Beauty Haul

It's been a while since I've gone out and bought loads of make-up usually its just going to my local drugstore and picking up a few staple pieces that are needed. But around 2 months ago me and my sister set a date for our beauty shopping spree in London and well, we've been saving ever since. We set off early and started off at MAC down Carnaby Street and as you can probably see that left a huge hole in my pocket. We continued on and popped into places like Selfridges, Space NK and Lush. But anyway enough rambling here's what I bought:

MAC Lipstick in Chatterbox £15
A soft fuschia pink lipstick in the finish amplified.
 
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle £22
A high frost peachy/bronze powder highlighter.
 
MAC Eyeshadow in Pink Venus £10
A shimmery rose pink eyeshadow in the finish lustre.
 
MAC Eyeshadow in Trax £10
A plum eyshadow with small hints of glitter in the finish velvet.
 
MAC Eyeshadow in Blackberry £10
A matte plum eyeshadow.
 
MAC Pro Colour 4 Compact Palette £6.50
 
Rimmel Soft Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Sable Brown 011 £2.99
Dark brown eyeliner pencil.
 
Bourjous Healthy Mix Serum in Light Beige 53 £10.99
Gel foundation giving an instant anti-fatigue effect and revived complexion.
 
Real Techniques Setting Brush £8.99
Small finishing brush used for applying highlighters and powdering the t-zone.
 
Lush H'suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment £8.95
A hair mask that improves the entire condition of your hair and adds a gorgeous shine.

Hope you enjoyed my beauty haul!♥

 Amy

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NARS Delphes Trio Eyeshadow Palette

I can't even begin to describe my excitement and slight jealousy when my older sister, Rachel, rang me up and told me she was being invited to the NARS sample sale. For any of you who don't know what a sample sale is it's when retail businesses sell off excess merchandise for cheaper than the original selling price. I was lucky enough to have a little gift brought home for me which was this gorgeous eyeshadow palette called Delphes. It contains a light shimmery pink, a matte grey with hints of glitter and a shimmery olive green. I'm yet to try these out but, to be honest, I'll probably use the pink and grey a lot more than the green as I don't know how good it will look on me and its a little out of my comfort zone, but you never know I may feel a little adventurous one day and give it a go. I'm really impressed with the pigmentation of the colours but that comes as no surprise to me as NARS are notorious for having high quality make up. Which explains the price tag, normally this would be on sale for £33 (click here if you want this gorgeous palette) but my sister picked it up at the bargain price of £10, yes you heard right, A TENNER! So I think it's safe to say I'm a very happy girl right now! 

Have a lovely weekend!♥

Amy

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NOTD: Stud Effect Nails

 From left to right: Leighton Denny Crystal Finish Top Coat, O.P.I Matte Nail Envy, Essie Nail Varnish in Hot Coco and Leighton Denny Nail Varnish in Metallic Mink.

I am by no means a professional nail artist, don't get me wrong I love looking after my nails and making sure they are in pristine, condition but when it comes down to nail art I am a complete and utter amateur. I've always wanted to recreate the 'cute floral nail art tutorials' plastered all over the internet but I neither have the patience nor the equipment to make them look good enough, they all just seem to turn into a squiggly, smudgy mess - not good. I've seen this stud effect nail look quite a lot on things like Instagram and I thought whilst I had a little bit of spare time I would try it out and I'm pretty proud of the outcome, even if I do say so myself. It's such an easy and effortless effect but gives a little extra detail to a classic nude nail.

First off I took my O.P.I Matte Nail Envy and slid this onto my nails as a base coat. This is my hero nail product its a strengthener, base coat and matte top coat all in one, words cant even begin to describe how much I love this product and how much it has changed the appearance of my nails. Then I began to apply two coats of my Essie Nail Varnish in Hot Coco and leave them to dry for around 5 minutes. I haven't used this shade much but I think the colour looks so nice now that we're entering Autumn and the name just makes me feel all warm and cosy.

Next is the hard part, trying to create perfect little dots all of around the same size. Practice does make perfect and I did have to start a couple of my nails over again because I managed to get a whacking great big blob of glittery nail varnish over my perfectly varnished nude nails. So I got my Leighton Denny Nail Varnish in Metallic Mink and wiped any excess nail varnish on the rim of the bottle. (Remember: you can add to your little dots so the less nail varnish on the brush the better) Then using the corner of the brush I dab a little glittery dot a third of the way up my nail and repeat this for each nail. Again, leave this to dry for around five minutes and apply a top coat, I used my Leighton Denny Crystal Finish Top Coat, and hey presto, you're done.

Are you any good at Nail Art? Have you managed to 

recreate this look?

Have a lovely weekend!
♥

Amy

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Evening Skincare Essentials

 

I've always tried to take really good care of my skin so since hitting my teenage years I've consistently stuck to three main rules of maintaining healthy skin: Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise. Its taken me a while to find a routine that really clicks and works for my skin but finally I think I've found all the right products that work to leave my skin feeling refreshed and hydrated. I wanted products that weren't too strong and going to strip my skin of all the goodness and I preferred to have natural ingredients like essential oils to keep my skin looking healthy. So some of these wont be of any surprise to you as there are a few cult classics but also you'll find a few hidden gems. 

1. I didn't include this in the picture above but I always start off by removing the bulk of my make up using the Garnier Fresh Essientials Eye Make-up Remover, this just helps to make the other products work in a more effective way as there isn't as much make-up on the face that they need to tackle. 

2. Next, I fill my sink with warm water and apply my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to my face (no more than the size of a ten pence piece) by massaging it through my lashes and leaving a creamy layer on the skin. I wet my TreSonic Facial Cleanser (Review here) and move it round the whole of my face, excluding my eyes, this just helps to lift off the rest of my make-up but also gives a much deeper cleanse to remove any dirt or oils hidden inside my pores. Once I've finished with my TreSonic I'll use a muslin cloth to remove the remaining residue and wipe over my eyes to clear away any excess mascara that my make-up remover didn't get off previously.

3. Then, I'll spray my Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic onto a cotton pad and wipe it all around my face this includes ingredients like Aloe Vera and Cucumber which help to soothe and refresh the skin. Toning is by far the most underestimated step in a skincare routine but is actually really important as it ensures that no remaining bits of dirt are left behind but also restores the skins pH level.

4. After I will put a few pumps of my Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser Combination/Oily into my hands and apply it to my skin focusing mainly on dry patches and under my eyes. I always apply my moisturiser under my eyes with my ring finger as it is the weakest finger which will prevent any stretching or scratching as the skin under the eyes is very delicate. Then I'll slide a bit of the Ultralip lip balm onto my lips, which is the best lip balm I've ever used, this is coming from a lip balm addict, it's ridiculously moisturising, I apply it at night and my lips are still smooth by the time I wake up in the morning. This will definitely cure your winter chapped lips ladies AND it has SPF 15 for the summer *round of applause for the best lip balm ever*, yes I went there.

5. Now its for the finishing touches I quickly sweep Revitabrow through the start of my brows this is a clear gel that encourages them to grow in the areas where they look a little lack lustre. This really works and I recommend it to anyone who hates their thin, sparse brows. However, don't expect to have thick Cara Delevigne-esque brows overnight, I'm still waiting, waaaah:( But you will see results within the first two weeks of use. Finally, if I find I have any blemishes on my skin I roll on a bit of Liz Earle Spot-on which is a 'rescue treatment' for blemishes, bites and cuts. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this product but I'm currently in love and its just helping to heal and clear up my pesky blemishes a lot quicker, hooray!

What are your evening skincare essentials? ♥

Amy

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