Make Up| Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara

Mascara is my all time favourite product to apply that I almost actually find the process very therapeutic. My make up honestly doesn't look finished without a decent coating on my eyelashes and I find it's what I usually get the majority of any compliments on if I was to get any. Having quite naturally long eyelashes I don't necessarily take note of the lengthening qualities many mascara's promise but any that do, well that's just an added bonus. 

Benefit's Bad Gal Lash is another well loved Mascara in the Benefit brand along with there famous They're Real. I have used and loved both but it always seems the majority of the beauty blogger world raves more about They're Real even though Bad Gal Lash is a strong component. This mascara promises to give you long, sexy ultra black lashes which is achieved with the use of there famously big sized brush. It comes at no surprise that this mascara has won multiple awards purely because it does exactly what it says on the tin (well, tube). Finally a mascara that gives great, bold looking lashes and a decent amount of seperation!  

Alas, every good product that has a million and one things right with it usually has one or two flaws. Which in this case is the staying power of the mascara. It is not unusual to find this mascara flakes after a few hours and quite often I have looked into a mirror a while after the application to find black spots underneath my eyes which is never ideal. In comparison with They're Real which puts up a fight when trying to remove, Bad Gal Lash is the opposite in that it happily removes itself during the day. Yet, there is always a pro to weigh out a con and this being that the formula actually seems to improve over time meaning the mascara only gets better! This is something I found was a bonus over They're Real as that particular mascara seemed to dry out in tube very quickly meaning I always hesitated to spend my money on it. 

Not much to say about the packaging other then the fact that it fits in with the Benefit theme of being super girly as well as sexy and as you can see mine has been very well loved!

As I mentioned before the actual mascara brush is HUGE which scared me slightly at first as it seemed to be bigger then my actual eye but once in use it worked wonders. The slightly narrower tip works well enough in getting the hard-to-reach lashes and the base of the mascara brush is perfect for giving good amounts of volume and coating your lashes with an even amount of product. Being a softer brush too, in comparison to They're Real's plastic brush, means that this product is less prone to clumping which is always a positive. 

Priced at £17.50, it is definitely an expensive item but worth the high end price tag. I dare you to give it a go and tell me your eyelashes don't look longer and fuller after application!

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Have you tried any Benefit Mascara's? 

xx

Lifestyle| 'Our Own Candle Company' Scented Candles

The one other thing that I love just as much as my Make Up is a good smelling Scented Candle to make any room feel cosy. I sent myself on a mission to find a decent replacement for my Chocolate Bunnie's Yankee Candle that I have used and loved for almost a year and unfortunately it hasn't got much burn life let in it. After searching around three shops and a department store and finding next to no candles that were good enough for my nose, I was super excited to find these stashed away in a shop that I have literally never ever noticed before. The Our Own Candle Company is an American company whose candles come in a vast array of scents, even more unique then Yankee's (don't believe me check out the link to their website above!). Presented in cute jugs with vintagey-looking labels, it comes at no surprise that I didn't even think twice about spending £12 each on a candle which are even cheaper online! 

I picked up the two scents Banana Split and Blueberry Pie. As you can see pictured below, Banana Split has an abundance of scents including Banana, Strawberry and Vanilla - it really doesn't get much better then that surely? Well then there's Blueberry Pie, my new all time favourite, my life honestly feels complete now, my search for the perfect candle is over. Smelling like a mixture of Blueberry sweets and home baked muffins, the scent is literally addictive! Try them for yourself and you'll see. 

The quality of these are also incredible as the smell literally fills the whole house, this along with a great burn time means there really is no negatives to these little jars of joy. Perfect for making any room feel atmospheric, there really is a scent to fit everyone's personal preference, especially if you are as obsessed as me for decor!

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Do you like the look of these? What's your favourite Scented Candle?

xx

Make Up| Beauty Haul

Hello!

We're finally coming to the end of January which has literally felt, at times, like it would never end. Now we can get excited for Spring and the new pretty, pink blushers hitting each make up counter and the colourful flower prints in my favourite high street stores.

But for now I'm just going to run you through a few pictures I have taken of yet another Beauty haul! Like seriously that's about four in one month and counting, is it really necessary? well duh! 

