Taking the edge off exam stress

My life lately has been a massive bundle of stress as I'm right in the middle of my University exams where they have placed my 6 exams over a period of 2 weeks i.e. they're so close together so as you can imagine that i'm in stress city for me right now - le cry. On a positive note I feel like they've gone quite well so far but I've come to the conclusion that I'm definitely a coursework gal. So anyway, here are my current fav products for relaxing/trying to destress within your exam period. 

- Makeup -

You're probably thinking, makeup? Why does makeup make you feel relaxed? Well let me tell you, when I go into my exams feeling like a goddess it just helps okay. If I feel more confident in myself then my writing will be better, so you see, perfect logic. In particular I've been loving this Nars blush in Super Orgasm, the Multiple Stick in Copacabana for a beautiful dewy glow and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid lipstick in Pure Hollywood - obviously have to wear this cause it'll stay on for the whole exam duh. The other thing is nail varnish. I was recently gifted these beautiful nail polishes by Sally Hansen* and they're so so beautiful. They sent me a gel topcoat which honestly it's been such a life saver. I always find that I chip my nails so easily and with this I haven't like I'm so happy to find something that combats this. Again it's a confidence thing because in the exam you can see yourself writing but it makes me feel better that my nails look pretty? Is that weird? (Don't answer that).

- Skincare -

Skincare comes in the one form that I love and I'm forever repurchasing. Frank Body do some of the most amazing products which suit my skin type perfectly. They've recently come out with this beautiful scrub (I love the original one but as I keep it in the shower the packaging doesn't look so picture worthy so please take my word for it) but this one has all the unicorn vibes. It's a sugar shimmer scrub which I am obsessed with. It leaves your skin with a beautiful shimmer and I feel like a beautiful mermaid/unicorn. 

I also swear by their everyday face moisturiser and it sits under my makeup perfectly - I apply this every morning and evening. But you know when you're stressed and you want to scrub away your stress. Literally these products are just so refreshing and I always feel so much better afterwards and better yet they always help any breakouts which I'm particularly prone to when under pressure.

- Haircare - 

Another thing that goes in line with skincare is haircare. I'm currently in love with this hair mask from Hairmüd*. You apply it all over your hair - from root to tip - and leave it for 10 mins to sink in. It makes my hair feel so soft afterwards and it smells so good - you can smell the shea in it. It's one of those conditioners where you can physically feel the softness of your hair while it's still wet after you've washed it out in the shower.  I always feel better when my hair has had some TLC because when I'm revising I put it up in a bun and tend to be a bit lazy and not brush it (I know I know, I am a bad person - #HagridVibes). 

- Stationary - 

I am literally obsessed with the marble/rose gold stationary range from Sainsbury's at the moment. I picked up this cute little marble weekly planner which has been so helpful and some little notebooks to jot stuff down. I've always found that if you plan out what you're doing each day it's so helpful and takes the stress off when you can see it written down. 

So if you're in the same position as me right now and you're feeling the stress, just remember to take some time to yourself. Now i'm not saying spend 2 hours pampering yourself and to run a bath and go for a massage because let's be honest you'll probably be more stressed from not using that time to revise. But also for the love of all things good, take regular breaks so you don't go insane, make sure you eat and drink before your exams, and get some z's in.

Til next time x 

*contains gifted products but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero glow kit | Do you need it?

I am fully ashamed to say that I have never bought a glow kit before now. Obviously, I wanted one but trying to get hold of them in the UK is so blimmin' hard so when this majestic beautifulness got released - aka the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit - it was like a blessing from the highlighting gods themselves. 

There are tiny bits of silver glitter in the packaging, which shows up so well when you have your flash on, but you can still see it without and it's just beautiful. Trying to photograph this palette and capture the colours properly was somewhat of a challenge because I wanted to do it justice yano. The swatches are just stunning though, I didn’t think they could look more majestic than they actually do in the pan but, I was proved wrong. Ps, sorry not sorry for all the pictures. 

From top to bottom: 143, Glo Getter, Forever Lit, Daydream, Forever Young & Kitty Kat

When applied you get that beautiful wet glow, instead of a powdery glow, which you can also build and make it more intense and beautiful. When applying them they can have a lot of fall out in the pan but they still blend beautifully and are so buttery. Like with all other highlighters, they do show up your imperfections and pores more than usual so there's nothing new there. The shades are described as: 

Kitty Kat - Pink with a platinum reflect

Forever Young - Pink pearl with a silver reflect

Daydream - Coral with a white gold reflect 

Forever Lit - Platinum with a lavender reflect

Glo Getter - Champagne with a rose reflect

143 - Rose gold with a bronze reflect

I will note that 143, Forever Young and Glo Getter do look quite similar but there are subtle differences. 143 is more gold toned than Glo Getter and even in the pan it looks more of a true gold but it's actually softer. Forever Young is a beautiful cool champagne highlight. I think my fav colour has to be Kitty Kat which is just the most beautiful pink highlight with platinum champagne reflects. 

