I have to be honest, MAC lipsticks hold a little special place in my heart as they were the first 'proper' lipsticks that I owned, I felt like such a grown up when I bought my first MAC lipstick. I have noticed that recently the prices of these lipsticks have slowly started to creep up, however they're still in the middle of high street and high end prices. I also remember that people thought these lipsticks were the be-all and end-all of the lipstick word and I have to admit that unfortunately that isn't true, there are so many more affordable and sometimes even better lipsticks out there. However, there is something about MAC that always seems to draw me back in.
The Rules:
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog.
- Answer the questions asked by the blogger who nominated them,
- Nominate other blogs and give them new questions to answer.
- Notify your nominees and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.
Olivia's Questions:
I would have to say my mum, she has always been a positive person and taught me to always look for the positive in things.
2. What is your favourite makeup item?
Has to be highlighter. I never used to like it before but once I found one that was perfect for my skin tone, I was in love!! I have so many highlighters it's bad lol!
3. Who, out of everyone who’s ever lived, would you most like to have a chat with?
This is such a tough question, I had to spend a whole night thinking about it and honestly, I couldn't come up with an answer. There are many people I would like to have a chat with, especially Sigmund Freud as I study psychology and he is a popular psychologist. I would like to talk to him about how psychology has developed in the modern day and age.
4. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
My favourite thing about blogging has to be all of the lovely fellow bloggers that I have met. The whole blogging community is fantastic and everyone is so supportive of each other.
5. What is your favourite makeup look?
I would have to say something bronze/gold as that is always a winner with me. I always find that those colours suit me best and you can create the look all year round. However, I also love the autumn colours such as red, oranges and burgandy so that is a tough one.
6. What would be your dream place to live?
I would love to live by the beach as I love the sound of the sea. I would also say a city as i'm a city girl at heart so a combination of the two would be good.
7. Is there anything you don't like/want to improve about your blog?
Yes, there is. I started my blog only wanting to write about beauty but now I have enjoyed writing about lifestyle posts, such as university, trips and days outs. So I would like to try and write more of those posts so my blog isn't just beauty related.
8. What's your opinion on glitter makeup?
I think glitter makeup is awesome, but it just isn't for me. I would just end up making a complete mess and ruining my makeup haha! But I love seeing pictures of people with glitter makeup and I have to admit that I do get jealous of their skills.
9. Do you have a favourite YouTuber?
I like a lot of YouTubers. I watch YouTube religiously and I have to admit that I got most of my makeup skills from watching videos. I love Casey Holmes as she suffers from rosacea and has sensitive skin, so I love watching her videos because we have the same skin type and she loves reviewing drugstore makeup which makes it a little easier on my bank account haha!
10. What can cheer you up after a bad day?
Definitely coming home, having a cup of tea and a chat with my mum. I also love getting into a bath and just relaxing and trying to forget about the rubbish day I had.
My questions:
- What is your favourite thing about autumn/fall?
- What inspired you to start blogging?
- What is your biggest pet peeve?
- What was the last book you read and what was it about?
- Is there a food you could not live without?
- What gives you your inspiration for blog posts?
- What is one beauty product you cannot live without?
- Where is your favourite place to visit in the world?
- Which one of your personality traits do you wish others had also?
Nominations:
- Jenny - luxestyle.co.uk
- Meg - megangoodier.blogspot.co.uk
- Bella - bellainizio.co.uk
- Bethany - lifebybethany.blogspot.co.uk
- Alice - accordingtoalicex.com
- Charlotte - beyoutifulinsideoutblog.wordpress.com
- Hannah - whathannahwrote.com
- Sally - likesallybee.com
- Megan - lovemegananne.com
- Bethany - lifeasbethanyblog.wordpress.com
You know when you just find that one thing that is so affordable and amazing that you think 'why didn't I try this out sooner and how the hell don't more people know about this?' That's exactly what I thought when I was watching one of Casey Holmes' videos where she tried out some Lottie London makeup. One of the things she tried out in that video was this Lottie London Shimmer Squad highlighting palette and it looked absolutely amazing on her so I thought I would try it out for myself. I went online to the Superdrug website because I knew that my store didn't sell that much Lottie London makeup and I didn't want to take a trip into town to not be able to find it, also, ordering online was soo much easier lol! The colours looked gorgeous and I could not wait for my package to come in the mail, so let's get on into the review.
