Drugstore Grunge Summer Makeup Tutorial

It's been a heck of a long time since I did a makeup tutorial (I already specified previously that when I say makeup tutorial, I'm not saying I'm a makeup artist or I have any idea what I'm doing, but for the sake of shorter post/YouTube video titles, I have called it a tutorial - #dealwithit) and I quite fancied doing the somewhat summery look I've been wearing recently. When I say summery, I mean as summery as it gets for me. I actually decided to do this tutorial different to my other makeup videos (which you may or may not have realised are now mostly unlisted) so this isn't a chatty one, let me know what you think! I really fancied shaking things up and I think I prefer these sorts of videos at the moment. Also, big change - the lighting is actually pretty good in this video and I actually look mixed race, amen!

Products Used:

Rimmel 25hr Nude Foundation in 400

Collection Cover Stick in Natural Beige

L'Oreal True Match Concealer in Sable/Sand 5

Collection Sheer Loose Powder in Translucent (Review here)

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent

Essence Brow and Lash Gel

Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Delicious

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200 Soft Beige

Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in MMMM (Review here)

Colours by Technic Complete Makeup Palette

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Nude

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Black

Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Natural Mauve

How do you shake up your makeup for summer? (If at all, I evidently don't change up mine that much!)

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

May favourites

Another month has gone by, I feel we're a little older, a little wiser, a little closer to our inevitable deaths and all that malarkey, so here are my monthly favourites . . .

1. FaceTheory C1 Cleanser*

I've only got the sample size of this because it was a PR sample, but I really like it! It really evened out my skin and left it feeling soft. What I really like about the FaceTheory products in general (I've got a moisturiser and toner sample too) is that you do a quiz on their website to establish your skin type and what works best for that, then you can buy skincare to match that. I didn't think much of the moisturiser and toner but they definitely worth bad, and it's definitely worth looking on the website.

2. Essence Waterproof Liquid Liner (review here)

I actually tried this out ages ago and I remember really liking it but for some reason I hadn't really used it since then, but at the moment I've been in some what of a rut with my makeup, I just really want to shake everything up products wise and try new things (I think it's because I'm stuck inside revising so I can't go out and buy or swatch things, roll on 16th June when my exams end!) so I've been shopping my stash and rediscovering products, and I've been using this nearly everyday - it's waterproof, very black, easy to apply, and it only costs about £2.50, brilliant!

3. Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Double Decker Red (review here)

As I said in the full review of this product, when I first tried it about a year ago I really didn't think it was anything special - this was due to my own mistakes, I thought it was so opaque it only needed one coat and obviously this meant it chipped really easily - my stupidity really. However, I've tried it again and I'm having somewhat of a love affair. It's a bright red colour that's really nice for summer (although all year round would work too, it's just for me the brighter colours come out in the summer) and it lasts me 3-5 days which for a pianist is pretty decent. I only paid £1 for this as well because I got it from a market near my house, basically you get an even finish, longevity, and a nice bright summery colour.

4. L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Bois De Rose

I bought this a while ago but I hadn't really mentioned it on here before because I hadn't majorly used it until this month. It's a sheer, mauve, moisturising lipstick that I hadn't really worn much since buying it because I was very into my matte Kylie Jenner-esque lip colours, but now it's coming up to Summer I am just so off matte makeup whether it be lipsticks or foundation, so I decided to try this out again and I have been loving it. It's such a lovely everyday lip colour, it doesn't last all that long on the lips and I have to top it up throughout the day but that's to be expected with sheer lip colours. The packaging is also super classy too.

5. All Ways Natural Instant Oil Moisturizer Leave-in Conditioner

Something I get asked about a lot (more so in YouTube comments) is my hair, and I have been requested to do a hair care video so if you want that please let me know, I'm a bit on the fence about it because I don't do much, but something I have been using a lot for the past month (even last month but I didn't put it in last month's favourites for some reason) is this leave-in conditioner. Going to say right now, this would only really be suited to people with dryer hair or hair on the afro hair spectrum. My hair is a mix of afro and caucasian hair so I can get away with using this but I have to be careful not to go overboard, basically this is just super moisturising and just leaves my hair feeling soft. If I use too much, the next day it might feel a bit greasy and weighed down, but if I put it on my hair over the weekend and don't go out (revision life, ugh) then by Monday it's super soft and feeling healthy generally.

What have been your favourites this month?

