New In Beauty February 2015

Hello!
I've been on a little bit of a beauty product splurge recently, there's just so many undiscovered products out there that I just couldn't resist! Furthermore, once I find a brand I like, I really love it and have to have multiple products/colours so there are a few of these on here.

Lush
Firstly, Lush brought out their Valentine's day collection and it was so cute! I didn't get everything, but I picked up these 3 things as they were calling to me. Lonely hearts bubble bar, lonely hearts bubbleroon and unicorn horn bubble bar. Just look at how sparkly they are.

L'Oreal
I've been mooching at the L'Oreal counter for a while now, and every time I find myself drawn to their Color Riche Exclusive Reds Collection. So I took the plunge and went for Blake's red, it's such a lovely red with slight blue undertones, perfect for fair to medium skin with yellow, pink or peach undertones. And it's a really good dupe for MAC red too! It definitely has the staying power.
Buy this lipstick here.

NARS
Just one new purchase from NARS this month, and that is the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine and oh my god I am obsessed. The colour is what's described on the website as an 'Innocent Pink Mauve'. These lipstick pencils are incredible. The pigmentation is great, they are super easy to apply (and make it ridiculously easy to get those desired Kylie Jenner lips) and there is a huge range of colours! I went for the perfect dusty pink in my opinion, just right for Spring! I can't wait to try more of these.
Check this lipstick out here.

Essie
To those of you who have been reading for a while, it's no surprise to you that I have bought yet more colours. I really fancied some brighter, spring/summer colours. I went for lilacism, which is the perfect pale lilac. Lovie Dovie, which honestly, was on my nails throughout the whole of February. It's the most gorgeous bright but muted pink, it just brightens my day. I also went for a lovely coral colour called Tart Deco.
Essie's Full Colour Range (from shops) here.

Kardashian Beauty
I popped in to Liverpool recently and as I was battling my way against the wind, a light at the end of the tunnel appeared. And that light was a Kardashian Beauty pop-up store. Not only that, but as it was closing and moving a few days later, everything was 50% off! Unfortunately, they didn't have the bronzer I was after, so I played it safe and bought 3 lip products. I got their joystick lip lacquer (kind of a mix between a lipstick and a lipgloss) in a name that is so tiny I can't read .... Love something (sorry!). I also bought two lipglosses; the lip plumping shimmer gloss in Revved Up Rose Gold is such a gorgeous colour, and because of the shimmer it definitely makes lips appear fuller, but it's honey flavoured. I do like honey, but the smell and the taste is just a bit too strong for every day wear, it makes me reluctant to reapply it. I also bought their Honey Stick (this one, ironically, is not honey flavoured) in Natural Honey, which is the exact colour that Kim K herself wore to her wedding in Italy, this is a beautiful, slightly dark nude lipgloss. Also, I need to add that the white and rose gold packaging of the Kardashian Beauty collection is to die for!
Joystick Lip Pen.
Lip Plumping Gloss.
Honey Stick Lip Gloss.

Burberry
Aaaaaahhh Burberry, why must you be so beautiful?! On the same trip to Liverpool, I came across the only Burberry beauty concession stand outside of London (or maybe it was the only one in Debenhams outside of London?) Regardless, it was the only one that I had ever seen so I knew I had to visit. I'd heard a lot about Burberry's new wet and dry eyeshadows and how gorgeous and pigmented they were so if I was only going to buy one product, it was this one! These weren't even out on display yet because they were that new and not even advertised in the slightest, if a customer wanted one, they had to request one! I settled for the colour Rosewood, which, as the name suggests, is a slightly Rose taupe colour and once again, I'm in love with an item of makeup.
Rosewood eyeshadow.

