Concealer-aholic?

I'm one of those people that likes to cover all those pesky spots and blemishes over a bold lip and busy eye makeup anyday. I feel like if you don't have a good concealer, well its just not the same, at least I tell myself that to justify spending yet more money on base makeup, more importantly concealers! I know everyone swears by the Collection concealer and to some extent I do too but I wanted to branch out a little incase I'm missing out on something wonderful AND I hadn't owned a high end concealer so I thought I'd go all out and buy two at the one time....  

The two I decided on are actually quite similar as there both creamy and without a wand, the first was the MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC15 and the second was Benefit's Boi-ing Concealer in 'Light'. Now I'm usually not an NC at all in MAC, I'm a NW but this actually works on my skin, having pinky undertone foundation and concealer would probably be a bit too pink, so this balances everything out nicely. The Benefit one doesn't go by undertones, instead it just uses the usual light, medium, dark and of course I'm light, if there was an extra light I would probably be that.  

At first I wasn't sold on the potted concealer as such, opting for a wand everytime just for handiness but after loving my 17 phwoarrr paint I realised they aren't actually too bad, in fact they were easier and I found myself reaching for that more often than my ordinary wand concealers as the coverage was just as good, if not better and it included a little mirror so I'm hoping I'll adore these two just as much, I don't fancy using my fingers, especially as the warmer weathers approaching, they'll probably melt slightly but by using a smaller brush I'm hoping they'll blend like a dream and give me the coverage that I really need, I'm sure I'll share my feelings on them at some point, I always do :)

The only major thing I noticed about these two is that the Mac concealer has a lot more product (7g) compared to the Benefit concealer which has (3g), now for the record Benefit's is slightly more expensive around the £17/18 mark whereas MAC ranges around £15/16 so its a lot less for your moneys worth and I actually prefer the lid on the MAC concealer as theres no chance of it falling off, hopefully it won't make a difference to the product inside and I can't wait to get using them both. (It's almost as if I'm asking for bad skin to test them out, I promise I'm not)  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s has anyone tried these two? or any other high end concealers that they love? 

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March Beauty Favourites

Somehow I've only gotten round to doing my first favourite post of the year, and we're three, well four months in... what can I say this year has started off crazy and hasn't slowed down since, its been all systems go and sadly blogging has fallen by the wayside as a result. This month however thats going to change, no it needs to, I miss blogging. I'm inspired and can't wait to write some new posts  & you bet as soon as I get some proper lighting I'll be getting my routine back up and running, so as a sort of apology, here's my March beauty favourites.....      

As its coming into Spring (well meant to be, we'll ignore the thunder storms outside for the sake of this post) I like to switch things about and although I'm usually a full coverage, matte kind of gal I like to wear as light a base as possible when the suns out, praying my skin isn't acting up and making me self conscious (big tip: drink as much water as you can, clears your skin up in no time), last summer BB cream was my best friend. 

I'm sort of in the middle of mixing up my foundation routine and also just wearing concealer a lot of the time so thats why I haven't featured any this month but primers a different story. I've been switching between two primers as of late, to combat the shine, the well loved Benefit Porefessional which just so happens to keep my skin looking fresh all day and the second being the 17 wow three way highlight which I didn't think would be my cup of tea at all. I simply mix a little in with my foundation and it creates the perfect healthy glow. 

Lips and blush are the main switch in the spring/summer seasons, they're a must. Is it just me or do baby pinks just scream spring? The two lip favourites I've been loving is an Urban Decay revoloution lipstick in Streak which I bought late last year in the summer but never really got the benefit from because in no time it was time for the Autumn shades. It's a brighter pink than I'm used to but it's not too Barbie-esque either so I'm hoping I get my my use out of it this year, the formulas really creamy and it actually lasts quite a while. I've also featured one of my favourite MAC lipsticks, please me, it's matte (I couldn't stray from the matte too much) and is the most gorgeous everyday baby pink. 

Lastly I've been loving my Illamasqua powder blush in 'Hussy' which I always manage to forget about, its a really lovely colour and honestly I should probably put it on my dresser to make a conscious effort to use it! So that's it for March, I know I usually do two favourites post, beauty and non beauty but I haven't loved anything overly non beauty so I'll make up for it in Aprils posts. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what have you been loving through March, beauty or non beauty? 

