HIGH END & DRUGSTORE BEAUTY HAUL

After a small blogging break, I'm back with a good old haul.  I've definitely got to be stricter with myself in future though, and the main reason for stepping back from blogging and social media last week was because I was busy budgeting and trying to sort out money and savings etc with my boyfriend.  We have holidays etc to save for this year so I really need to have more self control when it comes to buying make up, and so this haul may well be the last for a while - sob.  

The bargain of the week goes to this beaut Make Up Revolution palette in Affirmation.  32 mainly nude shades for £8, and they are really good quality too!  I haven't tried many of the shades yet, but the few that I have are decently pigmented and have little fallout so that's good enough for me.  

I reviewed the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors in my last post, but I picked up three shades in Superdrug on the 3 for 2 offer and I love them.  The are super cute, the colours are amazing and they feel like a much more expensive product than they are.

I was running low on my favourite Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation, so I've repurchased it in the shade Cream Ivory which is a perfect match for my skin.  I always rave about this base so I won't go on about it again here, but it really is worth the money and if you want good coverage but a light formula, then this is definitely for you.  

I was also on the lookout for a new concealer, and after seeing so many good reviews of the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer I decided to give it a go myself.  So far I'm really impressed and it is pretty similar to my usual Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer, except I'd say this one is more light-reflecting which is definitely a good thing.  It does a good job of hiding my awful dark circles and is pretty good for blemishes too.  

Finally, I rarely go to Boots without picking up something from Barry M, and this time was no different.  I picked up one of the new Mani Mask nail polishes in the shade Birthday Suit, and a clear topcoat.  The Mani Mask polish is perfect for a natural french mani look, and it makes my nails look a lot better than they actually are somehow, so I've been wearing it everyday along with the topcoat for work.  

I love it when everything I buy turns out to be worth it, this is by far the best bunch of products that I've bought in a while!  

What have you been buying lately?  Do you have any of these products? xx

REVIEW | REVLON UTLRA HD MATTE LIPCOLORS

Liquid lipsticks are definitely having a moment right now, most of the big make up brands seem to have new collections of them out and it's pretty easy to see why they're so popular.  I first noticed these Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors in Boots, and the style of them reminded me of the ones by Hourglass.  I like the design, they've got a high end feel to them and they are not just the standard lipgloss kind of tubes that you would usually get from a drugstore brand.

I picked up the shades HD Love (red), HD Seduction (nude) and HD Obsession (pink) and I already know that I need to pick up the rest!  The pigment is amazing, as you can tell from the swatches in the photo, even the nude has good colour payoff - which can sometimes be a bit hit and miss with this kind of formula.  

They apply really easily with the small doe foot applicators; the formula feels really sheer and even moisturising, you kind of forget that it is a matte finish because it doesn't feel heavy or drying at all.  The pink and red shades are really bright and vibrant, and the strong colour helps to give the illusion of fuller lips which is absolutely fine by me!  The nude is a pretty subtle shade but it is a good warm colour that lasts a lot longer than most others that I own.  

At the moment these lipsticks are £8.99 each or 3 for 2 in Boots, which is a good way to get a few at once, as one of these is not really enough! 

I'm really impressed with them so far, Revlon has always been one of my favourite drugstore brands and I think that they do lip products in particular very well.  These are excellent quality for the price, and I think the design is cute and perfect for carrying on the go.  

Have you tried these lipsticks?  What do you think of them? xx

5 THINGS | BLOG INSPIRATION

We all lack inspiration for blog posts sometimes; I have been feeling it a bit lately - especially since I've been spending less and I'm so used to blogging about new things!  I thought I would share some of my favourite ways to get motivated again and get some fresh ideas, most of which you probably already do or have read about, but ya know a girl can try! 

1. Go on Pinterest, Twitter, Google and find some new blogs.  I have found some amazing blogs just by searching for a particular product review etc, and I find that there's no better way to feel inspired than by enjoying reading some new material and sharing the blog love.  If you usually read beauty blogs for example, coming across a lifestyle blog that you love may inspire you to branch out into different kinds of posts.
2. Take a break.  There's nothing worse than feeling like you have to post often if you're really not into it.  I always make random resolutions about posting more regularly etc but at the end of the day, if I don't feel like writing or am not happy with my photos I just quit and go back to it when I actually want to.  No one will love your blog if you're not loving it yourself first! (so cheesy soz)
3. Twitter chats make everything better.  You're not going to feel inspired by talking to someone who isn't interested in make up, fashion etc - so talk to people who are!  Twitter chats are truly awful for your bank balance, but are the perfect way to feel positive and motivated again.  
4. Take your camera everywhere.  Or your phone.  Take photos of anything and everything, look back through them at home and chances are you will find something that you'll want to talk about - even if it's a review of the restaurant where you photographed your dinner! 
5. Buy a nice new notepad.  Every blogger loves stationary, right?  It might just be me, but when I get a fancy new notepad I just find myself scribbling (read: practising my best handwriting) down ideas and planning posts that I didn't realise were formed in my head yet!  

Let me know your own thoughts and what you do when you're in need of some motivation! xx

BRIGHT SPRING MAKE UP

Spring usually translates into bright colours as far as make up is concerned, and I'm no different; as soon as the sun comes out and it's not quite as cold outside, I rummage through my dressing table and pull out all of the corals and bright pinks!  Only one of the products featured in this post is new, which I think is quite an achievement for me - however this post goes live on payday so the situation may actually be changing as you read this..

Stila Eyes Are The Window palette in Spirit is pretty under rated in my opinion, The twelve matte and light shimmer shades are so pretty and compliment my eyes really well.  I don't get much fall out with these either which is good when you've got summery shades, as the last thing you want is glitter cheeks!