There isn't a product here that I regret buying, and I am over the moon with my luck on the purchases, please let me know of any recommendations of products that I haven't mentioned here as I am always looking to try more. And guys, you need to try that burberry eyeshadow! How many people can say their eyeshadow comes with a duster bag? Exactly, point proven
CJ x

2014 Favourites!

Hello everybody!
 I am so, so excited to be doing my first ever yearly favourites. I have decided to tell you my top finds of 2014. All of these products have either been discovered in 2014 or I have only bought them in 2014. Without further adue, these are my top contenders:

Makeup

Palettes
- This has to go to Urban Decay. I bought their Naked and Naked 3 eyeshadow palettes this year and they are my life. I wear them pretty much every single day and with 12 colours in each palette to choose from, you can't go wrong. Thought I'd give a sneaky mention of their all-in-one Naked on the Run palette too. 6 eyeshadows, bronzer, blusher, eyeliner, mascara AND a lipgloss, this really is the perfect palette for those 5 minutes to get ready days! Honourary mention would be the NARSissist Palette (if that's how you spell it) Laguna, Orgasm and a highlight all in one. Perfect for travel.

Primer
- this HAS to go to the Body Shop's Instablur primer. I used to be a loyal user of Benefit's Porefessional, which I still use from time to time, but the Body Shop have really succeeded with this primer. It's amazing and keeps my makeup on all day long, even if it does have a strange consistency.

Foundation
- This year's discovery has been the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation, I normally wear Max Factor but it was the 3-in-1 Perfection one and I just found it a bit too heavy. The Luminizer really adds some brightness back into your skin and makes you look dewy without being shiny, it's perfect for winter in my opinion.

Concealer
- Goes to Benefit's Boi-ing. This stuff is great, it covers up, adds brightness, doesn't crease, lasts forever and there's not much else I can say except you need to try this.

Bronzer/Blusher
I discovered Nars Laguna and Orgasm in 2014, and honestly, nothing else I have tried since has compared to these. Laguna adds just the right amount of bronzeness and is great for contouring and Orgasm is the perfect shade of peachy pink with shimmer to last you all year round. P.S. they're super long lasting too! Laguna lasts me about 6-8 months because I wear a lot of bronzer and I've had Orgasm for over a year and have only just hit pan on it.

Eyeliner
- Has to be the Topshop Magic Liner. It's so easy to apply, it lasts a really long time and it's super black. It's really helped me improved my eyeliner game.

Highlight
- It was going to the Benefit High Beam, however I feel that it's a bit too heavy duty. A fantastic daytime subtle highlight is the Benefit Watt's Up (a great dupe is the Topshop Glow Stick), it's such a gorgeous shade of champagne you can wear it at any time.

Lipliner
MAC Subculture is the winner for me. While everyone is out buying Whirl trying to get the perfect Kylie Jenner lips, I find that Subculture is a fantastic alternative - and much easier to get hold of! It's the perfect pinky, browny nude for my skin tone.

Lipstick
A draw between MAC Honeylove (another great alternative to get the Kylie Jenner lips - velvet teddy is still out of stock everywhere I look) and Charlotte Tilbury's Glastonberry. I am a loyal MAC lipstick lover but I have to say that the formula of C Tils' Matte Revolution Lipsticks are unlike any other I've tried before. They are so pigmented, not drying on the lips and last forever!

Drugstore
Maybelline Colour Tattoos. These are such a good dupe for MACs paint pots! Even though their colour selection is limited, I still prefer the drugstore versions. My personal favourites are On and On Bronze (which looks amazing under a smokey eye using the Naked Palette), Metallic Pomegranate which is a perfect cranberry colour and Pink Gold. There are some brilliant matte colours too.

 

 

 

 

Skin/Hair/Nails/Scent

Makeup Remover
Garnier Micellar Water - this is a product that I can no longer live without. Pour a small amount onto a cotton pad, press against your eye for 10 - 20 seconds and your makeup just melts away. This is an alternative to Bioderma (which I'm yet to try, I promise I will be doing soon though!). It helps your makeup come off so easily and it doesn't spread it around your face the way a makeup wipe would. It's really helped improve my complexion too. Check out my review here.

Night Cream
The Body Shop Tea Tree Night Serum. Another product that has changed my skin for the better. Applying this before I go to bed has become a habit. It helps with those suffering from an uneven skintone or acne scarring.

