Despite the mention in Sunday's Beauty Favourites video, I couldn't not share the true beauty of Benefit's newest release, Majorette* with you all. First off and as with all launches from the brand it gets ten cute points for the packaging which, although designed to immitate a marching band drum, actually reminds me of a pastel macaron goodness - nothing wrong with that. It's definitely pretty enough to display on top of my make up stash rather than tucked away in a draw, and that's a rare thing to say for a blusher.

The formula itself is a cream to powder finish, with a peachy-pink tone which surprisingly is a colour I've yet to acquire on my blush travels (from here to the aisles of Boots, that is). Always a pinky-coral girl I thought this may end up turning a little too orange on my skin, but the combination of the sheer, yet buildable formula and the soft peach translates as a beautiful warm glow.

Benefit actually market this as a 'booster' blush, allowing it to be teamed with any powder product on top to emphasise and prolong the colour. I've always been a fan of layering blush formulas, and the consistency and finish of Majorette is perfect for the job - soft enough to allow powder to be swiped on and sit evenly without any dreaded patchiness but with a slight glow to allow products to cling on for a long wear-time.

I'm not particularly faithful when it comes to my daily blush selection (although theBalm's Frat Boy will always have a soft spot in my heart for the most universally flattering colour ever) but I've been making a b-line for Majorette since first use and have to say - bold statement here, it's probably one of Benefit's best new launches for a long, long time!

* Gifted PR Sample

Share

Follow

• September 30, 2014

Benefit Majorette Booster Blush

Despite the mention in Sunday's Beauty Favourites video, I couldn't not share the true beauty of Benefit's newest release, Majorette* with you all. First off and as with all launches from the brand it gets ten cute points for the packaging which, although designed to immitate a marching band drum, actually reminds me of a pastel macaron goodness - nothing wrong with that. It's definitely pretty enough to display on top of my make up stash rather than tucked away in a draw, and that's a rare thing to say for a blusher.

The formula itself is a cream to powder finish, with a peachy-pink tone which surprisingly is a colour I've yet to acquire on my blush travels (from here to the aisles of Boots, that is). Always a pinky-coral girl I thought this may end up turning a little too orange on my skin, but the combination of the sheer, yet buildable formula and the soft peach translates as a beautiful warm glow.

Benefit actually market this as a 'booster' blush, allowing it to be teamed with any powder product on top to emphasise and prolong the colour. I've always been a fan of layering blush formulas, and the consistency and finish of Majorette is perfect for the job - soft enough to allow powder to be swiped on and sit evenly without any dreaded patchiness but with a slight glow to allow products to cling on for a long wear-time.

I'm not particularly faithful when it comes to my daily blush selection (although theBalm's Frat Boy will always have a soft spot in my heart for the most universally flattering colour ever) but I've been making a b-line for Majorette since first use and have to say - bold statement here, it's probably one of Benefit's best new launches for a long, long time!

* Gifted PR Sample

Share

Follow

Read More >

September has definitely been a full one for staple beauty finds. From a new hair care duo I've been sticking to religiously, having a bit of a thing for peach tones in the make up department, an amazing budget brow product and even a little bit of Autumn sneaking in at the end.. Here are my favourites from the last few weeks!

Share

Follow

• September 29, 2014

September Favourites

September has definitely been a full one for staple beauty finds. From a new hair care duo I've been sticking to religiously, having a bit of a thing for peach tones in the make up department, an amazing budget brow product and even a little bit of Autumn sneaking in at the end.. Here are my favourites from the last few weeks!

Share

Follow

Read More >

After posting this on Instagram and getting a few questions here and there about what I was wearing, I thought I'd show you my general Sunday attire. Comfort of course is key as with the majority of my outfit choices these days (yup, Granny at 22) and a good pair of jeans are a must. I talked about the Asos Ridley's in my Style Favourites video and honestly, they just fit like a glove and with the amount of colours they come in your bound to find the pair for you. Teamed with a simple sheer white shirt from New Look and some tan peep toe flats from Primark which I seem to find a different variation of every Summer and you have my standard Sunday outfit.