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Highlighters: Drugstore vs High End

Highlighters; if you'd have asked me a year ago were a bit of a hit and miss, flash forward a year and I don't feel complete going out of the house without applying some - oh how things change! At first I didn't know where to start - torn between the big question: drugstore or high end? I'd used a highlighter in my sleek face form palette but it wasn't too pigmented so I was dying to try something a bit more glitter-y and ended up with these two little gems, one high end, one drugstore so I thought I'd do a comparison post or 'mini review' of them since my last one went down so well :)

L-R: MUA Undress Your Skin & MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft&Gentle

After lusting over the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle for what seems like years I finally picked up the courage to put it in my shopping basket and I haven't regretted it since. At the time I wasn't too interested in Lightscapade which is for the paler gals because I thought Soft&Gentle would be slightly darker for the summer months - turns out its not dark at all and produces the nicest shimmer once applied. I wouldn't advise applying a lot to avoid a disco ball scenario, its that pigmented but a light dusting definitely finishes everything off perfectly and brightens up any makeup look in the morning, even if you are faking the I'm wide awake look (something I seem to be doing more and more lately)  

Its definitely a staple in my makeup bag now and for the forseeable future, its hard not to, I mean it just looks so pretty and there's plenty of product so it'll last forever. The only bad thing is for some people its hefty-ish price tag and the newer MAC packaging which I'm not too keen on but aside from that its definitely worth it and if you're ooh-ing and ahh-ing in your head whether to try it or not, its a must or love at first swatch sort of thing. 

Theres plenty of alternatives around though and whilst wandering the drugstore aisles the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter caught my eye and I wondered if it would be just as good as the MAC version so of course into the basket it went. Its still a lovely product don't get me wrong but I feel you have to use twice as much product to get the desired effect. For the price, being what it is, somewhere around the £2/3 mark you can definitely afford a replacement but it just doesn't seem to have the same impact in regards to setting my makeup, 

I think if I hadn't of tried the Mac alternative and had nothing to compare it to, I would have been perfectly happy. The packaging again has a clear lid so its easy to grab in a rush, has an intricate pattern and is a lot paler in colour so if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to the MSF this is definitely a contender. Otherwise if you want to splurge the Mac version is definitely deserving of the hype it gets and it'll definitely be well loved for a long time especially as Spring and Summer are fast approaching! So there you have it, two lovely offerings, two completely different price tags, its up to you :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what highlighters are you loving/love? I'm having a highlighter phase, definitely!

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MAC Eyeshadow Duo: Review & Swatches

L-R Omega and Charcoal Brown

I'm not a brow kinda gal, lipsticks yes, blushers yes, brow products not so much. I'm not able to run out of he house without fixing them a little don't get me wrong but spending twenty minutes on one instead of lying in bed? I don't think so! At the minute I use an eyebrow pencil to shape my brows & then apply some eyeshadow to fill them out a little which gives a natural look but lately I just wanted to mix things up a little. I had had my eye on MAC's omega eyeshadow for a long time because of its perfect colour match for blonde haired girls and let me tell you thats a real struggle. 

Since completely my MAC quad (post here) I'd also wanted to fill a duo because the're adorably sized and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to fill a quad again so I knew Omega was a must for it. The duo I had in mind then turned in a brow duo as the second shade I picked up was Charcoal Brown, now you're probably wondering why I picked something so dark but truth is I'm debating dying my hair darker again and so this shade will come in handy. I've also read a lot of reviews about Charcoal Brown saying how well loved it is so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If I do manage to dye my hair blonde-er again (I really am in two minds) then it'll double up as a nice crease colour too.  

From first swatches the shadows are incredibly pigmented and gorgeous neutral colours to add to my collection, I haven't used them for my brows yet but now that I've taken photos (bloggers rule) I'll be sure to jump to it. I'll also post a little update in the future to let you know how good they are! I'm just really happy that I can carry them around with me even in the smallest of clutches and lets face it, who doesn't need two more MAC eyeshadows? Its like an addiction

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what kind of brow products do you use: powder or pencil? 

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High End Haul

I'm probably not the only one with a wishlist as long as my arm but at the start of the year and end of 2014, there were too many sales and bargains to resist purchasing a few things as a little treat. Wonderful news for me, terrible for my bank account. Anywho most of the things I actually ordered were beauty related, are you surprised and then the odd perfume chucked in for good measure and I already love them to pieces so I thought I'd put together a little haul post since they're one of my favourites to read!  

Ever since I purchased my YSL rouge volupte shine lipstick in the summer I've been dying to try more from their makeup range, it all looks absolutely stunning in its gold packaging and that's the only excuse I have. I'd heard plenty about the touché éclat from other bloggers and beauty lovers but I hadn't convinced myself that I really needed it or could justify the price tag, prettiness aside. However when Feel Unique had a cheeky offer on I managed to snatch it up for less than £20 which I was quite proud of. 

The second YSL purchase was the YSL baby doll mascara set, I really wanted to try this and it's usually around the £25 mark so when I saw the set in Boots for £15 I knew it was meant to be, so I not only got the mascara for a bargainous price but also a sample sized makeup remover too! I thought I'd include this as well as I finished my Mac duo over the last week or two but that's a separate post and I couldn't be happier that it's finished and ready to use! It's just so cute and makeup bag friendly. 