The first two items I picked up were Essie nail polish's in the colours Fiji (left) and Parker Perfect (right) for £7.99 each. If any of you read my Current Wish List (here) you would know that Fiji was on there and well I snapped that up pretty quick! It's a gorgeous opaque, pearly pink perfect for a sultry Spring look. It's so girly and great for making even the slightest bit of tan stand out if you are so lucky enough to have one. Parker Perfect I basically bought on a whim as once my eyes had been blessed with the site of the Essie counter I knew I couldn't leave with only the one. The colour of this is slightly unusual being a blue-tone grey colour with a slight shimmer, something that will be totally unique in my collection and I really can't wait to take it for a swing . (Watch this space for reviews!) 

The next two items I snatched up was both the Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in the colour Elusive and a Lacquer Balm in the colour Demure.  These have been raved about on the blogging world ever since they first hit the shops and I knew I would have to give them a go. They come in a variety of different colours including nudes, purples and reds and so there really is something for everyone. I chose these two as they were the post subtle (boring!) and I didn't want go to wild when I only wanted to try out the formula and pigmentation originally. I cannot wait to give each of these a go especially Demure as it's a really pretty, shimmery nude colour which always seems to be my preference. 

Another item I bought purely because I've seen so many great reviews about it on here is the Revlon Highlighting Palette in the colour Rose Glow 020. This is basically the drugstore dupe of Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick and to be honest I think this looks just as pretty. The idea being that you swirl your brush in all five of the colours to create a sun kissed, bronzed glow which is perfect for these up and coming months. Priced at £8.99 I really could not think of a single reason why I shouldn't give this a go and if I like it, no doubt I'll be back to buy the rest! 

And last but not least was this little gift set of four different perfumes, two of each scent. Okay, yeah this is really random and I was 'that person' who picks the stuff up they put on display by the till purely so you don't think and buy it and well Boot's your method works! But when I got home and saw how cute the packaging was and realised how much I actually liked the two different scents I no longer regretted buying it for £14.95 altogether personally it think it's a steal! Will definitely be doing a review on these soon! 

So that's it till my next Beauty haul which in doubt will probably be before the end of the week!

Hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Have you tried any of these products? 

Make Up| Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

Hi everyone!

Today I'm reviewing one of my all time favourite Mascara's which is the Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme in Extreme Black. I have naturally long eyelashes but still look for something that will multiply as well as magnify. I mainly look for Mascara's that can give me a good amount of volume and this item definitely promises that! The actual product contains a blend of three different fibres in a mousse-like base that helps to create the excessive amount of volume in which I crave. 

I love the look of the packaging especially. Like most of Estée Lauder's products, it looks luxurious and classy with the gold finish and the logo printed elegantly in italics along the side. I love the size as well as at first glance my mind instantly thinks big, bold packaging gives a look to match this. 

The brush is pretty big which I can appreciate isn't for everybody as it most definitely isn't ideal when trying to coat the hard to reach lashes (enter the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara review here) but the two types of bristles carry a good amount of product. The fibres are also fairly solid meaning they work well when separating each lash to give that false lash effect. This product can often clump especially in the first few applications but I found this was no longer an issue after a short while. 

I would definitely say this Mascara promises you a good amount of volume and long, curvy eyelashes. What more could you possibly want? Priced at £22 this would have to be the biggest downside. I don't necessarily think this particular high end Mascara is miles in front of a decent drugstore product when it comes to quality. Especially when a drugstore mascara would probably be half the price but it's still nice to splash the cash and treat yourself to a bit of luxury once in a while, isn't it? 

Thanks for reading!

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What's your favourite Mascara? 

Fashion & Beauty| My Current Wish List

Hi everyone!

Thought I would make a post on all the things I am lusting over the moment beauty and lifestyle wise. It's getting to the point now where I'm actually losing track because I come across so many great recommendations on here and I just want it all!

So without further ado my current Wish List..

(I apologise for the poor image quality, as this is my 'wish list' I obviously don't have the actual items to take photos of so I had to resort to the internet - none of the pictures below belong to me) 

The first being the Mac Pro Palette x 15. I think these are a great idea because there's been so many times that I've bought a palette where I only use half of the colours and the rest  end up just going to waste BUT this one is filled with your own choices and so therefore perfectly suited to your wants and needs. I couldn't believe it was only £6.50 especially with it being a Mac item. Will have to get this ASAP!

