Charlotte Tilbury| The Dolce Vita

Charlotte Tilbury always seems to be winning on the 'epitome of luxury' front. What other brand offers incredible quality products cased in a beautiful, deep burgundy and rose gold packaging? Every product I have tried from the brand has surpassed my expectations and I always find myself wanting more. I had been undecided on the Dolce Vita (£38) palette for some time. The colours, although beautiful, in the pan seemed slightly, almost daring. The warm-toned browns and terracotta red were colours I always felt I could never and would never pull off and instead I opted for The Golden Goddess palette - trust me to go for the safer option. Yet, evidently a few months later I bit the bullet and bought this little quad as well and I seriously cannot get enough! Each of Charlotte Tilbury's palettes offer four different shades, all of which have a unique purpose. The first of which is the Prime shade. A beautiful, light pink shade with a subtle shimmer (think MAC's Naked Lunch), this looks gorgeous swept over the lid and in the inner-corners for a highlighting effect. Next up is the Enhance colour, this was the shade I felt the most unsure about but interestingly it's now my favourite! This beautiful red-toned brown, deepens the socket of the eye, adding perfect definition. Which is then made even more beautiful with the Smoke shade. This chocolate brown shade with added shimmer, helps to accentuates the crease and creates the perfect smokey eye-look. This shade really brings the whole thing together. Finally, comes the Pop shade which is a copper-gold, pressed pigment glitter that reflects light when applied to the lids thus adding a little extra something to the make-up look. With all this description in mind, I think it is pretty clear as to why this is now my current favourite palette. 

What do you think? 

What's your favourite eyeshadow quad?

Fragrance| Limited Edition Esteé Lauder Bronze Goddess

Introducing the most perfect summer fragrance which has awarded a special place on my fragrance shelf and has tempted me on numerous occasion over the past few years to stock up on copious amounts of these limited edition bottles so I will never be without this gorgeous, gold packaged, Goddess. Esteé Lauder's Bronze Goddess 100ml (£47) truly is Summer in a bottle, with scents that remind me of sandy beaches, salty sea water and coconut sun cream. This fragrance radiates warmth making you feel heavenly bronzed a unique touch for a Summer fragrance. 

Esteé Lauder themselves state that this is the fragrance 'that worships every inch of you' and I really do agree. The fragrance is heavy but not overwhelming and applies more like a body spray that lasts all day giving off addictive bursts off fragrance that create a sense of nostalgia and is enough to win over even the biggest Summer Scrooge. 

The Bronze Goddess fragrance is concocted with various different ingredients which awaken the senses allowing them to be whisked away to a hot, Summers day. Picture this: The Warmth of the Sun  created with the likes of Amber, Sandalwood, Coconut Milk and a personal favourite of mine, Myrrh and that is really just to name a view. Then we have the Warmness of the Golden Sand best served between our toes and created with Lemon, Mandarin and Orange. And finally the Bronzed Skin that most woman crave in summer which is made up of a mixture of different floral scents including Jasmine, Lavender and Magnolia Petals. When all of this is wrapped up in a beautiful gold, reflective bottle, there really is little to no reason why everyone shouldn't have this in their collection ready for S/S. 

I can honestly say I loved it the first time I smelt it two years ago and it hasn't left my mind since until I finally bought it for this Summer.  For any of you that do want try it, you are certainly in for a treat. This fragrance is the ultimate womanly scent that everyone needs in their collection. Be quick though, as this scent is only around for a limited time only and if you don't snap it up quick you may find yourself having to wait a whole other year till next Summer, like my silly self, until you're finally reunited with it again. 

I hope you enjoyed this review.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What's your favourite Summer fragrance? 

Beauty| LUSH Cosmetics Blooming Beautiful Gift Set

I was recently gifted this Lush set for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I absolutely love Lush Cosmetics but often hesitate to buy the items myself due to the steep pricing and overwhelming amount of choice. Nevertheless, I love receiving their products as presents as I feel it can be personal and thoughtful as well as being the perfect solution to a very much in need pick-me-up. Blooming Beautiful (£7.95) is described by Lush themselves as a 'petite pink gift perfect for anyone you think is bloomin' beautiful'. The products exterior for starters has a gorgeous, floral meets pop-art style patterned wrapping paper tied delicately with a bright pink bow making it almost too pretty to open. In this case I did judge a book by its cover or at least a gift by its wrapping paper. The floral packaging along with the ever so slightly 'punny' name with the adjective 'Blooming' creates strong connotations of Spring making this a great gift set to snatch up for you or a friend in these coming months. 

