FOTN | The Christmas Party Picks

So last week I attended the boyfriends annual Christmas do, and its safe to say that I dressed to impress. Unlike my own Christmas Parties (the last one consisted of me and my beautiful chum making fools of ourselves, and cutting the night short after consuming one too many glasses bottles of wine), where I will happily waltz out the door in my favourite LBD and an everyday makeup look (its safe to say its no sophisticated soiree), I felt it was only right to dress for the occasion, starting with the all important Christmas Party beauty picks.  

I went for products that I knew would stand the test of time, ie something that would survive several glasses of bubbly, far too many shots and countless hours of dancing. Apologies in advance for the poor quality, half cut iPhone selfies, but hopefully you will get the jist.

I went for the classic bold red lip and fluttery long lashes (Eylure's double lashes are incredible) so I kept everything pretty natural. For base I used Estee lauders DoubleWear, a foundation that lasts all night, whist also covering a multitude of sins, and my trusty Collection 2000 Lasting perfection Concealer for those pesky spots and Tarte's Park Avenue Princess for contouring/bronzer. Finally for eyes I used the Nars and God Created Woman Palette, more specifically Belissima (a light taupe with a slight hint of shimmer) across the lid and Galapagos (a medium to light brown with serious gold glitter) in the crease. I then applied my Eylure lashes and a flick of L'Oreal's Super Liner Ultra Precision. 

Outfit wise I wore this beautiful dress from Little Mistress, my trusty Vivienne Westwood heels (seriously comfy for a night on the tiles) and my Mulberry Lily (review here). 

I Heart Drugstore Make-Up | Tag

I love high end makeup as much as the next person (I think the Princess Tag proves that), but my heart well and truly belongs to the drugstore. I can walk into Boots full of cold in search of cough sweets, and still find myself making my way to the till with a basket brimming with goodies. Thanks to 3 for 2, points cards, and the many temptations that surround the tills, its safe to say that I could spend a small fortune in a matter of minutes, on inexpensive, high quality products. So when the lovely Charlotte tagged me to do the 'I Heart Drugstore Make-Up Tag' I saw it as the perfect opportunity to ramble about my love of budget beauty. 

What's your favourite drugstore brand?! 

This is such a tough question, but I would have to say Maybelline. From the sought after Baby Lips and much loved Mascaras ( Falsies is the one and only Mascara I have repurchased) to the coveted Colour Tattoo's, its safe to say that Maybelline are on fire of late. 

What are your favourite face, cheek, and lip products?!

When it comes to my complexion, il admit to being somewhat of a high end snob. I would rather spend £20+ on a decent foundation (hello Chanel Vitalumiere), than buy countless bottles of drugstore ones that just aren't all that. However there are two exceptions to this rule, que Revlon's Nearly Naked, a lovely, buildable, long lasting, budget friendly foundation and Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer. This heavy duty beauty, blows all others out of the water. 

For cheeks it would have to be a toss up between Sleek's Rose Gold, a seriously pigmented long wearing blush (did I also mention its a dupe for a much loved bloggers fave?) and Elf's Tickled Pink.

As for lips I still cant get enough of the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers, Maybelline Baby Lips and Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks. 

Least favourite product?!

This is such a hard one as Im rarely unhappy with my makeup purchases as I often research the products before parting with my pennies (maybe im just easily pleased). But Sadly I would have to say Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation. I would love to sit here and sing its praises, but to be totally honest we just dont get along! I love the finish, texture, shading, but after an hour or twos wear I just end up looking like an oily mess (no amount of powder seemed to help). 

Best makeup bargain?!

Ooo now this is a toss up between MUA lipsticks (for a pound they seriously are the bees knees), and Collection's Lasting Perfection (im sure this comes as no suprise). It is without a doubt the BEST concealer I have come across. To find a creamy, full coverage concealer for as little as £4 is a total steal.

What's your favourite underdog product?!

Easy, Barry M Dazzle Dusts. They deserve way more love than they get. Available in a range of beautiful shades, these wonderful little pots are a great alternative to the sought after MAC pigments!! 

Over priced drugstore product?!