Christmas is also just a time for gift sets which are often great value so when I saw the Benefit all about prime on offer, I needed it, not only has the porefessional been top of my wishlist for a long time but it also included a skincare sample too. I'm questioning why I didn't get round to purchasing it sooner actually and I'm so eager to try it. Lastly I bought the One Direction You & I perfume gift set which smells incredible, I own their our moment fragrance and loved it so thought it would be right to get their other fragrance too and the bottle looks soonnice sitting on top of my dresser. I actually bought this without realising it was the 50ml bottle but I'm not complaining :) this may not seem like too much but they're  some nice additions to my makeup collection, I should probably put myself on a spending bank now but I hope you enjoyed reading :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what things have you all been buying lately? 

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2015 Essentials Wishlist

It feels like its been a while since I've sat and made a new post, what can I say this past week has been an absolute whirlwind and I haven't had any time to sleep let alone blog but I've given myself a good old slap on the wrist and I'm positive that it won't happen again - at least two times a week is the aim for now. I'm actually writing this via free train wifi on the way to Uni, it's usually unreliable but for now its holding up so hope you enjoy this little wishlist of mine :)

As of Monday this week I'm back to commuting daily meaning long train journeys and very early mornings, sounds great right? I commuted to uni in first year which is roughly the same journey but I wasn't prepared at all so now I'm determined to be.

 An essential for any early start is a good concealer and lately all of my own aren't cutting it, now I rarely get the odd bag under my eyes and then I'd have a long rest and it'f gone so since I've been waking up early (5am for five days straight) I can really notice the prominent dark circles and I'm not liking it at all. I really need a good heavy duty concealer and I've been eyeing up the nars creamy concealer for a while so when I asked on Twitter for a few recommendations I ended up with a bunch including benefit and Estée Lauder. 

I definitely have a neutral theme going on at the minute, nude lips & blushes and I'm embracing it. I convinced myself I needed new lipsticks for work and we all know Mac is the place to go for colour range so I might treat myself to a nude lipstick (oh and one of their lip liners). Nars also do some amazing products but sadly I've never tried any of them so that's going to change in 2015, I really want to try one of their lip pencils and of course the infamous blushes are high up on the wishlist. Stila also has a few lovely shades in their colour convertible range and this shade I've just fallen for - it's a bit of an unusual one for me but still stunning. 

The following may be a little boring but these are the travel essentials, headphones because no journey is complete without an iPod, sadly mine have given up in one of the ears so I'll have to pick up another pair as soon as. Also I've a lot more to travel with and charge so a portable charger seems blooming ideal for my iPod, iPad, iphone, you name it so it seems pretty important and I'm surprised I don't own one of these already. Next I really want to update my iPad cover and iPhone case, every few months you just need a little switch up so I'm on the look out for a few so if anyone can recommend any pretty ones, please send links my way. Lastly an umbrella is a must, if you know northern irish weather it's bloody unpredictable and 95% of the time it rains - I've lost count of how many umbrellas I've actually gone through, I've such bad luck with them! 

As for fashion bits and bobs scarves are my best friend at this time of year and luckily I've built up quite a collection of scarves and cuddly jumpers (usually baggy) but hats not so much. A bobble hat on a bad hair day or even just a cold day is a life saver and I've got so much use out of mine lately but I've only one colour so I really want to pick a few up before they're gone for another year. Lastly solid boots are a must, I don't want wet socks from walking through too many puddles, ew. All of these are pretty sensible choices for me and would you look at that only half of the things mentioned are beauty related, I'm learning! Hope you enjoyed reading this one and I promise I won't leave it weeks before posting again :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what travel essentials are a must for you? Also if you do have any concealer or phone/iPad case recommendations please leave them in the comments or tweet me, I'm at @JennysEveryday_

The Perfect MAC Quad: A Nude Lovers Heaven

For a while I've been obsessed with reading, studying, swatching the extensive range of MAC eyeshadow shades (trust me theres alot) and reading/watching blog posts and youtube videos to try and narrow them down. I knew I wanted to make my own quad way back but I could never decide which shades to fill it with, which was a lot of hard work in itself but I finally narrowed it down, finished my quad and now I thought I'd share it because honestly its my new baby and probably will be for a long time!

Front: Woodwinked. Back: Cork

I know a lot of people opt for a 15 pan palette but honestly I could never see myself filling it or I'd end up just buying for the sake of it and that would be extremely pricey in the end so I thought a quad or a 4 pan would suit better and I can always buy/fill another in the future if I want. I'm a neutral junkie so obviously this palette was going to fit that trend but I feel as if I've created a versatile bunch which I can pop in my handbag and travel off anywhere with - I told you the quad comes in handy. I also quite like the fact the packaging is clear at the front so you can see exactly what you're grabbing in a rush.

