My Highlighter Collection!

After asking on social media whether anyone would actually be interested, I found myself a mere twelve hours later filming my whole highlighter collection for all my fellow glow-getters out there. It was touch and go at some points and if you make it past even just the highlighter palette section of this video, I have a huge amount of respect and gratitude for you. This video allowed me to finally fulfil my dream of bathing in a pool of highlight as after swatching a countless amount of powders, creams and liquids, I was glowing from top to bottom. Do not fear though, I have got your back, so if check out the description box of the video you will see I have given the minutes for when each section starts and ends so if you are all about the cream formula and powders don't interest you, just skip to your preferred time.

So if you want to see what highlighters I have purchased over the past few years and which are my go-to one's for a blinding glow, then check the video out! I would love it if you could like, sub and leave a comment with your channels in the comment section below.

What highlighter's would you recommend?

My Go-To Makeup Look On My Friend!

Today I am being a bit of a narcissist and showing off my makeup skills (I use the word 'skills' loosely) that were put to the test when I did my friend and fellow YouTuber, Jemima's makeup.  Doing makeup on yourself can be challenging at the best of times and that especially applies on those days where your skin does not want to cooperate and your brows barely resemble cousins let alone sisters. However, doing makeup on someone else is the true test as it is a completely different canvas to work on especially as Jemima and I differ in skin, hair and eye colour. Nevertheless, this is also where the enjoyment comes into play as it is fun to see how products appear on different skin tones and how one person's eye colour may 'pop' more so than another's. 

We essentially decided to film each other doing our everyday makeup looks but on one another and you can watch both of our faces transform from our own to each other's, live before your eyes! Always the critic, I was expecting to hate my own creation but twinned with Jemima's good looks and the makeup Gods being on my side, I am actually quite pleased with how it turned out.

So please go over to the video (linked above) and show it some love and be sure to check out Jemima's own vid (here) and the rest of her channel as I am sure you will all love it. If you want a full product list of this look also, check out the description box on the video.

Thanks for stopping by!

What products are essential for your everyday makeup look?

Jeffree Star Skin Frost's Review and Swatches

So if you have read my blog for a while or watched any of my YouTube videos, you will know that I am highlighter OBSESSED. When I say that I sometimes purely get out of bed in the morning because I am excited about the prospect of highlighting, you may think I am being dramatic which to be fair I am but I am also being honest. I find highlight is the miracle product that steps your makeup look to the next level hence why it is typically my second to last product used (I apply it just before my blush) as I love watching my makeup transform from boring to bomb. I also find highlight is the perfect way to fake a healthy glow which is always greatly appreciated when you are not feeling your best. I am always on the hunt for a highlight that blows me away and I will continue on my expedition to the find the perfect glow that can be seen from space and only then will I be fully satisfied. On purchasing these two Jeffree Star Skin Frost's I had not heard much about them at this point and hadn't tried anything from Jeffree's brand. However, the bright, if slightly garish, pink packaging caught my eye on the pages of Beauty Bay and I decided to pick up the two shades Peach Goddess and Lavander Snow to see how they compared to some of my other powder highlights. 

I feel the most important thing that needs to be mentioned is the actual size of this product as in terms of beauty products I find size, in fact, does usually matter. You can gain an accurate representation of the size in my January Favourites but I honestly was blown away by the almost generosity as although the product is not exactly cheap, usually, most high-end brands do not give you much for your money. Secondly, the pigment of these powders is insane which of course is a must in terms of a good highlighter. I felt the way the pan looked was deceptive of this as at a glance the powder looks more grainy than finely milled and definitely a far cry away from the smooth, creamy appearance of Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors. However, once applied onto the skin, the powder offers a blinding glow that does not emphasise any pesky pores and left me speechless. The downside is that the powders do sometimes tend to create a bit of fall-out which is probably due to the fact that the formula is initially fairly chunky but once this has been blended out, it does look seamless on the skin with no glitter or powder particles in sight. My favourite shade out of the two is by far Peach Goddess as I feel this is perfect for my pale skin and appears more of a golden-peach rather than pink once applied meaning no awkward streaks in sight. However, I feel in the pan, Lavander Snow wins in beauty as the colour is so unique and beautiful and adds a bit of oomph to a simple makeup look on a day when you may not have much time. I cannot wait to try more of the shades from the Skin Frost range and I will be sure to keep you posted on my findings. 

These highlights retail for £25.50 which may at first seem pricey but for a 15g product that boasts an incredible glow, I feel that this is pretty reasonable. 

