Hello you beauties!

As this is going to be my last post before Christmas Day, I thought the only acceptable post for me to write today would be my planned makeup look for the special day. I wrote one of these posts last year as part of Blogmas (which I apologise for not doing this year) but because I've had a whole year to experiment with new makeup so, while some of the items I'm using this year may be exactly the same as last year, there will probably be some different items in the look too.

Primer: Nivea Men Post Balm Shave
Foundation: Revlon Colour Stay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin in the shade 'Ivory'
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade '1-Fair'
Powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder in the shade 'Translucent'
Bronzer: Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Blush: BareMinerals ReadyBlush in the shade 'The Indecent Proposal'
Highlight: One of the gold shades (probably one of the lighter ones) from the Makeup Revolution Sophx highlighter palette
Eye Primer: Gosh Prime 'n' Refresh
Eyeshadows: I will probably create a nude eye look using my Makeup Revolution Ultimate 144 Eyeshadow Palette Matte 2017 and then, from my other Ultimate 144 Eyeshadow Palette with shimmer shades, I will use a gold, red or green shimmer-y shade for that pop of Christmas-sy colour
Mascara: Princess Marcella Borghese Superiore State of the Art Mascara
Eyebrows: Soap and Glory Eyebrow Archery Pencil in the shade 'Brownie Points'
Lip Colour:

What is your Christmas look this year?

I'll be back on Christmas Day with a 'What I Got For Christmas' post.
Byeeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Disclaimer: If you don't want any of the contents of advent calendars to be ruined then I would advise you don't read this post

Last year, if you read my blogmas posts, you will know that I had the Makeup Revolution advent calendar and I actually really liked it (it definitely was worth the money). This year I won't be having a beauty advent calendar as I own so much makeup so the last thing I need to do is add more to my collection. However, I have looked into many of the beauty advent calendars that brands have on offer this year and have decided on which ones I would consider buying this year if I was to have one. I wanted to share all these with you.

If I had to choose my favourite calendar of this year then it definitely would be the Sleek one. At just £35 from Boots, I believe that it's great value for money as you get 24 items in this advent calendar and while most of them are the mini versions of products, I still think that this calendar is definitely worth more than £35. The range of products available in this calendar is outstanding and I am really excited to especially see one of their blushers and 3 eyeshadow palettes in there! The only problem is that this calendar seems so popular that it actually seems to have gone out of stock almost everywhere and even if I wanted one it doesn't look like I'd actually be able to get ahold of one.

I also like the look of the NYX advent calendar this year too. I was almost tempted to buy their calendar last year as I love that they had lip products and eyeshadows but it was way too expensive for me to afford at the time. This year their product is just lipsticks which I suppose is okay because my favourite thing about NYX are definitely their lip products. I don't think it's that bad a price at £50 either considering that a lot of their lip products are priced around £10 each. One thing that is stopping me from buying this calendar this year is just purely the fact that I feel like a lot of the shades in the calendar won't actually suit me and so I won't get much use out of most of the products.

The Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar is one I have always wanted to try as I've always been desperate to try out their products and the items in this years calendar seem amazing! With a mix of makeup and skincare, I really do believe that this calendar really lets you explore and discover the brand. The only problem is that this calendar is pricey (which obviously you expect from such a luxury brand as Charlotte Tilbury is) and there is no way I can afford £150 for one advent calendar.

BareMinerals has always been one of my favourite brands ever since I first started to use their products so the idea of a BareMinerals advent calendar is really appealing to me. Just being able to add another product of theirs to my collection every day just seems so exciting. There is such a variety of different beauty products in different shades in this calendar which makes it perfect for everyone. I just don't think I could afford £75 for one calendar right now...

Have you got a beauty advent calendar this year? Which one did you choose?

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Even though this is supposed to primarily be a beauty blog but I do realise that recently I have been writing about everything but makeup. That's mainly because recently I have not really been wearing much makeup so I've not really felt like I can talk about makeup. So today I have decided to answer 20 questions I have seen around the internet to really get me thinking about makeup, why I like it and what's important to me. And I wanted to share it with you.

1. Do you remember your first makeup item?
I can't remember the exact first item but I can remember a couple of things. I remember when I was around 12 my mum took me out shopping for makeup for the first time, for my birthday. Obviously I was young and my mum always encouraged me to be confident and comfortable with who I am so she didn't really encourage the use of makeup. So the first items of makeup I can remember buying/owning is a brown mascara from Asda, a nude lipstick from Miss Sporty and a nude lipstick from NYC.

2. Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found 'The One'?
I don't think I've found 'The One' yet but I've definitely found some mascaras I am very impressed with. I want a mascara that will curl my lashes and add volume (not too much but enough for them to give life to my eyes). The mascara that I have found that does the best job for this is definitely the Maybelline 'The Colossal' mascara.

3. What coverage do you like in a foundation?
Although ideally everyone would love a full coverage, I personally feel like I would prefer a medium coverage. Something to cover up my imperfections but not something that will literally create a mask. The best one I have found so far for this is the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation.

4. What's your favourite high end brand?
There are many high end brands that I like, but I'd probably say BareMinerals. I usually only buy my high end products from T K Maxx as it's the only way I can really afford it, and the BareMinerals items I have bought from there (which is quite a few) have never disappointed me.

5. What cosmetics brand are you desperate to try but haven't yet?
Definitely Morphe. I've always wanted to own one of their amazing eyeshadow palettes. I'm currently trying to use up some of my other eyeshadows first before I can justify buying one of the Morphe palettes.

6. Favourite drugstore brand?
I am obsessed with Makeup Revolution. Most of the items in my collection are actually from Makeup Revolution and some of the first makeup items I actually owned in my current selection were Makeup Revolution. Why not!? It's such an affordable brand!

7. Do you wear fake eyelashes?
No I don't actually. But I've always wanted to try them and see if they'd make any difference to my look. I just don't feel like I would have the patience for them!