The first shade I knew I had to have was a highlight colour for the inner corner or my eye or as a highlight on my brow bone for those days when I have the time (read:energy) to do that. It really does make all the difference to a look. I was contemplating Vanilla but that would have been even paler. Nylon is a pale gold with a little shimmer in it so it works, adding a little bit of warmth with it.

The second shadow is an all time blogger favourite: All That Glitters. I'd heard so many wonderful things about this shade and I was desperate to have it once I'd swatched. It's a stunning rose gold shade that I'm sure looks ten times better sweeped over the eyes instead of just in the pan, I'll keep you updated on that though.The third choice was Cork, a muted golden brown (bottom left). I needed a matte brown in my palette for the crease and such when I'm having a natural makeup day aka always and Cork just seemed like the perfect choice - not too light, not too dark so I'm excited to have it as a staple in my quad.

 Lastly but not least I picked up my final shade Woodwinked, again another classic MAC shade which is described as a 'warm antique gold', to me it looks like a shimmery brown but thats why I'm not a mua. It looks stunning as well, similarly to All That Glitters and I could imagine it looking amazing just with a quick sweep over the lid. Its slightly darker than Cork so I feel like I have all ends of the spectrum covered with my little palette but then again, you can never have too many eyeshadows so I might just start again and build a new quad oops. Hope you enjoyed it, I love reading these sort of mac palette posts and getting inspiration so please send me some links if you've a similar post.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what's your favourite MAC eyeshadow shade of all time? 

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December Beauty Favourites

Its hard to believe this is my last beauty favourites of the year so I thought I'd try and end on a high, it's also the most colourful bunch of favourites I think I've shown in the one post, what a joke. All of my favourites are actually old beauty products that I've fallen back in love with, there's absolutely no new things, I think thats also due to the fact I tried to save my money for Christmas presents and parties and the like and not on me - I couldn't justify the spend so yeah heres my December faves... 

My ultimate favourite which will be probably featured in every favourites post I write for the next year (well, maybe not a year but you get the picture) is my personal MAC quad - I'm actually going to write up an individual post about this but I really wanted to stick to neutral colours because lets face it thats as experimental as I get and I love all four of these shades to bits. Another thing that I'd forgotten about was my Collection concealer and I didn't even think that could happen, I lost my old tube and bought a replacement and lost that too so I was making do with lighter coverage concealers I had but it just wasn't the same so when I found it, eventually, you can imagine how happy I was!

Rebel is another firm favourite of the month, red lips definitely scream Christmas so for the days when I wanted a bold lip but not too bold I was reaching for this - nothing beats a berry shade and I'm so glad that I have this as a go to! I've also more recently been reaching for a lighter base - this is more for work when I really can't be bothered but don't want a full face of makeup and no matter how many times I'd tried it in the past the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation just didn't give me the coverage I needed but I tried using a different foundation brush and it just seemed to work so I've been applying this to my face at every opportunity since.

This sort of ties in with my last favourite and if you read my post a while back you'll know I ordered a bunch of brushes off Ebay and I haven't been using anything else since, no joke. They're mainly for applying foundation but even still, I might just have to buy a few more. So there's my beauty favourites over with for 2014, hope you enjoyed them :)  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what beauty things have you loved this month?

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Blogmas Day 23: A Festive Lip

Throughout the year you're lucky if you find me wearing anything relatively bold on my lips & apart from the odd pink its mainly nudes, my ways are changing but come A/W I jump at the chance to wear the boldest colours in my collection (I say bold, but I'm not brave enough to rock deep purple/black, probably ever) such as berrys, purples and reds. I love a classic red at Christmas as it just makes my simple makeup pop and really gets me feeling festive - this year I've been rocking it whilst shopping and I'm loving it - I think that may have something to do with my latest MAC purchase and a certain Russian Red lipstick though.....  

If you read my most recent haul post here, you'll know I picked up two lipsticks from MAC, one an everyday pink and the other red. I realised I had no matte reds in my collection that weren't completely drying and I thought this would be the perfect solution. I was caught between Russian Red and MAC Ruby Woo and in the end decided that the less drying one would be best! I thought it would be too bold for everyday wear and I'd have to use it for night time instead but surprisingly its not too in your face for during the day and I've wore it a lot whilst shopping in the run up to Christmas and visiting the Chistmas market (read: mainly eating). 

The lasting power is superb, as I said I've been eating a lot whilst wearing this and instead of it rubbing off its stayed put which is seriously impressive. The pigmentation is also amazing on this certain lipstick as with all MAC lipsticks (the photo doesn't do it justice where it looks more pink than red but it isn't) and has the typical vanilla mac smell which I love too. Although its one of the matte formulas it actually feels creamy on application and has a sort of shine to it when on the lips rather than just normal matte and its a colour that'll never be out of fashion. In fact I think it'll be repurchased for my collection for years to come, its just a lovely lipstick thats timeless. I would definitely recommend it to all as it seems to suit most skin tones perfectly or even giving it a swatch next time you're near a MAC counter, now all I need is a red lipliner and I'm set. 

My MAC lipstick collection is definitely growing slowly but steadily and I'm so happy to have a red in there as a staple.... I might even have to get a new lipstick holder, oh the problems of a beauty lover. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s Whats your favourite MAC lipstick? I need to get my hands on some more. 

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Weekly Ramble #6

This weeks been a bit of a hectic one, work, work, blogging, work and trying to fit in some shopping, unluckily the shopping has had to be done online but I'm hoping to properly go Christmas shopping this week! I've been absolutely loving Vlogmas & Blogmas this year and so far I've managed (counting today) to post 6 days out of 7 - a complete success! I haven't posted one of these Sunday rambles in a while but I thought I'd update you all on this busy time of year.... 

Took a trip to the Christmas market - it's become a yearly tradition and I love it. Its always so festive and there's such a nice atmosphere - I still haven't braved a kangeroo burger or crocodile dish but who knows there's time still. A nice crepe and paella will do me fine until :)

Ate my own weight in chocolate (its seasonal so it's acceptable) and finally got round to seeing Mockingjay - the film was blooming brilliant and I'm so glad I'd already read the books to find out what happens in part 2, talk about a cliffhanger? If you haven't seen it, you really need to! 

May have slipped and made a huge-ish MAC order which is due to arrive sometime this week, in fairness I needed to finish my quad (so I could ask Santa for a new one) and a few other things just happened to fall in my basket, oh no! 

Finally purchased my Christmas cards for this year and I'm so excited to write out little messages and send them to my friends. I'm also sending cards to my readers, I think I wrote about it a few days back if you're interested but these cards are literally adorable and I love them - the green envelopes are such a nice finishing touch too!

So a busy week and next week will probably be the same if not more but I'm going to keep at Blogmas so keep an eye out for my new posts! I also managed to track down new batteries for my camera so my photos will no longer be of terrible quality, thank goodness! 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s What have you been up to this week? I'm so excited for Christmas already!

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MAC Mineralize Eyeshadows

With Christmas being everywhere and the Halloween holidays this week (heck the clocks have even went back) I thought it was time for me to start thinking (not buying, thinking) about what I should buy my friends and family as presents. There's always so much choice and its hard to pick out what they would absolutely love, I've even taken to Polyvore to create ideas - something I still haven't got to grips with yet! One of my friends is MAC obsessed (though who isn't?) and I thought this eyeshadow was a cute little something something for a stocking filler. 

This is the MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad in Golden Hours and as soon as I saw it I knew my friend would love it, any makeup that's neutral and perfect for daily use is just her cup of tea - so you can see why four nude eyeshadows and MAC ones at that seemed ideal as a pressie. Now I did buy this online so I expected it to be slightly larger than what it is but nevertheless its still a lovely product!

As I said theres 4 nude shades, one cream, one orange-y toned, a lighter brown and a darker brown eyeshadow and depending on how you feel you can have a simple wash of colour throughout the day and a darker brown smokey eye at night - all without having to bring half of your makeup collection (maybe thats just me) and its ever so handy to pop in the makeup bag. Upon first swatch these eyeshadows are super pigmented with a slight shimmer and although I'm not the biggest shimmer fan they're gorgeous! I'm even tempted to buy myself one....

These mineralize eyeshadow quads were originally a part of the Fantasy of Flowers Collection released earlier this year but when the collection was released I didn't pay any attention to the eyeshadows and they received barely any hype when they deserve it. I always find in MAC collections the lipsticks and blushes get all the loving (and I'm guilty of it too). This quad in the newer MAC packaging and I'm not sure whether I love it or miss the older version, I know a lot of bloggers prefer the newer version as you can see the product that you're reaching for - who knows maybe it'll grow on me. All in all, its a lovely product and I can't wait to see my friends reaction when she unwraps it :) I always want to apologize (as a side note) for my blogging being a bit awol this month but Novembers going to be much better, promise!

  Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.S Have you given any thought towards Christmas presents yet? Or let me know what MAC eyeshadows you can't live without?

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September Favourites

September has been and gone so quickly and Octobers right around the corner, that and with being on a spending ban (you can read about it here) I've had more time this month to have a good old hoke around in my room and use things that I would have previously forgotten about. Now I'm usually all for two favourite posts: beauty & non beauty but this month I'm combining them, I just haven't loved that much, plus I've been enjoying a few days away from blogging and finding new inspiration for posts but next month, I promise two posts.

The first favourite and probably the best of the month is The Maze Runner by James Dashner, I really wanted to read this before the movie comes out, nine times out of ten I can't read the book after I've seen the movie because then it sort of spoils the book, I like reading everything for the first time and getting lost in it all. I'm about halfway through at the minute and then I'll be on to book two, The Scorch Trails but I'm really liking it so far and its making me more excited for the movie which comes out next week I think, starring Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf fans will relate, what a cutie), Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter and Thomas Sangster - fab casting!

