My Night Time Beauty Essentials

Sometimes I feel like skincare doesn't get enough recognition. It might be because the packaging isn't as beautiful as a YSL compact, and maybe products just become so integrated into our routines that we use them by habit and forget how fab they are.

When I actually took a min to look into it, I use quite a few products before going to sleep, most of which I keep in my bedside table draw and apply whilst sitting in bed. Although, one of them needs a more accurate application but it's a life saver so while we're on the topic, my acne lifesaver products comes in the form of a tiny bottle which is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. For anyone who is suffering from any form of break out, or simply one little pesky spot, this little magic product has you covered. It really does what it says, completely dries the spot out. You need to apply it with a cotton bud, and it's a pink sediment that then dries once applied. It's honestly phenomenal and I couldn't recommend it enough! 

Before applying any spot treatments I always moisturise. My favourite and go-to product at the moment is the Clinique Moisture Surge. It's a gel formula and sinks into the skin really nicely. I also use this in the morning before applying my makeup and it's just a really lovely product that leaves my skin feeling hydrated which is 100% needed. 

Speaking of hydration, the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a miracle life saver. I cannot explain how nice this is as a glorified lip balm. For anyone who has dry chapped lips, ditch the cheap lip balms, this will literally save you. I put this on before I go to sleep and my lips always feel soft in the morning without a doubt. I feel like it also sorts out the corners of my lips as they can get really sore in warm/cold weather, so it's just an essential at this point. (I'd also like to point out that I've had this one tube for a year now and it's still going strong!). 

Now onto the lavender scents. I always find that lavender is a really soothing scent and helps aid sleep and helps me to unwind. The Lush Sleepy Body Lotion isn't strictly a simple lavender scent but it's you can smell it amongst some other ingredients but it does smell lovely. I seem to be applying this a lot recently, especially because it's been so hot and I am very very pale so I like to fake tan, gotta keep everything nice and silky smooth! If you're in need of another moisturiser, the Lush Sympathy For The Skin which smells like vanilla banana custard, is incredible. 

Finally, I like to spray the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray or the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray Plus (which is just a strong scent) for when I'm feeling super stressed and need to chill out. I feel like the scent is very soothing and makes me feel like I'm at a spa so it definitely helps me to relax and zonk out. 

I don't know if these products just have a placebo effect or whether it's just the lavender scent in them working but they're all my night time essentials and I hope you've enjoyed reading this post! 

Til next time xxx

Shop the post

        

Dreamy Valentine Makeup Picks

If there's one thing I love about Valentine's Day it's all the beautiful pink tones that come with it (if you've seen my Instagram you know that I live for pink tones). So whether you're going out for a saucy date night, or hanging out with the girls, who doesn't love to get a bit glammed up for the occasion? So without further delay, here are my favourite dreamy Valentine's makeup picks that I think are absolutely stunning.

The Base

My ultimate go-to base is obviously the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. This baby will stay on your face whilst giving a really good coverage of any blemishes etc. Mixed with a little bit of the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer to brighten up those under eye (designer) bags and you're onto a winner. To set the face I would highly recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish face powder as it is perfect for setting your base makeup without looking cakey, hallelujah!

Lit From Within

So obviously you want to look lit, and by lit we mean all the highlighter. A new addition to my makeup stash that I'm loving right now is the dreamy Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Highlighting Wand. Honestly, it's the most beautiful liquid highlighter that makes your skin look dewy and blinding at the same time. It's just such a beautiful product. It has a sponge applicator so you can just dab it onto the high points of your face and blend with your fingers, beauty blender or brush. The other thing I adore is that you can leave it as is, or add a powder highlighter over the top to really blind and add confidence for whatever the occasion.

Bronzed Goddess 

You know what, I love being bronzed. I think it really just ties everything together and makes me look less tired than I actually am. My favourite for doing that at the moment is the Benefit Hoola Lite bronzer. I know this is targeted for lighter pale skin tones, but I really think this is a lovely shade to add colour without being too orange. It's like a pale biscuity shade and it's so gorgeous for giving your face some warmth without those harsh orange tones other bronzers can sometimes make you (it also makes for a great transitional shade for the eyes).

Lashes

For those of us who struggle in the lash department, a.k.a. me (thanks mum and dad), I love adding lashes to add volume. My favs at the moment at the KoKo Lashes in Amore* and Queen B*, which is exactly what we all are, queens. They're both so beautiful and a little bit spidery but they just that extra volume that my own lashes lack (and how cute is the packaging omg). You can pick them up from FalseEyelashes.co.uk, and they also stock loads of other lashes if you don't fancy these. 

