September Favourites

I've decided to feature monthly favourites on my blog to let you know what I've been loving for the the month. Whether it be makeup, clothing or other random favourites I will include them all. 

Ok I know I'm a little late...but can you believe we're already into October! Crazy right...before we know it, Christmas will be here. 

September was a great month for me, because it was my birthday!! I tend to treat my birthdays as a monthly celebration...hey any excuse to party right?! I had a great time celebrating with my friends and family, which brings me onto my first favourite ~ flowers! I got some really pretty bunches from my boyfriend Jack and colleagues at work. Such a nice surprise receiving flowers and I love having them all around the house. They bring colour and life to the house which I really enjoy. 

My next favourite is a pallet that I've wanted for so long but never bought it and let's just say, I should have a long time ago. This is such a convenient pallet that can create both a natural and dramatic eye look. There are three really light shades for an all over lid colour or highlighter, a light brown grey for a natural crease colour, a darker brown for a deeper crease and a black for amping up your makeup for the evening. All the shades are matte, except the lightest shade on the left (Venus) which is a gorgeous shimmery cream. For an everyday makeup look, I tend to go for a lighter lid with a slightly darker crease and lots of mascara. This makes the Urban Decay Naked Basics pallet my new best friend! 

This product I wasn't sure about (because of the high price point) until I took the plunge and now am so glad I did! The Chanel Le Lift Creme Fine is a luxury anti-ageing face moisturiser. It's very light and non-greasy which is perfect for us oily skinners. I'd heard the lovely Huda from Huda Beauty raving about this product and how great it was, so decided to give it a go. Yolo right! This cream has quickly become the best moisturiser I've ever used...big call I know! I have really oily skin, so something light was a must. It also needed to sink into my skin fairly quickly, while still hydrating my skin. When looking for a new moisturiser I also look into the long term benefits for my skin, such as evening out the skin, smoothing fine lines and keeping my oil at bay. Well let me tell you, it ticks all of these boxes and really has exceeded my expectations! The only thing I'm worried about now is how I'm going to afford the next jar. 

Over the last month I've really been into coin purses rather than carrying my whole wallet around. It's just easier in the mornings when I'm in need of a coffee hit. I can just grab it knowing a have the basics: coins, coffee reward card, drivers license and a Chapstick. This beauty is from Oroton which my sister actually gave to me. I have another from Typo and I've also seen them in Witchery, Sportsgirl and Collette. 

I never thought I could get so excited over running shoes, but the Asics Gel-Kayano 21s proved me wrong! I got these from my boyfriend for my birthday and I love them! I've now ran three times with them on; they are so comfortable and make such a difference. They have a gel layer to cushion underneath the feet, which makes for a lighter, faster run. I also have a low arch in my foot which makes them roll in slightly. The Kayano's have a lot of arch support and are all round a great running shoe. The colour is on point too! 

Hope you've had a great start to October! Let me know what your favourites have been : ) 

May Favourites

I can't believe June is amongst us..already! I've finally completed my Diploma in Marketing and am leaving for a trip to China this Sunday. It's all very exciting : ) I haven't done a favourites post before, but thought id let you know what I've been loving for the month of May. Here goes...

I do like to switch up my perfumes quite regularly, but this month I seem to have been going back to these two old faithfuls. 

I generally like wearing Calvin Klein In 2 U during the day because of its light, fruity smell. It also has a slightly masculine smell to it, which I kind of like! 

Chanel Chance is my go to night time scent. It's quite a bold, strong scent which really lasts on the skin. It's my all time favourite. 

I was lucky enough to try out these lovely candles from Valencia Bath Treats this month. They are absolutely divine and smell good enough to eat! My bedroom has been filled with the sweet smell of Green Apple and Salted Caramel! 

During the colder months, we all tend to lose that summer glow. Bobbi Brown's bronzer in No. 1 Golden Light is what I've been using to lightly bronze up my face. I like to apply it with a bronzer brush from bh cosmetics. 

My skin is quite oily normally but I tend to get dry patches in the colder months. I've been using this deluxe sample of Clinique Moisture Surge and my skin is loving it. It's a kind of jelly texture and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all. My lips have been feeling a tad dry lately - this Mint Julips sugar scrub from Lush is exactly what they needed. It's a naturally made lip scrub that you can actually eat! 

I bought this Michael Kors watch from Asos a little while ago and am so glad I did! It's been getting a lot if wear because it goes with so much. I like its bold size and can be worn either during the day or night. 

The weather has been getting a little chilly lately, so ive taken the warmer clothes out of hiding. I bought this furry collared vest a couple of years ago from a little store called Think. I love the natural brown colour and how warm the furry collar keeps me. I usually team it with jeans and boots for an all round winter look. 

I hope you've enjoyed my favourites for the month and let me know what you've been loving during the month of May. 

Make me up!

 

I love makeup is a bit of an understatement I guess! I'll take you through my beloved makeup collection and some of my favourite brands and where I buy products from.

 

I know you probably look at this collection and think, wow that's ALOT of makeup, but I have collected everything over a number of years not just overnight.

