Of Love and Lipstick

I was casually scrolling my Instagram feed when I came across this clip of pure, blinding glitter. Because I love glitter so much, I knew whatever it was I had to have it. I noticed the post was from my local MAC counter, so I promised myself that I would go down and have a little nosey. I found out that MAC had recently launched their new Dazzleshadow Liquid; a super shimmery, glittery liquid eyeshadow. I was in love!

When I first started seeing the Barry M Fall in Love Palette all over Instagram, the first thing I noticed was that it has similar red and orange shades to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette. To be honest, I didn't get subculture because of the issues with the palette's formula and because I wasn't really interested in half of the shades. It was only the warm yellows and oranges that stood out to me. I picked this out not because I though it would be a 'dupe' for some of the  Subculture Palette's shadows, but just because I wanted to experience such bright shades without breaking the bank.  

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you will know I've constantly been on the hunt for the perfect nude lipstick. I have struggled to find that ultimate perfect nude lipstick, the one that will be such a good colour for my pale skin that I can just wear it with anything. I finally think I have found it!

I don't know about you guys but I am obsessed with the Maybelline Color Tattoos! Quite often during the summer I will just pop some of the On and On Bronze onto my lids and I will be good to go. When I was on a last minute dash to Walgreens the day before my flight home from Florida, I spotted some of the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Chromes hidden on a bottom shelf at the BACK of the beauty aisles. I was so excited that it flew into my basket.

The free birthday gift that Sephora offers to it's Beauty Insiders is one of my favourite perks. Whenever I'm in America around the month of my birthday I always make sure to pick it up. This year I was actually over the allotted time that Sephora give you to pick it up, however the nice lady at Sephora still let me have mine.

I first spotted a pot of random OPI shades sitting on the counter of one of the shops I was in whilst on holiday. My plan was to pick out clothes and makeup suitable for the upcoming Autumn season. Rooting around in the pot revealed this amazing shade. My first thought when I picked it up was that it made me think of pumpkin spice; the ultimate icon of Autumn.

Recently I've been trying to pack up all my travel makeup for going a way next week, and it is proving harder than I remember. My makeup bag weights a tonne and I seem to be taking everything but the kitchen sink. While I have been trying to whittle down what I'm taking, I've been noticing products that I haven''t used a long time. The Revlon  Ultra  HD Matte Lipcolors are one of those products. Since chucking it in my travel bag, I have not been able to stop reaching for it.

Nude lipsticks. What can I say? Sometimes trying to find the right nude for your complexion can seem like a daunting task. I know that I, personally, am always on that hunt for the perfect nude lipstick. One that's not to deep or pastel, and neither too brown or pink toned; just that perfect middle ground that seems impossible to find. This brings me to my newest nude lipstick, the Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Honey Beige.

Matte liquid lipsticks are still having their moment! Everybody still loves a good matte lip. While I  like to experiment with different brand formulas, I still h ave a few brands that I think have some of the better matte liquid lip formulas.

I'm back after a long month long hiatus! To make the story short, I have been seriously struggling with finishing University and trying to decide what I'm now going to do with my life. The pressure got a little too much and so I've been living under a rock until now. Like, total social media blackout. I've also struggled with inspiration, and just generally feeling 'blue'. But I'm back and making the attempt to get back into the swing of things.

I have achieved a major highlighting goal: to own a BECCA highlighter! Ever since writing my highlighter post I have been itching to go out and find a new highlighter. With all the buzz that surrounds the BECCA highlighters ,  I decided that I would try them out.

I'm all about the highlighter: the shinier the better! If you've seen my post all about my highlighters then you'll know that all but one of my highlighters is a powder. To be honest, I'm kind of afraid of liquid highlighters. I'm not really sure the best way to use them without turning my makeup streaky. Thus, I challenged myself to find a way! My poor Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights was getting neglected at the back of my drawer.

The NYX Lip Lingeries; a product I've wanted to try ever since I first read about their release. I have finally found them stocked on my local NYX stand. When I saw them I wanted them all. However, I reigned myself in and purchase just the one; for now.  The Lip Lingeries are not super new but it's the first time I've noticed them on the NYX stand. The colour selection of the range runs very nude, which I have been recently getting very into. Lace Detail is a very light peachy, pink nude colour, unlike any other liquid lipstick I own. I feel that the colour may be just a touch too light for me, but perhaps not. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think that something looks off, but other times I think it looks quite good. 

I've been feeling like I'm stuck in a nail polish stump recently. I've been going back and forth between my two favourite Barry M Nail Paints for the past month, Chilli and Almond, and generally being feeling uninspired. I was contemplating buying some new additions to my collection, when I decided to clean out what I already own. It was during this clear out that I discovered this NARS Nail Polish that I had bought but only tried a few times.

University exams are over, all this semesters coursework's finished, homework assigned, it's safe to say the Christmas Holidays start now!! This semester of university has been so much harder which is why I had to stop posting for a while. Regardless, I'm back now and ready to roll!

Have you ever just looked at a lipstick and thought, 'You're so unwearable but I must have you in my collection'? Yeah. We have all been there, whether it's that totally one trend black lippie or a big, bold navy blue. Well I hadn't, not until I met my match last week.  I was browsing the stand for Urban Decay's new collection of Vice lipsticks. Now they are not totally new to me, they were in Sephora when I was in America at June, but I had never had enough time just to browse over all the new colours. I mean, there are a HUNDRED new shades! Needless to say, after a solid half an hour of studying all the shades, I flounced into my University lecture with two new impulse buys. All because I have no self control. I may have to start walking the long route to class and avoiding Debenhams altogether. 

It's been such nice weather recently; the sun has been splitting the sky. I've been feeling very summery. I have been enjoying this Barry M Nail Paint in the shade Peach Melba. It is a perfect pastel peachy colour which just fits amazingly with this great weather. One thing that I will mention that is negative, it that it chips a lot easier than any of my other Barry M Nail Paints; maybe the formula is a bit different?

I picked up the Soap & Glory Love at First Blush just before Christmas in a Boots '3 for 2' offer, wanting to try something other than their bath and body products. I'm a big blush fan, so when I'm trying out a new brand I will always go for the blush first.

I'm in a bit of a nail slump here, my nails are naturally all chipped, peeled and grotesque. I'm so close to packing it all in and chopping them all off. Until that time, though, I have been using the  Sensationail at home gel kit to strengthen them and make them look less ugly. My favourite method, and probably not the best, is to use the clear base/top coat as normal, but add normal nail polishes on top. My nails are not as strong as a proper gel manicure, but by using acetone-free remover I can change the colours when ever I feel like it.

With the transition into Spring, I find that I have been reaching more and more for my liquid and cream blushes over the traditional powders. I prefer liquid and creams during Spring, as I find that their finishes create a dewier appearance. One of the staples in my collection is the Tarte Maracuja Cheek Tint in the shade Deep Berry.