The colours are just stunning. I was worried at first because the shades are really pink toned and I didn’t know if they would suit me but they’re so wearable. I've literally worn every shade and they all look beautiful. Sometimes I've been going for a combination of all the colours because this palette is life and I want to look like the most majestic glazed donut in all the land. I've also been using the shades on my eyes as well and they're so gorgeous. 

This palette retails for £39 which is the same price as the other glow kits with four shades and even though the pan size in this is smaller you have six different shades which I'm loving. So do you need it? Ermmm of course you need it! It's b e a u t i f u l and it's currently still available on the Anastasia Beverly Hills UK website [here] with free shipping over £25, so? What are you waiting for! 

Til next time xx 

Beauty Favourites of 2016

2016 has introduced me to a lot of new products, but there have been a few that I have constantly used throughout the year and now I honestly don't know what I'd do without them. Picking them out was actually quite challenging. You know when products just become so integrated into your routine that you kind of don't notice? Well that's all of these. 

Urban Decay | Naked Palette

I just feel like throughout 2016 when in doubt I've been reaching for this palette a whole lot. It just has the most beautiful array of matte browns, shimmery browns and champagne shades. With that said I mainly use the first part of the palette and occasionally dip into those dark blues to deepen things up. I'm well aware that this has been around for ages but it's one of the best!

By Terry Ombre Blackstar | Frozen Quartz

This little eyeshadow stick has just saved my life when you're travelling and can't bring a lot with you, or if you're in a rush but still want to add a little bit of glam to your eyes, perfect. There's a review already up on the blog 'here', so if you want to read a bit more it's all up there.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipsticks | Kim KW & Liv It Up

This is a no brainer either. These beautiful lipsticks have taken over my lipstick choices. The formula is lovely and creamy (almost like Mac cremesheen) so they don't dry out your lips. There's also a review for these 'here' and I just love the two colours and consistency and packaging.. everything basically (guilty as charged, I used the pictures I took of these beauts from my review because they're just too pretty).

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick | Milkshake

You can see a trend right? I flippin' love pinky lipsticks. Sometimes I prefer something with better staying power so I'll put this underneath a creamier lipstick (I love mixing combinations as you can probably tell). I don't use this just on it's own because it's very opaque, but because it's so light it's perfect for lightening darker shades. I normally just pat this into the lips and it's just such a beautiful colour. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush | Dim Infusion 

This blush is so beautiful. It's the perfect combination of peach and pink with a beautiful buttery texture that stays radiant mmm. I can tell I'm gonna hit pan on this soon which is so depressing. If you're ever wondering if they're worth the splurge, they are!!

Mac Lip Liners | Stone & Whirl

I'm sure most people have heard of Whirl by now, it's basically a cult favourite. The lipstick is actually too dark for me but the lip liner is beaut. It's a dark pinky brown which matches so many lip combinations. Stone will always have a special place in my heart. It's basically a cool toned brown and it's perfect for darkening the corners of your lips and i've been through one of these already. I've always found that Mac lip liners are the best, they have a beautiful consistency and they last really well throughout the day. 

Too Faced | Born This Way Foundation

I'm not even going to jest, I'm on my third bottle of this and it's almost running out. I should probably post a full review at some point on why I love it so much.. My skin is oily so it's really difficult to find a foundation which has a lighter weight consistency, looks like skin and still has good coverage. So all the yesses to this little beauty and there's no doubt I will continue using this in 2017.

Other love has to go to these though: Becca Cosmetics Champagne Pop and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette.

I don't know about you, but I'm super excited for new beauty releases in 2017 - oh and mini & creme eggs.  

Til next time x 

What I got for Christmas 2016

Sometimes I wonder why I wasn't named Pinocchio as I'm so nosey. I'm too lazy to nose  about other in other people's drama but I love these kinds of posts and looking at all the beautiful pictures so, thought I'd do my own for other Pinocchio's out there! I'm in no way bragging as I know some people get a bit funny about these posts (so look away now if you're one of those people), I'm just very appreciative and wanted to share a few pieces as I received some really lovely thoughtful presents. 

Disney Minnie Mouse Mug

I mean how cute is this! I love receiving presents where you have no clue what they are but they're so well thought out and reflect what you love which in my case is Disney. There are going to be so many hot chocolates (and possibly green teas cause yano, gotta get that summer body sorted) consumed out of this. 

Joules Scarf

I received this beautiful scarf by Joules from my brother and Flo Jo and it's super cute so thanks you guys. It probably won't keep me very warm cause it's quite thin but it's very pretty and the little deers are reflective (almost as reflective as my highlight - lul).

Swarovski Earrings 

My mum is the best at picking out jewellery and these little earrings are super cute! When they're on they come all the way up the lobe and they look stunning. Thank you Mumma P. 

Yves Saint Laurent | Black Opium | Eau De Parfum 

The boyf very kindly bought me my favourite perfume which is too expensive for my poor student budget but it smells soooo good. I'm a sucker for sweet perfumes and this is just the best.

Clinique Anti-Blemish Skincare 

Clinique will forever be one of my absolute favourite skincare brands. My skin is oily and prone to spots (or as I like to call them, acorns) and the anti-blemish range works a treat. I'm not even joking the clinical gel should be called miracle gel, you literally put it on before bed and in the morning your acorns are basically gone. Oh and how cute is the pink box and packaging!

Anastasia Beverly Hills | Master Palette by Mario

This Master palette by Mario was shipped all the way from Sephora and is now sold out and I'm so so grateful. I'm so excited to use this because look at all those beautiful warm toned shadows ahhh. Anastasia eyeshadows are so pigmented and are always of a high quality so I'm super excited to get my brushes into these. My amazing friend got this for me and she's an extra babe, thank you - You know who you are!

My friend Molly combined my Birthday and Christmas together to buy this beautiful Hourglass palette which I have been talking about for ages. So so grateful because it's incredibly pretty and Hourglass products in general are phenomenal - thank you!

I also kindly received several Debenhams vouchers because people know I love makeup but didn't quite know what to get me as I have quite a lot already. I didn't include pictures but my main present this year was a MacBook pro which I am currently writing this post on. I normally use our shared Mac but this is going to come in handy especially for university but also now I can write posts on the train, on the go and hopefully use this for some potential YT video editing. Oh and for playing Sims 4 - duh. 

I hope you all had a magical Christmas and wishing everyone the best for 2017!

Til next time x 

Are they worth the hype?

One of negative sides of being completely obsessed with makeup is that some products are completely over hyped up. Sometimes it's just worth knowing if they're actually good or if you'll just go and buy it and it turns out that it's most definitely not worth the hype. So I've gathered some products that have been hyped all over the internet with my honest opinions.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Trooper | £16

Is this the most hyped eyeliner ever? Yes probably. But it is actually amazing. Because of the applicator you can achieve that sharp wing with less effort and you can also get that precision for a super thin line over the top of your eye. The formula wears well and stays black (I've noticed that it does come off when you cry from laughing so just bare that in mind guys). I wear winged liner everyday and I haven't found anything as good as this. 

Worth the hype? Yes 

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Modern Renaissance Palette | £41

I've already reviewed this product so it shouldn't come as a shock that I'm completely obsessed with this still. The colours, pigmentation and formulas are amazing. Obviously it's completely worth the hype. 

Worth the hype? Yes

Nars Creamy Concealer | £23

This is probably the most hyped up concealer e v e r. Literally everyone on youtube raves about this so obviously I had to go and spend £23 on it - duh. Honestly though, it's a nice concealer but I question if it's worth such an expensive price tag. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely concealer, it has a creamy (self explanatory there) consistency so it's really good for covering any spots or dark circles. I just feel like £23 is a lot for a concealer when I personally go through them so quickly. 

Worth the hype? Yes

Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kits | $29

A lot of people will have their opinions out on these already so you might have your mind made up. Although the colours are beautiful, I just find that the consistency is fine at first but when you go to reapply through out the day it crumbles on your lips (which is not attractive) and it's a shame because they look . I like applying a little bit of the product and then tapping it into the lips with my finger then applying lipsticks over the top so they have a bit more staying power. Sadly although the matte lipsticks are lovely the lip liners are so crumbly. I've found they have no staying power and don't sharpen well at all. 

Worth the hype?
Matte Liquid Lipstick - Yes
Lip liner - No

Kylie Metal Matte Lipstick - Heir | $18

This has literally been a game changer for me. I have been wearing it nearly every day since I got it. Unlike the lip kits it's just a nice formula which isn't drying or crumbly. It does come off throughout the day but because of the colour (which is a beautiful peachy/gold majesticness) it fades on your lips and doesn't look too obvious if that makes sense. So basically I'd say these ones are completely worth the hype! (But plz can there be a warehouse in the UK cause custom charges are just outrageous). 

Worth the hype? Yes

Charlotte Tilbury -  Filmstar Bronze & Glow | £49

If you use Instagram you'll have surely seen this product.  I mean it's £49 for a highlighter and bronzer. The bronzer is more of a contour but it's a nice formula and doesn't give you that muddy look. The highlight is lovely and again subtle, I've found it works best over the top of a cream highlighter though. This is worth the hype but maybe not worth the expensive price tag.

Worth the hype? No (just because of the eyewateringly expensive price)

Thank you for reading chickas! x

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette | Review

(L-R: Tempera, Golden Ochre, Vermeer, Boun Fresco, Raw Sienna, Burnt Orange and Primavera)

(L-R: Red Ochre, Venetian Red, Warm Taupe, Realgar, Antique Bronze, Love Letter and Cyprus Umber)

 This palette contains the most beautiful warm toned shadows to ever exist. I think some people are unsure about the palette because there is a lot of pinky reds, but it's only three shades and they're actually lovely shades. Since this palette has come into my life I haven't stopped using it. The packaging is so cute, I'm just worried I'm going to get it dirty with my fingers because it's all velvet. I just don't think it's possible to express via text how absolutely stunning this is, words literally do not do this palette justice. The shadows are so buttery, extremely pigmented and so blendable.  I wanted to do a description of all the shades, however, quite a few of them are similar I just seemed to be repeating myself. I would say that some of the shades have a lot of fall out in the pan but they're literally fine, still incredibly pigmented and blend like a dream. 

The light neutral shades - Golden Ochre, Burnt Orange, Raw Sienna and Bueon Fresco - make amazing transition shades or used on their own/mixed for a beautiful more natural look. 

The shimmery shades - Vermeer, Primavera and Antique Bronze - are beautiful all over the lid. They actually stay shimmery even when worn. You know how some shadows can look amazing when you swatch them on your finger and then you apply them to the lid and you're like ???? What just happened? Where's my shimmer gone? This is the complete opposite and I couldn't be happier. 

Looking at the palette it does initially look like a lot of red/pink but they're honestly so lovely for blending into those neutral shades for a subtle hint of colour or yano all over the lid/lower lash line. Realgar and Red Ochre are my favs for adding that little subtle hint of colour. And actually, Venetian Red and Love Letter are beautiful for those date night/Valentine's Day looks for adding a subtle hint of pink. 

This palette has been my go to over Summer and no doubt I'll continue using those beautiful warm orange and pinky shades all the way through Autumn. I absolutely live for warm toned shadows as I don't seem to be able to pull off that cool toned shadow life. You can buy this from Cult Beauty or Beauty Bay for £41. At that price you it's definitely an investment but to be completely honest this is the best eyeshadow palette I've ever bought. 

P.s. The brush that's included with the palette is actually pretty decent. 

Til next time

Amelia x

Recent Beauty Buys | Anastasia Beverly Hills, Charlotte Tilbury & Becca Cosmetics

It wasn't long ago that I did one of these - oops. I just shouldn't be allowed near shops or wifi.

Anastasia Beverly Hills | Modern Renaissance palette - £41

This is probably the most beautiful palette I have ever seen in my entire life. Even though I own a tonne of eyeshadow palettes I don't have anything like this. The colours are so warm and beautiful I just can't wait to play around with this! 

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips | Kim K.W. & Liv It Up - £23

Obviously when the Hot Lips collection was launched I wanted all the shades. I had to narrow it down of course and went for these two. They're absolutely beautiful like all Charlotte Tilbury products and now I'm lusting after Kidman's Kiss. 

Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter | Champagne Pop - £32

I mean I wasn't actually planning on buying this for a while, but the opportunity presented itself and could I resist? Of course not! I'm so glad I bought this though, the pigmentation and colour is insane!

Barry M Boots Exclusive Limited Edition Nail Paint | Golden Sands - £3.99
Cheapest of the bunch, who am I to resist a Barry M nail polish. To be honest, I'd say Barry M nail paints are the best on the high street market. This colour is perfect for summer and has a lovely sparkly sheen to it.

Til next time

Amelia x