Zoella sweet sensations - my two pence worth

Zoella bath crystals, fizz bar and bath latte - all purchased from superdrug

Team internet have really stepped up their game this year, the products being released just keep getting bigger and better. When I saw Zoë release the Sweet Sensations range on her channel I knew I had to purchase it, I was swept away immediately by the packaging, inspiration and the new scent promise. I brought these the day they were released on Superdrug's website, I only purchased the bits I knew I'd use the most. I was most intrigued by the bath salts as I haven't used any before and the packaging is beautiful, as soon as I took the lid of these I was so pleasantly surprised by the scent. I feel like this is the most mature of all of Zoë's collections to date and this scent is sweet and subtle - I'm not going to even attempt to describe it fully who can describe scents? not me  the amount of detail in these products really makes them worth while for me. The quality given the price point makes them a great purchase. I'm much happier with the bubble bar this time round too, as my previous ones failed to create bubbles for me this one was much better at that. My favourite from all of these is for sure the bath latte from the packaging to the product itself it really is perfection. I love how versatile this is, bath or shower ready and the packaging is perfect for displays.  The consistency is creamy and nourishing and not too heavy for the summer months, I'll definitely be repurchasing this bad boy. All in all I've been really impressed with this range!
Did you pick anything up from the Sweet sensations range? FACEBOOK | TUMBLR | YOUTUBE | LOOK BOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST

The battle of the matte liquid lip - budget to high end

The NYX long doe foot applicators

L-R Makeup revolution, apocalips, NYX lingerie, Gerard cosmetics, NYX liquid suede 