I am about to head into my third year of university in just a few weeks time and I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about the things I have learnt since being at uni. I've definitely had some ups and downs and I would have loved to read a blog post about uni life before I started.
Recently, I was nominated for The Versatile Blogger award which I was really happy about, so that's what todays blog post will be all about! Thank you to the lovely Sophie Amelia at sophie-amelia.com for nominating me. This award may not seem like a lot to many people but I have had my blog for just over a year and it is my little happy place, so thank you to everyone who reads my posts, it means a lot to me!
L’Oreal claims : ” It’s
time to say bye-bye to boring lashes and hello to new Miss Baby Roll
Mascara, for mega volume, curl and all-day hold. Our Mega Curl Roller
Brush curls lashes from the root, for an instant lash lift! The Quick
Mega Volume formula volumises lashes and holds them in a curl all day. ”
Finally!! The Hydra Genius Aloe Water has finally landed in the UK and it has been long awaited. The reviews of this range have been crazy and everyone seems to love it. Once I saw this in Boots I had to pick it uo before it all sold out as I was dying to test it out. L'Oreal have been killing the game recently, from their clay masks to their cleansers, they just keep bringing out more gems.
About the L'Oreal Paris Hydra Genius Aloe Water:
"The Liquid Care; Fresh as water hydrating as a cream. Locks in Moisture for 72hrs. Enriched with Aloe Water & Hyaluronic Acid. Instantly Refreshes. For Normal to Dry Skin. Inspired by Asian skincare, L'Oréal Paris Laboratories introduces the liquid care. It delivers pure moisture that penetrates quickly, deeply and continuously - without overloading the skin."
So this blog post is a little different compared to other ones I have done. I didn't want my blog to be all about beauty, I wanted to throw in some lifestyle and maybe some fashion posts too. This post is about my trip down to Brighton for the week. I am fortunate to have my auntie who lives there and she offered me and my mum to stay in her house and cat sit for the week while she was on holiday. Every summer for the past 6 years we have gone down to Brighton for a week and every year it gets harder and harder to come back home. This July, me and mum packed up my car and started off on our 3 hour drive down to Brighton!
2016 and 2017 have definitely been the years of the highlighters! I know that is what the main focus has been on my blog lately, but can you really blame me? I never used to like highlighters at all until I discovered ones that were perfect for my skin tone and I am now obsessed!! All of the highlighters I have reviewed on here have been the perfect finds. Just take a look at this Makeup Revolution Skin Kiss Highlighter!
Okay, so I know that this stuff isn't new, everyone goes on about it, magazines feature it, celebrities talk about it, makeup artists use it and it is easy to be swept away by all the excitement that might come with owning something so highly raved about. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream has been in existence since 1930 (yep, that long!) and it is now used by people all over the world. It claims to "soothe, restore, calm, and help to relieve chapped, cracked, dry skin. Soothes roughness, redness, and minor skin irritations." It is believed to be used as a lip balm, cheek shine and to also help with sunburn and there is a reason that this product is well loved... it's really that good.
Are you searching for an all-in-one eyeshadow palette that can cover day time looks, night time looks and that has warm and cool toned shades? Then look no further. Makeup Revolution introduced their sister company/brand a little while back called Freedom Professional London. I was in my local Superdrug a little while ago when I seen a smaller stand than usual that had Freedom Makeup on it and I was instantly intrigued but also wondered why the stand was so small and also standing on its own. I went home and had a browse online to see if I could find a website and I came across TAM Beauty which is an online website that sells Makeup Revolution & Freedom makeup, this is where I discovered that they were sister brands. I absolutely love Makeup Revolution's eyeshadow palettes and have reviewed a few here on my blog, so I thought that their sister brand's eyeshadow palettes might have similar or even better quality so I picked up this one that caught my eye. This is the Freedom Today's Tonight Eyeshadow Palette and let's jump right into the review.
