Loving Lately #1

I tried doing the popular post 'Monthly Favourites', but I found I don't have enough different 'favourites' to talk about each month. Instead, I have decided to start doing 'Loving Lately' posts, where I post my latest favourite products when I decide I have enough to write about. Otherwise I would just be writing the same post over and over, which is no fun for any of us. 

Let's start off with cheap and cheerful with Loreal's Micellar Water. A popular product among beauty bloggers alike and a great dupe for the Bioderma Micellar Water. I really liked Bioderma for removing my makeup, but its not the easiest to get a hold of in England. When I found this gem in Boots for a steal at £3 I had to try it - and it's just as good as everyone says it is. It dissolves all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling cleansed and refreshed. It's a great alternative for Bioderma, it works just as well for a fraction of the price. 

I have been after some more Autumnal nail polish shades recently as most of my collection is full of pale pink shades (This is not my doing, blame my sister). Superdrug has had a 3 for 2 offer on lately, so I couldn't resist picking up some new Essie nail polishes to add to our ridiculously large collection. The shade I have been wearing the most lately is Cocktail Bling which is one of their newest shades. Its a lovely grey shade with a blueish hue which I feel is perfect for the winter season. I plan on pairing this with Nails Inc's Snowflake effect polish when it gets colder as an 'icey' looking base. 

I finally jumped on the bandwagon and got myself a Caudalie Beauty Elixir. This is one of the beauty cult products that every other beauty blogger has raved about, and of course it lived up to the hype. It's a very refreshing mist that gives you a glowing complexion. Apparently Victoria Beckham uses this to give her that dewy glow. I spray this before and after I apply my makeup to give my skin a boost of brightness. 

Also a word to the wise - Don't be an idiot like me and order it off of Net-A-Porter. The black box is pretty, but I paid £18 for the 30ml bottle when you can get it on Feel Unique for a tenner. I feel slightly cheated, but it is a great product. I just know where to shop next time! 

As I am slightly obsessed with makeup, I tend to buy products without using up the old ones I own first. This typically happens with foundation and mascara, I can't help myself. I don't tend to repurchase many of the same foundations because I go through so many I forget how good some of my favourites are. I have been using the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua as a lot recently and I think it may be my all time favourite foundation. I know myself, Im still going to end up trying out more foundations, but I know that this is one I am going to repurchase again and again. It has the most amazing, dewy finish on the skin and it lasts all day. I will do a full review on this soon, but I am absolutely in love with this product and I don't know why I went so long without trying it. It works great with the Nars Copacabana Illuminator (I always end up with the song Copacabana by Barry Manilow stuck in my head whenever I read of the name of this, please tell me i'm not alone?) I apply it to my cheekbones and wherever else I feel I need highlighting to add a subtle iridescent glow. 

When I was in Chicago a few weeks ago I ordered myself the Premium Brush Kit from Sigma as a treat for becoming qualified in Makeup Artistry. Sigma brushes are by far the best I have ever tried and at the moment my favourite is the F-20 Large Face brush. Its super soft, its big and it applies powder like a dream. It seems like a pretty basic brush to have in a favourites post, but for some reason this one has impressed me the most so far. I like the size of it, it applies a good amount of powder all over the face in seconds without disturbing the foundation underneath because its so soft. 

If you follow me on twitter you would have already heard me rave about this lipstick. 'Shy Girl' from MAC had been a love of mine for years. It's my perfect nude as I love peach toned shades. However, I recently discovered 'Peach Blossom' and now i'm in love. Its more pink toned than 'Shy Girl' but still has a peachy tone to it which makes it the perfect lipstick for me. Its a very wearable shade and compliments a brown smokey eye look perfectly! 

Finally, my MAC Pro Palette which I wrote a lot about this in my Birthday Haul post a little while ago. I have been using it every single day and it didn't take me long to fill it up. I added the shades Honey Lust, Scene and Blackberry so I can create some versatile looks with just the one palette. I am going to New York next Friday, and even though I intend to start another Pro palette, I think this will be the only one I will be taking with me as it has all of the colours I need to create most of my favourite eye looks.  

What products are you loving lately? 

Birthday Haul

So I am another year older and I have been thoroughly spoiled. I have to give my mother and sister a lot of credit this year, they have amazing taste and picked out the perfect presents for me. These are not all of my presents, I received some of the most thoughtful and sentimental gifts from family and friends and my parents are also taking me to New York in two weeks time. I am a very lucky girl. 

My mother knows my love for anything beauty related all too well. I got a MAC pro palette, a new Glamglow Youth-Mud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, a MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl, the Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eye Pallette, a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Nude Glow and a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in 20 beige.

L-R 1st Row -Vanilla, Naked Lunch, Omega, Brun

2nd Row- Chocolate Brown, Woodwinked, Mulch, Filament

3rd Row - Satin Taupe, Patina, Brule, All That Glitters 

I have wanted a MAC Pro palette for a while now after accumulating so many eyeshadows. 6 of the shadows were given to me with the palette and the rest I de-potted to put them in the palette this morning. I only have three more spaces left in the palette so I am going to keep to the neutral based theme and start a new one when I go to New York with brighter colours.

I was so happy to have been given a new Shy Girl lipstick, it is my all time favourite MAC shade, but I lost mine a few months ago. This shade is like gold dust, I never seem to find it when I visit a MAC counter, but as a new one has just opened near me my mum managed to get her hands on it. Thankfully I also got a new pot of the Glam Glow Youth Mud treatment. I am almost done with the own I currently own and have been using it sparingly as my bank account can't cope with the price tag. 

I have been eyeing up the latest palette from Bobbi Brown. The Old Hollywood eye palette has been released for Christmas. I have resisted buying it because, as you probably already know, I have enough far too many neutral palettes. This will be perfect for travelling with as I visit the states a lot and it has all of the colours I will need for day and night. 

I have wanted one of Bobbi Browns shimmer bricks for the longest time now. My mother and sister are also fans of Bobbi Brown and both have one of the shimmer bricks so I used to steal theirs but, now I have one of my very own. I got the limited edition shade in Nude Glow, I love the packaging and the colours are beautiful either on their own or mixed together. 

Finally I have a Chanel Foundation. I have wanted the Vitalumiere Aqua after seeing so many raving reviews on youtube. I haven't used it yet as I need to take it to my local Chanel counter and make sure it is the correct shade, but I am so excited to try this and see if its worth the hype. 

My best friend knows me all two well. She got me a hamper full of Lush goodies and American candy. She spoiled me and even managed to pick up some Lush products I have never tried before. She got me Rose Jam shower gel which smells phenomenal and apparently is also great as a shampoo, Shine So Bright hair balm, Angels Delight soap, Think Pink bath bomb, Tisty Toasty bath bomb and a Magic Wand bubble bar. I haven't used any of the products just yet so my room currently smells amazing. 

Finally I got some more of my favourite hair products, the Macadamia Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask. I have used all of these products before and they are the best hair products I have ever tried. About a year ago I had to cut my hair to shoulder length because apparently bleaching, sea salt and no heat protection causes a great deal of damage to your hair (go figure). Lets just say short hair does not suit me and now I am very over protective with mine. These are the salon sized bottles and last me about a year, so they are a great investment.