October Favourites

Hello lovelies, today I would love to share with you the products that I have been loving using this month. I have discovered a few new products that I've fallen in love with and can't wait to tell you all about them. Hope you enjoy!

Giorgio Armani - Luminous Silk Foundation

I don't know about you but I've heard so many people rave about this foundation and I've wanted to try it for ages, so this month I decided it was time I tried it out and I'm so pleased that I did. I would say that it's a medium coverage foundation which can be built up to a more full coverage. It appears pretty duey on my skin when I apply it but once I set it with powder it stays matte all day. I apply it with a beauty blender and it just looks so flawless on the skin. I'm not sure if I prefer it to my Nars Sheer Glow just yet but it is definitely one of my all time favourites.

Too Faced - Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick - 'Sell Out'

I have worn this lipstick for pretty much the majority of this month. It has definitely been my go to lipstick choice because I love the colour but it also lasts for a really long time on the lips. I am going to have to get my hands on the shade 'Child Star' because it looks so pretty and I'm sure I would love it just as much as this one. I prefer this formula to the original Too Faced melted lipsticks because although they can be very drying and crack slightly, they last for such a long time without needing to be reapplied throughout the day.

Mac - Fluidline Brow Gel Creme - 'Dirty Blonde'

I discovered this product this month because my Anastasia Dip Brow had run out and I wanted to try another product which is similar. So far I'm really liking it, I don't think it's a perfect colour match for my brows but it's pretty close and you can't tell once you're wearing it. I find it's really easy to apply and it lasts such a long time without smudging at all.

Benefit - Erase Paste

As for concealer, I have been obsessed with this product to help counteract my dark circles under my eyes. This concealer is salmon coloured so the orange helps to cancel out the blue/purple tones under my eyes. It's super creamy which makes it so easy to apply and blend into the skin. It does a really good job of helping to reduce the darkness and it really helps to brighten up my face.

Kat Von D - Tattoo Liner

I wear eyeliner pretty much everyday so I'm always looking for the best liquid liner that I can find and I think this might be it. There has been so much hype around this product but I really think it's worth it because it is so good. The felt tip is very fine which makes it so easy to draw a precise line. It doesn't smudge on me at all and lasts for the whole day. It's also super black, so basically I would just describe it as the perfect eyeliner.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Autumn Essentials

Hello lovelies, today I wanted to share with you some of my favourite things about Autumn. This is my favourite season because everything is so cosy, the leaves are all pretty colours and I think the fashion is always so much better in these few months. So here are some of my favourite things surrounding Autumn.

Fashion

One of my favourite things about Autumn fashion is the fact that the colour scheme of the clothes always includes more maroons, khakis and brown shades. I also love layering items up and my favourite kind of outfit involes wearing cute little skirts with tights and ankle boots, ahh it just makes me excited writing about it. Anyway, I've included photos some of my favourite Autumn outfits so I'll list below where the items are from.

Outfit 1:

Jacket - New Look

Top - River Island

Skirt - New Look

Tights - Primark

Boots - New Look

Necklace - New Look

Bag - Michael Kors

Outfit 2:

Top - New Look

Skirt - New Look

Tights - Primark

Boots - New Look

Bag - Michael Kors

Outfit 3:

Jacket - New Look

Top - River Island

Skirt - New Look

Tights - Primark

Boots - New Look

Necklace - ASOS

Bag - Michael Kors

Makeup

When I think of Autumn makeup the first thing that comes to mind is darker berry toned lipsticks and golden or brown toned eye makeup, so it's no surprise that that has been my go to look recently. I tend to wear a golden shadow all over my lid and blend a darker brown through my crease to give my eye some definition. I also like to put some brown on my bottom lash line to balance out the look. Some of my favourite palettes for this kind of look are the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (click here to see a previous post about this palette and a drugstore alternative); the Urban Decay Original Naked palette and the Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics palette.

As for lip products, I have a fair few favourites that I am loving and tend to switch between. They are all pretty similar in colour, however all have a slightly different finish on the lips. The majority of my favourites have a matte finish and they are as follows:

• Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick - 'Sell Out'
• Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick - 'Lolita'
• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - 'Rome'
• Mac Lipstick - 'Whirl'
• Mac Lipstick - 'Taupe'
• Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - 'Bahama' (Click here to see a full review)
• Clinique Pop Matte - 'Blushing Pop'

From Left to Right: Mac Lipstick - Taupe; Mac Lipstick - Whirl; Clinique Pop Matte - Blushing Pop; Mac Lipstick - Spirit; Mac Liptensity - Toast and Butter; NYX - Rome; Too Faced - Sell Out; Kat Von D - Lolita

The other lipsticks I love have a more satin/glossy finish. The first is one of the new Mac liptensity lipsticks in the shade 'Toast and Butter'. The other is a mac lipstick in the shade 'Spirit'. As for lip liners there are two that I like to use, one is the Mac lip pencil in the shade 'Spice' and the other is from Primark and it's the shade '16'.

From Left to Right: Primark - '16'; Mac Lip Pencil - 'Spice'; Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - 'Bahama'

I've recently done a post on one of my go to Autumn Makeup looks, so click here if you would like to see that.

Hot Chocolates

Since the weather is starting to get much colder in the Autumn time, one thing I love to do it snuggle up with a blanket and have a warm hot chocolate. I always feel so relaxed and I love to this in the evening. It's always my drink of choice if I go out to a little café because I'm one of those people that doesn't like tea or coffee.

