Dubai Haul♥︎ (makeup)

This is incredibly overdue and I have been back for over a week now but I've just been so busy with school recently and haven't found time to post as much as I would like to (sad face)

As you can guess from the title, I was on holidays! Yes, I finally got to visit my very lucky brother who lives in Dubai and I had the most brilliant time ever. I will give you a quick rundown on what we done whilst there - maybe you are heading on holidays there and this may interest you? 

So we landed in Dubai about 9am - and after a 8 hour flight I was tired to say the least. Alas I got myself together and went to 'Bounce' which is a cool trampoline centre thingy - it sounds so crap but trust me we (myself and my brothers girlfriend) had SO much fun. The instructors were lovely and taught us some cool tricks and there is also a section for dodgeball - which I loved (and also won). After bounce we went for lunch and then set off to 'iFLY' which I was scared out of my wits of doing. IFLY is basically a giant tube with air blowing up so you feel like you're skydiving/flying? I'm terrible at explaining it and I was also pretty terrible at doing it. After getting past the initial fear of it I had so much fun and again the instructors were so lovely - one lovely enough to get my leg and spin me around in a circle (whilst 'flying') lol. 

Day two we went to the waterpark in Atlantis - this was probably my favourite day, it was just so much fun and I loooove a good waterpark. Also I'm incredibly proud of myself for going on the famous 'leap of faith' which is basically a vertical slide. This was the first slide I went on. (so proud) The next day we attended a - pretty much - all day brunch. I have never ever seen so much food in my entire life, it was INSANE. I felt pretty disgusted if I'm honest - it was just so wasteful! I won't lie though, I did enjoy it and it was certainly enjoyable (there was a pina colada station and an indian food section, how could I not enjoy myself?!) The next three days were spent relaxing by the pool and doing a little too much shopping.. 

Which leads me into sharing my haul with you all!

(Can you tell the background is actually an old skirt.. Clever, eh?)

Lets begin! First off in the airport I picked up Mac Fix+  which I have been eyeing up for aaages, so it is about time I got it! Whilst on my way to the till I spotted Benefit Majorette blush and after reading a million reviews on it on bloglovin I thought I may as well pick it up - everyone deserves an extra cream blush:)

Up close and personal with benefit majorette ft. my pale arm and the end of my hair in the mirror

Whilst being in Sephora, I honestly felt so overwhelmed - it was crazy. Not just because I was so in awe of it all but because of how crazy busy it was and how I was approached about 10 times asking did I need help. No thank you, overly pushy sales person, I'm fine. Honestly, if I need help, I will come to you! Stop pushing me and following me around like a predator, it puts me off rather than makes me want to buy something! I noticed especially in Lush and Victoria's Secret how pushy the workers were and it got to the stage were I had to be rude to them - which I hated because working in a shop myself I know the feeling of rude costumers, but honestly I was so fricking annoyed and (hate to get too tmi here) thanks very much but I know my own bra size without you following me and pestering me. In lush she literally trailed after me - I left without even getting to look at half of the stuff there. Anyways rant over. Moving on.. 

Okay so in Sephora I was initially set on getting the original Smashbox primer however once seeing the same primer only a blemish control version, I instantly changed my mind. The salycilic acid in the primer helps to treat acne/blemishes while still reducing the appearence of them. I was also determined to get the Makeup Forever Hd foundation  so as soon as I seen the makeup forever counter I nearly screamed I was so excited. I got mine in the shade 117 and I even got one for my sister and one of my friends because it is so good. 

In Sephora I also got the own brand concealer brush  which is great for covering up blemishes because of the small and precise brush.. Head? (is that the word?!). 

I'm also a little confused about the next product I got because I am nearly 90% certain that it is the 'better than sex' mascara by too faced, however it's called 'better than love' and I have looked up everywhere to see if there is a different mascara called that but I can only find the better than sex one so I am very confused. Also I was set on buying the better than sex mascara but at the counter I could only find the other one - so after that rambling over mascaras, I have came to the conclusion they are the same. 

Last thing I picked up in Sephora is the limited edition 'Pulp Fiction' palette by Urban Decay. 

I absolutely love the shades it comes with - I especially love 'righteous' all over the lid and 'tyranny' blended into the crease. At £17.50 I think it's good value for Urban Decay. 

After my rotten experience in Lush. I managed to come out with the 250g tea tree water which is actually a repurchase as my smaller version ran out. I love this toner and the 100g lasted so long so it is definitely good value for money in my opinion. I also got the 'ultimate shine' shampoo bar because who doesn't want shiny hair?! And also because shampoo bars are super cool.

Probably my favourite purchase - the gorgeous 'star violet' eyeshadow by Mac. I love it, I love it, I love it. It is so beautiful and such an unusual colour, it looks beautiful with browns and pink toned colours. It is the ultimate autumnal shade in my opinion. 

