January Favourites | Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle

January has come and gone so quickly, I can't believe we're into the second month of 2016 already! It seems to have been a positive start to 2016 for me personally and I'm excited to see what the rest of the year brings. This year, I'm aiming to share with you my favourites from each month as I love seeing what everyone else has been enjoying using as I think it gives a thorough review on what's really worth purchasing etc. So as you can tell from the title, I shall be sharing with you what I've been loving this month, let's get into it shall we? 
















Fleur De Force Cosmic Bronze Eyeshadow Palette

I was so happy to receive this palette in the Feel Unique beauty advent calendar. I had my eyes on this quad when the line was launched, however I decided against it as I thought I had enough natural eyeshadows. I was wrong, I was totally missing out not having this palette! It has a beautiful range of natural shades, my favourites have been the matte nude for all over the lid, the matte brown for in the crease and the brown shimmer for in the centre of my lid. These are really well pigmented so a little goes a long way, it's small and compact so would be perfect for travelling also!












Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm

This is another one I received in the Feel Unique beauty advent calendar. Once again, I was so happy to receive this as I've heard lots of great reviews on it. I received this at perfect timing, my lips were so dry from the cold winter winds. After just a couple of uses, I noticed a huge difference. My lips were no longer dry and flaky instead they felt and looked healthy. I love the thick texture of this balm, the scent also has a hint of lemon which is nice. I'd really recommend this lip balm despite the £9.50 price tag.












Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer

I picked this up on a whim as I was completely out of concealer and it was the only one in my tiny local Boots that looked worth purchasing.

I vaguely remember seeing good reviews on this concealer, in particular that it was good for hiding dark circles under the eyes due to the 2-in-1 highlight. I love how easy this is to blend under my eyes, I tend to do the triangle then blend with a beauty blender. So quick and simple, makes me look more awake and so affordable. 











Zara Soft City Bag

I first saw this in a haul on YouTube and fell in love! I knew I wanted a new bag but was unsure what I wanted. As soon as I saw this, I had to have it. I couldn't believe it was only £20 from Zara, I think it looks much more expensive! I popped it on my Christmas Wish List and Santa listened. It's been perfect for everyday wear as it's not too big nor small, it's simple so will go with almost everything and is ideal for work and the weekends!








DW Home Calming Waves 3 Wick Candle

It wasn't until a few months ago that I discovered TK Maxx has amazing candles!? Ever since I've been popping in every time I'm in town to check them out. Just before Christmas I came across this one, a huge 3 wick candle that smelt mineral-y(definitely not a word) and spa-like. It seemed like the perfect candle for a relaxing bath or evening in so I didn't leave it behind as it was only £6.99- a total bargain. Ever since I've been burning it non-stop and I'm coming to the end of it which I'm gutted about. I'm going to savour it a little longer and only burn it for an hour or so every now and then! I must keep my eyes peeled for something similar in TK Maxx as I've never seen two of the same candles there at one time.









BNTM



I was so pleased to see Britain's Next Top Model back this year. I used to love this show and have watched almost every series so I was excited to see what the new one had to offer. It's a little different which I like, though it still has some of the original features like Model Mail, Challenges and the typical bitchyness in the house. I'm still yet to choose a favourite as I like the majority of the girls still remaining, though I'm sure their personalities will come out and help me decide. 

Are you watching it this year? I'd love to know what you think and if you've got a favourite!





That's all! I'm sure there has been lots of other things that I've been enjoying this month but these are the things that stood out in particular. I would love to hear what you've been loving this month so feel free to let me know in the comments down below. Also, don't forgot to let me know what you think of BNTM if you've been watching it!




WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LOVING THIS MONTH?




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Warm Me Up For Winter TAG | COLLAB!

Please note this is not my photo, I found it here.

Today i'm doing another collab with my lovely friend Jess from Hey It Is Jess! She's somebody I met through Instagram and blogging and we love doing collabs every now and again. Make sure you go check out her post and follow her on bloglovin, here. Today we'll both be completing the Warm Me Up For Winter TAG which I've seen floating around on YouTube quite recently. I love winter so thought why not do this tag!?

What's your favourite hot chocolate?

I'm not a huge lover of hot chocolate anymore, however I recently tried the Galaxy hot chocolate and I love it! Would definitely have to be a favourite this month!

What's your favourite pyjamas, fluffy socks and slippers?

