LBD forever….

If in doubt, let the LBD save the day

Dress - Supre (Australia)

Shoes - New Look

Leather Jacket - H&M

Necklaces - Topshop

Nails - Primark

Nails - Topshop

Foundation - EL Double Wear

Nars Creamy Concealer in Vanilla (under eyes) and Custard 

Mac MSF Natural in Light (under eyes) and Medium Dark (As a contour)

Mac blush in Harmony (contour)

Mac Lovecloud blush

TheBalm Mary Loumanizer highlighter

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown and HD Brows powder 

Mac Naked Basics 2 and various Inglot shadows in the eyes

Benefit Push Up Liner 

Benefit They're Real Mascara and Eyelure 101 lashes

Mac Rebel lipstick

Any excuse to wear all black and a dark lip, I'll take it

Loves

xxx

Checked shirt and ripped jeans OOTD….

Mono-chrome, ripped denim, oversized checked shirt. All the elements for an absolute perfect fail safe outfit. I'll be swapping the sandals for boots now it's getting colder and throwing on a leather jacket (obvs) but I can see this being a staple look for the Autumn/Winter transition. An oversized mans watch   (and Mac Rebel) is all the accessorising this look needs. 

P.S. Boohoo.com are where it's at for oversized shirts. 

Shirt - Boohoo.com

Jeans - Topshop Leigh

Bag - Marc B 

Sandals - New Look

Watch - ASOS

Loves

xxx

Checks, denim, Dr Marten OOTD….

Shirt - Topshop

Shorts - Sportsgirl

Bag - Collarado @ Strandbags

Boots - Dr Martens

Belt - Dorothy Perkins

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

Watch - ASOS

Nails - Essie Blanc

Lips - Mac Morange

I love those carefully planned outfits that look thrown together. I've been searching for an oversized black and white checked shirt and finally found this one hiding behind a load of other checked numbers in the Birmingham Bullring Topshop. Paired with some denim shorts and black boots I just love how thrown together the whole thing looked. And, as always, my colour injection for this outfit came in the form of a nice bright lipstick…all hail Mac Morange as being my absolute favourite bright lipstick. Ever. 

What's everyone else's go-to outfits at the moment?

Loves

xxx

Mac Haul….

Well this is the first haul we've seen around these parts for a while! I did a little online order last week (now we're finally able to use Pro discount online…hurrah!) and picked up some beauties…

First I picked up a Mac palette and 24 pan insert so I can finally de-pot some lipsticks for my professional makeup kit. Lugging a heap of lipstick tubes around every time is driving me ever so slightly insane so hopefully this should make life a little easier…

How have I only just come to own this?? Spice lipliner is such a cult products and I was really lacking a brown toned nude in my kit so this is surely going to be a very welcome addition and just from swatching it I can tell I love it already.

Another Mac product I knew I needed but it's taken so long to get around to actually purchasing. Lady Danger is such a gorgeous orange toned red (my personal favourite) and again something that was lacking from my professional kit. Although I won't promise that this won't be on my lips every now and again too!

Again, I was lacking a dark purple in my kit and was originally going to pick up Heroine but decided I'd see what Pure Heroine was like (this is the Lorde edition of the original Heroine for those who don't know). I actually really like this and is going to look beautiful on dark skin tones when we get into Autumn.

So I've saved the best for last. I literally hunted across London for this bad boy, and had given up all hope of ever having it in my makeup collection until I randomly saw it pop back up on the website. I've never been one to go wild for Mac collections but I think I could have happily owned everything from the Kelly Osbourne line (if money would allow). I've been looking for a lilac lipstick for the longest time and I think this one is pretty much perfection. 

Loves

xxx

You know you're a makeup addict when a dressing table brings this much joy...

So yes, I know the Ikea Malm and a ton of Muji storage is a bit of a beauty blogger cliche, but it's a cliche for a very good reason! My collection was starting to get a bit out of hand, and I was sitting on the floor in the darkest corner of my bedroom when I was putting my makeup on so it was time for a change...

As much as I love my clear Muji draws, I love having the large draw in the Malm dresser to hide away some more of my unused makeup and keep things looking a bit tidier. 

Yes, I'm sorry, but I own One Direction One Moment. Before you hate me, just go and smell it's deliciousness! I love displaying perfume bottles on a dressing table - it's like having very useful ornaments!

My brush collection is mainly made up of Real Techniques, Sigma and Elf, and I found these pen holders in Ryman and Wilkonsons to store them all in. 