Nail Varnish

As I'm sure you can tell from the lipstick shades I like to wear, I really love marroon and burgundy shades in the Autumn. I have a few favourite nail varnishes that I tend to switch between and I have previously done a blog post where I share what my favourite dark red nail varnishes are (click here to read it). Since having done that post I have also discovered a few other shades that I love. They are as follows:

• O.P.I - 'Just a Little Rösti at this'
• Barry M Quick Dry - 'Sprint Finish'
• Essie - 'Bordeaux'

Although I love these shades I have also been wearing false nails more recently. The ones I have been wearing most are actually from Primark. They have a set which are the shade 'Poison' and they're such a lovely dark maroon shade. The glue is also really good and my nails stayed on for a full week without falling off and considering that they're only £1 that's so good! I'd definitely recommend you pick some up when you next go, I stocked up on about 5 packs because I really like them.

Let me know what your favourite things about autumn are because I'd love to know!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Top 5 Affordable Base Products

Hello lovelies, in today's post I would love to share with you what my current drugstore favourites are regarding base products. I will be putting up a few other posts similar to this, such as what my favourite eye products are from the drugstore and also what my favourite high end products are from these categories. I hope you enjoy this mini series and let me know if you have any questions.

Makeup Revolution - Ultra Contour Palette

 This palette is such good value for money considering what you get in it. You get 3 contour/bronze shades and 3 highlighting shades in addition to 2 shimmery highlighters. The middle contour shade is perfect for my skin tone and I find it really easy to blend out. I also love how pigmented the highlighters are because they really show up well on your skin. This is a powder palette which I much prefer to creme contour palettes because I find they work better with my skin type.

NYX - Pore Filler Primer

This primer has been my go-to lately because it works so well at minimising the appearance of pores on my skin. It leaves a really smooth finish on the skin which is a perfect base to apply your foundation to. It really helps to make my foundation appear more flawless and I can really notice a difference in how visible my pores are when I don't wear it.

L'Oreal - True Match Foundation

I have recently rediscovered this foundation and I'm so pleased because it is definitely one of my favourites from the drugstore. It has a medium coverage but you can build it up in areas. I find it looks really natural on my skin and lasts a pretty long time too. The colour range is also really good because they have a large selection of shades to choose from, with different undertones too.

The Body Shop - Bronzing Powder

I had heard people on YouTube raving about this bronzer for ages and I can really see why. It's not the cheapest product that you can find but the quality of it is the same as some of my more expensive bronzers. It's very finely milled which makes it really easy to blend out and appear more natural on your skin. It's also not too orange so it just makes your skin look really sun kissed. I always know how much I like a product if I've hit pan and that's definitely the case with this.

MUA - Highlighter in 'Iridescent Gold'

Although this highlighter is only about £3 from Superdrug it's actually really good. It shows up so well on your skin and is really pigmented so doesn't fade that much throughout the day. I love the colour of this highlighter in particular. However, it also comes in a pink shade which other people may prefer. If you're looking for a highlighter but you don't want to spend too much I would 100% recommend you pick this one up, it's fab!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Covershoot Cosmetics

The other day I recieved some products from the lovely people over at Covershoot Cosmetics. They are a new company that currently have lots of new products on the way but they were kind enough to send me some that are already available. I have tried them out and would love to share with you how I got on with them.



The two products that stood out the most to me were the contouring palette and eyebrow kit.  I really liked the packaging for these because they're matte black and really sleek. I loved the fact that inside the contour palette there were some instructions of where to apply the product to your face. This would be so beneficial to those who are new to contouring. I also loved that you get a lot of product in the pan because it would last you a while.



I was also sent some eyeshadow palettes to try out. I haven't used these too much yet because they aren't colours that I would tend to wear everyday. However, I know I will get a lot of use out of the multicoloured eyeshadow palette especially when Summer comes around because I will be more likely to experiment with brighter colours.

My favourite product that they sent me was the nail polish remover. I found that this removed my nail varnish so well and didn't dry out my nails at all. It was also really good at removing red nail varnish which I sometime struggle to remove because the colour can tend to cling to your nails.

I'm so grateful for being sent these products to review, so thank you so much once again to the people at Covershoot Cosmetics. All of their information is on their website and I will link their social media pages below.

Website: www.covershootcosmetics.co.uk
Twitter: @covershootcos
Instagram: @covershootcosmetics
Facebook: Covershoot-Cosmetics
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIH1GK1n3U7W-qrHK_gTrEw

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

September Favourites

Hello lovelies, so today I have my September favourites for you. I haven't really been blogging very much this month so I haven't discovered that many new products. However, I do have four that I have been obsessed with for pretty much the whole month and I didn't want to miss a favourites post. Hope you enjoy!

Becca - Shimmering Skin Perfector (Opal)

If you have read my American Beauty Haul you will have seen that I picked up this highlighter whilst I was on holiday in Florida. I already had a Becca highlighter in the shade 'Moonstone' and it was my favourite so I knew I had to get another. I'm so pleased that I got this shade though, I couldn't decide between 'Opal' and 'Champagne Pop' for ages, but I decided to go for 'Opal' in the end because it looked like it would suit my skin tone more. I have worn this highlighter literally every day this month. I can't quite rave about this product enough, at £32 it is very pricey, but with good reason, because it's so beautiful.

Benefit - Precisely My Eyebrow Pencil (Shade 2)

When I first picked up this product I wasn't the biggest fan of it for myself because the shade I had was slightly too light for my eyebrows. However, recently I have been using it to outline the shape at the front of my eyebrow. The tip is very thin which makes it really easy to be precise when you're using it. I found that because I have a slightly lighter shade it doesn't look too heavy on my eyebrows, but still defines them. I don't use this to fill all my eyebrow in, because i use the Anastasia Dip Brow for the second half of my brow, but this eyebrow pencil allows me to be more precise if I want to.

