High End Beauty Haul

High End Beauty Haul

Friday, 29 September 2017

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So it's fair to say I have no self control, but in my defence I haven't brought makeup for about a year and a half, not like this. I had the best time browsing the Debenham's beauty hall, chatting to all the artists and looking at all the new releases. It was the first time I had seen a Kat Von D counter in person in the UK, and how could I not pick up a few items along with a couple of other items I have had my eye on. Once trying, swatching, testing everything in sight!

Kat Von D has the most amazing range of high quality products, it makes it impossible to choose hence why I walked away with so much. The first thing which caught my eye and I haven't heard much about is the Lock It Setting Powder, with Micro Blurring Technology to blur pores, lock down makeup and leave your complexion looking flawless, with a translucent undetectable shade to suit everyone.
Probably most famous are the Liquid Lipsticks, and after trying so many on while hunting for my perfect nude lip I decided on two Lolita and Ludwig both nude shades, which I have been wearing daily with beautiful pigmentation which feels velvety soft on your lips despite drying completely matte and lasting all day.
The Lock It Colour Correcting Primer is another product which I haven't heard much about, but Kat Von D products are made to last and I know this will stay put all day, and keep my eyeshadows in place all day while neutralising my eyelid and creating the perfect base.

Moving onto eyeshadow, Kat Von D's eyeshadow blends like a dream, has an unreliable amount of pigmentation I literally want to own them all. Initially attracted to the quads I brought Plum and Rust to add to my collection, and with these along with the Shade and Light Eye Palette I think I have all basis covered.
The Metal Crush Eyeshadows are UNREAL, the pigmentation is insane with so much shimmer and the colours I literally want to own them all. I picked up Thunderstruck, a pearl shade with a gold undertone which can also be used as a face highlighter. Doce is a metallic copper, perfect for Autumn and Winter and something I know I am going to get so much wear out of.

Lastly the two items which I picked up not from Kat Von D were in fact what I originally went in to get, the Benefit Brightening Concealer which is the revamped version of the original Erase Paste. When this was applied to me on the counter I just loved how amazing it was to blend, without looking cakey but still offering the coverage and brightening qualities that I was looking for.

Illamasqua released their Beyond Powders and I could not wait to get my hands on them, I already want another shade which is slightly lighter for the winter months but I love this slightly warmer shade Epic while I still have a vague tan. I can't wait to test this out more.

I won't need to buy anymore makeup for another fair few months while I test all of these products out, and of course I will be sharing my impressions with you so make sure you check back for them.

Blogs I Read almost Daily

Blogs I Read almost Daily

Monday, 25 September 2017

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I spend a lot of time reading blogs. I love discovering new ones, referring to blogs for a valuable sources of information from beauty reviews to inspiring me with the next destination I need to add to my bucket list. I am constantly finding new blogs to add to my reading list, and rediscovering old ones however there is a selection of blogs which I read almost daily, and have no shame in admitting I have read nearly every single one of their posts.

Where's Mollie?

Mollie's blog has possibility been my favourite blog since I discovered it. A travel blog filled with the most inspiring, beautiful but also genuinely useful posts. I find it so easy to relate to her travel posts, and actually do what she recommends, see what she says can't be missed and have used her blog as reference when planning many trips. And I am forever recommending it to everybody I know, to use it to inspire them. Mollie also writes some more lifestyle content, again so relatable, a few of my favourites are this post about Why It's So Important to Be Single and 16 Thing's She'd Like to Say to Girls All Over The World.

Gracie Francesca

I'm pretty sure you will all of heard of Gracie, the girl boss, working to inspire people, challenging societies views and pressures, taking about taboo topics in a very frank and relatable way. Gaining herself the respect of the masses, as she inspires you to be yourself, love yourself, accept yourself. Gracie's post are honest, and open talking about sensitive topics that need to the talked about. She also posts some incredible outfit and beauty posts, which shouldn't be missed. Everyone needs Gracie in their life. My favourite posts are this post about how Empowered Women, Empower Women and this post about Mental Health.

Hannah Gale

A sassy, girl boss blogger who writes about anything from her current TV favourites to life lessons she learnt, with a few outfits and beauty posts chucked into the mix. I love how original Hannah's content is, full with beautiful photos. I find Hannah's blog post very beneficial, I always learn something, her blogging tips are so useful, her lifestyle posts teach me something new, inspire me to try something new and her fashion posts leave me with a wishlist bigger than my bank account can handle. I love this post on Letting Go of Trying To Get People to Like Me and this post about Feeling Like Your Blog Content Is Good Enough.