I display all my favourite lipsticks in holders like this from TK Maxx. I have another three of these further along. Yes I have a problem (see below).

So because 4 acrylic lipstick holders just isn't enough, I have an overflow box in my large draw….

And then a dedicated three draws to the glosses/ stains/ creams/ balms etc etc etc. Can anyone say lipstick addict??

I'm so happy with my new makeup corner and all of my storage….I highly recommend the the Malm dresser if you have the space for it. And even if you don't, a set of the Muji draws is a perfect way to keep makeup organised and cleanly displayed. 

How does everyone else store their makeup?

Loves

xxx

Purple is the new black….

First off, how hard is it to photograph the colour purple? Girls, please feel my pain. So it appears that purple, and it's many varying shades and tones, is my spring lip colour of choice. A little unorthodox but I'll roll with it. I counted up my purple lip product collection and I have an (unnecessarily large) grand total of 10. And this doesn't even include all of my lilac lipsticks, of which I only included one in this post as it's probably the most wearable. 

Left row, from bottom: 

Clinique Chubby Stick in Voluptuous Purple - a very sheer wash of purple that's perfect if the very thought of a purple gloss terrifies you. This one actually sticks around for quite a while too.

L'Oreal Caress 402 Milady - This is one of the most long lasting lip products I've ever used. Ever. Two layers of this stuck around for a full 10 hours, including a tasty roast dinner and upwards of 4 cups of tea. 

Sleek Eau La La liner in Raisin - This is quite a berry purple shade but goes well under some of the lighter shades for when I want to create an ombre lip. These liners are so long wearing and come in some great colours. 

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Gangster Rap - Unfortunately you can only get this bad boy in Australia but it's such a vivid purple and, again, a good one for a long lasting lip.

Maybelline Colour Whisper in Oh La Lilac - such a wearable lilac shade, these remind me of the Revlon Lip Butters and are more of a tinted lip balm/lipstick hybrid. I've got quite the collection of these!

Maybelline Colour Sensational vivid in 906 Hot Plum - quite a standard purple shade, not the most long lasting but very easy to get hold of and a really great suit all shade.

Right row, from bottom:

Mac Up The Amp - please excuse the melted lipstick smeared all over the packaging! This is a very well loved lipstick and the perfect purple for pairing with a subtle smokey eye and big lashes for a night out.

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in Pink Posey - another really wearable formula that edges towards the gloss/balm side of things.

Collection Little Mix lipstick in Perrie - my current favourite purple lipstick and the latest addition to my collection. I popped a picture of this up on my instagram and it got a lot of love. If you're feeling brave and want to try a purple lipstick, this one is super affordable so nothing lost if it's not for you!

Sportsgirl Violet Crumble - another Australia based lipstick, I've actually never worn this one but it's a very similar shade to the Maybelline Hot Plum!

Are there any other purple lipsticks I need to try??

What colour lips are you guys loving right now?

Loves

xxx

March Favourites...

So with me being in London studying at the beauty and makeup academy, I've barely worn makeup and it's been such a chaotic few weeks living out of a suitcase! Which leaves my favourites a bit sparse this month but here we go anyway…

The hype around the L'Oreal Elvive Fibreology shampoo and conditioners is extremely well deserved. I am lucky enough to have naturally very thick hair to start with but this just makes my natural curls so thick and full which means much less time wielding a pair of straighteners. In my attempt to find a more readily available Bioderma alternative I have really started to love the Garnier Micellar water, and I've even decanted it into a smaller bottle for my kit to use on clients! Putting makeup on, taking it off, putting it on again, and then taking it off. While I was at the academy we were practicing on each other and my skin really suffered, so I turned to the duo of the St Ives apricot scrub followed by a long standing favourite, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, only this time it's the new improved '+' version. I don't know what's changed exactly, but it still works just the same so thats fine by me!

My base has been all about Nars this month, and on the rare occasion I've done my own makeup I've gone for the classic Nars Sheer Glow and Nars Creamy concealer paring which I have reviews on here and here. Another well hyped product has been the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara which I wasn't expecting to love quite as much as I do…it's super thickening and makes my lashes look so black and full! My Nan bought me the Body Shop Illuminator in pink when I got back from Australia and it's such a perfect pinky shade as a blush or on the tops of the cheekbones for a glow in the evenings. 

Finally my favourite lip offering this month is my newest addition to my ever growing lipstick collection - Mac Pure Zen. It's a peachy nude shade and perfect for the sunny weather we've been having these past few weeks!

