So much love for this!

I've had this for about half a month, and I love it. There is a review coming - or is it up now? I think it might be up now. Anyway, I just find that this is the best and nicest dry shampoo I've ever tried. No white residue, lovely smell, soaks up oil and gives a wee bit of volume. I won't go on about it too much since there is or will be a new post up soon. 

Ah, the Wet Brush. I saw my hairdressers was selling them and decided to get one since my dog now has my tangle teezer... I never got on overly well with the Tangle Teezer, I'm not sure if it was because the bristles weren't long enough or that it didn't have a handle, but anyway - as soon as I tried this I fell in love! It's so easy to brush through the hair and it doesn't pull at the hair. 

The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is just perfection. I've been using this ever since I got this in the Latest In Beauty box, morning and night come rain or shine this gets applied. Its so lovely on the skin, leaves your face feeling really soft and just melts make-up off - even eye makeup. I recently tried the new Benefit liner and this little beauty just melted it off. Just magical. 

Final product now, the EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet. Another blog sale purchase, its so moisturising and really hydrates your lips. I take this basically everywhere with me, I kind of though that these wouldn't be great and would just end up being another overly hyped product - but its really not! They are really lovely and they smell amazing! Totally worth trying if your able to. 

What have you been loving this month? Also are there any cleansing oils or facial oils you'd recommend? 

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Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Okay, so I know I said that the Naked 3 didn't interest me and that I wasn't going to buy it. But after seeing the absolutely stunning girls at Urban Decay using it, right in front of me, I knew that I had to have it! Luckily I restrained myself from getting it on the day, because not even a week later Cohorted had it on their site and I was lucky enough to snap one up. I really do mean snap - I got it for half price, so all in all I paid £18.50 for it. BARGAIN! I really couldn't contain my excitement, I think I must have told almost everyone I knew that I got one - even the girls that paid full price the week before, sorry.
When it arrived, I practically ripped it out of its packaging, mentally telling myself to be careful so I could take pretty pictures of it for le blog. 

The colours really are stunning. How could I ever not have wanted to buy this? Lets face it, everything about this palette is beautiful. From the colours to the packaging. All. Absolutely. Stunning. I've tried playing around with it and I still love the colours, but I have to say only a set few look good on my face.
The pinker toned ones I am slightly struggling to use, but I still have 7 other colours that I absolutely adore. I've reserved strange specifically for my brow bone, and Limit for my lid. Dust is a really pretty shimmery colour that I think works really well in the inner corner - c'est magnifique. Nooner is really the only one I absolutely can't get to work for me, I just kind of look like I've been smacked in the face. Not a great look, I think you'll agree.
I really do love this palette - like really love - but I'm just not 100% sure how much love it will get from me. It might be one of those palettes that only gets played with my friends or only taken out once in a blue moon.

What are your thoughts on this palette? 

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A few new products...

I've treated myself to a few lovely products recently so I thought I would share them with you before doing a full post. So recently I bought a little Benefit perfume set (Crescent Row Set) from Depop, I managed to get it for £17 - I wanted to get the set at Christmas but I missed out on getting it. But I've got it now! 

The 4 little perfumes smell amazing, and they are the perfect little travel sized bottles, I did expect there to be a spray but alas the bottles are the types that you use your finger to apply the scent. The perfumes that come in the set are Ring My Bella, Laugh With Me LeeLee, Under My Spell Noelle and My Place Or Yours Gina. The bottles, as expected from Benefit, are absolutely beautiful - so sweet and quirky.

The next thing I treated myself to, that came the same day as the perfumes, was my brand shiny and new Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I got this for the amazing price of £18.50 from Cohorted - they only launched very recently and I was so excited, happy and all sorts of other emotions that I managed to get this palette. When it was first released I really didn't care for it at all - but after going to the Urban Decay event recently and seeing the palette in action - I instantly wanted it. Naturally I had to buy it - I mean how could I turn down that brilliant offer?!

I'll most definitely have better reviews of these products that will be up soon. 

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Glasgow Urban Decay Event + Haul

So a week or so ago I went to an event run by Urban Decay in Glasgow wit a bunch of my friends, it cost £5 to go to it - but you got this back as a voucher later. It was really really fun - the event was basically just giving us the chance to look at and see the new products in action. The absolutely gorgeous make-up artist Danielle - who's YouTube can be found here - demonstrated, on other UD girls, the Naked 3 palette, Naked Skin and the new Naked lip glosses. I unfortunately didn't take pictures at the event - silly me - but trust me when I say that I left wanting every single last product used.
After the demonstrations we were able to go back to the counter and purchase till our hearts were content. It was pretty mad, so many people attacking the counter to try and get their hands on all the absolutely stunning products. If you spent £50 or more on the night you got a little goodie bag with it, so y'know I just had to spend £50.
I walked away feeling happy with what I got, although some of the item I originally wanted weren't in stock. But I'm really happy with the things I got, I knew I wanted a lipstick and a eye liner - I wanted a concealer but they were all out.

