Hello blogger friends.

Today i'm doing a little blog about the things i've bought or received over Christmas -

mainly makeup and skin care bits and bobs :) 

As you'll know from one of my wish-list posts, i've been lusting after some Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes for some time. I'm such a huge fan of their original collection, too. Well, I must've been very good this year as my amazing sister got me a set of both for Christmas! In fact, I loved them so much I popped out to Boots and picked up the triangle foundation brush to add to the collection.

Bold Metals:

• 300 Tapered Blush.

• 101 Triangle Foundation.

Original Collection:

• Sculpting Brush.

• Fan Brush.

• Setting Brush.

I've recently just got into the swing of things when it comes to contouring/highlighting so the original collection especially will come in handy for that. The Bold Metals feel incredible in your hand. Obviously they're aimed at a more 'professional' level for M.u.A's but they are amazing if you want to apply your makeup properly. I love how perfectly weighted they are and they way they sit in your hand. (plus they're so shiny! I swear I was a magpie in a past life.)

While I was browsing Boots I also picked up a Maybelline Matte Maker powder in 'nude beige'.

In my last post I chatted about my new beautiful Charlotte Tilbury Magic foundation and that I feel I picked up a shade that's just a tad too dark. I've found that after applying some of this in a lighter beige helps to bring it down just slightly to match my natural skin colour. Plus it helps keep shine away. 

Now i've always found my skin to be a tricky one. I'm lucky in one way as I very rarely get spots, maybe I get one or two every now and then. However, i'm prone to getting very dry patches on my cheeks as well as the rosacea/pinkness. Recently i've been trying to sort out my skin by drinking loads more water. I never drink water during the day, so i'm now on 2 full glasses a day and trying to increase +1 glass each week… though it's not going so well haha!!

I decided to change up my routine so I purchased some Botanics products:

• Botanics 'All Bright' Purifying Face Scrub.

• Botanics 'All Bright' Hydrating Night Cream.

I absolutely love the look of the face scrub and it smells divine. It contains "refining walnut shells" that buff away flaky, dry skin while the crushed apricot seeds sweep anyway any impurities. It also contains hibiscus, which naturally brightens the skin. 

The night cream is something new i'm trying out. It also contains the skin brightening hibiscus and works overnight to boost moisture levels and leaving the skin nourished ready for the day's elements.

I'm excited to use both of them, so once I do i'll post a full review on each.

Lastly, I grabbed a 7th Heaven Peel-Off masque. Peel off masques are SO appealing to me because quite frankly I can't be bothered with the thick, messy clay masks you have to wash off.

I particularly like using these when my skins feeling a bit 'grubby' - usually after a long week of wearing full makeup everyday. The cucumber feels tingly/cooling on your skin and is very gentle. Sometimes I love putting these on after a hot bath when just chilling in the evenings.

Can't wait to try them all out!

Hello lovely readers and fellow bloggers :) I've already done a wish list based on my photography wants/needs this month, but today I felt like sharing with you what have been my favourite things this April! Some of these aren't exactly new, but I still wanted them to be part of this anyway!

NEW LOOK BOOTS:

These aren't exactly new in for the season, but I have had my eyes on these boots for so long now. I used to have some just like this in black but the heel snapped. Instead of going and getting them fixed I just threw them out… Biggest mistake EVER cos I didn't realise how much I actually wore them!

Anyway, back to these. Saw them in New Look MONTHS ago and thought next time I'm in i'll get them. Obviously with it being spring they have a new selection of sandals and stuff so these were in the sale. £12 instead of £29.99! Yay for sale bargains <3

CRANBERRY ZEST YANKEE CANDLE:

By far my all time favourite scent from Yankee Candle. I'm seriously obsessed with this smell. So much so that my boyfriend think's i'm weird because I must smell it before I fall asleep. Haha! But seriously I love this scent so much. I found this in Asda for £9 and couldn't say no. <3

MY KINDLE TOUCH:

Recently i've been on the hunt for a new moisturiser. The last one I had was great, but it's more ideal for people with spot prone skin, whereas my skin is more sensitive, dry and red. I came across this little tube in Tesco. It's a sensitive day cream that focuses on preventing redness, tightness and dry skin, which is everything I need rolled into one! So far I like it. I like Nivea as is so gentle and not strong on my skin.

SALLY HANSEN HARD AS NAILS:

 Ever since I stopped getting acrylics done (was really obsessed at one point) I wanted to try and grow my own nails out healthy and strong. For me, there's only one product out there that I use religiously and trust to work and that is Sall Hansen: hard as Nails strengthener. I've used this before and it's brilliant, especially to nails like mine that are prone to snapping/flaking/breaking easily. A nice bonus, as you can see from the top photo, is it leaves a gorgeous shine to my nails, too. I also find this works amazing as a bottom and top coat if you're adding any colours.

So that's all I wanted to share! I've also not been feeling so well this week, bit of a cold nothing major. But I have been really pleased with the current growth of my hair recently! Here's a quick shot I just did (Sorry for the selfie, not the best photo of me but I was just so pleased with the length of my hair, hah.)

This is actually a little step towards venturing onto YouTube and making videos. At the moment i'm quite obsessed with YouTubers and for years have been watching makeup tutorials. There are a few that I really want to see but can never find videos on so considering just making my own :) But I really don't know. I have my reservations! If anyone can offer some helpful tips on getting over the fear of making videos (I really cannot stand my own voice, which is a problem!!)

♥  Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (under eyes and down bridge of nose).

♥  Sleek Face Contour Kit Palette (used on on cheeks, nose, forehead and jawline.)

♥  Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

♥  Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 (colour 'Foxy' on brow bone)

EYES:

♥  Urban Decay original eyelid primer.

♥  Little Mix Eye Shadow Palette (colour 'Feather' on lid)

♥  Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 (colour 'Tease' in crease and outer lid)

♥  Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 (colour 'Booty Call' in inner eye)

♥  Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. 

♥  Lush 'Mint Julips' Lip Scrub applied on lips.

♥  Vaseline 'Rosy Lips'.

♥  Real Techniques Brow Brush. (used really lightly with the powder)
♥  Barbara Daly powder brush. 

Happy Sunday blogger friends! Just a short blog today.

This blog is basically a little update on a product last week I posted a blog showing a couple of new purchases including the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. 

At first I wasn't sure I really liked it. It does have a little bit of a clumpy issue still but just a little wipe sorts it out - no big deal.

It's been a week of using it everyday and I have to say I love this mascara now! I have an issue with my lashes that they just don't curl, they just stick out straight. This mascara seems to have help give them a lovely curl and they really do look much bigger. 

This is just a quick pic I took on my phone to show you my lashes!! I also love the small bristles on the brush that grab the bottom lashes so well, no spider-like, super long bottom lashes anymore. 

Sorry it's not a full blog but I just really needed to share my joy :) 

I went into Boots to pick up some more of my Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara and was horrified to find that it was no longer on the shelves :( I'm not sure if they have stopped doing it altogether - it looks like it has because there was no trace of it being there. I'm pretty gutted because it's my favourite one so need to start looking for a brand new mascara. 

That's when I came across this one - Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara. This cute looking mascara claims to make your lashes look layered. The brush itself has the normal sized bristles that curve into smaller bristles to grab those bottom and inner corners. 

The mascara is definitely growing on me - i'm not 100% sold yet. My lashes don't tend to curl and even though the brush is curved they still just stick out straight… though there's a tiny curve upwards, which is an improvement. (Maybe I just need to keep applying every day and train them to curl?) It's a little clumpy in places too but overall it's a good mascara! 

Primark is always a shop that divides opinions. You either love it or hate it. I personally have a love/hate relationship with the place. Sometimes it has loads of stuff and you're spoilt for choice, other times you have to really search for just one item. I don't particularly like shopping when sales are on and sometimes Primark feels like one big sale. AND when you do finally find something, you only own it for about 6 months because the quality is poor. 

WELL. This all changed for me one very, very, very wet December day in Manchester! 

To cut what was a very long and soggy story short, we went to the Christmas Markets - I walked from Oxford Road to meet my family at Piccadilly in the worst rain i've ever been in! My coat was soaked, the water had come straight through the coat and onto my clothes. My boots… well they were ruined too. I had to bin the coat there and then, but needed something to replace it - and the closest place we could think of was Primark.

THE COAT:

I didn't have high hopes, I wasn't going in there expecting anything amazing - at that time I just needed one to keep me dry and warm! 

