NYX Professional Makeup at Debenhams

As well as loving luxury beauty products I'm also a fan of drugstore products and NYX Professional Makeup always delivers. To celebrate the launch of NYX Professional Makeup in Debenhams they very kindly sent me some of their best selling products which includes a palette exclusive to Debenhams - the Contour Initiative Palette. So, I'm going to give you a little run down of the products they sent me.

So first, let's start with the lip products. The Soft Matte Lip Creams are already a winner in my eyes and this shade in Budapest is the perfect transition/Autumnal shade. The formula of these are incredible, they're more like a mousse so they're not drying at all (and they smell like vanilla goodness) but it does mean that they have limited staying power. Having said that, they're so comfortable to wear and for only £6 you can't really go wrong! My other favourite shades are Sydney and Cairo.

Speaking of Autumnal shades, the Lip Lingerie in 'Exotic', a muted orange toned nudey red, is Autumn in a tube. This is definitely more drying than the soft matte lip formula but it does mean it lasts for way longer. Now for a shade I wouldn't normally go for, the Liquid Suede in 'Downtown' Beauty, is a deep chocolatey brown which I'm excited to try and pull off now that we've hit Autumn/Winter (but I don't know if I'll be able to). 

Oh and this little gem, the Butter Gloss in 'Strawberry Parfait', is my fav of the bunch. If you know me, you know how much I love a pink shade. The butter glosses are divine and I already have my eye on some of the other nudey shades as well (because you can never have too many right?). This shade gives a lovely little sweep of colour which isn't too overpowering and it's seriously stunning. My other fav is in the shade 'Fortune Cookie', which is beautiful nude (surprise surprise). 

Now onto palettes *drools*. Firstly, let's start with the Contour Initiative palette in 'Jewel Queen' which is exclusive to Debenhams and holds two highlighters, a blush and six eyeshadows. I feel like this palette has some shades that I wouldn't necessarily use on an every day basis because they are hella bright and I'm more of a neutral person, but there are still some really lovely shades in here (like that champagney gold shade *swoons*). I also feel like the blush is more of a bronzer on my skin tone but it actually makes a really lovely eyeshadow. The palette also comes in another shade, 'Warm Zone', which looks perfect for A/W. 

Oh how I love a neutral eyeshadow palette. This is the Ultimate Cool Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette which contains 16 eyeshadows and oh my, look how beautiful they are *inserts all the heart eye emojis*. There's a mixture of shimmers and matte shades and I know this is going to be one of those palettes I'm going to reach for every day. I mean, look at those dusty pinks and champagnes. I have to say, the Ultimate Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette looks like the perfect everyday Autumnal palette so I'll definitely be adding it to my basket at some point soon!

Onto the dreamiest highlighting palette, this is the Strobe of Genius Illuminating Palette which contains seven highlighting shades. From a lavender to a golden bronze, this palette has it all. My favs are the more neutral champagney shades because they suit my skin tone but oh this is such a beautiful palette. As well as using this on the face, I also like to use this on my eyes. Yes, that beautiful bronze highlight shade looks  b e a u t  on the lid - ah so majestic! 

If you read my blog you know that I have oily skin so the Shine Killer and Pore Filler are literally made for me. These are both amazing for prolonging the longevity of my makeup and reduce the appearance of (you guessed it) pores and shininess. I think I'd probably compare the texture of them to the Ordinary Silicone Primer which I love, but the Pore Filler makes my skin look amazing and evens out the texture of my skin/fills in my XXL pores, such a winner!

So there you have it, I hope you've enjoyed reading about these picks from NYX Professional Makeup which is now available from Debenhams!

Til next time xxx

*This post is in collaboration with Debenhams but all opinions are 100% my own* 

A Fragrance Direct Haul

If you read my Summer Essentials post then you will already know just how much I love Fragrance Direct as it's my go to destination for buying products from my fav beauty brands. Not only do they have fragrance but they have a whole host of other products such as skincare and hair products, so with that in mind, I decided to stray away from the makeup. Now if you're a student like me, discounted beauty products are a way of life and that's exactly why Fragrance Direct is the best for this because everything is more affordable and on top of that, you can get 10% off your shop year round with Unidays! So anyway, here are the pieces I picked up on my recent FD haul.

Essie Nail Polish in Coconut Cove*

So first up, let's start with this Essie polish. I picked it up in the shade Coconut Cove, which is a beautiful slightly off white colour, more of a very light cream shade, which i'm obsessed with at the moment - I just feel so elegant with white nails and they make me think of summer. Also, it was £2.99... Can you believe it? Such a bargain for this little beauty.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer*

Next up is a hair product from Philip Kingsley. Ever since reading about this on Leah's blog I knew I had to try it. It's an intensive pre-shampoo treatment (so a hair mask basically) for all hair types which claims to add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine. I've used this once already (the instructions said to leave it in for 20 mins but I left it in for the whole day) and when you get in the shower and you're about to shampoo your hair feels so soft already. Aside from that, my hair was bouncier and shinier which I really love and I'm looking forward to continue using this as the more you use this the better the results will be.

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Clinique All About Eyes Rich*

So I'm just gonna put this out there that I'm terrible with looking after my eyes. I didn't actually own an eye cream (until now) because I was like nah you don't get wrinkles until you're like 50 I'll be fine (narrator: all was not fine). I have little puffy wrinkles underneath my eyes and that area has started to become dry so obviously, I had to dry this little baby out to help combat this issue. So far I've seen massive improvements with the hydration and my eyes seem less puffy so I'm absolutely smitten!

Paco Rabanne Olympea Eau De Parfum* 

Last but not least is this little gem. Ever since smelling this I've been lusting after it. Honestly, it smells very similar to Coco Mademoiselle but this one lasts so much longer and it's a fraction of the price. The packaging is rose gold i.e. a bloggers dream, and I'm completely obsessing over this scent!

So there you have it, my little Fragrance Direct haul. I literally love everything I've picked up and it's so nice knowing you've scored yourself a little bargain. Also, it's the perfect destination for me because apparently, even though I'm a student, I like to think that I'm not.

Til next time xxx

*contains PR samples but all opinions are 100% my own

A Little Cult Beauty Splurge

You know when a beloved product hits the bucket, i.e. dies a death/runs out on you, so buying it again doesn't really feel like you're buying something new and to compromise you add in a little something extra to the basket to make yourself feel better - well yeah, that's me in one. 

When my beloved ABH Dipbrow Pomade ran out I decided to order it again because it is just amazing, but I didn't qualify for free delivery on Cult Beauty. You know what that means, add more items until you hit the free delivery mark - duh. Also, Lydia Millen (my queen) had a 15% off code so how could I resist adding a few more products in and making it into a little haul post cause now, my decision is justified with a post. So anyway, onto what I bought...

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde 

I'm not even kidding, this product is amazing. Don't get me wrong, it can dry out towards the end but it's just so good for defining your brows. I tend to use my little Zoeva Winged Liner brush and fill in the tail and then bring what product is left forward to fill in the rest so the front is less harsh and fluffier. It's pretty good at holding it's own so it doesn't transfer and stays on for the whole day - yaaasss.

Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist 

Okay don't shoot me, bad blogger alert, I have never tried anything from Pixi. Honestly, I see these products everywhere on my Instagram and on blogs but I just seem to neglect skincare. So anyway, I decided to buy this hydrating mist for before/after makeup or even before bed just because it looks convenient and if you're looking a bit cakey, add a little spritz of this. Honestly, can't wait to use it. It was a toss up between this and the Glow Tonic because literally everyone raves about that one but I thought I'd get better use out of this.

Jouer Long-Wear Lip Topper in St. Tropez 

I absolutely adore these. I have the shade Skinny Dip and it is incredible (and also well used and kind of running out) so I decided to buy this shade because it just looks so pretty. It has more of a pink tone than my beloved Skinny Dip and honestly I can't wait to get wearing this because it looks so majestic.

So there you have it, my little haul/splurge post, I hope you've enjoyed reading! Also, if you have any Pixi products or skincare products in general that you'd recommend then please send them my way because I'm in desperate need of updating my skincare!

Til next time xxx

The Ultimate Setting Powder

I can buy the most expensive, most raved about base products, but without setting them, my face will become a melted mess - oh the perks of having oily skin! This post is all about my ultimate setting powder because trust me, I've tried a lot and this one is without question my favourite, and for quite a few reasons. 

So here it is, the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent. It. Is. Amazing. I'm now on my second pot of this and I wouldn't go back. I came to realise just how good it was when I stayed over at my friends house and forgot to bring it with me. Naturally, I used hers which was a highstreet brand. Now there's nothing wrong with using highstreet products, in fact I use them everyday, but with every brand there will always be products that are better than others. After using this certain powder, my face looked cakey and it did not set anything at all. Later on that day my base makeup looked awful, like actually a disgusting cakey melted mess and it was all because I didn't use my beloved LM powder. I think when products become so integrated into your routine you forget just how good they are. 

I think the reason I love this powder is because not only does it set your makeup so nicely but the formula is so buttery and non cakey. Honestly, it is like buttery soft goodness and applies like a dream. I mean, I've come to realise that no makeup setting powder will keep my makeup on all day because of the oils but this one keeps everything on longer than others and doesn't look super caketastic. 

I think the other thing I adore about this powder is the colour, it's a light banana shade so you don't look super ghostly after setting your makeup. Sometimes the white setting powders are just too much and make me look too bright and unnatural but this shade is perfect. Now this will set you back £29 but I 100% would not go back to some of the other powders I have used in the past. P.s. this Real Techniques Setting Brush is perfect for application, the bristles are dense enough to pick up the right amount of product and the shape is perfect for reaching underneath your eyes and hard to reach places (it's also a little dirty in these pictures but yolo).

I'm still dying to try the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (which is even more expensive - £33) because I've seen so many rave reviews, so maybe a comparison post would be in order. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and if you have any recommendations of powders for oily skin then please shoot them my way!

Til next time xxx