Primark haul

Have you come here searching for the most mundane Primark haul imaginable? Well, you've come to the right place - we have monochrome and basic tees, it's a world of boring clothes. If you just click on the video below, you'll get to see this array of monochromatics (okay, there's a Star Wars tee and some Harry Potter PJs too, couldn't go completely dull) and one lil purchase from H&M. Also, I'm trying to stop with the rambly videos so this video is under 10 minutes long - hurrah for short, snappy videos!

What are your favourite Autumn clothing pieces?

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Winter favourites

Another season has passed - not going to lie, I'm going to miss being able to wear cardigans and thick tights and snuggle up in bed with a hot chocolate but I am looking forward to the weather not being freezing-my-tits-off cold. As the season ends, I have compiled a list of favourites - if you watch the video, you'll see non-beauty favourites as well as beauty favourites (cheeky plug, seriously though watch the video go on)

 

Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve

Essence are a brand that in the space of about half a year have become one of my favourite brands, they're inexpensive and amazing quality. I did an entire post of how to use this product to achieve Kylie Jenner lip status (I'm really going to try and stop talking about Kylie Jenner on here, it's becoming quite a problem) so if that's what you're after, this is a cheap way to get it. This pencil is super creamy and pigmented, only gripe I have with it being so creamy is that you have to sharpen it more often meaning you waste a lot more product than you would with a less creamy pencil, but y'know no pain no pain.

Soap & Glory Off Your Face wipes

Okay I know face wipes are like the antichrist of the beauty blogger world but desperate times call for desperate measures. Over the winter period, I've had a lot of late nights because I'll go round to a friend's for a meal and not leave until about midnight, and I've been to a couple of parties (ooh get me, Bess the socialite) so I've had a lot of times when I'll get home and just not have the energy to properly cleanse my face. Plus I got these wipes for Christmas in the Soap & Glory box set, so y'know I had to use them at some point. These have a good amount of product on them so it doesn't feel dry on your face, it smells of peach which is always a nice thing (unless you don't like peach, but if you don't like peach, don't buy peach scented face wipes...) and it leaves your skin feeling pretty soft. I usually put on moisturiser afterwards anyway because moisturiser is a skincare step that takes about two seconds, ain't nobody that lazy.

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean shower butter

This is quite possibly the nicest smelling thing in the history of scents, honestly, it's just nutty and vanilla-ry and good, gosh darn it. I like how this product is a body wash and a body butter in one, it means if you're an A level student like me who can't find time for a nice long bath, you can hop in and out of the shower without needing to stop for body butter.

Soap & Glory Hand Food

This isn't exactly a new favourite, but it is something I've been using a lot of over the winter period. My hands have a tendency to get dry in the morning and if I don't use a hand cream, my hands feel uncomfortable for most of the day, but I also don't like hand creams that take yonks to dry which is why this is a good'un. It's not super fast drying but it does dry within a minute and it leaves a subtle signature Soap & Glory scent on your hands which is pretty nice.

Essie Nail Polish in Licorice (Review here)

I did an entire post dedicated to the greatness that this is because it's that darn good. This is a basic black nail polish but it's opaque in one coat, fast drying, lasts a good five days, and the brush is pretty wide so it's practically fool proof.

P.S Love Brow Pencil in Medium

This is an oldie but a goodie. I used to use this all the time before I really understood how to fill in my brows properly (I'm saying that as if I know what I'm doing now, but y'know there was once a time when I was even less educated in the brow department) but I stopped using it and switched to powder. Now I've switched back to this over the past month and it's made filling in my brows so so easy, it's a bit waxy so a light hand is necessary, at least for me - but if you want super strong, defined brows, you do you honey.

The Vintage Cosmetics Dusting and Powder Brush* (Review here)

This brush was kindly sent to me by The Vintage Cosmetics but my opinions on it aren't at all biased because of it. This brush is mahoosive so it's pretty easy to dust all of your face with powder in one quick sweep, I've used it everyday since receiving it. It's not by any means cheap but if you want to invest in your brushes, it's definitely worth investing in this one.

MAC lipstick in Taupe (Review here)

This lipstick cost near to £16 so there was no way I wasn't going to include it in my favourites, y'know there are some amounts of money you can't spend without it becoming a favourite at the end of it. This is a brownish-nude with the tiniest bit of pink in it, I hate to say this because it's become the most generic blogger phrase, but it's a very Kylie Jenner type shade, your lips but better, it's become my everyday shade and I absolutely loooooove it.

Makeup Revolution Waterproof Liquid Liner (Review here)

This liquid liner is super black, waterproof, and just darn easy to apply. If you like super thick cat eye flicks, this may not be for you, but I like this if I want a more subtle look or if I want a waterproof liquid liner. Good waterproof liquid liners are about as rare an occurrence as Noel Gallagher not saying something insulting about a popular celebrity, but this just hits the nail on the head and for only £1.50 you really can't go wrong. I found that this flaked on me once, but it wasn't particularly bad, but it's just something you should be wary of if you do purchase it.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24hr in Chrome Black

This is the first gel eyeliner I've ever tried so maybe it doesn't mean much that I like it because I can't compare it to anything, but first of all, the packaging is just nice - frosted glass? Good decision Maybelline. I actually find this super easy to apply, and this shade is a dark grey rather than a jet black so it looks a lot more subtle which I've been liking at the moment. It's pretty long lasting too, so if you're a newbie to gel eyeliner like me, this may be worth a go.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencils

These have been raved about by everyone on here and once you try it, it's pretty clear to see why. They're super pigmented, long lasting, creamy but not so creamy you're constantly sharpening it, and pretty inexpensive too. I've opted for the black shade and the nude shade (tightline and waterline covered) and they've just become daily essentials for me.

Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (Review here)

I've already spoken about how the name of this shade is just absolutely ridiculous, but preposterous names aside, this is such a lovely eyeshadow and it's multi-purpose. I've used it on my brows, I use it as an eyeshadow, I've been using it for contouring - and this only cost £1 so it's not bad at all for the price. It's a buttery consistency and it's so pigmented, if Makeup Revolution could've picked a better name that would really sweeten the deal, but y'know the world's an imperfect place.

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo Leather Effect in Creamy Beige

I raved about the ordinary Maybelline Colour Tattoo in my last favourites post, but this one is pretty awesome too and has become my everyday shade. Creamy beige is a very neutral almost nude colour that works as an eyeshadow base or on its own, I use it on its own because I'm liking the more neutral look at the moment but it works really well as a base too.

Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

This highlighter's an odd one, it's a pinky-lavender type of colour and doesn't look like it would work on anyone, but what you get is a pearlescent  shade which, if used light-handedly, looks really nice and really lifts the cheekbones. It's so pigmented so a light hand is a must, believe me I learned the hard way. It also blends really easily so if you do apply too much, it's not the end of the world because you can blend it out a bit.

Makeup Revolution Matte Effect Foundation in Sand

This is the cheapest foundation I've ever used at only £2, but it's such a lovely consistency. It feels like a moisturiser and it's so blendable meaning it only provides a light coverage, but that's fine for me as I think light coverage looks better on me anyway. The shade range of this foundation is brilliant for such an inexpensive product. It's not in any way shape or form matte, but that doesn't particularly bother because I always powder anyway.

What have your favourites been over Winter?

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Review | Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry

After hearing so many good reviews about Sleek in general, I knew I had to try something from them, and at the moment I'm just really loving my lipstick - ergo I picked up the Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry.

Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry - £4.99

Let's start off real basic here. The packaging is so-so in my opinion, don't get me wrong I absolutely adore matte black packaging, it just makes a product look a lot more sophisticated, but the packaging of this lipstick is matte and rubbery so it feels a bit cheap, maybe that's just me and from just looking at it, it doesn't look cheap but it feels it. The lipstick is also a bit smaller than your average, this isn't a complaint as you get your average amount of lipstick in there all the same but it feels a fair bit smaller.

If you're not into vampy reddish purples, this may not be the right lipstick for you, but at the moment I am absolutely loving that look and it looks really Autumnal/Wintery so it's seasonally appropriate. It's quite sheeny which worries me a bit with such a dark colour because it could just get everywhere (which happened a couple of times because my hair flies about and whips it all over my face, on the contrary to Willow Smith I don't whip my hair back and forth, it whips back and forth of its own accord) and I did find that this didn't really set, and it felt a bit wet all day but it didn't bleed most likely because I had a lip liner on underneath. I didn't find it drying and it did last me a good 7-8 hours, but keep in mind that this was with a lip liner.

Overall, I really love the finish this product gives and it's a nice change from my usual matte lipsticks, and whilst it can sometimes transfer to other parts of my face due to my hair living by its own rules, it doesn't bleed out and it's generally just a darn good product so I reckon I'll be wearing it right up until Spring rolls around.

What's your current favourite Autumn/Winter lip?

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Review | Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red

For a person who doesn't like looking too over the top for everyday, I sure do love me a red lip (as my growing collection would surely indicate)

As you may have seen in this haul, I picked up a Revlon lipstick in a deal at Boots (spend £9.99 and get a ColourBurst Matte Balm free, seriously it would have been offensive to refuse that). I picked up Really Red as I had read on many reviews of it that it was a dupe of Mac's Russian Red, me being Miss Stingey I can't verify that as I haven't splashed out and bought any Mac lipsticks (commence the mob of beauty bloggers coming after me with pitchforks)

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red - £7.49

The packaging is really nice and classy, it's very basic but it's nice all the same. It's a matte lipstick, but amazingly this isn't drying at all for the most part (at about the 7-8 hour mark, it started to feel a little dry but not too badly). It didn't cling to any dry patches, although I make an effort to exfoliate my lips and balm up those bad boys before applying lipstick in general so there weren't really dry patches to be clung onto.

It appears a little more orange on the picture but it doesn't come out orangey at all in real life.

As you can hopefully see, it's really pigmented (perhaps not a colour for the faint-hearted) - as the name would suggest, it is indeed 'Really Red'. It's a blue-toned red so it makes your teeth appear slightly whiter, although don't expect to put it on and instantly become Simon Cowell.

Overall, I absolutely love this product - I actually think it's my favourite matte red lipstick that I own (not that I own loads, but I do now own a fair few).

What's your favourite red lipstick?

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Primark haul

I did a wee bit o' spending at the end of November in Primark so I thought I'd present you with a blog post and video showing you what I got. I must warn you, there is quite the Harry Potter theme.

Collared jumper - £10
Cable knit jumper - £12

Shirts - £6 each

Pyjama bottoms - £8

Sweatshirt - £10

Chequered shirt - £8

Cosy socks - £2

Are there are pieces you want to pick up from Primark at the moment?

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December wishlist

I feel like the obligatory 'I can't believe how fast the year has gone' comment has to be made, so there it is. I am getting increasingly excited for Christmas, but I also have my eyes on a few wintery items that I thought I'd share with you.

If you couldn't tell, I'm really wanting to buy into the tartan look over winter. The two skirts are pieces from Primark (which unfortunately I didn't see when I went in recently, however keep an eye on my blog for an upcoming Primark haul) and I think they just look lovely especially  for this time of year, yes you can wear tartan all year round but I personally think it looks great with thick black tights which isn't so easy to get away with in the summer due to the fact that I'll be writhing around on the floor in my own sweat complaining about the heat.

The nail polish can be bought from Wilkinsons and I know it's boring and black, but hey *I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel on the inside. Plus I think I raved on enough about one of the other Essence nail polishes for it to be obvious that I think they're pretty good value. Unfortunately this wasn't in Wilkinsons when I went so I may just look for another black gel nail polish (not from Barry M, I had a traumatic experience with their Gelly nail polishes).

It is cold and who says being warm can't be fashionable? Whilst it's unlikely I'll fork out for this Dorothy Perkins boyfriend coat I know for a fact there is one exactly like it in Primark which I'll hopefully pick up next time I'm in there.

Again with the tartan look, I really like this dress from New Look. It's a swing dress so it'll probably cover up the food baby conceived around the Christmas period, it's a bit more than I'd like to spend on a basic dress but this sort of style would be great.

What are you hoping to get over the next month?

How excited are you for Christmas?!

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*If you don't get the reference, try listening to The Smiths it'll change your life.

November Wishlist

November's always been a favourite month of mine, probably because it's my birthday, but this year is my 18th birthday which means joining the world of adulthood which is pretty scary but who ever said you can't buy your way out of an existential crisis with clothes and makeup? Right? So if you keep on reading, you'll see the things I hope to buy to distract me from the inevitability of death and all that jazz.

I have read many good reviews on Sleek as a brand in general, but I really want to try out their Contour kit, the one I've seen is in Medium but I hope it is dark enough for my skin tone, Sleek is generally pretty good at catering for the darker skinned people so hopefully it'll be okay (I'm hoping to channel my inner Kim Kardashian so the contouring is necessary)

I'd really like a new neutrals palette and I think this one from Barry M may fit the bill, or I'll try to find something similar. What I really want is the Naked Basics Palette but there's the small issue of money and not having enough of it, you catch my drift?

I would quite like a new dress that will suit me throughout the rest of Autumn and Winter, and also help me channel my inner Wednesday Adams, and I think this one from New Look will do. I actually wanted this last year (and I'm pretty certain I used it in a wishlist on my old blog!) and I was really upset when I couldn't find it in stores, so I'm glad they've brought it back and hopefully this year I'll find it or just cave and buy it online.

I'd really like to buy a nude lip of some sort as I too have been slightly in love with Kylie Jenner, and I think the Revlon Just Bitten ColourBurst Balm Stain in Honey will help be achieve that your-lip-colour-but-better look.

Lastly, I'd quite like a gingham top because I have no gingham in my wardrobe - Dorothy Gale would not be proud, and I think this top from New Look will be great for me as I don't wear a great deal of colour in my wardrobe - I am literally Wednesday Adams, seriously I wore my hair in plaits just like her for the majority of my life, I am not joking.

Thanks for reading, who knew I could talk about channelling Kim Kardashian, Wednesday Adams and Kylie Jenner all in one blog post? That, my friend, is something special.

What's on your wishlist for November?

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