Monthly Roundup | April

01. GlamGlow Super Mud Treatment Mask (here) The start of the month saw me sing the praises of what I can only describe as a miracle in a pot. A skincare hero that will banish all complexion woes and tackle those pesky spots once and for all. 
02. MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers (here) After months of searching but to little avail, I finally managed to get my mitts on a purse friendly dupe for the sought after Lime Crime Velvetine Liquid Lipsticks.
03. Spring Staples (here) With Spring in full swing, the time has arrived to give my makeup a well overdue shakeup. This month I welcomed lighter bases paired with a Spring appropriate pop of colour. 
04. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers (here) With Tarte now available within the UK, I thought it was about time I gave my two cents on the highly sought after blushers. 
05. Bath & Body Works Haul (here) Finally, during her recent trip to Oman, my fabulous mother managed to track down a Bath & Body Works in Muskat City Centre. Upon her return I was greeted with a rather large bag of goodies. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers

Over the past year I have been lucky enough to try a fair amount of Tarte products. From the amazonian clay lipsticks and bronzers, to the liquid eyeshadows and illuminating serums. But theres one item that stands out amongst the plethora of pigmented, long lasting and beautifully packaged goodies. A product that causes many a beauty obsessive to get a little hot under the collar (and with good reason). Que the Amazonian Clay blushers. With Tarte finally launching in the UK (well QVC.uk) and the US Sephora now shipping around the world (the makeup gods have finally listened) I thought it was about time I gave my two cents on the highly sought after blushers.
Described as a long wearing, supremely soft blush, infused with amazonian clay, harvested from the banks of the amazonian river and naturally basked by the sun, its fair to say that these blushers are really quite special. Seriously pigmented, yet still buildable enough to create both a subtle and shocking finish. Long lasting, cruelty free, encased within shade appropriate packaging embossed with the amazonian river and available in a range of shades and finishes suitable for every skin tone, whats not to love?! 
I currently have four shades, although there's always room for more right? 1 full size in Tipsy, a beautiful matte coral and three miniatures from the Tarte Fantastic Foursome Holiday set (my friend has the fourth) in Fantastic, a soft Fuchsia. Magic, a pink coral and Stellar, a shimmering nude that also doubles as a bronzer. Although a different range of finishes, all four are seriously pigmented and very smooth, making them seriously worth the £20+ price tag.  What are your thoughts on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers? 

Spring Staples

So spring has officially sprung. The nights are at last lighter, the days a little brighter and all the flowers are in full bloom. With warmer weather on the horizon (heres hoping), the time has finally arrived to give my makeup a well overdue Spring shakeup, as I bid farewell to high coverage foundations and deep berry tones and welcome in its place, a lighter base paired with a Spring appropriate pop of colour. 

For base, I have been reaching for the Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme. A light coverage, fuss free beauty balm that creates a beautiful flawless finish, whist still looking natural. Lately I have been pairing this with the ultimate complexion perfection ingredient, Chanel Les Beiges. A lightweight, velvety soft powder that has become a firm staple in my makeup bag thanks to its wonderful ability to prevent me from becoming an oily mess. Add to the already perfect mix, a few sweeps of serious radiance, aka Guerlian Meteorite Pearls and your good to go. 

Recently my beloved Tarte Park Avenue Princess has been pushed aside in favour of a more season appropriate splash of colour. Enter Tarte Tipsy, a super pigmented, long lasting, easy to work with blush and the ultimate companion to Tanya Burr's Picnic In The Park. A subtle, pinky coral gloss perfectly suited for Spring. 

Finally for eyes, I have been keeping things simple with this effortless shimmery pink nude from The Body Shop Chocolate Box Shimmer Cube Palette, along with some serious lashings of Benefit's They're Real Mascara.

What are your go to Spring Staples? 

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). 

The Princess Tag | Favourite Luxury Beauty Products

So Iv'e decided to do a little bit of a different post today. The Princess Tag (Favourite Luxury Beauty Products) was created by the beautiful Tati from Glam Life Guru. Although Iv'e not actually been tagged to do it, I thought it would be a bit of fun. Lets face it, we all love a good bargain, but theres something exciting about a high end splurge. I know a Lipstick purchase should be based upon pigmentation, shade, ease of application and longevity, but dont you agree when encased within a sleek black MAC bullet, or fancy gold packaging with an embossed YSL logo makes the product all the more special?! So what products leave me feeling like a Princess?! 

Foundation - 

No matter how many times I stray away from Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (heres looking at you Estee Lauder DoubleWear and DiorSkin Nude BB), I always find myself coming back to it. This lightweight, long wearing, 'your skin but better' foundation, to me is the ultimate everyday essential. You can read my full review here.

Concealer - 

For me Collection 2000s Lasting perfection is the creme de la creme of Concealers. However if I were to splurge on a high end concealer it would have to be MAC's Studio Sculpt. This creamy offering applies like a dream, and due to its consistency is perfect for covering those problematic spots. Finish with a setting powder and your good to go. 

Powder - 

As a sufferer of oily/combination skin, I rely heavily upon powder to keep my makeup in tact throughout the day. Chanel's Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder prevents me from becoming an oily mess. Unlike most powders this velvety soft beauty doesn't leave me looking cakey, infact its so sheer its practically unnoticeable. 

Bronzer - 

For Bronzer I've chosen Tarte's Park Avenue Princess (how ironic). This gorgeous bronzer has a slight hint of sparkle but doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball. Like the blushers, Park Avenue Princess is seriously pigmented, so much so that a little dusting definitely goes a long way. So what makes it the ultimate luxury bronzer for me?! Park Avenue Princess gives a lovely flush of colour without looking orange, or muddy like most (no one wants to look tango'ed right?!) 

Blush - 

Keeping with the Tarte theme, it will come as no suprise that I chose Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy. This beautiful peach shade is seriously pigmented, easy to work with and long lasting (I seriously agree with Tarte's 12 hour claims). The fact that Tarte products are hard to get hold of in the UK makes this blush all the more special. 

Highlighter - 

Tom Ford's Shade and Illuminate is the ultimate luxury product. The highlighting shade, leaves a gorgeous sheer glow. Aside from the packaging and gulp worthy price tag, what makes it special is that it brightens the face without being overly shimmery. 

Eyeshadow - 

It will come as no suprise that I opted for the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Urban Decay shadows in general, blow all other competition out of the water. Ridiculously pigmented and buttery soft, whats not to love?!

Eyeliner - 

For me, an eyeliner needs to be jet black, super pigmented, long wearing (my eyes are forever watering) and easy to apply!! I am happy to say that I have found all this in Chanel's Liquid Eyeliner. I literally swatched every high end liquid liner in House Of Fraser before i settled on this.

Mascara - 

If you've read my posts for a while, you will be well aware that Im forever on the look out for the ultimate mascara. Although Iv'e yet to find the one, that holy grail Mascara that creates the perfect false lash effect, I always find myself going back to YSL's Shocking Mascara. With various sized plastic bristles, the wand makes applying the product a doddle, catching all of the lashes, resulting in a "shocking" fluttery effect. If that isn't enough to make you swoon, YSL's Shocking Mascara comes encased in luxurious gold packaging, embossed with the YSL logo. 

Lip Liner - 

My one and only high end Lip Liner RiRi Hearts M.A.C Pro Longwear Pencil (RiRiWoo) is a pigmented matte pencil, and the perfect base for bright reds to stop them migrating. 

Lipstick - 

As a total Lipstick junkie it was really hard to pick just one shade. After much contemplation Kate Spade won. Everything about the designers lipsticks are princess like from the fancy spring loaded gold packaging to the name "Supercalifragilipstick" (oh how whimsical). Fuchsia Fete is a fabulous wearable, sheer bright pink, with a smooth, moisturising formula, and balm like consistency.  

Lipgloss - 

Never before had a lipgloss made the grade, until Chanel's Jalousie's Glossimer came on the scene. Forget poor colour pay off and uber sticky lips. This highly pigmented bright pink is opaque enough to be worn alone or paired alongside Fuchsia Fete.

Brow Product - 

Benefit Brow Zings is the ultimate eyebrow shaping kit. With a small compact mirror, pigmented wax and powder, two brushes and a tweezer, what more could you ask for!

