A Trio of Treats

As I'm sure you have gathered my internet is finally working again, albeit very sporadically so whilst its on my side I thought I'd show you a a couple of bits I picked up when I went for a walk around Brighton. I was feeling in a spendy mood but I was just finding it difficult to part with my pennies. In the end I just picked up a few bits in Boots as L'Oreal was on 3 for 2. 

I've been using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a couple of months which I've really been loving and whilst I don't usually buy the matching concealer when I saw it I thought I may as well see if it works just as well. I'm suffering with both under the skin and normal blemishes so I'm hoping it will work well at covering them up without looking dry and cakey. Watch this space.

Now I definitely do not need any more eye shadows, especially as not so long ago I spent a small fortune on starting a MAC palette but you know how it goes, you spy a colour and cant leave the shop without taking it with you. Which is exactly what happened when I saw the Colour Riche L'Ombre Pure in Quartz Fume. Its a gorgeous cool toned brown with a very slight coloured glitter running through it. I cant wait to use this to bring something extra to a smokey eye. 

Recently I've been on the hunt for the perfect liquid or gel eye liner so I can finally get the hang of winged liner! So far its not been a successful search but I'm hoping this Super Liner Black Lacquer will be the answer. Its good a small nib which I like but its also pretty sturdy which I find helps with control. I'll update you after I've put it through its paces. 

So that's the three treats I picked up recently, I'm hoping that the spending will stop there as I've just booked a surprise trip for Allan's 30th birthday and with Christmas just around the corner its going to be save, save, save. I see a spending ban on the horizon... 

What bits do you like from L'Oreal? 

Getting Into Autumn | MAC Hot Tahiti

The idea of summer is a lot more desirable than actual summer for me, I get so hot and unconformable, I never know what outfits are acceptable to wear and sleeping at night becomes near to impossible! I always have more of a smile when I see the leafs on the trees starting to turning colour and the days getting cooler. 

To help get into an autumnal mood (not that I need any encouragement) I've been loving wearing MAC Hot Tahiti, its the perfect transitional lip colour. Described by MAC a soft reddish coral, one that's great for those (including me) that are too scared for the really dark colours or just not ready for the full autumn/winter look. Although in the bullet it looks very dark it translates lighter on your lips. Its a glaze formula so not the most long lasting product available but its one that I've been reaching for a lot during the day, paired with a soft smokey eye. 

I picked up Hot Tahiti at IMATs back in June but its only been in the last couple of weeks I've been using it and I cant wait to wear it more often. It may be one that I you might overlook amongst all the other lovely colours at the MAC stand but its one I really think you should give a try at this time of year. 

What lipstick have you been loving at the moment?

Have you tried Hot Tahiti before?

Empties #6

Hello, remember me? I'm the girl that hasnt blogged since the beginning of August! Anywho, lets not dwell on that too much! To ease myself back in I thought I'd start off with one of my favourite posts to read and to write...my empties!

There's quite a lot here as you can see but I have to say that there were a few things that I just binned by accident over the last couple of months, but here's what I've managed to keep hold of! Some would say this is the mascara edition...

Champneys Spa Indulgence Distance Shores Shower Mousse - The smell of this mousse is ah-mazing! The passion fruit really comes through and makes me think of holidays in exotic places! Its a liquid in the bottle but pumps out as a soft foam mousse. The smell didnt linger too long on my skin which was a shame, but it was a lovely wash to use on a Sunday night during a pamper evening. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

The Body Shop Camomile Eye & Lip Make-up Remover - With lots of good feedback about this from other bloggers I was disappointed when I just didn't feel the same. Being a bi-phase formula it did leave my eyes a little greasy and not as gentle on my eyes as I'd hope. I did have to rub away stubborn eye make up a little more then I do with Liz Earle C&P. Smell was very pleasant though.

Would I repurchase? Unfortunately not

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo Mini - I think I've a dry shampoo in every empties post so far! Think that speaks volumes...

Would I repurchase? Over and over again

Garnier 5 Second Blur - This is a primer which I used pretty much every day, it has an optical blurring effect which smoothes and provides a good base for foundation. It has a very soft feeling, kind of reminds me of the of Benefits Porefessional but a lot cheaper. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

MAC In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara - Being my first MAC mascara purchase I wasn't sure what to expect, especially at a price of £18 (now £19!). I was really impressed with the volume, length and definition it gave to my lashes, it was quickly promoted to my favourite going out mascara - does anyone else have mascara that they only use for evening looks?! I would put this on par with Benefit They're Real. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild - In the mornings I like something gentle and easy to cleanse my face and little mini did a good job of freshening up my face first thing. Due to finding it a little drying and more expensive then some of my other morning face washes, I wouldnt pick this up again.