What's everyone been loving this month?

Loves

xxx

Illamasqua Colouring Pencil in Indecent...

Gone are the days when all I (thought I) needed was a Barry M lipgloss and my lip wardrobe was sorted. Since blogging and getting to grips, and severely addicted, to lip products I tend to favour a more matte look especially when it comes to the bolds and the beautifuls. Bright pink is my favoured shade for summer so when browsing the beauty halls a while back I thought I'd dip my toe into the lip liner world. 

I'm loving lip liner worn all over the lips to create a neat, long lasting and vibrant look, which I sometimes layer up with a lipstick or, like above, wear alone. 

Illamasqua 'colouring pencil' in Indecent is a bright pink that is fairly creamy whilst still showcasing great lasting power. When it does fade (after one or two cosmo's) it fades evenly. And lets not jump past the name; a perfect name for a perfect daringly bright pink. I intentionally bought it to partner Mac's Candy Yum Yum but to be honest it's just as pretty on it's own.

Any other shades of Illamasqua colouring pencils I should try?

Loves

xxx 

Jumping on the Nars Sheer Glow bandwagon...

I'm embarrassingly late on the bandwagon with this one but I finally picked up Nars Sheer Glow last week, and I found myself asking WHY did it it take me so long?? Non of my high street foundations were quite cutting it for me anymore, and I was getting fairly 'over' watching peoples top 2013 product countdowns and seeing Sheer Glow pop up over and over again and be completely clueless to it's amazingness. 

I was colour matched to Fiji which is a perfect match to my skin (although when I loose my tan I guarantee I'll be dropping a shade or two!) and blends seamlessly. Now, being an oily skinned, full coverage foundation kinda girl, the words 'sheer' and 'glow' struck dread into my very sole. After plenty of research it turns out Sheer Glow tends to be a medium coverage which I'm actually preferring, but can easily be built in layers if the need strikes me. 

As for the 'glow' aspect, it's not as glittery as Revlon Photo Ready or Rimmel Wake Me Up which was a good start. I found that buffing Sheer Glow into the skin then swiping a bit of Mac MSF Natural over my t-zone was the perfect coverage and gave the most beautiful 'my skin but better' finish to my face that just got better as the day wore on. 

This has won a firm place in my heart early on and I'm sure this isn't the last you'll hear from me about this foundation!

Loves

xxx

October Favourites...

I won't go on for too long because I have a full review on it here, but The Body Shop warming mineral mask has been my life saver this month. The Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner duo in Tousle Me Softly has been my go to shower pairing for an everyday hair wash. It smells lush, leaves my hair soft but by no means lifeless, and makes it super easy to style. And for those days when I clearly haven't (but probably should have) reached for these two, the V05 Plump Me Up dry shampoo comes to my rescue. Again, it's bagged it's very own review here. 

I've got my sticky little hands on another of Lush's lip scrub offerings, this time in Popcorn. Not much to say on these as most people know or will have heard how much of a life saver these little bargain pots are. I've fallen in love with the Bourjois Happy Light foundation this month, although I do have to powder with with my Holy Grail Mac MSF Natural (I'm the shade medium plus). It lets me real skin show through while giving just enough coverage for day to day wear. Why oh why have I never owned a Mac 239 brush? Who let me get to 25 years of age without ever having one in my possession?

Benefit They're Real is back in my life (and, yes I know I'm sorry, back in my monthly favourites posts). I may have found an (almost) dupe for this from the drugstore but more on that later in the month. For lip wear, I've been dabbling in the Kate Moss matte range and in particular wearing 113, a pale nude, and 107, the infamous deep burgundy red that everyone, including myself) is going loopy for right now.

And, finally, what would a favourites post be without a product from The Balm? Mary Lou-manizer is everything I need a highlight to be. It lasts (for hours), gives a subtle shine to the desired areas (with the right brush and a very light hand) and comes in the cutest packaging ever.

What are everyone else's October favourites?

Loves

xxx

Chermside collective haul, ft. Pop Tarts...

Expect lots of reviews coming up on some of these beauties! My first stop was Benefit to pick up a couple of re-purchases in the form of They're Real Mascara and Porefessional. I also picked up Stay Don't Stray no they've finally changed the packaging from a pump to a concealer wand like applicator. In fact, I spent a good 10 minutes discussing the benefits of this change, only to get home and realise she'd given me the old pump bottle. Annoyed much!?