MISC - 

I couldn't talk about my favourite luxury beauty products without mentioning Chanel's Les Beiges Kabuki Brush. I searched high and low for this  brush after reading Claudia's rave reviews. Not only is it a perfect companion to the Les Beiges Powder (definitely a handbag essential for touchups throughout the day) but it is literally the softest brush I have come across. With chic black packaging adorning the iconic double 'C's this little kabuki screams luxury. 

Nail Polish - 

This was such an easy product to pick. Chanel's Peridot is the one and only high end polish in my collection. Peridot is a beautiful green/gold duo chrome shade, which reflects a hint of blue in some light. Because of that, this shade adorns my nails for most of Autumn/Winter.

If you decide to give this Tag a go, please leave your link below so I can check it out

I tag - 

Claudia from Claudia Couture

Erica from EricaWears

Trina from TrinaWears

Ally from MissAllyV

Charlotte from Little Miss C

What are your Favourite Luxury Beauty Products?! 

Summer Staples

So Summer has finally arrived, and the weather has decided to behave itself long enough to put away the Winter woolies (I kid you not that I was wearing my trusty Jack Wills Body Warmer well into May) in favour of floaty Topshop camis, vibrant shorts and bright neon flip flops. Sound familiar?! Its safe to say that this has been my Summer uniform for the past month or so!! Aside from the norm, as a serial beauty junkie, the current British heatwave also calls for a makeup shakeup. For me my summer beauty staples must be fuss free and long lasting. Who wants to spend hours indoors applying copious amounts of makeup when you could be lazing in the garden with a good novel and glass of Pimms in hand, soaking up the sun. 

For base, I have been reaching for Dr Jart's BB Cream. Not only is it fuss free (a flawless look can easily be achieved with fingers) but it also manages to stay in tact throughout the day with a little help from Chanel Les Beiges. Unlike most powders, Les Beiges is completely lightweight, and leaves a 'cake free' matte finish, no matter how many times it is reapplied, making it a perfect everyday setting powder. 

Recently my beloved Nars Orgasm has been pushed aside in favour of Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy. Super pigmented (a little goes a long way), easy to work with, long lasting, and not forgetting the most beautiful peachy pink, its no wonder that its become a firm favorite during the humid weather.  

Supposedly designed for 'extreme conditions' I have well and truly been putting Make Up Forever's Aqua Cream Shadow to the test. Believe me when I say that this beautiful shimmery gold DOES NOT budge (after an afternoon splashing around in the sea, it was still in tact) and stays put until my trusty Bioderma comes out at night!! I have been pairing this with my Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Shadows and Longwear Eyeliner (no matter how cute, no one wants to resemble a Panda now do they?! ha). 

Last, but certainly not least, I have been turning to my Urban Decay De Slick Setting Spray to give my trusty staples a helping hand throughout the day!! 

What are your go to Summer Staples?! 

Dont make me blush

So when the lovely Charlotte took to twitter in search of guest bloggers I jumped at the chance. Sorting through my stash I came to the realisation that I have quite the obsession with those pretty pink powders also know as blusher. After much umming and ahhing over what to write about, I decided that it was only right to share my little collection with Charlottes lovely readers.
Ive mentioned a few of my must haves (a hard task for a blusher junkie like myself), including some cult favorites (Nars & Tarte to name but a few).

I would love it if you took the time to check out the post here!! ..and take a peek at Charlottes lovely blog while your there!!
 I would love to know what you think!
Are you a lover of Blushers?! 

US Beauty Swap with TrinaWears

Warning: Picture heavy post!!
Currently surrounded by a mass of American goodies, its safe to say that im more than just a little bit excited to be writing this post!
Just over a month ago I proposed a swap with the gorgeous Trina who just so happens to live in the Big Apple (home to Bath & Body Works, huge Sephora's and Duane Reade). As you can probably gather from this post, she jumped at the chance, and a few weeks on I am now sat here, clutching a huge box like a child with their beloved teddy!! When it came to planning the swap we originally set a limit (which went out the window almost immediately), picked four products we were eager to get a hold of, and agreed that the rest of the goodies would be a surprise.
Lets face it as beauty bloggers we all have wish lists brimming with the latest and greatest products, were desperate to add to our ever growing collections (please tell me it isn't just me?!). But sadly there comes a time when some of the products we dream of owning are just that little bit out of reach.
This being the case It will come as no shock that the four products I picked were a Tarte Blush, Maybelline Babylips, B&BW Hand Sanitisers and not forgetting a Wet n Wild palette!!

Want to know what else she got me? then read on ;) .. you can see what I got Trina here.

Ladies (and gents) can I just draw your attention to the pink bubble wrap for a minute! Pink bubble wrap people, please tell me in not the only one that thinks this is amazing?! (I may or may not have got just a little too excited over this).
Being a serial beauty junkie, products come whizzing through my letter box on a weekly basis that will more often than not cause me to squeal, but nothing (and I seriously mean nothing) comes close to the sheer excitement I experienced yesterday when opening my huge parcel from Trina.
I love everything that she picked out for me. Its funny how someone I have technically never met, knows me so well!

An array of Bath & Body Works goodies
As I am writing this I can smell a lovely waft from the Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon Shower Gel that attempted to escape from the box during transit!! I was so overwhelmed at the sheer amount of Bath & Body Works goodies Trina filled my parcel with!! .. Living in the UK I often find myself watching endless youtube videos on Bath & Body Works products and dream of the day that I visit the states and do a mad trolley dash to the till, with endless candles, body products and not forgetting hand sanitisers (what can I say im more than a little bit obsessed!!) So im sure you can imagine my excitement when I unwrapped these yummy scented goodies!! 

Make Up Forever Aqua cream (13) .. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Tipsy) .. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
A cult product in the US, I cant wait to put the Make Up Forever Aqua Cream for eyes and cheeks to the test! This beautiful shimmery beige claims to be both waterproof and creaseproof. I can imagine this being perfect used on the brow bone to highlight, aswell as an all over colour on the lid!!
Raved by those who can get a hold of it, and lusted after by those who cant (If your listening Tarte, please come to the UK) Im ridiculously excited to finally have the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy in my possession (swoon).

Wet n Wild Lipsticks in Cherry Picking .. Dont Blink Pink & Pinkerbell

Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque .. Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara .. CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara 
I have heard so many great things about the Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara and Covergirl Lashblast Volume, so I cant wait to give these a try!! As for the Lipsticks how gorgeous are the shades?!

EOS Lipbalms in Pomegranate Raspberry & Strawberry Sorbet

Wet n Wild Blushers in Heather Silk & Mellow Wine .. Wet n Wild Nutty, Sweet As Candy, Silent Treatment & Comfort Zone
When it comes to lip balm I am a total addict. Already a lover of the egg shaped EOS balms, im excited to add two more to my collection! As for the Maybelline Baby Lips, I can already vow that these will be staples in my handbag!!
Whilst in the states last year, I picked up a Wet n Wild palette for my giveaway winner yet stupidly never purchased one for myself, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw not just one, but three palettes, a single eyeshadow and two blushers sitting pretty in the box.

Last but certainly not least I received various American candy, including Pop Tarts, Ice Breakers and Sour Patches, aswell as Jolly Ranchers. I have a feeling my boyfriend thought all his his Christmasses had come at once, when he saw the huge bag, on top of the box (Trina I can tell you now that these WILL be devoured haha). 

So there we have it, a sneak peek at my lovely American goodies. 

my only advice if your planning on doing a Swap is to:

Make sure your swapping with a genuine person ( I obviously had no worries here with Trina, but there really are some horror stories out there, so please be careful)

Keep an eye on the weight of the box (a few kg's over and it could cost you a whopping £100 to send your box)

Be aware of what can and cannot be sent. I happily put Barry M polishes in the box, only to be told that they needed to be taken out due to tighter postage rules!!

and finally HAVE FUN!! Partaking in a Swap with Trina has been without a doubt the best thing I have done since starting my blog. 

PS. Oh and Trina,Thank you so much for the package!! Its been amazing getting to know you better and Im looking forward to our next swap already ;)
PPS. If you haven't already done so, go check out Trina's amazing blog here!

Have you done an international swap?!