The Pink Tones

A new addition to my makeup collection is the NARS Wanted Palette which completely encompasses what I think about when someone says pink tones. Like hellO. It has such a gorgeous selection of warm pink and red toned eyeshadows which are perfect for creating any look. My favs are the neutral champagne pinks which look gorgeous for that simple effortless glam eye, which you can also enhance with a darker matte brown or red. Perf. It's so versatile so if these softer pink shades aren't for you, you can go in for those beautiful darker reds and browns to really add the glam. 

Keeping in line with those gorgeous pink tones, a nice warm flush of pink on the cheeks can never go amiss. I'm loving the NARS Blush in Super Orgasm at the moment. It's got a little bit of shimmer and it just collectively ties in your bronzer and highlight for a healthy blush flush.

Of course, would it be valentines day if you weren't wearing 'Valentine' by Charlotte Tilbury? (Well yes it would be, lols). But this shade is so so perfect and ties in really nicely with the champagne pink tones from the Wanted Palette. I like to wear this with the Pillow Talk lip cheat, honestly it's such a vibe. (Real talk here though, how beautiful is the new Tilbs shade 'The Duchess'? I need it asap). One of my favourite drugstore finds is the NYX Butter Gloss in Fortune Cookie. It's a beautiful light peachy pink which just adds the perfect wash of colour over the top of Valentine. 

So that's it for my dreamy Valentine makeup picks. I hope you all have a lovely day regardless of what you're doing (I have an essay due in this evening so woo yay.. Date night with my essay), but Happy Valentine's Day angels! 

Til next time xxx  

*PR Sample, all views are 100% my own

Gifting The Perfect Fragrance

When it comes to Christmas gifting, I always find that fragrances are my go-to product as they just make such amazing, classy presents. I think some people find scents a little bit challenging to buy but these two are fail safe. My favourite website for picking up fragrances is Fragrance Direct where they have an amazing selection of luxe perfumes and incredible discounts so you can pick them up cheaper. For people like me, who are poor students, we need all the discounts we can get. Also it's nice to save a little bit of money over Christmas because it means you're not scraping through till the January payday. So here are my two top picks. 

So let's start with this gorgeous perfume which is the Chloe Signature EDP which comes incased in the most beautiful elegant looking packaging complete with a cute little bow. It smells so sophisticated and feminine and I'm so happy to now have it in my collection. I mean, it also makes for a good blogging prop and looks so pretty on my dressing table. It makes me feel very sophisticated even though I'm clumsy as anything so yes, what a winner. 

Next up is one of my all time favourite perfumes by Marc Jacobs, Daisy. I've already been through a bottle of this and it just smells so beautiful. The packaging is stunning, just look at that bottle top, and it's just such a fail safe fragrance that I think that any girl would be happy with. I always spray a little bit of this in my hair and it just seems to linger all day. However, if you don't like this one you may find that the Daisy Eau so Fresh is for you because it smells absolutely gorgeous as well (there's a really good deal on a gift set for this at the moment by the way). 

If you don't think these are for you, my other favourites include Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, a beautiful vanilla scented scent, and Paco Rabanne Olympea, which is literally a dupe for Coco Mademoiselle and smells incredible. There's such a great range on the Fragrance Direct website at the moment so it's perfect for getting those Christmas presents for any guy or gal! I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and you don't leave buying presents til the last min like I do - I start off with good intentions but then I get distracted by buying myself presents oops. 

Til next time xxx

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

Keeping The Glow This A/W: Cream & Liquid Highlighters For A Dewy Base

I always feel that as the seasons grow colder, my skin gets drier so my favourite thing right now is applying a cream or liquid highlighter just on it's own or under a power based highlighter to really give a dewy, healthy, 'lit from within' base. 

Cream Highlighters 

I think that cream highlighters are really lovely but can look a little bit cakey if you go over board with product or aren't blended out properly. But isn't that the same for everything if you don't blend out properly? 

The NARS multiple stick in Copacabana is one of my favs for applying straight onto the skin, sometimes I apply this to my fingers first and then blend onto the skin or apply directly onto the high points of my face and blend using a kabuki brush for a seamless finish. The same goes for this highlighter by Milk Makeup in the shade Lit (which it is by the way, it's LIT). 

Copacabana is a beautiful light pink champagne shade which is actually quite thin whereas Lit is a thicker formula and really gives a golden glow cause the shade is gold - duh. This one requires a little bit more blending and I usually spray a little bit of my Pixi Milky Hydrating Mist over my face and then blend everything in with one of my Sigma Kabuki brushes for a really beautiful natural finish. Once applied you can either just leave it, which looks utterly stunning and natural, or you can add a little bit of power highlighter over the top which will really pop. 

Liquid Highlighters 

If you want ultimate dewy skin goals, liquid highlighters will be your new best friend. As well as applying these over the top of your foundation, you can apply these before application for a really illuminated base. 