Inside were two pretty, pastel coloured bath bombs following a floral theme by both appearance and fragrance making the contents match the exterior perfectly. I had never tried these bath bombs before which is always an extra bonus and I found myself waiting for the perfect time to finally have a nice relaxing bath and drop these in the hot water. I find bath bombs to be the perfect accessory for an ideal pamper evening after a long week or the go-to product when in need of a de-stress in the bath tub. 

Pop In The Bath (left) is known as a bubble bar and works best by crumbling under a running tap resulting in the best bubbles and a lovely fruity, floral fragrance that feels the whole room. This bar can easily be cut in half and thus stretching to a two bath usage making the individual price of £2.95 more justified. Citrus fruit oils are used in the process of making this bubble bar therefore emitting a refreshing and rejuvenating scent. The oils also work wonders for your skin too and so leaving your whole body feeling soft and smelling gorgeous once used. They also recommend using this product for your hair, a quality I didn't feel inspired to test but Lush promise an ultra-shine effect for the hair once exposed to the products oils. The colour of the water was only a tinted blue shade, not the most exciting in comparison to some others but nevertheless the body benefits of this product make it right up there on my 'would repurchase' list. 

Think Pink (£2.50) is a bath bomb that has quickly made itself one of my most favourites along its Lush companions. A bright pink ball with a strong smell of Sweet Vanilla and Tonka Bean, it's no surprise that I found this to be a sweet, sensual and a lovely addition to my bath time. Decorated with small iced, candy flowers, this also instantly created strong connotations of Spring which was only emphasised more so by the scent. The only downside to this bomb was the subtle hint of Lavender, a smell I'm not so keen on but can tolerate when mixed with my more favoured scents eg. Vanilla with a Citrus top note. One of my favourite things about this bath bomb is the strong pink colour created once released into the water, a benefit that I always love in these type of products. This also went the extra mile by containing tiny, confetti hearts that float around the bath making it ultra pretty and girly. Don't worry these do eventually melt away and so limiting the amount of mess to clean up afterwards.  

 All in all this is a lovely gift set which only makes me want to go out and buy some more bombs to sample. The only downside to this product being is in theory you really are paying for the packaging. With the individual prices of the two bombs costing at an overall price of £5.45 you're in fact paying an extra £2.50 purely for the exterior, luckily it's pretty but in future I will definitley be purchasing these products separately. Especially if it's a gift from me, to me.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What's your favourite Lush product?

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?

Make Up| Clarins Eclat Minute Instant Light Complexion Perfector

Hi everyone!

Today I thought I would do a review on a newer product that I've been using this past month or so and it's the Clarins Eclat Minute Instant Light Complexion Perfector. This is basically a primer which also doubles up to be a highlighter as the cream has a slight shimmer that gives a radiant look once on the face. I have mine in the colour Rose Shimmer 00 and I find it gives me a healthy, glowing look and a perfect finish, especially in photos! (I'm wearing it in my FOTD blog post which you can see here) It makes my skin tone appear smooth and even as well as illuminated. What more could you want? 

It definitely helps my make up stay on for longer and because of the silky consistency of the product, it glides onto your skin easily and helps foundation do the same! This can be used alone, just to give your skin a boost on a dull day, underneath foundation (which I usually do) or mixed in with your foundation to make the overall finish appear more dewey. 

I absolutely love the packaging! I don't know why but I got really excited over the fact that it was both a tube AND a pump! I don't think I've had/seen anything like it before. 

This is definitely one of those products were a little bit goes a long way. I've put a couple of pumps on my hand so you could get an idea of the colour and you can even see here how nicely it begins to dissolve into the skin. Priced at £26, it is definitely a high end primer but it's not too dissimilar in price to Benefit's Porefessional (review here)

Perfect for people with aged skin who would like to achieve the fresh, younger look.

It's a miracle in a tube! 

Have you tried it? What did you think?

Comment below what your miracle product is! 

Make Up Dupe| YSL Glossy Stain VS. L'Oreal Glam Shine 6Hour Lip Gloss

Hello everyone!

Today I am going to be doing a product comparison with two of my most worn and favourite lip glosses from 2013. I am a big lip gloss lover, I love to have a shine on my lips and don't like having to constantly reapply so anything that is long lasting is perfect for me. 

