February Faves

Hello lovelies!

February is coming to a close (autumn is approaching!), so it's the perfect time to share my favourite products of the month with you.

I have been absolutely loving the Batiste dry shampoo. I like this little mini one because I can just pop it in my bag and take it anywhere.

The one product that has literally saved my skin is the Warming Mineral Mask from The Body Shop. It heats up when it comes into contact with the skin and it leaves my skin feeling so refreshed. Any redness is diminished and blemishes are left much smaller and less angry.

The UBU Blender Baby sponge has completely changed the way foundation looks on my skin. I've fallen in love with this sponge, as it just blends foundation and perfects the skin effortlessly.

Moving on to makeup, my two must-haves this month were both Catrice products: the Camouflage Cream concealer in the shade 020 light beige, and the Pure Shine Lip Balm in 020 Rusty In Peace. The concealer is so so creamy and easy to use, and the yellow hue makes it really good for covering any redness. The Catrice lip balms are the most hydrating lip products I've ever tried, and this shade is one of those your-lips-but-better colours.

Sticking to lips, I've been drawn like a magnet to the Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 030 Berryson Ford; it's a lovely berry shade that works really well under a dark lip colour and is also really lovely when used all over the lip with a gloss on top. I think this shade is going to be my go-to colour this autumn and winter!

I was pleasantly surprised by the Get Big Lashes Volume Boost Waterproof mascara from Essence, When I fist tried this product, I though the wand was way too big and I ended up getting mascara all over my eyelids. Now, after giving it another chance, I've really come to love it! Being very careful when using the massive wand, this mascara yields mightily thick, voluminous lashes and also adds quite a bit of length. Also, it definitely lives up to being waterproof and smudge-proof.

Lastly, I've been totally infatuated with Catrice's Ultimate Nail Lacquer in shade 24 The GlamoureX Factor. It's a beautiful, metallic, champagne-y gold, but it strikes me as such an unusual and sophisticated colour.

What have been some of your favourite products this month? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Until next time xxx 

What's in my Makeup Bag: Stage Edition

Hello! Happy New Year!

This year has kicked off with a bang for me, as I've been rehearsing around the clock for a season of dance performances! So I thought I'd share with you the makeup I wear for stage.

For foundation, I've been wearing Ralo's BB Cream in light, which I apply with a sponge. I like this for stage because it's really buildable and has good coverage. If I have any pesky spots, I cover them up with the Catrice Coverstick Concealer in 020 Natural Beige. I then apply the Healthy Balance Powder from Bourjois in the shade 53 Light Beige with a duo-fibre brush.

For cheeks, I use a combination of Wet n Wild's Coloricon Blusher in Heather Silk and the Love Crush Bronzer from Beauty Treats in the shade 02, applied with a small blush brush.

Moving onto the eyes, I first prime the lids with the L.A. Girl Pro-primer H.D. Eyeshadow Primer (what a mouthful!) in Nude. I like to keep an eyeshadow palette in my makeup bag so that I have some options to play around with. At the moment, I'm enjoying the Wet n Wild Coloricon Palette in Walking the Red Carpet. I particularly love to use the warm brown with golden shimmer all over the lid, the darkest brown in the outer corner and crease, and the white as a highlight (applied with a small shader brush). Next up, you gotta have that liquid liner for stage! So I've got the Paris Collection Liquid Eyeliner in black. If I wear mascara, it'll be the Ralo Brilliant Lash, but on a big stage with bright lights, I'm more likely to wear false lashes (a.k.a. the bane of my existence). Though they're not pictured above, I use the Eylure Naturalites Double Lashes.

Lastly, we have lips. Red lipstick is a must, but I've been into a slightly darker red recently, so I like to apply Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in the shade 01 all over my lips, and then daub a bit of Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry over the top.

If you perform on stage, please let me know what's in YOUR makeup bag!
Until next time xx

Five Favourites

A favourites post? Since when do I do those?! I'm thinking of making them a regular thing.

These are my favourite beauty items at the moment.

I've actually had the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder for quite a few months now and I've been meaning to give it a mention. Firstly, it smells freakin' awesome (the powder is infused with sharon fruit and yuzu fruit). This powder is so fine and light-weight that it doesn't even feel like there's anything on the skin. It's mattifying, but it doesn't make the skin look flat, so shine stays at bay while the skin still looks really fresh. I wear the shade 53 beige clair.

Next is the Catrice Lashes to Kill Waterproof Volume Mascara. I decided that I needed a waterproof mascara for the summer and this one has stolen the show! The brush is a nice medium size with fibre bristles, while the formula is creamy, but not wet, and super black. My lashes look really full and long with this mascara, and it's easy to double-up coats as the mascara dries (I'd say it takes maybe a minute until it sets). I've done a review of the false fibre extensions version of this mascara here.

The last makeup item is the Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in the shade Sugar Plum Fairy. It's a lovely purple-berry shade and I think it's a great take on a dark lip for spring. The formula is quite matte, so I recommend wearing a lip balm underneath or a gloss on top.

For hair, I've been loving the VO5 Nourish My Shine Miracle Concentrate. This a hair oil with Argan oil. It's got a little dropper that makes the oil really easy to use: I separate my hair down the middle, put two drops of oil in my hand and then rub the oil gently through one half of my hair, concentrating on the ends and do the same to the other half. This leaves my hair really soft, shiny and healthy-looking.

