Review || Benefit Gimme Brow

Benefit Gimme Brow | £17.50 | Link As I have mentioned many times on here, my brows are a bit of a daily makeup battle. They are fair, sparse and just plain annoying so any product that can thicken them and define them is something that I am going to be interested in. So when Benefit released 'Gimme Brow' I thought that I should definitely give it a try and see if it would solve some of my brow issues. Benefit have described this product as a brush on fibre gel which adheres to the brow hairs and the skin under your brows to make your brows appear thicker and fuller. This was something that was very appealing to me as I am often left with full looking brows from afar after filling them in with a powder, but close up all you can see is my fair brow hairs making an appearance, which is not the look I want, so when I was in a local Benefit store recently I decided to pick this little product up. Gimme Brow isn't cheap at £17.50 so I wanted to make sure that I chose the right shade. I was pretty certain that I would be better suited to the lightest shade 'Light/Medium' but whilst I was in-store I tried it out just to make sure it suited me, and that the product actually was as good as it sounded. Sure enough the shade worked perfectly and I like how my brows looked with this product on them, completely natural yet they had been transformed, just what I needed. What I like most about this product is that it coats each individual hair with product so that your brows look naturally that colour, and it doesn't clump, which could have been an issue as it has a mascara like wand, just in miniature form. It is long lasting as well so doesn't end up half way down your face as the day goes on. It is available in two shades, 'Light/Medium' and 'Medium/Dark' and as far as I am aware they are almost a one shade fits all kind of product, so you should be able to get this product to work for you.   Have you tried this product yet? Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

Weekly Wishlist: Hair

Hello everyone, I hope you are well. Today's post is pretty simple as I am pretty exhausted from the stress of my upcoming exam and extra lessons and revisions sessions after school, however I wanted to get a post up for you so I decided to do a wishlist on all of the hair products that I want to try.

From top left, clockwise:

Free From Frizz: 6 Week Blowout Kit £14.99

Bumble and bumble Straight Blow Dry £25

Denman Extra Large Ceramic Barrel Hot Curling Brush £10.99

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque £22.90

Invisibobble Traceless Hair Ring £3.75

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Mask £4.79

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner £3.99

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo £3.99

Have you tried any of these products?

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NOTD: Barry M Texture Nail || Duchess

A few weeks ago I felt like a glittery nail and decided to use a Barry M nail polish that I had never used before, the Textured Nail Paint in Duchess* (Link). I had only ever tried one of the textured nail paints before and didn't like it too much because of the grainy, concrete-like texture, and I am more of a glossy, smooth textured nail girl. However because it was glittery I put the weird texture behind since glitter always has a different texture to your regular nail paint. And I wasn't disappointed as the colour was gorgeous and the texture did not annoy me too much. It was also very long lasting and did not chip easily, although it was incredibly difficult to remove and took many cotton wool balls soaked in nail polish remover for it to budge a tiny bit, not something you can remove in a rush! Other than that, I loved it and will be using it again many times this spring and summer. Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

Review: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Today I am going to be talking about one of the most talked about concealers ever, the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Up until very recently I had never used this concealer, but when Boots had one of their '3 for 2' offers I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try it out as everyone always says that it is the best concealer they have used. The tricky thing was the shade picking. I always find this hard, especially in high street makeup stores, as I never know which shade to get, and this was certainly the case with this product. The first shade I tried out was 'Fair', the lightest shade, appeared a little bit too light in the store, even for my pale complexion. The second shade 'Cool Medium' was a bit too dark. I thought that because of these reasons I would buy both shades and mix then together when applying them. By the time I got home and tried them out I decided that 'Fair' was in fact a good enough match for my skin and that it would work for the winter months especially. For now I will use the medium cool one as an eyeshadow base, which I actually really like. The product itself really does live up to it's expectations, as it literally covers any blemish or under eye circle ever, without it looking cakey, the perfect concealer, right? I really like the fact that you can use it under your eyes, because some concealers can crease and look very cakey under the eyes but I find by just putting a few dots of this product under my eyes and either blending with my ring finger or with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush it leaves my under eyes looking brightened but still have a skin like look to them, if that makes sense.  This has come in very useful for school recently, as I do not want to do a full foundation, concealer, powder look, so putting this on any imperfections has made my skin appear blemish free without having to wear foundation. Yes this product really is as good as everyone says it is and I totally recommend it to you all, and I am sure that I will be repurchasing it for many years to come.        Have you tried this concealer before? What were your thoughts on it?