*PR sample

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

April favourites

As I said in this video I don't really want to do seasonal favourites anymore. Whilst I love long chatty videos, I feel like I've gotten to a point where they're way too long but not in a nice way, so I thought short, snappy monthly favourites would be a better alternative, at least for now. I just think long chatty videos are really time consuming to film, really time consuming to edit, and they're really time consuming for you to watch so y'know I've got to do what's best for all of us here in the family of fashion, beauty and an existential crisis. So, as I said I'd do, it's the first Wednesday of the month so 'tis favourites time y'all.

1. L'Oreal True Match Foundation

I know this has been raved on and on about in the beauty world but I do always convince myself I won't like over-hyped products (and I always come to the conclusion that over-hyped products are over-hyped for a reason, damn me and my hipster tendencies). First of all, the shade range in the True Match Foundation is one of the best on the markets covering all undertones and many different skin colours, which for me is already a pretty big selling point. Secondly, the coverage is medium but can be built up to a full coverage, and it's quite hard to find a foundation with a good shade range and medium-full coverage. Thirdly, it's pretty easy to blend so you don't get any strange lines on your face from using a brush.

2. L'Oreal True Match Concealer

To go with the foundation, I have the concealer. I've heard mixed opinions on this but I personally really like it. Again, the shade range is pretty good for such a full coverage concealer. I find this pretty good at covering up both spots and under eyes, but it can crease under the eyes if you don't set it with powder pretty quickly.

3.  Collection Cover Stick

I never used to like cover sticks, I used to find them drying and just generally not great, but I decided to pick this one after I couldn't find my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in my shade (seriously, I went on several occasions and Warm Medium is always sold out) so I gave this a swatch and was immediately baffled at how creamy this was for a concealer stick, plus it's a lot more yellow in tone than the Lasting Perfection concealer which for me is a plus. I do find that the way this best works is if I mix it with the L'Oreal True Match concealer and warm it up between my fingers then swipe it under my eyes and powder, I've never tried a better combination to cover up my dark circles.

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Ah, another blogger favourite. I haven't much to say about this except that it's pretty finely milled so it doesn't make your skin look powdered, but it does keep my oil at bay for a good 5 hours before needing to touch up. I just use the transparent shade to set my makeup, but I do recommend it if you're on the lookout for a powder.

5. Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara

I've wanted to try this for so so long because Maddie used to talk about it all the time before discovering a new favourite (which like every other blogger at the moment is the Lash Sensational mascara, I refuse to try it until the hype dies down a little bit) so I thought I'd give this a go. I'm not sure if it beats the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara yet but I've only been using it for a week so perhaps it needs to dry up a bit more, I do really love it though as it volumizes your lashes without looking super clumpy, the formula is great and doesn't transfer, it's also pretty easy to do your bottom lashes with it.

6. Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette

I've had this for a while, and if you remember in my Full Face of First Impressions: Makeup Revolution video I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this palette. I liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as the Iconic 2 Palette regarding pigmentation. I think it was also because the shades in it are quite warm toned and those aren't usually the tones I reach for, but now that it's coming up to Spring I'm loving using the paler shades, and I think now it's been worn in a bit, the pigmentation is better.

What have been your favourites this month?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

Drugstore/High Street Starter Makeup Kit

When I was about 12 and started building up my makeup collection, I had a massive eyeshadow palette from Claire's Accessories, one mascara and a few lip glosses. This probably wasn't the best set for a rambunctious tween to start with, this resulted in heavy black eyeshadow to try and represent my adoration for My Chemical Romance (no mascara, no blending, yep I'm talking straight up panda eyes). So, here I am now telling you my favourite drugstore and high street makeup options to start up your own kit. If you're well experienced in the world of makeup, this is essentially just my best picks if you will.

FOUNDATION:

First of all, the low coverage low budget option is Makeup Revolution's The Matte Effect foundation. This costs a mere £2 and gives you a tiny bit of coverage, and it works as a nice base to put makeup on top of. This doesn't live up to the claim of being matte  and it actually applies very much like a moisturiser (so do not fear my dry skinned chums) - so it doesn't live up to its claim of being matte but this isn't a problem if you use a powder.

Second of all, the medium-high coverage which is slightly more expensive but well worth the price is L'Oreal's True Match foundation which pretty much everyone in the bloggersphere loves, and for good reason. There's such a wide shade range suiting all undertones which was important for me, I find it ridiculously hard to find a match for my peculiarly undertoned mixed race skin but this fits the bill pretty darn well. It blends really nicely but gives you a fair bit of coverage, this is £9.99 but that's pretty average for a foundation and for a foundation this good it is well worth it.

