my essentials - make up bag

I often stay at my boyfriends once a week, and I never know what's going to happen the next day! Will it be a lazy day, will we go somewhere, will I call into work?
I always have my make up bag packed with my versatile essentials.

I keep two eye shadow palettes, one by Estee Lauder and another by No7 (I think the products have been discontinued, sadly!). My Estee Lauder has a silvery-grey shade and a Champagne shade which is perfect for highlighting. With my No7 palette, I can create a simple, brown smokey eye for when I need to be a little more made up.

I keep the essential eyebrow kits and powder, my full coverage MaxFactor foundation and Boi-ing concealer, and my small POREfessional primer, which we all know I don't love, but it's small and handy. Alongside these, I keep my everyday MUA Blush and Avon Bronzer and my Illamasqua Illuminator, again, for days I need to look a bit better! I take my three staple mascaras with me as I love to layer these three if I need a bit more, if not I just keep it simple with the one. I also take my Apocalips and my Kate Moss Matte 107 lipstick with me just because haha! I have a nude shade and plenty of balms in my bag with me just in case.

I don't like to take my Real Techniques brushes with me in case they get damaged or anything, so I settle with a cheap powder/blush brush from Superdrug aaaaaages ago, and a small, flat brush I got from my Benefit kit. I find this is perfect for applying blusher at the moment as it's very soft and easy to blend with. I take an old eyeshadow brush I gt from Avon a while ago with me too. Although my eye products come with applicators, I can't really get along with these, I find eyeshadows incredibly difficult to blend with them!

So this is just a little glance, it may seem like a lot of products, but I like to keep my options open other wise I get stressed haha. What products are staples in your make up bag?

what's in my handbag?

So this is a bit of an odd one for me today! But I do love having a nosy at everyone elses belongings so maybe you will me?! Sorry for the pictures, you guys all know what it's like this time of year to get decent pictures!

I didn't quite realise how much I had in my bag until I set it out like I did!

Since I got my appointments for Benefit and Origins the other day, I've kept my invitation slips in my bag for safe keeping. These are just a few of my rings, I actually picked them up from my boyfriend's house the other day, but I think I'm going to leave them in my bag as I always forget to accessorise.

These are pretty much my go to lip colours. I often decide when I'm on the bus on the bumpiest road that I fancy wearing lipstick, I don't make it easy for myself, do I? These are all Red Rimmel shades, I love Rimmel lipsticks, especially the new Kate Moss Matte ones. The other two are MUA ones, one in shade 7 which is a shimmery pink that I really hate, I don't know why I still have it. The other is shade 11 which is a neutral shade and is my normal, everyday lipstick.

I love this deodorant. I have really sensitive underarms and this is lovely, it doesn't irritate them too much, but most importantly, it doesn't leave white marks! I ALWAYS buy 'invisible' deodorants, it really, really pisses me off when it just falls away from my skin and leave white powder everywhere!
Hand sanitiser and cream, must have for me! My boyfriend's parents got my this hand cream for Christmas and it's doing it's job very well! Most hand creams get very greasy on me and my hands don't really get very dry, just sore, but this one feels moisturising and clean which is just what I'm looking for!
I always keep this foundation in my bag for top-ups. I find it easy to apply over other make-up, it leaves a nice finish and is a good price! It also smells real good...

These are just bits and bobs in my bag, my iPod, house and work keys, gum, nurofen, a train ticket. I love these mini nail files that I got at Leeds Festival this year. Sooo handy haha. I also took a few biscuits into work yesterday that are still floating around in my bag! A few Christmas cards are still hanging around as well like this one from Kyle who insists on calling me Chuckles! I always leave 50p hanging around the bottom of my bag because it makes me all excited when I find a bit of change hahaha.

I got the bag for Christmas, but it was from New Look, and the purse for my birthday from River Island. The picture doesn't do this bag justice. It's structured which I really like and it's just one you can carry on your arm. It does get quite heavy fairly quickly though :(


So, what's in YOUR handbag? Link me to yours, love having a good nosy! Take care guys.

day to night winter face

Hey guys! Lots of exciting things happening lately in the run up to Christmas, the most exciting is that I'm going to London tomorrow with my best friend eeeeever. So looking forward to our girl date.
With so much going on, I don't have much time to keep swapping my make up over, so I've been finding a look that I can quickly transform to a night time look.