Lip Balm
EOS  - love these. I'm a sufferer of extremely dry lips and I honestly don't know what I'd do without an army of lipbalms. I literally have them everywhere.

Haircare
What my two previous favourites did for my skin, Garnier's Ultimate Blends Hair Oil did for my hair. I had a chin-length bob back in 2013 and my hair stayed shoulder lengthed from September 2013 all the way to around March 2014. However, after I discovered this stuff in October, my hair grew so much! It's not overly long, but it's growing at a much faster rate than normal. It makes my hair feel super silky and smooth - and my ends always need a bit of a repair.

Hair Appliance
I'm in love with my GHDs. They're my first pair, they do an excellent job of styling my hair without burning it, they heat up and cool down in seconds and they're such a beautiful rose gold colour.

Nails
Picking a favourite nail polish was a really difficult task because I discovered Essie and Ciate this year and I really couldn't decide. I finally came to a conclusion and it goes to ....... Essie's Bahama Mama! It's such a beautiful dark red/purple colour and you can wear it pretty much all year round. The name is awesome too.

Frangrance
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb is my signature scent now. My boyfriend wears Spice Bomb all the time and the two just coincide perfectly together (obviously). It is a little heavy as a day time scent, but it smells so good!

 

Other

Books
The Fault in Our Stars and Girl Online. Both brilliant. The Fault in Our Stars was a real cult classic last year, especially with the film coming out and it did not disappoint! It was so beautifully written and a really lovely story. Girl Online is the long awaited novel by Zoe Sugg (Zoella) and I was really impressed! I read this on my way and coming back from Prague and I really enjoyed the story.

Candle
Yankee Candle in Candy Corn. Every time. Need I say any more?

Place
My favourite place of the year has to be London, it was the first time I'd ever been and I want to go back at least once a year from now on! I love the pace, the underground, the shopping, the diversity and everything about it Check out my London blog here. Prague came in as a close second as it looks as if it's in a fairytale but it just couldn't beat London. Check out my Prague blog here.

Congratulations if you stuck with me till the end of this blog! I know it was extremely long but it's been long awaited. It took me forever to decide what the winners were but I got there in the end. Let me know your favourite products of 2014 and I'll be happy to give them a try!
CJ x

November/December Favourites

Apologies for the delay in this blogpost, I've just been so busy these last few weeks! I didn't try many new things throughout November and December so I thought I would put everything together in one favourites post as many of my monthly favourites from November carried on.

Beauty

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick - Glastonberry. This is possibly my most favourite lipstick of the year. The formula of these are incredible.

MAC Lipstick - Up the Amp

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Tigi Bed Head After Party - this is perfect for the 'morning after the night before hair', just smooth some onto the ends of your hair and it's instantly de-frizzed!

Essie Nail Polish in Style Cartel (from the Fall 2014 collection)

Essie Nail Polish in Dressed to Kilt (from the Fall 2014 collection)

Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation

Fashion

New Look Backpack

New Look Burgandy Patent Brogues
Asos Boots

Hollister Long Sleeve Crop Tops

Zara Faux Leather Jacket
Missguided Pink Coat (purchased a while ago)

Home/Books/Films/Music

Christmas Eve Yankee Candle
Girl Online - Zoe Sugg
Lonely Planet Prague Travel Guide

Lonely Planet Best of 2015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1

The Imitation Game
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Taylor Swift - Blank Space

Goerge Ezra - Listen to the Man

Jamie T - Rabbit Hole
Paolo Nutini - One Day

That's everything I've been loving over the past two months! I'm sorry there isn't a link for everything but my laptop has been playing up recently! Keep a look out for my 2014 favourites which will be up in the next week!
CJ x

October Favourites!

Beauty

I can't believe November's almost over! Like where has it gone?! I apologise for a very belated favourites this month, I have had it done for ages I just haven't had the time to post!
I wasn't very adventurous with beauty last month, so some of these are rediscovered products and products that I've previously mentioned, but I've been so busy that I've not even used that many products. Here are my top buys for October -

Mac Lipliner in Subculture

Mac Honeylove (again - but it's so nice!)