I had a $50 Body Shop voucher and needed a new eye cream so picked up their Vitamin E offering. I love everything from the range so thought it was a safe bet. To make it up to $50 I also picked up one of their clay masks, I'm coming to the end of my current face mask so can't wait to give this one a go.

You have no idea how excited I was to see a Lush stand in the middle of the shopping centre...Lush is really hard to get over here! I am NOT loving my current lip exfoliator (more on that in an upcoming post) so picked up one of their trusty little pots in the limited edition Popcorn flavour, and finally bought their Big salt shampoo that I've wanted for who knows how long.

We found a really odd Japanese department store type shop, where everything was $2.80! I grabbed five pairs of lashes, and one of those weird applicator type things that I'm not convinced is any good but  at that price...why not!

My last big purchase came from Mac. I have so many 217 type brushes to blend and define the crease, but I felt my brush collection was lacking the in-famous 239 brush so I bagged one of those, as well as Mac Harmony to use as a contour (now I'm getting tanned I find contouring with bronzer just looks a bit odd) and finally a bright orange lip liner in What A Blast.

And, of course, when opportunity arrises, English sweets (Munchies) and some Pop Tarts are a must have!

I also went into Inglot for the first time in my life (heaven in a store!) but that's all a surprise for next week. Ty did snap me doing what I do best though...

So all in all, a good trip! 

Loves

xxx

I CAN FIT IN MY DISCO PANTS!!!!....

There was a few sketchy weeks where I thought me and my disco pants were to be no more. I was a few pounds heavier when I got back from Australia and I've had to work pretty hard on the food front to shed them in order to squeeze my backside into them but I'm there....

Top - Tbar

Trousers - American Apparel disco pants

Boots - Dr Marten

Watch - ASOS

Earings - Primark

Ardell 'Fairies' lashes

Mac Candy Yum Yum

Loves

xxx

OOTN - Embracing a longer hemline....

You know you're getting older when you wear a jacket and embrace a longer hemline on a night out! I went out with the girls and Ty (poor guy) to Leicester for a few Cosmopolitans and a gossip last night, and aired my calves in a midi dress. Previously I thought they made me look like a middle ages business woman but I loved the colours and design of this one, made it feel a bit younger and much more my style.

Dress: New Look

Leather sleeveless jacket: Matalan

Shoes: Step in Style

Watch and bracelet: ASOS

Necklace: Primark

I wore my hair extensions again, Chanel lipgloss over Mac Saint Germain, and Ardel demi wispy lashes.

Hope everyone had a great weekend

Loves

xxx

My everyday face....

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

Bourjois Healthy Mix

Collection lasting perfection concealer

Benefit Fake Up concealer

HD Brow palette (the darkest shade for my brows)

Mac mineralised skin finish natural 

Bourjois cream blush in 03

Mac painterly paint pot

Soap and Glory smoulder kohl in black

Covergirl Lash Blast clump crusher mascara

Maybelline lipstick (The Vivids collection) in shocking coral

Soap and Glory mighty mouth gloss balm

Easy, quick, everyday face :)

Loves

xxx

Face of the day....

Not normally one for eyeshadow, I donned my (limited collection) of Mac shadows and tried out a bit of a golden/purple smokey eye for mine and my Ty's 6 month anniversary meal (altogether now....ahhhhhh).

Dress - Jay Jays (Australian)

Foundation - Revlon photo ready

Concealer - Benefit erase paste

Brows - Rimmel eyebrow pencil

Eyes - Mac shadows Retrospeck, Sketch and Cognac, L'Oreal HIP colour truth cream eyeliner

Lashes - Cover Girl Clump Crusher

Blush - Mac Well drressed

Highlighter - Essence Circus Circus in It's Magic

Lips - Chi Chi in Shake that booty and Revlon gloss in Glitz and Glam

 

I'd love to start a Mac palette one day, any suggestions of some first basic colours to get me started would be much appreciated...

Loves

xxx

Yum yum...

Finally finally finally finally!!! Yes as you're probably all aware, Mac have re-released Candy Yum Yum, this time into their permanent collection! So, of course, I had to buy it (and I also re-purchased my all time favorite Mac shade (and possibly my all time favorite lipstick ever, but I don't want to confirm that in writing just yet) Creme Cup...

 

 

Me wearing Candy Yum Yum.

Of course I had to road test it, so the fella took me out to dinner...

 

Dress: BooHoo.com

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

What can I say other than....IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT :)

Loves

xxx