For the day:
For my eye make up, which is definitely the most important thing here, I simply do a feline flick using my Maybelline Gel Liner in black. This look is so versatile, it's definitely the best to go for. I just use a light creamish colour as I base, just to make my whole eye look brighter and ever. I'll also put it on my brow bone to highlight.
I use a pale brown colour to contour. I just blend it in well in my crease, it just makes your eyes look a bit bigger, I guess. I don't wear too much mascara, but enough to make my lashes long.
I use my long-wearing MaxFactor FaceFinity foundation, simply because it stays so much longer than any of my others. I apply it quite thick, but not cakey, just because later on, I want to ensure my skin still looks as flawless as it can!
Another key part of my look is the blush/bronzer. I contour my cheeks with a bronzer, not too much though, my bronzer is a little too shimmery, so I try and keep it minimal. I blend a darkish pink blush into it, but again,  keeping it minimal. I set my look with powder and use a bit of Rosy Lips Vaseline to finish my look.


For the night:
So I have the basics set for me, but for night, I'm wanting a bit of a darker look. I'll go over my gel liner, this time making it slightly thicker and refresh the shadow.
I use the Scandal Eyes mascara that everyone's raving about to make my lashes look dramatically black, thicker and longer. This mascara is perfect for doing this, it's my absolute go-to when I'm creating a darker look.
I don't really like re-applying foundation through the day, it just feels awful. Luckily, with this foundation, my face still looks smooth hours later. I add a touch more blusher, again, aiming for a slightly more dramatic look, and with a touch up of powder, my skin is looking as fresh as a daaaisy! I use my No7 Creme Touch powder as a highlight, so I apply this just under where I've contoured and on the very top of my cheek bone, it just, well, highlights the areas I want to be seen most!
To get the final effect of my night time look, it's time to get out the lippy! With a dark, wine coloured lip, your eyes will look gorgeous. I usually go for Kate Moss Matte in 107 as it's a great look for this season.



So, that's how I transform my day to night look! I hope that's clear enough for you, I couldn't really think of a way to make it easier. I would proof-read it too, but to be honest, I've been proof-reading AS and A2 English Language coursework all day and I'm just sooo tired!

Hope you're all okay and finished your Christmas shopping! Take care everyone :)

FOTN: feline flick, dark lip

First off, sorry for the awful images, The lighting is awful, so it's hardly a decent representation of how I looked last night, but hey ho, I'm sure you get the jist! Links to the products are below.

No7 Powder Translucent

MUA Blush Shade 3

MUA Powder

Stay Matte

Avon Arabian Glow Bronzer

One by One Mascara

ScandalEyes Mascara

Fix and Perfect Primer

FaceFinity Foundation

Match Perfection Foundation

Maybelline Gel Liner

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil

No7 Amazing Eyes

Kate Moss Matte 107

Well, that's a lot of products, it seems! Let me explain myself.

As for the two foundations, I love the smooth finish that Match Perfection gives me, it smooths out my skin. The only problem is that the shade is a little too dark for me, and it doesn't have a full enough coverage for me, I need my red nose to be masked in this weather! So on top of that, I used my fail safe FaceFinity foundation which corrected the shade and masked any blemishes I had. I know what you're thinking, why not use FaceFinity on it's own? It doesn't seem to go on as well on it's own, and if I use a little too much it can look cakey, but with both foundations it create a smooth, natural base. Lovely!

I also used 3 powder, crikey! I used MUA on my cheeks, but only a tiny bit because I still wanted a slightly dewy look, but it was important to set my foundation. I used Stay Matte on my nose, chin and forehead, basically to keep my oily t-zone at bay. I think this powder is perfect for that. I used No7 more as a highlighter than anything. I used it on top of my cheekbones and under my eyes slightly. I also put it just under where I had contoured just to make it look a little more prominent. 

Avon's Arabian Glow is not perfect for contouring, it's shimmery and goldish. More of a bronzer for holidays. But for now, I don't have anything else! It does the job, and if I blend it in well with my blush, it looks so much better! I put a small amount of bronzer under my cheek bones, where when you suck your cheeks in you naturally get a shadow. I'll also brush it up towards my cheek bones and down to my jaw to give it a more natural finish.

I used to love Rimmel's eyebrow pencil, I use  Dark Brown, but I recently noticed the red undertones that it has, which frankly, looks weird. It also makes it difficult to wear certain eyeshadows. Such a mare. So I used my No7 Amazing Eyes eyeliner. I used to use this all the time on my brows as it's a really good shade, no red, but it's pretty much ran out, and they don't sell this anymore, well, they've rebranded it, it now comes with a smudger on the end. So yeah, I used this one last night to make it a nicer shade. I just used Rimmel to get the shape as I love the pencil for this, it's very precise. 

This lipstick is very on trend right now with the deep berry tones, and I thought it was perfect to go with my feline flick, very classy! Especially when I wore a casual dress, black boots and a blazer which I customised with studs. 

Well, that was a longer post than I imagined, but it's been a while since I've done one of these!

I also got some very exciting news last night. I got an unconditional acceptance to study Public Relations at University! I got the email at 00:15 which was a ridiculous time, but how exciting! Just wanted to share the news with you guys :).

So what do you think to my make up look? What would you have done similar/different? Do you have any eyebrow sets/pencils that you love? Let me know below, I love hearing what you guys have to say.

I'm thinking of doing a giveaway when I hit 50 followers, so keep an eye out everyone, and take care.

make up wishlist

Spoiling you lucky people with two posts today! I tried to keep it to just make up, but of course I HAD to sneak in a couple of skincare products that I'm just dying to have. Hope you're liking my blogs new-ish look, too!

1. YSL Touche Eclat foundation
Eeeeveryone is going on about this foundation, and I just need it! At £28, it's pretty expensive, but by the sound of it, it's well worth it.

2. Bioderma 
Where can I buy this in the UK?! Or do I have to order it online? I've seen a few people say this is their must have skincare product, and of course I want to jump on the bandwagon..

3. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer 
I've never really used concealer before, it's just never been a thing I've bought (I don't know why, I'm in desperate need for it!) but I think it's about time I bought one. This one is affordable and I've seen some of the most well known bloggers hype about this so it seems like my best bet!

4. DrJart+ Platinum Beauty Balm Cream
This one is supposed to be for more mature women, but I hear people get the best results from this product? It's pretty pricey, so I'll probably only buy it if I come into some money, but I've never used a BB cream before and apparently DrJart+ is some of the best out there. It'll be a long time till I find out!

5. Rimmel BB Cream 9 in 1
So 9 in 1 seems pretty ambitious, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the BB cream above. I think this will be the next skincare product I buy, I've not heard too much about it though so if anyone uses it, let me know!

6. Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel
Yet another that is well out of my price range, but it seems like EXACTLY what I need!!! Origins have a very good reputation which is making me more and more eager to spend my money on it. If anyone knows of any similar products, do let me know, absolutely desperate!

my a/w must haves

First off, I'm in love with Kate Moss' matte collection, you can see a review here, so I won't bore you too much with this product! I went into Boots today looking for a primer and noticed their buy one, get one half price offer, so I thought I'd treat myself to another of these. There was hardly any shades left, sadly, but when I saw this I just had to have it. It's a gorgeous, deep red with plum undertones that sits perfectly. After having it on all day, I did notice it go a little pink, but not too much and I was still VERY impressed. Perfect shade for these colder seasons.

Everyone has started using MUA blushers, so the other day I got on with the craze and bought myself one, for a pound, you can't not. It's not an in-your-face pink which is great, I'd almost say it's a little bit bronze-y. I think this is perfect for creating a bit of flush in your look with the cold weather approaching.

Lastly, my absolute favourite BarryM varnish. This shade is called Raspberry (I think!) and is a gorgeous burgundy, very wearable with most clothing colours. I'm at the end of this bottle now and I will definitely be repurchasing! This would look brilliant in an LBD for work Christmas parties! Especially paired with the featured lipstick.


Sorry it's not a brilliant post today, I'm super tired, and I got caught off track watching beauty videos, and now I'm on the hunt for some make-up brushes! So if anyone has any favourite brushes, or starter sets, leave me a comment, help a fellow blogger out!

maxfactor facefinity foundation review

Hellooo!
As you saw yesterday, I purchased MaxFactor's latest foundation, facefinity. Previously, I had never used any makeup from the MaxFactor range, but I decided to splash out a little and treat myself. It took me over an hour to get what I wanted, I really had no idea where to begin. A lady, obviously working for them, approached me asking me if I was okay, my reply was "Yeah.... Just look- I've no idea what I'm getting, I think I need full coverage but help!" hahaha, she just looked at me and pointed me to this, and then matched my shade as 'Beige'. Once she'd gone, I was a little scared about getting that shade, I usually go much lighter, so I picked a lighter shade just in case and went for 'Warm Almond'.
I'm so glad I went with my instinct! When I got home I put it straight on and was so pleasantly surprised. It applied like a dream. It's not overly thick in consistency but not watery. When I started blending it in, it got a little thicker, but you could instantly see the difference. It wasn't oily but it wasn't matte so obviously I topped it of with a powder.
Over the day I kept on checking it, wanting to see how it lasted and it did so well! My nose got oily, but I fully expected that. I think it could have done with a top up on the powder, but it wasn't desperate like I used to be with old foundations.

Here's a picture (awful picture, should I say) that gives a pretty good representation of the coverage, not so much the colour because the flash was ridiculous.
If you want any information about other makeup I'm wearing, just leave me a comment!

The foundation claims to include both primer and concealer. I was unsure whether I should still apply my primer? I don't generally use a concealer, but what do you think? Would you apply your primer and concealer also just to be sure?

a lovely make up haul!

Hello beautiful people! I felt that after winning my two awards and getting over 1000 page views, I deserved a treat. Here's what I bought:

MaxFactor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation in Warm Almond 45 - £11.99

No7 Creme Touch Face Powder in Translucent - £8.50

Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil in Dark Brown - £2.99

MUA Pressed Powder in Shade 2 - £1

MUA Blusher in Shade 3 - £1 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11 - £1

MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 13 - £1

I don't think I did bad at all! What do you guys think?

I've had and loved the No7 powder before, it's one of the best I've used, it gives such good coverage and is a gorgeous shade. I'm so excited to try out my new foundation though! I don't think it's a bad price at all, I expected it to be much higher so I can't wait. If any of you guys have tried it before, let me know what you think.

Of course I had to go and get more MUA bargains.At that price you really can't go wrong. I love the lipstick! It's such a natural colour, it looks glossy, but not high shine, it's moisturizing and is a babe to reapply! I'm not sure why I bought another powder, I think for the price I thought it was worth giving it a go, along with the blusher, I never usually wear it, but maybe this will convert me. 

I've been looking for a deep emerald colour varnish for SO long, I just can't find a reasonably priced one anywhere. I saw this and thought it was okay, not exactly what I'm looking for, but I'll give it a try. If not, the shade will definitely fit the winter seasons! 

What have you bought recently? Have you tried anything I recently bought? Let me know what you think!

what's on my face #02

This was actually my face last night, but nevertheless, it's my face!
I'm super embarrassed to say, this was in the cinema toilets :( But it was the only place I could get good lighting for my photo!

Anyway, the make up I'm wearing is:
MUA Primer £4
MAC Mineralize Foundation in NW20 £24
Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 100 Transparent £3.99
No7 Brown Eyeshadow I got this in a set last Christmas so have no idea what shade it is or anything. The link takes you to a similar set I have.
Maybelline Volume Express ColossalSmokey Mascara £7.99
Maybelline Volume Express Cat Eyes Mascara £7.99
Maybelline One by One Mascara £8.49
Eyebrow Pencil is from the gift set given with the Eyeshadow.
Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Kiss of Life £5.49







As I've already reviewed most products in my previous 'what's on my face' review which you can find here. I'll only review the foundation.

I purchased this on my trip to New York in February. I was in a massive rush, but I was so desperate to buy my first ever MAC foundation that I ran in (or should I say squeezed myself through, it was so busy!) and went straight to a random stall, hoping it was one that hosted the Studio Fix foundation as I'd heard good reviews for that. Sadly, I couldn't find it but I came across this, swatched it on my hand and made sure the shade was alright (I wish I checked properly) and asked one of the gorgeous model/store assistants to get the foundation for me.
I didn't use it until I got home, and on my first application I was so unhappy with it, it seemed very oily, and was a little too dark for my skin tone and came a bit orange. I put it to the back of my make up box hoping that it would magically transform overnight.
I got it out for the first time yesterday and gave it another go, shook it up well, and I feel a little better about it now! Although it's still fairly oily, it kind of forces me to use less of it which obviously has better effects on my skin! Every cloud and all that!

In some super exciting news, my new shoes came!

How beautiful are they! They are so, so shiny, I can literally see my own face in them (which is good, I'd rather see mine than someone elses!!!!)
They are very, very comfy as well. I'm glad the front of the shoe is curved as recently, the sole on my Creepers has split in half, and I was scared it would happen to these, too, but let's hope not!