Benefit Coralista blush is an old favourite that I've repurchased a few times now.  I just love the mix of four orange and pink shades; the resulting colour is a healthy, bright coral glow that looks natural and really enhances my complexion. 

Lipstick wise, it was really hard to narrow it down to just three shades because I have so many bright pinks and oranges that I love for spring and summer.  I had to pick my newest addition to the family which is MAC Flocking Fabulous, a gorgeous creamy pink which has a cremesheen finish.  

I also chose Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfecter in Rose Shimmer, which is a subtle shade with a gloss feel and finish but without the stickiness that glosses can have.  

I had to include a matte shade too, which is my favourite finish in lipstick, and I went for Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic - an oldie but a goodie.  I love lipsticks in pencil form because they are so easy to apply, and this one is no different.  The colour is a bright and vibrant pink, which has a minty scent which I love and it lasts for hours too without fading or needing to be reapplied.  

On my nails, I always love a bright colour and I always find myself reaching for Essie Fiesta, which is a bright candy pink.  Essie is always a winner when it comes to nail polishes - they have a super glossy and professional finish, and last for days without chipping.    

I really could have picked out so many more products; spring is such a good time to experiment with bright colours!  What are you going to be wearing this spring?  Do you have any of these bits? xx

CURRENT BEAUTY FAVOURITES | 14

More make up favourites!  There's nothing too groundbreaking here today; I've not been switching up my routine much lately so apart from a couple of forgotten gems that I've rediscovered in the last week or two, most of these products have probably already been talked about on here so I'll keep it brief!  

I will most probably be using the Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation until I finish it, which almost never happens with me and foundation - I always find something new or get bored, so this shows just how much I love it.  I have to say that I am tempted to try out the new NARS Velvet Matte foundation, but I'm torn between buying that or repurchasing this Laura Mercier one.  I love that this is a perfect colour match for my skin, and how it gives full coverage whilst still feeling so lightweight.  

My latest highlighter love is the Becca Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Champagne Pop.  The peachy shade is so flattering and the glow you get from this is insane - I'm pretty sure my cheeks can be seen from space when I'm wearing this! 

My newest addition to my lipstick collection is MAC Shanghai Spice, which I wrote about in my last post.  This is one of the Cremesheen shades, meaning it's got a velvety sheer finish rather than a matte one, and I've been using it as my new work shade.  It is a lovely nude with warm tones which will be perfect going into spring.  

Two products that I've found in my drawers and fell in love with again are the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Magic balm and Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream.  The Charlotte Tilbury balm is a lip treatment containing propolis (something good from Beeswax), and it really works wonders on my lips.  Unfortunately it costs £25, so I'm doing my best to use as little as possible so that it lasts longer! 

Benefit's It's Potent helps to fade my dark under eye circles which are a nightmare thanks to my early starts every day.  It feels lovely on application and sinks in to my skin quickly so that I don't have long to wait before I can apply my base, concealer etc.  

Do you have any of these products?  What have you been loving lately? xx

TWO NEW MAC LIPSTICKS

Possibly one of the smallest 'hauls' ever, but as it's MAC lipsticks I thought that it would be ok!  I just thought I'd do a quick post on my first impressions, as I've literally only had them a couple of days so far.

They are both Cremesheen lipsticks, in the shades Shanghai Spice and Flocking Fabulous, and they have a more sheer, moisturising finish than the matte shades.  Both are really beautiful and wearable colours; Shanghai Spice is a warm nude which will be perfect for day to day looks, and Flocking Fabulous is a pink coral shade which is going to be perfect for seeing me through both spring and summer.  They apply really well and the pigment is really good considering they are sheerer than the usual shades.  I've had really dry lips all over the winter which is why I opted for these kind of shades rather than the mattes ones I'd normally go for, but I'm really impressed with the colours and how they look when on - the colour pay off (can't believe I just said that) is excellent and as always, MAC hasn't let me down!  

I can see already that I'm going to be wearing these shades to death over the next few months, I'm so glad that I added them to my growing collection.  Have you got either of these shades?  What do you think of them?xx

BECCA | SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTER & JACLYN HILL CHAMPAGNE POP

I've already tried to justify why I bought these two products in a previous post - let's just say I was ill, I felt sorry for myself, the laptop was in front of me, and before I knew what I was really doing they were added to my basket and paid for...oopsy.  

It's best not to focus on the past, so with this in mind we shall move quickly past this blip in my spending ban (two MAC lipsticks are on their way to me as well, but it was Mother's Day and I feel like my dog Rocky would want me to treat myself on his behalf).

So: First up there is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter, £30 (top swatch), which I picked up in the shade Moonstone.  I have been using this under my foundation to boost my skin and give it a healthy looking glow.  I was a bit worried about using it at first, because illuminators and primers can be oily and sometimes break my skin out, but so far this one has been fine and has been a great match for my skin tone.  It manages to create a lit-from-within look and sits perfectly underneath my makeup, complimenting it rather than making it look unnatural or over the top.

The Jaclyn Hill highlighter, £30 in Champagne Pop has been talked about a hella lot in the blogging world lately, so naturally I had to see what all the fuss was about.  I love highlighters, and this one is no exception, it is by far the most intensely pigmented one I own and the texture is so buttery that it looks like it will smash to pieces if I nudge it.  I absolutely love the colour, you only need a tiny amount to cover both cheek bones - use too much and it does look ridiculous!  

I'm really happy with both of these products, I've been using them every day and my complexion does look much better - even if it is cheating!

Have you tried either of these products?xx