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Have you tried any products from Jeffree Star?

Too Faced Sweethearts

I feel like a missed an opportunity here to review these products around Valentine's Day because nothing really says love much like receiving a heart shaped blush from your partner, right? However, Too Faced Sweetheart Blushers (£24) are for life, not just for Valentines Day hence why I am still choosing to review these now. These blushers were one of those items that I have lusted after for YEARS but I had never rushed to purchase them as I knew they would not be disappearing off the market anytime soon so there was no haste on my behalf.

The moral of this story is if a brand makes a product limited edition, as much as I will curse them for disallowing me from taking my time to make a good, rational decision, I will no doubt buy it with sweaty palms and a ravenous look in my eye due to the fear of it selling out and the possibility that I may never own that product in the pretty limited edition packaging. 

Anyway, back to the blushers that also feature gorgeous, sightly-gimmicky heart shaped packaging that replicates the pan within the cardboard box of joy. The main convention of these blushes that originally caught my attention is the subtle shimmer that adorns the gradient hues thus offering a healthy, radiant glow to the cheeks which is always welcome in my eyes. I also love the range of colours that Too Faced have featured and it took a lot of deliberation on my end to finally make the decision to pick up the shades Peach Bellini and Peach Beach. Peach Bellini offers a true peach glow that will be incredibly relevant for Spring/ Summer as orange is most definitely the new black in 2017. I love how the pan includes a deep pink to counteract the stronger orange tones which I am sure was to spare anyone from walking around with cheeks that look like they have been dusted with the remnants of a Wotsit. Ultimately, it emits a warm coral shade on the skin with a subtle golden undertone that would be perfect for those who are looking to skip a step in the morning and would rather trade in their highlighter for a highlighting blush (I mean...that would offer you at least another sixty seconds in bed). Peach Beach, on the other hand, is my personal favourite as it applies a pretty, natural pink to the skin and compliments my pale complexion perfectly. I tend to opt for muted toned blushers as I always go slightly overboard on my eyes and need a natural cheek to counteract this extremity. However, the subtly is no reflection on the pigmentation as each of these blushers requires a light hand during application so I would recommend to apply a small amount at a time and build the colour up to ensure everything is just peachy (get it). If you are looking for a new blush and are a sucker for pretty packaging like myself, check these out online (linked above) or in most Debenhams stores - I promise you will not be disappointed.

I would love to know your thoughts in the comments.

What blushers are you loving at the moment?

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics

Okay, I am very aware that I am incredibly late on the bandwagon in regards to this palette from Urban Decay. I was at first hesitant to purchase it as I was very content with my Naked Basics 2 and the original Naked Basics had never really interested me and I did not, at the time, feel it was necessary to have even more matte eyeshadows. Oh, how I was wrong. If I am completely honest it was the shade Extra Bitter that really caught my attention and trapped me in a state of lust which led me to promptly adding this to my Debenhams bag and purchasing it without a second thought. 

First up, I feel the shade range needs to be discussed. As I have previously mentioned, I am fully obsessed with the warm-toned orange shade, Extra Bitten, as I feel this colour is vital in a matte formula for any warm-toned shadow lover like myself. Orange will also be a prevalent shade this Spring/ Summer which also explains why many other brands are opting to include orange tones in their palettes. I also love the top three left shades as I feel it offers a real spectrum of opportunity in terms of a matte brow bone highlight which is always completely necessary. I feel the only shades I would not get a full use out of are the two on the bottom right, Magnet and Blackjack, as I am not one for grey tones as I usually tend to go for purples and reds when it comes to a smokey-eye. I also found that these two deeper tones do lack in pigment so would not really work to their full potential if used to smoke out an eye look

Essentially, this palette would be ideal for those who tend to use predominantly mattes as the shade range does cater for a variety of looks and most typically, warm-toned looks as there is a lack of cooler hues. Equally, this palette is great for those, who like myself, may already have a wide range of palettes that offer an abundance of iridescent finishes but need a matte to complement them in which case, this palette would be a perfect addition to use in companionships with the majority of warm-toned palettes

The pigmentations of the shades do vary as you can see in the swatches above. Whereas some shades such as Extra Bitter and Pre-Game really pack a punch and apply seamlessly with little fall-out (a rarity for UD eyeshadows) others fall short at the hurdle such as the greys and unfortunately the purple-toned Lethal which disappointed me. However, these powdered shadows can still be built up if you are willing to put the work in so don't let yourself be put off by this fact too much. 

All in all, I am very pleased that I finally purchased this palette and I now wonder whether I would have still purchased the Naked Basics 2 if I had known this was in the pipeline as that has pretty much become redundant thanks to its successor.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Have you tried any of the Naked Basics palettes?

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops

Celestial and Sunlight

I cannot be only speaking on behalf of myself when I say that highlighter is my current favourite cosmetic item and the one I receive the most enjoyment buying as I truly believe each brand has a different product to offer. Whether you are on the hunt for shimmer, shine, subtly or standout glow, there will be a highlighter for you both on the high-end and high street. I usually tend to go for powders and I find these offer a more dramatic shine (my usual preference) and blend it better with my makeup and most importantly, not emphasise any pesky pores. This was until I saw the startling glow giving by the Cover FX Customer Enhancer Drops. Cover FX is definitely not a new brand in the blogging sphere as they have already made a name for themselves due to the success of their Custom Cover Drops that allowed its users to determine the coverage of their foundation depending on how many drops they choose to use which produced a revolutionary idea that many brands have begun to adopt. It is fair to say that the brand has not strayed far from this concept for their highlighters either as the strength of the glow depends entirely on how many drops used during application and a bit of advice - I would not use much! As you can see from the swatches above, I used a mere drop from the pipette which supplies enough product to highlight extensively, my cheek bones, nose and cupids bow and even then I still have a bit to spare. I have never used a highlighter that supplies so much pigment for so little product which I personally feel does justify the £34 price tag as you will not be using up this little bottle anytime soon. If you are a highlighter lover like myself then you really need this and you can thank me later. However, if a glaring glow is not your thing and you tend to steer clear from the 'strobing' effect, you can also mix this in with your foundation to produce a subtle all over glow to create the appearance of healthy skin on a duller day!

However, if you are looking for a budget highlighter, check out my review of the Sleek Highlighting Palette here or a post all about My Top Favourite Highlighters here. 

Thanks for reading!

What highlighter has impressed you recently? 

My All Time Favourite High Street Highlighter Kit

Sleek Makeup have definitely made a name for themselves in the last few years in regards to having good quality products for an even better price. If they weren't making beautiful palettes with punchy pigments and an array of colours, they were killing it with their blushes that appear to take inspiration from NARS Cosmetics and not only because of their matte, black packaging. Recently, I stumbled across the Sleek Highlighting Palette in Diamond in the Rough on a stand in my local boots and after a single swatch I was sold. For starters, I couldn't believe how affordable the palette was as I only paid £7.99 for six shades that are seriously better than a lot of my higher end glow givers. The palette offers a variety of different shades ranging from icy whites, champagne golds and deep rose hues as well as two consistencies, cream and powder. The cream shades did not take my initial fancy as I often find cream highlighters can sometimes apply unevenly on top of powders yet as you can see by the swatch, the glow from this highlight takes on the appearance of glass and can transform you from a 'tired and dull mortal' to an 'ice queen who has their life together' in a matter of seconds, or maybe that is just my experience. However, it is the champagne gold shade (second from the left) that gave this palette cult status for me. The glow this gives is extreme as it takes on a 'wet' like appearance on the skin which is something I definitely look for in my highlights. You can see this in action in my Natural Makeup Look and you will understand what I mean as after just the tap of a brush on my cheeks my complexion quite literally changes in front of my eyes from dull and dreary to radiant and healthy. I used this throughout the majority of December and honestly would happily throw away the majority of my high end highlighters in favour for this one. I urge you to check this out if you see it in your local Boots or Superdrug!

What are your favourite drugstore highlighters? 

'In The Nude' Makeup Tutorial

If you like the look of my 'makeup of the day' that I based on the Balm Nude-Tude Palette and paired with a Kylie Jenner lip kit, please head on all over to my YouTube Channel to check out how I achieved it.

Products used:
YSL Le Teint Touche Élclat Foundation in B30
Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade
MAC Pro Longwear blush in Baby Don't Go
Rimmel Brow This Way Gel
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Concealer in Fair
MAC Prep and Prime in Light Boost
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish in 1 Fair
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light/ Incandescent Light/ Radiant Light
theBalm Batter Up Eyeshadow Primer in Moonshot
theBalm 'Nude-Tude' Palette
Kiko Colour Definition Eyeliner in 01
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
FairyDrops Scandal Queen Mascara
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
Kylie Jenner Lip Kit in Koko K

Let me know what you think!

What are some of your favourite 'nude' pieces in your collection? 

The Battle of the Highlighters

It is no secret that highlighters are very much the in  thing right now. Highlighters are the perfect way to fake a healthy glow on dull days and personally, my face does not feel complete without a dousing of highlight on my cheeks bones and the tip of my nose. It seems like everybody and their nan are on the ultimate expedition to find that ultimate glow so look no further as I am about to give you a full rundown on some of my favourite highlighters that I have been loving over the past year. So let's get straight into it as I have a feeling we could be here for a while...

For starters, I had to mention the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle as this was actually my first proper powder highlighter and the culprit for my ongoing glow obsession. I always recommend this powder to anyone that hasn't ventured into the highlight sphere before as it is a subtle champagne-peach shade and cannot be overly done yet it is still achievable to gain that ultimate glow. It isn't exactly cheap (£24 to be exact) but it definitely is not on the higher end of the market when it comes to price and this pan will last you a good year. As you can see, I actually have mine in the old packaging as it has lasted me that long and obviously there is the fact that I am highlighter whore and I never stay loyal to one which is probably pretty obvious due to this post. 

Next up is the Mary-Lou Manizer from theBalm. This is a much coveted highlight that has previously sat neatly in between high street and high end price tag as it could be purchased in both Debenhams and Superdrug however it now costs £17.49 which I'm pretty sure has increased, most likely because Mary's popularity has grown dramatically in the past couple of years thanks to the blogging industry. Mary-Lou boasts a gold gleam with a subtle shimmer that breaks into a champagne gold when applied onto the cheeks. I recommend this to a lot of highlighter lovers as it seriously adds a bit of oomph to the complexion plus it looks beautiful on a variety of skin tones - trust me. I have used this during the midst of winter when my face is so pale, I'd give Snow White a run for her money, as well during the peak of Summer when I transition from deathly pale to just pale. If you are looking for a champagne highlight that makes those cheek bones pop - check this out!

This next one is probably my all time favourite highlighter to the point that you can see in the picture above that I have almost hit pan. The BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed in Moonstone is probably the most talked about highlighter of 2016 alongside its sister Champagne Pop, and it isn't difficult to understand why. The colour is of course a beautiful pale gold with cool-silvery undertones that looks literally like liquid gold on the skin. However, it is the formula and finish of this highlight that sets it above its competitors. The formula of this powder is so finely milled it quite honestly feels like liquid and takes on a similar appearance when on the skin, to the point that your cheeks actually glisten when adorned with this BECCA beauty and seriously, I cannot get enough. I find whenever I wear this I seriously get addicted to the glow to the point that I am low-key applying this everywhere  on my face and I have no shame. It costs a hefty £32 but seriously I would not even hesitate to purchase this again - this is desert island stuff people! 

The Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter looks gimmicky but still offers the incredible quality that parallels all of her other products - seriously can Tilbury do any wrong? I purchased this originally as I love how small and compact the product is and felt that this would be the perfect travel sized highlighter and I was not wrong. The swatches of this do not do the gold justice, I honestly feel like a goddess when I wear this and I am never going to complain about that. The only downside is that the product costs £32 (gulp) for a pitiful 4.5g however if you are a regular shopper of Charlotte Tilbury products, this would come at no surprise. I wouldn't recommend this as a first time highlighter but if you are highlighter obsessed like me and are on the hunt for a true gold sheen - this is your gal. 

Finally, do not kill me as I am about to mention a product that costs an arm and leg to ship to the UK but it was soo worth it. The ColourPop Pearlized Highlighter in Wisp appears seemingly inexpensive as it technically costs under £7, although it actually costs a bomb when you add in the shipment charge from the US as well as the tax and all those nitty gritty details. I wish nothing more that ColourPop would create a decent stockists in the UK but do look around if you are wanting to purchase this as some UK sites do sell it but maybe with a slightly increased price. However, despite it's actual inexpensive status, the glow from this little while pot is incredible and the shade is seriously stunning as it offers a beautiful gold with a subtle peach undertone that only adds to the glow on the skin. The consistency of all ColourPop products is seriously odd as they look like a powder yet apply like a cream therefore I would recommend to use a synthetic brush when using any of their products to achieve the ultimate colour pay off. ColourPop offer a wide variety of highlighters that are all seriously beautiful so do go and check them out and pray along with me that they become even more accessible in the UK.

...and breathe. If you read all of that, I love you and will add you to my 2017 Christmas card lists.

I hope you enjoyed this run down of my favourite highlighters and please leave a comment below!

What is your favourite highligher?