Lip Balm Loving: Nuxe

Something I've always been lacking in life is an utterly amazing lip balm that just blows all the rest out of the water, babylips tried and tested, other chapsticks tried, even the trusted vaseline (which has about twenty different uses) and none of them seem to do the trick: so when I heard about the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm I was a little sceptical. A month or two ago they launched their 20th Anniversary packaging and I decided to pick one up & give it a go since the packaging was even cuter than normal and my lips needed some tlc! (tmi, nearly)  

At first I thought the tub, although adorable was a little small for the price tag but as I've come to learn its not at all, I've been using it daily for a month and there isn't even a substantial dent in it, a little really does magically go a long way which I couldn't be more chuffed about! The red anniversary edition that I picked up smells distinctly of grapefruit which is very spring/summer orientated and I can't stop sniffing it - I'm not sure what the original smells like but I can imagine its just as nice.

The lip balm is primarily aimed at people with dry or damaged lips and it'll probably be a godsend in the A/W months (but thats a long time off yet) but even now applying some before bed gives my lips plenty of moisture and they feel more refreshed and healthy than they have done in ages, whenever I wake in the morning my lips are super soft and stay like that all day. I'm hoping that if I continue to use it, it will repair my lips completely and keep them nourished throughout the summer months.

The ingredients include honey, sunflower and shea butter & honestly they're the perfect combination because I probably couldn't live without this lip balm and thats saying a lot because I usually skipped the whole lip balm phase when applying makeup and just skipped to the lipstick/gloss/liner except for those matte days when you need a little something extra. As I mentioned its slightly pricier than other lip balms but its definitely worth it and I'm now converted, I'll definitely end up repurchasing, I just hope the Anniversay packaging stays around for a while!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s have you used any good lip balms lately or any that you absolutely swear by?

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Springs Arrived

I think its safe to say, Spring has sprung & I couldn't be happier! This was a bit of a spontaneous post this morning on the train and luckily enough I had the photographs to go alongside it in a draft, points for organisations please! This is a shorter post of mine just to welcome in the new season - the first few days of the month have been a bit dubious and just yesterday it was bloody freezing, wet, miserable and gale force winds yet this morning it's as if none of that even happened. 

Luckily enough from our kitchen window we've a view of over the city and it just so happened that whilst I was eating breakfast today the sun was rising so of course I snapped a picture and put in on Instagram (links on the side) if you want to have a nosey - definitely a nice start to the morning. What is it with the sun and lifting everyone's spirits? Usually the dreary train commuters in the morning are just that, dreary and today they were all positively beaming as if it was the height of summer. 

I decided to embrace the weather and ditch the boots & socks I've been wearing solidly since the end of Autumn to my new shoes which show ankle and have cut outs - how daring right? I then decided to put my most spring appropriate lipstick on, my prized YSL lipstick which is pictured above and although I'm not the biggest fan of shimmer, this isn't sticky or overdone, it's perfect! Sadly I left the sunglasses at home, which I'm sort of regretting now as I'm making that really unattractive squinty face when the suns in your eyes out of the train window  - luckily no one can see in! 

As soon as the sun arrives everyone embraces the colour and brights in their wardrobes (or pastels) and it's such a nice change, since my wardrobe is 95% monochrome, I just add a coloured cardigan or the like but still I try. I don't think it's warm enough for crop tops and short just yet but I like that we're on the way - sometimes it's nice to leave the coat at home! And also Easters right around the corner, that's definitely sneaked up on me, 2015s whizzing by and with working all summer I'll definitely be making the most of the sun we do have when I can it the weather has cheered me right up.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what's your favourite thing about Spring time?  

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Weekly Ramble #9

Well, this weeks been in simple words, a very sleep deprived week and if you read my last post you'll known I'm on the hunt for the perfect concealer for just that reason, any suggestions are welcome! I started my placement which was nerve-wracking and exciting all rolled into one and of course after me complaining for the past three months that we hadn't seen snow yet it came the one week I wasn't really feeling it, just my luck eh....