Vix Meldrew

Where to start with Vix, I find her blog hilariously funny, incredibly well written and the content is just oh so original.  A sex, relationships and lifestyle blog Vix covers it all. Documenting her dating experiences, her observations of the dating world as well as talking about more serious lifestyle topics. Her blog is well worth a read, and I promise once you start you'll be hooked. I love this post about What Love Island Teaches  Us About Modern Dating and Why You Need to Love Being Single to Have a Good Relationship.

There are many more blogs which I catch up with regularly, and love but we'd be here forever if I listed them all.

I'd love to discover more blogs so leave your favourites down below.

Fenty Beauty by Rhianna The Full Low Down

Fenty Beauty by Rhianna The Full Low Down

Thursday, 21 September 2017

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Fenty Beauty by Rhianna launched a few weeks ago, and ever since it graced the shelves of Harvey Nichols and Sephora everyone has been talking about it. The beauty industry has waited so long for a brand like this, Rhianna has managed to do something which so many other huge brands have failed to do. Fenty Beauty is all about inclusivity, boasting 40 shades of foundation, including shades for the typically harder to match skin tones. The formulas are designed to work with all skin types, the products are designed to feel light weight, with build able coverage but still leaves your skin looking like skin. As well as focusing on inclusivity, this collection is also 100% cruelty free. This collection is all about your skin, with no official eye products realised currently. In this post I am giving you the complete low down on the collection, with a full review post coming soon.

Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Foundation

Available in 40 shades, with a whole range of undertones, a long wearing foundation with medium to full buildable coverage. It is advised if you are between two shades to go for the lighter shade, as this does take a few seconds to dry down and with this the shade does darken ever so slightly, make sure you allow for this when testing them in a store. With the light as air formula this is almost undetectable on the skin, but leaves you with a photo ready, pore diffused, shine free finish. Remember to shake well before use.

Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer

This primer is designed to diffuse pores, stop shine and of course create the perfect base for your foundation. Unlike most mattifying primers this does not leave your skin looking flat but instead mattifies the skin with the lightest feel, still leaving your skin looking and feeling like skin but with this filtered, blurring effect- perfecting your skin. Of course designed to work on all skin tones, without a trace of the product and included the longevity of your foundation.

Invisimatte Blotting Powder

A universal blotting powder for all skin tones, with no flash back. This product absorbs shine, diffuses the look of pores and mattes your skin leaving you with a filtered photo finish look. This powder is completely traceless on all skin tones, and does not cake or sit in any fine lines.

Match Stix Skinstixs Matte & Shimmer

Coming in 30 different shades, 20 matte and 10 shimmer. These come in the most beautiful, magnetised packaging. The shimmer shades are perfect for highlighting, using as eyeshadows, blushes or even on the lips. The matte shades work well as concealer, bronzer, contour and of course you could get away with using these on your eyes or lips also. The cream to powder formula is designed to be layered, so they work so well together blending together seamlessly with a light as air finish. They are also available to buy it trios, or separately depending on your skin tone and what you after.

Kilowatt Freestyle Highlighter

Possibly the product people were most excited for, these highlights live up and beyond the expectations. They have a cream-powder hybrid formula making them so buttery and smooth to apply, incredibly blendable and perfect for layering especially on top of the Skinstixs. The shades range from subtle to extremely bright and bold, with two singles and four duos of course there is something for every skin tone. Metal moon is more subtle, and Trophy Wife is much more bold but when it comes to the duos its best to find the one which best suits your skin tone.

Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

A universal shade lip gloss, with the perfect amount of shine to perfect any lip colour. Containing shea butter to condition the lips, it leaves your lips looking instantly fuller and smoother.

Various Tools

To compliment the makeup Rhianna has also included tools that work perfectly alongside the products, from a sponge to highlight brushes and blotting paper. The portable highlight and contour brush, are also magnetised to will attach to your skinstixs perfectly.

My full review of the products I picked up will be coming soon, I am so excited to see what more is going to come with Fenty Beauty. Finally an inclusive, cruelty free beauty brand which isn't outrageously expensive and delivers top quality products.

Fenty Beauty is exclusively available at Sephora, Harvey Nichols and on their Website.

An Evening on The Harbour Arm, Folkestone

An Evening on The Harbour Arm, Folkestone

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

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In an effort to discover and explore more of the world close to home I decided to spend an evening down on the Harbour Arm in Folkestone. It is still in stages of redevelopment, but is fast becoming the food, drink and entertainment centre of the town. With independent food and drink stalls, its a great place to grab a drink and watch the sunset or enjoy some live entertainment. Walk down to the end and you reach the champagne bar.