Mac Rebel

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate

Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum

Witch bursting beads scrub

Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Oil

Viktor Rolf Flowerbomb

Fashion/Home

It was my birthday at the end of the month and I did a lot of shopping so there didn't seem to be much point putting them in a favourites when I can put them in a haul! Keep a look out

Monki Jumper

Missguided Cardigan

Topshop Joni Jeans - Blue and Black

Black Old Skool Vans 

Toffee apples

Yankee Candle - Fireside Treats (as you may have noticed, my yankee candle favourites are usually more appropriate for the next month, as Candy Corn was a September buy, I used it as a favourite and I used it throughout October, which is the same with this one).

Books/TV/Music

All my law books (I haven't read much else)

Grey's Anatomy - sky living

Modern Family - sky one

Criminal Minds - sky living

The Big Bang Theory - e4

Wicked soundtrack (I saw this for the second time in October and it was AMAZING! My favourite musical of all time)

Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran) - single

Blame it on me (George Ezra) - single

Hope you all had a wonderful October and November too (now it's almost over), sorry this post is so late but I do have a few more schedualed so keep a look out over the next couple of weeks!
CJ x

September Favourites

Happy Sunday and Happy October!
I thought I'd finally get round to doing my September favourites (seeing as it's been October for 12 days already - can you believe it?). I've had them picked out for ages I just needed to get round to writing the blogpost and taking pictures but here it is!

Beauty

I have been LOVING loads of new pieces of makeup and skincare recently, the first 6 items I have only tried and purchased this month, but the last two are long time favourites as they are amazing! I think the beauty bits I've picked out this month are just perfect for Fall.
MAC Honeylove
Kiko Lipstick
Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze
Topshop magic liner
Tea Tree Night Serum
Garnier Micellar Water
EOS Lip Balm (in general)
Bed Head Small Talk

Fashion/Home

Once again, I've picked out items that are very weather appropriate! I've been really in to patterned trousers recently (maybe you can tell) and I just love snuggly jumpers, even though there isn't a picture of my jumper on here - sorry! Also, how perfect is the Candy Corn Yankee Candle? Let me know if you've tried it!
H&M pants
H&M jumper
Brandy Melville Striped Dress
Topshop Dogtooth Pants
Topshop Hat
Kurt Geiger Boots
Yankee Candle - Candy Corn

Books/TV/Music
Not much tested out on the entertainment side of things this month really - I've been so busy with work and university this month! If I was being completely truthful, one of my favourites of the month would be my law books haha.

You're The One That I Want - Giovanna Fletcher
Our Zoo - BBC
America's Next Top Model
The 1975 (I saw them this month!)
Bang Bang (single) - Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

Hope you enjoyed this months favourites! Let me know what you've been loving in the comments, whether it's the same things or something you think I should try. Wishing you all a lovely October!
CJ x

August Favourites

Happy September everyone!
Sorry I haven't posted for a while but I went on a short break to London and took some time off blogging to enjoy my trip! There will be a photo diary and a London haul coming soon. However, as August is now over (where did it even go?), I thought I'd tell you what I'd been loving this month!

Beauty

MAC Creme Cup

MAC Ravishing

Benefit Push Up Liner

Benefit High Beam

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

DKNY Be Delicious

St Tropez Gradual Moisturiser Tan

Mark Hill Beach Spray

Aussie Beach Mate Shampoo and conditioner

Fashion/Home

Yankee Candle - Berrylicious

Yankee Candle - Honey Glow

Twinings Mango Green Tea

Topshop Bralets

H&M Playsuit

Paperchase Diary

VS Front-Close Knockout Sports Bra (mentioned in previous blog)

Books//TV Shows/Music

Lonely Planet London Travel Guide
Keeping up with the Kardashians (obviously) - E

The Zoo - ITV

Dr Who! -BBC

The 1975 (album) - The 1975

X (album) - Ed Sheeran

Budapest (single) - George Ezra

So that's what I've been loving this month, hope you all had an amazing August! What've you been overusing?
CJ x