Casey Holmes is hands down my favourite beauty vlogger and YouTuber, she was the very first one I started watching when I delved into the world of all things beauty. To this day she is still my favourite and I have learnt pretty much all my makeup tips and tricks from watching her videos. If you haven't heard of Casey Holmes then you are surely living under a rock and I suggest that you head over to YouTube and check her out. So it is no doubt that when she announced that she was working on a collab with Smashbox I was super excited to get my hands on it, no matter what it was. Finally, her collab has gone live and she has released 2 highlighting palettes that are perfect for any skin tone. These palettes come in two shades, Pearl and Gold. I decided to pick up the Pearl one as you know your girl here is pale as hell so that was the best one for me.
So what do we have here? Yep, another foundation to add to my ever growing collection. I have recently become a foundation fanatic, some people could say it has become a little bit of a problem - every time I step into Boots or Superdrug I have to have a look at the foundations, it doesn't matter what brand it is by, if it looks and sounds like it will work for me then I have to grab it, well as long as I haven't tried it before that is. I am always on the look out for perfect every day foundations as I sometimes get stuck in a rut and end up using the same foundation over and over again and I then get bored of it haha! I was browsing the E.L.F site the other week and I had heard some good reviews on this foundation so I thought I would pick one up and give it a chance. Oh and by the way, trying to pick your shade online is not the best idea and ended up being pretty hard for me, however, luckily I didn't do too bad! So, lets get straight into the review.
Hello lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today I wanted to share with you a favourite blush of mine which happens to be ridiculously cheap and one of my favourite bargain beauty finds. This is of course the brand Natural Collection, now you might be a little unexperienced with Natural Collection so let me just go ahead and tell you that they are a bargain brand that you can only purchase at your local Boots store. The brand has been round since I was little and I remember my nana getting me some of this makeup when I was younger so I would stop stealing hers and I absolutely loved it. It is now still one of my favourite brands for things like lipsticks, bronzers and blushes. All of their products are at least under £5 so you are guarenteed to find a products that it is of fantastic value. So, lets jump right into this review of the Blushed Cheeks Blush.
For those of you that might love the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks or just a multifunctional product, then this post is for you! This little gem is from the drugstore that I recently discovered. It is the Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Gold Bronze.
L'Oreal claims that this primer instantly transforms skin texture that results in a matte finish and velvet-soft touch. It is supposed to mattify the skin, prepare and smooth the skin by minimising imperfections, pores and shine and instantly transform the skins texture for an even surface with velvet-soft touch. They also claim that foundations will glide seamlessly across it. So, lets see if all of these claims are true and get straight into the review.
If you are into makeup at all then you have probably heard of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Everyone and their mother loves this, and so they should, this is an amazing concealer and it is so affordable too! I have given this concealer a good try, I have been using it for such a long time but I didn't think about reviewing it untill recently. I was looking at reviews for this concealer and didn't see as many online so I thought that I would review mine. Just for reference, I have sensitive skin that isn't particularly too dry or too oily but my under eye tends to be a little on the dry side. I am also really pale, which I think is well know by now haha! So, if you want to know my thoughts on this raved about and very popular concealer then just keep on reading.
I was really pleased to be nominated for this award by Gemma from BeautyBlitzBlog.com (@beautyblitzblog) and it is also the first award I have been nominated for so thank you! I've only been blogging for around 10 months now and it is crazy to think that there are actually people out there who read my blog and enjoy it, so a big thank you to you all!