Would I repurchase? No

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara - Once this has dried out a little it was a really good mascara, and I liked that there was two brushes, one for top lashes and the other for bottom. I did prefer the bottom lash wand, I just wish it was sold as separate mascara! It really helped to separate my bottom lashes and add a little colour without packing on loads of product, in turn avoiding the spider look. I'd pick this up again just for the bottom lash side. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - As I've mentioend before I use this as a bottom lash mascara and think as a normal mascara it doesnt really have much effect on my lashes. Since getting the Big Eyes mascara it was demoted to the back of the queue. 

Would I repurchase? Only if I couldn't get hold of Big Eyes

Clinique Lash Power Mascara - My first use of this mascara was pretty disappointing, the formula was far too wet and didnt hold a curl in my lashes at all so I didnt use it for a little while. But then I decided to give it a second go and it was a lot better after it has dried a little, and it did turn out to be a good egg. It really gave a feathered look and was perfect for an every day look. 

Would I repurchase? With boots points yes

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - With a short but steady nib this was really easy to apply - even for an eyeliner noob like me. My only problem was that it was very black, more like a muted black/grey. It lasted well on my eyes during the day, there was no fade but I think that was because it wasn't very dramatic when first applied. For £2.99 though its a bargain if your on a budget. 

Would I repurchase? Yes if it was a tight budget

Now I'm can finally clear under the sink and start a fresh! 

Have you tried any of these products?

Cheeky Shopping Trip

I just cant help myself. Whenever I'm bored it results in a trip to the local shopping centre and my card gets a bit of a bashing. Luckily this time I had a few Boots points to play with so my bank card was a little happier then normal. 

I'm a bit obsessed with finding the perfect foundation so I'm always picking things up left right and centre and this trip was no different. First in my basket was the Estee Lauder Double Wear, its much talked about due to its heavy coverage and long lasting abilities so I knew it was one I needed to try. Sticking on the base products I also picked up the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick, this one was on a bit of a whim although I'd seen a lot of people mentioning it I haven't really read too much about what its like - expect a review in the future! 

After my recent Mascara Cull I needed to pick up a couple of new mascaras to top the stash back up, after wondering around the aisle for what seemed like forever I decided on Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara which promises to lengthen and extend lashed by up to 99%, now I'm not sure about that outrageous claim but only time will tell! If you read my blog regularly you'll know I love Maybelline Great Lash as a bottom lash mascara but decided to see how it compared against Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara and so far I only have good things to say about it!

In need of a new night cream I decided to stick with Boot Botantics and opted for the Ultra Calm Night Cream offering. I haven't yet tried this but it will soon be in rotation. The last thing I picked up in Boots was a Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss in Cashmere Rose. I've heard these are very similar to the Clarins Instant Light Perfectors and as I have been lusting after them for some time I decided to pick up the cheaper option before splashing out. 

As always I went for a wonder around Lush, I love the smell more than anything else and although I told myself I didn't need to pick anything up I left with a couple of things, a Shampoo Bar Tin and 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion. I've got a shampoo bar from Lush but hadn't got round to using it as I wasn't sure what to do with it in between washes so when I saw this it when straight in the basket I shouldn't have picked up as I walked in! Recently Vicky from Describe the Sky had talked about her Lazy Day Skincare Routine and the 9-5 Cleansing Lotion was included, she said it was calming and quick and easy to use so I just knew it would be perfect for the evenings when I want to head to bed pronto! 

Although I love writing these posts almost as much as I love shopping I'll be cutting down now in favour of saving sigh its not my most exciting idea but it is the most practical one :( 

Have you been shopping recently? Leave your links below as I love haul posts! 

K x  

Review | Collection Cream Puffs

(L-R Cotton Candy, Fairy Cake, Powder Puff)

(L-R Cotton Candy, Fairy Cake, Powder Puff)

 (Top-Bottom Powder Puff, Fairy Cake, Cotton Candy) 

A good lip product really finishes off a look, and its very rare you'll catch me without a swipe of something on my lips. I love the matt look, and whilst normally I'm put off by how drying they can be on my lips but with the promise of these being moisturising I just had to pop a few of the Collection Cream Puffs in my basket. 