Liquid matte lipsticks have easily been one of the biggest beauty trends this year and last, and with such a vast array becoming steadily available on the market its quite daunting to know whats worth the pennies and whats worth a splurge, I've fell head over heels in liquid lips and I've grown quite the collection from budget drugstore brands, to imported, to hard to get ones. I've had so many questions about which are worth the money and which are easy to get hold of I thought I'd compile them into a bit of a guide for you.   Price wise going from lowest to highest we have:
Make-up revolution velvet lips in 'velvet black heart' £3  Rimmel apocalips lip lacquer in 'atomic rose' £6.49 NYX lingerie liquid lip in 'push up' £6.50 NYX liquid suede in 'soft spoken' £6.50 Gerard cosmetics hydra matte lip in 'invasion' £9.50 Colourpop ultra matte lip in 'beeper' £ various I get mine via depop Lime crime velvetines in 'riot' £15.06 (plus shipping) Jeffree Star liquid lipstick in 'androgyny' £14.00 (best UK site to get these from) Kat Von D everlasting liquid lipstick in  'bow n arrow' £ various I get mine via depop Kylie Jenner matte lip kit in 'exposed' £21.85 (plus UK shipping and customs)
I have a good selection of other shades from some of these brands also, I'm always sure to test a few of the forumlas before reviewing for you guys.
Make up revolution velvet lips - The cheapest offering I have in my collection, this is an inky purple colour which will probably be best suited to the autumn / winter months for me, I'm not sold on the packaging its very gothic compared to other brands offerings. Formula wise its quite wet and mousey, the applicator is fine and makes applying easy, however this does tend to bleed on my lips without liner, but for the price if you wait a good couple of minutes for it to dry you can achieve a matte finish
Rimmel apocalips - The first liquid lipstick I ever brought, probably the easiest to find in the UK in my opinion. I adore the packaging of this one, and the formula isn't wet atall, a nice mousse consistency, it is comfortable on the lips however I find it starts going chalky when eating and drinking. A big plus to this one is the applicator I really love this its a doe foot with a semi hole in the middle and it really glides on the lips. Much like the revolution offering this liquid lip also takes a long time to dry. It also has one of the strongest smells out of all my collection so if you aren't a fan of strong vanilliary scents, stay clear of this one. These aren't a complete matte finish I think the velvet name is a perfection description for the finish. A great one to reach for if you are unsure about matte lips.
NYX Lingerie - Now that NYX is available on Boots online, I snapped up a selection of these and was so stoked for them to arrive. I have to say I was quite disappointed with these, despite researching the shades before I purchased I found the majority of these shades really hard to wear, these really are foundation toned style liquid lips, don't get me wrong the creamy mousse consistency is one of the best budget liquid lips available but shade selection wise I just wasn't blown away. Similar to the apocalips, this is much more of a velvet finish than a completely matte one. NYX also have the longest doe foot applicator I've seen and I just found it inconvenient making the product harder to apply. I adore the names and the packaging of these products. Unless you have the right skin tone for these and pearly white teeth I'd not rush to get these.
NYX Liquid suede - Of all the budget brands this velvet style liquid lip won me over the most, I have these beauties in 'soft spoke' and 'sand storm' they wear really well and have an amazing colour pay off, there is also some much brighter offerings in this style if you are more of a bold lip girl. Comfortable on the lips with chic packaging? Liquid suede is a real all rounder.
Gerard Cosmetics hydra matte - One of the most underrated brands in my opinion, I was recommended trying Gerard by a friend of mine who shares the same obsession for the Jeffree Star liquid lips as I do (Hi Hayley if you are reading) I'm always blown away when I pick this up and use it again and it reminds me that I need to purchase more of these, a wetter formula then the previous products described, but a quicker drying time and wow the lasting power? crazy. I can wear one coat of this for a whole night out without it shifting, I've even woken up in this whoops. Even when wearing down this doesn't chalk or go patchy. The colour selection has plenty of 'my lips but better' shades and at a mid range price these really are fab.
Colour pop ultra matte lip - Colour pop ultra mattes are the latest addition to my collection, I have Beeper and Bianca. These are fast becoming my favourite and I've been reaching for these over my kylie lipkits recently. These go on really wet but dry so quickly, these also wear down really nicely, no patches in sight. My only complaints are a. you can't get these in the UK at the moment unless you risk depop or eBay (mine are from Depop brand new with POP) b. the holographic writing on the tube rubs off really quickly and c. if you re apply they become very messy and clumpy - but other than that I can't wait to expand my collection of these.
Lime crime velevetines - Another American brand, lime crime was the second brand I reached to for a matte lip. These have such a strong vanilla scent, it almost puts me off, they also have the smallest tube of product and smallest applicator. Despite the amazing shade range, this still bleeds off my lips and takes such a long time to dry, and even when it does I still find I get smudges and patches. Not one of my favourites.
Jeffree Star liquid lip - My second biggest collection of liquid lips, I actually wrote a separate post about these beauties. These are becoming much more popular now, with an amazing nude selection and a crazy bright colour selection on the other end of the spectrum. The formula is perfect and dries quickly, wear time is crazy long and I always get compliments wearing these. I only wish some of the darker shades (I'm looking at you unicorn blood) came with a lipliner, I hope Jeffree does bring out some lip liners - because I'd be sold!
Kat Von D everlasting liquid lip - Another new edition to my collection, Kat von d is quite hard to get in the UK, again I got mine on Depop new with POP, no overwhelming scent and a nice long applicator makes this a very sleek product indeed. I was surprised how quickly this dried and how long it lasted on the lips, I've had this around two weeks and I can't wait to get my hands on more.
Kylie Lip kits - Last but not the least the very coveted Kylie lipkits, are they worth the hype? in one word - yes. I eventually caved into buying one of these and it was true love at first use, a dreamy vanilla scent, the added bonus of a lip liner to cheat that trademark Jenner pout, long lasting formula and a nude for everyone. I have 8 of these beauties and they are by far my most used lip product right now, my only wish was that UK customers didn't get hit so hard with customs for these! but they are without my number one liquid lip, and with Kylie's website getting better and better its easier to get these now than ever - stay tuned for a post dedicated solely to these.
What's you're favourite liquid lip?