Give me your ideas on how you'd wear my new shoes!

Calling all beauty and fashion bloggers!

Today, I'm looking to find a new item of make up or facial cleansers, masks, anything from the high street.
So, if you have any must-have items, or have been seriously impressed by a certain product, please comment below! There's no other person I can trust more than you guys, so go on, please let me know :).

what's your favourite liquid liner?

Usually, I'm not really very adventurous when it comes to liquid eyeliner, I thought it all does the same thing and I never have a problem with how long it stays or anything, so I just stick to what I know, which is usually Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner. Cheap, leaves an alright colour, and I really like the applicator.

I recently decided to purchase the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner. I was so disappointed at first, I found it difficult to apply, awkward, I didn't know how much to put onto the brush, I was having a right mare! I carried on using it and after a week or so, I couldn't find a better eyeliner! It applies smoothly, quickly and I find I can create the best cat flicks with it that I could with any other liquid liner.

I think the only downfall is the price, at £7.99 I find it's quite steep for a small pot, but it does seem to last forever, so only time will tell if it's really worthwhile!

Do you have any favourite liquid liners? I'd love to try out some more if you do!

kate moss matte collection

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to convince my boyfriend into buying me the new Kate Moss matte collection she recently released for Rimmel. After a long while, I finally decided to buy shade 111 - Kiss Of Life. I did find it difficult to find a shade I really wanted as I didn't see there was that many to choose from (however this could be all my local store stocks, I may find more elsewhere) but nevertheless, I was happy with my choice and couldn't wait to try it!

As soon as I got home I put it on. It applied easily and felt lovely when it was on, not sticky, but also not too dry - which I expected.

At this time I wasn't really seeing how long it lasted as I was having dinner and a shower soon after, but today I wore it to work and I was surprised at how long it lasted. When I felt a need to reapply it, I removed what I was wearing and noticed it stained my lips more than other lipsticks I've tried, but it also slightly spread out a little, but I was in a rush and just quickly reapplied it. I did find myself conscious of it drying up and occasionally thought I felt it do a little, but maybe it just takes some getting used too. 

It also smelt and tasted gorgeous. After hours of thinking what the scent actually was, we finally came to the conclusion it was watermelon! Lovely and fresh. 

Overall, I'm really happy with this product! I will definitely consider buying more shades from her range, hopefully she'll bring out more soon. Here's a picture of how it looked at the beginning of the day.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

my 5 empties #1

I wish I had a better camera so these images looked much better, but bare with me!

1. No7 Creme Touch Face Powder £8.50

2. Barry M Nail Paint £2.99

3. Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara

4. Simple Soothing Facial Toner £2.99

5. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation £6.99

1. This No7 was such a good buy! It applies really well with the aid of a large brush and smooths out my complexion. It lasts well and also keeps it's colour good. When I was getting to the end of this product, I started to use another powder and used this as a highlighter.. sort of! By flattening out the brush into a line, I'd put the end of it into the powder and apply it onto my cheekbone/above blusher/bronzer whilst still in the line. It looked really good as it was slightly paler than my other powder. 

I hope that made sense! 

2. Anyone that knows me will know I am a massive nail varnish fan! I love Barry M because it's affordable and has lovely colours. To me, it being long lasting doesn't matter so much as I tend to change ever few days. I love this shade, it's not one I would usually go for but I will definitely be buying it again when going for a more natural, nude look.

3. I love the whole range of mascaras by Maybelline, but this was probably the first one I bought and I loved it ever since. It creates both volume and length really well in only a few applications, but it also grabs every lash creating a much fuller look. 

4. To me, this Simple skin care range are the best, high street brand out at the moment, I use most of their items, but sadly not this anymore! This toner makes your skin feel smooth and clean as well as looking fresh and even. I'm currently using a Garnier toner at the moment, so let's see what this is like and whether I should return to this one.

5. After using this foundation for around 2 years, my skin started to work against it, and it just didn't sit properly on me, it didn't look right. I've used many more since then but no foundations have worked as well as this one. It's a perfect shade for me and gives the best coverage. It feels light and it smells gorgeous!

I'm sad to see these go, but what are your opinions on these? Do you have any good alternatives? Let me know!

what's on my face

Okay, so I've seen a few people do this and I thought it would be a fun thing to do! Sorry for the awful quality picture though, I was made for behind the camera!

So lets start from the top!
Press 'Read More' below to find out :).