So pretttttttty!

I also managed to pick up the Kiehls 'Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque'  I haven't used this yet, but it has been on my wishlist since August so I'm super duper excited to try it out!

And that's me! A bit of a text-heavy post but oh well! I hope you enjoyed reading, leave a comment below on your thoughts etc I love reading them:) 

Have a good day! Byeeeee:) 

Ps Always remember.. 

September Favourites♥︎

I understand that every blogger/youtuber/monthly enthusiast comments on how this month has flown past us and I am no different. This month has went soooo quick! It feels like no time since I was stressing over what bag I was going to bring to school. Now I'm a month in. Crazy.

Another month, another set of favourites.. Two of these are all time favourites however I have paticularly enjoyed them this month. 

Also this is a pretty late favourites post because I was on holidays - in which I was feeling a little spendy so I will be posting two new hauls - makeup and clothes later this week. Hurray!

First off lets begin with the social media superstar frank body coffee scrub (original- £11.95, Coconut & Grapeseed £13.95), this scrub claims to target stretch marks, cellulite and other skin conditions. I'm not going to go too in depth with this product as I think I will do a review on it once I finish my original scrub and then maybe when I'm like half way through the coconut one? Just so I can tell you my preference. So far I love this scrub, my skin feels smooth and toned(?) after using it and if you are like me and love the smell of coffee - it's the scrub for you! (Also it is free shipping, how great is that?!)

Two lip favourites this month include my trusty Burts Bees (£3.69) lip balm which is amazing and I have always loved it but I always seem to lose it so after getting a new one this month it was feeling a whole lotta love.

After my love affair with my Topshop lipstick in ditsy, I've been dying to try another Topshop product which led me to buying a lip bullet in the shade heartbeat (£8), it's a gorgeous peachy pink and is so wearable. Also I love how creamy the formula is making it so easy to apply. 

Only now am I realising the face masks packaging is dirty, I apologise for my grossness.  

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned the Ren 'Invisible Pores Detox Mask' (£18) before on this blog but I am only going to mention it again briefly. Whenever I'm having a bad skin day, I love using this mask as it really feels like it's doing good and always leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed after using it. 

Fellow acne sufferers and people with skin issues, come and gather round - you will love this. Estee Lauder Double Wear (£29.50) was introduced to me around the start of this year and ever since then, I've been running back to it. I wouldn't wear it everyday as it's a very heavy, high coverage foundation. Without even using concealer, it can cover up all of my acne and it will last all day, literally - All. Day. I always wear esdw on nights out because (as gross as it sounds) dancing makes you sweat and other foundations melt away by the end of the night. One problem I have discovered recently is, I find that esdw causes flashback in photographs (I think?) because my face looks incredibly white compared to everyone else's but only when flash is used.. It's still worth it in my opinion.

Holy grail status - The Balm 'Bahama Mama' (£13.50) bronzer is my absolute favourite bronzer of all the bronzers I have tried.  (can you use the word bronzer anymore Nessa?!) This is literally the perfect contour shade. Not muddy or orange, it mimics a natural shadow under cheekbones and works as such a beautiful contour shade. If you are getting anything from this post definitely get the bronzer, it's amazing. 

  

What's that little contraption in the bottom left corner of the picture you ask? It's the Laura Mercier eyelash curler . I used to always skip curling my eyelashes, thinking it was pointless but this little guy has completely changed my mind. It's honestly so good - being the best eyelash curler I have used - and also because it's so small it takes up hardly any room in my makeup bag (leaving more room for other goodies)

My Mac fluidline in blacktrack (£15.50) has been quite the staple in my eye makeup this month, if it's not a cat eye, they will be lined to some extent - and I have been using this bad boy for just that.

How can I not mention my Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar' palette (£45)? I've been using this almost every time I've makeup on, mainly because it's gorgeous. The shades are pigmented, blendable and wearable - everything you want in a palette, eh? My favourites are 'salted caramel' (first on the second row), 'marzipan' (beside salted caramel) and 'cherry cordial' which I think will be fab for winter (fourth on the third row). Also, it smells of chocolate, case closed - it wins everything. 

I hope you enjoyed reading! Comment below on what your September favourites are, I would love to read them:) 

See you soon!x 

Toronto Treats! (haul)

 

A moment of appreciation for my Mum and Dad for trolling through Sephora, Mac, Lush and the lot, just to bring me back these goodies! I am in no way showing off here, I just really want to share with you what I got because I'm very, very excited!

Another thing, I am pretty sure (I think?) that certain brands are actually cheaper in Canada/Us so this also spurred on the excessive gift buying..