CONCEALER:

I really struggled picking just one for this one because there are some that I like that I know a lot of people will hate or the shade range is really bad, and frankly I don't want to recommend to anyone who, like me, isn't white or orange a concealer that won't work for them. So a nice creamy, medium coverage concealer with a pretty decent shade range is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, I think this is just a good all rounder.

POWDER:

My absolute favourite powder, which is probably not a complete surprise given how many people love it, is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. This doesn't mattify you to the point where you're 2D but it does help to keep your makeup in place and keep your skin looking like skin, I use the transparent shade because I only use it to set my makeup but they do other shades so you can use it for a light coverage.

Another powder I quite like is the Collection Sheer Loose Powder, this is good if you have to majorly mattify your face. I stopped using this because I felt like I was looking 2D but if you have oily skin this is definitely one to give a go because it really helps keep oil at bay.

BROWS:
Very politician-like of me, I have a tendency to flip flop regarding my brow routine. When I want to go for a pencil, I love the P.S Love Brow Pencil which I own in both Medium and Dark (depending on whether I want a strong Delevigne-esque brow or just a nice natural look). This has the perfect degree of waxiness so it's not so pigmented to the point where your brows are heavier than my sense of shame (and that's pretty heavy bro), but it's also not at all scratchy.

For powder, at the moment I'm been loving using Makeup Revolution's mono eyeshadow in the shade Delicious - this is a lovely ashy, almost grey-brown-taupe shade that blends in with my eyebrows really well. Although, I also love Makeup Revolution's mono eyeshadow in the shade Mmmm although this is a little bit more warm toned than Delicious. Basically, the Makeup Revolution mono eyeshadows are pretty good anyway so you should have a look and see if you can find a shade to suit your brows.

EYESHADOWS:
My favourite eyeshadows ever are the Maybelline Colour Tattoos, they're super pigmented, long lasting, work as a base, work alone - generally the dog's bollocks.

If you prefer powdered eyeshadow, I love Makeup Revolution's Iconic 2 Palette as it offers cool-toned brownish-neutral-you-get-the-drill shades and when I'm not using the Colour Tattoos, I'm using this. The other palettes and mono eyeshadows by Makeup Revolution are great too, but I just think this specific palette is the most wearable of them all.

EYELINER:
I don't think I've gone a makeup-wearing day without liquid eyeliner in the past two years, so I've tried out a fair few, but my favourite without a doubt is the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Liner - this is super super black, I'm talking black hole black, I'm talking the prospect of my future black... Okay, you get the point. It's also super long lasting and fairly easy to use, and although it's not waterproof, it generally doesn't budge.

Without a doubt, the Rimmel Scandaleyes kohl pencils are the best pencils on the market. They're creamy, pigmented and fairly long lasting. I've found that they do fade if you use them in the waterline but it's barely noticable and they're just generally good pencils, and very affordable too.

MASCARA:
My favourite mascara is L'Oreal's Miss Manga Mascara. It lengthens, volumizes and doesn't flake off throughout the day. It's just a darn amazing all rounder.

LIPS:
If you're not sure what kind of colour lipstick you want, I would definitely recommend Makeup Revolution's range. There's a massive shade range, plus they're only £1 so you can find out what kind of shades suit you.

For lip gloss, I would recommend the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss. These aren't the cheapest, but I do really like them despite the fact I don't really wear lip gloss anymore. These aren't at all sticky but in spite of that, they're fairly long lasting, plus there's a nice range of shades from nude to bright.

BLUSH:
I'm not a massive blush wearer and this isn't strictly a blush, but the Maybelline Baby Lips range work really nicely as a subtle blush/highlighter combination. I remember reading that Lily Melrose saw that behind the scenes at a runway, baby lips was being used as a highlighter and blush behind the scenes, and it does help create a very subtle blush which is great if you're starting out and don't want anything too harsh.

BRONZER:
Okay this isn't technically a bronzer, but I love the Makeup Revolution eyeshadows in the shade Delicious and Mmmm (yes, the ones I mentioned in the Brows section) but these are fairly cool toned and work for contouring or warming up the face, plus they're only £1 so they're very good at least to start out on.

HIGHLIGHTER:
My favourite highlighter currently is the Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter, these come in a few different shades, they're so pigmented and only cost £3, plus they double up as eyeshadows, so if you're starting out on contouring and highlighting and all that face-sculpting jazz, this is a nice inexpensive one.

What are your favourite makeup bits from the drugstore?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

My everyday makeup (generically Kylie Jenner inspired)

I said in a video a while ago that I was a bit bored of doing Get Ready With Me videos.. I think that may have been an understatement. I was ridiculously bored with doing Get Ready With Me videos. Don't get me wrong, they're some of my favourite to watch, but I just felt all my looks were looking the same and I couldn't be bothered to go through the process of filming and editing them anymore. That being said, I decided to film my everyday makeup because that is something that I like to change up a bit through the time of year and I quite liked filming this one so I hope you enjoy watching it!

I hate to use the term but it's slightly Kylie Jenner inspired. Honestly, any time I use that phrase I want to slap myself over the head for being so goddamn generic but is there a better way to phrase it? Until there is, I'm damned to a life of following the flock of sheep in the farm that is the bloggersphere.. yeah I got metaphorical.

PRODUCTS USED:
No7 Colour Lock Lipstick in Sweet Mango (discontinued, sorry)
L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N5
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 25
L'Oreal True Match Concealer in Sable Sand
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Warm Medium
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Essence Brow and Lash Gel
P.S Love Brow Pencil in Dark
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencil in Nude
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencil in Black
Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo Leather Effect in Creamy Beige
Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 Palette
Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner in Black
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara in Black Angel
Makeup Revolution Amazing Volume Mascara
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara
Collection Sheer Loose Powder in Translucent (Review here)
Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (Review here)
Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights
Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve
MAC Lipstick in Taupe (Review here)

I honestly didn't realise how many products I used on a daily basis until writing it down just now.. I don't always use so many concealers and mascaras but sometimes I start using one and change it so that'll account for some of the long list of products.. I guess.. I don't know man, this is a makeup-buying judgement-free zone.

What products do use without fail when doing your makeup?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

L'Oreal and Makeup Revolution are my mascara OTP

I'm eighteen years old and I am in possession of a Tumblr account making me pretty familiar with OTPs, for you oldies* OTP means one true pairing. Popular ships around the web include Johnlock, Jily, Romione, McLennon, Marrissey, Phan, Zalfie.. pretty much every pairing exists whether they be Canon** or not, and it just so happens that I have found my mascara OTP or MOTP if you will.

I couldn't possibly talk about OTPs and not include one of my first OTPs - Zanessa

I have spoken before about how much I love the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara, it's just the best affordable mascara I've ever tried, however all good things must come to an end and after a good run this mascara has begun to dry up to the point where it just doesn't perform as I might like it to which means I've been using my other mascaras until I go out and buy a new one.

If you saw my 'Full Face of First Impressions - Makeup Revolution' post, you may remember that I used the extremely inexpensive Amazing Volume mascara and I wasn't exactly disappointed, but I also wasn't majorly impressed. Although, I started using it again to see if after having a while to dry up a bit if it's any better and it is a little bit better but the actual wand just doesn't give me the lashes I require, but I do really like the formula - it doesn't dry super quickly so you have time to add several coats, and this stuff doesn't transfer or budge throughout the day so it's pretty darn good.

This is where I become the match maker in the cosmetic-themed fanfiction, I tried using the wand of the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara with the actual mascara formula of the Makeup Revolution Amazing Volume Mascara, and boy howdy I have created a love-child-mascara. I think I prefer the formulation of Makeup Revolution's offering, but with the combination of the L'Oreal wand you just get super long, voluminous lashes - to summarise, very much like Morrissey and Johnny Marr, this combination is the shiz.

What's your favourite mascara?

*Don't worry, I didn't know what OTP stood for for a very long time, you're not alone slang-newbies

**It means official, don't worry - I got your back

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

March wishlist

Another month has gone by, which means it's time for another wishlist - let me assure you, #TheDress is not on there*.

I'm no expert when it comes to contouring and general bronzing of the facial area, in my life I think I've owned three different bronzers, but I've never tried out a cream bronzer which is why I'd really like to try out the Bourjois Bronzing Primer**. I think cream would be easier to contour because you can use your finger to guide out where you want it to go and blend it out, plus I find the Bourjois Bronzing Powder a pretty good shade for me even though it's a little bit orange-y so perhaps not one for the paler folks, but I'd quite like to try out a cream product.