Clinique - Lipstick in 'Blushing Pop'

I picked up this lipstick this month whilst shopping in Debenhams and I have to say I am so impressed. The lipstick itself dries to a fairly matte finish without drying out your lips. Unlike other matte lipsticks, it still feels really moisturising which is surprising considering that it lasts a diary long time. I chose this colour because as always it was a nude shade and they're my fave. However, I do think that this could become my all time favourite lipstick shade. Big thing to stay, I know! The colour is just so gorgeous and I just think it really suits my complexion and I haven't yet found a lipstick like it.

Kiss Lashes

Since I had ran out of my favourite Ardell 'Wispies' lashes this month, I decided to try out a pair of the Kiss Lashes. I'd heard really good things about this brand, so wanted to see what they were like for myself. I've worn them by themselves and also with an extra pair of outer corner lashes (as seen in my previous post) and I think they look great both ways. The lashes have a really thin band so they're easy to apply and aren't overly noticeable.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Autumn Makeup Look: Maroon Eye and Berry Lip

Hello lovelies, so I know it seems like forever since I've posted but I've been so busy this summer so my blogging routine has completely gone out the window, sorry! I'm back now though and I'm aiming to be posting at least once a week again, on Wednesdays. So today I thought I would share with you what my go to look for Autumn is going to be. I knew I wanted to go for a darker lip than usual and pair it with a maroon eye look and this was what I came up with.

Base

1. To start with I used both the NYX pore filler primer and the Nivea post shave balm to prime my face. I am loving this Nivea balm at the moment because it is really good at making my foundation last all day long.

2. I then used the Nars sheer glow foundation in the shade 'Mont Blanc' and applied an even layer of this with a beauty blender to my face.

3. I then went in with the Too Faced 'born this way' concealer to cover up any blemishes on my face. I've only just got this concealer but so far I am really loving it!

4. I then used the collection lasting perfection concealer in the lightest shade to highlight underneath my eyes, the bridge of my nose and forehead.

5. After having blended all of these products into my skin I used the Urban Decay all nighter setting spray to set my base. I prefer to use it at this stage rather than at the end of my makeup because I find it makes my foundation last longer. 

6. I then took the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and applied this to my face to set my base and keep it matte. I like to use a beauty blender to apply the powder to my eyelids, undereyes, nose and forehead to keep these areas extra matte and then I use the real techniques bold metals '100' powder brush to dust the powder onto other areas of my face. 

7. Moving on to bronzer, I took the Too Faced milk chocolate soleil bronzer and applied this with the real techniques multitask brush to my cheeks, and sides of my face to warm up my face.

8. Following this I of course had to use my all time favourite blush. A powder blush in the shade 'Orchid Rose -15' by Chanel; which I applied to the apples of my cheeks with a Mac 168 brush.

9. To finish my base I took the becca shimmering skin perfector in the shade 'Opal' and applied this with the real techniques fan brush. I applied this highlighter to my cheekbones, cupid's bow and the tip of my nose.

Eyebrows

1. To outline the shape of my eyebrows I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow pomade in the shade 'taupe' with a zoevea 317 brush. I used this to fill in the middle and outer part of my eyebrow.

2. I then took the Benefit precisely my brow pencil in the shade '2' to draw the start of my eyebrow on and fill this in so it's not as intense and I can create a shape I prefer.

3. To finish, I used the Benefit Gimme Brow in the medium '3' shade to plump up my eyebrows a bit and make them slightly fuller.

Eyes

1. To create this look I took the shade 'white chocolate' from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette and applied it all over my lid and up to my brow bone. This is a cream shade that acts as a perfect base colour and subtle brow bone highlight. I used the zoeva 234 brush to apply this.

2. I then took the shade 'Cherry Cordial' from that same palette and applied this throughout my crease. This is a maroon shade which is what I wanted to base the look around.

3. Having blended this evenly, I took some of the shade 'Milk Chocolate' and ran this through my crease to make the shade slightly less red.

4. I then took a little bit of 'Triple Fudge' and blended this just to the outer corner of my eye to deepen up the look.

5. I then took a smaller zoeva 237 brush and applied the shade 'Marzipan' from the inner part of my eye up to about two thirds of the way across my eyelid. I made sure to spritz my brush with a bit of Mac fix+ to ensure that I get the best pigmentation and colour pay off.

6. I then took my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and drew a thin line across my upper lash line and winged it out at the corner.

7. I then applied a thin coat of mascara, I used the maybelline lash sensational mascara, but pretty much any mascara will do.

8. Once the mascara had dried I took the Kiss '03' lashes and applied these to each eye. I then used another outer corner lash which comes as part of the eyelure texture 117 lash set. This helped to make the look appear more dramatic and so that I had a fuller lash.

9. I then took my zoeva 230 pencil brush and took that same maroon shade mixed with 'triple fudge' and ran it underneath my eye on the lower lash liner (focusing on the outer part) to balance out the look.

