Brand Focus : Live Love London

Brand Focus : Live Love London

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Over the past few days, I have been thinking about a bringing a series to my blog - one that I know I will be able to manage and keep going every month. Being a huge beauty lover, I thought that I could potentially focus on a brand(s), at least one post a month, and give my honest opinions on all the products I own from them. I'm planning to showcase brands both highly recognised and upcoming, whether it be telling to guys about my favourite highend brand or expressing my love for an afforable brand that not many know about. Who knows, I might incorporate some fashion brands in the future if this goes down well?

The first brand we are going to zoom into is Live Love London - a company that have recently released a new beauty range exclusive to BHS. From haircare to makeup, Live Love London offer it all beauty-wise with affordable prices attached! However, the products that particularly intrigued me were their face palettes and lipsticks. Here is how I got on...

Bronze & Light Palette £6.75

What we have here is one of the most aesthetically pleasing bronze,blush and highlight palettes I've seen on the high street side of the spectrum. Encased in a sleek, black compact, 6 beautiful shimmer shades are arranged. Each shade is extremely diverse - something hard to find in any palette. I find that a lot of companies produce cosmetics that are TOO similar in the same palette, making me question whether it is worth the buy. Also, most shades are EXTREMELY pigmented (the bottom row and the white highlight), although I wouldn't count this as a negative point simply because I prefer blush shades to be sheer. This helps me to apply the shade subtly and not end up turning into a toy doll. 

Top Row (left to right)

~ A peach/coral toned pink with tiny golden glitter particles ~

~ A muted, mauve pink with a metallic sheen ~

~ A pure champagne white enriched with thousands of silver glitter ~

Bottom Row (left to right)

~ A salmon pink layered with a metallic, iridescent glow ~ 

~ A muted, mustard brown with flecks of golden glitter ~ 

~ An intense orange-copper with high metallic overtones ~ 

My personal favourites are two highlighting shades - the white and salmon pink will both look incredible on the cheeks for summer because of their glitter intensity. I just LOVE glitter!!! 

HD Contour Expert Palette £10

Contouring is a huuuuge thing in the beauty world. Therefore, I like to 'jump on the bandwagon' and try things out too. I already own a lot of high end contour products but nothing from the drugstore. I'm only used to working with powder contour, so was thrilled to find out that Live Love London contained 6 powder contour shades for me to work with. The palette is accompanied with a practical mirror and a small guide as to where the shades work best on the face. I am yet to venture into this crazy, intense contour look but I will let you know when I finally pluck up the courage to do so. 

Each of the powders are finely milled, feel silky on the skin and are highly pigmented. There are two highlight shades and four contour shades; the contour colours cater for all skin types which makes the palette versatile and universal. Despite being suitable for all skin types, I would like to say that I feel 5 shades would still be able to work on my skin - if not, I will be able to fit it into an eyeshadow look somehow.

Lipsticks £2 each

Lip products are one of my favourite things about makeup. I cannot begin to describe my excitement whenever I go lipstick shopping; trying different branded lipsticks is something that I enjoy and I would love to share with you my experiences.

First of all, the price is INSANE! I love affordable lipsticks, especially when they leave an impressive result. These are relatively long-lasting, considering their pleasing value - I wore them for roughly 3 hours before reapplying and this time scale is no different from the majority of my drugstore lippies. 

Secondly, Live Love London offer a wide range of lipstick shades. For me, these will be worn and cherished; pinks and reds are my thaaang. Both are wearable and are not too striking, making them perfect for everyday use. I also love the pigmentation and hydration these lipsticks offer - my lips are super sore after the winter months have passed and need a lot of TLC. These leave a moisturising coat on the top of my lips, which makes my lips feel soft and hydrated. Oh, and let's not forget...they smell like sherbet!!!

Have you tried anything from the Live Love London beauty range yet? What is your favourite drugstore brand?

Lots of love

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The products mentioned were gifted from Live Love London, however all opinions are honest and my own.

Everyday Makeup Routine

Everyday Makeup Routine

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One of the most iconic beauty blogger/vlogger posts is the EVERYDAY MAKEUP ROUTINE. Although I've been blogging for almost 3 years now, I still haven't managed to upload my daily go-to makeup look. My makeup routine varies on a fairly regular basis - it changes from week to month. However, throughout March/April, this is the look I've been attached to and repetitively wearing whenever I'm leaving the house to do something. 

Generally, makeup makes me feel more comfortable and confident as a person so I completely acknowledge that this may be too much makeup for some to wear daily. In other cases, it may not be as much as others. If you wish to follow my makeup routine but change some products or tone things down depending on your personal preferences. 

Here it is...the long awaited everyday makeup routine..

EYES

On most occasions, I tend to begin my routine with my eye makeup; this is mainly because I cannot stand 'fallout' and I don't feel so much pressure with eyeliner application. Sometimes, I like to use tape when applying eyeshadow and liner to create a clean, sharp cut. 

Recently, I've been loving the Too faced Chocolate Bar palette - my look involves the shades 'Milk Chocolate' and 'Semi-Sweet'. I apply both brown shades into the crease and blend, blend, blend! This create a soft, contoured eye look, which helps bolden and intensify my small eyes. The eyeliner I'm currently using is the L'Oreal Superstar Super Liner - the strong nibbed applicator ensures precision is at its best whilst also holding an incredible black pigment. Also, I use a Model's Own black liner in my waterline for extra definition. Finally, the mascara I've been loving this month is Rimmel's Super Curler 24HR. I don't think I've ever found a drugstore mascara that doesn't smear under my eyes after several hours after application until I met this. So affordable too!

FACE

Following on my eye makeup comes my complexion. For my base, I've been reaching for L'Oreal's Infaillible 16HR wear foundation. This is super concealing, helps to hide and even out my blotchy red skin and lasts all day long without sticking to dry patches. Then is my tricky task of covering up my horrific under eye circles - L'Oreal's Lumi Magique works wonders for my under eye darkness. It manages to conceal, and primarily highlight, any dull areas on the face. 

Now my favourite part - contour, blush and highlight. To contour or bronze my face up, whichever I'm feeling, I always carry my trusty Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess which I've been raving about forever! The warm-toned powder and formula works well on my skin; complimenting my cool skin and making blending a dream. Blush can potentially bring out my natural red complexion so I sometimes avoid wearing it. However, I have found that MAC's Melba is a super natural, toned-down peach which works well for me. Finally, I've been using MAC Soft and Gentle MSF or The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer to add that beautiful glow to the cheekbones and eyebrow bone.

LIPS 

Keeping it natural for that everyday appropriate look, I have a collection of lipsticks I usually carry in my makeup bag. In the images above, I've used MAC Mehr on my lips - a soft, mauve pink. Also, I recommend Charlotte Tilbury Bond Girl or Chanel Satisfaction for those highend lovers. Alternatively, highstreet lovers can opt for Essence's Natural Beauty lipstick or Soap and Glory Glossy Crayon's in Nudist.

Do you use the same products on a daily basis? What is your go-to lipstick?

Lots of love

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This post is not in collaboration with any brands listed above. 

London Bound ¦ April 16

London Bound ¦ April 16

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London is one of my happy places. It honestly excites me so much when I have day trips there, whether is be sightseeing, visiting one of their attractions or my favourite - shopping. This time, my family were travelling to Angle Islington to watch my friends in 'In - Nocentes' by the National Youth Dance Company. Going to watch my friend perform was very important for me as I'm auditioning for a place in the company this year...super exciting! 

However, before stopping at Angel, we had a couple hours to spare. This is where I struggled to restrain myself from the beautiful shops on Oxford Circus and Regent Street; my bank account is honestly crying at the minute so I wasn't able to go crazy. I did buy a couple makeup items in Boots, with the help of a good ol' voucher and my mum kindly treated me to a gorgeous playsuit from Forever 21. 

Selfridges is always my favourite place to shop/look in London. I literally want to buy all the designer bags and shoes; there were so many Kurt Geiger clutches I was lusting over it was ridiculous! The beauty floor is obviously my primary place to go - the Charlotte Tilbury stand always looks incredible with their spotlight display. 

My rust-orange, patterned playsuit was from Forever 21. The material is super lightweight so will be perfect in the summer (maybe not in England but..) and the style is super flattering because of the ruched-detailing at the stomach. Additionally, the deep V neck allows you to glam-up the outfit with a statement necklace if you were to wear it out in the evening. 

In Boots, I had two gift cards to utilise; I decided to go to the drugstore side of Boots as I hadn't purchased anything from there in a while. L'Oreal have always been one of my favourite drugstore brands so I decided to purchase some needed products from the stand - the Lumi Magique highlighting concealer and the Superstar Super Liner. Fortunately, there was a '3 for 2' offer on the counter so I managed to pick up one of their new matte lip products in 'Oops I Pink It Again'. After swatching it on my lips last night I am already impressed - the sponge end allows precise and smooth application to the lips. 

For my evening makeup, I ventured for a purple/grey smoky eye look with a nude lip.

Products used : 

~ Nars Sheer Glow ~ Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer ~ Rimmel Stay Matte Powder ~ Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess ~ Benefit Rockateur ~ The Balm Mary Lou Manizer ~ Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate ~ Urban Decay Smoky Palette & Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ~ Maybelline Gel Liner ~ Revlon Lash Potion ~ Model's Own Liner (waterline) ~ Charlotte Tilbury Bond Girl ~

The performance was honestly breath-taking - I love contemporary dance and it has been my passion for the last couple of years. I cannot wait to audition for the company in the Summer! My evening was successfully completed with a Mango & Passionfruit cooler from Costa alongside a triple chocolate muffin. Mmmmmm.....

Where is your favourite place to travel to?

Lots of love

Top 5 Beauty Products ¦ March 2016

Top 5 Beauty Products ¦ March 2016

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Over the first three months of 2016, I would like to say I am proud to be following through with one of my New Year's resolution - frequently changing the cosmetics in my makeup bag so that I utilise all of my products. However, this month these five items became staples in my everyday morning routine. In fact, I've been loving them so much I just had to tell you about them!

Also, this post is in collaboration with @BeautyandBrushesX from Instagram; don't forget to check out her top 5 current beauty products on her blog!

BRONZING

~ Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess ~

Since Christmas 2015, I have worn this on my face every single time I've applied makeup - and there STILL isn't a significant dent in the product. Hallelujah! This bronzing powder helps me to achieve a natural, luminous glow whilst defining my non-existent cheek bones. The warmth of the brown is very flattering on my dull skin and boosts the life in my, usually very sleepy, face.  A product I will forever repurchase and rave about!

~ Real Techniques Bold Metals Contour Brush ~

When it comes to makeup application, I always acquire the best brush for the job - I have made many a cosmetic fault by using my fingers or wrong brushes to blend in my early teens. Therefore, I find it vital that I find the best brush possible to apply product. For contouring, I finally got my hands on one of Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes - The Flat Contour. Contouring has been made simple with a brush that can evenly, and precisely, apply product in the hollows of your cheeks, along the jawline, nose and elsewhere. Oh, and it's rose gold - BONUS!

BROW DUO 

~ Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate & Angled 12 Brush ~

HOLY GRAIL BROW PRODUCT. My brows are a nightmare to work with - they are such a weird colour, my inner brows lack any hair at all and there are both completely different in shape. I know the old saying 'eyebrows are sisters, not twins' but mine are honestly not related. However, I have found something to cure my non-fleeky brow days - the Anastasia Dipbrow and brush. If you want to read more about my love for this product and how it has helped me, click HERE to find out more.

LIPS

~ Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Bond Girl ~

On Valentine's Day, I was very lucky to spend the day in London and have a mooch around all of the makeup shops - something my boyfriend didn't like doing as much. In Selfridges, I managed to pick up my very first, and well-loved, Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in the shade BOND GIRL. This for me has been my go-to nude of the month. I don't usually wear pale, orange toned nudes as they completely wash me out, so this mauve/pink toned nude has been my March saviour. 

FRAGRANCE

~ Valentino Valentina Perfume ~

Finally, I have been reaching for my old fragrances - like Valentino Valentina - this month as they somehow bring back memories for me. I always relate smells to events/days in my past and I think it is such a memorable way to reminisce. This classy, feminine bottle holds deep white floral notes with inital sweet citrus bursts of berries. Perfect for the upcoming Summer months. 

What beauty products have you been loving this month? Have you tried any of the items I spoke about?

Lots of love

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade | REVIEW

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade | REVIEW

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Brows are one THE most important part of my makeup routine. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who suffer with sparse brow hairs; therefore, they are difficult to shape when I get them waxed whilst further costing me an eyebrow tint for the beautician to ever SEE the hairs they need to wax. 

Finally, after many years of trying out awful brow pencils and powders, I have at last found the formula to satisfy my brows righteous needs...

Formulation - The highly-pigmented formula aids smooth application onto the brows - the creamy texture allowing the product to glide with ease. Also, the 'gel' is thick so a little product goes a long way; realistically, one dip covers one of my brows.

Colour - Not being able to buy Anastasia in England is such a pain when choosing colour matches. Therefore, I tentatively trusted Google Images to supply me with the correct colour match. To my luck and fortune, I succeeded and the shade 'Chocolate' matched my brows perfectly. This shade is slightly warm toned, complimenting my pale/ivory complexion. Finally, it is simple to create the gradient effect (dark to light from ends to where the brows meet) - all you need to do is apply more product onto the end of your eyebrow.

Angled 12 Brush - This brush has saved my life; it gives me ultimate precision when crafting my eyebrows, simple application due to the thin bristles and angled shape, and accompanied with a spooly to help tame those annoying stray hairs!! I would 100% recommend picking this up along with the Dipbrow Pomade. I totally plan on purchasing one for gel liner too. 

Sorry for the cringey selfie, but this is what the product looks like on my brows.

Have you tried the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade? What is your holy grail brow product?

Lots of love

Winter to Spring Makeup Transition

Winter to Spring Makeup Transition

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When a new season comes around, it is absolutely vital that I alter my makeup bag to fit the appropriate weather/theme. In Spring, I can't help reaching for all my favourite pastels, pinks and shimmers. Here is what you are most likely to find in my makeup as we change from Winter to Spring...

Although I'm a sucker for full coverage foundation, I can't help opting for this incredible BB cream from Garnier. This leaves my face feeling light, even and fresh - the smell is an added bonus, it reminds me of being on holiday!! The lightest shade matches my skin colour perfectly too; I always seem to be paler than pale after undergoing the cold Winter. 

When it comes to complexion, I'm not one to go for intense contour and excessive highlight in the Spring, unless I'm going out in the evening of course. To create a more subtle bronze/contour, I use L'Oreal's Glam Bronze Eau De Soleil for slightly definition. The formulation is very liquid-y and can be messy, so be careful otherwise it will go everywhere - TRUST ME!!!

Jasper Rose by Bourjois is the one to go for if you like pink, rosy cheeks like myself. The powder formula is highly pigmented so you don't need to apply more than two strokes onto your cheek to create the desired effect.

Finally, face-wise, I'm into dewy highlight; Rimmel Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch in Flush of Pearl is supposedly a great dupe for Benefit's well-loved High Beam. The liquid formula forms a dewy, iridescent glow on the cheek bones which instantly draws sunlight. 

During this time of year, all of my pink-based eye shadow palettes come out the drawer and become much more utilised. Recently, I've been loving my Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette as it contains both winter/spring appropriate shades to take me from one season into the next. My fave shades definitely have to be Salted Caramel, Creme Brulee and Haute Chocolate.

 Also, I love to use my Bobbi Brown Pink Opal palette for a quick shimmer on the lid - this can add a glitz to your makeup if you don't have time to go create a whole eye look. This would also work as a beautiful, pink-toned highlight!

Finally, my Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP gives the perfect base for a Spring eye shadow look. I cannot stop using it throughout the season, whether I'm wearing eye products over the top or not!

Leaving the best till last...LIPS! Pink seems to be a running theme in my posts whenever Spring hits us... Anyway, Mac's lustre finish lipstick in Lovelorn is essential in my makeup bag throughout this time of year. Pink lips are so feminine and really lighten my complexion; this blue-toned pink also makes your teeth look insanely white.

In the warmer months, I like to delve into my lipgloss collection - I have such lovely shades but am always hesitant to use them in the Winter, as the wind just blows my hair onto my lips and it is a NIGHTMARE. Urban Decay's beautifully encased LIAR lipgloss is part of the infamous NAKED collection - the colour is less dramatic than the lipstick so would work for those who are tentative at wearing vibrant colours.

Don't forget to check out my Winter to Spring Fashion outfits post! 

What products do you always reach for at this time of year? What is your go-to Spring lipstick?!

Lots of love