The Affordable Highlighter You NEED.

If you're all about the highlight like I am, you'll have heard of Mac Whisper of Gilt. The limited edition Extra Dimension Skin Finish that sells out within around 3.2 seconds of being released. The beautiful golden highlighter that is literally like gold dust to get your hands on. There are products from a few brands that could be considered in the same family as Whisper of Gilt, Laura Geller Gilded Honey, Mac Oh, Darling! and Anastasia Beverly Hills So Hollywood. However, sometimes these are as difficult to find as Whisper of Gilt! Enter Kiko Water Shadow 208.

Kiko is an Italian brand that is making it's way to the rest of the world. There is a store on Regent Street in London, and now there's a store in the Trafford Centre. 

Let me remind you what Whisper of Gilt looks like.

Photo credit: Temptalia

Technically, the Kiko product is an eye shadow, but believe me when I say that it makes for the most stunning highlight you'll ever see. The formula is SO similar to that of the Mac Extra Dimension range, pigmented and creamy with no fallout. It isn't glittery, so you won't be walking around looking like a disco ball. 

It applies like a dream, not at all too gold or yellow. A light hand and a fan brush can give a subtle glow, but if you're like me and want a Jamie Genevieve or Jaclyn Hill style blinding highlight, this product can really achieve that with ease. 

Please excuse my end of the work day face!

 Seriously, now. You need to get your hands on this pronto. It costs just £8.90! Go. Buy. It.  Imagine it with a tan in the Summer?! *drops mic*
Thank me later ;)
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Adele Glastonbury Inspired Makeup

I love watching the Glastonbury coverage on TV (especially since I could not stand that mud in real life!) and Adele's performance was a standout. Her makeup was simple and festival appropriate, as well as being super easy to recreate at home. Natural skin, glittery lids and her trademark winged liner. Her MUA Michael showed the products he'd used for the look on his Snapchat, and I just picked out from my collection some things to achieve a similar effect. I used quite a few affordable/ drugstore products, too! Add lashes if you want an even closer result. 

Base L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation Mac Pro Correct & Conceal Palette NYX HD Studio Powder
Brows ABH Soft Brown Dipbrow Pomade
Eyes Maybelline On & On Bronze Colour Tattoo (all over lid and lower lash line) Urban Decay Naked (in the crease) Urban Decay YDK (all over lid) Collection Funk Glam Crystals glitter liner (all over lid) Mac Blacktrack Fluidline Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Cheeks Nars Orgasm Multiple  Illamasqua OMG Beyond Powder
Lips Clinique Nude Pop 

So there we have it! Super easy but effective. I hope you like it!
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My Top 5 Nude Lip Products

I've pretty much worn nothing but nude lip colours for months now. I keep thinking that now the Summer is here I should bust out my bright lipsticks, but I just can't seem to get away from my nudes. I feel like they make my lips look fuller and just go with every eye look imaginable. I thought I'd show you my 5 fave nude products that live in my handbag permanently. I also have seconds of some of these for my kit. 

Mac Stripdown Lip Liner is my all time favourite. It's a nude brown colour that goes with all of my nude lip products. I can ever so slightly over line my lips and still have it look natural. It seriously lasts for hours, too. Winner. 
Mac Blankety is my most repurchased lipstick ever. I'm way down my third one, and I also have one in my kit. A creamy pinkish beige in the amplified finish, it's so comfortable and wearable. 
Mac Honeylove is a very similar colour to Blankety, but in a creamy matte finish. It's so flattering, I can see why it's  a cult favourite. 
Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink is a creamy peachy brown in a very smooth satin finish. This one makes my lips so full and smooth, the formula is delightful. Dreamy packaging, too. 
NYX Fortune Cookie Butter Gloss is the gloss that I wear with all of  the above. It's a pale nude that makes my lips look juicy. It's not at all sticky and smells of cake. I love these glosses, I recommend you try them. They're super affordable, too. 
So, there you have it! My 5 staple nude lip products.  What are your go-to's?
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Review: Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes

I'm a big fan of Charlotte Tilbury's makeup line, along with the majority of beauty lovers out there, and any new launches are highly anticipated. The new Legendary Lashes mascara has some rather grand claims, including that it gives the lashes 13x the volume with an elastic texture. Thanks to my friend kindly gifting me with a deluxe sample (thanks Janet!), I got to put it to the test. 

First thing's first, this mascara gives my lashes more volume and length than any other that I've ever tried. It is remarkable! My eyelashes literally touch my brows when I'm wearing it. And it doesn't take a lot of work to get there, either. 1-2 coats and BOOM lashes. It's very black and makes your eyes really pop. It can be a little bit clumpy, but I'm not totally averse to that look. 
However, as my lashes touch my brows, by the end of the day there are flecks of mascara in my brows! Not pretty. It has quite a smudgy formula and never seems to fully set (perhaps it's the elastic texture that was mentioned). If a mascara costs £25 I would expect it to last all day without smudging. In summary, I absolutely love the length and volume Legendary Lashes gives me, but I definitely wouldn't purchase it. Far too smudgy for my liking. If you have watery eyes, or it's a hot day, you've got no chance. Have you tried it? I'd love to know what you think.
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Simple Summer Makeup Look

We haven't always got the time to go all out with our makeup, I know I haven't. This is the look I've been going to when there's a bit of a time crunch. Dewy light foundation, winged liner and a nude glossy lip. These are some of my favourite easy products, they just work for me. I've even being wearing this makeup in the super hot weather we've been having recently, and it withstands the heat. 

Base L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation (03) Mac Correct & Conceal Palette NYX Studio Finishing Powder
Brows ABH Dipbrow Pomade (Soft Brown)
Eyes Mac Painterly Paint Pot  Mac Blacktrack Fluidline  Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Cheeks Urban Decay Beached Bronzer Urban Decay Sin Afterglow Highlighter
Lips Mac Stripdown liner Mac Peachstock lipstick NYX Fortune Cookie Butter Gloss
This entire look takes about 10 minutes and I really love it.  What's your go to look when you're in a rush?

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Bronze Glow Makeup Look

This glorious weather has me wanting to wear the most glowy makeup I possibly can. I love bronzed skin and glossy lips. Here's what I wore on my face today!

Base L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation (03) Mac Pro Correct & Conceal Palette NYX Studio Finishing Powder
Brows ABH Dipbrow Pomade (Soft Brown) ABH Clear Brow Gel
Eyes Maybelline Colour Tattoo On & On Bronze (on the lid) Illamasqua Vernau eye shadow (in the crease and lower lash line) Urban Decay Smog (on the lid) Mac Teddy eye kohl (upper lash line) Mac Nylon (inner corner) Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Cheeks Urban Decay Beached Bronzer Bobbi Brown Bronze Glow highlighter
Lips Mac Stripdown lip liner Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink lipstick NYX Fortune Cookies Butter Gloss
What's your favourite Summer makeup look?
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Review: NYX Studio Finishing Powder

Let me tell you something; every concealer I've ever tried creases on me. Even the ones I really like, they still crease. Even when I set them with powder. With the exception of  THIS powder - NYX Studio Finishing Powder. 

This loose powder appears to be a stark white colour, but is actually 100% translucent. It has the silkiest texture ever and applies to the skin beautifully. After applying my concealer I load up my brush with powder (I'm talking quite a lot) and press it on top of the concealer, leaving it to 'bake' for a few minutes. I then dust of the excess and carry on with my makeup. It keeps my concealer crease-free all. day. long. I didn't think that would ever be possible! I'm in love. It will be so good for the hotter weather.  As this powder makes your skin incredibly smooth and silky, I would advise applying your highlight beforehand (if you love a more intense glow, that is), otherwise it may not stick. I got mine at Boots for £8. 
I hope you're enjoying our beautiful weather this week! 
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My Olaplex Experience

Hello everyone. Today I'm stepping outside of my usual topics to share my hair story with you. I have VERY thick hair that's naturally a medium brown colour. For around the last three years I've had variations of balayage, keeping my roots dark and having the ends lightened. As we're heading into summer I decided to increase the amount of blonde in my hair (Khloe Kardashian inspired), and had a lot more of it lightened at my next appointment. I know that going blonde is a process, so didn't expect to leave the salon with the perfect shade, and I was right to be prepared. As hair can only be bleached to a certain level in one session without damage, I couldn't reach my goal right away. My hair had lifted to a very warm shade with lots of yellow/golden tones.  After hearing the world and his wife rave about the powers of Olaplex, (the ingredient that enabled Kim K to go from very dark to platinum blonde in one day without damage) I decided to look into salons in my local area that offer the service. I went for a consultation and booked my appointment for a couple of days later. To say I'm astonished by the results is an understatement. Here's my before and after taken by my lovely stylist Megan:

Olaplex is a bond multiplier that repairs the bonds that bleaching or heat styling break. It was added to the lightener and applied to my hair, then step 2 of the process was applied after rinsing out the colour  and toner, then left on my hair for 20 minutes. The resulting colour is a beautifully cool, bright balayage, and my hair feels in better condition than it was before. It is soft, silky and strong.  Olaplex enabled me to reach the blonde of my dreams with no damage whatsoever, and I definitely wouldn't get my hair coloured without it ever again. My stylist recommended having stand alone Olaplex treatments (without any colour) every 6 weeks or so to maintain the health of my hair, and I'll definitely be following her advice.  My hair was done here and my stylist was Megan. I can't recommend her highly enough. Bloglovin' / Instagram