This was such an easy one. I rarely ever look at Maxfactor as I find the brand (mascaras in particular) to be a little overpriced for the drugstore. Considering we have to pay double figures for a product when its sister brand Covergirl (basically the US equivalent if you were wondering) charges almost half the price for its line is a little shocking to be honest.
Talking of American brands, another drugstore product/line I find to be somewhat overpriced is the Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush. Dont get me wrong its beautiful, from the packaging, to the colour and finish, however it lacks pigmentation, so for that I would say that the $12 price tag is a little steep. 

Drugstore Dupes?!

The obvious would be Sleek's Rose gold, which is a perfect dupe for Nars Orgasm. Not only are the two near identical, but I would go as far as to say that Rose Gold is a lot more pigmented. So at a fraction of the price its certainly a steal (oh drugstores how I love thee). You can read my review on the pair here.

Drugstore products that aren't really worth the hype?! 

Please dont hate me, but I just dont understand the hype over Revlon Lip Butters and L'Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash's. Dont get me wrong there nice enough products, I just dont quite understand the hype that surrounds them. If anything Id say they are overpriced for what they are. Give me a Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer or Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick any day.

I tag:

Claudia from Claudia Couture

Ally from MissAllyV

Erica from EricaWears

Trina from TrinaWears

Gemma from Miss Makeup Magpie

What are your Drugstore essentials?!

Bitesize Beauty

As a makeup hoarder enthusiast (oh the shame) I often find it hard to condense the contents of my makeup bag when it comes to the gruelling task of packing. As I cant pack up my Malm drawers each time I go on my jolly's (oh if only its was a practical idea) procrastination often ensues. Then comes the important questions such as, how do I decide what lipstick to bring (theres just to many shades), theres that foundation for good skin days and that foundation for bad, then do I bring the neutral palette, or the one perfect for a smokey eye. It will come as no shock that instead of getting anywhere, I end up sitting in a sea of cosmetics, whilst filling my makeup bag to the point of breaking point. . 

However, things may be a changing. During my recent trip to London I somehow managed to condense my makeup bag to 8 items (excluding beauty tools). 8 items!!! Thats a new record compared to the 20+ items I shoved into my suitcase for Paris. So what made the cut?! 

A while back I invested in the Jouer Blushing Beauty Collection, a must have travel essential. Aside from providing endless hours of fun (grown up lego anyone?!) this little beauty is the ultimate companion. Perfect neutral peach shadow, check. gorgeous chocolate shadow for creating a smokey eye, check. the most beautiful tint and highlighter, check, and finally a bronzer and matte powder perfect for setting everything in place, check. With the Blushing Beauty Collection doing all the hard work (if you hadn't already guessed im not the best at decision making), all I needed to do was pack the essentials, easy right?! 

I bagged the Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench from a blog sale for the grand total of £5 and have been smitten ever since. I like to apply this velvety soft neutral on the brow bone, or as a base shadow to help the peach and chocolate shades pop. With a weekend of serious shopping on the horizon I needed a foundation that would stay put all day, que Estee Lauder's Double Wear. Finally last but by no means least the Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara, and Loreal Super Liner, the perfect companions for creating the impression of luscious long lashes were added to the mix.

So you maybe wondering about lip products?! Lets just say that I resurrected a few forgotten gems from the depths of my handbag (Please tell me im not alone here?!) So there we have it, my bitesize beauty picks!!

What are your bitesize beauty essentials?! 

Loreal Top coat confetti

Whilst sat here in a chocolate induced stooper I thought I would share with you my latest polish obsession. Lets face it speckled nails are the latest nail trend to hit the scene, and its easy to see why!!

Although Loreal's confetti top coat may leave your nails resembling a mini egg, the result, although sweet, will in no way effect your waistline (im already regretting consuming a giant cadbury egg for breakfast), and best of all is a little kinder to the bank balance compared to similar options out there, with its £4.99 price tag (kerchiiing).

Photos really do not do Loreal's confetti any justice. With just two coats applied over Ciate's vintage, confetti took a simple manicure from drab to fab, with the help of mismatched chunks of black and white glitter (aswell as  the added bonus of a hint of shimmer). Personally I think the top coat confetti would look perfect over most shades, especially nudes and greys. Applied over pastel shades Confetti has the ability to be a perfect alternative for the Illamasqua speckled polishes also creating a stir on the beauty scene. 

What do you make of the speckled trend? 

Have you tried Loreal's Top Coat Confetti?

March Favourites 2013

whats inside my makeup bag

Hello lovelies, i hope your all well. Being a serial snooper i rather enjoy seeing posts on the items you lovely people keep in your bags, makeup bags included, so i thought i would give you guys a little insight into what i use on a daily basis. My makeup bag of choice is of course my beautiful mulberry locked cosmetic purse (if you want to see a post dedicated to the beauty itself click here ;) if your wondering where my makeup brushes are, i keep them separate as i dont want them getting my makeup bag all messy.

 Dr Jart+ Beauty Balm

This is a new addition to my makeup bag, and it is already becoming a firm faviourite. It claims to minimize the need for foundation and concealer and that it does. Although i still adore my studio sculpt foundation i have been using this to let my skin breathe a little as studio sculpt is quite a heavy foundation

Collection 2000 concealer

ive been using Dr Jart+ Beauty balm with my collection 2000 concealer. Ive raved about this concealer many a time, and all i have to say is that it deserves to be hyped about

YSL touche eclat

i apply a little of this as a highlighter under my eyes

Loreal Paris lumi magique primer

this is another new addition but a definite new fave. not only does it prime the skin which in turn helps my foundation stay longer, on my oily prone skin (boo). But it also doubles as a highlighter, it is seriously gorgeous from the rose gold detail on the packaging to the product itself

Benefit Brow Zings 

apologies for the sheer grubbiness of this, i couldnt be without this little duo, anything to keep my unruly eyebrows at bay is a plus in my books. I also love how it includes small tweezers, a perfect makeup bag essential

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party mascara

yep your eyes arent playing tricks with you, im actually mentioning the same mascara more than once, i think there may just be a long lasting relationship with this beauty, it lengthens aswell as thickens my lashes, what more could a girl want 

Bobbi Brown Long wear Gel liner 

a jet black liner that lasts all day on my oily lids, a definite statement in my makeup bag

Urban Decay Naked palette & Bobbi Brown long wear cream shadow in velvet plum (37)

for the past week or so ive been using virgin and sin with velvet plum on a daily basis. Im not usually a fan of cream eyeshadows as they tend to crease but velvet plum seems to last well, and it is such a beautiful shade that the picture just does not give it justice. 

YSL rouge Volupte (10) & Chanel Jalousie 

These two together are a perfect combination, although rather bright shades ive quite enjoyed using them on a daily basis

So there you have it, these are the goodies that i store in my makeup bag!!

whats inside your makeup bag??

Loreal Superliner

My beloved SUPERCAT eyeliner is currently on its way out, its got to the point where its all smudgy and the nib has got to thick, so it was time to invest in yet another eyeliner, if i could bring just one item of makeup on a desert island it would definitely be eyeliner i  cannot go without it. after falling in love with the felt tip nib of SUPERCAT i decided to purchase something similar, enter Loreal Superliner. The nib of this is much thinner but i quite like it, making it easier to apply aswell as having more room to cover up mistakes ( i always seem to apply it thicker on one eye to the other ha)..the shape of the packaging is very much like a pen, making it easier to grasp, especially with the rubber top, and the colour pay off is pretty black so high marks all round, best of all this was only about £4 so a little less than soap and glory SUPERCAT.  

What makeup item could you not be without??