10. I then finished by applying some more mascara to my bottom lashes.

Lips

1. For lips I decided to wear my Kat Von D everlasting liquid lipstick in the shade 'Lolita'.

2. To darken this slightly I paired it with the NYX soft matte lip cream in the shade 'Rome'.

Drugstore Alternatives

So that is the look I will probably be wearing a lot for the next few months. If you want to recreate a similar look but don't want to splurge on some of the higher end products then I would recommend that you switch some of them out with these drugstore alternatives.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - Revlon ColorStay Foundation 

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer - L'Oreal True Match Concealer

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer - Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer

Chanel Blush - Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in '10 - Nude Mauve'

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector - MUA highlighter in the shade 'Iridescent Gold'

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade - Freedom Eyebrow Pomade
Benefit Gimme Brow - Eylure Brow Amplifier

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - I Heart Makeup 'I Heart Chocolate' Palette
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner 

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

American Beauty Haul / First Impressions

Hi lovelies, as promised on my previous post; I have a little haul for you today where I will be sharing with you the beauty bits that I purchased whilst on holiday. I have tried out some of them already so there will be a few first impressions thrown in there. Let me know if you've tried out any of these because I love hearing other people opinions on products! Hope you enjoy

NYX

Firstly, these are some of the NYX products that I picked up. If you know me, you'll know that I am a pretty big fan of the nyx lip products. I already had a few of the soft matte lip creams and was loving them, so of course I had to pick up some more! The colours I chose were 'Stockholm', 'Cairo', 'Budapest' and 'Istanbul'. So far I'm not the biggest fan of Istanbul, it's quite a bold pink shade to what I'm used to so its not really in my comfort zone. I find 'Cairo' to be slightly too nude when I wear it alone, so it looks slightly like foundation lips.  However, I think it could be nice to pair with a darker shade to create an ombré effect. As for 'Stockholm'; I am loving it! it's such an everyday shade that is really easy to wear with any makeup look. I am also loving Budapest but I think I will get more wear out of in in the upcoming Autumn and Winter months!



I also picked up two of the NYX lingerie lipsticks. There weren't many colours in stock so I only picked up two and the shades are '01 - Honeymoon' and '05 - Beauty Mark'. They aren't as opaque as the nyx liquid suede formala, which is my favourite, however you can layer it up to get a deeper colour. I prefer the shade '05 - Beauty Mark' as it is slightly more purple toned. Whereas, '01 - Honeymoon' is pretty grey toned and makes me look really washed out and pale.

The next item I chose was the NYX pore filler primer. Having tried this I can say that I am really impressed. It's pretty similar to benefits porefessional (but much cheaper). I think I may actually prefer this, although I would have to try it out more to say for definite.

The last product I picked up from NYX was their Tame & Frame tinted brow pomade. I picked up the shade '01 - Blonde' because the other shades looked to dark for me. I have tried this out and honestly I really wouldn't recommend it. First off, the colour match wasn't great at all, it was far too light for my brows. I'm also not a big fan of the texture, it felt rather waxy and didn't last very long when I wore it. It doesn't even come close to the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in my opinion! Another downside to this is that there is very little product in the actual container so I wouldn't say you get your money's worth at all!

MILANI

I picked up 3 blushes from Milani. Two of which are baked blushes; I picked up the shades '03 - Berry Amore' and '09 - Red Vino'. The other is a powder blush and is in the shade '01 - Romantic Rose'. This is my favourite out of the three because the colour is gorgeous. I love the packaging of all of these blushes, Milani have done very well to make a drugstore brand look pretty luxurious. I also love how the powder blush actually looks like a flower, I think that's such a cute idea. I haven't really tried out the baked blushes yet but from swatching them they appear to be very glittery, so I'm not too sure whether I will like them or not!



I also chose a lipliner in the shade '04 - All Natural'. This is such a pretty colour and is very similar to Mac's velvet teddy lipstick, but slightly more brown than pink toned.

COVERGIRL

From Covergirl I only picked up a couple of things. One of which was a mascara. The last time I went to America I got the clump crusher mascara because I'd heard people raving about it and I liked it at the time but I have discovered better mascaras since then. The one I picked up this time was the 'Full Lash Bloom' waterproof mascara. Now if I'm honest the only real reason I chose this was because it was in a pink bottle (silly, I know) but I hadn't really heard anyone mention it before. However, having tried this I wouldn't really recommend it. I didn't really find that it did much for my lashes. I found that the wand was a lot sharper than other mascara wands and it hurt quite a lot when I caught my eye accidentally.

The other product I picked up was the 'stay luminous' foundation. Again, I hadn't really heard anyone mention this before so I just picked it up hoping for the best. To my surprise I really like this foundation. I've only worn it a couple of times so far, but so far so good! It has a medium to full coverage and can be built up even more without looking too thick. It even lasted all day on my skin when i was in Florida when it was super hot! Of course I used a primer and setting spray aswell, but I was still super impressed with how long the foundation lasted. That was definitely a good pick!

RIMMEL

I only picked up one lipstick from Rimmel and it was the shade 14 from the Kate Moss collection. It's a really pretty nude/pink shade which is fairly natural looking, just like most of my lipsticks. It has quite a glossy finish so doesn't last too long on the lips but it doesn't wear off badly at all.

MAYBELLINE

The last time I went to America I remember looking at this foundation and really wanting it so this time I decided to try it out. I haven't yet used it but I'm a big fan of the concealer so if it's as good as that then I'm pretty sure I'll like it!

I also chose a lipstick in the shade '655 - Daringly Nude'. This is a gorgeous pinky nude shade which is matte. However, when I apply it it doesn't look as nice on the lips which is a shame. I probably wouldn't buy this again because there are many better alternatives!

REVLON

Whilst browsing the revlon stand there were three things that stood out to me, one of which was a powder which if I remember correctly, I think I've heard Tanya Burr taking about before. I also picked up a colorstay concealer. I haven't really tried out the powder or concealer properly so I don't have an opinion on these yet.

