Burgundy Everything

MAC Burgundy Times 9 // *link*
I know this has been out for quite a while now, but I'm still so in love with i that I couldn't pass up a chance to have a mini rave review. Isn't it the most beautiful thing to be wrapped up into a teeny tiny package? Not gonna lie, I mainly wanted this as it kinda matched my hair. I personally love the concept of these smaller shadow sizes, as getting through is still going to take an age, let alone the normal sized pans. I have used each of the colours and love them all, as you can create a range of fresh, daytime looks as well as some sultry evening ones. For £30 I think this was a smashing buy, and advise anyone who is considering buy one of the Times Nine sets to just jump in and do it, you wont regret it!

Mophie Juice Pack Helium

Now we all know iPhones have shitty battery life, but it wasn't till I was stranded in London the other month with only 5% left after charging it earlier that day did it really get to me.

I had looked through Amazon and seen that there was a huge range of charger cases available ridiculously cheap, but reading through the reviews made it clear that these were pretty hit and miss, so I decided to look into something more reliable. Of course this then meant the prices rocketed up, but to me, having something that I could really depend on was much more important.

This is when I came across the brand Mophie. Available from the Apple Store here for £69.95 (iPhone5/5s case), they were quite out of my price range so instead decided to look on the Mophie website itself which has a range of cases, but happens to be american based only. However luck was on my side and they were offering 40% off as their Black Friday deal! So the Juice Pack case, shipping and customs charges came to a total of £40, which I think is pretty damn good.

The case itself is insanely light for what it is, which really threw me the first time I picked it up! Though this in no way means it feels cheap; it is a plastic case which is wonderful to hold, and really protects the phone. It came pre-charged which is think is awesome, and claims to provide your phone with an additional 80% of battery life which I can vouch for.

Its wonderfully simple to use; simply charge the case using the usb provided which can be done through your laptop or plug that comes with your iPhone, and the little lights on the back will show how much charge there is on the case. The other little switch allows you to turn the charging function on and off, so that the case can just be used as a normal case when you don't require more battery.

I think this case is definitely an investment, but one that I know I will get so much use from! It has helped me out so many times already and know it will continue to do so, so overall I am a very happy camper.

A Few Lush Goodies

We all know that itch that you get when you are nearing the end of a product, and you just can't wait for it to be gone so that you can try something new. I had this itch when my beloved Lush cleanser Ultrabland was coming to an end, and a trip to the nearest Lush was on the cards (always a dangerous move for the bank account.) I did, however, manage to keep myself under control and strolled away with only two purchases; Herbalism cleanser and Popcorn Lip Scrub.

The cleanser is a new concept to me; simply pinch out a chunk, add some water, make a paste in the palm of your hands then apply to face and rinse off. I have found this to be a bit more time consuming then imply using Ultrabland, though I really do like how fresh my skin feels afterwards. The smell is a little strange, but only when you stick your nose straight into the pot, and it doesn't transfer onto the skin at all which is good.

Lush's lip scrubs are something that you will find in nearly everyones collection, as they offer a quick and easy way to smooth out dry lips, as well as tasting and smelly rather lovely! I went with Popcorn over Bubblegum as I found the scent to be slightly softer, and have found myself to be reaching for this quite a lot, whether it be to resurface my lips or simply make them look a bit poutier.

Greenwich Wandering

Being a photographer, lugging my DSLR around everywhere I go just isn't practical, so recently I treated myself to the Sony α5100 as I wanted something little that I could carry round with me. The day of getting it I just needed to take it for a test drive, so my Dad and I had a little day trip out in Greenwich.

Ceiling of the Royal Naval College, isn't is beautiful!

It wasn't the best day to go out picture taking as the weather was so rubbish, but I loved playing with my new toy! If you would like a proper review on the α5100 then let me know and I shall do one!

Current Face

Recently it appears that I'm reaching for the same products over and over again, which tells me they must be doing something right! None of these products are anything you won't have heard of before, but they're working out as a pretty good combination.