And then of course there comes the eyeshadows refills to place into the Mac Pro Palette. This is Woodwinked and Omega, two of the staple colours which I think pretty much every beauty blogger in the world has either heard of or loved. Priced at £10 each, again they weren't as outrageous as I thought they were going to be. Even more reason to buy them! 

Of course the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette is on here. After receiving the Naked 2 for Christmas this has become no more than an necessity to add to my collection. Urban Decay have definitely given me the best quality eyeshadows and the prettiest colours then I have ever had before. This Naked 3 is a rose-hued coloured palette and I mean look at them - it's beautiful! Priced at £37 they are expensive but I would like to say they're worth it and with my birthday coming in just under two weeks, I'm hoping someone will 'surprise' me with one (not like I'm hinting or anything).

Two products from Nars. The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the colour Damned. Seen so many good reviews on these and I though the colour was a really nice, deep red perfect for vamping up any outfit. Priced at £17.50 it definitely is expensive for a lip pencil but I'm hoping it will be worth it. The second item being, of course, the Nars Laguna Bronzer priced at £26. One of the most raved about bronzers in the beauty world and the perfect colour for someone as fair skinned as me. I can understand that this isn't an necessity as I still have Benefit's Hoola and the Sleek Contour Kit in my collection but I want it anyway, okay? 

The Essie Nail Polish in the colour Fiji. It comes at no surprise that this is in my Wish List with Essie being one of the top brands in the nail varnish industry and me being a lover of nail varnish! I also think Fiji is a really pretty, unique colour and I would personally find pleasure wearing it all year round. Priced at £7.99 there are definitely an expensive alternative to Barry M nail polishes but with pretty much every colour under the sun, it comes at no surprise Essie is renowned for being amazing.

And last but not least a tartan scarf. I've been so in to the tartan trend this summer and have already purchased a number of things in this cute but chic pattern. I've been lusting over a tartan scarf for four months now but have never found one in the right colour of style until I stumbled upon this little beauty from no where else but Topman! Priced at £14 this was a lot cheaper then what I was expecting to pay and I'm just happy that a men's shop was there to end my journey.

So that's it so far, there's still like a million things I can add to this but I thought I would keep it short(ish) and sweet.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What's on your wish list? 

Make Up| Bourjois Little Round Pot Intense Eyeshadow

Hi everyone!

Back again! Firstly, I'd just like to mention that my blog hit 100 followers yesterday which I know is a small milestone but it's still something and I would like to thank all my lovely followers for showing my little blog some interest! 

Okay now onto the good stuff! Today I am doing a quick review on the Bourjois Little Round Pot Intense Eyeshadow in the colours 01 (left) and 03 (right). 

As I've mentioned in a previous blog post I absolutely love things that shimmer and sparkle so it's probably no surprise that I picked these up when they were on offer for 3 for 2 in Boots.

If, like me, you have a job that requires you to wear neutral make up, these are perfect for achieving that 'barely there' but still pretty look. If I'm every trying to go for the 'wearing a lot of make up to make it look like I'm not wearing any make up' effect these are the shadows I reach for. Are you following? 

Okay starting on a negative, I was disappointed to find that they don't really have nice names for each colours but just numbers which I know isn't such a big deal but I always find it to be an added bonus. Yet a thing I LOVE about these is the cute but convenient packaging. They're so little and perfect for travel and haven't got one of those flimsy, annoying lids that open themselves and let loads of dirt in. Perfect! Armed with an almost too small mirror, these are good to go. They are baked eyeshadows which can be either applied dry or wet to make it more of a creamy consistency,  a quality very useful when blending. The product claims to last 16 hours which I really find hard to believe considering it's very dusty on the eyelid and therefore disappears slowly through out the day only leaving a slight impression of shimmer. 

(01) on the left is a browny-gold colour, perfect to add to a brown smokey eye in the evenings or just for a neutral look in the daytime. (03) on the right is more of a pale pink skimmer, lovely for summer or to compliment a pink lip make up look. 

The product claims to give an 'intense' finish and to have 'two times more coverage then any of the other Bourjois eyeshadows' which I would have to disagree with. As you can see in my swatches I would say this was  actually the opposite. The product does in actual fact give of a very light shimmer which still looks lovely lightly dusted over the eyelid. I wouldn't say this was necessarily a 'negative' more just misleading. 