That's when I found this coat. It is - hands down - the best coat I have ever owned. Bare in mind this coat is about 4 years old, I still own it and wear it all the time. This coat is a size 14 and I'm a size 10-12. You wouldn't even know (one of the annoying things about high street is the way the sizes changes so drastically from shop to shop) Had to keep in mind i'd usually be wearing a jumper under this coat, so the size 14 is perfect for that without looking huge.

What I love about this coat: It's extremely heavy to hold, but when you wear the coat it doesn't feel heavy, just makes you feel cosy & warm. The size being "too big" ensures a comfy fit, I can move my arms really freely but doesn't drown me. It has a belt, though I don't fasten it as a belt, I just tie it in a loose knot. Rain doesn't seem to penetrate the coat, which is surprising because when you feel the coat you'd expect it to soak in. It also looks really smart, nice for special occasions :)

BOOTS:

I also had to buy new boots. These were really cheap so I thought well least they'll last the day. I still wear these in bad weather today - they keep my feet dry and warm , they still haven't leaked and they look great with everything I wear! 

What I love about the boots: They are lace up so you're guaranteed to be a comfy fit, which comes in handy when you're walking a lot. They also have a buckle that fastens across the top, meaning the fluffy tongue of the shoe can fold down nicely :) They also appear to be rather waterproof, as i've had no issues with wet feet in the last 4 years wearing them. Lastly, they have barely scuffed and no holes have appeared in the little seam between the sole and the shoe itself - no leaks!


Safe to say, these are the best purchases I have ever owned from Primark! I think it just goes to show that some of their items are actually very good quality, as I can't knock these two items. Owning them both for 4 years and still wearing them pretty much says it all. Sadly, I can't remember what I paid for these two, but I can assure you it didn't break the bank! 

Has anyone else got any amazing Primark purchases? 

Lately i've been looking through my very small collection of brushes and kept telling myself i'd buy a few little pots to store them in. My mum then suggested up-cycling some old jam jars we had collected into pretty pots.

All i've done here is found some pink ribbon I already had lying round in a drawer and just simply tied it round the tops. Super easy, look really cute and I didn't have to buy anything.

^ Clinique Redness Solutions Foundation:

I have always had issues finding a good foundation that suits my skin tone. The other issue I have with my skin is pink/red blotches. Whenever I go out  for tea or just to the pub with my friends, if it's a warm place my face always gets really red - and alcohol makes it worse. Usually just my cheeks, chin and nose. It doesn't cause any discomfort but I feel really embarrassed when it does and it really affects my self confidence.

One day when I was out shopping, my mum suggested I try asking the ladies at the Clinique counter what they could suggest as most foundations just didn't help my skin. I was shown the entire redness solution range they offered and they even sat with me and applied it all on my face for me!

I LOVE this foundation. No more blushing or flushing worries. The shade I use is 03 - 'calming ivory', which matches my skin perfectly. I doubt i'll ever use another foundation now i've discovered this. 

^ Sleek MakeUp Face Form - Contouring and Blush Palette:

This is something i've been looking at for a LONGGG time. I've seen a few YouTube videos of people raving over the Sleek MakeUp range so popped down to Boots to check them out. I own a eyeshadow pallet of theirs and found the colours to be AMAZING - very pigmented and bright and so easy to blend. At the moment I just always use a bronzer, but I hate the shimmery feeling on my cheeks. 

At the moment i've only used this once but I love it. The highlighter is perfect for under my eyebrows as well as above my my cheek bones. This shade is in light as I felt it fitted my skin tone more, plus I like to be able to build up on a dark colour more than just sticking it on dark and hoping for the best. Once I get to use it more i'll be able to get a better idea, but from first impressions i'm very happy. 

 ^ Real Techniques Expert Face Brush:

I've always had a love-hate relationship with foundation brushes. A few years ago I always just used my hands to blend it into my face, but since visiting the Clinique counter and getting my redness solutions makeup have I converted to brushes. The lady on the Clinique counter was the one who told me to try using brushes as my fingers might be too heavy and contributing to the red skin on my face *shrugs* i'm not entirely sure how true that was, but I still prefer a brush to fingers.

Anyway - since then I always used flat brushes (the ones that look like paint brushes) but i've gone off them. It always felt like I was literally painting the foundation onto my face, instead of blending it. 

This brush is flawless. I know you see it all over the place now, but I understand now. The foundation now feels light on my skin and I don't have that weird 'cakey' feeling that I got with flat brushes. This is my new favourite brush. :)