Starting with something I only have a sample of is the Mac Strobe Cream. I have a few of these which came with some Mac deliveries and they have lasted me a very long time (I'm still using up the first one!). I know this is called a cream but to me it's very liquidy, hence, including it in the liquid highlighters section. This actually comes out as pure white with gorgeous pearly iridescent reflects, but don't be worried about blending it out as it's very thin. I believe this is actually a moisturiser but I like to use it over the top of my base makeup patted into the high points of my face with a little bit of powder highlight over the top. I think any moisturiser placed over the top of your makeup gives a really dewy radiant glow but this is just on another level. 

Finally, we have the most majestic liquid highlighter. This is the Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops in the shade Moonlight. This comes out as molten champagne goodness and when blended into the skin is just so majestic but still quite natural looking and not at all cakey. Because these come out as drops with a little pipet, t's really easy to add a little bit into your foundation for a really radiant finish. The only downfall with this product is the price but having said that it's a beautiful high quality product and you really pay for what you get. 

(From top to bottom: Milk Makeup: Lit, NARS: Copacabana, Mac: Strobe Cream, CustomFx: Moonlight)

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post about my dewy highlighter favs and that your skin makes it through this winter without drying out, may the skin gods be with you. 

Til next time xxx 

New High-End Additions To My Beauty Stash

Today I thought I would share some of the newbies to my makeup stash as I appear to have gone off the wagon and splurged on some high end products which I'm so excited to try out. It may have started with the justification that it would be wise to invest in them as Space NK were doing £15 off a £60 spend and that was all the justifying I needed - oh I am so weak.

So I thought I'd start off with this beautiful bronzer: the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in the shade Luminous Bronze. I have actually already been through one of these and needed to repurchase it again. Now this bronzer is near the top of the bronzer food chain coming in at £45 per compact. Yes, it's eye wateringly expensive, and unlike the Hourglass blushers which seem to last forever, I used up my last one seemingly quite quickly. Honestly it's 100% worth it as this bronzer is utterly stunning and I swear by it. If you have the cash huns, don't be afraid, this bronzer will be your new BFF giving you sun kissed bronze realness.

Next up is an eyeshadow I have been wanted to try for years but never got round to it because my eyeshadow addiction is out of hand. However, these colours are the most beautiful shades for Autumn so obviously now is the perfect time to purchase this. Yes you named it, it's the NARS Eyeshadow Duo in shade Isolde, featuring gold copper goodness. I've never tried any NARS eyeshadows before but I love the blushers so I have high hopes for this.

Finally, we have a product from Sunday Riley. I finally made the decision to take the splurge - I mean £68 for one product just makes me want to cry - and pick up one of these oils, specifically the U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil which is designed to treat and prevent acne. Honestly, the stress of going back to uni for my final year has given me major congestion and from watching Samantha Ravndahl's videos (especially this video linked here) and reading a tonne of reviews, this oil has been highly commended for it's skin clearing benefits and that's what I need right now. I think that seeing as this was so pricey, there will definitely be a post coming up in the near future to say if it's actually worth the splurge - cause lets be honest, there are a lot of cheaper alternatives on the market. But please can we take a moment to appreciate the beautiful packaging, its so luxurious, I love it.

There you have it, the new high-end additions to my beauty stash (writing a blog post about them makes me feel like I can justify the spend even more) and I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. Also, I'm so impressed with the photography I took for these considering it's been raining all day today so the natural lighting has been tragic - so not cool. 

Til next time xxx

New in: Charlotte Tilbury Liquid Lipstick in Rising Star | Buy or Bye

So it should be known that I'm a massive Charlotte Tilbury lipstick fan. I love and have some (I mean quite a lot) of her other products but in particular I adore her lipsticks and they seem to be the only lip products I wear these days. Obviously, when she came out with these liquid lipsticks I'm like hellO new lip products, and goodbye money.

Like with all Charlotte Tilbury products, the packaging is to die for. These little liquid lipsticks still harbour the iconic rose gold encasing like the original lipsticks but they have red detailing on the front and the back. The wand as well is also different from normal liquid lipstick applicators. It's curved so that it fits the contours of your lips and has a little flat point at the top for application ease. Overall, the packaging gets a 10/10 from me because once again, Charlotte has completely nailed it with her beautiful packaging.

So after debating which shade I should go for I decided to take the plunge and order Rising Star as it promised to be a warm pink matte and as I love Liv It Up so much and didn't think they'd be dissimilar.. they couldn't be more further apart. This shade is a lot rosier/muted than I had hoped for. But anyway, the shade aside, let's talk about the formula. 