Priced at £6.99 it's no surprise that they aren't amazing but they're definitely something that could be a cheap addition to your make up bag ready to use for when you're after a 'natural' make up day. 

Let me know what you think in the comments!

What's your favourite eyeshadow?

Make Up| Soap & Glory Super-Colour Fabu-Lipstick

Hello!

Today I'm talking about a highstreet/drugstore Lipstick that has taken me by surprise. This is the Soap & Glory Super-Colour Fabu-Lipstick. For starters, I absolutely LOVE the name! Being a huge Mary Poppin's fan I'm surprised I didn't snatch it up purely on that basis. I had never tried any of the S&G Lipstick's prior to this one but after seeing a few recommendations online, I thought it was a must.  Mine is in the colour The Missing Pink a gorgeous, subtle Pink colour perfect for my fair complexion. This is a great colour if you want to achieve a nude lip effect alongside a smokey eye. It basically tints your natural lip colour Pink but with a solid look and a satin finish. 

I love how it has the S&G logo grooved into the side of the lipstick, I feel this moves the appearance of the lipstick away from the hight street and more towards high end. The only thing that goes against this in the price. Retailing at £9 this is definitely an affordable product that impresses with it's quality. 

I like the gold detail of the inside packaging but I feel the outer layer makes it appear cheap and is probably the reason why I never properly looked at these before. I can't completely slate S&G for this though as the majority of their products take on a girly, pin-up look and this does tie in well. A plus side on the packaging front is that is convenient with a lid that clicks into place meaning it won't spoil in your make up bag, something that I look for in most of my beauty products. Another bonus is that the product has a sweet, chocolately smell to it, something I really appreciate whilst applying although it does make me hungry!

This is a colour swatch of the lipstick where I have applied a few layers so you can see once the colour is builded it creates a more intense Pink. When dabbed onto the lips the colour appears more sheer which is usually my preference. The lipstick on a whole helps to give a soft and smooth, dewey pout and is supposed to create a plumped-lip, I haven't noticed this quality so much myself but I don't usually look for that in a Lipstick.

On a whole for the very cheap price, the S&G lipsticks are definitely worth checking out. 

I achieve a just as good finish with these as I have done with some of my high end lip products.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

What's your favourite highstreet/drugstore lipstick?

Fashion| Themed Fashion Photography

Hello!

Just a quick random post to end the day.

These are some photos of one my friends I had taken for my Photography A-Level along the theme of Fairytales. I'm a big Disney fanatic and could probably quote most of the movies off by heart. I thought even though I would never leave the house on a day-to-day basis looking like this, it still explores ideas of fashion and beauty and so still relevant to my blog!

The Mad Hatter 

The Wicked Witch

Snow White

Please let me know what you think.

I love looking at all types of photography so please comment below anything you want me to check out!

*the photos were taken by me and modelled by a friend 

Fashion| Topshop Nail Varnish

Hi everyone!

Just doing a quick run down on three of my favourite nail polishes that I've been loving these past few months. I've been mostly reaching for my Topshop nail varnishes as I find them really easy to apply, long lasting and give a great, bold coverage. I absolutely love the packaging which I think appears to look youthful and cute, something I love having sitting on my dressing table on display. 

My first favourite is Venus Flytrap a Pistachio Green colour which gives of a chalky look once applied and dried. This is perfect for Spring/Summer as an alternative to the pale pastels that usually make an appearance. You literally need two coats of this to achieve a solid colour that still dries quickly. 

The second is Plume a Purply-Blue colour that has a beautiful metallic shine with a slight shimmer once dried. The colour seems to adapt depending on the light making it more diverse. This takes 3-4 coats to achieve a bold, electric colour but it fasts drying and last a very long time. This deep colour is perfect for the Autumn/Winter paired with some gold accessories. 

And last but not least is the colour Imagination a baby blue colour with a glossy, glittery finish. This looks so pretty on and is completely different to anything I've seen or owned. The cool blue tone colour is perfect for Winter (I wore it a lot around Christmas) making a great alternative to the usual deep reds and golds that I usually see people wearing. I also love the name of this one and I have felt it to be completely relevant to the colour. The only problem I have found is the consistency is rather 'gloopy' making it slightly difficult to apply but it's still long lasting all the same. 

All in all, I think it's obvious that I'm a big lover of Topshop's Nail Varnishes. They're great quality for a good price and a slightly cheaper alternative to Essie's Nail Polishes. Priced at only £6 (currently on offer online for 2 for £9) there really is no reason to not give these a go.

Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Have you tried any of Topshop's Nail Varnishes? 

What's your favourite? 

Make Up| L'Oreal Superliner Gel Eyeliner vs. NYX Gel Eyeliner and Smudger

Hi everyone!

Today I will be doing a product comparison review between the L'Oreal Superliner Gel Intenza Pure Black Liner and the NYX Gel Liner and Smudger.

I am a BIG lover of gel eyeliner as I feel my face doesn't look complete without me lining along my lashes. After trying and testing hundreds of different eyeliners from liquid to felt tip, having some that have worked better than others, I came to realise that gel was the way forward! I feel you get a more controlled effect and you can achieve a variety of different looks which usually wasn't the case with a liquid liner. 

These two have definitely become my clear favourite in the past year. I'll start by saying the packaging is very similar and both of them are convenient, travel friendly and come with no annoying problems (loose lids etc). I prefer the look of the L'Oreal Gel Eyeliner but thats really only because of the gold lid. 

I could not recommend the L'Oreal Superliner Gel eyeliner highly enough. It's very easy to apply and the actual product comes with a brush to assist you in doing so. I personally prefer to use one of my own fine liner brushes but this could be an added benefit for some of you. It's very similar to the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner but I preferred this one purely because my Maybelline liner seemed to dry out a lot quicker. Once the gel liner is applied it lasts well on skin, I wouldn't say the full 24 hours which the product claims to do as I have had bad problems with smudging but I usually set this with a black shadow to prevent this from happening. This being a common problem with most gel eyeliners! The superliner really has a glide on gel texture making it very easy to apply good looking lines, thick or thin! Priced at £9.99 it's definitely an affordable alternative to the Clinique or Bobby Brown Gel Eyeliners. 

Similarly, the Nyx Gel Eyeliner and Smudger has impressed me and my eye lids these past few months. The smudging quality of the product enables you to wear this also as an eyeshadow, I personally would rather use powder but for some of you this could be really beneficial. The colour payoff is amazing and it really gives a harsh, black colour which is exactly what I look for in eyeliners. Nobody has time for a dark grey like black! The first thing that I noticed about the NYX Gel Eyeliner which set it in front of the L'Oreal liner is how creamy and smooth the consistency of the product is. It glides on to the lids like a dream and is very quick drying meaning the smudging is limited (not gone completely but less in comparison to the L'Oreal Gel Eyeliner). They're also waterproof which is perfect! Especially when living in rainy England. Priced at £8 there is not a lot in it between this and the L'Oreal Superliner. It is definitely a product I would recommend all eyeliner lovers to get. The one main downside to the product is NYX is so hard to find in the UK, the only known place local to me who stock it is Next. 

Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Have you tried either of these?

What's your favourite?

Lifestyle| Cake Making

Hi everyone!

Another quick post just to show the Birthday cake me and my Mum spent the day making for my Sister's 21st Birthday.

I know this is nothing to do with Beauty but I thought it fitted perfectly in the lifestyle category!

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Make Up| Yet Another Mini Cosmetics Haul

Hello again!

Two blog posts in one day, I really hope you're not getting sick of me!

I accidentally went into Superdrug and may or may have not spend quite a bit of money on things that weren't but at the same time were totally necessary. 

I picked up two of the Real Techniques brushes, the Shading brush (£6.99) and the Stippling brush (£10.99) . I pretty much own all of the RT brushes now and these really are my favourite tools to use when trying to create a flawless look. I've heard many good things about the stippling brush but haven't read up on many reviews for the shading brush so please let me know in the comments if you have tried it and your impressions on it!  

I also picked up one the Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick (£6.99) in the colour Kiss Pearl 832. I already own another one of these and I found the finish and pigmentation amazing. Plus, there was an offer on, on all Maybelline products so it would've been silly not to.

And so to receive this offer I also purchased the Maybelline Browdrama Eyebrow Mascara (£4.99) as I've been desperate to try one of these out. If I'm honest, I bought this on a whim and so have read no reviews and haven't clue what it could be like. Once again if you've tried it, please let me know your opinion in the comments! 

Comment below your thoughts.

What products have you bought on a whim and have shocked you?