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Liebster Award #2

A little while ago I was nominated by Renee from Lifestyle and Beauty Honestly for the Liebster Award. This is an award for blogs with under 200 followers and it is a nice way to share some of your favourite blogs with other people who read your blog. The rules are straight forward and they are:

• You have to give 11 facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you
• Nominate 11 blogs who each have less than 200 followers (I'm going by Bloglovin' followers)
• And finally give 11 questions you want the people you nominated to answer.

Sweet or savoury? It depends what mood I'm in. Sometimes all I want is a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate, other times I really want something savoury, but most of the time it will be sweet food.  
DIY or buy? I am not very good at making things so probably buy.
Do you prefer to bake cakes or cook dinner? I LOVE baking cakes whereas I am not a fan of cooking, maybe because I'm not very good...
Heels or flat shoes? Most of the time I wear flat shoes but I do love a good pair of heels.
What's your favourite movie? Um...this is hard but I do love Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Who is your favourite Disney princess and why? Either Ariel or Cinderella. Ariel because I always wanted to be a mermaid and Cinderella because she wore a pretty dress to the ball...yes that's my reason...  
If you could go to any country in the world where would it be? USA or somewhere in the Caribbean
City girl or country sweetheart? Why? Even though I have always lived in the country I prefer cities because I don't like feeling like I am in the middle of nowhere, away from everything.
Do you prefer the beach or poolside? I don't go to the beach very often, although I wish I did, so I would have to say pool although I'm not a big fan of swimming...
What's your favourite flower? I love loads of different flowers but recently my favourite has been daffodils because they are everywhere and they look really pretty and make me feel like winter is finally over.
Clubbing with friends or a quiet night playing boardgames with pals? Ok for me I can't actually go clubbing since I'm only 16 so I will have to say quiet night playing boardgames with pals, and hey who doesn't love a bit of Monopoly?
I nominate:

• Emma from Wallflower Wardrobe
• Grace from Graceyblossom
• Rosie from Rose Gold
• Almu from Feel Bella

Again, I have not got the correct amount of bloggers nominated but these were the ones who I feel deserve the award and who I have not nominated for anything before .   My questions:

1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live?
2. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
3. High-end or high-street makeup?
4. What is your favourite food?
5. What is your favourite season?
6. What is your favourite nail polish colour?
7. Chocolate or sweets?
8. Favourite childhood memory?
9. Favourite makeup product you own?
10. What is you must-have clothing item?
11. Liquid, gel or pencil eyeliner?

So there are my questions for my nominees and thanks again to Renee for nominating me.

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Best Cleanser Ever? || Garnier Clean and Fresh Cleansing Wash

Garnier Clean and Fresh Cleansing Wash £3.60 As I mentioned in my February Favourites post (Link) my skin was misbehaving last month. It was breaking out a lot, which was weird considering my skin is always very clear, with only one or two spots every so often. I think this sudden change in my skin had something to do with the fact that I had recently changed my cleanser to the No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for Normal / Oily Skin which I had never used before. To cut a long story short my skin did not like it and went a bit breakout crazy. When I realised it was probably the cleanser causing my skin issues I decided to change back to a cleanser that I had used for about 6 months before changing to the No7 one. Within a couple of days of using this Garnier cleanser my skin had pretty much completely cleared up and was back to its usual state, clear with only the occasional spot.  
I cannot explain how happy I was because I was starting to freak out a bit as I had my school prom the next week and I did not want my skin to look atrocious in the photos, so the fact it cleared up in time was amazing and I'm pretty sure it was because of this product. It may have been a combination of this cleanser and stopping using the No7 one but I think this played a major part in clearing up my skin.   Since I switched to this product I have not looked back and I don't think I will be for a long time. Because it is a gel wash, I find that it makes me really clean deep into my skin, as you have to make sure it is blended all over your face and neck. I tend to apply it when my face is wet, and I apply it in small, circular motions so that every part of my face and neck has been cleaned and cleansed. Then I just wash it off with warm water and ta dah! Your face is clean. I would highly recommend this to anyone with combination skin, either to just clean your skin or to help get rid of those pesky spots. Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

High End vs. High Street || Eyebrow Pencils

Left to right: Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow in Dark Blonde and MAC Eye Brows in Fling

Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow in Dark Blonde £2.99 || Link MAC Eye Brows in Fling £13 || Link
First off I would like to start by telling you about this new mini series I am going to be doing here on my blog called 'High End vs. High Street'. Every so often I try some very similar products, one high end and one high street, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share with you my thoughts on these products and tell you which one I prefer, the high end one or the high street one and I am sure there will be people reading this who prefer high street products to high end products and vice versa so this mini series should suit everybody. So today I am going to be comparing eyebrow pencils. My eyebrows are one of the most time consuming things when it comes to me applying my makeup as I am always trying to make them appear near to identical. Now I know everyone always say eyebrows are sisters not twins but when your eyebrows are more like long lost cousins than sisters it is a necessity to at least make them look a bit similar, so for me finding the perfect eyebrow product is something I am always looking for, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. I have recently been using these two brow products along with a Benefit product (which will be reviewed on here within the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled) to do my brows and I have been liking how they have been looking, so that is why I am sharing my thoughts on them with you today.  