Also on the non beauty front I've been using the Soap and Glory Flake Away travel sized tub to use it all up, it smells amazing, S&G know their scents and the product works wonders as an exfoliator. In fact when its used up completely (theres a little bit left atm) I might just have to pick up the bigger sized tub from Boots. My everyday go to perfume has been One Direction's Our Moment, I have too many perfumes to be normal and I'm trying to use them all up and this I've discovered is one of my favourites. It's the cutest bottle and has a fruity scent which I can't stop spritzing everywhere and I'm sure once I smell it their latest perfume You and I will be on the Christmas list ;) Another favourite of the month related to One Direction is their two newest songs released this month from their upcoming album FOUR, Fireproof and Steal My Girl, they're both a bit folky but I love them and if you haven't heard them, have a listen on Youtube :)

As for Beauty favorites I've been loving pink, can you tell? The Revlon kissable balm stain in Honey is so well loved all the packaging has rubbed off, I simply apply this right before I leave the house and I don't have to worry about it ending up all over the place, it stays put all day, isn't drying and is just an all round nice nude-y colour. My second lipstick is more of a coral-ly, its Crosswires by MAC, it has the classic mac smell which makes it amazing in itsef and although I wasn't too sure about the colour originally I absolutely love it once its applied and it hasn't been off my lips since, well worth a swatch. From MAC I've also been using their prep+prime skin visage sample and I've noticed a massive difference in my makeup, my opinion on primers has changed thanks to this little one and lastly on my nails I've had MUA's nail polish in Ameretto Crush and for a £1 I can't fault this, it hasn't chipped and I've had it on for a good few days and its a nice colour, I just don't feel like its time to crack out the purples and blacks yet - hopefully this sunshine lasts a bit longer, anyways thats all my favourites for this month :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s What have you been loving through September, beauty, books, tv shows, new songs?

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Perfect for Pale Skin: MAC Studio Fix NW10 Review

My Perfect Foundation for Pale Skin post link aka the Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NW10 was posted about a month ago & I promised I'd review it once I'd used it for a while so alas here we are. It's probably the closest match to my skin tone out of the hundreds all the foundations I've tried so far and it would be perfect for all those other pale girls out there. After wearing it once and having a makeup artist flawlessly blend it in, it isn't quite the same so after a few weeks and a lot of use, here we are! 

I knew right away I was NW as I definitely have more pinky undertones but as for the colour match I hadn't a clue, after watching and reading so many reviews I thought I would be able to get away with NW15 (at the time that was the lightest shade) but after looking at it in the shop I realised if I had of bought it online I would have been rocking the whole 'my face is orange' look. Between NW10 and NW13 we decided I was NW10 so that's what I happily walked away with. 

In my last post I compared it to the Rimmel Match Perfection but they're only similar in terms of colour match for me, formula wise they're completely different. The MAC studio fix is a medium to full coverage meaning I can build it up for those bad skin days or let my skin breathe a little and only have a medium coverage, either way it looks amazing. I had always applied foundation with my fingers (they were clean, it was fine) for a more natural look but I've found a brush actually works better applying this and I use my trusty Real Techniques expert face brush (what a life saver) and therefore there's no mess, it applies beautifully and I'm done in no time.  

The foundation luckily doesn't oxidise which I hate foundations doing and stays true to the colour it was when you left the house that morning, no unpleasant surprises mid afternoon when you look in the mirror. It also has a SPF of 15, perfect for summer, applies fairly matte and would suit a range of skin types because of it being fairly matte. The only downside of this foundation is it doesn't come with a pump, I made the decision to buy one with mine but I know my Estee Lauder Double Wear is a real nuisance without one and it's nine times out of ten so wasteful of the foundation itself, so tip of the day, buy a pump! 

As for the foundation I think you can all tell I love it, in fact its probably my favourite at the minute, it's a tie between this and the Bourjois Healthy Mix but I can't wait to wear it through the autumn and winter months as well. All in all if you're looking for a new pale foundation, give this a swatch next time you're near a MAC counter, you won't be disappointed and its so worth its £21 price tag.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s whats your favourite paler foundations?

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August Beauty Favourites

Although I'm upset about summer coming to an end & all that, I can't help but be excited for the Autumn months right around the corner, one of my favourite times of year! It seems crazy that another month has flew in again but after posting my non beauty favourites throughout the week (link here) I realised that I hadn't posted my beauty favourites - probably the more important of the two, so here's my august beauty favourites! 