The last item I chose was the 'Ultra HD matte lip colour'. I chose the shade '645 - Eternité' because it looked really natural and wearable for everyday. So far I am really liking this lip product, it's pretty easy to apply and lasts for a while because it's a matte formula.

LASHES

As you can see, I picked up three sets of eyelashes. The Ardell 'Wispies' are by far my favourites. I used to be obsessed with the 'Demi Wispies' but I now prefer a more dramatic lash and these are just perfect. I also picked up the Vegas Nay 'Grand Glamour' lashes, now these are sooo intense! When I wore them you couldn't even see my eyeshadow or eyeliner when my eyes were open. However, part of me still likes them for some reason! I've also picked up a set of Kiss lashes, but I haven't yet tried these out.

ESSIE

Essie nail polishes are my favourites by far, so of course I had to pick up some more. I chose 6 in total, 3 from the gel formula and 3 of the original formula. The shades I got in the original formula (shown in the photo from left to right) were 'lady like', 'sand tropez' and 'topless & barefoot'. The shades from the gel formula (shown in the photo from left to right) were 'take me to thread', 'pinned up' and 'sew me'. I haven't yet used these but I know I will love them because I love all my other Essie polishes.

STILA

I believe it was Lily Pebbles who I heard raving about the Stila Liquid Lipsticks and I trust her makeup recommendations completely so I knew I would like this product. I picked up the shade 'Caramello' which is a really nude shade. I like to pair this with a darker liquid lipstick to create an ombré effect on the lips. I'm so pleased I got this because I wear it quite a lot now.

The other item I picked up from Stila was the 'Perfect Me, Perfect Hue' Eye and Cheek palette in 'fair/light'. I haven't yet used this yet but the eyeshadows and blushes look super pretty so I'm really excited to try it out.

BUXOM

I haven't ever tried anything from Buxom before but I have heard so many good things about these lip glosses. I have the shade 'Kitty' which is a browny toned shade. I'm not too sure if I like it that much though because it feels quite strange on the lips. When you first apply the gloss its just normal then after a few seconds it starts tingling. I thought this would stop after a while but it doesn't and I can really feel the product on my lips the whole time I'm wearing it, which personally I really don't like in a lip product.

TARTE

Whilst browsing Sephora I saw this mascara and I believe it was Fleur (https://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce) who I have heard raving about this product, so its safe to say that I have pretty high hopes for this as I really trust her recommendations. I haven't yet tried anything from Tarte so I'm not sure how I will get on with; but it does have some good reviews so hopefully I will like it!

BECCA

Ever since getting the Shimmering Skin Perfector in 'moonstone' have been obsessed with it and I knew I wanted to get my hands on another highlighter as soon as possible. I originally wanted to get Champagne Pop because everyone seems to be in love with that shade. However, when I swatched them all in store the shade 'Opal' looked more appealing to me. I'm so pleased I purchased it now because it is honestly so beautiful. I love wearing both moonstone and opal together because my highlight is just glowing, this is probably my favourite purchase out of everything!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

August Favourites

Hi lovelies, it feels like FOREVER since I've posted but I'm pleased to be back and blogging again. I just came back from a trip to Orlando (on which I picked up a few makeup bits, so look out for a post this Sunday about what I picked up)! Anyway, today I would love to share with you the products that have been key in my makeup routine for the month of August.

Chanel Blush - '15 Orchid Rose'

This has been my go-to blush for the past few months but for some reason I just haven't included it in any of my favourites, weird right?! I would describe the shade as a dusky rose colour. It's not too pink or OTT, but its just simply a very natural shade that goes perfectly with any makeup look. It's my favourite blush out of all the blushes I have and was 100% worth the money. I love it so so much!

Nivea Post Shave Balm

After seeing all the hype around this product; (I believe it was Nikkie Tutorials who initially spread word of this, although correct me if I'm wrong!) I decided to try it out and oh my I am so impressed. Personally I like a primer to minimise pores and help my foundation stay on all day. So I have been using either the nyx pore filler primer or the benefit porefessional primer first on my skin to reduce the appearance of pores and then applying the shave balm all over my face. Let me tell you, this stuff is AMAZING!!! The best way I can think to describe it is that the product acts as a glue for your foundation. It literally makes your foundation skick to your face and doesn't budge throughout the day. I am so in love with it. The only downside is that it does have a very slight 'manly' scent when you apply it. However, you can't notice this once it's dried and you've put the rest of your makeup on.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

The other skin product I have been obsessed with this month is a setting spray. I have found this to be such a lifesaver this month because it was super hot in Orlando and my foundation melted of my face so quickly. However, in the days where I used both the Nivea post shave balm and urban decay setting spray, my foundation stayed in place all day. The best way I found for me to use it was by spraying my face about 4-6 times straight after I had applied my foundation and concealer. I then left it to dry for about a minute before going in to set my face with powder. I found this worked much better than spraying my face at the end because it really helped to set my base makeup.

Ardell 'Wispies' Lashes

Whilst on holiday I picked up some of the Ardell 'Wispies' lashes. I usually go for the 'Demi Wispies', however I have found that they don't seem quite dramatic enough for my anymore. Whereas the 'Wispes' are much fuller and are more noticeable that you're wearing lashes. I prefer those particular lashes because they're still very natural looking and the ensues aren't cut harshly, making them easy to blend with your natural lashes.