Does this count if I haven't worn them yet? My favourite pyjamas are this Tartan set from Primark- I bought these to wear on Christmas Eve, they're so soft and cosy! You know, because i'm an adult now and have to buy my own Christmas Eve pyjamas- haha! I don't really wear fluffy socks but my favourite slippers are again from Primark and they're memory foam!

Favourite thing about winter?

It's definitely got to be the lead up to Christmas, so exciting!

Favourite winter lip product?

My favourite lip colour would have to be the well loved Rimmel 107, a lovely pinky berry shade thats matte so will last a good while on the lips. In terms of lip care, it'd have to be the bog standard but brilliant Rosy Lips Vaseline.

Favourite winter candle?

I've got two, first would have to be a typical 'winter' scent which is the Yankee Candle Simply Home Sunlight on Snow which is a warming and clean scent. The second would have to be one I picked up from Home Sense which is Pecksniff's Tobacco & White Wood- I know, you might be thinking Tobacco? Ew! It doesn't smell like cigarettes, I promise. It smells like men's aftershave, you know when they've just got ready to go out? Like that, odd that I like it but it smells amazing!

Favourite cosy jumper?

It'd probably have to be this mustard coloured one from H&M, it was only £7.99 and I can't stop wearing it. I don't know if mustard suits me but I like it so i'll wear it! I actually don't own a Christmas jumper shockingly, so I couldn't choose one of those!

Favourite scarf?

I really like this checkered/tartan camel and navy scarf from boohoo.com. I've worn it so much though, it's looking a bit worse for wear! It's huge and so soft, so it's like wearing a blanket all winter!

Top left- Butter Bear
Top right- Father Christmas
Bottom- Dashing Santa

Favourite bath bomb?

Again, i'm not a huge lover of baths- I get so bored and hot in them, i'm out within about 10 minutes! However, I always have one on Christmas Eve with a Lush bath bomb- this year I've chosen the Father Christmas bath bomb as the lady in lush said it fizzes away with amazing colours but also creates a lather/bubbles!

Favourite winter scent?

It's hands down got to be Giorgio Armani Si! I'm down to my last bit and I never want it to end so i'm savoring it. I probably should pop it on my Christmas wish list and hope for it! It's quite a heavy scent, musky and sexy which would be perfect for evenings. However, I love it so much i'll happily wear it during the day time!

What do you like about winter?

Haven't I already answered one similar to this? As I said before, the lead up to Christmas, spending time with family, giving, cosy nights in and snow!

Favourite movie?

My favourite Christmas film would have to be Polar Express, so cute and magical! Sometimes i'm even convinced to believe by the end of it- haha!

Do you like the snow?

Yes! Especially when I was at school, who else listened to the radio/constantly refreshed the news website to find out whether your school was closed? Nothing more exciting than seeing your school on the list, running upstairs to get into warm clothes and head out into the snow! I don't tend to play out in the snow as quite frankly it's too cold but I do love a day off, cosying up in front of the fire!

So there you have it, the Warm Me Up For Winter TAG. Make sure you go and check out the lovely Jess' post here and maybe even go give her a follow on bloglovin! 
I'm not going to tag anybody in particular but if you do this tag then let me know in the comments and i'll be sure to go and check it out.
I hope you've had a lovely week, I may be back on Wednesday- if not, next Sunday!



WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WINTER?

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The Pinky Nude Lip | My Favourite Lip Combo!

Recently I noticed that compared to any other category in my makeup collection, I have a lot more lip products! On a day-to-day basis, I only really wear the same few so I decided I won't buy any more lip products until after Christmas. Who knows? It might save me a few pounds before Christmas, thus being able to spend more on gifts! It's been about a month, though I may have caved a little bit and bought the Glamour magazine- just for the free lipstick! When thinking about this, the idea came to me to do a post on one of my favourite lip combos- so that's what I shall be sharing with you today.

I love a pinky/nude lip on an everyday basis as I think they're so easy to pair with any makeup look and they wear away nicely without leaving that horrible ring stain. Now, I always go into Poundland for a browse as sometimes they have some great beauty products- whilst looking I saw this Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz. These lip liners retail at around £3 so I saved myself a couple of quid there, however I can't seem to find Rose Quartz online at Boots so I think they may have had a revamp and renamed it Indian Pink which looks a pretty similar colour, so bare that in mind if you're looking for it!

