Tuesday 25 July 2017

Recent Favourites - Summer 2017

From Left: Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette in 'Sugar & Spice', NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in 'Natural', NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss in 'Angel Food Cake' and NYX Cosmetics Intense Butter Gloss in 'Toasted Marshmallow'.
Hey lovelies!

I think that I might be on a blogging roll and I have no clue how long it's going to last but I'm liking it. I guess I'm trying to make up for the time that I will be missing when I'm away on holiday for about a month...radio silence kids, that is what it will feel like hahaha!

Over the last few months, I have been experimenting with some new beauty products and have slowly incorporated them into my makeup routine with the strong hope that I can afford to repurchase them the moment they begin to run low. I love to try out new makeup and it is honestly the best feeling when you find products that you know will be on that list of "must haves" for a very long time to come.

The products featured above are absolutely stunning in my eyes! The Makeup Revolution blush palette, in particular, includes a variety of blush shades that are pigmented enough to last all day long. The first time that I tried it out, I definitely wasn't careful with how much I put on my brush - a little goes a long way!

The NYX Cosmetics lip products are simply gorgeous and are excellent for amping up any look, just the Intense Butter Gloss in 'Toasted Marshmallow' alone is a perfect option for any of you makeup lovers out there who love a darker, pigmented gloss. NYX have such a diverse mix of shades in their lip range that you couldn't possibly pick just one, guess we'll have to buy them all then!

From Left: Benefit Hello Flawless! Oxygen Wow Foundation in 'Ivory', Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in 'Trooper', e.l.f. Studio Contouring Brush, NYX Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in 'Cashmere Silk' and The Balm Cosmetics Hot Mama! Blusher.
Moving onto the Benefit foundation listed above...I mean, I cannot get enough of it! I've never been a foundation girl and whether you believe in wearing concealer as your foundation or not, that's how I lived my life up until a few months ago. I guess it was the idea that I was running out of concealer and knew that ordering it would be a pain, that I did what anyone would do in this situation and found a temporary alternative - for me this was the Maybelline Master Camo Corrector Palette. The only problem with this was, my skin was going through a particularly bad time and the concealers included in the palette tended to cling to the dry areas on my face and therefore did the opposite of concealing. The product itself is great for someone with normal skin, more so than someone with combination skin like me. The real game changer for me came at the moment I applied the Benefit Hello Flawless foundation. The effect that it has on my skin is so good and it always leaves me with a lovely dewy complexion that I feel doesn't border onto the look of a sweaty face - just use a bit of powder and you're all good! I've found myself naturally reaching for this product many a time.

The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner has got to be one of those products that I struggled with at first. I'm not used to using felt tip eyeliner pens so this did take some getting used to but since mastering the technique of applying my eyeliner smoothly, everything has been so easy and I'm very, very happy about it!

The e.l.f. contouring brush featured also ties in with the aforementioned group but more so in the sense that I am still getting used to it. I love the fact that, when done right, it can create that sharp contoured line near my cheekbones in order to make my face look slightly less rounded. The next step that I need to take is to find a contour shade that suits my skin tone so that I can chisel out my cheeks more and emphasise my facial features.

Now, onto liquid lipsticks - they're loved by everyone right? Guys and girls included! When you find a liquid lipstick that doesn't dry your lips out, actually feels comfortable when you wear it for long periods of time and find a shade that suits you then you're pretty much not going to want to let it out of your sight! The NYX Lingerie liquid lipstick in 'Cashmere Silk' is one of those lip products for me! I absolutely love the shade and what's more, with a hydrating base, this lipstick lasts for such a long time.

The last product featured in the image above is the oh-so-pigmented blusher by The Balm. The first time that I used 'Hot Mama' I loved that it applied so smoothly and gave me such a pretty flush of colour on the cheeks - I haven't been able to stop wearing it since! This makeup brand is beyond awesome and although some of the prices are a little expensive, picking up any of the products in the range sure makes it worth it because of the quality. I am in love with the Meet Matt(e) collection and aim to someday buy the 'Meet Matt(e) Trimony' matte eyeshadow palette, I mean they're my kind of shades!

From Left: 'Kinda Sexy' by MAC Cosmetics and 'Velvet Teddy' by MAC Cosmetics
I have been a lover of MAC products since I first delved into the world of makeup and that is definitely all because of my mum who would let both my sister and I borrow anything that we wanted. Unfortunately, however, we weren't professionals at applying the products so we soon returned them to their rightful owners until we were brave enough to go it alone.

That time came a few years ago but, keeping true to the brand that started my obsession with makeup off, I am still repping those MAC lipsticks for days on end. The two featured in the image above, 'Kinda Sexy' and 'Velvet Teddy', are my holy grail lipsticks, especially for this Summer. They are great at pulling any makeup look together as the luxurious colour of each shade ensures that your lips are beautifully enhanced. I love, love, love them!

XOXO


P.S. Evidently, my trip to the Sephora and Target in New York in February did my makeup collection a lot of good but my bank balance...yeah not so much, whoops?!
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Thursday 20 July 2017

Live Life In Full Bloom


Hey lovelies!