I'm going to begin with (in my opinion) the most exciting product which has been on my wishlist for aaaages and that is The Chocolate Bar palette by 'Too Faced'. This is the kind of item I would never go to buy myself - mainly because of the price tag - but oh my God it's literally so perfect. The first thing my Mum said to me when I opened it was 'Smell it! It smells of chocolate!! Isn't that cool?', the smell of it was about the last thing on my mind but it actually does smell of chocolate and it is very, very cool. I have already used this palette yesterday and I can't speak highly enough of it, the colours are gorgeous and so wearable, the pigmentation is amazing and they blend flawlessly, I have zero complaints.









Another item on my wishlist that the whole female population and their neighbour has heard of is the Anastasia Beverly hills Brow Wiz. I finally have it! Let's rejoice for the strong brow games to come. Also, completely random - not complaining just an observation - but the little 'Wiz' stick thing is so teeny! I wasn't expecting a brute of a thing but it's so small and skinny and cute. I'm in looove.

From Tarte my Mum picked me up the 12 hour Amazonian Clay foundation (another wishlist item - surprise, surprise). I also used this yesterday and the texture is so moussey and dream like, it lasted pretty much all day and I loved the coverage/ finish it gave.. Maybe a review to come? (after some more testing, of course!)

Whilst in Sephora, I was also treated to a new Sephora Brush set. There's something about getting new brushes that's just so exciting and great, that I can't fully describe it. This brush set comes with 7 brushes and a little brow comb (thingy). The brushes also come with a cute little case, which is very handy for travelling and keeping everything together. Also I apologise for the two brushes that are a little unclean - I used them this morning (A star for doing their job at being fab brushes)

I was also treated to a couple little goodies from Mac..  I got two eyeshadows in the shades: Shroom and Vanilla.  Shroom has a satin finish and Vanilla has a velvet finish - according to what it says on the packaging, ha. Both of these are very shimmery colours that would be beautiful for highlighting and using in the inner corner of the eye. The only slight difference between the two is that shroom is a little more on the taupe side. Super excited to try them out.

A mac classic, I finally got my hands on the Mac fluidline eye-liner gel in Blacktrack. I'm really excited to use this as it looks like a proper black-black and I have also heard some very good things about it..

(Oh heeeeey me, with my rather crap camera)

Holy grail status, Mac msf is my lifesaver. I can't leave the house without it, I have so much love for this product, I probably will never move on from it and I will refuse to use any other powder. I LOVE IT. (I wear light plus incase you were wondering)

Also my lovely mum got me a pro longwear blush from mac in the shade 'whole lotta love', what a cute name! Not really a blusher person but I'm very excited to use this, it's a gorgeous, deep pink colour, that I am terrible at describing. Laaaavely.

 
Oh how I love Lush.. I can't even explain why, I just do - like so much. My mum knows how much I love it too - most notably because I could spend about an hour in the shop (it smells good, okay?!)

As you can see, she bought me the lush Charity Pot which is basically a hand and body lotion/moisturiser which not only feels good but does good. How can you not feel good about buying this? You donate to charity by buying it and I just really love it's idea. It also smells great (no surprise).

A product I have never seen before whilst in lush is the cleanser Aqua Marina, it looks like it's rolled up in sushi form - basically because there is seaweed wrapped around it (how cool is that). Adding to the 'coolness' is that it's really thick/ almost solid and you basically add a little in your hand, add some water and presto! You feel like you've made your own cleanser. Trust me, it is just as satisfying as it sounds. (It's also inspired by mermaids, so fricking cool in my opinion)

And with that I am going to go write up my English lit essay (oh, the joys!)
Hope you enjoyed reading and snooping through my goodies! bye:)  

New Purchases..

I know the title is a little strange but I couldn't bring myself to call this a haul because it's not really one to be honest, but I felt like I still needed to share it with you all.

As you see I picked up 3 items from Wet'n'Wild, basically because I have never seen it in Ireland and it's in the chemist beside my school so of course I got a little excited.

I picked up the 'Walking on Eggshells' 3 step eyeshadow palette. You can clearly see I have used this already and I actually love it so so much. It's so pigmented and the colours are so complementary. It was only £3.49 and I would honestly compare it to a high end eyeshadow, it's amazing. Complete bargain. 

Next up I got two of their lipsticks and I know, I know they are near the same colour but I just really like my natural-ish colours and they were too gorgeous not to pick up both. The slightly darker colour is 'Rose Bud' and the lighter of the two is 'Just Peachy'. These are also such good quality for only £2.49 each! They have such a lovely formula and the colour is so pigmented. (everything is very pigmented, okay?! Ha)  I will definitely be back to add some more to my stash!;)

*They look like a red and orange in the picture but thats just my crappy camera haha*

The next two purchases are due to the great and godly Asos. I absolutely love Asos, it's just so handy, having so many brands at just a click of a button (I'm cringing at my cliche-ness) 

First off lets welcome my beeeeeeautiful new boots. As I was saying I got these of Asos but they are actually from River Island *Get them here!*. They are described as red but I think they are more of a burgundy red colour, which make them very unique instead of boring old black boots (no hate to black boots) and they are the perfect shade for Autumn time in my opinion. I also love the little cut outs on the side which make them so cute and a little different than your average boot and for £35 I think they are very good!

A product I have been coveting for ages.. The 'Bahama Mama' bronzer from The Balm. I have heard so much about this little beauty and I am so chuffed to finally get my hands on it! Sadly they don't sell The Balm in stores in Ireland so I got mine off Asos for £13.50. As you probably notice in the picture I have already began using this bronzer and.. Oh. My. God. I am obsessed with it. It is amazing for contouring, like it's incredible. It is not orangey in the slightest and gives a very natural contour, I use my real techniques duo fibre brush to blend this in and it is just so so so beautiful. *Get your hand on it here!!*

New items are the best, I seriously think I have a shopping problem. 

Have a nice day, byeee! 

August Favourites♥︎

The end of Summer is always a bittersweet thing for me. I love love love Autumn, I love the clothing, the weather, the leaves getting crunchy, darker evenings, curling up beside the fire with a hot chocolate.. I love it. One thing I don't like so much about Autumn (alike 99.9% of students) is returning back to school. Don't get me wrong it's not like I despise school and after the first couple of weeks it feels like I have never left.. But since I am going into 6th year and taking the drastic leap into the intimidating world of A levels, you can imagine I am not so ecstatic.. 

When Summer ends it also means that it is time for another favourites post. I know I'm new and have only one other favourites but really I love piling up all the things I have been loving this month into one place and sharing it for you all.

♥︎

 

Ahhh let us begin.

Let's begin with my favourite scent of the month which is 'Vanilla Lace' by Victoria Secret, I am terrible at describing smells - alike 90% of the population - but I would describe it as very sweet..? You know what, I'm going to tell you how Victoria Secret describe it - "A seductive, warm fragrance. Feel sensual in Vanilla Lace, a seductive veil of warm vanilla and sultry musk". So I was wrong. The size of this product is great for carrying about in your handbag which is also a major plus and I actually got this as a present in a set with two other body mists and 3 matching body lotions, it's great. I love it a lot.

Moving on to my 'Arch de Triumph' brow pencil and highlighter by Soap and Glory. I bought this because my Soap and Glory archery brow pen/pencil thingy ran out and because the boots where I live is so crappy (it's a problem) I had to settle on this. I was really not expecting much as I am not the biggest fan of brow pencils as I feel like they can make your brows look ridiculous, however I was pleasantly surprised as first off the colour is perfect for my eyebrows, it makes them look natural and fuller instead of giving the overdone, drawn on look that no one wants. I can't say too much about the highlighter side, I used it a couple times but I'm still unsure how to feel about it.

Another brow product I have been loving (for more than just August) is a brow gel called Brow Drama by Maybelline. This little sculpting gel is really amazing in my opinion. Paired with my soap and glory brow pencil, these two have been keeping my brow game strong all day long. 

(Colour on nails is Sugar Plum by Ciate)

 Next is my gorgeous lipstick from Topshop in the shade Ditsy. I am not a lipstick person, I shy away from bright colours and usually stick to a nice lip balm or pinky/nude toned colour but after seeing this I felt like I had to have it. It is the perfect summery lipstick in my opinion. The picture doesn't show the colour completely accurately as it is slightly more orangey on and not quite as red however it is described as 'hot coral' on the topshop website. Personally I like to blend this lipstick in a bit as I am still a bit frightful of big bold colours but I really do love this lipstick, it's fab. (quick note: is anyone else obsessed with the packaging like I am?!) 

The nail polish shade I have really been loving through the month of August is actually from my 2013 Ciate advent calendar and it's in the shade 'Sugar Plum' (Isn't the name so cute?!) It is a really pretty lavender shade and I love pastel colours so this is right up my street.

Lately my skin has been so dry, flakey, gross and my makeup has been looking terrible because of it. To fix this problem I sought out my miniature sized Clinique Moisture Surge extended thirst relief moisturiser and it really lived up to the name. After using this moisturiser and waking up the next day I find my skin is so much softer and it really has cleared up the dry patches on my face. Also don't even ask where I got the miniature sized version of this because I'm not entirely sure. (Bad, I know) 

Another skincare product from the result of dry skin is the amazing cleanser from Eve Lom. As I was saying, my makeup was looking very crappy and not applying very nicely and my skin looked so dull -  so to try and counteract this I decided to use this in the morning before applying my makeup and I can honestly say I have noticed such a difference. After using it my skin felt - again - so soft and refreshed, I also love the smell of this product and I'm not entirely sure how to describe it, just that it's really good..? Sadly my one (or rather my mums) is running out so I/ she will need to get one very soon! Another piece of sad news is that it is quite pricey but I can say I think it is totally worth it. 

I also want to mention I have been loving the band Family of the Year they are fricking amazing and are classified as an indie rock band according to wikipedia, their music is very chill and I just love them so much. You probably know their song 'Hero' which is sooo amazing but you should really check out their whole album 'Loma Vista' because it is spectacular. 

What has been your favourites this month?:) 

  

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette♥︎

Ahh.. The great feeling of owning a new eyeshadow palette - and quite a beautiful one at that. 

Recently I received my GCSE results and the whole week before, I had the worst feeling - it was a mixture of fear, nerves and maybe a little bit sick. One thing that always makes me feel better is buying new makeup. (it's a problem and this sounds so cliche) It was perfect timing too because it would arrive on Thursday -the dreaded day- so I seen it as either a treat or a pick me up, plus I was going out that night and the shades in this are perfect for some smokey eyes.

After hearing so many raving reviews and watching tutorials on the natural eyes palette by too faced, I felt like I needed it.  I had my heart set on it and it is what I had intended to buy. Scrolling through the many lovely products by too faced on the house of fraser website, I longed to add them all to my basket (chocolate bar palette I am looking at you!) and finally I reached this little gem. I know it's not the natural eyes palette like I said I wanted, but the more I looked at it, the more I wanted it - I convinced myself it was better and I needed it, thoughts such as 'but it's £3 cheaper'  and 'you already have lots of brown toned eyeshadows, try something different like this one!'. (realising now how pathetic and cheap I sound - wow)

In this palette there are 9 shades in total, 3 matte shades and the rest shimmery. (thats the opposite to matte, right?) It comes with a step by step tutorial on how to create 3 looks : day, classic and fashion. I think this would be very helpful and a useful palette for someone who is starting off their makeup collection and is still unsure of what goes where etc. The shades in this palette are of the neutral spectrum with pinky tones, voulez-vous stands out to me the most as it is a very pretty purpley, blackish.. Grey? It is hard to describe but is SO pretty. I normally go for earthy tones to compliment my green eyes but I felt like going for something a little different and so far I am loving it.

All the names of the eyeshadows are so sexual, this whole palette is so cheeky! But very loveable, has anyone else tried it out?

My Wishlist - August 2014♥︎

I think everyone has their eye on at least one thing. But for me, I happen to have my eye on a couple of things and the problem is payday isn't everyday, so of course I can't be buying them all - as much as I would love to!

To cater my wandering eye (sounds so sexual, I swear it's not!) I have decided to make a wish list and to share it with you all so we can lust after these products together!

*Deep breathe* Ahh so pretty.

Lets work our way round from the top left corner onwards.

Nars Creamy Concealer - I don't think I have read any bad reviews on this product and I just really want a new under-eye concealer as I feel like none I have used recently have done much good and I just really love nars so I pretty much want everything from it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Brow Wiz'- Do I really have to say much about this? Literally everyone has this and I feel so left behind on the new obsession, I want this so baaaaad! 

Mac concealer palette in 'Light' - I really wanted to try out this concealer palette as I really loved my current mac concealer but sometimes I feel like the colouring is not just 100% right and I think it would be a good idea to mix different colours together, I have also read it is good for highlighting/ countouring and can also be used as an under eye concealer. The value is quite good considering you are paying £35 for SIX shades and I think I forget that it is actually for the six and not just one, so in theory it is quite good value.

Lorac Pro Palette - Alike the brow wiz this has been talked about SO much and has featured in many tutorials. I probably will never get my hands on this beauty as it is £52.50 (according to amazon but I'm pretty sure its cheaper) 

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanilla Honey Bath - Another cult favourite this bath promises to leave your skin felling velvety soft, and lets face it, who doesn't want velvety soft skin?! Also my sister got it and raved to me about how good it is, so this is definitely going on my wishlist as I do love a good ole' bath. (not to mention the little scooper thingy is cool as hell!)

Tarte amazonian clay foundation - I know, I know, I only got a new foundation and I have already declared my love for it, but that doesn't mean I can't eye up another foundation.. Right? After converting $38 to sterling I figured it was about £23 roughly, which is not so bad.

Nars Lip Crayons - Nothing really to say for myself here, just that I love nars and I love lip crayons and I heard these are pretty good. These are £18 and in my opinion, slightly pricey which is the number one reason they are on my wish list and not in my makeup drawer.

Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar' Eye Palette - I'm a sucker for a good eye palette and boy do I want this. I love the look of this palette and I think I could use nearly every single shade in it - they all look so wearable and ugh I need this in my life, I have been eyeing it up for way too long.

Keihls 'Raw earth deep cleansing' Face Mask - I have recently discovered this item after reading one review, which spiraled into me reading another and another and another (you get where this is going), which led this little pot into the direction of my wishlist. Another thing, I have never actually tried anything from keihls so I may end up giving this a go pretty soon.

Kehls creamy eye treatment - I have no reason behind this, I probably don't even need an eye cream as I have never had a problem with the skin around my eyes however after watching a video by zoella I felt like I needed this in my life, also as I said before I really just want to try out the brand! (also I can imagine it to be amazing because avocado on the eyelids seems like heaven, or is that just me?)

Last but not least..

Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Set - Ahhh these beauties. Theres something about buying new makeup brushes that is so appealing to me.. One thing that is not so appealing however is the price. I know, I know, that it is actually very good value for the amount of brushes you get but I just don't like spending that amount of money all at once (sometimes I question am I even making sense). Anyhoo, I just really want these and the look gorgeous and so luxurious with the rose gold detailing. Gimme gimme gimme!! (Not a Britney Spears reference).

What is on your current wishlist? Tell me below in the comments! :-)

Have a good day! Ness x  

Revlon Colourstay Foundation Review

So I may have went shopping again.. This time I got some different products but I decided to do a review on my new foundation aka the revlon colorstay foundation. 

This foundation has got so many raving reviews and that is what spurred me on to get this instead of repurchasing my clinique foundation. This review will probably be no different, as I loved it. I have only used this foundation once, but it really was fantastic. 

To give you some background info I have acne and my skin is not entirely oily, more combination. Also I think it is sensitive (not too sure but when I got a facial, the lady claimed I have 'baby like' skin).

You can get this foundation in either of two forms depending on your skin type. (Oily/combination or normal/dry) Upon buying this I really liked the idea of a foundation to match your skin type because foundations either look to cakey, or don't have enough lasting power, or just make my skin look like an oil slick.

My first impressions of this were very good but the only flaw I have with it, is that it doesn't have a pump and the foundation is quite thick making it harder to get out and just more time consuming. The colour I got was 150 Buff and it is absolutely perfect for my skin colour and I NEVER find a perfect match, I either look like a wotsit or so pale that I look sickly. 

What I used to get the right colour (this was shown to me by a friend) was the website www.matchmymakeup.com and it is basically a website were you type in your previous foundation colour and then you pick the one you are looking for and it will get the same colour for you. Simples. The foundation I used to match up was the healthy mix by bourjois in the shade vanilla as it is the only one I could remember whilst in boots and also because it was one of the closest foundations to match my skin tone that I can recall. I got matched to two different shades, one was slightly darker than bourjois vanilla and the other was a shade lighter and with Autumn fast approaching my skin is only going to get paler so I decided to go with the lighter option aka 150 Buff. I also thought it was a good idea to go for the lighter option as you can always bronze it up a little, whereas with a darker colour there is no escape from the tragedy of looking like an oompaloompa. 

Before applying my foundation I used my l'oreal blur cream and I'm not sure if it was the blur cream or the actual foundation that made my skin look flawless but you couldn't even detect my pores - and let me tell you I have big pores. I applied it with my real techniques expert face brush and I feel like you only need a little of this foundation as I said before it is quite thick and it may look a tad cakey if you applied too much of it on at once. For me it blended really well and evened out my skin tone and even covered pesky acne scarring. I can't say that it completely covered my acne but it did work as a great base for my concealer. 

I applied my foundation in the early afternoon, done some baking, walked to work and then actually done my shift at work - and through all this my foundation stayed put. For me, that is a huge achievement because if I wore my old foundation and done these tasks I would either look like an oily cakey mess, or just look completely bare faced with the odd patch of concealer. (how attractive)

Overall I think this is an amazing foundation and I would highly recommend it for oily skin and fellow acne sufferers! I will post an update soon, just to be sure I still love it as much as the first time:)

Have any of you guys tried this foundation? If so, leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on it!:)

Ness x 

At it Again...

Uh-oh. I did it again.

So I seriously think I have a problem. I went shopping, and yes, I picked up some new makeup/beauty related bits. Its really nothing new, to be honest. 

Anyways last Wednesday I was off to get my hair done so I decided to meet up with my pal to go for a quick look around the shops and to get something to eat. And of course, it led me to buying things I probably didn't even need if I'm honest. 

First off we decided to head to boots uptown and I got the ecotools eye enhancing duo set, I can actually justify this product because I really did need some new eye brushes and I seen a video by Kathleen lights or else by the youtube channel AlisonlovesJB (I think? Doubting myself now:-))  and they recommended it so I thought 'Why not?'. I actually used them yesterday and I already agree that they are fab. 

Next I decided to repurchase the amazing garnier micellar cleansing water. This stuff is absolutely amazing at removing makeup, I would highly recommend it. Also it is roughly about £5 and considering there is 400ml in this, it is quite the bargain as it lasts a very long time.

This little beauty was picked up with thanks to my friend Ellen, for coaxing me into buying it. Honestly we are as bad as each other, telling each other that we 'NEED' certain products when really we already have a similar one in about 6 different shades. But really, I actually do thank her for persuading me to get it as it really is something else. As you can see it's the most recent mascara from rimmel and it is  called 'wonder'full' (I do appreciate a good pun). Even the packaging is gorgeous, it looks so luxurious and what makes the product even more luxurious is the fact it has Argan oil in the formula. I think what really had me won over was the fact there was Argan oil in it because I've never actually heard of a mascara with it as an ingredient and I was very intrigued. 

I actually have been using the mascara recently and I can whole-heartedly tell you it is definitely going to be my favourite for quite some time as it is brilliant at creating long and voluminous lashes but yet is clump-free, maybe it's the inclusion of argan oil that makes this mascara so wonder'full (get it?) but whatever it is, it is certainly working:-)

The enabler strikes again. Yes, another product purchased thanks to my lovely friend but I can't let her take all the blame on this one as she has had to put up with me contemplating whether to buy this for aaaages. But finally I gave in as my curiosity got the better of me. I believe the 'Nude Magique' range from L'oreal is somewhat new and this 'Blur cream' particularly caught my eye. Maybe it was the promise of a blurred out, poreless, perfect - looking skin that had me won over, that or the fancy phrases like 'Concentrated with light reflectors, the micro-blur technology delivers an optical blurring effect'. Anyways I was bought. Recently I have used the blur cream and I can't say I love it just yet.. It is quite thick and reminds me slightly of the baby skin primer by maybelline, the only difference is that the blur cream has a slight colour to it. I do think when I first put it on that it does leave my pores looking blurred out however I don't think it has combined too well with my acne as concealer seems a little harder to apply/ doesn't last as long. But maybe I am not giving it a fair chance.. I will have to wait it out another while to get a full honest verdict I think. 

(don't ask why I have the eco-tools brushes and the real techniques in the same picture, I apparently thought it was a good idea at the time)

Last but not least I have the real techniques limited edition duo-fiber edition brushes. Now let me tell you, when I see 'Limited edition' something in my head ticks and I think "Oh my God! I need this, it won't be here forever.. I would be one of the few special ones to get the cool limited edition! YES SHOW ME THE TILL I WANT 20" (Am I the only one..?) Okay so that may be exaggerated just a tad but honestly, if something is limited edition I will be all over it. I haven't tried all these brushes out yet as I'm still trying to decided which one I want to use for what but I have used the smallest one (forgive me, I'm in bed and I refuse to go get it just to find the name so I'm referring to it as the smallest one) to blend in my under eye concealer and I have no complaints, so if you love limited edition goodies too, I say go for it;-) 

So that is it! Congratulations! You are a survivor, you have survived reading through the endless thoughts and rambles from my jumbled up head! And honestly if you have gotten this far, I can not thank you enough, as it means tons and tons..

Not sure what to put at the end of blogposts.. Like what is the 'cool' thing here? I don't want to be that loser blog that everyone makes fun of because she says 'come again' when everyone knows you are meant to say 'share with your friends'.

What am I even talking about? Okay, this is a queue for me to leave it off and go to sleep..

See ya soon guys!

Ness x 

July Favourites

Hello everyone!

So today I decided I would do my July favourites and I know that I'm late, as it is currently the 12th of August but better late than never, eh? 

It was literally so hard to narrow things down and to not write about 20 different things (some of which were new clothes and I don't think I am brave enough yet to show myself online haha.)

So without further ado let us begin.. 

(Lancome Bi-Facil make-up remover, Lush grease lightening, Origins 'Out of Trouble' face mask, La Roche Posay effaclar duo) 

First I will begin with my Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover, I stumbled across this product when my mum actually brought me back a Lancome set which included a mascara, eyeliner and the eye makeup remover back from holidays (hence why it is in miniature form). Needless to say even though this product is small it really does pack a punch. It honestly has done the best job at removing my eye makeup and does not sting my eyes even slightly, which has always been a problem for me with eye makeup removers. This product easily took off my heavy eye makeup (including false lashes and glue) from a night out. Enough said, I will be buying this again. 