As you can see below this is a nudey pink colour with the slightest shimmer, however I can barely notice the shimmer unless it's in the light. I apologise, that was an awful description so hopefully it swatched gives you a better idea! I tend to use this by outlining my lips first and then put it all over the inside of my lips, this will act as a base for the lip gloss later. As I mentioned earlier, this lip liner fades evenly so you're left with a stain all over. However, this may need to be re-applied throughout the day depending on whether you're eating or drinking.

Left/Top- Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz
Right/Bottom- Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars

To finish off the look I will go in with the Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars. I was super excited for these to be released as they looked and sounded amazing when Fleur was showing them in her video. I had my eye on the berry toned one, ready for Autumn/Winter but I already have enough berry colours in my collection so instead I went for this instead. This is Written In The Stars, again is a pinky nude colour, very similar to the lip liner- just a tad lighter. On first swatch, I was really impressed by how incredibly pigmented these glosses are, they're not too sticky so are comfortable on the lips and they smell gorgeous! If scented lip products are your thing then you'd love these- vanillary goodness!

Usually i'd quickly pop on lip gloss without a mirror, however I find these are so pigmented that I could end up looking like Coco the Clown- so I make sure I've got a mirror handy when applying these. I love the high shine finish these lip glosses give and this combo makes me feel like I've got my sh*t together when really, I probably haven't...

How long does this combo last? I couldn't say exactly, I do find I have to reapply after eating/drinking for the full effect. If I just left it though, as I've mentioned a good few times before in this post- these fade evenly so I don't have to worry too much! I'm yet to find a lipstick/lip combo that lasts all day without the need to re-apply so if you've got any recommendations, please leave them below!

This is my go-to lip look for an everyday basis, though if i'm feeling I want to be extra Autumnal, I will apply a berry colour. This one is just a lot easier to maintain!

SHOP THE LOOK

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz, here- £3.24

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Indian Pink(similar), here- £2.99 

Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars, here- £6.99

Apologies for not posting on Sunday, I was pretty busy so didn't have time or ideas on what to post. I'd be grateful if you left me with any suggestions to take me up to December. Also, let me know whether you've tried any of Fleur De Forces makeup line and what you think of it!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LIP COMBO?

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Currently Loving | October Favourites

I'm going to be a typical blogger and highlight how fast this month has gone. Seriously where has October gone? Christmas is creeping up on us and I couldn't be more excited. Myself and Pastel Blasts Beauty have decided to share with you some of the things we've been loving this month, click here to take you straight to her blog and see what she's been loving during the month of October.

I think i'll start with makeup today, both are actually Rimmel products- just putting it out there that this isn't sponsored, haha! I picked up both these products on a deal in Boots, probably something like 2 for £10 which is a bargain! 

I had heard lots about the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation and I saw that it had been reformulated, claiming to have a pore blurring effect. This sounded perfect for me as I have quite large open pores around my nose so I was hoping this would minimise the appearance of them. It definitely does! This foundation is also very light and natural so is ideal for everyday wear. I also found it's super easy to blend so is perfect for when i'm in a rush in the mornings.

The next product that I've been loving is the Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. So many beauty bloggers rave about this so I thought i'd give it a go. I expected it to be a darker berry shade, however I find it's more pink on my lips. I have recently been really enjoying wearing it though as it lasts a good while on my lips with liner. I also feel this would be perfect for those experimenting with darker lip options, this is very wearable so give it a whirl!

Next up is nails, i'm sure you will have seen this nail varnish on my blog before. It's the Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Varnish in Hypnotise- the perfect shade for Autumn/Winter! I love wearing this on my nails, you can see my review here. Whenever I take this off, almost every time I want to put it back on! I think this would look pretty with a glitter on top and would look especially great during the Christmas/Party Season.

Now onto skincare. My first product is something I've rediscovered this month, it's the Soap and Glory Hot Cloth Pore Cleanser. I used to love this and I think I stopped using it as I was coming to the end of the tube. Recently I heard that this was a good dupe of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which is something I've been wanting to try for a while, I decided i'd pick this up and give it another try. First of all, I love the calming scent which works well with a hot muslin cloth, it's relaxing and feels like a real treat at the end of the day. This has been repackaged and renamed but I will be going back to pick this up, it is now called The Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser.