The texture of these lip creams are like nothing I have tried before, they are velvety to the touch, they feel almost like a light chocolate mousse. They glide on really well, although I do like to apply them with the wand and then lightly dab with my finger as they do tend to be a little streaky. My favourite colour of the three (out of the four from the collection) is Cotton Candy which is blue toned pink that is the perfect everyday muted pink. I often wear this to work as its not too in your face. The lasting power on these are not the best, they last a couple of hours before fading out evenly but in that time they don't cling to dry patches. 

The scent is a really sweet vanilla, making them a pleasure to wear! At only £2.99 each they are the perfect product to pick up just to try - I know you'll be impressed! 

Have you tried any of these lip creams? What's your favourite lip product? 

K x

Mascara Cull

With so many mascaras on the market these days I cant help but want to try every new one that pops up so I often have 5/6 mascaras on the go and a couple more unopened waiting in the wings. Some promise more volume, or longer lashes but its hard to come across one that will make me want to repurchase. I'm very much a drugstore kinda gal when it comes to mascara as lets face it they don't last too long and I don't want to be spending £20 upwards when I can get something as equally as good in Boots. Now that's not to say I haven't  on occasions picked up a MAC or Benefit mascara when I've been at the till! 

I figured it was about time I had a bit of a clear out of mascara's - some of them had been sitting there for sometime looking sorry for themselves. 

For me its all about length, I love the look of long lashes and if the mascara helps with volume then its a bonus. My favourite mascara that I have come across is most definitely one I am going to have to repurchase no matter what, its the L'Oreal Telescopic Extra Black. This little beauty gave me the longest lashes without sticking together to give that awful spider leg look, I am very sad to see this one leave from my stash but very happy when tomorrow I get a shiny new one! I have to admit I do fall for a lot of beauty hype and more often than not will purchase something on a whim, this is exactly what happened with the Avon Mega Effects Mascara. I was so intrigued by the applicator that I just had to hunt it down. Unfortunately it was such a disappointment, it was really hard to apply and didn't do anything for my lashes apart from darken them, no lift, no curl, no volume, not my cup of tea. 

Just before Christmas Soap and Glory did their massive gift set which of course I couldnt help but pick up and included in there was the Thick and Fast Mascara. So many people raved about it and I could see why, my lashes looked so voluminous but didn't give me my much loved length I desire. Does anybody else get upset/frustrated/annoyed/confused when a brand discontinues one your favourites? Well thats how I'm feeling about Rimmel Sexy Curves, I love this mascara as its a really all rounder. My lashes look fuller, longer and gives a really good curl, its my perfect every day mascara but Rimmel went and discontinued it *sadface*. But its does mean that for a short while Fragrance Direct have it at the bargain price of £3.99. Excuse me while I go and stock up. 

The last one that is going off to mascara heaven is L'Oreal Miss Manga, another one of those pesky hyped up products that just didn't do it for me. I couldn't get along with the wand, the bristly brush didn't catch all the little lashes and I just ended up with clumpy messy lashes although I have to say I did like the stylish black and pink packaging! 

I cant wait to get my new mascara's on the go, its such a satisfying feeling putting on a fresh mascara although I do find it a little daunting as I never know if it will live up to my precious Telescopic! 

What are your favourite mascara's? Do you hoard them just like me?

K x

Empties #3

These kind of posts are my favourite as you get to see what people have been using up and you a get a mini review all in one, they are also one of my favourite to write although mine tend to turn into super long reviews because I ramble on so much - hopefully you don't mind too much :) So onto the reason your here...

Radox Coconut Kiss Shower Cream - This has a gorgeous smell about it, think holiday and coconut cocktails. Its fairly moisturising on the skin but nothing I'd write home about. I'm not sure I'd pick this one up again unless maybe if it is on offer when I'm picking up holiday bits. 

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo and Condition - I'd be lying if I said I didn't pick this up purely because of how amazing Nicole Scherzinger looked on all the advertisements - surely I cant be alone?! I also like getting smaller bottles of shampoo and conditioner as my hair always tends to get a bit complaisant after I use the same one for too long. This little duo was great for my dry damaged hair, it really brought it too life and looked and felt a lot stronger and shinier. As with all Herbal Essences products it smelt amazing! I'll definitely be picking up another set in the future. 

Garnier Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Gel Wash - Apart from having a really long name (I even shortened it!) this product is a fav of mine. I used this in morning as it had a really fresh smell that woke me up as well as giving my skin a good refresh. It was really gentle on my skin, I even used to wash off the pesky mascara that stuck around after the previous night's cleanse and it didn't sting at all. My current morning cleanser really isnt living up to this one so I'll definitely be repurchasing very soon! 

YSL Top Secrets Eye Make-Up Remover - I received a little sample bottle of this in a set at Christmas and I put off using it for quite sometime as at £24 for 100ml I was worried that I was going to fall in love and want to repurchase but fortunately for my bank balance I really didn't love this. Yes it removed my eye-make up but no better than a micellar water which is a lot more cost effective, it even left an oily residue behind which really didn't sit well with my skin. Its safe to say this is not going to put in my shopping bag anytime soon. 

Bourjous Healthy Mix Serum - I remember this one of my first ever beauty blog induced purchases way back in summer last year! I was so intrigued by all the hype I just had to get it. This for me is right up there in the foundation stakes, it sits well on my skin, gives coverage as its so build-able and didn't break me out at all. It gives a really healthy glow to the skin and blends in so well using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. 

Dove Go Fresh Nourishing Body Wash - Not much to say about this one in all honesty, it smelt pretty nice, underneath the pomegranate and lemon you can smell the signature Dove scent which is really comforting. It lathered up well in my but I have to say I think next time I'll pass on this one and try something different. 

I hope you liked seeing my recent empties - I'd love to take a look at yours so please do leave a link below!

K x

My First Beauty Swap

 A few months back I noticed that Kat from Tales of a Pale Face was helping bloggers get together to take part in a beauty swap! Knowing that its been something I've wanted to take place since I first reading blogs I signed my self up straight away. I didnt think anything else of it until I received an email from Kat introducing me to Julie from Just Julie who I would be swapping with! We agreed a budget and chatted about the things we were interested and set a date for when we would be done by. 

I received my parcel at work, it was tempting me all day to open it but I did just about manage to wait until I got home that evening. Inside the box each item was individually wrapped so it was like my birthday had come early! There was even a little note but I had to wait until the end to open this.

As Julie knew I hadn't been sleeping so well as of late I received A French Kiss bath melt from Lush which I could smell as soon as I opened the package! I cant wait to try this whilst burning the French Lavender Yankee Candle that I also received in a very cute purple candle holder which will sit well on my dressing table when I'm done in the bathroom. 

One thing I did mention to Julie was that I was looking to get into the whole brow malarkey as I havent yet dipped my toe into that side of beauty so I was really pleased to see the Sleek Eyebrow Stylist, I've heard so many good things about this and even Julie herself uses this so I knew it must be good. I've had a little dabble with it and so far I'm liking it! I think it is going to take me a little while to get the hang of the whole brow thing but with this little baby I don't think it will take me long. 

Staying on the eye theme I also received a Rimmel 5 Pan Eyeshadow in Foggy Grey which has a good assortment of neutral colours including a black with a slight silver shimmer running through which will be great for creating a smokey eye! Next up I received a L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire liquid lipstick in the colour Fuchsia Drama which weirdly enough we both got each other, although I cant quite remember the shade I got Julie! I've used this already and I only have good things to say about this. To match the lipstick there was a Rimmel nail polish in Dont Be Shy which I know will be my go to spring/summer shade!

As Julie knew I was having a terrible time with my skin she thought Lush's Grease Lightening would be a product I needed in my life, and she wasn't wrong. I've used this already as the day I'd received the parcel my skin had broken out, it really calmed down my naughty skin and so far hasn't dried it out. Lastly I received a trio of products which I cant wait to try out, its the shampoo, conditioner and hair mask from Charles Worthington's Salon at Home Moisture Seal range which as the name suggest is designed for dry hair. I'm hoping that this will add some much needed nourishment to help soften up my dry locks. 

Overall I am so pleased with everything that Julie chose for me, I know she put a lot of thought into each and every item. I loved the little note she made which explained the reasoning for each product as it made it extra special. I have learnt a lot from my first swap swap and I cant wait to take part in another one! I even managed to tick off a 101 things in 1001 days list! Now you've seen what I received, take a look at what I got for Julie here. 

Thanks again Julie! 

K x

Mad About Mascara

I'm going to admit something here that I'm not proud about, but hey we're all friends right? I have an addiction. A very bad addiction I am addicted to...Mascara. Phew, that felt good getting that out there, its what they say isn't it, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem! No-one needs to know that I have no intention of recovering from this particular addition though. Currently I have 11 mascara's on the go. I know, I know, I have one set of eyes but man do I like those eyes looking gooood. Some mascara's that I have I hate with a passion for one reason or another and I should probably think about getting rid but I can be a bit of hoarder so we'll leave that for another day.

Today I am going to talk (well blog) to you guys about my favourite three of the moment. If you too have an addiction to Mascara (surely I cant be the only one?!) please be careful as I'd hate to be the one to make you run out to the shops to grab one - although I would strongly recommend you get all three while your there!  

For me its all about the length, I love me some good lengthy lashes and the L'oreal Telescopic Extra Black definitely helps out in that department. The plastic comb wand really helps to coat every lash even the teeny tiny centre ones that I always find hard to get to, and you can get right to the root of the lashes to help bring the lashes up and out. There is a normal black option but I tend to normally go for the blackest of blacks as what's the point of going to all the trouble of lengthening the babies if they are so light you cant see them. This is my go-to mascara, I use it so much that the writing is starting the wear away.

Next up we have my going out-out mascara (just me?), its the MAC In Extreme Dimension Lash. When I want that extra bit of oomph with my lashes this is mascara I pull out, it offers extreme length, volume and the deepest darkest black. You do have to work with this a bit as sometimes it can be a bit clumpy although there is a new hybrid version out that is supposed to control how much product is on the wand to help avoid the clumpy look. I would say that this gives Benefit They're Real a run for its money. I think both this and the Benefit option have similar brushes with the little knobbly bit at the end, and they are both a bloody pain to get off! 

What a sexy brush that is I hear you say, yep that's Rimmel Sexy Curves, this is one of the most amazing wands I've ever used. I'm sure you can tell by now that I'm a big fan of plastic wand's whether they are combs or bristles. I just don't like the natural bristles, I'm not quite sure why but I don't feel they give me the look I go for. Anyway, I'm digressing, back to the beauty that is Sexy Curves. This as the names suggests give a great curve to the lashes without giving the spider leg look. It holds really well, I tend to find with some mascara's that they fall down half way but this gives long standing curl. This one is brown/black as it was a gift from my sister - Thanks Alice! - but I'd say this has no hint of brown at all but does give that natural colour to the lases.

So there you have it you've all found out about my secret addiction! Soon I'll do a post on the mascara's that I don't like but cant rid, hopefully it will help make me throw them out! To make room for some new ones no doubt ;) 

Review | Estee Lauder Double Wear Light

Foundation for me, like most I'm sure, is the hardest thing to get right. Over the years I've tried plenty of foundations but I have yet to come across one that ticks all the boxes. Some have come very close, one being the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light . I've been interested in the Double Wear offerings for quite some time as I'm always on the look out for long wearing foundations as I find that with a lot I've tried they do not last the day, even when I use primer before hand.

With high end purchases I like to do a bit of research as I need to be able to justify paying more for things. I'd taken a look at the actual Double Wear but thought it may be too heavy so this looked like the perfect option to try, hoping that it would give me the longevity I desired, without the heavy cakey feel.

First of all the colour, I got matched to 2.0 which is the perfect shade for me. I like the option of being able to add colour with bronzer so I tend to opt for very true shades rather than one up, as its very difficult to lighten your foundation than it is to make dark. The coverage is sheer but can be built up to medium and gives a gorgeous glow to the skin. I usually tend to set foundation with MAC Studio Fix Powder but with this foundation I have found I don't need to, that even without it it can last throughout the day without any touch ups. It does claim to last up to 15 hours, normally I would never believe something like that but I'd definitely say that was true. I usually put my make up on around 7am and its still looking good at 10pm when I take it off.

Overall I think this is a great foundation, and is worth every penny of the £28.50 price tag. For me I tend to like the high coverage foundations which is why I cant call this perfect but its pretty damn close. I would suggest this to anyone that wants a light coverage with plenty of staying power.

Have you tried the Double Wear Light? Have you found your perfect foundation yet?

FOTN #1 - Date Night

Last night was date night. My boyfriend and I decided we would visit a restaurant we had been dying to go to since it opened at the end of summer last year - yes I know, why did it take us so long! With my boyfriend working away from home at the moment we rarely get to see each other so when we do we like to do something nice, generally revolving around food! I see it as a reason to get all dolled up. Last night I decided to go with a natural look based around my favourite lipstick of the moment Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.



Base - Garnier 5 Second Blur Mac Select Cover Up NW20 -  Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Medium - Estee Lauder Double Wear Light 2.0 - Mac Studio Fix NW22

Eyes - Urban Decay Naked Shadow's Virgin, Naked, and Smog - Rimmel Sexy Curves - Be a Bombshell Eyeliner Onyx -

Colour - Benefit Hoola - Soap and Glory Love at First Blush

Lips - Revlon Lip Butter Berry Smoothie

I paid a lot of attention to my base today as its been a bit of a bad skin time recently so really needed to hide those pesky acne scars! Let me know if there's any products you think I should try, I'd love to hear from you x