My all time favourite this month has to be my MAC studio fix, now I know I'm seriously late to the party with this one but now I'm hooked. I usually tend to wear more drugstore foundations on a day to day basis because let's face it, there a lot easier to replace but with the studio fix I can't help myself, I look at all my foundations to choose one and this still comes up top. I'm also posting a review about this next week (that's why I'm trying not to go into too much detail). With any foundation you need a good concealer and for this month I've been using my 17 phwoarrr paint, so much so that I've hit pan! It's much easier to use in the summer months because the heat melts it slightly and makes it easier to apply, compared to normal when to you have to melt it yourself.

During summer everyone has the bronzed and glowing look (whether it be real or fake) and so bronzers are a girls best friend. I've been alternating between two depending on whether I want a subtle or more noticeable look. The first bronzer is The Body Shops Honey Bronzer in the shade light, for once I'm not the lightest shade! And it's wonderful, I love the packaging, the detail on the bronzer itself and of course the product - it provides a very natural bronzed look to my cheeks, just what I need for days I don't feel awake yet. The second bronzer was one that had been lying in the back of my makeup drawer, the Natural Collection Bronzing Pearls but I've found that these act as a bronzer/highlighter in one and a light swirl of this just finishes off my look perfectly.

As you know I've an on/off relationship with the Maybelline Brow Drama but this month we've been getting along and instead of stressing over what way my eyebrows look I've just been using this and I don't have that worry - it sorts them right out. I also repurchased my Collection felt eyeliner and because I can apply it without looking like a panda I've been opting for this a lot on my eyes as it makes them look bigger and more awake. Lastly I've been loving my Kate Moss lipstick in 03, I'm not usually a nude lip sort of person but this lipstick is just a really nice colour and I don't have to panic about it going anywhere through the day - amazing! So that's my beauty favourites done, hope you enjoyed it :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s What've you been loving throughout August? 

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The Perfect Foundation for Pale Skin

Over the past, well probably since just before Christmas I've joined the MAC bandwagon and can't seem to get enough of their products, the only downside to this being there is only one stand in the whole of Northern Ireland & its always packed to the rafters so instead of standing around waiting to be colour matched I've managed to live without their foundation and concealer. MAC open another counter, please! 

However when I went to Dublin there was a MAC shop, a rare sight to see so I took advantage and got myself matched. The girl who I was talking to was nothing but friendly and asked me about all of my preferences etc and then instead of just matching colours on my neck which I thought was the case she sat me down on one of the stools, took all my makeup off, tested two different foundations and then redid my makeup for me. It was a bit of a nuisance (I was having a good makeup day and it all had to go) but the MAC Studio Fix made my skin look flawless so I could live with it. 

Now I know I'm pale with pink undertones so I'm NW in MAC but I wasn't sure which NW, ages ago I was tempted to buy a foundation online, I think NW15 without getting matched but now I'm so glad that I didn't - it would have made me look orange I'm sure! She tried both NW10 and NW13 and the second was a smidge too dark so yes I'm the palest of pale NW10 and it matches my skin tone perfectly so lets hope they don't discontinue this one. 

This seems to be the closest match I've ever found to my skin tone apart from the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in shade 010 Light Porcelain but its a little to shear in coverage for my liking so I'll definitely give a review of this foundation in a few weeks once I've used it a few times more :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s if anyone knows of any pale foundations, please let me know? They're impossible to find! Also what do you think of the bright, magazine background, is it nicer than a plain one?

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Higher End Haul

For the past month or so I've been trying to avoid going shopping in town & reel in my spending a little, saying that theres nothing like online shopping and there have been some wonderful offers that I just couldn't ignore resulting in a largeish haul. Most of these thing were on offer so they weren't bought full price and the odd one or two were presents so I most definitely didn't rob a bank to buy it all but most of the beauty items had been on my wishlist for agesss so I could justify the splurge!

The first item, my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation I bought from a blog sale about a month ago and as I'd heard so many good things about it and it was £20 including p&p I just knew I had to have it and so far I absolutely love it. I'm actually writing a post including it and a mini review soon so keep an eye out for that one.

The second thing, was the YSL rouge volupté shine lipstick - for I don't know how long I've wanted to own a YSL lippy, they look gorgeous and ever so luxurious but I could never justify the £25 price tag, in fact I was deciding whether or not to get one with my Boots points but then Feel Unique had an amazing offer, £10 off if you spend over £25 so I snapped one up & technically this only cost me £15 #bargain and has now taken pride of place on my dresser.    

The third order was again using the Feel Unique code and I purchased the Urban Decay Basics Palette and an Urban Decay Revolution lipstick totalling £27, now I'm not the best at maths but £5 for an UD lipstick sounded pretty good to me. I chose the colour 'turn on', a lovely pinky shade and on a side note the lipsticks individual names are amazing, I hate the whole number instead of a name thing.

