Christmas Wish List 2015 | Bags, Beauty and Fragrance

Seeing as it's the first week of December, I thought what better way to start the month than with my Christmas Wish List. I know a lot of you will be starting to look what to ask for this year or maybe even looking for gift ideas so perhaps this could help you either way. Please note this is a 'wish list' so of course I don't expect to receive everyone of these items, if any! This is just a select few items that I would love to receive. Let's get into it!

1. Zara Soft City Bag

I love this bag! I'm definitely in need of a new one as I've had my last Zara bag for nearly two years, it's looking a bit worse for wear so I think it's time I got myself a new one. I saw this bag in a haul on YouTube and I knew it had to be mine, especially as it's only £20. Unfortunately it's now unavailable on the website but I have a sneaking suspicion that Santa may have heard my pleads. Let's hope I find this under the tree!

2. Purse

Seeing as this is a 'Wish List' then i'd really love the Ted Baker Colour Block Matinee Purse in Nude. I could've sworn they did this in the summer but they must have stopped making it as I can't find it anywhere. So I wish that said purse still existed an I wish that I had £75 to spend on a purse but this one from ASOS is lovely too. I like large purses so something simple like this is perfect for everyday and will sit nicely in the bag I mentioned previously.

3. Origins Night-A-Mins Moisturiser

In last years Boxing Day sales I picked up an Origins Sample Set. This was included within the set and I loved it, however I don't love the price. It's £35 which has put me off repurchasing it but i'm thinking I could pop it on my Christmas Wish List and maybe a kind someone will put it under the tree for me. If not, I think i'll definitely have to purchase it myself. It's 50ml so should last me ages, right!?

4. Soap and Glory Body Gift Set

I can't believe how long I've loved Soap and Glory, it's been 6 years since I received my first ever Soap and Glory products. Can anyone remember The Big Thrill Hat Box set that went from £50 down to £20? My Dad rushed out to get it for me! So it's become a tradition that every year I receive a Soap and Glory gift set and i'm definitely not complaining! As much as i'd love the Whole She-Bang set, it's a little pricey so i'd be more than happy with Soaper Star set as it contains a few of my all time favourite Soap and Glory products. 

5. Soap and Glory Well I'll Be Glammed Makeup Gift Set

Another Soap and Glory set, but this time it's makeup! I've not actually tried much of their makeup range. Only a primer, the Brow Archery and a Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss. This set is such a great deal, I'd really love to find this under my tree and would be a great way to test out more of their makeup range!

6. Benefit Pump Up The Party! Gift Set

You may have seen me mention before but I've not actually tried many high-end makeup brands. However, everything I've tried from Benefit I've loved! Again, I think this set is a great deal and would be perfect to try out more of their products! The Rockateur Blush looks right up my street and is included in this set. Also, I think this would be a great gift for someone wanting to experiment more with makeup and dip into the high-end side.

7. Perfume 

I'm not entirely sure what perfume i'd like, which isn't good as i'm so fussy when it comes to perfume. However, I think i'd like a more affordable perfume for daily wear. As much as I love my Giorgio Armani Si, it's quite expensive for everyday wear and is more of an evening scent. I did notice they now do an Eau De Toilette version so maybe that's lighter and more appropriate for daily wear? I don't know but the bottles really pretty, haha!

8. Yankee Candle Pink Sands Jar

And last but certainly not least, I'd love this candle. I've tried a load of the wax melts and samplers and this has been my favourite by far so i'd love to have the large jar to burn. Also it's pale pink so will look super cute in my room, what more could I want!?

I hope this has helped you if you're stuck on what to ask for or what to buy for your loved ones. I've actually finished my Christmas shopping which is good but also not as I keep seeing other things and spend even more money. I should be saving to learn to drive so I suppose that's another thing i'd like- driving lessons, something practical! I'd love to know how much shopping you've done. Let me know in the comments!

WHAT'S ON YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST?

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What's In My Makeup Bag? | TRAVEL EDITION 2015

As you may know from my previous post, I'm currently on holiday in the South of England- in South Devon to be precise. As I am travelling, I tried to downsize my makeup as I didn't want to be lugging too much away with me. So today, I'm going to show you the contents of my travel makeup bag which will show you some of the bits I had to take away with me as I couldn't be without them. Also, just a side-note I will be taking brushes with me but I haven't included them in this post, you can see my most used face and eye brushes here and here- I shall be taking those with me.