The range of food varies from seafood, to burgers, the greek bus and delicious pizzas as well as little bars dotted all the way along. In terms of entertainment, they have such a variety from live DJs to bands as well as art shows among other things. The best way to find out about these are to check their website here.

On our visit we enjoyed the sunset, and ate pizza from Follies and drank cider on a lovely warm evening, while also getting some outfit snaps for an upcoming post. Although summer may be coming to end, spending a sunny afternoon down here would be ideal, and something which I know I will be doing again.

Every Day Makeup Routine

Every Day Makeup Routine

Friday, 8 September 2017

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Day to day I don't like to wear much makeup, I keep my eyes very simple and focus on the skin, aiming for lots of glow but to keep any oils under control. Adding some definition to my face, but overall keeping it natural.

My go to foundation for the entirety of the past year has been MAC Face and Body, I love how light this is on the skin, but it can be built to add coverage in areas which need it. I don't use concealer day to day, but simply use a little bit extra foundation in problem areas because it is so light and doesn't cake.

To give myself all the glow, I have been loving Benefit Watts Up highlight, mentioned here in my current favourites. I apply this liberally to all the usual points of my face, with a brush I find this so easy to blend out creating a natural but impressive glow.

Chanel Tan De Soleil is again a favourite from the whole of the past year, my go to for bronzing my face, adding some definition to my cheekbones and giving myself a more natural bronzed look. It blends amazingly with the Face and Body foundation, and Watts Up highlighter giving me a very natural cream based products looked.

To set those three steps in place, my go to highlighter is MAC Soft and Gentle, softly applied to the tops of my cheekbones for some added glow. I use Soap and Glory Solar Powder to add some more definition to my cheek bones and for an all over bronze, and then the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Powder to set the remainder of my face.

For my brows, I have been reaching for this L'Oreal Brow Artist Genius Kit, a recent purchase which I have been loving. I like to mix the powder and the wax for a more defined look at the tail of my brow, and then just use the powder towards the front.

To add a bit of definition to my eyes I have been using the L'Oreal Paradise Mascara religiously, I am utterly obsessed with this mascara. It gives me tonnes of volume, and makes my lashes extra black making them stand out enough to not need any more eye makeup than just this.

A very simple makeup routine, which can be done in under ten minutes including products which are all my firm favourites.

Do any of these products feature in your everyday makeup routine?

How to Style a Little Black Dress

How to Style a Little Black Dress

Friday, 1 September 2017

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I find dressing 'up' usually difficult, a smart occasion with no clear dress code can throw me completely off. As a result of this, I have gathered a few go to pieces which I know I love and can style up or down. I brought this dress for I think about $20AUD (£12) from H&M ages ago, and it has since become my staple LBD. In this post I am sharing with you this outfit, as well some of my other favourite little black dresses and tips on how to style them.

As this dress is no longer available (sadly) I have linked similar little black dresses, throughout the post for you to have a browse of. Remember to scroll right for more.

Despite it being summer black tends to be my go to shade, although I do love bright colours a lot. This dress is unbelievably easy to wear, and completely summer appropriate as it's loose, light and airy. With the cinched waist, v neck and loose sleeves this dress flatters your body more than I could imagine. Giving me all the confidence when wearing it.

On this particular day I decided to wear this western style student belt, just to add some interest along with my old skool vans and my usual jewellery. My sunglasses are the style Electric Dreams.

How To Style...

There are some pieces that you buy, and wear only once for whatever reason. However I like to get a lot of wear out of my clothes, and buy staple items which I can style differently and wear over and over.

Accessorising

It can completely change the look of a simple dress, making a statement with a belt or jewellery can drastically change the entire outfit. Drawing the attention away from the dress itself, and people will instead focus on the more statement accessories. I love bold statement earrings, such as these ones.

A simple and effective way to accessories an outfit, and dress it up or down depending is with your shoes. My go to shoes, all day everyday, are trainers. I live in my Vans, Converse and New Balance. So of course these are my go to, if I can get away with them and I love them to dress down a dress which isn't something I feel most comfortable in. I really do struggle with dressing up. If you want to dress something down, a pair of clean white converse still look smart, you've made an effort without being dressy. Alternatively for a more dressed up look, heels are most peoples go to.

The thing I love about black dresses is, you can do whatever makeup you want. You don't have to worry about your makeup going with your outfit, because black goes with just about anything. I love to add something extra to a look by doing a bolder, glittery eye with pigments and brighter colours. Making more of a statement with my makeup than my dress.