Autumn/Winter Lip Picks

 When it comes to lipsticks, I think Autumn/Winter has got to be the most interesting season. I think there's much more fun colours that you can play with at this time of year and I tend to wear much braver and bolder lip colours than during the Summer. I've put together a collection of a few of my all time favourite lipsticks for this time of year to hopefully give you some inspiration or new lisptick ideas for the coming months.

 My all time favourite shades at the moment are reds, purples and berry toned lipsticks. I'm not a massive fan of purple lipsticks when we're talking summery light purples but when it comes to deeper richer purples I looove them.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Grandest Grape is a pretty unusual colour for me. I'm not overly keen on it yet but I'm really hoping it grows on me because it looks lovely on other people so I shall persevere. It's almost a cool toned dark purple shade? It's a nice texture and obviously being a chubby stick is very moisturising. (review here)

Cruel is actually one of Topshop's gloss inks that they released early this year but it's the perfect deep purple shade for Autumn/Winter. I have previously done a full review on the gloss inks which I'll link here. It's more of a glossy alternative to a A/W lipstick however it is very messy which stops me using it as much as I would like to.

 Revlons lip butter in Raspberry Pie is definitely one of my favourite drug store picks for Autumn/Winter. It's not really red or purple toned, it's just that perfect berry shade. For a lip butter it is incredibly long lasting, pigmented and not at all messy. I really like the name too and think it suits the colour perfectly because it really is the colour of raspberries.

 Red Balloon is one of Mac's limited edition lipsticks from the playland collection so I wasn't sure whether putting this in was helpful or just taunting you but I thought I'd throw it in anyway because it could give you inspiration. It's probably the best pink shade that I could wear in Winter because it's so cool toned but isn't as bright as Girl About Town so it suits the colder season perfectly. As pink lips is my favourite I had to find a way to incorporate it into the current season and I think this is the lipstick to do it with.

 This one is a new addition to my Winter lipsticks collection and it's Kate Moss number 30. I've done a full review of this the other day but it's a gorgeous purpley red shade that smells delightful. Even better, it's so reasonably priced. (review here)

 Brave Red is my oldest red lipstick that I own. It's pretty similar to Russian Red by Mac just slightly brighter and much creamier because it's a Cremesheen finish. Although I love my deeper reds in Winter I also really like going for the classic red lip too. (review here)

 The second red lipstick I own from Mac is of course Russian Red which is much loved by every Mac lipstick fan. It is your classic red lipstick which has a stunning finish and lasts literally forever. You could eat, drink and sleep with this on and you'd wake up with it still on. Its lasting power is down to it being a matte lipstick though so that does mean it can leave your lips drier. For those that suffer from dry lips Brave Red is probably a better option. (review here)

Kate Moss 107 is another cult beauty product which everybody has fallen in love with. Its so so pretty and it just reminds me of Christmas time. The Kate Moss lipsticks always have a gorgeous smell too and the classic red packaging looks lovely on display.

 As you want victoria is one of Revlons moisturising lipsticks which I've also done a review on. It's super pigmented, creamy and glossy but very messy. This one is more on the pinky scale of things but I loved this one when I was too scared of the more bold shades so this one is really good if pinks in your comfort zone but purple isn't quite up there yet.

Left to Right: Kate Moss 107, Grandest Grape ,Cruel ,Raspberry Pie, As You Want Victoria ,Russian Red, Red Balloon ,Brave Red

Lots of Love,

♥

June Beauty Favourites

 Hellooo lovelies,

 It's July already and I won't bother with the cliche "I can't believe it's July" routine because I'm sure you all know by now how fast the months are flying by but another month means another monthly favourites! This month I actually haven't had a massive amount of new favourites so I thought I'd be honest and only put in the few that I've been loving rather than just chucking things in for the sake of it. Anyone else get that situation where you find yourself wandering round your bedroom looking for things you've 'loved'? so I decided a few true loves was best!

 My first new discovery last month that I have loved all month is L'Oreal true match foundation. I cannot believe I didn't try this sooner, it's such a lovely foundation, it has SPF in it so it's ideal for Summer and you can build the coverage from light to full so it really does work for everyone. I recently did a full review of this product on my blog if you want to find out more about how good it is. I have this in two shades one for when I'm tanned and one for when I'm going au naturale.

  I've also been loving bright fuschia nail polishes, I love pink that's no secret, pink nails, pink lips, pink everything, I love it all but recently I've only wanted this bright fuschia on my nails. I'm not entirely sure on the name of this one because it doesn't seem to have a sticker on top of the bottle but it's a Revlon polish and I think it's called 'Fuschia Fever' from looking at swatches online. It could also be 'cherries in the snow' though because you can never tell with online swatches. It's a really good quality polish that doesn't chip easily, dries quickly and only needs two coats. I really like Revlon's nail polish packaging too, it's so simple but still very classy... it almost looks Chanel like don't you think?