The second product in skincare is the Garnier Fresh Essentials Moisturiser. I decided to try this as it was on offer on Feel Unique and it looks very similar to another Garnier moisturiser that I love. I think I may have already mentioned this in a previous post but I can't decide which I love more. They're both super hydrating and light on the skin, however I think this may sink in a little quicker. If you're looking for a new moisturiser to keep your skin soft and hydrated during the colder months, i'd definitely recommend this! It's roughly around £2 to £3 and I believe you can pick it up in supermarkets like Tesco and Asda.

For fashion, it had to be these pointed boots from Dorothy Perkins. These have been my go-to everyday as they're comfortable and look great. I'm quite short and so are my legs so I feel like the point elongates them, is that a thing? Haha! I've worn these so much already and there is hardly any signs of wear so I can tell these are going to last me a good while, yay!

Does a series count as a lifestyle favourite? My brother recently got Amazon Prime so I've sneakily been using his account to watch Parks and Recreation, he probably knows but we'll pretend he doesn't- haha! I had heard lots about this series, saying it's a must watch- it is! Amy Poehler is hilarious as Leslie, I love her!

I don't want to attempt to describe it as quite frankly I don't want to ruin it, but i'm sure a quick Google search will entice you! I'm gutted as only three series are on Amazon Prime at the moment, lets hope they add more!

Last but certainly not least, YouTubers! Seeing as it's been Vlogtober, there have been quite a lot of daily vlogs to watch. There have been a couple that have stood out to me, Diary Of A Spendaholic and Lily Melrose. Both very different, but I love so go check them out. In terms of general videos, I've been loving Laura Black(she's hilarious and absolutely stunning!) and Gem Lo Valentine(She is also beautiful and I love her style!) If you'd like to check them out then click on each of their names to take you straight to their channels!

And that's a wrap of what I've been loving this October. Be sure to check out Pastel Blasts Beauty and see what she's been loving this month too!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LOVING?

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Autumn Haul | Clothes, Accessories and Makeup!

The transition from Summer to Autumn happened so quickly. I know Summer in the UK is hardly ever the greatest but we had a good few days where it was warm and we even had that mini heatwave. Despite the fact my wardrobe this Summer was definitely not summery, I still found as soon as Autumn came around my wardrobe needed a good refresh. Dare I say it, it's not completely done and its likely inevitable that I will pick up some more clothes- I think I've picked up some nice pieces that I thought i'd share with you today. There's also a few beauty bits at the end too!

First stop was H&M. I went not looking for anything in particular then found the jumper I was after last Autumn/Winter. I believe these are basics so they're probably in store all year round in different colours but I had my eye on the mustard colour, perfect for Autumn with a berry lip. These are slightly cropped and I didn't want them to be so I picked them up in a large. I'm glad I did as the black and white mixed wool one has slightly shrunk in the wash- so bare that in mind if you're thinking of buying one. Also these are £7.99, perfect for pairing with jeans, skirts or over dresses. I may go back and pick up the olive/khaki one too!

As I've started doing supply work as a Teaching Assistant, I was in need of some comfortable, appropriate clothes for school. Dresses with leggings and boots seem to be a popular choice and I must say, this combo is easy to throw on early morning and super comfortable. I browsed boohoo as they always have great deals, I found both these dresses in the sale- the Chambray Gingham Dress was £8 and the Monochrome Aztec Dress was £6.
I love the Gingham one and i'll definitely get a lot of wear in and out of work, however the Aztec one isn't usually something i'd wear but is perfect for work.

I also popped into town earlier this week with my sister. Of course, I must have a browse in Primark as it's not often that i'm in town. I've been looking for a green flannel shirt for a while and had my eye on one in the men's section but every time I looked, they never had a small! I found this in the women's section which i'm glad about as it will fit better. This was only £8 and I think it looks more expensive, i'll wear this buttoned up and undone- I don't think i'm cool enough to wear it around my waist, haha!
I also picked up this long sleeved ribbed top in a rusty brown colour, this goes perfect with the shirt but looks great thrown on with jeans and boots too!

I was in need of another pair of black high waisted jeans(see first picture) as I bust out of my previous pair while in McDonalds, how embarrassing! They were very worn out though, so that's my excuse. They're only £10 in Primark so much cheaper than Topshop Joni Jeans.

I almost always buy a new pair of boots every Autumn. This year I bought these pointed black boots from Dorothy Perkins which you may have already seen on my blog. They were £25 which is a bargain in itself as they seem quite sturdy, however I had a £10 gift voucher and there was 20% off in store on the day, so I got these for only £10! I'm so chuffed as I've already gotten a lot of wear out of these.

I've not owned a watch in years because i'll let you into a secret, I've never been the greatest at telling the time. I know, i'm 18 and I've only just learnt to properly tell the time on an analogue clock- that's awful! But I make myself feel better as I know a few older than me who still can't tell the time. Anyway, I needed this for work as I obviously can't have my phone on me. I love how simple but pretty this is, it's from ASOS and was only £13.

Last but certainly not least I popped into Boots. I again had a £10 gift voucher so I was determined to spend it this time. I saw that Rimmel had a 2 for £10 offer so I thought i'd check it out and re-jog my memory to see if there was anything I wanted to try. The Kate Moss Lipsticks are much loved in the blogosphere, especially 107 so I picked it up to sport in the Autumn with my mustard jumper. I've been wanting to change my foundation for a while as I got a bit bored with it so I got the Rimmel Match Perfection in the shade Ivory to try. I'm yet to try it but i'm sure i'll let you know my thoughts.

Fleur De Force recently announced her new makeup line which I believe came out on Thursday. I've never really wanted to buy other Youtuber's products, however I was really intrigued by these highly pigmented lip glosses. They're like a mix between liquid lipsticks and lip glosses which I've not seen before so I promptly purchased this gorgeous 'your lips but better' shade in Written In The Stars. So far, I really like it- it smells amazing and will be perfect for everyday wear.

And that's all I've bought recently for Autumn. As I said earlier, i'm sure there will be more to come! If I pick up enough worth hauling, then I sure will!

Hope you've had a lovely week!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN BUYING RECENTLY?

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The Autumn TAG | Hello Autumn!

I love Autumn, I think it may be my favourite season. Seeing as it's starting to creep in, I'm talking cold, damp mornings, crunchy leaves and rainy evenings. I thought what better way to note my first Autumn post this year than with an Autumn TAG- I wasn't tagged to do this but I love participating in TAGs every now and then!

Favourite thing about Autumn?

It's got go be cosy nights in with the fire on, whilst binge watching films or catching up on TV programmes. Let's be honest, TV is usually better come Autumn/Winter!

Favourite drink?

I'm guessing this means the seasonal drinks at Starbucks and Costa. I'm not a huge fan of spices, so the Pumpkin Spice Latte is not for me! I love tea, I don't drink as much in the summer so I make the most of it during Autumn and Winter!

Favourite scent/candle?

As I've mentioned, I don't like spices much- the taste and smell. I do love vanilla based candles though as they're so warming and comforting. I don't do sickly sweet neither, so it'd have to be Sunlight on Snow by Yankee Candle- fresh but comforting!

Best lipstick?

As I'm writing this, I'm currently testing the very much raved about Rimmel 107. I shall update you on my thoughts, I'm sure. I love dark and Berry toned lips around this time of year, my go-to shades are usually the Maybelline Colour Drama Velevet Lip Pencil in Berry Much or MUA Matte Lipstick in Wild Berry.

Go-to moisturiser?

In terms of day moisturisers, I love the Garnier Moisture Match range. I usually opt for the mattifying one for oily skin but my skins a little dry at the moment so I may pick up another in the range. For the night, I love the Origins Night-A-Mins but I only have a deluxe sample of that so I've been using it sparingly- I must pick up the full size at some point!

Go-to colours for the eyes?

I rarely steer away from neutral colours on my eyes, usually I go for mattes in the day time and shimmery for a night look. I do like to add more copper tones during the Autumn, I think they make my blue eyes pop too!

Favourite music or band/singer to listen to?

I don't think my music taste changes much throughout the year, I love Olly Murs, Ed Sheeran and just pop in general.

Favourtie outfit to wear?

Autumn/Winter is all about jumpers, jeans, chunky knit tights, ankle boots and huge blanket-like scarves!

Autumn treat?

I'm not really sure what this means, does it mean in terms of food?

I love homemade soups, especially my Mum's Lentil and Vegetable soup, with crunchy bread- yum!

Favourite place to be?