First, let me start off by saying that I hate doing any type of negative reviews on my blog but sometimes a product that can work for many other people might not work for you and that's okay. This mascara has been the UK's top selling mascara for a long time now and it is one of the most raved about Benefit products. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about and I got a mini version in a little set that I purchased a while back and was excited to try it out. I'm hardly impressed with mascara's as my eyelashes aren't that long and they're quite light and straight. The only mascara that I have tried previously that really works for me is the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara that works absolute wonders for my lashes and it is my current go to. I have done a review on that mascara if you want to check it out here. Benefit itself promises the following about this mascara:
'They're real! is the UK's No.1 best-selling mascara! They're real! lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts &separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won't smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!'
Now that definitely sounds promising right? Let's see what I thought.
'They're real! is the UK's No.1 best-selling mascara! They're real! lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts &separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won't smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!'
Now that definitely sounds promising right? Let's see what I thought.
I was a little undecided about doing a post on these as they are limited edition and I don't really like talking about products that are limited edition as I feel so bad when people can't get hold of them but I have seen that you can get the liquid lipsticks online on their own in different shades. So hopefully you will still be able to get hold of them. Although these lip kits and particular shades are limited edition ones that Barry M have launched not too long ago and these are the Matte Me Up lip paints and lip liner. I was only able to get one of the shades and that was the shade Runway but I am going to review just the one anyeay, as I am really loving this and wanted to rave about them. Keep reading to find out what I think about this potential Kylie Lip Kit dupe.
If you are a frequent reader of my blog then you will know that I feature and review a lot of Makeup Revolution products and I decided that I would try and get a better balance of brands. However, I found this amazing little palette in Superdrug a few weeks ago and I had to try it out. I also seen Tati from GlamLifeGuru mention this on her YouTube channel and she loves it too. Makeup Revolution say “Introducing our stunning blush and highlight palette, Blush
Goddess! 4 beautiful highlighter shades, ranging in intensity from
natural sheen to intense illumination. 4 blushes from pink to peach, a
great all in one palette for every day blush and highlight. Highly
pigmented, smooth and blendable shades. Sweep highlight shades along
cheekbones and an upward stroke of blush shades starting from the apples
of the cheeks.” So let's jump on into the review and hear what I think about this gorgeous palette.
The Body Shop has joined the Liquid Lipstick hype by releasing their new Matte Lip Liquids. These are "specially formulated to glide on effortlessly like a gloss and set with a rich creamy colour and velvet touch of matte lipstick. It is long-lasting, lightweight and lusciously soft. And is creulty-free and vegetarian with no gluten and no carmine." So let's get straight on into the review and see what my thoughts are on these lipsticks now that I have been trying them out for a little while.
There have been times where I have wanted to drink a bottle of Lush's Snow Fairy Shower Gel becaue it just smells so good! Well, this lip scrub smells just like it! Lush say: "Prep your lips with a buff and polish at the start of your make-up routine to ensure your lipstick glides on and stays put. Just apply with a clean finger, and let the exfoliating caster sugar and softening jojoba oil scrub away dead skin and infuse moisture to rejuvenate your smile. Bubblegum lip scrub won’t leave any greasy residue; just a sweet candy taste that you’ll enjoy licking off. Lip-smackingly good." I have been trying this out for a few days now so let's jump right on into the review.
L'Oreal have recently launched some of their new products for 2017, thus including the highly anticipated Infallible Total Cover Foundation. This foundation is advertised to provide a full coverage, natural finish with air-light texture, whilst also lasting up to 24 hours. I won't be testing out the whole 24 hour claim, I mean, who really wants to have their makeup on for that long? L'Oreal claim that you "Get up to 24 hours of full coverage with a lightweight feel and a natural finish. Infallible Total Cover Foundation blends instantly to cover dark spots, blemishes, scars, and hyperpigmentation for a flawless complexion. The foundation is formulated with highload pigments for full coverage and is enriched with Alliagel. The formula glides on and feels fresh all day. It will create the perfect canvas for flawless makeup application." I could not wait to get my hands on this and try it out, so lets get straight into the review.