The lash glue that I like to use is the DUO Lash Adhesive. You can get a green, blue or pink version. Obviously the glue isn't coloured, but the glue in the green packaging has a brush included which makes it very easy to apply the glue to the lash band. The one in the blue packaging is slightly harder to get out of the bottle in my opinion!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

I took both the Original Naked palette from Urban Decay and the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette on holiday with me and I have to say that the palette I used the most was the chocolate bar palette. I feel like I always rave about toofaced eyeshadows but they really are just amazing. I feel like each month I end up becoming obsessed with a different palette of theirs and for good reason, they're all amazing. The colours I have been using this month are white chocolate (a matte cream shade I use as a base and to highlight my brow bone); milk chocolate and semi-sweet (as transition shades) and marzipan (as a lid colour).

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

My Top 5 Concealers

Hello lovelies, today I would love to share with you what my 5 favourite concealers are. They each have slightly different purposes, some are better for coverage whereas other I prefer to use to highlight areas of my face. I have tried to include a mix of both drugstore but also high end products. Hope you enjoy!

Nars - Radiant Creamy Concealer

This is by far my favourite concealer for coverage. Mine is in the shade 'Vanilla'. I could go on about this again; however I have already done a full review on this product, so click here if you would like to read it!

Mac - Pro Longwear Concealer

If i'm completely honest, when I first tried out this concealer I absolutely hated it. I wanted it for coverage and it really didn't have enough coverage for my liking. However, recently I have been loving using it to brighten my under eyes. I use it with a beauty blender and it has such a lovely finish and lasts all day long on my skin. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a something to brighten up your complexion.

Urban Decay - Naked Skin Concealer 

If you love the Nars Creamy concealer but you find it to be drying on your skin, this may be exactly what you are looking for. It is very similar in consistency and is super easy to blend. It doesn't feel or look cakey on your skin which is fab. I have mine in the shade 'Fair - Neutral' because I like to use it to highlight. I have almost run out of this, so I will 100% be repurchasing another, I just love it!

L'Oreal - True Match Concealer

Now onto the more affordable concealers; this is my favourite out of the two. It is so easy to blend and I have found it to have just the right amount of coverage to use to cover the redness on my cheeks. It is such good value for the quality of the product and I would happily only use this if I needed to. It lasts all day on my skin and doesn't smear or smudge at all. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a drugstore concealer.

L.A. Girl - PRO Conceal

I love to use this under my eyes, on the bridge of my nose and my forehead to highlight. It is super easy to blend even through it is pretty full coverage. I love the fact that there are a large variety of colours to choose from because I sometimes struggle to find shades light enough for my skin tone. This concealer also comes in other colours, such as green to correct redness. I haven't tried these personally but I would expect them to be pretty good, seeing how fab the original formula is. I picked up this from Amazon, but I think you may be able to get them from Beauty Bay too.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

My Top 5 Mac Lipsticks

Hello lovelies, today I would love to share with you what my 5 favourite mac lipsticks are. I currently have 20 mac lipsticks in my collection and these are the 5 that I get them most wear out of and that I would recommend you pick up. Hope you enjoy!



From Left to Right: HoneyLove; Half N Half; Velvet Teddy; Spirit; Creme in Your Coffee

HoneyLove

This is probably the lightest lipstick shade that I own from mac. I would describe it as a very neutral beige toned lipstick. It is a matte formula so it can be slightly drying on the lips if you wear it every day. However, being a matte formula it tends to last a pretty long time. My favourite way to wear this lipstick is in combination with Mac's Whirl lipliner because I find the the colours go really well together. I have almost used up all of this lipstick and I will 100% be repurchasing it when it runs out. 

Half N Half

When I first got this lipstick back in April I was totally obsessed with it and wore it almost everyday. I would describe it as a very neutral brown toned shade. It's very easy to wear because you can pair it with almost any eyeshadow that uses brown shadows. It's an Amplified formula which is one of my favourites because it means the lipstick looks glossy on the lips, yet it feels really smooth and moisturising. The formula is also very pigmented which allows for the true colour to be shown on the lips.

Velvet Teddy

There was so much hype around this lipstick as its supposed to be the shade Kylie Jenner uses to make her lips look more fuller and plump. I decided against purchasing this lipstick for months because I just didn't think the shade would suit me and that it would be too pink toned. However, eventually I gave in and picked one up and I'm so glad i did. It is such an easy colour to wear everyday because it's a matte formula which means it lasts for a long time. It is probably one of my most worn lipstick shades, I love it!

Spirit

This is a fairly new edition to my collection but it has quickly become one of my favourites. It is very similar in colour to Velvet Teddy, however Spirit is slightly more brown toned. Spirit is a Satin formula which is another of my favourite formulas because the lipsticks are really pigmented, but they don't dry your lip out like a matte lipstick would. If Velvet Teddy looks slightly too pinky for you then I think you may prefer Spirit.

The lipstick above is the shade 'Creme in Your Coffee'

Creme in Your Coffee

This lipstick is the one which is most different to my other favourites. Creme in your Coffee is a Cremesheen formula which means the colour isn't very pigmented, but looks more like a lip gloss when you apply it. You can build it up slightly, or make the colour darker if you pair it with a lipliner. However, it's not as bold as an Amplified/Satin/Matte formula. I would describe this shade as more of a berry toned nude, so I tend to wear this more in the winter months.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

July Favourites

Hello lovelies, so this month I had a little sort through of my makeup collection and I have rediscovered a few of my favourite products which I have been using throughout July. However, I also have a few new items that I've picked up and have been obsessed with so I would love to share them with you.



Too Faced - Chocolate Bon Bons Palette

When I first got this palette I was obsessed with it. If you know me you will know that I absolutely love Too Faced eyeshadows. The shadows themselves are really high quality and all of their palettes are to die for. However this month I have been wearing a very simple eye makeup look and the shades I have used are 'Divinity', 'Mocha' and 'Almond Truffle'. I use 'Divinity' as a base colour all over my lid and up to my brow bone and then I have been blending the shades 'Mocha' and 'Almond Truffle' through my crease to slightly define my eye.