As I mentioned earlier, I love being cosied up in a blanket on the sofa with the fire on but I also love Bonfire Night! It's nice to just wrap up warm and go out for the evening with your friends and family to watch the amazing firework displays and  make your way through a toffee apple before you start to feel a little bit sick!

I wasn't tagged by anyone to do this, but I will tag a few as I'd love to hear your favourite things about Autumn.

I TAG:

Jess from Hey It Is Jess

Nicole from Thrifty Vintage Fashion

and

Geraldine from Geraldine's Wonderful World

Look forward to seeing your answers girls!

See you Sunday with a haul!

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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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£20 Makeup Challenge! | Drugstore/ High Street Makeup Look

A lot of my makeup products are drugstore. I've seen the $20 Makeup Challenge videos and blog posts circling around the internet for a while now and I thought i'd adapt it slightly as i'm from the UK and make it the £20 Makeup Challenge. I know i'm not the first to do this and i'm sure I won't be the last but I thought it was time to shop my stash to see what products can make up a full face for £20 or less- definitely a challenge but not impossible!

Foundation was the hardest for me. I love the L'Oreal True Match but that would've been nearly half the budget gone as it comes in at £9.99. Instead I opted for another foundation that I love but unfortunately is too dark for me, however I thought I could make it work, if I was very light handed. It's the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation in the shade 200- Soft Beige, this comes in at £7.99 but it's on offer regularly at £4.99 in places like Boots, Superdrug and Wilko. I admit, I cheated a little.
This foundation is medium to high coverage and offers a dewy base to last a long while. 25 hours? I don't know who wears makeup that long anyway?

Next up is concealer, I chose the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint in Fair which is £5.49. I've used the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer for a while now and although it's good, I just fancied a change. I heard this one is great(it is) for under-eyes especially to cover up those pesky bags, apparently it's also a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Corrector Concealer so i'm not complaining there. My skin has been quite good recently, i'm touching wood as I say this...so I've not yet had to use it on blemishes or redness but i'm sure it'll do the job just fine!

Now onto contour/bronzer. I'm fairly new to this step but with practice I love how it can add so much dimension and shape to the face, as well as giving my very pale face a bit of colour. In order to practice I picked up a bargain which I absolutely love, its an MUA Pressed Powder in the shade 04- as it's not actually a bronzer and is a face powder this is matte which is perfect for contouring. This was only £1, MUA is so affordable!

This Sleek Blush in Rose Gold is a beautiful pinky coral shade with a gorgeous shimmer running through. This could also act as a highlight as well as adding colour to your cheeks. These blushes are so pigmented and are only £4.49, I must go and look at the other shades to see what they offer ready for Autumn/Winter.

For mascara I've gone for the Collection Lengthening Mascara in Ultra Black. I've not had the best experience with collection mascaras before, they seem to have gone very dry and flaky quite quickly but this one is different. I received this in a beauty box and sort of wrote it off to begin with, I wanted to mix it up a little and try something else instead of Benefit's Roller Lash- I'm so glad I gave this one a go. On my lashes I found this creates a look very similar to the Roller Lash and this is only £2.99! What!? I know!

Last but not least is lips, I used the Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Pencil in Rose Quartz which I found in the pound shop, I believe it was Poundland so yes- this was only £1. If you didn't know Poundland often have Rimmel, Sally Hansen and a few more well-known brands so if you have a look i'm sure you'll find some hidden gems that are worth a go for a pound!

I'm afraid I haven't got a picture of what the finish look as I'm not yet comfortable with posting pictures of myself on here, apologies for that! However, these products created a lovely natural look that is perfect for summer!

This look came in at £19.96, so yes it was actually under budget.

I know, I didn't include something for eyes in terms of eye shadow. However, you could switch out the Sleek Blush for an MUA or Makeup Revolution palette/eye shadows as most of them are £4 or less.

I also didn't include something for brows as I use the Soap and Glory Brow Archery which would've taken up half of the budget. I don't do my brows everyday but if you wanted something to tidy them up a little and set them in place you could use a clear mascara which I know you can pick up in Boots and Superdrug for £1-3.

I'm so impressed I was able to do a full-face of makeup for under £20. You can definitely find some bargains in the drugstore that compare to high end products so you don't have to blow the budget!

What's your favourite drugstore/high street makeup brand/product?

Please let me know in the comments!

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