We had some unexpected snow and boy did it look pretty // I found in my stash and rekindled my love for my Urban Decay lipstick // The fluffy jumpers were out, any excuse really // I also ate my first creme egg of the year, its started. 

I though I'd insert a picture to let you see the snow, it wasn't too deep that you were confined to your house and snowed in but it was enough & if I didn't have to traipse about in it I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it a bit more, snowball fights anyone? I thought the snow and combination with the church were just too pretty not to instagram, even if it did mean getting a few looks from passing cars. The snows more or less gone but the bitter temperatures are still here unfortunately, the hats and gloves might be out for a while yet! 

I actually own two of Urban Decay revolution lipsticks but you wouldn't guess it. I haven't actually used them all that much, including a red that would have been perfect for Christmas time damn and they'd been lying at the bottom of my stash so when I came across them on the weekend I did a little happy dance that I've two more lip products again. The pink lipstick is much more suitable for day wear and its a lovely colour that I already know I'm going to wear to death and that's a big thing considering I would usually stray away from pinks.

Also as a result of the colder weather the fluffy jumpers and polo necks have been out, a lot. They're just so snugly and probably as close as I can get to wearing fluffy pyjamas or a onesie in public. I'm also trying to more experimental with my hair and instead of just leaving it in the mornings, I've been playing about and this morning it was a plait (that got caught in the rain and curled itself) but I swear it was a plait. Also I had my first creme egg of the year, I'm already seeing Easter eggs everywhere and I love it. The malteaser bunnies are also out too and I'm sure I'll be eating plenty over the next couple of weeks! They're heavenly. All in all, it's been a quiet but fun/hectic week :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what have you all been up to this past week, anything exciting?

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Topshop Makeup: Innocent

Believe it or not this is my first ever Topshop lipstick purchase, I haven't a clue why I haven't got round to picking one up before - maybe its just because I'm used to getting things in Boots and Superdrug instead and then by the time I actually get round to Topshop I've spent an awful lot of money and can't part with anymore #girlproblems but I did get round to it, eventually... 

When I was looking through my lipstick collection (its not that big really) I noticed a pattern - a lack of pink shades, this may be because I went through a 'I hate pink' phase and gravitated instead towards purples and darker pinks but even still I thought I had a couple more than I actually did. Therefore when I was browsing Topshops makeup section I knew right away that Innocent was the one for me, its one of Topshop's more well known lipsticks and its the perfect baby pink.

First of I love love love Topshop makeups packaging and I thought this photo with the background actually looked pretty cool, how very monochrome of me! I also like the fact that the shade and name is on the bottom of the lipstick so it makes your life ten times easier to pack your makeup bag in a rush. Usually I try and avoid light colours because I look washed out being as pale as I am but this is actually a really nice match, its a pinky nude that doesn't actually do that, thats definitely hard to find.   The lipstick formula itself is really creamy, lightweight and seems to last for ages giving a glossy finish to the lips and I'm really liking it. I'm definitely not going to leave it too long before I pick up my next lipstick from the range! 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s what do you think of Topshop lipstick range?  

Perfect Nudes

The other day I surprisingly made the discovery that I have no nude shades in my lipstick stash, now I know bolds and brights win over nude lips but I never thought I'd disowned them completely. With this in mind I practically ran towards my nearest Boots and low and behold the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks were having a bit of an offer so I selected my two favourite shades and suddenly felt a lot better about myself. I'm not too keen on barely noticeable nudes but just something thats a little more of a 'my lips but better' colour and luckily thats exactly what this is!  

Another shock to my system was that although I absolutely love the Kate Moss matte lipstick range I'd never owned any from the original Kate Moss line, shock horror! This particular shade '03' I've fallen in love with however, its as I said a my lips but better colour and a slightly peachy/brown nude which is quite different for me all together. The formula is creamy and moisturising and not drying in the slightest and I also like the fact that the packaging is the same as the matte lipsticks with the signature Kate logo.