I have previously done a full review on this palette so click here if you would like to read more!



Essie -  Nail Varnish in 'Angora Cardi'

Another favourite of mine that I have been obsessed with this month is a nail varnish. I tend to wear this colour in the Autumn because it is a slightly darker berry toned shade. However, I have been really drawn to it this month and it's the only colour I have been wearing on my nails. Essie nail polishes are my favourite because they have such a huge variety of shades to choose from and I love the formula of the polishes. I find them really easy to use because the brush is just the right width and it makes it much quicker to apply.

Mac - Lipstick in 'Spirit'

A new favourite of mine this month is another lipstick from Mac. This time I picked up the shade Spirit and I am so obsessed with it. I would describe it as a browny nude and it is the 'Satin' formula from Mac. I love this because it means the lipstick is very pigmented but it doesn't dry out your lips in the way a matte lipstick does. It's been my go-to lipstick this month because it's so easy to pair with pretty much any makeup look I want to go for.

Eylure - No. 117 Texture Lashes

This month I have literally been obsessed with these lashes from Eylure. They are designed so that you can wear the strip lash first and layer up some more lashes on the outer corner. I was a bit sceptical at first because the idea of them sounded like it could be too heavy on the eyes. However I like to wear the bigger strip of lashes on something like a night out if I want a really dramatic eye look. I then wear the smaller outer corner lashes in the daytime if I want a slightly more natural eye look but still want to look like I'm wearing lashes. These are by far my favourite lashes because they just look so pretty and wispy when you wear them. If you are a fan of the Ardell Wispies then I would recommend you try these out because they're very similar in the way they look when you wear them.

Benefit - Gimme Brow

This month I have been been so obsessed with the new shade of Gimme Brow that benefit released late in June. It's the perfect shade for my eyebrows and it has become part of my everyday eyebrow routine. I'm so glad they released a new shade! I have written about this in slightly more detail in my previous post so click here if you would like to read more.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Review: Benefit's New Eyebrow Products

If you're a bit of a makeup addict, like myself, I'm sure you will be aware that last month Benefit launched a load of new eyebrow products into the market. Some of which are old favourites, but some are a complete new edition. Of course I had to get my hands on a few of them as soon as possible so now I've tried them out I would like to let you know what I recommend. Hope this helps!

KA-BROW

This was the product that I was most excited about when I heard about it because it is very similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade (which is my all time favourite eyebrow product). The actual product is held in a little glass pot which can be unscrewed. However, my favourite thing about the packaging is the fact that it comes with a little angled brush. This makes it so much more convenient for on the go and you also don't have to go out and spend more money on a separate brush to use the product with. The actual product itself is so long wearing and lasts all day long without smudging or anything. I love how easy this product is to work with because you can use as little or as much as you like and it still looks really natural. Personally I like to have fuller brows so I tend to need to use more product on my eyebrows to draw them on but they still look pretty natural and not too intense. Unfortunately I picked up shade 2 when I should have gone for shade 3; but its the perfect shade for my Mum so she now uses it and loves it too. If you were to only get one product from the new range, this would definitely be the one that I recommend. It is so easy to work with and you can use it for whatever look you are going for, be that to just slightly define your eyebrows or for a full brow.

Precisely, My Brow Pencil

This was another product that I was excited about because it reminded me of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil which I used to love. This pencil would be ideal if you have very sparse eyebrows and you only want to fill them in slightly. Although, I wouldn't recommend it if you like to fill your eyebrows in a lot because you would need to use quite a bit of the pencil and it would probably run out pretty quickly if you are using a lot of it every day. It does have a very natural finish so if you like a very natural brow look, this could be ideal for you because it allows you to draw on short little strokes to mimic the appearance of brow hairs. Although for myself, I have to draw on pretty much the whole arch so I would use this product up way to quickly and I much prefer my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow over this.

Gimme Brow

This was my favourite product from Benefit's old eyebrow range but there were originally only two shades, one which was too light for me and the other which was too dark. I was so pleased when I heard they were bringing out a shade which was in the middle because I knew it would be the perfect shade for me, and it is! Once I have filled my eyebrows in using my Dip Brow I will then set them with gimme brow to keep them in place throughout the day. It helps to make my brows look that bit more fuller and more natural looking. I know I love this because it's become part of my everyday eyebrow routine and I will 100% be repurchasing another when i run out. I would really recommend trying this if you've tried the old gimme brow shades and they didn't have a good colour match for you.

Brow Zings

Brow Zings was also in the previous collection and I used to love it when I had really dark hair because I used the shade 'dark' and it was a pretty good match. However, since going blonde none of the shades were a very good match for my hair colour and they were all too warm toned. In the new range they now have shade 3 which is a good match for my eyebrows so I can now use it again. I love this if I'm only going out for a few hours because it lasts pretty well for a short while and its so easy to work with. However, I couldn't wear this for the whole day because after a few hours it starts to wear off and doesn't look good anymore. This would probably be the one product that I wouldn't actually repurchase because its £24.50 and there are much cheaper products available that do a better job in my opinion!

Hopefully this post helped those of you who were thinking about trying out any of the new brow products from Benefit. Let me know if you have tried out any of the others and if they're worth investing in!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Drugstore Dupes for High End Products

Today I would like to share with you a few dupes for some of my favourite high end makeup products. There are so many cheaper alternatives that you can pick up from the drugstore nowadays but it can be hard to know which ones will be any good. However, I have found 3 pretty good dupes so keep reading if you would like to find out what they are.