From L-R - 07 Nude-ist, 15 Red-Volution, 10 Don't Pink of It. |
Today I am going to be reviewing this very popular eyeshadow palette that has received so much attention and buzz: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. My lovely friend Jess kindly let me try this out for a while because she raved about it so much and thought I would like to test it out before I go ahead and buy one for myself. Women and chocolate have a great connection, so it makes serious marketing sense to have a palette that literally smells like chocolate heaven and wafts up to your nostrils as soon as you open the palette. I am not even kidding, I spent most of the time sniffing this when I was doing my makeup haha! Without further ado, lets get into the review of this delicious eyeshadow palette.
Today, I am so excited to share a review and swatches of the Lorac Pro 2 eyeshadow palette! I have been dying to get my hands on this for such a long time, and I finally did on Boxing Day in the sales! The original Lorac Pro Palette is one of the most popular eyeshadow palettes out there, and beauty blogs all over the world sing its praises and the Pro 2 is a follow up from the original. This palette provides a more expanded selection of neutral colours and also has 2 pops of colour.
I love trying new primers, I am constantly on the lookout for that perfect primer that will make my makeup last all day long and keep it sitting nicely on my skin, especially any dry patches. I have used a lot of primers over the years, and I have some that I like such as the Soap and Glory One Heck of A Blot Primer. The NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer is a product that I have seen a lot of buzz about, so when I was in Boots and seen this I swiftly grabbed one. This primer was £12, which I found to be a little pricey for NYX but still a lot more affordable compared to Smashbox, so it is still a budget primer. The NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer is a lightweight and oil-free primer that smoothes the skin and mattifies it. It also extends the wear of a foundation. This primer can be worn alone to give it a smoother look to the skin or used as a primer under a foundation to make it last longer.
I'm always on the hunt for a holy grail concealer and I have to admit, so far, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is becoming my number one. This is a lightweight, creamy liquid concealer with a medium to full coverage and luminous finish. My under eye area is quite dry and dark from lack of sleep! So, I have been trying to find a concealer that highlights and brightens my under eye area without creasing and looking dry. I don't normally do anything silly and fork out £23 for a concealer but after seeing YouTubers and Bloggers raving about this, I just had to try it out.
Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation looks natural but has a full coverage, wears well and does no cake up on the skin. Could this be the foundation for you?
I used to use this foundation a few years back and it was my holy grail, until I started to discover other brands and their amazing foundations. However, recently everyone seems to have joined the hype and been raving about this foundation, again. So, I thought, why not try it out again and see if the new 'comfort serum' has made a difference to the formula.
Rimmel say that this foundation blends flawlessly, instantly, seamless and easily into the skin. And also that it is sweat, heat, transfer and humidity proof for up to 25 hours. So, lets focus on one little drugstore gem that I recently have fallen back in love with.
I am definitely no stranger to the Coty Airspun loose powder, I learned of this product through YouTubers as well as Beauty Bloggers, there just seems to be something about this powder that everyone loves. This powder has been around since 1935, which is a hell of a long time, especially since how far makeup has come since then and how many other great makeup companies have brought out so many good face powders. So, if this powder has managed to stick around through all of that, it must be good! After a lot of humming and harring I decided that I was going to try this out. I have been using this for around 2 months now and I can say for myself that the hype is definitely real, I don't think it's an accident that this baby has been around for a long time!
There is a lot of hype going around right now about Soap and Glory, especially their One Heck of a Blot Primer. The Soap and Glory brand is a great brand that I think deserves a lot more attention than it gets, especially for their makeup, which is of brilliant quality and is affordable. One Heck of a Blot originally started out as a pressed powder that was used for touching up throughout the day. Soap and Glory have now expanded their range and have included a new foundation and a new primer, as you can tell I will be reviewing the primer today.
theBalm says : Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a seemingly
innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This
highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks
softer, younger while adding a subtle glow.