The only downside is that the packaging is black like every other lipstick in my drawer nearly and so its hard to recognise in my collection - the bright red matte packaging is a lot more noticeable, maybe if they even brought out lighter packaging for the spring or summer months that would be nice. The lipstick however I can see no wrong with and I'm sure I'll pick a couple more up from the range soon enough. Also what do you think about the background, yay or nay? I quite like the white backgrounds on things but I get quite bored, how does anyone else feel about it? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Mad About Matte

This reviews definitely been a long time coming, I'm sorry! When I first got these little wonders I wanted to wait a while until I'd tried them all out numerous times and either fell in love with them or not. I kind of went a tad crazy with the photos as well but what can I say, the packaging is gorgeous.

When these first came out in the UK I wasn't that excited about the lacquer balms and to this day almost a month and a half later I'm ashamed to say there still isn't one in my collection. As a result when I saw the 3 for 2 in Boots I might have just went ahead and picked up 3 of the matte colour burst balms from Revlon in the nicest colours I could find (and there's a lot, lets just say I took my time in Boots swatching away). I didn't want shades that were that similar so out of the three, I picked a bright  blue based pink in the shade "Showy", a coral in the shade "Unapologetic" and a browny plum shade in "Sultry" - all of which are beautiful on the lips. The packaging of these little balms are great, complete with a twist up bottom aka no stressing over not carrying a sharpener with you at all times which is always a plus if you have an ever expanding makeup case weighing your handbag down. 

Normally I find matte lipsticks quite drying or needing a good bit of work before applying but these don't need anything of the sort - the formula is actually creamy and a safe go to in the mornings when your rushing around. The pigmentation is fabulous as with all other Revlon lip products and often only one application is needed and it keeps in place for hours and hours. Another real bonus is that is has a light peppermint smell, not too noticeable for those who aren't keen on the smell but noticeable enough if you do. I definitely think that everyone should have at least one of these as I've fallen in love with this product and will most likely be purchasing a fair few more from the range, plus with the colour choices there's something for everyone :)

Has anyone else tried any of the matte balms? Or the laquer? Should I finally take the plunge and pick one up? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Illamasqua Mini Haul

Over the past few weeks there have been far too many sales for my bank account to cope with and a few little things from Illamasqua just happened to catch my eye. As a result of no will power when it come to shopping I picked up a few items. I'd never tried anything from the brand before so I decided to get a range of things that you can never go wrong with or have enough of hence the mini haul for all you lovely readers. On a side note can I just mention how luxurious the packaging is? wow! 

I've also realised that I have quite a problem with taking photos, there seems to be hundreds on each of my blog posts I apologise.... I don't know how people can post with just one photo. Anyways I'd heard many great things about Illamasqua blushers and when I saw a variety of them on sale both cream and powder I decided to pop one in the basket. The one I chose is a powder blusher called Hussy and is a beautiful pinky shade perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months - blusher is a neglected makeup product in my makeup collection. I never buy any but I'm making a conscious effort to change this.

In keeping with the spring and summer thinking I saw this nail polish in Radium and knew it would look amazing with some colour, usually I wouldn't pick up such a bold colour but this just appealed to me. The lime green/illuminous look really isn't as scary in real life. Lastly I purchased two lipsticks, a dark pink/red shade in Magnetism which will be well suited on a night out for a classic look to an outfit and a bright pink in Immodest, which really isn't as bold as it is in the picture above for everyday summer wear.

Since I had to leave these products in their gorgeous packaging untouched until I could take these photos I haven't had a chance to use them yet but I'm sure as soon as I do a few reviews will be on their way. I've heard such great things about all the products and I'm sure I'll be converted from here on out. The packaging is enough to do it alone.