Underneath it in the photograph is a slightly worn out 'Grease Lightening' by lush and I honestly love it so much. As I am plagued with acne but also have very sensitive skin I find it difficult to find a spot treatment that does the job but also doesn't give that sharp stinging feeling that makes me question is it doing more harm than good. However, I find that grease lightening is very effective and also gives a soothing feel as it is a cool like gel which is very nice for when you have that monstrous spot on your face. Also as you can tell by the packaging that I have actually had this product for quite a while and it is still lasting well, so in my opinion it is great value at £6.25 as a little goes a very long way. 

Moving on to my origins face mask, this is also another old-ish product of mine and one of my favourite face masks. I tend to use this mask only when I am having really bad acne days, or when my skin feels extra oily, because it can be slightly drying in my opinion. After using this my skin feels so soft and fresh and honestly I can say I feel like my spots are reduced after using this mask. It is a very thick face mask and I find it slightly hard to take off since it is so thick but it is nice because it doesn't harden and flake like most face masks. 

The La Roche Posay, a real classic. I feel like everyone who has even slight acne/spot problems has used this and loved it. After a few failed attempts at using this, I thought it was hopeless and wasn't for me. It actually caused my skin to flare up in little teeny dots and stung like a b****. But soldiering through I figured what way works for me and that is too apply a very small amount on problem areas and to massage it in, I also only use it roughly 2-3 times a week and along with 'Grease lightening' and I feel like this due has worked wonders on my skin. 

Okay so I may have read this book at the end of June but that is not the point. This book. THIS. BOOK. I have no words. Okay, I actually have a lot of words, they are just jumbled up inside this head of mine. 

I wasn't really expecting too much of this book, all I was expecting was a nice, easy summer read. Boy, was I wrong. Not in the easy read, nice book aspect but in the holy crap this book is actually spectacularly brilliant and I will not be able to put it down until I can finish this story kind of book. I just can't get all my thoughts together on this. 

The link of the plot will be *here*

(this is the point were I realised I needed more than a paragraph to express my love for this book and I decided to make a full length review so if you want to read that, I am in the midst of typing it up and it shall be up VERY shortly.)

(Bourjois volumizer mascara, Laura Mercier secret camouflage in sc-02, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat)

Maybe it's just me but I seem to lose mascaras like I lose hair pins and I lose a LOT of them. So that led me to this bourjois mascara. It has two steps and the first, in my opinion, is not all that great on its own, especially if you like big lashes like myself. However, I still apply it first as a base and then follow up on the second step for extra drama. This mascara can be a little clumpy but nothing a little eyelash combing can't fix.

I actually purchased the Laura Mercier concealer ages ago but after not giving it a proper fair go, I decided I didn't like it and would remain in the safety blanket that was my mac studio finish concealer. But after being pried away from my mac concealer and my sister convincing me to give the Laura Mercier concealer another go, I was hooked. Honestly this concealer is great and the number one reason I didn't post a picture of the inside of the actual concealer is that it has actually hit the pan and looks kind of gross. I tend to only use the larger side of the concealer as the other smaller side is too dark for my skintone. But, yes this concealer has done a great job at covering my acne and I love it a whooooole lot. 

Making a reappearance on my blog is the Touche Eclat and damn I love it. It is very easily blended and leaves such a pretty natural glow, unlike the heavy (and very obvious) under-eye concealers you see at the moment. I don't have much more to say on this as it is just a pretty amazing highlighter and it looks spectacular on my pale dull skin. A+ from me!

Next we have a fashion favourite and these are my new babies. My new River Island boots. Being a shortie these boots are perfect, they have a low block heel giving you an extra boost of height but also making them very easy to walk in and trust me I cannot walk in high heels for the life of me, but I wore these shoes on a full day shopping and I didn't complain once. They are £38 and in my opinion that is pretty decent considering I will probably be wearing them 95% of the time. I have been wearing them recently with my black skinny jeans but also with skirts and tights and I feel a little more badass in them if I'm honest. So much love for these boots, if you get them you definitely won't regret it.

Bit of a random favourite but hey, I thought why not add it in! I have no words for this popcorn but to tell you it is delicious and it is seriously one of a kind. Never have I ever had a popcorn that is sweet (sort of toffee flavoured not your regular sweet) but also salty. Damn it's good. I have never actually seen it any shops but I get it in my sisters coffee shop but I'm pretty sure it's a british brand. The brand name is propercorn and I like to tell myself I'm being healthy when I'm having it as a snack (129 Calories isn't so bad, is it??) which is always a bonus, if you ask me. 

AND THAT IS IT. 

If you have gotten this far, thank you so much for reading, it means so much to me and I hope to see you soon! 

Thanks again and if you want maybe you could leave me a quick comment? Still trying to figure out how to work this website but at the moment I'm having fun just writing:-) 

Okay, see you soon! Byeeeeee!