Recent Favs

Again I have had another long absence from the blogging world but without going into it too much life has gotten in the way over the last couple of months and I have been physically and emotionally all over the place. I am now permanently in Brighton (well into June) and feeling emotionally amazing so I thought this would be an appropriate time to get back into blogging because I have really missed it. So first post back lets talk about what I have been loving whilst I have been away,

                                                            


           L'oreal Color Riche Julianne's Nude

I think this lipstick has been almost permanently on my lips day and night since mid January now. I have always been a nude lip fan, but apart from Plink by MAC,  I have struggled to find ones that suited my skin tone. My friend has Eva's nude and raves about  it so I decided to give the collection a go and fell in love with this one. It is the perfect combo of pink and brown to create the most amazing colour on my lips. I have been teaming this with Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk to create my own version of the Kylie Jenner lip. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

The foundation version of this has always been a firm favourite but my relationship with this concealer hasn't always been so positive. I first had this  a couple of summers ago and for some reason really didn't get on with it but decided to give it another go during a Boots 3 for 2 deal and I'm glad I did. This concealer is perfect for covering those dark circles under your eyes and making it look like you haven't been up all night! It feels so light on your skin but provides the perfect amount of coverage to conceal and brighten. 

Charlotte Tilbury Eye Palette in Dolce Vita

So I featured this little beauty back in December in a birthday haul and talked about how excited I was to  use it and after nearly 3 months of using it I think I can definitely say this palette is an essential for all beauty junkies. All 4 colours are absoloutely stunning and blend out amazingly. The texture of these are like nothing I have felt before, like actual butter, they are such a pleasure to use. You can easily just sweep one of these colours over your eyes or use all 4 for a dramatic night look either way your eyes are guaranteed to look stunning! 

                                                                     Philosophy Hope In A Jar Night Cream

For Christmas I got a lovely little set of 4 Philosophy products (a brand I had never tried before) and have been using all of them over the last couple of months and this night cream has really stuck out for me. This winter has been a complete bitch to my skin and I am a massive walking dry patch! My eyelids have been particularly bad so I have been applying this to my whole face, but paying special attention to my eyelids every night over the last week or so and I can already see a massive difference! This cream is very thick and leaves your skin so beautiful and moisturised you feel like you have submerged in water all night (in a good way). I have already been checking out the full size of this because I think it is going to be a skincare essential!

So that was a little peak into what I have been enjoying recently. It literally feels so good to have written a post again but now I must head back to Dissertation work!! I will be back again over the weekend to talk about the Lipsticks I am loving for Valentine's day. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Lipstick- http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-Color-Riche-Exclusive-Nudes_1369339/

Concealer-http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Wake-Me-Up-Concealer_1253837/

Eye Palette- http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/luxury-palette-the-dolce-vita.html

Night Cream-http://www.boots.com/en/philosophy-hope-in-a-jar-night-intense-retexturizing-moisturiser-60ml-Try-Me-First-_1376972/

Blogmas Day 3: Recent Beauty Favourites

So I was doing really well for day 1 and day 2 and then missed a post yesterday and Wednesday! So I am a 2 days behind but that means that 2 day there will be 2 posts, yay! As I was absent for so long I decided that rather than doing a November favourites I would just talk about the products I have been loving since September so here goes,

Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

The winter months have really been affecting my skin and I have broken out big time! I have been having spots here there and everywhere and not much has helped, except this. Tea Tree works amazingly on my spots and this toner is perfect to help combat all the pesky buggers! I use this toner every morning and night and it really helps to clear up my skin. I tend to use this all year round, even when I don't have spots because it really helps maintain clear skin and I can really notice when I haven't used it! Body Shop have a 40% off voucher floating around at the moment so if you are interested in trying this I would recommend getting it now for cheap!

Sleek Blush in Suede

I think this might be one of the first blushers I ever bought and it is still going strong! ( I know I should probably chuck it away.) I would say that this a blush/bronzer hybrid because it is very much on the brown side but is so lovely. I had completely forgotten about this but recently rediscovered it and I am in love. I think this is the perfect thing to wear on your cheeks for a subtle pop of colour. I am not sure if Sleek even still do this colour but if they do I will link it below!

Soap and Glory One Heck Of A Blot

I have never really been much of a powder person but in recent months my skin has tended to be on the oilier side so I have had to invest in more powders. I have tried quite a few but this has to be my favourite. I know loads of people rave about this but it really is worth the hype. It keeps oil at bay all day whilst not caking up and leaving you looking like a hot mess, so massive thumbs up for this!

MAC All That Glitters

I am in love. I did a whole post about how much I love this so I will link that below so I don't repeat myself too much. Basically if you are going to buy one mac eye shadow I suggest that you get this one. It is just the most perfect colour and I think I wear this nearly every day. It is perfect for an all over colour for day to day but also looks fab with a dark colour blended into the crease. This is just the best!

Real Techniques Brow Brush

I love a good real technique brush and when it comes to their brushes this is one of my favourites. A lot of the brow brushes I have used before have been quite flimsy and therefore haven't applied the powder to my brows well enough. This however is not at all flimsy and applies the powder I use amazingly. I have shaked up my brow routine a little recently so stay tuned for a post all about my new favourite brow product.

Rimmel Wonder'Full Argan Oil Mascara

Mascara is a funny one for me. I have tried so many mascaras out but I have never found one that I am completely in love with. I picked this mascara up from Boots back in August with high hopes that I might finally find a holy grail mascara, now I wouldn't say this is holy grail but it is pretty close. This mascara is amazing at lengthening and separating your lashes without making them look like spider legs. This does have Argan Oil in which improves the quality of your lashes, I don't know if it has done that but I have noticed that a lot less lashes fall out then they use to! Overall this is a really solid mascara and I will definitely be repurchasing it. My tip for this is to make sure the lid is always on really tight because it works much better when the formula is nice and wet. Again I have written a whole post about this which I will link below!

That is it for my recent favs, I have deliberately not included any lip products in this post because I will be doing a whole post about my favourite winter lip colours so make sure to pop back for that tomorrow. Let me know what you have been loving recently because I am currently looking for more things to put on my Christmas wish list! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

All That Glitters Review

Rimmel Mascara Review

Blogmas Day 2: Birthday Haul Part 2

It is only 2nd December and I am already feeling so christmassy so before I head out and get quite a bit of Christmas shopping done I thought I would share with you the rest of my birthday presents so without rambling too much lets get into it,

Fragrance wise I did very well this year getting 2 lovely smelly bits. Firstly from one of my friends I got the Victoria Secrets Secret Escape Fragrance Mist in Sheer Freesia and Guava Flowers. The bottle of this is absoloutely gorgeous and I was so excited to get this because I have never had a Victoria Secret's fragrance before. The smell of this is lovely and floral without being overpoweringly flowery but is also nice and fresh. I have been tending to wear this on a daily basis and makes a nice change from some of the more woody deep fragrances I have.

Next up is a very exciting present and one that I had been wanting ever since it was released back in September, Jo Malone Cologne in Wood Sage and Sea Salt. Now if you haven't smelt this before please just stop what you are doing and go smell it now. It is honestly one of the nicest smelling things I have ever smelt. It is quite a masculine scent which I don't normally like but this is just fab. I think the candle version of this would be amazing as well so I think that may be going on my Christmas list!

Staying on nice smelling things my Brother got me a lovely Lush gift set featuring 2 of their bath bombs. Poptastic! features Cinders Bath Bomb and Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb. Neither of these I have ever tried before but are both once's I have had a good smell of in store! I love baths and especially at this time of year so I can't wait to try these out very very soon!

Last up was another very exciting present from my housemates and perfect for this time of year, the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm. This is a pretty cult beauty product and I have read so many reviews about it and thought it sounded amazing. And I have to admit the hype is so right, this is awesome! I make sure I use this every morning and every night as well as topping it up throughout the day and already I can notice a difference in how my lips look. My lips normally get very chapped and disgusting around this time of year but since I have been using this they have been so lovely and soft. Some people might think this is quite a price tag for a lip balm but is 1000% worth it and I also think this would make a perfect stocking filler for any beauty loving girl. 

WOW! So that is all for my birthday haul, I did get some other bits but I thought I would only share my beauty related present. My main present from my Mum and Dad was a spa weekend break later on in December so after that I will be reviewing the whole experience so keep an eye out for that! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Blogmas Day 1: 21st Birthday Haul Part 1

Well writing a blog post again feels weird! It has been a long long absence but I am actually really excited to try get back on it. So to kick off getting back into blogging I thought I would start with one of my favourite posts to read and write, a haul. Now this isn't you average haul it is my birthday haul! A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 21st birthday and had such a fab weekend. If any of my friends or family are reading this I just want to say a massive thank you for making it so special, especially my housemates who made my actual birthday so fun and special! Now before I start crying all over my laptop lets get into what I got!

First up from my Auntie and Uncle I got the Real Techniques Nics Picks Make Up Brush Set. Can we just all appreciated how nice the silver holographic colour looks on these brushes, makes such a nice change from the usual orange/purple.This is a limited edition brush collection set that features 2 already existing brushes, the Duo Fibre Face Brush and the Base Shadow brush as well as 3 exclusive brushes just for this set. The exclusive brushes are the Cheek Brush, Angled Shadow Brush and Eyeliner Brush. I have already had a play around with all these brushes and I love them all! Real Technique brushes are some of the best brushes out there and these are the same standard as all the other brushes in their collection. My favourite at the moment is the duo fibre face brush, which I have been using to apply bronzer, simply because it is so so soft! I am so so happy with this set and can't recommend it enough. Remember it is limited edition so make sure you snap it  up quick! 

Staying on the brush front my lovely friends also got me a MAC 217 Brush! I have somehow never owned this brush before! I think this brush has to be the MOST talked about brush in the blogging community and now I finally have my paws on this I can tell why. This brush is completely changing my eyeshadow game, it blends even the worst eyeshadow out perfectly and is so soft I could rub it all over my face all day. This does have quite a hefty price tag on it but as Christmas is approaching I would definitely put this on your wish list because it is a must have!

Staying on the MAC theme I also got the Objections of Affection Pink and Rose Pigment and Glitter Collection. This little set features 5 glitters and pigments all with a pink tone to them. Each one is so gorgeous and just gives any eye look a little something special. I am still loving my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and I think these would look fab when I am doing eye looks with that! This is again a limited edition set for Christmas and I think would make a perfect gift so if you are interested in getting this make sure you get it quick because I think they are already selling out online.

Now onto my favourite subject, lipstick. This birthday I did very well lipstick wise getting 2 lipsticks and both from Topshop. First up is Macaroon. This is a lovely light pink colour which is the perfect your lips but better colour! I have been wearing this loads since my  birthday as it is so easy to use and just leaves your lips looking gorgeous! Now onto the other end of the lipstick spectrum with Hazard, this is a beautiful dark red colour. I actually owned this colour once before but managed to lose it after wearing it only once so I was so happy to get it again. This colour will be perfect for this time of year and I can see myself wearing this a hell of a lot during the Christmas party season!

So I have by far left the best to last and I am not actually sure if I am going to have the words to talk about this but here goes. So my best friends bought me one of the best presents a make up junkie could ask for, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita. Yeah I said it, a bloody Charlotte Tilbury Palette!!! I think this must have been on my beauty wishlist for a year or so now and I am so so happy to finally have it! I literally had to stop several times when I was opening this because I was crying with happiness so much, (my mum could not understand this at all, but it was an emotional time!). I have only used this once so far but it is honestly stunning. All the colours are so creamy and just blend out perfectly (especially when I use my 217) and the glitter is so pigmented. Basically I love it!

OK so that is it so far for part 1! I will be posting another birthday haul tomorrow so make sure you come back for that so you can see all the other beauty bits I was lucky enough to get! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Blogmas: I am attempting to do blogmas this December which means I shall be posting a blog post every single day the whole way through December! 

Why Am I Obsessed With A 15 Year Old Murder?

That is the question I have been asking myself for a long long week. Last Thursday my boyfriend coerced me into sitting down and listening to a podcast. Now I am going to let it be known right now that I find podcasts utterly mind numbingly boring, without sounding completely moronic, where are the pictures? This Thursday podcast was called Serial, the boyfriend enticed me with promises of a dodgy murder conviction, something that I would become completely fixated on. I had my doubts. I am in no way going to claim to have ‘discovered’ this ever growing podcast, I very much jumped on the bandwagon. But what an interesting bandwagon it is.

Serial basically is following the story of Adnan Syed, a now 33 year old man that 15 years ago was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. This convinction occurred simply because of one man, maybe I should say boys, testimony. Jay. No DNA evidence, no other witnesses, just this one kids story. Jay is the person that I think about the most, who would trust the words of a young pot dealer?  The first episode had me mildly gripped, I like a good murder mystery and to me that is what this was. But now after listening to 7 episodes this is so much more. 

I need and I literally mean need to know if Adnan Syed killed her. Throughout this podcast, which is wonderfully done Sarah Koenig, you hear many phone conversions that her and Adnan have had. They are wonderfully gripping. My first instinct was this guy doesn’t sound like a killer, surely he didn’t do it? I know, I know, what does a killer sound like? I guess I was expecting something more menacing and inherently evil about him but that is not what I got. He genuinely sounds like a nice guy. As a type this I know how stupid I sound, and Sarah does to, she often says exactly what I am thinking.

I honestly don’t know if Adnan is guilty and I don’t know if I ever will, which I am not sure I am ok with. All I know is that this podcast has overwhelmed my life. Without being too overdramatic I have spent nearly all my waking time googling this case. I have never been on Reddit in my life, until yesterday (what a blackhole that place is!). I have read hundreds, if not thousands of posts and comments about this case and I am still no closer to reaching a decision in my head. This podcast has literally gripped me like nothing ever has and my beauty blog probably isn’t the right arena for this post but this is my little tiny section of the internet and I am going to post whatever I want to talk about here.

If you haven’t listened to this podcast yet I really strongly urge you to. It is thought provoking, entertaining and above all obsessive. I don’t know what the purpose of this post was, it isn’t to promote the show but simply to put exactly what I am thinking somewhere other than whishing around my brain. 

Why Have I Never Bought This??

Whilst out shopping this week I paid my usual visit to MAC to have a little browse and also to check out the new Simpsons Collection (I am yet to make a purchase from this line). Whilst swatching away at some eye shadows I stumbled across this little beauty, a well blogged about eye shadow but one that I had never given a proper look at, All That Glitters.

I don't think I have ever quite loved an eye shadow as much as I love this one! The colour is the most perfect golden shimmery prettiness. It is a perfect all over lid colour but I have also used it blended into the crease for a subtle golden smokey eye. The texture of all MAC shadows are really good, and this is the same. The almost creaminess of it makes it super easy to blend and just looks awesome!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to buy this thing! What was I thinking? Have you guys tried this? and do you love it like me? I don't think there is much else to say about this little pot of beautifulness except go buy it! I will be back on Friday with a look at my nails of the week. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

A Little Late August Favourites

As usual I am a little unorganised so this post is a week or so late but alas we are here and these are my favourite products from August (and also maybe July because I can't remember if I did a July favourites!!) 

First up is a very recent purchase because I literally only bought it at the very end of August and it is this Primark Cleansing Sponge Thing (I unforunately don't know the proper name!). On my latest trip into Primark I noticed that the beauty section had had a massive expansion and there was loads of fun new stuff there that I was very eager to try out. I picked up a gel eye mask and also a grater for my disgusting feet, sorry for the TMI, but this was the most exciting thing I picked up. This is basically a little rubber disk with tiny little rubber bristles on. I have been using this every single morning and night with my cleanser and I love it! My skin has been a little problematic recently but I really feel like this is helping it get back to its good old self, and for only £1.50 it is such a bargain!

Now my second favourite is actually a purchase from way back last year but one I seem to have rediscovered recently. My skin was been on the oilier side recently so I have been desperately rummaging in my foundation drawer for an oil free foundation and this one has really stepped up to the job. The Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation isn't one that is talked about a lot and is often outshined by its concealer friend but I think it really deserves its time in the limelight! This stuff stays on your skin for ages and provides really good coverage but without feeling super heavy on your skin. This foundation doesn't have any amazing colour range and the one I have is little too dark to for me but mixed in with a little bit of a light colour and it is spot on!!

Hold up everyone I have another eyeliner in my monthly favourites, what the hell is happening!! This Lord and Berry SMUDGEPROOF Waterproof Eye Liner in #719 Smoke* was very kindly sent to me but I have to admit at first I wasn't that excited! I am not a massive eyeliner girl but this ones seems to have helped converted me! Firstly I think the colour is really beautiful and is a really nice change from black or brown. I mostly smoke this out and use it under my bottom lashes but recently I have been using it on my eyelids when I'm doing a smokey eye for a little added depth. This is the first thing I have tried from Lord and Berry but if the rest of their stuff is as good as this I will definitely be giving some more of their stuff a go. 

Last up is a product that I never actually thought I would love. When MAC release their limited edition collections I can't help myself and I end up buying almost everything from the collection and that is why this MAC Kelly Osbourne Powder Blusher in Cheeky Bugger  was purchased. Don't get me wrong I never hated this product but I just thought it was something that would never wow me but wow was I wrong! This is actually just the most perfect blusher, the subtle pink colour really works with my complexion and just compliments my bronzer and highlighter really nicely. Most days I have found myself leaning for this and I can't see that changing. 

I feel like I have been typing for ages, my little fingers are exhausted!! But there you have it all my favourites from the last month. What have you been loving this month? I will be back on Wednesday for a look at a cheeky new MAC purchase, make sure to follow me on Bloglovin so you don't miss that post. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, 

Laura xxx

Lord and Berry Eyeliner* - http://www.hqhair.com/lord-berry-smudgeproof-eye-pencil-various-colours/10661203.html?autocomplete=productsuggestion

Collection Foundation- http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Ultimate-Wear-Foundation-SPF-20_1436025/