I'm also a bit of a newbie with powders, I own the Collection Sheer Loose Powder and it does the job of mattifying and setting my makeup but I find loose powder problematic because I always wear black so when I spill powder on myself I look a little bit foolish, so I'd quite like to try the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder as it seems a less messy and it's recommended by so many people, I don't go for coverage with powder so I'd just get the transparent one.

I've mentioned countless times that I find foundation and concealer difficult to get right, mostly because the beauty industry doesn't generally include black people or mixed race people and if they do go darker than the fifty shades of white they have on  often, it's usually a lovely shade of tangerine. However, the L'Oreal True Match foundation seems to have such a wide shade range and I've seen quite a few people compare it to MAC Studio Fix foundation, and I'd rather spend £10 on a foundation than £20 - mans gotta save money in the recession.

If you're new to my blog or don't read my 'Music of the month' series you may or may not know that I love Rage Against The Machine and My Chemical Romance - I'm not over the emo stage I went through at age 12, will I ever be? Who knows? Anyway, I've only been able to listen to them on Spotify and it gets annoying when I'm out without wi-fi and can't listen to Know Your Enemy or  Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) y'know I'm going to be in a bad mood. I love all of the songs on both Rage Against The Machine and May Death Never Stop You, I'd love to buy all of My Chemical Romance's albums but I'll start with a compilation album, and I've found Rage Against the Machine on eBay and May Death Never Stop You on Amazon for under £5 so it's a win win for me.

What's on your wishlist for March?

*I saw the dress initially as black and blue but then it kept changing from black and blue to white and gold, but it's black and blue, let's shut up about it now.

**I don't understand why the heck it's called a bronzing primer seeming as everyone whose used it has said it's just a regular bronzer, does it prime? This is one of the unanswerable questions of the universe.

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

GRWM - Alt-J concert

Alt-J are one of my favourite bands and I got to see them live for the first time on the 24th January, so I thought I'd show you how I did my makeup on that night, if you want to see the video it's down below or you can scroll further down to see the products I used :-)

Base:

• No7 Colour Lock in Sweet Mango (discontinued, sorry)
• Rimmel 25hr Lasting Finish Nude Foundation in 400
• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200
• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 25
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Warm Medium
• Collection Sheer Loose Powder (Review here)

Brows:

• Essence Lash and Brow Gel
• Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (Review here)

Eyes:

• Makeup Revolution Focus and Fix Eye Primer
• Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 Palette
• Essence Kajal Pencil in Black
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencil in Nude
• Makeup Revolution Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (Review here)
• L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara in Black Angel

Contouring:

• Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52
• Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

Lips:

• Black Radiance Lip Liner 
• Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry (Review here)

If you could see anybody perform live, who would it be?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

GRWM - Late Afternoon/Evening Outing

I recently went out to a friend's 18th birthday and it was a late afternoon/early evening shindig meal type of social occasion so I filmed myself doing the makeup for you, the video is down below and the products I used are further below.

Base:

• No7 Colour Lock in Sweet Mango (discontinued, sorry)
• Rimmel 25hr Lasting Finish Nude Foundation in 400
• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200
• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 25
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Warm Medium
• Collection Sheer Loose Powder (Review here)

Brows:

• Essence Lash and Brow Gel
• Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (Review here)

Eyes:

• Makeup Revolution Focus and Fix Eye Primer
• Colours Complete Makeup Palette by Technique
• Essence Kajal Pencil in Black
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencil in Nude
• Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner
• L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara in Black Angel

Contouring:

• Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52
• Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

Lips:

• Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve
• Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Sultry (Review here)

Do you do a bold lip or a nude lip when you go out for a meal?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

GRWM: New Years Eve Edition

I actually didn't fail at applying my makeup in this GRWM unlike the last one so if you want to watch me do my New Years make up, you can click on the video below or scroll down below that to see the products that I used :-)

Base:

• Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation in 303 True Nude
• Beauty Forever Anti-Aging Foundation in Almond
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Warm Medium
• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 25
• Collection Sheer Loose Powder (Review here)

Brows:

• Essence Lash and Brow Gel
• Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in MMMM

Eyes:

• Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze (Review here)
• Light champagne (almost white) shade and Dark greyish black shade in Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 Palette
• Revlon Mono Eyeshadow in Onyx
• Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner
• L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara in Black Angel
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner
• Essence Kajal Pencil in Black
• Glitter (in excess amounts)
• Silver glitter eyeliner (unbranded)

Contouring:

• Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52
• Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

Lips:

• Black Radiance Lip Liner (no shade on the pencil but it's a plummy/brown type shade)
• Makeup Revolution Lipstick in Rebel with Cause

What did you do for New Years Eve?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

Autumn favourites

Another season has passed since my Summer favourites, we are all a little older, and most likely a little fatter since Christmas is next week (I'll try and contain my excitement for this post). If you click on the video dooblydoo down below, you can watch me talk about non-beauty and beauty favourites but in the blog post it's more beauty favourites (see you're really missing out if you don't watch the video see)

1. Essence colour and go nail polish - 113 do you speak love? Review here

I essentially declared my adoration for this product in the review but I have literally been wearing this for the past month and a half, which is strange for me as I usually like to shake things up a bit with my nail polish (after all variety is the spice of life). It's cheap, it's a pretty autumn/winter shade, it dries quickly and it gives a nice gel effect without the tackiness for hours after (Barry M, I'm looking at you)

2. Makeup Revolution Rebel with Cause Review here

I made it clear how much I love this in the review I did but again it's just been such a great colour to wear throughout Autumn, it's allegedly a dupe of Mac's Rebel but, classic Bess, I haven't splurged on the high end product to verify this. It can be a bit drying as it's matte but if you exfoliate and let a lip balm (see below) sink in beforehand, there shouldn't be much of a problem with this. 

3. Carmex Classic

This is a bog standard lip balm but surprisingly I don't think I had tried it until very recently, always considered myself a vaseline girl but this is the Beyonce of lip balms, guys it is Queen B. It is so moisturising and it actually sinks in rather than sitting on the lips much like vaseline does. If I know I'm wearing lipstick the next day, I'll exfoliate my lips the night before and slap loads of this on so in the morning my lips are ready for lipstick, it's also just a lifesaver during the colder months when you're more prone to chapped lips.

4. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On bronze Review here

Okay, I'mma let you finish but this product is THE BEST product of 2014. I raved on about it in the review but I just can't get enough, it's pigmented, easy to apply, long lasting and best of all it does not crease at all. I really want to try out some more shades in this range.

5. L'oreal Paris Miss Manga Mascara

I bought this mascara a few months ago and I have been wearing it everyday, it volumizes and lengthens, and it doesn't really go clumpy unless you apply too much but I find this with all mascara. It's also fairly easy to use on lower lashes with is surprising with a volumising mascara as they tend to have bigger brushes and are harder to use down there, but this my friends is a good'un.

6. Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry Review here

Whilst this lipstick doesn't fully set like a matte one making it more prone to moving around my face (that is only if my hair gets involved, it doesn't understand boundaries), I do really love this shade and I do like the finish. As long as you use a lipliner, it doesn't bleed and if your hair is less of a bird's nest than mine I'm sure you won't have a problem.

7. Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Sultry Review here

This has been a nice everyday shade for me (although I do wear bold lips for sixth form a lot), it's a matte Kylie Jenner-esque balm stick, long lasting and for the most part isn't particularly drying. After wearing it for a day at sixth form it starts to feel a little bit dry but other than that I have no problems, and it's nice if you want a more interesting lip than just a nude.

8. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Really Red Review here

How do I put my feelings about this into words..? BEST. MATTE. LIP. EVER. Seriously, not at all drying, doesn't cling to dry patches, long lasting, pigmented, it is just the nicest matte lipstick I own, plus it's a blue-toned red so it makes your teeth look a little whiter. Apparently this is a dupe of Mac's Russian Red, and I think this is something that would suit all skin tones.

9. Leaf Necklace

I was given this by my Aunt when she went to New York a couple of months ago, and it's made by this person on Etsy but this particular necklace isn't on there. She told me that they take the leaves in central park and use it as a template for the necklace, so each one is unique. It came with a card that tells you what the leaf means, apparently this one is a Birch leaf which means good fortune, not sure whether I believe in that but I think it's such a pretty necklace and it really personifies Autumn. Plus it's silver and I prefer silver to gold generally.

10. Advent Calendars

A strange favourite for some perhaps, but I really wanted to share my advent calendars. I was given a Dan and Phil one from one of my friends, and a Disney one from my parents and I absolutely love both. The Dan and Phil one has selfies of them behind each window which is nice, although I have a tendency to forget to eat the chocolate so I end up eating about five in one go to catch up.

What have been your favourites this season?

What advent calendars do you have?

Bloglovin | YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram