April Favourites

It's almost May! Time to look back on what I've been loving throughout April.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette I know, everyone and their mum heard about this palette around 18 months ago. It was highly anticipated and well reviewed, with good reason. I've been reaching for it throughout this month, and I've fallen in love all over again. The more rose toned element of the Naked Palette range, it is truly beautiful. I usually blend Limit and Nooner in the crease, with one of the shimmers all over the lid. My favourite is Trick, a gorgeous rose gold which can look almost foiled on the lid when it's packed on. Strange is a pigmented cream highlight, good for the inner corner and on the brow bone. 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Essence Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencils I picked these up on a whim a while back, having been impressed with the other Essence products that I'd tried, and I wasn't disappointed. They are creamy and pigmented, but once they are on they really do not budge, even in the waterline. I have the colours Black Blaze, Cocoa Bean and Around Midnight. They were around £2, so an absolute steal. Well recommended.

Essence Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencils

Lipgloss For years now I have been a lipstick girl, rarely wearing gloss. However, throughout April I've been wearing lipgloss almost every day! Two of my most reached for are Nars Istria and Mac Modest, both just neutral easy to wear colours. I really want to get my hands on the Anastasia Beverly Hills glosses, they look beautiful. 

Mac Cosmetics Modest Mineralise Lipgloss and Nars Istria Lipgloss

  MUA Cosmetics Chocolate Box Trio This eyeshadow trio caught my eye because of the beautiful colours, but I honestly wasn't expecting much. I was so pleasantly surprised! It is creamy and pigmented, with barely any fallout. It cost me £2.00! Seriously! I've been using it loads throughout April, you'd be mad not to pick it up. 

MUA Chocolate Box Trio Swatches

What have you been loving this month? Bloglovin' / Instagram

What I Wore Wednesday

Each Wednesday I am going to share with you my makeup look and a breakdown of the products I used. This week's face was inspired by a recent Kim Kardashian look by the wonderful Mario Dedivanovic, which had a beautiful pop of turquoise on the waterline (Mario used Mac Cosmetics Hi-def Cyan Chromagraphic Pencil, FYI).  (instagram/kimkardashian) My version has the pop of turquoise on the lower lashline, rather than the waterline, and I really like how it turned out! It might be a Spring go to look for me this year. 

Products used Base Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation Bobbi Brown Corrector (light bisque) Urban Decay Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer Cheeks Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (light) Nars Enrapture Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Opal) Eyes Mac Cosmetics Soft Ocre Paint Pot Mac Cosmetics Rarified Eye Palette Makeup Revolution Colour Chaos Palette (On a Mission) Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner Mac Cosmetics Teddy Eye Kohl Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara Lips Mac Cosmetics Modest Lip Gloss Bloglovin' / Instagram

Rose Gold Eyes and Ombré Lips

I was recently given the opportunity to do makeup for a professional photoshoot to add to my portfolio, and I was just sent a sneak peek of the images, so I had to share them! The makeup was inspired by red roses.

Products used

Base

ELF Mineral Primer

Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (Gobi)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (Fair Neutral)

Cheeks

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (Light)

Nars Deep Throat 

Nars Albatross 

Eyes

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (Blonde)

Mac Cosmetics Soft Ocre Paint Pot

Morphe Brushes Jaclyn Hill Favorites Palette

Mac Cosmetics Tan Pigment

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara 

Red Cherry Lashes (Wispies)

Lips

Mac Cosmetics Smolder Pencil 

Mac Cosmetics Diva

Rimmel London Big Bang Apocalips

Photography: Tom Bold

Bloglovin' / Instagram

Empties - Products I've Used Up

Over the course of April I have ran out of quite a few products, so I decided to hang onto the empties. It's a really good time to give mini reviews of the products and decide if I want to repurchase them, or to look for something else.

Soap & Glory Hand Food This has been my go to hand cream for quite a few years now, you just can't go wrong with it. It smells delicious, leaves my hands feeling soft but not greasy, and is really affordable. Definite repurchase. Mac Cosmetics Brush Cleanser This is another go to product for me, cleaning my makeup brushes quickly and efficiently, enabling me to swap between colours with no fuss. I still do a weekly deep clean, but this is great for spot cleaning. I will keep using this until I find something I like as much. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Hair Primer I really like this, it smooths my mid lengths to ends, as well as giving heat and UV protection. The only drawback for me is that I go through this really quickly, and it's fairly pricey. This is a travel size and it maybe lasted around two weeks. I would buy it again, but not consistently. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara This is a fantastic mascara, and is really affordable. It gives length and plenty of volume, and doesn't take any effort to build it up. It's great for work days, as it takes no time at all. This is the second one I've used up, and I'd definitely buy another. La Roche Posay Effaclar Astringent Lotion This is a holy grail skincare product for me. I know, big statement. It's just so good! It goes deep into my skin and really strips out the bad stuff, leaving it feeling clean and fresh. It does have a bit of a tingle, which I love but other may not, but it doesn't sting. One bottle lasts me around 6 weeks, making the price fairly reasonable. Love it. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer This is wonderful. Everything the bottle claims is true! It has full coverage, but doesn't cake up or feel heavy. It works under the eyes, as well as on redness and blemishes. A little goes a long way, so it doesn't run out too quickly. It's everything I want in a concealer, and I've already repurchased it. I use the shade Fair Neutral, in case you were wondering. Marc Jacobs Lola This was a gift from my parents, and smells divine. It has notes of peony and rose, as well as vanilla and musk. It's definitely the type of fragrance that appeals to me, although I didn't find that it lasted particularly well on me. The bottle looks so beautiful on a dressing table, it's a really pretty addition to a bedroom. I may or may not buy it again, as I don't usually stick to one perfume for long. I hope this was helpful! Which products have you used up this month?
Bloglovin' / Instagram

Garnier Pure Active Micellar Water

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Applying my makeup each morning is one of my favourite times of day. Far from being a tedious chore, I love the entire process. Choosing products from my stash, deciding which look to wear, and seeing the transformation in the mirror. It's just such fun! However, there is another daily ritual that's almost as much fun. Removing my makeup. *sigh* The feeling of cleansing my skin after a long day is just dreamy. The first step in my evening skincare routine is to remove my eye makeup before cleansing, and being such an eyeliner enthusiast, this is often no mean feat! I've tried lots of eye makeup removers, with results ranging from passable to frankly eye-watering. Then I discovered Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.

I'd heard about Bioderma Micellar Water, a product with a similar purpose on the higher end of the price scale, but had never tried it out. I was really interested to see if this was a more affordable dupe. I found this to be really effective at removing even the most stubborn eye makeup in a fast and fuss-free way. It doesn't irritate my eyes, and leaves them feeling really clean. I then cleanse my skin as normal, and continue with my skincare routine. After enjoying this product for a few months now, I was excited to spot a new addition to the range on the shelves of Superdrug this week. Garnier Pure Active Micellar Water, for combination to oily & sensitive skin.

My skin is definitely on the oily side, particularly in the warmer months, so I gravitate towards clarifying products. This product makes the same claims as the original formula, as well as removing excess sebum to purify the skin. Sounds good to me! During use it feels exactly the same as the original formula. It removed my makeup well without irritating my eyes, and didn't feel harsh or drying. I also like to use it in the morning to cleanse my face before moisturising and applying my makeup. At the bargain price of £4.99 I think it's well worth picking up! Bloglovin' / Instagram