August Faviourites

Hello lovelies, i really cant believe its the start of September it only feels like yesterday i was thinking about my July faves, so heres what i have been loving this month

1. Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette- i absolutely love this palette so much, i don't think ive even touched  my naked palette since being in possession of this, ive mostly been using vanilla, flow, and chase, the perfect neutrals

2.Mac Fix+ - the same as last month i just cant get enough of this, its so refreshing especially on the seldom hot days we have in sunny wales ;), and my makeup does not seem to be budging which is a definite plus 

3. Ciate Paint Pot, wait until Dark- all i have to say is this is probably one of my favourite magazine freebies in a long while ;)

4. Models Own Juicy Jules- when i haven't been using wait until dark, this has been my go to polish, i love the sparkle in it, and its as lovely on its own as it is as a top coat, i can see this also being a favourite throughout the winter months

5.Loreal elvive nutri gloss shine- last month i mentioned the shampoo which im still loving, however i also purchased the spray, it smells so lovely, leaves a lovely texture in my hair and helps my hair stay grease free for longer ;)

6. good things stop that spot- i bloody love this stuff, you only need to apply a smidgen to a spot and voila after a day or two the spots gone, it also has a gorgeous fruity smell

7. MAC Viva glam gaga 2- ever since i purchased creme cup it has been my go to lippy, and has also been my monthly favourites for quite  while, however this month i have been loving the nude lip, and i think this is just the perfect shade, ive been applying this with lip-gloss on top

So what have you been loving this month??

July Faviourites

Hello lovelies, wow is it really the end of July already?? summer is going way to quick for my liking ;)..so here's what i have been loving this month

1) first up is Mac's Fix+ although i haven't had it the full month its definately a faviourite, with all the hot weather i was fed up of my makeup just melting off my face, and this has definately been doing the trick of keeping it all put aswell as being refreshing.

2) next up is Nars Orgasm, literally i cant get enough of blushers lately, and this month i have found myself constantly coming back to it, something people dont like the glitter in it, but in this lovely summery weather i think its perfect.

3) i couldnt be without my elf eyebrow kit, this will be a definite repurchase when it runs out 

4) i recently mentioned this witch concealer stick, its bloody awesome, it does a good job of concealing my spots and pink cheeks, ive been using this alongside my confessions of a concealholic

5. L'Oreal elvive nutri gloss shampoo, i originally purchased this just because it was on offer but i cant be without it now, i really suffer from my hair getting greasy so quickly, with everything else ive tried i have to wash my hair every day, but with this its every other and it smells yummy, so a hit with me.

6.Good things five minute facial face mask- i think i use this more than its meant to be used but i love it, it smells ridiculously yummy and it leaves my skin feeling soft and fresh, my skin has also been alot clearer after using this.

7. OPI's rumples wiggins has definately replaced my MAC Ocean Dip, i just cant get enough of this lovely lilac!!

8. Last but not least my Urban Decay Naked Palette, i dont think i need to say more ;).

So what have you been loving this month??

30 Day challenge..Day 3 to 7

hello lovelies, sorry for the second post today, had a hectic week so my posts are a bit all over the place :( so i decided to do days 3 to 7 together as i haven't got around to doing them each day


so on to the questions 3. your favourite headband


okay so im not really a fan of headbands, the reason being they never seem to look right on me :S so any suggestions on making them look good would be much appreciated :)..i have spotted a few i like on asos, but im more of a flower girl and now its coming up to summer il no doubt have flowers in my hair again, my faviourite has to be a pink orchard from accessorize

4. Faviourite foundation

I really flit from one foundation to the next, my current faviourite would have to be my Mac Studio Fix fluid in nc44, im also loving Loreal's roll on true match however for the price it doesn't usually last to long. however saying this my ultimate faviourite foundation is probably maybellines dream matte mousse, i love the texture and its a foundation that lasts all day with a really good coverage.

5. your faviourite thing to do

I think my faviourite thing to do would no doubt be going to the beach with my boyfriend and my friends, im really lucky to have one down the road from me :)..

6. Faviourite Perfume

this definately has to be dkny in be delicious, I was given it as a Christmas present from my boyfriend and what an awesome choice, it smells of apples and it also has a floral scent to it, ive used it practically every day and i still have quite alot of it left 

7. your faviourite Animal

My faviourite animal without a doubt is a cat, I have two cats of my own Bill and Ben and my boyfriend has just had a kitten Bella, they are just really friendly creatures, and my boys in particular have quite human characteristics about them haha 

My boys :) 

Thanks for reading my Rambles

Soph x