The Winter Beauty Edit

YAY FOR DECEMBER! As the countdown to Christmas is well and truly underway, I though I'd share with you my go to winter makeup look.

//BASE

Starting off with the base, I like to prime my skin with the Porefessional primer by Benefit. In terms of primers I really need to branch out, I feel like I have been using this for years and haven't tried and tested any more! If you have any recommendations please leave them below. Next on to my new favourite product, the Tarte Coloured Clay CC Undereye Corrector. Let me tell you, if you have never tried a corrector, put one on your Christmas list because they seriously change up your under eye area if you have a problem with dark circles! This is a peach toned cream which gives a decent amount of coverage along with counteracting the awful blue and purple tones under my eyes.. Its amazing! When I'm chosing my foundation during the Winter I tend to gravitate towards medium/ full coverage with a matte finish. A perfect, cheaper foundation option would be the Covergirl 3-in-1 which I applied with a Beauty Blender because I wanted to save my beloved MAC Studio Fix Fluid. The Covergirl foundation literally lasts all day so pick it up if you ever get the chance. Concealer wise, I always wear my MAC Pro Longwear for a much brighter and even more concealed undereye area! To set it all I use my trusty Make Up Forever HD Powder and for brows I have been loving my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown.

//CHEEKS

Contouring has become my new favourite step in my makeup routine thanks to the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour palette! I bronze with the bottom left shade with a big fluffy brush on my cheeks, temples and down my neck. For contouring, I use the middle shade on the bottom with my Zoeva 110 Face Shape brush which is the perfect shape to (attempt to) chisel out them cheek bones! On to blush I love cracking out my MAC blush in Peachtwist during this time of year, it is a peachy berry shade with some shimmer but gives a really subtle glow to the cheeks. For a light highlight I love using the top shade called 'Heaven' in the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette.

//EYES

I like to wear warm brown tones through my crease keeping it really simple! My go-to colours are Naked and Buck from the Naked Palette or Nudie, Honey Butter and Chocolate Cookie from the Too Faced Natural eyes palette. For an intense inner corner highlight I love MAC's Nylon. It is so bright I love it!! I love to focus on the lashes so I love wearing the Ardell Natural 100 lashes- perfect natural looking lashes. I have used the Benefit Roller Lash to blend my own lashes in with the falsies. 

//LIPS

My favourite part of the whole look! Charlotte Tilbury's Glastonberry is part of the Revolutionary Matte Lipstick range and is to die for. It is a gorgeous dark berry shade, perfect for this time of year. I can't wait to pick up some more shades from this line as it is such an amazing formula, Red Carpet Red and Love Liberty look beautiful!

Thanks for reading, what is your favourite Winter lip colour?!

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Dark Nude Lips

One lip trend that I didn't think I would like was the Kylie Jenner, dark nude lip. I just saw her huge, overdrawn botox lips and I was immediately turned off it (I'm sorry, I'm just not a fan!) until I got my hands on Whirl lipstick. 

I got the lipstick as I was in Florida when the new matte collection was released and I just wanted to try something new. I have yet to find a lighter nude lip that suits me- even Creme Cup by MAC doesn't suit! There was so much hype around Whirl lipliner that I saw loads of people wear it and it looked amazing on them so I said I'd pick it up.. I haven't looked back, I love it! 

Since Whirl lipstick I have picked up several more lip shades along the same lines so today I thought I would share them with you.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick // Lolita
Lolita is the must have Everlasting Liquid Lipstick. I knew I wanted to pick one up so when I did my research it seemed to be the one that everyone was raving about. This shade is the darkest of all my dark nude lip colours being the least wearable during the day in my opinion. The lasting power of this is what makes it stand out, it doesn't budge! Honestly you can eat, drink and it will still last all night.

MAC// Spice lip pencil
Ooh I love a good lip pencil. I pair this lip pencil under Whirl and it is such a good match. Even though it is super drying, I am glad I got it. 