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Too faced : sweet peach palette

 Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette - Currently sold out

Unless you don't spend hours trawling beauty vlogs, blogs and what not, you probably wouldn't have seen this yet, if you have you'll understand my excitement of owning one of these! The Too Faced sweet peach palette was gifted to a number of blogging/vlogging royalty earlier this year and this combined with its limited edition label has made this a much sought after beauty product among the masses. I'm ashamed to say this is actually my first too faced purchase, I'd always lusted after the infamous chocolate bar palettes, however the high price point had always put me off, I'd been edging toward more orange and coral eyelid tones for summer and hadn't found much love with my Morphe palette, So when this little addition became available again on the Debenhams website, I had to snatch it up. This palette really is a cut above the rest, the formula is buttery with a high pigmented colour pay off, not forgetting there is a good mix of matte and shimmer shades. The mixture of neutrals and the option to brighten things up with the shades of coral and pink gives an interesting twist, with wearable yet different shades that would suit all skin tones. My only wish is that this came with a brush for the price that it is, as I still currently reach for my beloved naked urban decay palette over this for ease of use, and despite the added peach scent I wouldn't say its essential. All in all I would say this product is worth the hype. Too face is superb quality and if you can't get hold of this I would pick up the chocolate bar palette for sure!

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Real Techniques Bold metals collection : essentials collection : first impressions

Real Techniques Bold Metals Essentials Collections With Clutch : £25 @ Boots

The bold metals collection dropped into stores last year, and I think its safe to say the brush game was changed forever. A sucker for anything rose gold or metallic, I knew I'd get my hands on some of these beauties eventually, however the price tag had really put me off seeing as my current brushes were doing me just fine. My other half brought me this set on my birthday and I think for three brushes £25 is fairly affordable. I've been a loyal user of Real Techniques ever since I brought my first foundation stippling brush from them.

This set came with a clutch but it wasn't to my taste so I've disposed of that (soz) this set came with the 200 oval shadow (silver brush) 300 tapered blush (rose gold brush) and exclusive103 angled powder brush (gold brush)

For anyone wanting to get to grips with real techniques I think this kit is a really good starting point, as you're covering all areas here. I've been using the 103 to set my face with powder and the quality of these brushes is second to none, thick and luxurious they pick up just the right amount of product. I was surprised to find they have a weighty quality about them too, adding the expensive feel of the brushes. I personally haven't stepped away from my urban decay naked eyeshadow brush for this offering as of yet, but it does make a sound alternative. The 300 also makes for some easy highlighting. Overall I'm really happy with this set and would recommend to rookies and makeup gurus alike!

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What I got for christmas 2015

Let me start by saying I truly believe the best part of christmas is the time spent with family, and the build up to christmas, the festivities, lights decoration, food and baking. Presents are a tiny added bonus and if I had to pick presents or an extra sparkly merry day off with my family, the second option would win hands down. HOWEVER, I do LOVE routing through all the blogs I follow after christmas (I'm so nosy) I love finding out what goodies everyone got for christmas, so as every sharing blogger starts - this is not a brag - this is just me sharing my gifts with you! Every year I am blown away by how well Dan and my mum know me - I'm always left gobsmacked and feeling like I should have brought everyone more!

My main gifts from my mumma and stepdad! I've been wearing these gold orb earrings non stop since the day I got them, I'm planning on saving this statement clutch for special evenings and occasionally my iPad might grace its presence.

My two half sisters and I all got character slippers for christmas, Dan & I couldn't stop laughing at my unicorn pair, Dan also treated me this new Calvin Klein set I already have the white and wear it all the time, also these beautiful light grey / blue superstars

I think my Lush obsession has became very apparent this year! I have enough bath bombs to last me the year! 

Another one of my main presents from my mum was the happiness planner! so excited to start this 

Two new scents! I've lusted after the Jo Malone perfume forever, this got a few gasps my side of the family when I opened this on christmas day

I don't remember a year I didn't get lucky and receive the soap and glory set, these are the ultimate in TLC gifts, My main present from my nan was the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick trio! they are so tiny and cute, my cousins in wales always send me the best mac products!

I am so excited to make more smoothies with my new smoothie maker! Dan's mum and dad got me the yankee candle baby powder candle, it smells devine

And finally the sweet treats I should not be indulging in!
What did you get for christmas this year?

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The most beautiful berry lip - Charlotte Tilbury 'Glastonberry'

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in 'Glastonberry' £23

Sigh, there is something about Charlotte Tilbury beauty products that makes me swoon like no other. I've previously posted about the lip cheat liner, and I've been determined to try one of the matte revolution lipsticks for a while. With the black friday promotions I managed to snap this up on Selfridges with a discount code. 'Glastonberry' is the perfect autumn to winter shade, its a mid berry tone between purple and red and I adore it. The packaging of this product is perfect and really makes you feel like you're money is well spent. Despite this product being described as matte the application is creamy on the lips and not the slightest bit drying atall. The main idea behind this range is to give you a fuller looking lip, which I couldn't say no to. I do need to buy a lip liner to wear with this product as the beautiful square tip makes for some tricky cupids' bow precision. Overall I'm over the moon with this product, it was a splurge but one to stick on the wish list girls!

What beauty buys have you been lusting after?

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A little lush haul...

Now that the weather has turnt colder, and my work schedule includes alot of night shifts, I've become more partial than ever to a bath. Lush is always my favorite place to go for bathtime goodies. The christmas range always leaves me excited and I've managed to nab a few ahead of the christmas rush. I am forever uploading pictures of my baths on instagram if you are interested in seeing these in action..

(L-R from packaged picture)

Shoot for the stars bath bomb £3.65 - 'Stay very still to watch the swirling colours of the night sky dazzle in your bath water. As the calming blanket of shimmering midnight blue unfolds, Brazilian orange and bergamot oils take your skin to heaven and your mood rocketing up to the stars'

Father christmas bath bomb £3.65 - This one caught my eye because of the super green fizzy bath it produces! 'Before making this, Father Christmas must have stopped at a sweet shop for stocking fillers because it smells like freshly spun candy floss. Soak away the hours in sweet, mouthwatering waters as the blushing red of Santa's cheeks fizz away to reveal a vivid, holly green centre'

Dashing santa bath bomb £2.95 - More of a foam style fizz as appose to clear bubbles 'Santa's golden boots fizz away first, sending him dashing around delivering lustrous waters of cheery mandarin oil. Bright, fruity bergamot and orange flower absolutes scent the air like fresh satsumas, making him a perfect treat for the bottom of stockings.'

Intergalactic bath bomb £3.95 - Not part of the christmas range, if you are a fan of a massive colour pay off, this is the one for you! 'Ever wondered what bathing in deep space would be like? Invite the cosmos into your bathroom with this sexy, interstellar bomb and become the guardian of your own galaxy. An awesome mix of refreshing peppermint and neon colour sends your mood rocketing, while popping candy takes you on a trip around the Milky Way. Constellations swirl and pop, creating vibrant lustre vortexes in the night sky. Before you leap too far, rogue layers of vetivert and cedarwood take hold, evoking the warmth of human contact far from home and a hint of 80s aftershave. Return from your intergalactic brief encounter as the grounding scent brings you gently back from orbit.'

Peeping santa bubble bar £3.95 - I actually saw this one online, and my other half picked this up for me as a just because gift, I was stolen by this little guys cute apperance and the amazing red bubble bath he produces ... p.s I've only just discovered that bubble bars are different to bath bombs and need to be broken up under running water 'Santa's always watching with his dairy free chocolate drop eyes, waiting for his batch of hand-churned shea butter from the Ojoba women's cooperative in Ghana to be ready. When the festive season comes round, it's blended with Fair Trade Organic Cocoa butter to make the filling between Santa's sandwich of strawberry-sweet bergamot and geranium oils. Crumble under the running water for sack loads of fruity bubbles.'

What lush treats have you been picking up?