The first I'm talking about is the Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain Lip in the colour 16 Fuchsia. This was one of those products that I had to close my eyes and stick my card in the machine as priced at £23.50 it is a VERY expensive lip gloss/stain. So is it worth the price tag? First of all, it is very pigmented and the colour as well as gloss is extremely build-able.  This probably gives me the most shiniest, glossiest finish then any other lip product I have tried and it is very long lasting. Being a stain as well, the colour literally will not budge and it isn't sticky on your lips. I could apply this in the morning, eat a three course meal (not saying I do everyday!) and drink as many drinks as I wanted and the colour will still be there! I think the packaging is lovely and is quite a compacted size and there is an added bonus that the actual gloss smells AMAZING! 

The product I am comparing this to is the L'Oreal Glam Shine 6Hour Lip Gloss in the colour 405 Fresh Tangerine. Priced at only £8.69 this is a much cheaper alternative to the YSL Glossy Stain. This is also a very pigmented colour and very glossy, maybe not as glossy as the YSL product but not too far off! The product claims to last 6 hours which I don't know if I would necessarily agree but it is still more long lasting then the majority of other high street glosses out there. This also isn't sticky once applied and I do find the colour to be easily builded. The one downside to this product is the packaging. As the bottle is tapered it means it is almost impossible for the applicator to be able to reach all the product from around the edges meaning it does seem like some is going to waste. 

This is just one swatch of both product and as you can see there really isn't a lot of difference (excluding the colour) in the products shine and pigmentation. The main difference being that the YSL Glossy Stain (left) did stain the skin longer whereas the L'Oreal (right) Glam Shine was easily removed which backs up my claim that the YSL Glossy Stain is more long lasting in comparison. 

They both have very similar sized and shaped applicators that are fixed at an angle which means they are perfect for picking up a lot of product. The YSL Glossy Stain's (right) applicator is also patented meaning it is perfect for precise and smooth application. 

All in all, both of these products are very similar. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I'd never purchase a YSL Glossy stain again now I've found the L'Oreal Glam Shines but I do feel that splashing my cash on the more expensive product could be easily prevented if I found the perfect colour in the L'Oreal Glam Shines.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Have you tried either of these products?

What did you think? 

Make Up| Benefit Porefessional

Hi everyone!

Today I am reviewing one of my most favourite primers and pore minimisers, Porefessional by Benefit. This is probably one of the most reviewed products out there but I felt I'd give my opinion as well! I don't know if you will agree but it seemed when this first came out there was really no hype about this product at all but all of a sudden this little blue and white striped tube has taken the beauty world by storm! Being a primer this is primarily used to put under your Make Up so I usually start with my current moisturiser then apply this over the top and then continue with my usual foundation, concealer etc. I feel this works a treat! It really does what it says on the bottle. The lightweight balm glides on the skin making it feel soft and silky and keeps my Make Up on and in tact all day. It creates an overall even tone which I assume is the effect from the pore minimising qualities of the product. 

It's oil-free and so perfect for people with oily skin as I also find it is great at mattifying the shiny areas in your T-Zone. The consistency of the product is thicker then what I originally expected but it dissolves into the skin so quickly and easily, so it doesn't feel like you are wearing a mask of Make Up. It has also been known as the 'Underwear for you skin' as it isn't visible but still gives that extra needed help ;) 

I think the packaging is quirky and cute and to be honest who would expect anything less from Benefit? The product is long lasting as a little bit really does go a long way. Priced at £24.50 it does feel like your paying a lot for a primer but trust me, it's worth it! 

What's your favourite Primer? 

Make Up| MAC Lipstick Dark Side

Hi everyone!

Today I'm reviewing one of my all time favourite lipsticks which I have been reaching for a lot over the Autumn/Winter months. This is one of Mac's Lipsticks in the colour Dark Side (£15) which is a very deep and dark plum- red. This colour is perfect to vamp up any look wether it be daytime or evening. The colour is very build-able so you can either dab it on and wear it as a stain or layer it up to make it amplified and exceptional. I am very faired skin and usually I find red lipsticks don't suit me as much but I think it's something about the dark tones of this lipstick which make it work for me. I also love the name 'Dark Side' it creates connotations, to me, of fairy tales which is understandable because I can definitely see the Queen of Hearts rocking this, don't you think? 

                                                         

As you can see when swatching this, the colour is VERY pigmented. This is only one or two layers of the lipstick and already it shows as a deep blood red. I don't find the formula particularly moisturising in fact even though it lasts a long time it does feel like it slightly dries out my lips through out the day but nevertheless I love it and it doesn't put me off wearing it. 

Whats your favourite Mac Lipstick? Let me know in the comments!

Make Up| Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Hello!