 

Starting at the base with primer and foundation; my staple primer is Benefit's Porefessional. I'm also loving Mac's Strobe Cream as an illuminating base under foundation. Speaking of, I'm always changing up my foundation and have never really stuck to one that I purchase over and over. Currently I'm loving the Chanel Vitalumiere Fluide Makeup in #20 Clair for a more natural, dewy finish.

 

My lipstick collection is probably my favourite! I recently did a post on my entire Mac lipstick collection, so be sure to check that out if you'd like to see swatches and names. Some of my favourites brands are Maybelline, YSL & Mac. I'm not a huge lip gloss user even though I do have quite a few. I love the colours and textures of the NYX Butter Glosses - so creamy! 

 

To highlight those dark and dreary under eyes, I love a number of concealers: Mac Pro Longwear, Rimmel Wake Me Up & Maybelline Age Rewind. Concealers always find a way to crease on me, but I find setting them with a powder slows down this process and makes it last longer.

 

While were on the topic of powder, some of the products above are:

Mac Mineralise Skinfinish, Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder, Nars blush in Orgasm, Bobbi Brown Bronzer in #1 Light. I'm yet to really explore a good mattifying face powder for oily skin. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave them below :)

 

My brushes of choice are Sigma and Real Techniques. I also am obsessed with the famous Beauty Blender!

 

I wear false lashes quite a lot when I go out. I think they just make my eyes appear a lot larger - which I love! I buy all my lashes from Madame Madeline. They're prices are very reasonable and the more you purchase, the cheaper the lashes! Bonus! I always use my Duo lash glue to apply and I got mine from America but you can buy it here.

 

My collection is kept neat and tidy inside my clear makeup box from The Makeup Box Shop. Not only is it handy to have everything in one place, but it looks pretty when you can see all your products :)

 

Well that just about sums it up! I hope you enjoyed looking into my makeup collection and  maybe it inspired you to be adventurous and try something new!



Current Skincare Routine

My skin has changed dramatically over the last six months and because of this, I've had to adapt my skin care routine. I have always had fairly clear skin, apart from the odd breakout and never had much oil - if anything I had a few dry patches. Since maybe November of 2013, my skin became very oily and acne prone all of a sudden. I just thought I was having a bad skin month, but turns out I wasn't. I've been trying different methods and products to combat this acne and will let you know what has been working for me. Please keep in mind, everyone's skin is different and these products might not work for everyone, they are products that work for me and this is just how I look after my skin currently. I also want to mention, you may notice I do not have a skin cleanser included. I'm trying to finish the one I currently have, before moving onto a new product I purchased a couple of weeks ago (Perricone MD, Hypoallergenic Gentle Cleanser) Will let you know down the track how it goes. But now onto the good stuff!!!

I've heard a lot of people speak highly of Michael Todd True Organics products and I agree with them all. They are certified vegan, 95% organic, very gentle skin care products. I am currently using the Cranberry Antiox Hydrating Anti-ageing Toner in my routine - I find this toner very refreshing on my face and really wakes up my skin when it's feeling dull. It gives my skin a clean feeling, without feeling tight or dry. 

There's been a lot of hype about the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and comparisons to other products. To be honest I haven't tried the others but am so happy with this that I don't even want to go there. This magic water just dissolves my makeup off my face and is so gentle on my sensitive skin. The only bad thing I can say is that it won't take off waterproof makeup - other than that, I really love it and will be repurchasing mine as you can see it's almost finished. 

I'm always a bit sceptical about buying skincare products from non skincare specific companies. But in this case, I made a good choice buying the Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum. I have been using this for a good five months now and my skin is loving it! It hydrates my skin so well and feels very luxurious. It's a really great base before putting primers and makeup on. 

You can't go wrong with a bottle of Mac Fix +, it's such a versatile product. I use this product in a number of different ways; to hydrate my face before putting makeup, to set my makeup, to spray on my face during the day to hydrate, on my eyeshadow brush before applying eyeshadow to make the colours more vibrant or as a sticky base when using glitters on my eyelids. Its a fairly reasonable price for so many uses and I consider it a must have in my collection. 

Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment is another great multi-use product. I always make sure to carry it in my purse or take on holidays with me because your bound to use it for something. Not only is it great for chapped lips, but it helps to moisturise dry skin on the body, burns, open wounds, insect bites and the list goes on! I will continue to repurchase this beauty. 

I hope this has been helpful for you all and please let me know what your skincare staples are! 

What's in my purse...

I love my new pink purse from Zara! This bag can accompany a lot of different outfits - I can wear it casually during the day with jeans or at night with a more dressier outfit. It fits all my essentials and looks good too :) These items are a must have for me on a daily basis: my much loved Louis Vuitton zippy wallet in the Damier Ebene canvas | classic black Prada sunglasses | a cute little mirror | Victoria's Secret scented mist | Eclipse chewy mints | Chanel natural pressed powder | A selection of lip products | Typo 2014 diary

Great Gatsby Style



 

While the parents are away, it's time to play! Gatsby attire is mandatory old sport!