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade vs. Freedom Pro Brow Pomade 

The Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow pomade is the one product I use every single day. It's such a staple in my makeup collection and I am yet to find anything that is better than it. However, I have found a product that is very similar, but much cheaper.  Whilst in Superdrug I came across the brand Freedom and saw that they do a similar type of brow pomade, so of course I had to try it. I picked up the shade 'taupe' because thats the shade that I am in the ABH DipBrow and it was the closest match to my eyebrow colour. So having tried and tested both of the products I would say they are pretty similar. The Anastasia Beverly Hills pomade retails for £15, whereas the Freedom pomade retails for £5. The only difference I notice is that the Freedom pomade is slightly more grey toned and feels slightly more oily in consistency. However, considering the Freedom pomade is only 1/3 of the price it is still pretty damn good and I would defiantly repurchase it if I needed to.

Too Faced - Chocolate Bar Palette vs. I Heart Makeup - I Heart Chocolate Palette

The Too Faced chocolate bar palette is one of my all time favourite eyeshadow palletes. The eyeshadows are all so highly pigmented and easy to blend, they truly are amazing. So when I saw this palette that was supposed to be a dupe for the chocolate bar palette I knew I had to try it out. Considering the fact that the Too Faced palette is £39 and the I Heart Makeup palette is only £7.99 I wasn't expecting much but it is actually a pretty good dupe. To my surprise, the shadows are really easy to blend and don't come out chalky in the slightest. If you can't justify £39 for the Too Faced palette then this palette is the one for you. The only downside in my opinion is that the packaging isn't as cute as the Too Faced palette. However, if that doesn't bother you then I'm sure you will love this palette just as much!

Too Faced - Sweethearts Blush vs. I Heart Makeup - Blushing Hearts Blush

I have the Too Faced Blush in the shade 'Peach Beach' and it is such a pretty shade. It isn't too in your face and comes out as a very natural and pretty colour to wear everyday. I tend to swirl all three shades together to get a shimmery colour but you can just focus your brush on one area if you want a particular shade. I Heart Makeup do a very similar product with very similar shades to the Too Faced Blushes. The products are not that similar in consistency however when you apply them they look very similar. The I Heart Makeup blush is is slightly more chalky, however you can't tell once you are wearing it. The Too Faced blushes retail for £24 but the I Heart Makeup blushes are only £4.99, so considering the price difference they have done a pretty good job of making them similar. The packaging is also very similar because they both come in a heart shaped cardboard bow (which is very cute in my opinion). I have the shade 'Iced Hearts' in the I Heart Makeup Blush; however the shade 'Peachy Keen' would be a better dupe shade wise for the Too Faced 'Peach Beach' blush.

Let me know if you have any good drugstore dupes for some of your favourite high end products!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Disappointing High End Makeup Products (2)

A few months ago I did a similar post to this and it went down pretty well so I thought I would do another including different products that I have tried that didn't work out well for me. As always, I'm not slating the brand in any way at all, but unfortunately these products just didn't live up to my expectations. Hope you enjoy.

Benefit - Big Beautiful Eyes Kit - RRP £25.50

Before I picked up this product I hadn't taken the time to look at any reviews and I really should have. This palette is marketed as an 'eye contour kit' and its designed for you to be able to 'conceal, contour and line your eyes like a pro'. I definitely don't think it does this. In this kit you get some of the boi-ing concealer in the shade '02 - medium' and 3 shadow colours. First of all, the concealer will not be the right colour for everyone, for me it is slightly too dark which is not what I want when trying to brighten my under eye circles. I also found that the shadows weren't that easy to blend and there was quite a bit of fallout when applying them. Overall, I don't think this product is worth the money in the slightest. There are much better palettes available and this one doesn't even come close!

YSL - Touche Éclat Concealer & Highlighter - RRP £25

I almost feel guilty for including this product because I know so many people love it, but personally I just really didn't like it at all. It's supposed to be a concealer and highlighter but I don't think it does either of those jobs very well. I really didn't find it to have much coverage at all because it didn't really conceal anything. It's more of a brightening product, but even so I still didn't find that it made that much difference. For £25 I would expect this product to be pretty damn good, but unfortunately it really didn't live up to my expectations. It also comes in a tube where you have to click the end in order to get more product out. I didn't like the design of this at all because you never know when it's going to run out and if you really rely on this you may run out all of a sudden.

Mac - Lipstick in 'Pure Vanity' - RRP £17

I first came across this product online and initially I was drawn to this lipstick by the packaging. I loved the aztec print and thought it looked really unique and eye-catching. I decided to buy 'pure vanity' because the picture made it look like a nude/peach shade and i thought it would be a nice shade that you could wear most days. However, when it arrived the colour was so much brighter than I expected. It's a very orange/coral toned colour and I really don't like it very much at all. It's also a very creamy finish on the lips so it's not very pigmented and just looks more like an orange lip gloss which is not the look I like to go for.

Too Faced - Romantic Eye Palette - RRP £29

Now don't get me wrong, Too Faced eyeshadows are amazing. The shadows are always so highly pigmented and super easy to blend which is part of the reason I love them. However, this palette really isn't my favourite. The colours are not what I would usually go for. So for this reason alone, I haven't really used the palette much at all. I feel like the colours in this palette are suited more for people with green eyes because the shades are all very pink or purple toned. Whereas I have blue eyes and tend to wear more orange/brown shades. However, if you have green eyes or these colours are what you would normally go for, i'm pretty sure you would love this palette.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x