The formula is very similar to the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams - it's not drying at all and very comfortable on the lips, honestly doesn't feel like you're wearing anything at all! Because it's not very drying, it does come off in the middle of your lips but I will say that it comes off really nicely. You're probably thinking what?! It comes off nicely? Well you heard right sista. You know those liquid lipsticks which, when they wear off are really noticeable and leave basically a solid line across your lips? Well this doesn't do that. I don't know if it's the shade, because it's quite similar to my natural lip colour, but it fades off quite nicely which I do really like.

So speaking of the shade, it's very similar to Dolce by Anastasia Beverly Hills, I'd say a little bit lighter than that actually but, still quite similar. I think that's the thing with matte liquid lipsticks, you just don't get that juiciness that lipsticks can give you as the colour is slightly dulled down. For me this shade was quite a muted rosey pink/coral... It does not suit me at all.

I prefer this shade - Rising Star - patted into the lips rather than a full layer applied to the entirety - just because I think it looks nicer and isn't as drying. I do love putting a lipstick over the top of liquid lipsticks anyway - to prolong the wear time - and Rising Star mixed with the CT Kim KW Lipstick creates a beautiful shade of pink which I'm loving at the moment.

The only negative I have with this shade in particular is that it's not the same shade as advertised on the website so I'm a little bit disappointed on that front. It's still a nice colour and would suit other people I just wish I had a chance to swatch them before buying - oops. So if any of you try any of the other shades please let me know but I'm thinking that I probably should have gone for Dolly Bird which looks like a gorgeous ballet pink shade. To me, this product is a bye because the shade does not suit me and I spent £24 on it, but the formula is a buy. If only I had found a shade that I liked/suited me! 

Til next time xxx 

The September 2017 Cohorted Beauty Box Edit

So today, the Cohorted Beauty Box is back on my blog and with a bang as this month's box is really exciting! For only £35 a month you receive over double the price of that and it's all luxury goodies, and who wouldn't want a box of luxury goodies delivered straight to your door.

The Contents 

Cargo Cosmetics Around The World Eyeshadow Palette | £32.00

Starting with this absolute beauty, is a full sized eyeshadow palette. Like, what? I have never seen an eyeshadow palette in a beauty subscription box before (well I mean, this has probably happened but I feel like it's a rarity). This palette is so so cute as all the shades are named after places to take you around the world and guess what, they're... neutral shades *drops mic*. Not only does this make them perfect for literally everyone and anyone just starting out with eyeshadow. The palette includes 6 matte and 6 shimmer shades and they're set out in the palette as three quads and six duos (the lighter shade at the top coordinates with the darker shade directly beneath e.g. Rome and Shanghai) so you don't have to worry about marrying up shades together. I have never heard of Cargo Cosmetics before but this palette is such a winner in my eyes. And also, the price of this palette is basically the price of the box itself.

Lica Cole The Good Vibe Discovery Kit | £23.00 

Firstly, the packaging of this is so adorable. The kit contains an Organic Cleansing Smoothie, an Organic Polishing Paste and an Organic Whipped Butter. Essentially it's a little kit of pampering goodness for your body, you begin with the cleansing smoothie to wash away dirt and bacteria, the Polishing Paste turns into a creamy exfoliant buffing away dead skin and finally, the Whipped Butter helps to keep your skin hydrated. I think this is such a lovely idea and it's all organic and filled with antioxidants so I can't wait to get using these!

Figs & Rouge Smart Nutrient Vital Moisture Day Cream | £28.00

This next product is a smart moisturiser (although I'm not quite sure what makes it smart) - to me it's just a moisturiser. I'm not sure if this one is for me as my skin is oily so I'll probably be passing this over to my mum because my skin is so prone to breaking out when I apply something it doesn't like!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Travel Size | £10.00

I have wanted to try this mascara for the longest time now. I've seen rave reviews about it and to be honest I think it's pretty good but not as thickening as I wanted it to be. It makes my lashes very long and spidery so I think it's amazing as a day time mascara but not as thick as I would have wanted it to be for evening wear. I know that I'm definitely going to get some good use out of this and it's perfectly sized to pop into your handbag for convenient touch ups.

Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer - No Warning | £21.00 

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful colour and packaging?! It is stunning. I've seen this brand a lot in Space NK but I had no idea they did anything other than nail polishes, so this is a pleasant surprise. I'd definitely say this is more of a festive colour - complete with subtle glittery reflects - so I'm looking forward to trying this out as we approach Christmas (exciting!) but I am more of a nude lipstick gal so we'll see how this measures up!

So that's it for the September beauty box which had such a nice mixture of beauty and pamper bits. There are definitely some amazing products which I know I'm going to get so much use out of and you literally get so much for £35! So that's a wrap, I hope you've enjoyed reading this post!

P.s. if you wanted to pick up one of these lush boxes up for yourself you can use the code 'COHORTEDGIFTME' for a free Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour (in the shade 'Maya') with all new subscriptions.

Til next time xxx

*contains pr samples but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own*