I'm going to start with the High End product which is the MAC Eye Brows in Fling. I have been using this on and off for about 6 months or so now and I have to admit I am not convinced I like the fact that it is 'retractable' not just a standard pencil. Although it is very useful if you are travelling because you do not have to remember a sharpener but once you have put the pencil up you can't put it back down, making it a bit annoying if you accidentally put it up too far.  Putting that aside I like the product itself. The colour is perfect for me as it isn't too light or too dark, making my brows look very naturally filled in, especially when you apply it with gentle, small strokes. The lasting power is also very good, so will last for the whole day/night and will not leave your brows with sparse areas throughout the day. Overall I do love this product although I do want to try one of MAC's eyebrow pencils, since I love the product, just not the fact that it is 'retractable', even though technically it isn't but I'm sure you know what I mean.

The next product is the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow in Dark Blonde. One of my favourite things about this product is that it comes with a spoolie, the perfect way to keep your brows under control and to comb them into your desired position/look. Since this is always the thing I forget to take with me if I am going on holiday, so the fact it comes with one is a real bonus. The product itself is very good as well. I find it is slightly more of a waxy consistency than the MAC one, which some people might love and others may not, but personally I find it is a good thing as it makes it really easy to apply and make your brows look more natural as you can blend it to make the colour look less intense and give you less of a drawn on effect. The colour is slightly lighter than the MAC one as well (see the swatches above) so for days when I want a a 'no makeup' makeup look, this is the brow product I tend to reach for. The lasting power is good however I personally think that it has less staying power than the MAC one, but it is still good enough to not need topping up regularly. Overall I prefer the Maybelline one as I think it is better in terms of value for money, although I still love the MAC one and do reach for it regularly. As I previously said I would be interested in trying a MAC eyebrow pencil to see if that is better but for now I am happy with the products I have. Have you tried any other good eyebrow pencils? What are your favourites? Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

Weekly Wishlist: Skincare

Skincare is something I am trying to get more into, simply because I am really beginning to realise what a good skincare routine can do for your skin, and I love having clear, glowing skin. The following products in this wishlist are mostly high end products, hence the reason they are on a wishlist, and they are all products I have wanted to try for quite a while, so here we go.

From top left clockwise: Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser £23 Link  Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser £14.75 Link Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic £13.25 Link   Clarisonic Mia 2 in Pink £125 Link LUSH Lip Scrub in Bubblegum £5.50 Link Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream £23 Link eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Summer Fruit £5.99 Link What skincare product have you been lusting after recently? Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

My Barry M Nail Polish Collection

Barry M are one of my favourite brands for inexpensive nail polishes in pretty much any colour you could ever want. For that reason my collection has grown over the years and today I have decided to share with you my collection. Now to some people this may not be a lot, and for others it will seem a bit excessive, but don't worry this was purchased over a two or three year period. Since they only cost between £1.99 and £4.99 they are the perfect addition to any nail polish collection and they are pretty long lasting considering the cost. For me they can last 3-4 days with no chipping wich is pretty good for an inexpensive nail polish.

 From left to right:

Base coat, Top coat and Nail Hardener £2.99

Sequin Nail Effects in White* £3.99

The Royal Textured Glitter in Duchess* £3.99

Glitter Nail Paint in Pink Silver Glitter £2.99

 From left to right:

Nail Paint in Strawberry Ice Cream £2.99

Limited Edition Nail Paint in Coral

Gelly Hi-Shine in Grapefruit £3.99

Nail Paint in Shocking Pink* £2.99 

 From left to right:

Limited Edition Nail Paint

Limited Edition Nail Paint in Lilac Foil

Nail Paint in Mint Green* £2.99

Nail Paint in Pure Turquoise £2.99

 From left to right: Limited Edition for Fabulous Magazine Nail Paint Crackle Nail Paint in Black Magic £3.99 Magnetic Nail Paint in Dark Silver £4.99  Have you tried any of the Barry M Nail Paints? What colours do you recommend?   Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

Review || Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good weekend so far. Today I am going to do a review of my favourite foundation I have ever used. Now I haven't used that many foundations, so I don't have a lot to compare it to but I can safely say it is amazing. The foundation in question is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. This foundation has been the best friend to many makeup lovers out there and for some reason I had never thought it was essential in my life, so only bought it recently and boy have I been missing out!  