8. What is your most cherished beauty product?
Probably my Stila eyeshadow palette. I worked in a pub for about a week and saved up all my tips specifically so I could buy this palette so I honestly believe it is the product I should treasure the most.

9. How often do you buy a makeup product?
Not a lot anymore but I think it got to the point where I was buying a new thing every time I was going anywhere near a shop, which could be every week, sometimes twice a week. It was obsessive, and I now own so much makeup that I don't know what to do with it all. I actually had to get my boyfriend to ban me from buying makeup because I was buying so much of it.

10. Do you have a monthly beauty budget or spend freely?
I don't have a budget but I won't let myself spend too much. If I feel like I'm starting to spend too much, I'll just stop myself from buying anything new.

11. Do you utalise coupons, reward cards and sales for your beauty products?
Of course! Reward cards are my favourites. In fact, my purse is just filled with them. But I don't see why you wouldn't want to use them. It's free to sign up to them and you can get so many free things with them.

12. Which beauty product do you buy the most of?
Definitely lipsticks! I'm obsessed with them and love exploring different shades that I could possibly use. I am particularly fascinated by the range of lip products from the NYX brand.

13. Is there a brand that you really don't like?
Not really, as there are items from most brands that I like but also items from those same brands that I don't like.

14. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulphates?
No I don't but I usually avoid makeup from places such as pound shops because I find that they usually cause a break out on my skin.

15. Do you have a favourite place to shop for makeup?
For drugstore makeup I prefer to shop at Superdrug and for high end makeup I tend to go to T K Maxx.

16. Do you like trying new skincare products or sticking to a routine?
If I'm completely honest, I'm quite naughty when it comes to skincare and tend to neglect it. But when it comes to face wash and moisturiser I tend to stick to the same thing every time as I know what works for me and what doesn't.

17. What's your favourite Bath&Body brand?
Definitely Treaclemoon. I religiously buy my body washes from their brand.

18. If you could only buy from one brand, who would you pick?
Makeup Revolution 100%. It's a great price and I know it works for me. Plus most of my makeup collection is Makeup Revolution at the moment anyway.

19. What do you love about makeup?
The fact that it allows me to experiment and be crazy while learning to love myself for who I am. And for me to be able to share my love of makeup with many people around the world.

20. Is there any makeup you can't leave the house without wearing?
Surprisingly not as I have been going out of the house without wearing makeup for a while recently.

Why don't you think about these questions with regards to yourself and let me know what your responses would be?

I'll be back next week with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

It has been a while since I uploaded a beauty post and because it is my last post of August 2017, I thought it was only right to bring a beauty post to you about possibly the most important makeup item of summer - bronzers!

Everyone wants that golden, tan-like glow during the summer to make them look healthy and not seem too washed out in the sun. Other than using fake tan, I believe that bronzer is the best way to do this!

Now, if you've been reading my blog for a while now (and if you have then thank you) you will know that I've always struggled to find a bronzer that I love, but I have managed to find 3 that work just fine for me.

The one I use the most is definitely the Hoola bronzer by Benefit. I own the mini version but I feel like this is great value for money, at just £10.50. It's extremely pigmented which means you only have to use a little bit so even the mini one lasts ages. It's really easy to blend out too so if you do feel like you've applied a little bit too much, it's easily fixed. Even though they do have the Lite version for people with paler skin (like me), I feel like the original version is fine for paler people as long as you use a light hand and know how to blend well.

Another bronzer that I like to use is the Bourjois chocolate bronzer. This one is a lot lighter than the Hoola bronzer so is perfect for people who don't want much bronzer (just a natural glow) or for people with paler skin. This is slightly cheaper than the Hoola bronzer too, at just £7.99 so it's a great drugstore purchase. And it smells like chocolate too, which is a bonus.

The final bronzer that I like to use is the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer in the shade 'Golden Days'. It's not the best out of the 3, but for just £4 it definitely worth the money. It's very pigmented for the price and is easy to use. The only problem I've ever had with it is that sometimes it can go orange. But other than that I really do like this bronzer.

What bronzers do you like to use? What would you recommend I try next?

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeee!

Hello you beauties!

Long time no see! It's been a while since I last uploaded a post - 4 weeks to be exact. And I really do want to apologise for that. I made a promise when I started this blog that I would stick to a schedule and I have failed to do so.

There are many, many reasons for my absence from this blog and I know some of you may simply not care what these reasons are, but I want to explain myself anyway.

The first reason for the absence is my A Level Exams. Yes, the dreaded exams. These have taken priority in my life for the past 3 years, so this year was no different. I was so desperate to pass this year that I literally forgot about everything else in my life and simply focused on those. I even pressed pause on my relationship so I could focus on my exams. But now, despite the weeks of unwanted stress, I have completed them and should now be able to use my free time to focus more on this blog again.

There have been many other things (that I am not going to disclose with you all, unfortunately) that has caused stress in my life and honestly, it has been hard. It has made me very, very ill and so a focus on my life has been to just cope, rather than worry about writing for you all. I'm getting better now - while the stress is still affecting me, I feel a lot healthier now that a lot of these things have gotten themselves under control. There is still a lot that I'm stressed about though, which isn't helping me a lot.

Mainly due to stress, I have also found myself simply not enjoying blogging anymore. Wow, that really isn't something I ever wanted to admit. But it happens sometimes. Just because there is one time I don't feel like blogging, doesn't mean I'm going to give up altogether. Blogging is always going to be something I enjoy but I just feel like I needed a break. And that break is what I got. And now I'm excited to start blogging again.

The final reason for not blogging recently is the fact that I simply haven't used makeup within the past month or so. I am the person who only usually wears makeup when I go out - drinking or for family events, etc. Due to college/exams, I have been stuck between either home or college and so felt no need to wear makeup. And what's the point in writing blog posts about makeup if I haven't been using it? I was running out of ideas of things to post about. That's the problem with running a beauty blog - while the world of makeup and fashion is very large, you can become restricted in what to write about. But now I have more free time on my hands, I do believe I'll be out of the house a lot more and therefore using makeup a lot more.