• September 28, 2014

The Weekender

After posting this on Instagram and getting a few questions here and there about what I was wearing, I thought I'd show you my general Sunday attire. Comfort of course is key as with the majority of my outfit choices these days (yup, Granny at 22) and a good pair of jeans are a must. I talked about the Asos Ridley's in my Style Favourites video and honestly, they just fit like a glove and with the amount of colours they come in your bound to find the pair for you. Teamed with a simple sheer white shirt from New Look and some tan peep toe flats from Primark which I seem to find a different variation of every Summer and you have my standard Sunday outfit.

Read More >

Ever since Sephora started shipping to the UK and opened the floodgates to all those wonderful beauty brands that have yet to make it to our shores, I've found it hard to actually stay off the site and adding things to my not-so-imaginary shopping list had become quite the bad habit. Most of the time I manage to step back and tell myself I don't need to spend something equivalent to a month's worth of food shopping on more make up, but if (and when) I do take the plunge, these six products will be at the top of the list!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed: One of the biggest draws to the site for me is definitely the extensive range of Tarte products which, although have now slowly started trickling into the UK via QVC, still include some of the holy grail products not available here that I've heard US bloggers rave about for years. Exposed is a blush I've needed in my life for a long time; neutral warm toned goodness wrapped up in probably one of the best formulas out there.

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask: Although I'll always be a faithful NUXE Reve De Miel girl, there are days when even the thickest layer of the stuff won't do the job and the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask sounds like just the thing for packing some extra hydration into my lips overnight. I've heard it smells incredible too!

Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil: Just saying the words Josie Maran will get my attention these days and although if I had it my way I'd be adding the entire range to this list, unfortunately it's still impossible to get hold of some of the bestsellers like the original 100% Pure Argan Oil thanks to the no-glass shipping policy. Cleansing oil however is always a favourite and thanks to the plastic packaging I'm counting on this to be a good introduction to the line!

Tarte The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer: If there's one thing I'll always be a novice at, it's contouring. No matter how many products or tools I try, I just can't seem to achieve anything remotely cheekbone-like - although if we're being honest my overly round face probably has something to do with it.. This creamy, blendable contour in a stick however looks like it could be the perfect product for chiselling out some serious definition.

Josie Maran Love That Flush Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Set: One thing that Sephora do so much better than any of the UK retailers is their appreciation for travel sizes, gift sets and samples, because who needs four full sized Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oils when you can have four adorable miniatures? Another lusted after product from Josie Maran, these oil to cream formulas not only sound ingenious but look like they give a beautiful healthy looking complexion with a sheer tint of colour.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara: I've gone through quite the love/hate relationship with this mascara, coveting it for so many years, finally getting my hands on one during a previous Sephora Haul, being utterly unimpressed and then falling head over heels after giving it a second chance. The trick is letting it dry out, which may sound like a horrific thing to do for mascara lovers out there, but it really does get better and better with time, until that is, it's time is up and like me you'll be lost without it until you order a new one!

What have you been wishing for from Sephora?

Share

Follow

• September 26, 2014

Sitting In My Sephora Basket

Ever since Sephora started shipping to the UK and opened the floodgates to all those wonderful beauty brands that have yet to make it to our shores, I've found it hard to actually stay off the site and adding things to my not-so-imaginary shopping list had become quite the bad habit. Most of the time I manage to step back and tell myself I don't need to spend something equivalent to a month's worth of food shopping on more make up, but if (and when) I do take the plunge, these six products will be at the top of the list!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed: One of the biggest draws to the site for me is definitely the extensive range of Tarte products which, although have now slowly started trickling into the UK via QVC, still include some of the holy grail products not available here that I've heard US bloggers rave about for years. Exposed is a blush I've needed in my life for a long time; neutral warm toned goodness wrapped up in probably one of the best formulas out there.

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask: Although I'll always be a faithful NUXE Reve De Miel girl, there are days when even the thickest layer of the stuff won't do the job and the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask sounds like just the thing for packing some extra hydration into my lips overnight. I've heard it smells incredible too!

Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil: Just saying the words Josie Maran will get my attention these days and although if I had it my way I'd be adding the entire range to this list, unfortunately it's still impossible to get hold of some of the bestsellers like the original 100% Pure Argan Oil thanks to the no-glass shipping policy. Cleansing oil however is always a favourite and thanks to the plastic packaging I'm counting on this to be a good introduction to the line!

Tarte The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer: If there's one thing I'll always be a novice at, it's contouring. No matter how many products or tools I try, I just can't seem to achieve anything remotely cheekbone-like - although if we're being honest my overly round face probably has something to do with it.. This creamy, blendable contour in a stick however looks like it could be the perfect product for chiselling out some serious definition.

Josie Maran Love That Flush Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Set: One thing that Sephora do so much better than any of the UK retailers is their appreciation for travel sizes, gift sets and samples, because who needs four full sized Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oils when you can have four adorable miniatures? Another lusted after product from Josie Maran, these oil to cream formulas not only sound ingenious but look like they give a beautiful healthy looking complexion with a sheer tint of colour.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara: I've gone through quite the love/hate relationship with this mascara, coveting it for so many years, finally getting my hands on one during a previous Sephora Haul, being utterly unimpressed and then falling head over heels after giving it a second chance. The trick is letting it dry out, which may sound like a horrific thing to do for mascara lovers out there, but it really does get better and better with time, until that is, it's time is up and like me you'll be lost without it until you order a new one!

What have you been wishing for from Sephora?

Share

Follow

Read More >

I'm not usually one to buy into gimmicky products but after a recent saunter around Topshop (which I'm sure you'll be hearing about in detail soon..) one of the things I couldn't help but bring home with me was a Freckle Pencil. I've always adored the way freckles look and even went as far as drawing them on when I was younger with what I'm pretty sure was an old Rimmel Eyebrow pencil of my Mum's. Since then I've tried to recreate my own little set of beauty marks from time to time - because giving yourself freckles is actually a ridiculously fun thing to do, but they've never looked quite right using just a single liner or shadow.

On closer inspection the Topshop pencil is actually two different shades of brown swirled together to create a marbled effect, ensuring a slightly different toned freckle with each application. The formula is long wearing and waxy too - no suspicious looking smudges here, and keeps foundation looking natural by imitating the look of bare skin even after foundation, concealer and everything else goes on. Plus, when teamed with a good helping of bronzer a smattering of freckles will have you looking positively sun kissed without any of the damage!

This may not be a look for everyone, but one set of faux freckles later I realised that what this really does well is leave you with a bright eyed, youthful look that all the anti-aging creams in the world can't promise. It literally takes off ten years (which if we're doing the maths leaves me at around twelve). Apparently it's also one of Charlotte Tilbury's favourite tricks for keeping make up fresh and young and really, if Charlotte's doing it, why aren't we all doing it!?

Share

Follow

• September 25, 2014

Topshop Does Freckles

I'm not usually one to buy into gimmicky products but after a recent saunter around Topshop (which I'm sure you'll be hearing about in detail soon..) one of the things I couldn't help but bring home with me was a Freckle Pencil. I've always adored the way freckles look and even went as far as drawing them on when I was younger with what I'm pretty sure was an old Rimmel Eyebrow pencil of my Mum's. Since then I've tried to recreate my own little set of beauty marks from time to time - because giving yourself freckles is actually a ridiculously fun thing to do, but they've never looked quite right using just a single liner or shadow.

On closer inspection the Topshop pencil is actually two different shades of brown swirled together to create a marbled effect, ensuring a slightly different toned freckle with each application. The formula is long wearing and waxy too - no suspicious looking smudges here, and keeps foundation looking natural by imitating the look of bare skin even after foundation, concealer and everything else goes on. Plus, when teamed with a good helping of bronzer a smattering of freckles will have you looking positively sun kissed without any of the damage!

This may not be a look for everyone, but one set of faux freckles later I realised that what this really does well is leave you with a bright eyed, youthful look that all the anti-aging creams in the world can't promise. It literally takes off ten years (which if we're doing the maths leaves me at around twelve). Apparently it's also one of Charlotte Tilbury's favourite tricks for keeping make up fresh and young and really, if Charlotte's doing it, why aren't we all doing it!?

Share

Follow

Read More >

Pampering is usually something I reserve for weekends when I can easily spend an hour or two locked away in the bathroom putting my various lotions and potions to good use. By mid-week though my skin can be known to fall into a bit of a dull slump, especially after that late night where I may have cleansed solely with a pump of Bioderma (which we wont talk about), and could do with a bit of a pick me up without the hassle of a full facial.

Enter two products that work their magic in under ten minutes, leaving me feeling fresh faced and radiant once again! After the usual make up removal and cleanse I take a First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pad and work it all over my skin, perhaps a little more vigorously than I usually would. These cotton discs are soaked with lactic and glycolic acids, gently sloughing away any rough patches without the irritation of a manual exfoliator, preparing the skin to fully absorb the second and slightly more luxurious step..