When I went to Glasgow there was a Benefit stand on the boat and as I hadn't owned anything from there I just had a look around and my dad kindly bought me the Benefit bad gal duo - I know theres a lot of hype about the Benefit they're real mascara but this one not so much so I'll let you know if I get on with it or not. 

Lastly Debenhams had a £5 off all lipsticks for National Lipstick Day and I might not have been quick enough to get the shades that I wanted before they sold out, bear in mind it was two in the afternoon but I did manage to pick up 2 M.A.C lipsticks for my collection, Crosswires and the famous Rebel (which is being set aside for the autumn months) and then a Urban Decay lipstick in Bang because I own no red lipsticks - which is crazy. It was basically a 3 for 2, since two lipsticks came to the price of three and I love a good bargain. 

Since buying all of this I'm now putting myself on a spending ban for a bit, I think I need one lol! Let me know if you've tried any of these things or bought any nice things lately?

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

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Monthly Favourites: July

July seems to have passed in the blink of an eye and for some odd reason I haven't posted a monthly favourites since May so this was definitely long overdue! Oddly enough I've tried to reign in the whole money spending thing (& I've been making the most of the sun for once - not shopping, shock horror) and as a result I've fell in love with things I'd forgotten about all over again. 

At the start of the month if you've read this post of mine (link here) you'll know I picked up the sample sized Clinique High Impact Mascara featured in Glamour and at first I was seriously dissappointed, there was barely any difference in my eyelashes at all and I'd lost hope a little. I decided that I must have just been having an off day and tried another few times with it but it still does nothing to to the top lashes, only working wonders on the bottom. I wonder if this is just the sample sized that has this problem but at least I know now the full size is not for me. 

Theres a theme for all the things I've been wearing lately - matte, light, simple and long lasting, as worrying about your makeup melting off your face is not top of the priority list, you want something that's going to stay in place and this is where MAC's painterly paint pot comes in. I went on a daytrip to Glasgow in July and applied this at 5am and at 10pm when I came home, it was still sitting perfectly - talk about long lasting. Its so easy to apply, doesn't need a lot of product and just gives a lovely even colour on your lid.

I also realised I had a fair few mascaras in my collection that weren't being used so I've decided to use them up before I buy anymore and the L'oreal Miss Manga mascara is one of them. I loved this when it was first released and then for some reason forgot about it, I wish I hadn't have. It really does give my eyes that extra definition, lengthening and volumising my lashes. It lasts all day, doesn't clump and honestly it might just have to be repurchased.  

As for lips the Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 101 hasn't been off my lips, its a gorgeous blue toned pink great for everyday wear and it definitely lasts all day (even after eating!). Lastly for beauty/skincare related items is After Sun, we had 2 weeks of scorching sun, completely unusual for us but being the paleish person that I am, my face shoulders and arms got a bit of colour for which after sun was my saviour. This Garnier one was left over from when I went on holiday in April but I love the smell, all after sun in general just smells absolutely amazing and they all basically double up as a moisturiser too. 

Lastly I've been loving 5sos' and Ed Sheerans new albums this month and also my favourite American shows Pretty Little Liars and Teen Wolf, the new series' started back in June and I've been hooked ever since. If you haven't watched either of them I seriously recommend them :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what have you been loving through July?

Mac Haul

Every so often its nice to indulge a little and since a couple of weeks ago I got my University exam results for second year and they turned out to be a lot better than I expected (thank goodness) I thought what better way to celebrate than treat myself to a few MAC goodies. 

Although I love MAC makeup I've only just started collecting bits and pieces every now and again - student budgets aren't exactly the biggest! However everyone, their mother and their cat I'm pretty sure raves about MAC's mineralize skin finish in Soft & Gentle, thee perfect highlighter and for whatever crazy reason I hadn't actually got round to purchasing it until now - shock horror and when the package arrived I was over the moon and ever so excited to try it out! 

A lot of mac products have been given a revamp lately (well they're packaging has) and this was in the newer style, its a bit odd not having the traditional packaging as this doesn't have a clasp - a little annoying if you're in a rush and trying to open things but nothing much can be done about that. I'm pretty sure this will keep me going for years with the products dome shape holding a heck of a lot of highlight. I'm pretty sure everyone has seen swatches or read about a billion reviews about the MSF so I'll not keep rambling, this is more of a haul than a review but who knows in the future I might post one, keep your eyes open! What else can I say, ts just the most gorgeous shimmery colour and superbly pigmented, love at first swatch basically. 

Way back I also purchased a quad and since then had forgot that I only had one eyeshadow sitting in it all on its lonesome and decided it was time to purchase a friend for it. I love neutral shades and it was a no brainer that I wanted to add All That Glitters, an all time favourite of practically everyone to my collection. When I was taking the photos of these two I actually realised that the eyeshadow is very similar in colour to Soft & Gentle just less highlightery of course! 

Thank for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what mac products are well loved or a must have in your collection?