However, even though I've sorted out a lot of things meaning blogging is going to be easier for me, there is still a lot going on in my life (such as preparing for university and my relationship) that take priority meaning blogging is not going to be something easy for me. Therefore, I have decided to change my upload schedule. Yes, it means that I'm going to be uploading less but it means that I will be able to still write with a passion and give you posts that are worth your time to read.

So I'll be changing my schedule to posts every Wednesday at 9am. Yes, it means I'll only be posting once a week so half the amount of posts will be going up each month, While it doesn't seem good that I'll be posting less and less, at the end of the day, it'll help this blog grow. It means I am more likely to come up with great post ideas to keep you all entertained and gives me extra time to focus on writing them - I can focus on one a week rather than panicking and writing 2 or 3 a week.

I may upload extra posts if I feel the need to - like for birthdays or special events - so you're not necessarily restricted to just one post a week from me, but that is all you should expect. Please don't expect too much from me. Life can be hard sometimes and so things become less of a priority. I just hope I can always have the support of you readers though.

I hope you can all understand my reasoning for my absence and continue to support me and my writing.

I hope you liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

While sometimes I love going crazy with my makeup and using crazy colours, there are times where I do prefer wearing makeup where it looks like I'm not wearing any or hardly wearing any. I always have a set routine for my "no makeup" look, so I thought I would share that with you today.

1. Nivea Men Post Shave Balm Primer
This is my go-to primer at the moment. There's nothing better than feeling moisturised and refreshed before starting out your makeup routine for the day.

2. L'Oreal Infallible 24H Foundation in "Vanilla"
This foundation is great for everyday wear as it's not too heavy and really does last quite a while.

3. Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer in 'Ivory' 
While I don't always use this concealer as it does not offer as much coverage as my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, but because this is so light weight and brightening, it is good for that healthy, natural look.

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in "Translucent"
You all know I love this powder a lot, and is great to set your makeup no matter what, and great to travel with.

5. MUA Blusher in 'Cupcake'
I love these blushers from MUA as they're so pigmented and so easy to use. 'Cupcake' is a lovely nude blusher which helps add a more natural tone to your cheeks while still making it look like you're not wearing any/much makeup.

6. GOSH Eye Primer
This is the only eye primer I rely on at the moment - it helps that it is so cheap too!

7. Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow Collection 2017 Palette
I always use this palette now as it has so many different shades (144 in fact) so I mix up some of the natural/nude shades to create the perfect eye look for my "no makeup" look.

8. No7 Intense Volume Mascara in 'Black'
No7 have always been my favourite for my 'everyday' mascaras - I use so many because I'm always using them for work and college as they always as volume and colour as well as looking very natural.

9. Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil in 'Love is Blonde'
I am obsessed with this brow pencil - it is a great shade for me, so easy to use and looks so natural too.

10. Lip balm (any)
It is always a great idea to keep your lips hydrated before putting on a lip product, or is great on its own to present that natural makeup look.

11. NYX Butter Gloss in 'Madeleine'
Most often than not, I just stick to lip balms but on the days where I want to add a little more to my makeup look, I will add this nude NYX lipgloss, as it basically looks like your lips but better. And it's not sticky either.

Do you have your own "no makeup" makeup look? Please feel free to share it with us through the comments.

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all.

I hope you liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I'm sure I'm not the only person who loves shopping but I did actually ban myself from buying more makeup until I had got through some of the stuff I already own. I tried sticking to this and I did a very good job at not spending any money for a while but then... I fell in love with everything I saw. So a lot of the stuff in this post I have had for a while (probably a few weeks or so) and I may have used them quite a bit but I wanted to make this post as big as possible and now because I've used most or all of these products means I can give you all an accurate review of the products. So let's get on with it, because we have a lot to get through!

The beauty items that I bought are all from 6 different stores/websites: Tam Beauty, Tesco, T K Maxx, Wilko, Primark and Boots.

Let's start with what I bought from Tesco.

Sometimes I like being in with the trends but sometimes I try to hold back a bit just so it doesn't seem like I'm copying everyone else. All of you must have heard of people using the Nivea men post shave balm, and many of you probably use it yourself. I've had other primers to use before so I didn't buy this product when all the hype was around it. But then I saw it in Tesco for £3.50 so I decided to buy it and try it. And it definitely is worth it. It's the only primer I use anymore and it is worth the money even more because it is so moisturising. I always end up using too much though because I underestimated how little of it I actually need to use.

From Tesco I also bought myself a new foundation and this one is the L'Oreal Infallible Matte foundation in the shade '10 Porcelain' (because yes, I am very pale). I've heard a lot of people talk about this foundation but I was worried to buy it because I thought with it being a matte product it might not be right for my skin type (which is oily and dry at the same time). However, for just £8, I was very impressed with this foundation and it is probably my favourite foundation now. It works great on my skin and only seems to stand out of the drier areas around my nose. But if I make sure to moisturise properly first then it's not a massive problem. It claims to be a full coverage foundation which I must admit is wrong as it's more of a medium coverage but it certainly offers better coverage than any drugstore foundation that I've used before. If you're looking for an affordable foundation I would definitely recommend this one.

Now let's talk about the one makeup item I bought from Wilko.

I'm running low on my favourite Collection concealer and I couldn't find it in my shade anywhere so I've been in desperate need of a concealer to use until I could repurchase my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. So I picked up the Essence Matte Concealer from Wilko for only £1 which I thought was quite a bargain. But honestly, now that I've tried it, I would not recommend it. It definitely is matte but it made it really drying and hard to blend out. The colour was a good match though and I think it may have worked if I could actually blend it out. Don't purchase it. I know it's cheap but it's not worth it.

Again I only bought one item from Primark so let's talk about that one now.