On a side note, do you think I should reduce the amount of photos in my blog posts or are they okay the way they are ? Oh and has anyone used any of these products or ones similar from Illamasqua?

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

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FOTD;

I thought I'd share with you lovely readers my FOTD, I was only popping into town for a few things and it was just one of those days when I had little time and didn't want to spend hours doing a full face of makeup. It also seemed a bit wasteful and for this reason I opted for a fairly quick and natural look. 

For my base I experimented a little and mixed together my Wake Me Up Foundation in shade 100 - Ivory and my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in the shade 51 to create a flawless base (I'll definitely be using this duo again in the future). I then used my Real Techniques powder brush to apply my Stay Matte powder just to make sure everything would stay in place and after that used the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzer on my cheeks to give them a pop of colour. I then used my MUA brow pencil in blonde to fill in my brows and after touched them up with the darkest shade of eyeshadow in my MUA heaven and earth palette - I cannot express just how handy this little palette is. I usually just apply eyeshadow and mascara in the mornings and eyeliner on a special occasion but strangely enough today I decided to go without eyeshadow and apply eyeliner instead, weird right. The one I applied along my upper lash line was my Collection 24 hour felt tip liner in black and then I applied a black pencil along my lower lash instead. Then for mascara I used the new L'oreal Miss Manga mascara which really makes all the difference to my natural lashes. And for lips I used my Babylips in Hydrate to ensure my lips were moisturised and then my Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Shade 101 - definitely keeping the neutral theme going on. (oh and I apologise for the topsy turvy photos but the landscape photos of my face just didn't show the make up at all).  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

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Beauty Haul

You know you have a problem when you go in to Boots to buy the Stay Matte Powder and you come out with a heck of a lot more. There's so many amazing offers across all of the brands at the minute and I couldn't help but be lured in yet again oops. 

When I walk around the drugstore I tend to forget about why I actually went in and get distracted by all of the other amazing products instead - I really should start making shopping lists. Firstly I picked up the MUA eyebrow pencil in blonde, this may seem a little odd since my hairs now been dyed brunette but strangely enough it still suits and does all an eyebrow pencil needs to do and more. I then saw a huge stand in Boots advertising the new LOreal Paris Miss Manga Mascara, this and the numerous adverts on my t.v (I'll blame them) made me pop it in my basket. My lashes are quite short so I'm always on the look out for something which will both lengthen and volumize them so here's hoping. Once I've used it a couple of times I'll be sure to post a review letting you lovely readers know whether its been a success or not.    

Also Rimmel in particular has loads of great offers on at the moment and I was able to repurchase my trusted Wake Me Up Foundation in the shade 100-Ivory as my one at present is definitely on it's way out with it being my everyday go to foundation and all. Then I popped in my basket the famous Stay Matte Powder (the one thing that I actually needed) - an essential for every makeup bag. Whilst at the stand I realised that although the foundation is one of my favourites I'd never tried the Wake Me Up Concealer and with it being £2 cheaper than normal I decided this would be a good time to, picking up the same shade as my foundation 'Ivory'. Since I was going a little concealer crazy I also picked up the MUA concealer stick in 'fair', I remember buying this months ago and I haven't a clue where it disappeared to so hopefully this one won't do the same. 

Finally I decided to purchase one of the new(ish) Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks. There was an offer in which these ever so popular lipsticks were only £4 something and when I popped in to the shops there were very little left, maybe I just picked the wrong day to go shopping. As there were so little I was only able to pick up one in the shade '180-Vintage Pink', it's the most amazing colour and it really stood out to me as a nice wearable everyday shade. I'm definitely going to purchase a few more of these and I'll be sure to write a little review when they've been tested out properly. 

So that's a couple of the things that I've picked up over the past week (I know its a lot but I got my student loan in and treated myself). Has anyone else been bought anything nice lately? Or any of the above products? Let me know :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo