Love From November

Hello there lovelies

So it’s now December and the countdown to Christmas begins (eeek!) here’s a roundup of the things I’ve been enjoying throughout November.

Lush Star Light, Star Bright Luxury Bath Melt. I wrote in a post a while ago that I’d never tried any Lush products before until this summer when I tried a bubble bar and now I’m a total Lush addict especially when it comes to their Christmas range. The product I’ve been enjoying most is the star light star bright luxury bath melt. I bought 4 of them at the end of October and I only have 1 left now. I really like the bath melts (actually I love everything I’ve used so far, cinders has to be my absolute favourite though) as they leave skin feeling lovely and conditioned. This one smells so fresh and zesty with lime and ginger it’s really invigorating teamed with my favourite cranberry shower gel (another Christmas product that I like to stock up on) makes for a super festive bath experience. I usually go into a bit of a coma after a bath and literally won’t move for the rest of the night because I’m so relaxed although I’m nicely chilled out after using this one I'm not tired, it really uplifts me. If you’re a bath in the morning sort of person then this is a great product to use I also think it would be a great one to use if you’ve got a cold with the smell of freshly grated ginger clearing the airways. Some people aren’t too keen on the glitter but I love it, I haven’t noticed that I look like a sparkly bauble when I get out the bath anyway.

Rimmel blush in Pink Rose this is a really great budget friendly blush. It has great colour pay off with slight highlighting properties in it, it gives a nice flushed look to the cheeks while remaining subtle and natural and it’s really affordable. Rubbish packaging but a great blush and really tiny for putting in your handbag.

Toni and Guy texturising spray. Recently I’ve been embracing the bed head look, my hair is styled in a short choppy bob but its also really fine and flat, I’ve been enjoying adding some texturising spray to define my layers and make my hair not look so sleek and “done” this is a great lightweight spray with a pleasant scent and doesn’t leave and residue in the hair. It gives just enough texture so hair is left looking like you’ve made the effort without over styling.

Boiron Homeoplasmine. I’ve been using this on my lips at night when they’ve been a bit chapped and I wake up in morning to silky smooth lips. It’s also soothing if lips are feeling a bit sore. This is a multi-purpose product that can be used all over to relieve irritated or dry skin so it’s a great product to have for this time of year.

One Tree Hill I love this series, if you haven’t seen it and you like things like The OC, Gossip Girl and Dawsons Creek then this should be right up your street. It has quite a few tear jerker moments and every time I watch it I fall in love with characters all over again. I was pretty devastated when the series ended but I think all the characters had been taken as far as they could be and it ended on a high rather than being subjected to over kill. This is the only T.V. series that I’ve watched from start to finish and then bought every box set and watched them repeatedly. I’m now on series six and I’ve switched to watching it on Amazon Instant video as it’s easier than faffing around turning the laptop on, finding the DVD and remembering what episode you’re up to.

Mac lipstick in Syrup. This is a really easy colour to wear and adds just that bit more than a neutral lip, it’s a lustre finish so doesn’t have the best staying power but teamed with a lip liner prolongs the wear and mattes it down a bit, it’s also easy to reapply as it’s not a bold colour that you have to be really precise with.

Seche Vite. Now I’m not the best person to comment on the longevity of nail varnishes as I don’t very often get more than two or three days off in a row therefore nail varnish isn’t on my nails very long before I have to remove it (I’m not allowed to wear it for work) but even then it chips but I do have quite “active” hands. I recently had a week off work and really wanted my nail varnish to last and when doing my research on top coats Seche Vite came up time and time again so I decided to go with that one (I’d also read all the bad stuff about it too). I was absolutely blown away by it, my nail varnish lasted a whole 7 days without a single chip and the only reason I took it off was because I was going back to work the following day, I’d love to see how long it lasts without me having to take it off. My nails remained really glossy for the full 7 days they looked liked they’d just been painted all the time. I was dreading removing it though as I was expecting my nails not to be great condition but they were fine and it was easy to remove too. I can’t rave enough about this product, I’m going to Rome at the end of this week so I’ll be painting my nails the day before I go and I have enough confidence that I’m not even going to take nail varnish remover or nail varnish to top up with me.

Quiz up app. This is such a fun app to test your knowledge on different subjects, my speciality is One Tree Hill- yes I’m that sad and that much of a fan but it's so addictive, you think you’ll just have a quick game and before you know it an hour has passed by.

Black Converse. I got these as my white ones aren’t very practical this time of year but I wanted some kind of footwear for when I don’t want to wear boots but still want black shoes, they’re Converse I don’t need to go into detail.

I can’t end this post without addressing the poor quality of my photos, I literally chose the darkest day ever to take photos and had to use my flash for some of them so apologies for that but other than that I hope you enjoyed this post.

Until next time

The Highlight of My Day

Hello there lovelies

Now I love a good highlighter, just to add the right amount of radiance when the light hits that particular part of your face. I tend to go for matt powder blushes and add the sheen with the use of highlighter. I don’t like anything too glittery or shimmery as it just doesn’t work for me, I like a highlighter to add a “natural glow” to make my skin look healthy and radiant. They’re great for perking the skin up in the dull winter months as well as helping skin to look good in the spring and summer, light is reflected off the skin making it appear like you are “glowing” from within. These are a few of my favourite highlighters that I’d be lost without.

Nars Highlighting Blush Powder in Albatross. This is going to last me until I’m about 102 (because obviously I’ll still be using highlighter then). You only need the tiniest amount of this one, although it looks white it’s actually a gold/yellow toned highlighter, it is a lovely finely milled powder with no glitter just shimmer, slightly more shimmery than I was expecting and it’s very easy to apply too much. A little really does go a long way with this one and I think it’s better suited for evening makeup. I imagine it will look very flattering when soft lighting hits it but on me during the day if the sun hits it it’s like whoa! prepare to be slightly dazzled. If you apply too much to your cheekbones and the light hits it you can see it out the corner of your own eye so be warned- less is more.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish. I got this in the shade lightscapade rather than the infamous Soft and Gentle (which I’m bound to own one day because doesn’t everyone?). I chose lightscapade because it is more of a white/silvery highlight, which I prefer. It’s an absolutely weightless powder, you don’t feel a thing on your skin when you’re wearing it, it’s also so subtle and iridescent this is a lovely day-time highlighter but could be built up for a more dramatic effect. You get an awful lot of product for your money; I’ve only just had to repurchase this after buying it in 2012!! I like using this along the top of my cheekbones, down my nose and sometimes a touch on my temples and you don’t see the light reflecting on your skin out the corner of your eye.

Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora. This is a cream highlighter another one that I’ve recently repurchased. I was weary of using a cream highlighter at first as I didn’t want it to look too wet or shiny but I actually love this. This is silky smooth and so pretty, blends beautifully even over matt powder blush leaving a seamless natural look. It’s quite similar to Benefits Highbeam in colour with its pearlescent glow. This lasts for ages, I’ve only just had to repurchase this after a friend gave me hers well over a year ago and its still not finished although I have hit pan and it’s seen better days.

Topshop Glow Pot in Polish. This is another cream highlighter that’s a silvery pink champagne colour, It adds just the right amount of glow in the right places leaving skin looking lifted. This Silky smooth cream feels light on the skin and blends exceptionally well; it’s extremely comparable to the Illamasqua one. I got this to see how it compared to Illamasquas highlighter as its half the price and so far it has not disappointed.

There you go, my secret weapons to healthy radiant looking skin whatever the season or weather but shhhh don't tell anyone as I'm trying to pull this off as my natural glowing skin.

I’m always after trying new products so what highlighters would you recommend for me? Comment below or tweet me @Beauty_full14, I love hearing your thoughts.

Until next time

A MAC Made in Heaven

Hello there lovelies.

I don’t know what it is about MAC that just draws you in and makes you want to have the entire display stand of eyeshadows in your bedroom. Maybe it’s the effortlessly cool sleek packaging along with the mesmerising colour selection that just seduces you as it whispers quietly in your ear like a naughty little devil- buy me. I have to be ever so restrained when walking through the doors of any MAC store to stop myself from throwing my arms in the air and shouting I’ll take the lot, honestly picture a kid in Willy Wonka’s factory that’s me in MAC. I have to go in armed with a list and under no circumstances am I to deviate from the list. Apart from the blindingly obvious of not being able to afford “the lot” I don’t have room to store it. I don’t think Muji do warehouse style storage, plus I don’t own a warehouse.

I only got my first MAC palette in December; the reason I’d waited so long is because I just couldn’t decide which colours I wanted. I’m definitely a neutrals kind of girl, don’t get me wrong I love bold colour eyeshadows but I wear eyeshadow most days and prefer to go more for the “natural” look. I’d finally decided on the first 5 shades I wanted and toddled off to MAC to get my first quad and single eyeshadow.

From top left to bottom right: Charcoal Brown, Quarry, Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe.

Charcoal Brown: (Matte finish) I use this daily to line my bottom lash line, much softer than a pencil and less harsh than black.

Quarry: (Matte finish) This looks similar to charcoal brown but looks completely different on the eyelid and has a slight mauve undertone. This is a good crease colour.

Naked Lunch: (Frost finish) I love this one, a pinky/peachy champagne colour. Perfect for the no makeup makeup look, although shimmery it’s not glittery. I can see this getting a lot of use on those hot summer days (a distant memoir at the moment) and warm summer nights with a nice pink/neutral lipgloss and fluttery eyelashes.

Satin Taupe: (Frost finish) A lovely colour for all over the lid, a type of dirty brown colour with a mauve/plum undertone giving an iridescent shimmer with no glitter.

Electra.

Electra: (Frost finish) I love this one too. A beautiful gunmetal/grey/silver colour, I like putting a touch of this on the centre of my eyelid over satin taupe.

Once I’d used my new palette a few times I was hooked and already planning my next palette. I prefer to go for quad palettes simply because they’re easier to store and transport and I just think they look neater than the 15 palette. I got my second palette and single eyeshadow a couple of weeks ago and I’m equally in love with these.

From top left to bottom right: All That Glitters, Brule, Shroom, Wedge.

All That Glitters: (Velux Pearl finish) A pinky/peach colour with warm gold undertones running through it, a nice colour to wear on its own for an understated look or over the top of a darker shade for a more pearlescent look.

Brule: (Satin finish) A cream colour with a subtle sheen, I like this as a base colour, its nice with a matte over the top as the slight sheen comes through and adds to the matte.

Shroom: (Satin finish) A creamy/beige white colour that’s slightly frosty, an excellent highlight colour.

Wedge: (Matte finish) A camel brown colour that is good as a crease colour or to line the lower lashes.

Woodwinked.

Woodwinked: (Velux Pearl finish) A lovely copper/gold tone, but not too gold to wear during the day, that gives a lovely pearlescent sheen. This was the shade I was most doubtful of but I love it, I have red hair and it really suites my colouring. A lovely autumnal shade but I think will look nice on spring summer evenings too.

My relationsip with MAC is definiatly a match made in heaven and I’ve already got my next palette planned and will be making my trip to MAC, list in hand, very soon.

So what MAC products do you love? Whats on your MAC wishlist?

Until next time