I've only ever owned two Primark makeup products before, a face sculpting palette and a red lipstick, which were both okay products but not something that stands out above other makeup I use. However, I've seen Youtubers hyping over the Primark Velvet Matte lip crayons and I bought one a few months ago in the shade 'Ballerina' which is a lovely pink shade. So when I went again a few weeks ago I picked up the shade 'Mushroom' (such a cute name!) which is a gorgeous mauve-y pink shade and totally wearable for during the day. These always last quite a while and are not usually too drying on the lips. If you don't feel like it looks perfect on its own then I would recommend adding a clear lip gloss over the top. Yes, it means it's not matte anymore but it still looks just as good.

Buying just one product at a time seems to be the way I build up my collection gradually, so let's see what I bought in Boots.

Usually I go mad in Boots but there was only one thing that I was actually looking for. I've been looking for a cream contour stick for a while but I didn't want one like the Clinique ones that were more expensive just in case I found out that they didn't work for me. So when I saw the Collection Precision Contouring stick for just £3.99 I immediately bought it. I've always loved Collection makeup so I had a feeling that this one would be good. I chose the shade 'Light' and I'm glad that I didn't go for one any darker as this one is only just the right shade for me. It wasn't the easiest to blend out and was very very subtle but it is definitely worth the money.

Now let's go onto what I bought from T K Maxx, which is honestly probably one of my favourite shops ever.

I love buying makeup from T K Maxx (if I can find something that isn't smashed or been tested by other people) as it has allowed me to add many high end items into my collection for a lot less money than I would've normally had to pay for it. The first thing that I picked up from T K Maxx over a series of visits is the Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadow in the shade 'Metallic Lavender' (which as you can probably guess is a lilac shade). Normally you'd have to pay £18 for this product but I actually only paid £3.99 for it. I was really impressed with the price and although I haven't actually tried it yet, I already know this product will be amazing as I have never ever had any problems with Stila products.

On my second trip I bought something I had been looking at for a while but never had the chance to buy before. It is the BareMinerals 'The Beauty Upgrade' set in the shade 'Light'. It retails at £56 but I picked it up for £29.99. And amazingly you pay that for £160.50 worth of products! I was amazed when I saw this product in the store a couple of months ago. The only reason I didn't buy this set before was because they usually only had the darker sets such as 'Medium Beige' and 'Tan' which would've been way too dark for me. When I saw this in the right shade for me I didn't hesitate to buy it.

In this set there is the Flawless Face Brush (RRP. £19) which is actually a pretty good brush for applying powder foundation, the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush (RRP. £14) which is very soft and nice to use.

There is also the Lash Domination Volumising Mascara Petite Precision Brush in 'Intense Black' (RRP. £19) which is a product I haven't actually used yet as I have so many mascaras on the go at the moment but the little skinny brush is so cute.

Then there is the Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balm in the shade 'Blushing Passion' (RRP. £17) which is described as a pink but it is more of a beige nude, basically your lips but better and is very moisturising and easy to apply.

Then there is the Prep Step Moisture Set Radiant Prep Cream (RRP £24) which is a brilliant primer which is very moisturising and not at all sticky.

Also in this set there is the Hydrating Mineral Veil Finishing Powder (RRP. £21) which I have always heard amazing things about and I will admit that it definitely is as amazing as people say it is! It's one of the best powders I have used, though because of the price I think I will just stick to my Rimmel Stay Matte powder rather than repurchasing this one.

The penultimate item in this BareMinerals set is the SPF 20 Concealer in the shade 'Bisque' (RRP. £20) which I think is one of the lightest shades they do. This product is slightly strange to use as it is a powder and I am actually only used to using liquid concealers and I am not used to applying concealer before foundation. But this concealer is surprisingly easy to use and offers great coverage. I wouldn't want this any darker though... as it is only just the right shade for me.

The final product in this BareMinerals set is their Original Foundation SPF 15 in the shade 'Light' (RRP. £26.50) which is definitely my favourite product in this whole set. It's a slightly darker foundation than what I would usually go for but it still is a decent shade and great for everyday wear. It was confusing working out how to use it as I have never used a powder foundation before but once I used it for the first time I was impressed with the coverage it gave, seeing as it is only powder. It's not completely full coverage but it's a lot better than I expected. The greatest thing too is that you really don't feel like you're wearing foundation. which is what you want with every foundation.

So overall I was really impressed with the BareMinerals set that I bought from T K Maxx and I am glad I finally bought it.

The final trip to T K Maxx was one where I surprisingly didn't buy any makeup. Instead I purchased Justin Bieber's Girlfriend perfume. It is retailed at £29 but I managed to save quite a bit of money on it and only had to pay £12.99! I own his 'Someday' perfume but have almost ran out of it because I used to use it all the time. I wanted to buy this quite a while ago but did not want to spend so much money on it. I knew I had to buy it as soon as I saw it at such an amazing price. It is 50ml too so a really nice size and smells great. I can see this becoming my everyday scent.

The final place I bought makeup from was the Tam Beauty, home to brands such as Makeup Revolution and Freedom. I only actually intended to buy 1 of these products but they had a sale on and also free delivery on orders over £30 so I just had to take advantage of this.

So the item that I actually intended to buy is the I Heart Makeup Unicorns Heart highlighter which only cost £5. I've been wanting this for a while as it is a beautiful rainbow highlighter but it's always out of stock on the Superdrug website. I was very excited to see it in stock on the Tam Beauty website and I am really impressed with the product. I mix all of the shades together and it does give you a blue-ish tinted highlight and it is very intense. I've been using this a lot since I bought it.

The next item I ordered from Tam Beauty is the Freedom Makeup London Pro Lipstick Palette 24 shades in the shades 'Naked'. I only paid £10 for this palette which is amazing considering the fact that you get 24 different lip shades in it - 14 are a glossy finish and 10 are a matte finish. These are very easy to apply too, are insanely pigmented and last for ages. They rarely transfer either.

I also bought another lipstick and this one is the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro Lipstick in the shade 'Looking Ahead'. This is supposedly a dupe for MAC's 'Twig' and is a massive fraction of the price at just £2.49. I have used this lipstick multiple times since I bought it and I really do love it. It's a darker brown lipstick than what I would usually go for but is definitely very wearable for me. It is very easy to apply as well and is very creamy and lasts ages. I am really impressed with this lipstick.