1. Benefit Porefessional Primer

I must admit when I first tested this I didn't love it, I wasn't a huge fan of the silicone texture so it went to the back of my makeup storage. I gave it a go again and I love it- it doesn't reduce the size of my pores by a huge amount but it definitely makes my makeup stay on a lot longer. This will be great as i'm likely to have my makeup on early morning through to the evening!

2. L'Oreal True Match Foundation

This has pretty much been the only foundation I use for a good year now, you can see a review here. It's a light liquid formula with a medium coverage which is buildable, this is also the perfect match for my pale skin. It has a satin finish and although i'd prefer a dewier finish for the summer, that can easily be achieved by mixing with my moisturiser for a more natural glowy finish.

3. Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer

Recently I've been choosing this over the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer as this covers my dark circles like no other. This is also great for covering blemishes but must set using powder, I keep my powder in my bag for on the go touch ups which is why it wont be mentioned here. This will be great while travelling to cover those dark circles due to lack of sleep and early mornings.

4. MUA Pressed Powder in Shade 4

I don't use this to set my makeup, I use this to bronze up my pale skin and also sometimes use it to contour. This is only £1 so you can't go wrong really! I'm super pale so this will be great for faking a sun kissed glow when the weather is likely to be a little miserable. I'm writing this in advance so fingers crossed for nice weather!

5. Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

This is currently the only blush I own, I mean I have a load of other cheap ones but this is my go-to! It's a dupe of NARS Orgasm and is a beautiful shimmery coral. This helps to put colour back into my face and the shimmer also works as a highlight- a perfect two-in-one product!

6. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt

I was going to take my Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold but I use that quite a lot and this often gets neglected so I thought i'd take this in a hope that i'd start to use it. This is a gorgeous copper, slightly pink shade and looks so pretty as a base for eye shadows.

7. W7 In the Buff Eye Shadow Palette
This is a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette which is why I bought it as I didn't want to splash out nearly £40 on a palette I may not use that often. I've also done a review on this palette here, I absolutely love it which is why I chose to bring it away with me despite being much larger and less travel friendly than my other palettes. I love this for the few matte shades, they're my go-to!

8. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
Love this mascara! It seems to be a running theme here but I've also done a review on this mascara, here. I mostly review products I love just so I can rave about them, hence why i'm bringing them all with me. This separates my lashes and lifts them, making them so fluttery which is perfect for everyday wear which is why it's coming with me.

9. Soap and Glory Brow Archery in Brownie Points

I know there are two called Brow Archery, but this is the double ended one with a pencil at one end and a almost felt tip pen at the other end. I love the pen side for outlining my brows and filling them in with little hair like strokes. The pencil end is also great but I must be much more light-handed with it other wise it's a little too dark for me. My brows stay on all day with this, hence why I will be bringing it with me!

10. Lip Balm, Lip Liner and Lipsticks

Ok, I haven't downsized too well on this section, I just love lipsticks.

I've gone for the Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm with SPF 15, purely because it has SPF in and I don't want to burn my lips- ouch! I've only chosen one liner as it's pretty much the only one I use, this is the Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz which looks beautiful alone but also pairs nicely with a couple of the lipsticks I've chosen. And finally for lipsticks I've chosen two of the Avon Color Trend Lip Stix in Foxy Fuchsia and Reddy To Go, a Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Rosebud- my go-to and finally an MUA Lipstick in the shade Bare. 

And there you have it, I've tried to downsize a lot but I know i'm taking more than I need. If it fits in my makeup bag then why not eh? I'll be back on Wednesday with a Q&A and TAG so keep your eyes peeled for that, especially if you left me a question on Instagram. If you'd like to keep up with me and see what i'm up to whilst on holiday i'm @xtracesofmythoughts on Instagram. Would love to see you there!

WHAT MAKEUP PRODUCTS CAN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT?

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High-End Beauty Wishlist | Five Most Wanted Products!

First of all i'd like to apologise for my lack of blogging recently, things have got pretty hectic while coming to the end of my course at college. I'm still not finished but my work load should calm down as I've just got one more portfolio to hand in as a first submission. I've also been applying for full-time jobs for when I qualify and although it's time consuming and pretty frightening, i'm excited to start working full-time to hopefully be able to buy some of these products to come..

1. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

I was so excited to try this mascara as I had read lots of reviews saying it was amazing for lengthening and giving your lashes a lift that will stay all day long, which was just what I needed. I picked up the Elle magazine as it was exclusive, free with the magazine before it was available to buy full-sized. You can my thoughts on it here, (hint: I love it, which is why is why it's on my wish list to buy). I'm still not out of the sample so I can tell the full-size will last ages so £19.50 will be well spent.

2. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Moisturiser
I received this in an Origins Sample Set that I bought in the January Sales, you can see my thoughts on some of Origins best-selling products here.
 I didn't have a night specific moisturiser before this and I can honestly see the difference this has made to my skin. Through the winter and during the change in seasons I get some dry patches on my skin which I can't seem to shift with my usual moisturiser and exfoliator so this has become an essential in my night-time routine and I couldn't be without it now as it disperses across the face easily, sinks in quickly and gives your skin the hydration it needs. I've got the smallest amount left in my sample and again it has lasted me ages so this will be a good investment at £34.50 for 50ml.

3. Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish
I feel as though everyone and their dog has tried this, except me. I've had my eye on this for ages and i'm still not too sure why I haven't picked it up already. I love using hot cloth cleansers as I really like how they feel on my face and I find it relaxing. This is supposed to work for most skin types so will be perfect for my moody skin, it's supposed to be gentle yet remove all traces of makeup which is great as nobody likes to be too harsh on their skin. Once I've finished my current cream cleanser i'll definitely look at picking this up, priced at £15.50 for a starter kit. I'm sure you'll see a review if I love it. 

4. MAC Lipstick in Fast Play
Yes, i'm still yet to try a MAC lipstick. I just haven't got the budget to spend £15.50 on a lipstick but i'm hoping i'll be able to part with my money soon. There are so many lipsticks from MAC i'd like to try but after plenty of narrowing down I've decided Fast Play should be my first purchase as it's not quite your typical brown/nude and looks very wearable which is what you'd like if you were spending £15.50 on a lipstick. 

5. The Balm NUDE'tude Eyeshadow Palette
I love a good nude/neutrals palette and I know everyone loves the Urban Decay Naked palettes, though I feel I could live without them as I've discovered and tried the affordable alternatives which I love (click here if you'd like to find out more). This palette features a range of browns, bronzes, pinks and a few others, but what I particularly like about these is how highly pigmented they are when swatched and the diverse range of looks you could create. I've also never tried anything from The Balm so I may have to very soon, this is priced at around £30 depending on where you shop.

And that's it for my five most wanted high-end products.
What high-end products would you like? 
I'm sure there's lots you're all lusting for just like me, so let me know in the comments below!

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Amazing Lengths | Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

 I'm sure everyone, their mother, their brother, their fish has heard about Benefits new mascara that was designed on the classic velcro hair roller which has only recently been released to buy in stores but previously was exclusive to Elle magazine which included a sample of the Roller Lash mascara. The majority raved about their other mascara 'They're Real' but I actually didn't try that one as I heard people with longer lashes disliking it, I fall into the longer lash category. I was drawn to the Roller Lash as it claimed to give a long-lasting curl which was one of the only downfalls with drugstore mascaras that I've tried. Now I've been using the mascara for about 3 weeks so I thought I'd quickly get my review of pros and cons up on it seeing as it has recently been released to buy in store.

Pros-

• Roller Lash is definitely lengthening which can be noticed with just one coat, so would be great for those of you with short or straight eye lashes.
• As I said the mascara works very well with just one coat, I'm not sure myself how it fairs when applying additional coats but I simply think you don't need more than one. Therefore it's very quick and easy!
• The mascara claims that eyes will appear more wide open which I can vouch for as it fans out my lashes making them look natural and fluttery.
• As I've previously mentioned the mascara claims to hold the curl of your lashes which I 100% agree with as my lashes pretty much look the same as they did once Roller Lash was applied after a long day at college or battling London crowds.

Can we just ignore the bags under my eyes and the fact my bottom lashes clump together even without mascara.
Also ignore the stray hairs, i'm growing my eyebrows so that I can go get them threaded/waxed.

Cons-

• Like They're Real, Roller Lash is not waterproof which is my only downfall of this mascara. I find it does tend to transfer under my bottom lashes although that could be as I have watery eyes, but I haven't heard this in many other reviews so it simply could just be me.
  However it's not a huge problem as you could just skip this on the bottom lashes and go for another waterproof mascara.

Again can we ignore the bags under my eyes and how bad my skin looks(most was able to be cropped out)

Ability to lengthen- 9/10

Ease of use- 8/10

Lasting power- 8/10

Price- 7/10

Overall rating- 32/40

Not bad at all!

Personally I've really enjoyed using Benefits Roller Lash mascara so I'm tempted to splurge on this mascara and some other high-end treats with my birthday money. Roller Lash comes in at £19.50 which isn't ridiculous for a mascara that actually works in comparison to the drugstore options.

What did you think of Benefit Roller Lash mascara?

If you haven't tried it yet, will you be?

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