I sure have missed putting together outfit posts like these. The perks of taking pictures in a different location are endless and I'm glad that the weather has finally been nice enough for me to step out of my house without having to worry about whether an extra layer is necessary or not.

This embroidered mesh top from H&M proved to be perfect for a sunny day of blogging and photography. I've wanted something embroidered for a while now but everytime I had a look, I could never find anything that I really liked...until I saw this beauty in the store and knew immediately that I had to try it on!

I experienced some hesitation, however, as I was slightly sceptical about the fact that a crop top was involved in the mix. I must admit that since my slightly bigger days, weight-wise, I've been a little wary of them and haven't been too keen to give them a try despite the fact that I've lost a good bit of weight. Evidently, this was a turning point for me and being a typical pear-shaped girl, my waist is quite small in comparison to my not-so-small hips so thankfully the crop top highlights the features that I like most about myself and stops short of the currently lesser appreciated ones!

The outfit that I incorporated the top into is super casual but still chic enough to wear on any day of the week. My Adidas Superstars and New Look jeans (similar) never fail to put me in my prime state of comfort and, guaranteed, a look just like this will get you feeling the same!

In addition to this, the phrase located just above the gorgeous rose detail: "Live Life in Full Bloom", is so beautiful for the Summer season and with the clever use of the word "Bloom", a much sweeter message and reminder is presented to you to abide by on a daily basis. I aim to incorporate it into my everyday life in hope that it will combat any signs of a bad day on the horizon, wish me luck!

XOXO

P.S. Let me know if you own any embroidered items and how you choose to style them, I'd love to hear your ideas!





I had to make fun of myself in this picture - always having one hand to my face!!
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Monday 17 July 2017

Retail Therapy Anyone?


Hey lovelies!

Ever heard of retail therapy? Now, you would think that a blogger, like myself, would be naturally familiar with this concept but, in all honesty, I didn't become familiar with the effects of it until 3 or so months ago.

Retail therapy (R.T) is one of those things that can often be associated with the purchasing of items in order for us to feel a little better about ourselves or just perk up an otherwise mundane and disappointing day. We've all had our fair share of those and it is so easy to mope around or feel sorry for ourselves, hence the need for a little bit of R.T.

The point at which I discovered the blissful effects of this type of 'therapy' was a time when I was feeling very insecure about a couple of things in my life and no matter how much I tried to switch my brain off from them, those negative thoughts would come back to me every single time without fail. I opened up to my family about it and my mum was actually the first person to suggest that I take half a day or a whole day off so that I could focus on myself and, if I happened to see something that I liked, I could buy it. The idea of being consumed with thinking about others and what they wanted from me eventually led to me forgetting about the things that I loved doing - once you do that, it's difficult to go back.

The moment I went out and hit the town, with my student budget of course, was the moment I realised just how good it made me feel to not have to go out and do things like pick up food for the fridge or pick up cleaning products for my flat -  a very common occurrence might I add. I enjoyed being in control of my own happiness and I didn't have to think about what anyone else wanted for that short period of time, I could focus on myself and only myself. 

To some degree, I can understand how selfish this can seem to an outsider but there's nothing wrong with wanting and actually taking time out for yourself. The sense of freedom you feel is insane, you can breathe for a little bit and you soon want to do it again and again. There is a slight danger in this, however, because the last thing you need or want is relying on material goods for your own happiness.

If you choose to delve into the world of retail therapy, then create limits or boundaries so that you don't find yourself with financial problems, a lack of space in your home, or an unhealthy obsession to get a quick fix of happiness. You have to find what works for you and what gets you smiling from ear to ear without having to compromise your hard earned money and mental well-being.

Love you all!!
XOXO
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Monday 3 July 2017

Is It 4th of July Yet?


Hey lovelies!

Well, it's almost the 4th of July and thankfully this post is coming to you at a reasonable time so that you too can get some last minute makeup inspiration for this awesome celebration.

The look I created here is super fun and also really easy to recreate! I knew from the start that I wanted to incorporate all three colours of the American flag and although the white is lacking, I think my very pale complexion makes up for it hahaha!

The key to accomplishing this look is to have good products around you, especially an eyeshadow palette that offers you a beautiful selection of pigmented colours to choose from. The BH Cosmetics x Carli Bybel palette was exactly what I needed to create a warm-toned look that would bode well with the blue mascara and black eyeliner. I was, unfortunately, unable to find the 14 colour version of the palette but seeing as Carli was lucky enough to bring out a deluxe edition to include seven new shades, I decided to link that down below for you instead.

I definitely had so much fun putting this look together and pairing it with these super cute space buns! They are great at making anyone look absolutely adorable, they're so tiny and remind me of the Spice Girls - major throwback!!

Anywho, I hope that all of my American readers have an amazing 4th of July, make sure to stay safe and have an epic night!

Peace!
XOXO




Products Used:

Brows: Screenface Brow Blender in Dark Taupe 04 (no longer available)
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