Too Faced // Chihuahua 

Chihuahua is a the lightest of the bunch but a beautiful shade. It has more of a peachy undertone, which I didn't think would initially suit me but I absolutely love it. Something I don't love is the applicator, it is like a sponge which I find to be a bit messy and easy to over apply the product. As the rest of the lip products I mentioned above, it dries matte, a preference for me, and doesn't budge!

Do you like the dark nudes trend? What is your favourite dark nude lip colour?!

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Tarte Coloured Clay Undereye Corrector | Review

Correctors are one of them products that you don't know you need until you have one. I have talked about my dire under eye circles on the blog before so I'll spare you today but lately correctors have really changed my makeup game.

Before recently, not even my favourite, highest coverage concealer, MAC's Pro Long Wear could cover the bags (yep, they're awful). However adding just a tiny bit of corrector underneath changes everything. I had Erase Paste by Benefit for ages which worked really well but as it was a shade too dark I had to be sparing with it. I got the chance to make a Sephora order a few weeks ago (see the post here) so I picked up the Tarte Coloured Clay Under Eye Corrector on a whim, boy am I happy I did!

The consistency of the product is creamy and really hydrating under the eyes. I got the lightest shade Light/ Medium, which I had suspicions it would be too dark however it works perfectly. If you have very fair skin this won't be the product for you but otherwise it would suit. In my opinion the colour range is really lacking, it only has two shades and lets be honest, they aren't going to suit everyone! When I use this product I instantly look more awake and as it is so natural, it doesn't look like I'm making a huge effort to cover my dark circles. As the product is so creamy you have to set it, I can't imagine it would work well without a powder. As for lasting power, it needs to be topped up halfway through the day but it doesn't bother me if it keeps my under eyes looking bright.

Overall I'm sure you could find a better corrector, but this is definitely the best one I have tried and it is a product that I am not leaving out of my makeup routine!

Do you use correctors? If so, which one is your favourite?

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Christmas Gift Guide for Her

I don't know if it is just me but I am in full on Christmas mode already, in fact I pretty much know what I am getting everyone, it is just a matter of getting started when I have the time! Buying gifts is always a tricky one but is always so satisfying. Personally, I start early. I start paying attention to what my friends and family say to me and jotting down notes on my phone from about September onwards and I generally have everything bought at least a week before Christmas, I just get a little bit over excited for the occasion! Today I thought I would give you a hand and share with you some of my gift ideas for girls, including both cheaper and more expensive gifts. Lets get going... 

Beauty Lovers

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit

Just look at this palette! I think it would make a wonderful gift as it is such a pretty, luxury product. I have heard good thinks about the Ambient Lighting Powders so this would be such a nice addition to someones makeup collection.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation and Concealer 

As these seem to be very highly recommended products of the moment, I feel like they would make a great gift. Plus, Charlotte Tilbury always gift wrap their products so nicely that it'll save you on wrapping later! Just make sure you know the persons shade, if not maybe find out their shade in a different brand so you can compare because the shade range in this foundation is quite wide.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil

Again, another luxury product but this time for skin care lovers. As it is such an expensive product it isn't necessarily a product that you want to buy for yourself. I have read review after review on this product and everyone seems to give the thumbs up so it's a safe bet that this product will not disappoint.

Sephora | Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Glow on the Go

I'm aware we all don't have access to Sephora, (very upsetting I know), but if you're from the UK or happen to be going to a Sephora any time soon make sure to pick up one of their Christmas gift sets for someone! They are always so good and have so much variety. My pick would be this Becca one and at only $20, you can't really go wrong. It includes the Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal in both powder and liquid form.

Muji Drawers

Every makeup lover needs a place to store all of their goodies so what better place to store them than acrylic drawers. I love the drawers from Muji as they are such good quality and you can get variations of them to suit your needs. The best part is that you can just keep getting more and more drawers and stack them all on top of each other, you have to love a bit of organisation!

Fashion Lovers

Hats

As sometimes it can be difficult to buy clothes for others, you can't go wrong with accessories. Hats are perfect for this type of year and you are bound to find one that you like. Practical hats for this time of year would be knitted hats like this and this. Fedora's and floppy hats are really nice during this time of year so check out this and this on ASOS. Penney's also have some really similar cheaper alternatives if you are on more of a budget.