I also purchased the Makeup Revolution Ultimate Matte Eyeshadow Collection 2017 palette and the Makeup Revolution Ultimate Eyeshadow Collection 2017 palette. I am obsessed with both of these eyeshadow palettes. The first palette contains 144 matte eyeshadow shades and the second one contains 144 shimmer eyeshadow shades. And both palettes only cost me £10 each (they were on sale - they should've been £20 each). I've always loved Makeup Revolution eyeshadows and these ones haven't failed to impress me. You could make any look with these eyeshadows as there is basically every colour of the rainbow in these. They're insanely pigmented too which makes everything even better.

So that's the end of my very very long haul. If you're still here at the end of this post then I am very impressed with you as I know this has been a massive post compared to usual. Most things in this post are things I would definitely recommend you all buy and I feel like some of these may be making it into a favourites post very soon.

Have you bought anything recently? Anything you would recommend? Anything we should steer clear of?

I'll be back on Saturday with another post for you all.

I hope you all liked this very long post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Some of you are probably in the same boat as me with this, but there are certainly many items in my makeup collection that I have used before or I know are really good but I just don't seem to use them anymore. And I really should. So I've picked out some of my favourites that I am going to start using more of and have decided to tell you all what they are!

1. Nars Galapagos eyeshadow
I bought this from T K Maxx a while ago for £10 cheaper than it was supposed to be, so it was a real bargain but I am just too scared to use it. It's quite dark so I am worried that I'll accidentally put too much on and look stupid. I'm going to be more brave from now on though as it is definitely a great product and such a gorgeous shade!

2. Collection Lip Butter in 'Cappuccino'
I mentioned this product in my favourite nude lipsticks post and I really did use to wear this lip colour a lot but once I started becoming a bit more adventurous with my purple and pink shades, I just seemed to stop using this. I really do like this lip crayon though so I am definitely going to try and use it more from now on.

3. No7 Skin Illuminator
I was really excited about this product when I first bought it but since then I just seemed to stick to my powder highlights rather than liquid ones. I want to start using it more though as it is quite beautiful, so I am planning to start mixing it with my foundation more to give me that healthy and natural looking glow.

4. Any eyeliner I own
You all know that I have a love-hate relationship with eyeliners. I usually avoid using them as I do get really annoyed with it all sometimes, but then I really love how eyeliner looks on me. So from now on, I am going to start being a bit more patient and try to incorporate eyeliner into my makeup look a bit more.

5. Maybelline Master Brow Pro Palette
I used to use this brow product ALL the time but then I discovered the Freedom brow pomade and stopped using everything else. This brow product is really great though and so I'm going to start using this a bit more rather than the pomade to help give a bit more of a soft and natural look to my brows.

6. Seventeen Define and Conquer contour kit
Contouring really isn't my strong point (then again, am I actually any good at anything to do with makeup) but I really found using this contour kit was a lot easier. I don't know why I stopped using it (probably to use my Benefit Hoola bronzer instead!) but I'm really going to start using this more for that subtle everyday look.

7. Makeup Revolution 'Hot Spice' blush palette
These were probably the first blushers I ever owned and they really are such great drugstore blushers as they are very pigmented and easy to blend out if necessary. Such a great range of colours too. I used to use them all the time but now I usually use my MUA or BareMinerals blushers.

So those were just a few things that I do feel like I need to use more and hopefully I'll stick to that. Are they any good products you feel like you're neglecting at the moment?

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all.

I hope you all liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

You all know by now that my favourite part of the month is getting my Look Incredible box as they give us such amazing products each month for such a low price! And this month's box really knew how to impress me. So let's get onto the review.

First there is the Fresh Face Essence with Green Coffee which, when I first saw it, looks very similar to the BareMinerals skin product that we received in last month's box. I have never heard of this brand before so I don't actually know if their products are any good or not but it is for my skin so as you know I'll always be looking forward to trying it out.

Next is a Nails Inc NailKale nail polish in the shade Westbourne Park Road. The colour is lovely, a very nice nude-y pink and I would use it a lot as it is the perfect natural shade. However, I have tried a polish from this brand before and was quite disappointed with it as it chipped within the first few hours. It would peel off quite easily too. I WILL give this one a chance though - this one would be a different formula and so may be better than the other one I own (it might have just been a dodgy pot that I had) so I am looking forward to trying this out.

In this box we also got a Studio 10 Brow Lift Perfecting Liner and while I have never used anything from this brand before, I have heard great things about them and I am also loving new brow products. The idea of this brow product is really great too, as it says that it can adapt to different hair colours depending on how hard you press down. So I'll be using a really light hand! It seems like a really great colour for my eyebrows which is a problem I usually find as blonde products are too light for my brows but brown products are often too dark.

The penultimate item in this month's box is a Korres Mango Butter lipstick, which sounds amazing, especially as I love everything mango related. I got the shade 'Natural Rose' which is how it sounds, a lovely natural colour. A natural brown-red colour. I have a nice growing collection of Korres makeup now and have not yet had any problems with it yet so I feel like this is going to be a really great lipstick.

The final item in this month's box is definitely not one that I was expecting. It is the Revealed Smoky 20 shade eyeshadow palette from a brand called Coastal Scents. Again I have never heard of this brand before but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing! I don't usually go for a smoky eye but I can see myself using so many of these shades on just a normal day. And once I swatched these eyeshadows and used them I automatically fell in love with the palette. They're so incredibly pigmented and blend out really well so it'd be a perfect palette for everyone.

This box this month is honestly just so amazing! I am still shocked. This actually makes me slightly upset to think that I will be cancelling my subscription with them soon. So I know most of the brands in this box are ones I have never heard of before but like I said earlier, it can be a good thing. Even though I want to have brands included that I have heard of but are that bit more expensive that I probably wouldn't want to go out and buy it all myself, it's great having those brands you haven't heard of before as it introduces you to something new and honestly, a lot of my favourite makeup is from brands I had never heard of before I received the product in a beauty box. Is that the same for some of you?