As my skin is suffering from some uncharacteristic dryness at the moment I've been making my way through just about every hydrating masks I can get my hands on. I've already had a moment of obsession with the Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm* and now I feel like the same may be happening with their White Tea Enriching Facial Mask*. This one really could be renamed The Relaxer as it's clean, herbal scent is heavenly. I like to use a generous layer all over and take a quick five or ten minutes to sit down and relax - aka scroll through Instagram, as it gets to work rehydrating and plumping with an array of nourishing oils, from Pumpkin seed to Evening Primrose.

Two perfect products for a speedy weeknight facial. You'll be in you pyjamas watching Netflix in no time at all!

* Gifted PR Samples

Share

Follow

• September 24, 2014

The Two Step Weeknight Facial

Pampering is usually something I reserve for weekends when I can easily spend an hour or two locked away in the bathroom putting my various lotions and potions to good use. By mid-week though my skin can be known to fall into a bit of a dull slump, especially after that late night where I may have cleansed solely with a pump of Bioderma (which we wont talk about), and could do with a bit of a pick me up without the hassle of a full facial.

Enter two products that work their magic in under ten minutes, leaving me feeling fresh faced and radiant once again! After the usual make up removal and cleanse I take a First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pad and work it all over my skin, perhaps a little more vigorously than I usually would. These cotton discs are soaked with lactic and glycolic acids, gently sloughing away any rough patches without the irritation of a manual exfoliator, preparing the skin to fully absorb the second and slightly more luxurious step..

As my skin is suffering from some uncharacteristic dryness at the moment I've been making my way through just about every hydrating masks I can get my hands on. I've already had a moment of obsession with the Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm* and now I feel like the same may be happening with their White Tea Enriching Facial Mask*. This one really could be renamed The Relaxer as it's clean, herbal scent is heavenly. I like to use a generous layer all over and take a quick five or ten minutes to sit down and relax - aka scroll through Instagram, as it gets to work rehydrating and plumping with an array of nourishing oils, from Pumpkin seed to Evening Primrose.

Two perfect products for a speedy weeknight facial. You'll be in you pyjamas watching Netflix in no time at all!

* Gifted PR Samples

Share

Follow

Read More >

There's something about September.. As soon as we get towards the end of the month I start itching to pull the thick knit jumpers out of storage, begin wondering the aisles of Boots in search of berry toned lip products and even notice myself checking coffee shop menus for the festive specials. In my eyes the easiest way to acknowledge a seasonal change though is nail colour, and with pastels and brights set aside, it's finally time for the Autumn shades to make a comeback.

If for some reason I was told I could only ever wear a single nail polish for the rest of my life (dramatic statement, I know) there's no doubt it would have to be Essie Sole Mate. There's just something about this rich wine toned burgundy that I can never get enough of. It goes with everything, looks classic and is also a near on exact dupe for the coolest nail polish in town - Chanel Rouge Noir, although with considerably better lasting power and for only half the price - you're welcome.

Honourable mentions also have to go out to Bordeaux, another Essie masterpiece and Clinique's Black Honey - two more burgundies I know I'll be pulling out in the weeks to come, but for now, Sole Mate has my heart!

Share

Follow

• September 23, 2014

Back to Burgundy With Essie Sole Mate

There's something about September.. As soon as we get towards the end of the month I start itching to pull the thick knit jumpers out of storage, begin wondering the aisles of Boots in search of berry toned lip products and even notice myself checking coffee shop menus for the festive specials. In my eyes the easiest way to acknowledge a seasonal change though is nail colour, and with pastels and brights set aside, it's finally time for the Autumn shades to make a comeback.

If for some reason I was told I could only ever wear a single nail polish for the rest of my life (dramatic statement, I know) there's no doubt it would have to be Essie Sole Mate. There's just something about this rich wine toned burgundy that I can never get enough of. It goes with everything, looks classic and is also a near on exact dupe for the coolest nail polish in town - Chanel Rouge Noir, although with considerably better lasting power and for only half the price - you're welcome.

Honourable mentions also have to go out to Bordeaux, another Essie masterpiece and Clinique's Black Honey - two more burgundies I know I'll be pulling out in the weeks to come, but for now, Sole Mate has my heart!

Share

Follow

Read More >