Saving the best for last, I am absolutely in love with the Passion Fruit Body Butter from The Body Shop. We all know how good these body butters are, right? And it legit smells like heaven. I like to apply this all over before I go to bed, and I feel like I go to sleep really happily satisfied from smelling so good!

That'll be all, folks! Care to mention your current favourites?

Until next time xx

NYX Love in Paris Palette Review

Hello again!

Behold! Something lovely this way comes. This was a complete impulse buy - randomly browsing the NYX stand at my local Clicks, I thought "Oh, pretty!" and popped this palette in my basket.

This is the Love in Paris palette in the shade Je Ne Sais Quoi. Ain't it pretty?

I'll start by saying that a primer is a must for these shadows. Without a primer, the colours aren't as bold or vibrant as I would like, and they slip off the lids after a couple hours.

Looking at the first row: the first colour is a lovely, shimmery champagne that is gorgeous as a highlight in the inner corner (it's also lovely to press on the lid over a darker shade for some sparkle). Next is a pretty dark brown with golden flecks - I love this shade for deepening the outer corner or running along the upper and lower lashlines for some subtle liner. The last one in this row is disappointing for me; it's a cool-toned light brown with duo-chrome shimmer that doesn't really look like anything on the lid. I wish this shade was more vibrant, because it's so so pretty in the pan.

Second row: first up is a matte, warm brown; this shade is gorgeously pigmented and a great transition colour! It's great on it's own, in the crease, or used to smoke out black liner. The middle one is a lovely, shimmery, warm-toned light brown, which is pretty on the lid, but needs a few layers to show up the same colour as in the pan. Lastly, we have a satin cream colour, which is a perfect browbone highlight!

Third row: this first one is a bit tricky: it's basically a silver glitter, and it's hard to work with on its own. However, this shade is stunning when patted on the lid with a finger! It adds a really pretty glitter to any look that might be a bit lacking. The next one is a plum shade with some sparkly flecks, but it's almost matte on the eye. This one is lovely on its own, under the bottom lashes, or used in the crease to warm things up a bit. Finally, the last shade: this one is fantastic! It's a completely matte, super-intense black. How hard is it to find one of those?! This shade is great for making any look more dramatic, and I really love it as a liner: I take a small angled brush, press the shade into my lashline, wing it out a bit, smoke it out with the matte brown and I'm good to go!

Have you tried this palette or others from the Love in Paris range? What are your thoughts?

Until next time xx

Thoughts on Empties

Hello loves!

I've only really been into trying out and comparing makeup for around 2 years, and this is literally the first time I've ever re-purchased a product. My Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara is almost ready to be tossed away and I must say, I almost had a little panic when I discovered this! As a result, I hurriedly dashed off to get a new one! This is a really wet mascara and can't be applied too hastily (tried that - big mess), but it's so beautifully lengthening and defining that it's totally worth the faff! If you haven't tried it, it gets a huge thumbs up from me.

Another thing that I recently ran out of was the Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer. Now I really did like this! It was so easy to apply, it covered up blemishes, redness and under-eye circles, and it felt like there was nothing on my skin. However, I'm not going to repurchase this. It finished so quickly, and I've had other concealers that lasted much longer and only cost half the price! If you're looking for an affordable concealer pen, then I recommend this one, but I'm much happier with my longer-lived stick concealer.

Lastly, I've been using the Clicks Skin Essentials 3 in 1 Facial Wipes, and I've nearly gone through a pack of them. These wipes are excellent; they're gentle, remove all my makeup, and have a pleasantly fresh scent. These are supposed to cleanse, tone and remove makeup, but I wouldn't use them in place of skincare products. They're also really inexpensive and remove waterproof eye makeup in just a few swipes.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know :).

Until next time xx

Spring Nails

Hello lovelies!

I found this gorgeous nail polish at Ralo the other day, and I love it so much that I just had to share it with you.

It's from their Professional range and it's one of the quick drying ones. I just really liked the lilac colour; I though it would be very pretty for Spring and I didn't have anything like it in my collection. After wearing this polish, I only have good things to say about it. I applied two coats to get the desired opacity and I am so so happy with the finish! It looks shiny and gel-like, and lasted several days on my nails without chipping. As an added bonus, this polish was also super easy to remove! I hate it when it takes three or four cotton pads to remove my nail colour, but this one completely vanished after one! This one is a goodie, and I recommend it if you're looking for a cute Spring colour.

What are your favourite shades for Spring?

Until next time xx 

"Beat the Winter Blues" Makeup Look

Hello lovely people!

I absolutely LOVE this kind of look for when I'm feeling down and need a little pick-me-up (this happens frequently in winter because I can't stand the cold!).  So this is what I like to wear to beat the winter blues:

• Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer in light beige on any spots or scars
• Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer in 02 on the cheeks and eyes
• Ralo Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil in Cocoa along the upper lash-line
• Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara
• Wet n Wild MegaLast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy with a bit of clear or pink gloss over the top.

So for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, just hang on a little longer! Spring is around the corner :)

Does anyone else love a bright lipstick to perk up their mood? Let me know!

Until next time xx