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all.

I hope you all liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeee!

Hello you beauties!

I'm back again for another one of my 'Brand Fortnight' posts and today I will be talking about what is probably my favourite brand of all time - Makeup Revolution! Obviously it's my favourite, as my advent calendar was from them and quite a few of my makeup products are actually by that brand.

My favourite makeup product of all time from Makeup Revolution has to be their Ultra Eyeshadows 'Flawless' palette, which is a mixture of matte and shimmer shades (although mostly shimmer). Whilst they're not the most pigmented eyeshadows I have ever used (nothing will ever beat my Stila palette), they're very good for the price - I think it only cost me like £8 - but they're great to use no matter what situation you want to use them for and you can create so many great looks from it.

I honestly really love their eyeshadows, as another one of their products that I love is their Redemption palette which is purely shimmer shades. As you all know, I love shimmer shades! They make any look perfect. I wasn't expecting this palette to be any good as it is only worth around £4 but it is actually an amazing palette and I would definitely recommend that you add it to your makeup collection as soon as possible!

Recently, I have also started to love their highlighters again. I know in a past post I have said that I don't like their baked highlighters but I decided to try them out again and have found a love for them. The one that I love the most has to be their white/gold toned one that I got in their advent calendar as it gives a lovely but subtle glow and I use it now on an every day basis.

Their baked products are just so good so of course now I am mentioning their baked blushers, which are absolutely amazing! The colour isn't too pigmented but in a way I love this with blushers as I don't want that colour to be too intense, just subtle, and the fact that these are baked blushers means that getting the subtle colour that you want.

I never thought I would actually say this, but I really do love their lipsticks! Again, not very pigmented but are great if you just want a sheer wash of colour and are very cheap, usually at £1 or £2 each. They have such a massive variety of colours too so you can find something for any look you want to create.

Finally, I want to talk about their setting sprays. I must admit this part of the post is quite biased as I have only used setting sprays by this brand but that's because I really do love them. They really do hold your makeup very well and don't feel too heavy on my skin. The only downside is the medicine scent to it, but it only lasts for a few seconds so it's not a big deal.

These were just a few of my favourite Makeup Revolution products and hopefully in the future this list will soon grow. Please share your favourite Makeup Revolution products with me. It might be something that I've not tried before and I'd love to try some new things!

I'll be back on Saturday with another post for you all.

I hope you liked this post. If you did, then be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got many great gifts! I'm personally so sad that Christmas is over already (especially as it means Blogmas is now over too), but I'm now looking forward to welcoming in 2017!

I thought today I'd do a simple post, as you're probably all still feeling sleepy after the masses of food we all consumed yesterday. So I thought I'd follow the trend and share with you what I got for Christmas this year! In no way am I trying to brag, but I know how much I love seeing what other people get as gifts so I thought you all might like to see what I received. My parents truly did spoil me this year.

1. An iPhone 5S
2. Slippers
3. White Grace perfume
4. Britney Spears Fantasy perfume
5. Along Came Betty She Mist Me scented body mist
6. Lynx Attract for Her deodorant and body wash
7. Some silver heart earrings
8. Baylis and Harding limited edition bath set
9. 'Girl Online Going Solo' by Zoe Sugg (Zoella)
10. Body Shop body set in the Mango scent
11. Emax Design Makeup Brushes
12. Just Dance 2017 for the Wii
13. 'Fantastic Beasts' colouring book
14. Chocolate
15. Money

I genuinely love everything that I got for Christmas this year, especially my new phone! As you all know, that was on my Christmas wishlist this year and I am so happy.

I would love to know what you all got for Christmas too, so feel free to tell me in the comments below!

Enjoy your boxing day, and I will be back on Wednesday with another post for you all!

If you liked this post, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends!
Byeeeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Welcome to day 23 of Blogmas!

I personally know that one of the hardest things about Christmas is deciding how to wear your makeup that day. So I thought I'd share with you my decision so that maybe it could help you to decide too.

Face Primer: Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix in 'Light Vanilla'
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection in 'Cool Medium'

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 'Translucent'

Contour: Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Blush: Bourjois Blush in 'Golden Rose'
Highlight: Sleek Solstice Palette - the shade 'Hemisphere'

Eye Primer: Gosh Prime 'n' Refresh

Eyeshadows: NYX in the shade 'Suede' on the whole lid, the shade 'The Chaser' in the crease and the Makeup Revolution in the shade 'New Tral Red' also in the crease. Then MUA in the shade 'Oyster' in the inner corner and then NYX in the shade 'Flustered' (a glittery red) on the lid.

Mascara: Benefit Roller Lash

Eyebrows: Freedom Brow Pomade in the shade 'Blonde' and then coated with Benefit Ready, Set, Brow!

Lip Liner: L'Oreal Le Lip Liner Magique in the 'Clear' shade

Lip Colour: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade 'Abu Dhabi'

So I hope this has given you some inspiration. I would love it if you would all share your Christmas makeup looks with me in the comments or emailing me at instaurabeauty@gmail.com.

I'll be back tomorrow for the last day (day 24) of Blogmas!

If you liked this post, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

While I know some people have already bought and wrapped all of their Christmas gifts, I also know there are some people who have no clue what to buy. Here are 7 gift ideas for beauty lovers.

Day 7 of Makeup Revolution Calendar: Baked Blush in the shade 'Hard Day'

1. Acrylic storage and brush holders
I feel like these are things that EVERY beauty lover needs. They'll make perfect gifts, especially as someone keeps adding to their makeup collection - they're gonna need more storage space. You can buy great ones for all sorts of prices, but my own personal acrylic storage (which I love) was less than £20!

2. Cute Makeup Bags
Who doesn't want a cute makeup bag!? They're brilliant for travelling, or if you only have very few makeup items. You can get them for all price ranges, but my favourites include Zoella's makeup bags and Nails Inc.