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Jeffree star cosmetics velour liquid lipsticks : my new addiction

L-r : Celebrity skin, androgyny, doll parts, masochist, unicorn blood, dirty money

'Androgyny'

'Doll parts'

I remember exactly when I switched on to liquid lipsticks, I think it was around the time Kylie Jenner started that huge lip craze, and I remember trawling the internet looking for shades of lipstick that could offer a matte coverage to allow me to make my own pout slightly fuller. Now don't judge me here - I can't be the only person who's discovered a lip product and set themself the unspoken task of owning all shades whoops. Jefree star has been on my radar since the myspace era, I remember some pretty rad pictures of him covered in milk and fruit loops, but who would have known he would go on to create one of the greatest lip products my makeup space and face has met. I've previously tried lime crime's velventine matte lip product offering and we just didn't get along - the colour transferred and cracked and just wouldn't stay on my lips. I first purchased 'celebrity skin' from a seller on depop, being an american brand the JS liquid lips are fairly difficult to get over here, for me, it was love at first sight, and I don't believe I've ever had so many compliments on a lipstick before. The formula of these ingenious products is thick and creamy, I like to prep with a bit of vaseline to avoid them sticking to dry patches, and then i apply, the only shade I've had a problem with running wise is unicorn blood, but every other shade doesn't require a lip liner, just a steady hand and some patience. Drying wise these are pretty quick, I can apply this as I'm leaving for work and they will be dry on my lips by the time I get in the car. I can even kiss with these on - result - as theres no colour transfer! the only time I've felt some graininess and struggle was when eating. I've picked up a fair few shades now, its so nice to find a range that offers so many wearable colours - however Jeffree offers some pretty other crazy colours including a bright blue named 'jaw breaker' and a bright white named 'drug lord'. Getting my paws on these has been never been easier thanks to finding a UK website that is selling them now - cocktail cosmetics  , I HAD to share this with you - and my now my collection is growing double whoops. Would you believe I'm reaching for these over mac now!?

Jeffree star is in my life to stay and every payday is seeing a new one of these hit my stash!

What do you think of these?

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Re-organizing my makeup storage

Over the last couple of weeks I've barley had time to tidy my room, let alone re-organize things. I'm really fond of keeping my make-up space a real treasure. I'm lucky that over the last couple of years, and houses I've lived in (at uni etc) that I've always had some form of space to display things. Whilst with my nan currently I'm using the dressing table area in my room, my grandad actually built this along with the rails either side - whos up for a room tour? - and its so so perfect for all my acrylic storage. I need to film a video of all this for you guys asap, but for now I thought I'd share what I spent last night doing! 
What do you think?

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Charlotte Tilbury : 'Pillow talk' reshape and resize lip liner review

Charlotte Tilbury 'Pillow talk' lipliner - £16

I'm currently away in Manchester for work - yes, I have bagged myself a new job - again - I'm now the visual manager for Topshop Topman in a store in Kent, and I'm currently up here for training and having a ball! 

The Intu Trafford centre has just installed two beautiful Charlotte Tilbury stands and whilst I've always gazed at her products from afar its been a long while coming for me to actually purchase something. I think the initial allure for me was the beautiful packaging of all CT products. Everything is so luxe and beautiful - no, you should not judge a book by its cover but when products look this good I just can't help it! I took to twitter last night to ask for CT reviews and the 'pillow talk' lip liner was a firm favourite. The liner boasts to re shape ad resize you're lips and with the current Kardashian inspired, fuller than full pout I was drawn in by this claim, I'm also a massive fan of an everyday nude lip product and 'pillow talk' ticks that box for me also. I wear mac's velvet teddy avidly and I was worried this would be more of a duplicate for that - but it isn't!

Application wise I was immediately surprised with this product, expecting a smudged bleeding lip line, I applied the pencil just outside of my lips to see if I really could increase my pout! I was shocked to see how well this product went on, no smudging, no bleeding and a comfortable consistency. The only problem I had was filling my lips with the liner, I hadn't put a primer on and my pencil end snapped on first use - eek! - but this product is matte and stiff on the lips allowing you to really fill you're lip shape out. For the first couple of seconds my lips did fill tacky but within minutes the product dried down and became a very comfortable wearer.

I think I may have just started a love affair with Charlotte Tilbury! 

Which of her products have you tried?

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