I bought one of their Revolution Lipsticks in the colour F-Bomb. Its possibly the creamyest lipstick I've ever used, the formulation of these is just amazing. It lasted such a long time, fading out to just a pale pink. Because it is such a bright red, you do need to be quite careful when applying it so you don't smear it all over your mouth. But, I have to say - it is probably one of the nicest lipsticks I own.

I've been meaning to buy this setting spray for the longest time, and I finally picked it up. At £20 I cringed a little when I bought it, but I have to say from the few times I've used it - its really worth it. I wore this on a night out in a hot sweaty night club and I don't think my make-up budged. It looked like my eye make-up and my foundation were still in tack - purdy impressive I think.

This is the most unbelievably good eye liner ever. Another item I wore to the horrible sweatyness of a club, and this didn't budge. Not. One. Bit. And boy is this hard to get off at the end of the night. It seriously doesn't budge, like you really need to scrub away at your eyes quite a fair bit before it budges. The colour is a really dark purple colour that can look a little black sometimes but it is most definitely a beautiful purple. Its a really creamy liner, that is able to be smudged if you work quick enough - I think you have about 30 seconds to smudge them out before they set properly. I'm definitely going to pick up a few more of these soon. 

The final thing was this little gift set, it contained 3 sample sizes of a few of their products. Naked Skin, their eye primer and four of their lipsticks. I've not actually tried these out, but I'm sure that I'll be using naked skin very very soon.

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Top 5 | Lipsticks

Recently I've been wearing a few different colours than I usually do, so I thought I would share the five lipsticks that I've really been loving recently. Lipstick used to be the thing I would buy most often, but recently I've been trying to streamline my collection a lot more so I've not been buying nearly as many - shopping my stash as it were.

First up is my MAC So Chaud lipstick. Now this is a lipstick that up until as few weeks ago I'd neglected, its a very spring/ summer colour so I put it away for the winter. Now, though the sun is beginning to shine and the weather is warming up so it means breaking out the prettier brighter colours. This was the first MAC lipstick I ever got and I adore it, in the summer its just the most perfect colour. The smell of it is also really lovely, I can't quite describe what the smells like though. Even though its matte it doesn't feel drying on the lips and I have to admit I adore the way it looks and feels on the lips, I also think it makes my teeth look a fair bit whiter than they actually are.

Next is my much loved, all year round favourite, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic. Just a lovely red, nothing fancy or overly bright. I love the minty smell, although I know some people don't like it very much. Perfect for everyday wear, and really easy to touch up during the day. This is probably my most reached for lip product that I own.
Another of my loves recently is another of my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, this one is in the colour Crush. I would describe this as maybe being a pink toned purple. When you apply it I find that it goes on a fairly dark purple, and throughout the day goes a lovely pink colour. I have to say I really do just love this colour and I have no idea why it took me so long to get it! Shame on me really.

The final two colours that that I've been absolutely loving are nudes. Me? Wearing a nude lip? What has happened? The first nude if one of the Maybelline Colour Whispers in Lust for Blush. I adore this. So easy to apply, and is definitely a your lips but better colour. Its love.

Finally, my Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Lovelight. This has only recently become a huge love of mine, but I adore wearing it! I won this in a giveaway a couple of months ago, and I'm so so so happy with it. I don't know why I never buy myself nude lipsticks, because the two I've been given I utterly adore. The colour is a pinky nude, with what I think is a slight hint of sparkle in it. The formula feels really moisturising on the lips, colour lasting wise I'm not sure as I can't really tell when I'm in need of a touch up, but hopefully soon I'll try more of these lipsticks.

What lipsticks have you been loving recently? 

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How Much Is Your Face Worth | TAG

I've seen this TAG floating around for quite awhile, and I love reading a lot of them and found them really interesting as you get to see how much people spend on their make-up and what it is they use on a daily basis. It kind of doubles up as a daily make-up post.

Base

No7 Airbrush Away Primer Full Size £19.50 \\ Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum £10.99 \\ Seventeen Phwoarr Paint £5.49 \\ Soap and Glory One Heck Of A Blot Powder £12

= £47.98

Eyes

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer Full Size £15 \\ Urban Decay Naked Palette £37 Shades Virgin, Naked and Hustle \\ YSL Babydoll Mascara £21 \\ Lord and Berry Brow Pencil £10 \\ Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl £5

= £88

Cheeks

Illamasqua Blush Lover £18 \\ NARS Laguna Bronzer £27

= £45

Lips

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm £9.50 \\ Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Romantic £7.99

= £17.49

Total = 198.47

Thats a bit crazy... Almost £200 worth of make-up goes on my face every day! All the products I've put down are the ones I've been using basically every single day recently, its a routine that I've been really enjoying and will continue to do.

Theres a couple of girls that I'd love to see do this - Zoe, Rena, Charlotte and Ella, if you lovely ladies haven't done this then I've love to see what you write!

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