3. Eyeshadow Palettes
I know personally that I would love to receive an eyeshadow palette as a gift. And there's always something for everyone when it comes to eyeshadow palettes. The great thing about eyeshadow palettes too is the range of colours - you can basically make tons of looks just from 1 palette. They come in all different price ranges too, and while you can treat someone to a Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette or the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, but then there are cheaper but equally as good quality palettes such as the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 or the MUA Hall of Fame.

4. Fragrance Sets
Who doesn't love a good perfume for Christmas? Feeling like splashing out? Treat that lucky person to a Marc Jacob's 'Daisy' perfume set. On a bit of a budget? Consider Zoella's body mist set.

5. Nail sets
For those people who love their nail art, then a nail polish and nail art set would be great for them. I really love the Ciate sets for nail art.

6. Makeup Brush sets
Every beauty lover needs brushes! So surprise them this Christmas with a beautiful set of makeup brushes, or just a few individual ones. There are brilliant brushes from all price ranges too, such as Real Techniques, Spectrum and Zoeva.

7. Lipstick sets
I personally find that great lipsticks can be the perfect finish for any look. Without a good lipstick, it can ruin the whole look. So why not help your beauty lover friend out this Christmas and treat them to a lipstick set, where they give you a great range of colours in just one box. Try checking out sets by brands such as NYX, Makeup Revolution and MUA.

I hope this gift guide was helpful for you all. If you have any gift idea suggestions, then leave them in the comments below.

I'll be back tomorrow for day 8 of Blogmas!

If you liked this post, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeeee!!

Hello you beauties!

With Christmas quickly approaching, everyone will find themselves being invited to at least one Christmas party - maybe for work or a friend's party. You need to make yourself feel as Christmas-sy as ever, but don't always know where to begin. So today I've decided to share with you my go-to Christmas party makeup look, and I hope you can all take some inspiration from this.

Day Four of Makeup Revolution calendar: Strobe Balm

1.Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 'Light Vanilla'
This is honestly one of my favourite foundations and I find it especially great during the winter months. It has great coverage but doesn't feel too heavy on the skin.

2. Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in '2- Cool Medium'
This is probably my holy grail concealer, as it offers such great coverage, is so easy to blend and doesn't crease. Plus it is so cheap, so is perfect if you're only looking to use it a few times over the festive period!

3. Rimmel Stay Matte powder
This is a product I have spoken about a lot before, and I genuinely love this powder. It's great to set your makeup so that it lasts the whole night while you celebrate the festivities with family and friends.

4. Bourjois Chocolate scented bronzing powder in the shade '51'
I must admit, I prefer using my Benefit Hoola bronzer to this, as it creates a sharper contour. However, during the winter months I like to tone down on my contour so I have been finding myself using this bronzer a lot as it is a lot softer in colour.

5. BareMinerals Ready Blush in 'The Indecent Proposal'
BareMinerals blushers are probably my favourite blushes by far. And this blush is perfect for the festive period, as while it is only a nude colour, it has the added shimmer that will help bring sparkles to your look this Christmas.

6. Sleek Solstice highlighter palette
This palette contains the best, but most intense, highlighters I have ever used, and an intense highlight is perfect for a festive look. For a Christmas party, I would personally use the shade 'Equinox' as it is a lovely peachy orange shade.

7. NYX eyeshadow palette
For Christmas, I love using red and pink toned eyeshadows as they're just shades that I usually associate with Christmas. So I was happy to remember that I had already put together a NYX quad of eyeshadows with these perfect shades in them! As a base and the inner corner, I would use the shade 'Cupcake' which is a lovely matte light pink. Then in the crease I would use the shade 'Starstruck' which is a lovely mauve pink shade. Finally, on the outer 'V' of my eye, I would use the shade 'Flustered' which is a deep red/rusty colour, perfect for the festive period.

8. BareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow quad 'The After Party'
As well as loving their blushers, I also love the BareMinerals eyeshadows. To complete my eye look, I would put the lovely silver shade 'Mingle' for that added shimmer this Christmas.

9. Freedom Brow Pomade in 'Blonde'
I find that my eyebrows can always make or break a look, and I really love using this pomade because it is so easy to use and perfect for making your brows look amazing this Christmas period!

10. Benefit Roller Lash mascara
Usually I stick to my favourite No7 mascara, but recently I have been loving the Roller Lash mascara. It gives great length and volume, and really curls the lashes too. It adds great finish to any makeup look for the festive look.

11. No7 moisture drench lipstick in 'Caramel Silk'
Although I sometimes enjoy a bold lip, with having the red/pink eye look, I thought a simple nude lipstick would be the perfect end to this look. I love the No7 lipsticks too, as they really do moisturise and have great pigmentation.

So that is my festive party look for this year! Please feel free to share your festive looks with me.

I'll be back tomorrow with day 5 of Blogmas!

If you liked this post, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends!
Byeeee!!

Hello you beauties!

This is a post that I was supposed to write a few months ago, but decided to prolong it so that I would have more to write about. There hasn't really been many items that I haven't liked, but there are still a few so I'm still going to write this post for you all. I usually avoid being negative in my posts, but I suppose it doesn't hurt just this once to have something different on my blog.

1. Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter
I think this is the one product that put me off using powder highlighters for a while. At first, it looks really pretty and it swatches great, but during application I found that there was a lot of fall-out (everything landed on my clothes rather than my skin!) and that it definitely just looked TOO purple. Maybe other people would have more luck with this product, but this is a product that definitely isn't right for me.

2. Natural Collection concealer
When I was younger, I used to only ever use Natural Collection makeup, thinking this brand was the best thing ever. But since I have started exploring with makeup more, I have found that, in general, Natural Collection makeup really isn't good at all. I struggled to find the right shade for me, as there were a limited range of shades anyway, but it was also very runny and hard to blend, and creased extremely easily under the eye after a few seconds. I would rather spend a bit more money on the Bourjois Radiance Reveal concealer, knowing that it'll do a good job.

3. Natural Collection bronzer
Again, another Natural Collection product. I hated this bronzer. No matter what brush I used, hardly any of the product would be picked up and it would take ages just to make any of the product seem visible on my skin. Whilst in the pan, it looks like a lovely light bronze-y colour, but once on the skin it actually turns disgustingly orange, which was often prominent around my neck and hairline. You might find it'd work better for you, but I will never be using this bronzer again.

4. Natural Collection mascaras
And yet again, another Natural Collection product! These were the only mascaras that I ever actually used, but I would never use them again as they hardly do anything. If you get the black ones, then they may add a little bit more colour but other than that, they do nothing! I suppose if you were going for a very natural look for your makeup then these mascaras will work great, but because I love adding extra length and volume to my lashes, then these mascaras just aren't right for me.

5. Velvet 59 liquid lipstick in the shade 'Pink Cadillac'
Liquid lipsticks are something that I don't really get along with well generally, but this is the one I hated the most. The colour is just WAY too bright and gross and just washes me out, and also the formula is dreadful. They're supposed to be matte products but they never actually dry out, they just get really sticky. Also, the lipstick is so incredibly runny that its just so hard to work with and leaves it looking streaky on your lips. No matter what I did or how hard I tried, I never once managed to get this lipstick to look right -  it's supposed to be worth around £16 but, honestly, I wouldn't even spend £1 on this product.

So they were the products that I do not really like. If you've had a more positive experience with these products then let me know. Or alternatively, also let me know any products that you don't really like either.

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all.

If you liked this post then be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with your friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I have seen many people doing this tag, so I thought it was about time that I did it too. Plus it is perfect to say that I am a beauty blogger!

Greed: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
My most inexpensive beauty item/s has to be the two MUA blushers that I own - in the shades 'Lolly' and 'Cupcake' - that both only cost £1 each!
My most expensive beauty item is my Stila 'Eyes are the Window' Soul palette, which have to be the best and most pigmented eyeshadows that I own. This palette cost me £30.

Wrath: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

I have a love/hate relationship with eyeliner. Sometimes I can get it to look great on me, but most of the time it just doesn't want to go right. 

I have never really struggled to find a product that I've wanted.

Gluttony: What are your most delicious beauty products?

My Bourjois bronzer - its the one that smells of chocolate!!!

Sloth: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

Eyeliner, because I usually don't have the time or patience for this!

Pride: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Definitely mascara - I cannot stand how my eyes look without it. 

Lust: If money was no object, what lustworthy beauty product would you add to your collection?

I would definitely want the Violet Voss Holy Grail palette. I actually asked for this for my birthday without realising how much one cost. It is so expensive! It is definitely something I would add to my collection if I had all the money in the world.

Envy: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

I am keen to own the Sleek Solstice highlighter palette. I did ask for it for my birthday, so hopefully my parents will be able to find it easily. 

So that was the tag, and I hope you all do this tag too!

I'll be back on Saturday with another post for you all!

If you like my blog, make sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends! Thank you!

Byeeeeee! 

Hello you beauties!

Everyone knows by now that I love lip crayons/pencils more than I love anything else in the world, so I thought I would go through each one I own and give you a review of them, and share the love I have for them all!

Collection Work the Colour Lip Butters (shades Cappuccino and Marshmallow Pink)
These retail at £2.99 each from basically anywhere that stocks Collection (e.g. Boots, Superdrug and Asda). Cappuccino is a glossy nude colour that is perfect for everyday wear. It is not extremely pigmented meaning it is not too intense but still gives a burst of colour. The Marshmallow Pink is a matte pink colour that I wearable for day and night and also doesn't dry out my lips which is a bonus.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Colour Rush Intense Colour Balm (shades Viva Violet, Make Me Blush, Rumour Has It and Boom Chic A Boom)
These retail at £5.99 each in places such as Superdrug and Boots again. These are super pigmented, more so than the Collection ones, but are also much more intense so I would usually save these for a night out. I might use the 'Viva Violet' shade (aka a purple) in the winter months during the day but I would mainly use these lip crayons for a night out.

Bourjois Paris Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick (shade Orange Punch)
Before I purchased this lip crayon (for £7.99 from Boots), I had never tried this brand out before. And I'm kind of annoyed at myself for not trying this brand out before. Just from this one product, I am already impressed. It's very sheer, but I prefer this with this shade as I have never really used an orange shade for my lips before. The colour is build-able but pigmented well. It is very moisturising and I will use this a lot during the summer.

Revlon Colour Burst Lacquer Balm (shade Demure)
This is the first Revlon product I owned, which I bought from Boots for £7.99. I think I'm obsessed with lip products (obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this post) and I heard that this were amazing lip crayons so I thought I would try them out. Not all shades were really wearable for me, but that's because of my own personal taste rather than them being horrible shades (I loved all the shades I just wouldn't be brave enough to wear some of them). These lacquer balms are very sheer and great for everyday wear.

Revlon Colour Burst Balm Stain (shade Honey)
Again, another Revlon product. I got this as a free gift for spending £14.99 from Boots, but again these retail at £7.99. It's a lovely pink that I saw before I bought the Lacquer balm but chose not to buy it. I wish I had, as it's not as bright as I thought it would be and I'm excited to use this more on an everyday basis more in the future.

MAC Patent Polish Lip Pencil (shade Hopelessly Devoted) 
This is the only high-end lip crayon that I actually own, although I have my eye on a NARS lip pencil. I got it in my May 2016 Look Incredible beauty box so it's not really a shade I would've chosen for myself (a bright fuchsia). However, luckily this lip pencil is very sheer so the colour, whilst being very pigmented, is also build-able to the level you want it, rather than being very intense from the beginning. This is a great colour for a night out and also quite moisturising.

My Favourite? I would probably recommend the Collection lip crayons the most. Whilst they're not the most pigmented, they're not too expensive and give great pigmentation for the price they cost and also are great to wear during the day.

So that was my review! I hope you all enjoyed this post. Let me know if you like lip crayons and which ones you like, so I can try some new ones out :)

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all.

If you like my blog, make sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends! Thank you!

Byeeeeee!