For foundation, I finally purchased L'oreal True Match in my naturally pale colour. I used the colour N3 last summer after I came back from my holiday, but have only just got round to getting it in N1. I love the thin consistency and the build-ability for more coverage, but unfortunately I haven't found the perfect primer to pair with it as it falls into my pores quite a bit (anyone got any suggestions?!) Like the True Match, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is wonderfully thin with great coverage, and also a great colour match. I have fallen head over heels in love with this Bourjois Little Round Blush Pot in Rose Frisson, I almost can't describe how beautiful it is! It has a wonderful amount of glow to it without being glittery of shiny in the slightest, as well as being a gorgeous healthy shade for us pale skinned gals.

For both eyes and brows, the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 has been hitting the spot for everyday looks. I mix together the darker two shades for my brows, then the middle two shades are perfect for a subtle everyday eye look. MAC Pro Longer Waterproof Brow Set is a product I have not gone a day without since purchasing it a couple of months ago, and will never go without in the future! It does a fab job of keeping everything in place, as well as adding colour and fullness (which is something I definitely need!)

No matter what the weather conditions, my lips are always super dry and cracked, but Blistex Intensive Moisture has been doing a pretty good job at keeping this at bay, so is a must before I apply any other lip products. Last but not least, MAC Patisserie has been my go to lipstick for a good couple of weeks now. It's the perfect nude colour for those with lighter skin tones, and the lustre finish means it leaves a wonderfully healthy and full look to the lips.

YSL Black Opium

Yves Saint Laurent's Black Opium perfume is all the rage right now. I've already seen heaps of bloggers talking about it, and being in the market for a new perfume myself, decided to go and give it a sniff. BEST DECISION EVER.

Now I'm not great at describing scents, so ill keep it simple. It is described to have notes of black coffee, white florals and vanilla, with the floral being the strongest in my opinion, yet in no way is it heavy and overpowering. I personally can't really detect the hint of black coffee, but there is the subtle vanilla scent that makes this perfume wonderfully rich and inviting. I find it to be quite a seductive smelling perfume, yet still light enough to wear during the day (which I have been doing non stop since buying it!)

The packaging as I'm sure you'll agree is gorgeous; a black glittery bottle with a pink transparent circle through the centre to easily how much you have left. Even the box is lovely, again with black glitter and pale pink metallic edges, and sits on my desk looking beautiful.

The infamous Naked 2

So, suuuuuper late on the band-wagon here, but to be honest I'm not really one to be up to date with trends. You probably saw a million reviews on this palette when it first came out, so I won't bore you with the obvious details and heaps of swatches; google images has you covered there.

Instead I'll just throw it out there that I absolutely love this palette and have used it basically everyday since I bought it (£29 in the last FeelUnique sale, couldn't say no to that!) For someone like me who loves their taupe-y/cooler toned neutrals then this is such an amazing palette. Yes it is a slight shame that there are only 3 matte colours, but I have plenty of other eyeshadows that tie in with this colour scheme perfectly to broaden the combination possibilities.

I'll be doing looks using the Naked 2 in the near future, so stick around if you're interested in those! Have you tried this palette?

Quex Park & Powell-Cotten Museum

Yesterday Rory and I went down to Quex Park for a little day trip. I remember coming here years ago when I was little, but wanted to come back for the Powell-Cotten museum, which is several galleries full of stuffed animals that were hunted in Africa by the Powell-Cotten family in the early 1900's.

It's rather horrific when you actually think about it, seeing hundreds of poor animals that had been hunted, but if you switch your mind off you can appreciate all these wonderful creatures that you would never get to see this close. The animals are behind glass and all set up to look like they are interacting in the wild, which made for some nice pictures.

The house itself was beautiful, I absolutely adore visiting stately homes and think they are wonderful places, if only I were part of a old, wealthy family!

 

I made friends with the resident peacock, but unfortunately I couldn't convince him to get his tail out for me which I was actually pretty disappointed about. The gardens were beautiful too, with lots of greenhouses full of exotic plants and cacti. 

I treated myself to a cream tea in the cafe as they are my ultimate weak spot and kind of a tradition to have when I visit a place like this. I would recommend this as a day out to anyone as it really is a very interesting place to visit for both kids and adults, and is somewhere you will always remember! 

New in: Lipstick Haul

So recently I've been feeling a bit spendy, and may have accidentally made a few purchases, oops. I haven't been much of a lipstick wearer in the past, but I've recently been wanting to get into it more and dabble in some fun colours for summer.

My first purchase was inspired by Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup, who loves this lipstick I absolutely adored it every time I saw her wear it in a video. It is of course; MAC Patisserie. For me this is the perfect everyday nude/natural shade, which is almost identical to my natural lip colour, and helps to even out the tone and add a bit of shine. The colour payoff is quite sheer but that makes the lipstick so wearable, and is a lustre finish.

Next up is one that I have been dying to get my hands on ever since the 'Playland' collection's visual was released in America so many months ago. Toying Around, again from MAC, is a gorgeous vivid pinky-coral colour which is wonderfully opaque and glides onto the lips. Being an amplified finish the colour is very intense and is easily the brightest lipstick in my collection!

Last but not least is my first proper 'high-end' lipstick, which my lovely Dad bought for me. Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Volupte Shine in Corail Intuitive 15 (quite the mouthful) is my first YSL product and I couldn't be more in love with it! It's a beautiful, sheer peachy coral with a gorgeous glossy finish that just looks amazing with every look I have worn it will so far. When paired with a similar coloured lipliner (I use Sleek's eau la la liner in Melba) it creates a much more opaque, intense look which is just as pretty.

L-R: MAC Patisserie, MAC Toying Around (LE) and YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Corial Intuitive 

Okay we can all agree I suck at swatches, sorry about that guys.

MAC Patisserie

MAC Toying Around (after about 8 hours wear mind you, stays on like a dream)

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Corial Intuitive 15 (paired with Sleek Melba liner)

What lipsticks will be your summer staples?

NOTD: Tropical Water

This nail combination is one of my all time favourites! Nothing like a good glittery turquoise to brighten up your day! This combination is perfect for summer, reflecting the lovely blues of the sky and the sea (if you're lucky enough to be near the sea) but is one that I love wearing all year round.

Sorry the photos for this post are pretty rubbish, took them in the last few minutes before I had to rush out!

As usual I used the Collection 2 in 1 Strengthener and Hardener as a base, Sinful Colors Aqua as the main colour then finished off with Barry M Aqua Glitter to add the sparkles. 

What's your favourite summer nail combo?

Swarovski by Shourouk Necklace

Lets just take a deep breath and have a moment to appreciate how beautiful this piece is. Done? Okay,  let me tell you some more about it! Now I'm not usually one to buy myself to expensive jewellery, but the other week my mum, sister and I visited Ashford Designer Outlet Centre. Swarovski was the first shop we went in and I instantly fell in love, so promised myself that if I didn't spend too much elsewhere that I would treat myself to it. 

After walking for bloody miles round the other shops, I had only made one small purchase (a sports bottle from Nike, nothing exciting!) and so headed back to claim my new love. I seriously love traditional/vintage looking jewellery, and this necklace was right up my street. This piece is part of the collection called 'Swarovski by Shourouk', which is engraved on the back of the pendant. It's quite a short chain which I like, as sits nicely on my chest above the cleavage line so will usually be visible above clothing.

 Having just looked on the website I don't believe that they sell it anymore, which would make sense with it being sold at the outlet store. This baby was an absolute steal, and was £40 reduced from £80! It's obviously something to whip out for nice occasions, so now I just need the excuse to wear it.

What's your favourite style of jewellery? Let me know in the comments!

Everyday Makeup

Here we have a peak at what I would slap on my face on a day to day basis. Most days I tend to not wear make up as I don't leave the house, but when I do have to make a special appearance to the outside world, this is what makes my appearance less horrifying!

First I'll start out by moisturising my face with NIP+FAB Day Cream, which is just something nice and light that absorbs into the skin nice and quickly. This will be followed by massaging in a small amount of Rimmel Fix&Perfect primer in 002 to my t-zone, and allowing that to sink in too. Next up is Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light 2 (the shade names have been changed since I purchased my tube) to combat those ever-lasting dark circles, with a small amount dabbed in with my ring finger. The star of the show here is bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light, a review of which can be found *here*, which is continuing to impress me and will be my go-to foundation for the near future. Next we move to brows, where I fill in the little bald patch I have in my right eyebrow then even out their shape with Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Black Brown. Lastly is mascara, of which I am currently using Max Factor Wild Mega Volume. I don't particularly rate this mascara, I'm just trying the finish off the tube as soon as I can so can go back to one that I really enjoy.

So that's everything for my usual routine, if I fancy it sometimes I'll apply a contour and blush, but usually I just still to the products shown.

How many products are in your everyday make up look? Let me know!