ASOS Creep

A really good idea would be if you know the person loves ASOS, try hack onto their account and find out what they have in their 'Saved' list. This is perfect as the person will have saved their size in each item so all you have to do is creep and buy.. A bit of a different idea but I think it could really work.

Tech Lovers

Polaroid Camera

Polaroid cameras are such a cute gift because it is something that comes in really useful but it is something that you may not buy yourself. If they already have one why not get them film, it always comes in handy. Plus, they are so Instagrammable!

Phone Case

Everyone needs a phone case so why not gift someone a really cute one? My favourite place to browse for phone cases is Etsy, they are always affordable and really pretty. My top picks would be this Cactus case (this shop has other really nice designs too) and  . Cath Kidston also do THE BEST cases, although they are a little more expensive, they last so long and keep your phone really protected.

Headphones
Headphones always come in handy whether you have a commute to college or you're going on a trip and again they are something you don't tend to buy yourself. You can get headphones on the pricey side from Frends but I spotted a really similar pair in H&M recently for a fraction of the price. Generally high street stores stock them so you don't have to pay a fortune for them!

Random Gifts

 Mug

Does the person like tea/ coffee? Then they'll appreciate a mug. Do they have a favourite Disney character? Head to the Disney Store! Do they like prettier, more delicate mugs? Try a department store! Etsy also do adorable mugs so why not have a browse? 

Planner

Going with the whole 'new year new me' idea, why not get the person a planner? I think they will like it more if they are a stationary/ organisation lover but they come in handy nonetheless. Try Etsy and Paperchase for really nice planners.

Onesie/ Dressing Gown

As winter is in full swing we all need some comfy clothes to lounge in on our chilly nights in. Onesies are perfect for this, Boohoo do really affordable and cute onesies along with Penneys and . For dressing gowns, this Next one looks to die for, so cosy!

Plan a trip

Whether it is down the country or abroad, I think if you have a bigger budget then why not arrange a trip away somewhere for the person. Obviously making sure their schedule is clear, planning a trip can be really nice and fun for the both of you in the end.

What is on your Christmas wish list this year?!

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Sephora & MAC Haul

So I may have made a rather large order on the Sephora website the other day and collected it when I was in London last week so prepare yourself for a rather large haul...

After visiting Sephora in June I regretted not getting a few things so I decided to make up for it and make an online order a few weeks ago. First of all let me rant a little bit about my order. I arrived in London last Wednesday and picked up my package. When I opened the package I noticed that the product that I wanted the most, Becca x Jaclyn Hill highlighter in Champagne Pop was missing. It was included on all of my receipts and invoices so I was worried it was just my word against Sephora's but luckily enough they gave me a refund and an extra 250 points for my account. However, I was so disappointed and will not be ordering from the Sephora website after this.

On a more uplifting note, lets get started on the haul!

To start off with I got a Beauty Blender as a repurchase as my old one was looking a bit worse for wear. As for the Kat Von D bits I had to pick up some of her Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. I got 'Lolita', a dark pinky nude which is a really popular shade along with 'Vampira' which is a dark browny red, both perfect for this time of year. I also got the Shade and Light Contour Palette which looks amazing, I can't wait to try out the middle shade on the bottom row to contour with. I couldn't wait to try the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks so I picked up the shade 'Chihuahua'. From Anastasia Beverly Hills I got the Brow Wiz in Medium Brown and let me tell you, this product is 100% worth the hype! On a whim I got the Tarte Amazonian Clay CC Undereye Corrector in Light/ Medium. I got this as I love my Erase Paste by Benefit but it is too dark for me so I decided to try this one out. 

On to MAC I got the lip liner in Spice (can you tell I have been loving dark nude lips?!). Ever since I bought Whirl Lipstick I have been in love with this trend so I have been picking up loads of different shades. I plan to pick up Whirl lipliner too but they didn't have it in stock when I bought Spice.

(L-R) Spice/ Chihuuahua / Lolita / Vampria

I hope you enjoyed this Sephora and MAC haul, have you had your eye on any beauty bits lately?!

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