As always the packaging was one of the first things that I noticed. I know everyone always says don't judge a book by it's cover, and that does apply to makeup too, but when a product has a bright orange lid it is quite hard to miss and not love in my opinion. I also like the fact that it has a sleek, elegant glass bottle that I think will always look pretty sitting on your dressing table (or wherever you store your makeup!)  Now onto the product itself. As someone who loves a more dewy foundation rather than a matte one I knew before I bought this that it would be right up my street. I love that it doesn't leave my combination skin looking at all greasy, but glowing and healthy instead, even after hours of it being on my face.  I find this a medium coverage foundation, which is personally my favourite kind as it covers imperfections without leaving the skin looking caked in product. It is also buildable so on any nasty blemishes you can add a little more product and it will cover it up and still look natural and I find the best way to apply it is with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush as this provides a very flawless, natural look.  On a slight side note this product smells really good as well which is always a bonus when a product is being applied all over your face as if it smells bad it may put you off wanting to use it. I would highly recommend this foundation if you like a more dewy finish foundation, and for anyone interested I use the shade Light Porcelain, which is the lightest shade and is pretty much a perfect match for my fair skin. Have you tried this foundation before? What did you think of it? Bloglovin'|| Twitter|| Instagram

Weekly Wishlist: Beauty

Hello everyone! First of all, can I apologise for my absence from my blog this week. I have been extremely busy with school work so I have had no time at all to even go on my laptop but I plan to do a few posts over the next few days to make up for it. Okay, now onto the actual purpose of this post. As I have been so busy I have not had a chance to take any photos of products so I had to resort to doing a wishlist style post today. But as a change from my typical fashion wishlists I have decided to do a beauty one as I have been wanting a lot of beauty products recently so here they are!

Top left going clockwise:

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - £30.50 Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set - £49 Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck - £5.99  Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit in Light - £6.49 Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Afternoon Tea - £6.99 Soap & Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder - £11 Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - £37 What beauty products have you been loving recently?  Bloglovin'|| Twitter

February Favourites 2014

Hello everyone! I hope you have had a good weekend. Today I am going to share with you what my favourites were for the month of February. Some things were new products to me and others were old favourites. This was what I loved last month...

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash

I am a big fan of Soap and Glory in general but this has to be my favourite product of theirs simply because it smells so amazing! It's a very refreshing citrus scent, which I personally love but if you do not like the smell of citrus then this is not going to be your kind of product. It is very creamy and moisturising so perfect for dry, dull winter skin and you can often smell it on your skin for a few hours after use. I really cannot fault it. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 

I did a full review of this product here, so I won't write a great deal about it right now but this has been a staple in my skin care routine over the past month and I think it will continue to be for many months to come because of it's ability to remove my makeup with ease and it is very gentle on my eyes.

Percy and Reed Splendidly Silky Moisturising Conditioner

This is an old favourite of mine that has had a lot of use this month as my hair has been unusually dry. This has helped me have moisturised and very healthy looking hair and I have been using this along side my regular conditioner as a deep conditioning treatment to help nourish the ends of my hair.

Aussie Miracle Recharge Moisture Infuser Leave-in Conditioner

I did a full review of this product here and I am still loving this. I do not have much of this left as I have been piling this product on to my hair after I have washed it and it has helped it feel less dry and more nourished and healthy. The thing I love most about this product is that it does not make my hair greasy even though I apply so much of it to my hair.

Garnier Clean & Fresh Cleansing Wash

My skin has been playing up lately, breaking out a lot more frequently than normal and quite frankly I had had enough of it. I think it was due to changing my cleanser to one I had never used before and I don't think that my skin liked it so I went back to my original cleanser which was this Garnier one. It has honestly transformed my skin and there are now much fewer breakouts and it looks healthy and happy again.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
This has been mentioned many times on my blog and simply because it is amazing. To read more about it click here as this is where I go into more detail about it but to cut a long story short this is a really pigmented, gel eyeliner that I have been using a lot this month and has been part of my daily makeup routine.

No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara

Along with the MAC eyeliner this has been on my eyes a lot lately. I love how it is a buildable mascara as one coat is a subtle amount of colour on my lashes and two coats leaves me with slightly more length and volume. I also love to use this as a bottom lash mascara as it doesn't leave my lashes looking spidery or clumped, which some mascaras do. I only have the mini version of this but I will definitely go and buy the full sized version soon.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Make Up Foundation

I bought this back at the end of January because I had heard so many amazing things about it and it has not disappointed me. I leaves my skin looking healthy, fresh and slightly dewy, but not shiny. I like the fact that this comes with SPF 15, saving me a step in my morning skincare routine and the colour is a perfect match to my pale skin. This is definitely the best foundation I have ever used.

What have you been loving recently?

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