Today I am reviewing my all time favourite foundation the Estée Lauder Double Wear. I, like I suspect most of you, have tried many different foundations from drugstore to high end and have tested powders, gel-based, liquid, mousse the list goes on! I'm not saying that I have never liked another foundation but it always seems no matter how long I have ventured away I always end up coming back to this one because it is just perfect for me! 

                                                   

Mine is in the colour 1C0 shell which I find to be a perfect match. They have a large range of colours that are broken down into three groups: cool, neutral and warm and which offer different undertones for each and every person and all contain SPF 10. It is definitely a medium to high coverage so for those of you who prefer something a bit natural, this might not be for you. It's said to have 15 hour lasting power and to be honest I don't disagree, I would be able to put this on in the morning before a long shift at work or a day at uni and not have to really touch it again at all. I feel it gives a flawless finish and despite it being a heavier coverage it does look natural on the skin. It also doesn't feel to heavy once applied and considering it's both heat-proof and water-resistant it's still suitable in the hot conditions as it doesn't just feel like it's melting of your face like some foundations I have tried! 

The packaging is glass and looks as well as feels expensive. The only problem I really find with it is that it has no pump as such so the liquid is there to pour out freely meaning there's a threat of wasting some of the product and priced at £28.50 this is really not ideal!

All in all it is a great product and I could not recommend it highly enough!

                                                 Have you tried it? What do you think?

                               

                                                                            xx

Make Up| Mini Cosmetics Haul

Hello again!

I accidentally did a bit of shopping today (which of course was necessary) and I thought I would do a quick post on what I bought. Obviously I won't be reviewing the products as such because I haven't properly tried them yet but watch this space as there probably will be comments on all of them in the near future!!

My first and favourite product from today is the Clinique 'take the day off' Cleansing Balm. I've seen loads of reviews for this and I was stuck between this or the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm but I felt for almost £8 cheaper and it being my first time even using one, I thought this would be a good place to start. I love the packaging, it feels luxurious and expensive and I'm a sucker for the colour purple. I can only describe the consistency of the product as 'magical', is that sad? It's a solid balm that dissolves quickly into a silky, oil thats perfect for taking off foundation and hard-to-budge eye makeup. I can't wait to try it! 

I also picked up 3 face mask from Superdrug's own brand. There's no particular reason why I chose these specific ones but I felt they looked interesting and priced at only 99p I felt it would be silly not too try! Each mask does a different job as one purifies, another's cooling and the other is a heating one - my favourite! I really want to incorporate face masks into my skin care routine as I feel they're an affordable way to make you feel pampered and give you that post-facial feeling.  

The last 2 items I picked up were one of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's in the colour Pink Gold and a Max Factor Miracle Touch Cream Blush in 03 Soft Copper. I already own 3 other colours in the Maybelline Colour Tattoo range and I absolutely love them for a quick and easy yet effective eye make up look. I haven't had a cream blush in my makeup collection for years and I liked the look of the Max Factor ones and priced at only £6.99 I was easily convinced. I chose this colour as I feel like it's more of a bronzed blush meaning when I'm feeling lazy I can just apply this without having to worrying about my usual contouring along with blusher. 

Have you tried this products? How did you find them?

Comment below!

xx

Fragrance| Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

Hello again!

I'm back again with another fragrance review about the new addition to my collection the Miss Dior Eau de Parfum. I believe every girl needs perfume to finish off a look and with some many different ones out there it's easy enough to find one thats perfect for you. This Dior perfume is classic and sexy and all the different qualities of it certainly do add up to make it luxurious. 

The bottle is beautiful and probably one of my favourites. I love the fact the main body is clear as I feel the colour of the perfume alone has a vintagey air about it. The silver bow around the lid is a really nice touch and adds to the femininity of the perfume making it something that any girl would fill special wearing. Being a designer brand I didn't expect anything less then beautiful packaging that makes it stand out in the fragrance cabinets in Boots.

The smell is quite heavy yet fruity with notes of orange and strawberry. This along with the more milder notes of Jasmine, Rose and Amber to name a few, makes it a perfect fragrance for both the summer and wintery months. I feel the overall smell is charming and intense. The smell definitely lingers through out the day, developing hour by hour. One or two spritz in the morning and you are good to go. 

                                       

Pricing up at £46.50 for the 30ml does make it one of the more expensive perfumes out there but as it is so strong and intense, you don't need much at a time meaning it does last longer than others I have tried. 

This is definitely one of my new favourites in my collection and I can see myself splashing the cash on a bigger bottle once this one has ran out.

What's your favourite fragrance? Comment below!

Leanne x