 Probably my biggest favourite this month is Chatterbox lipstick by MAC, it is the perfect shade for me. It's what I would call a muted bubblegum pink lipstick but not like any other shade I have in my collection, it's the perfect every day shade for me because it's not a nude but it's not too bright and in your face. I've worn this so much in June to the shops, to events, to work, to see friends.. literally everything I've done I've had this on my lips. It's one of MAC's amplified lipsticks so it has a really nice creamy texture and great pigmentation too. Every time I've worn it I've had compliments on it and even been asked a few times what lipstick I have on because it's beautiful! I'd go as far to say that this lipstick is definitely in my top 3 all time favourite lipsticks and I have a loooot of lipsticks!

 My perfume favourites this month are River Islands Paris and Hollisters Silver Strand Beach. Paris is the first of River Islands scents that I have tried but it's gorgeous, the perfect Summer scent! I wore this a lot in my first year of uni so it always reminds me of nights out but it's very Summery too and I already have a massive bottle of this in back up for when this one runs out. I've tried quite a few of the Hollister sprays and as much as I love nearly all of them, this one is my all time favourite. It again just smells like Summer, this one reminds me of beaches, suncream, ice cream and holidays, it's so so lovely and I don't think it was expensive either. Hollister's body sprays are usually on an offer for 3 for 2, 2 for 1 etc. Again I love this one so much that I have two of them so I can have one in my handbag all the time, obsessive I know.

 S-factor's Serious Conditioner is something I've had for a very long time and I did enjoy using it but slowly it faded out of my hair care routine and I got caught up in different products, you know the drill. However, I was going through my hair products and I smelt it and instantly wanted to give it a go again. It's meant to smell like strawberries and cream which it does a bit but the smell that sticks in mind to me is mint choc chip ice cream! If I was blindfolded and someone made me smell the two I honestly don't think I would be able to tell the difference. I've been using this once a week in the shower and it makes my hair the softest it could possibly be and the softness lasts until I next need to wash it again. This seems to leave my hair cleaner for longer too, I'm not sure how as it is a conditioner and not a shampoo but this could also be to do with the fact that I've been reverse washing my hair. This is a technique where you condition your hair first, it does feel strange at first but it's actually better for your hair as conditioner softens it but often leaves your hair clogged up but shampooing after washes off extra product, leaves your hair soft but vitally more clean. So if you can get past the odd feeling of washing your conditioned hair it's definitely worth a try, many people have said it gave their fine hair extra volume too so if that's something your looking for this might work for you.

 What beauty favourites have you been loving this month?

Lots of Love,

A x x x

Revlon, Rimmel & L'oreal || Haul

Hellooo my lovelies,

 As you will have seen from my post on Saturday I recently went to the Crabtree & Evelyn event and as I got there early I popped in for an essential...yes essential trip to Boots to pick up a few bits and bobs.

 The first thing I got was my favourite ever cotton pads. I literally hate using any other cotton pad to remove my nail varnish and makeup because nothing is as strong and good as these ones and they're really cheap too. What's good about these is they have two different textured surfaces and they just hold the product really well and seem a lot stronger than other ones I have tried. I use the big oval pads to remove my make-up as can do it with one pad instead of two little ones and I use the little ones to remove nail varnish.

 I also picked up one of these Revlon parfumerie nail polishes and I'm really pleased with myself because I wanted 3 of them so for me to walk away with just one was quite the achievement! The one that appealed to me most was obviously a shade of pink and it's called 'Ginger Melon' which is an amazing name and the bottles are adorable. I'm so intrigued to try this as apparently your nails smell nice after you've painted them with so we shall see. I had the urge to buy the whole range just so I can line them up and have them look nice on my dressing table...anyone else??

 I also picked up this foundation to try as I've heard really good things about it and that it's meant to be a dupe for Georgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation so we shall see if it lives up to that one. I got it in W4 Golden Natural for when tanned and also N2 Vanilla for those days when I decide to be natural.

 I didn't really know what to get as there was 3 for 2 across L'oreal products so I was going to go for another pink lipstick but it was like 100 others that I already had sitting at home. In the end I went for their Nude Magique Blur cream to see if it's any good at blurring out my pores.

 The last thing I picked up I have wanted for absolutely ages!!! It's the Rimmel ScandalEyes nude eyeliner which my Boots which believe it or not is massive and usually has absolutely everything in it but for some reason this has not been in stock for months (and yes I even checked the drawers!!). I'm so happy I finally have this as it'll be more natural than a white eyeliner but still give the appearance of bigger eyes.

What L'oreal products do you love?

Lots of Love,

A x x x

Previous Posts:-

Brave Red || MAC Mondays

"Give a Girl The Right Shoes and She Can Conquer The World"

Crabtree & Evelyn Event

Revlon Matte Balms || Review

 Hellooo my lovelies,

 In my recent haul I picked up two of the new Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms. I'm usually not a fan of matte lipsticks because I find them quite drying and prefer the look of creamy lipsticks but these were such beautiful colours that I had to give them a try. I got the shades 'Mischievous' and 'Unapologetic'.

 Mischievous is a muted orange shade which is ideal since orange is the on trend colour for this season. I'm not too sure how I feel about orange lips on myself yet and whether I suit it or not so I thought I'd try out a more muted orange first. ONE DAY I WILL BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO WEAR ORANGE ON MY LIPS!! The second shade Unapologetic is a gorgeous pink shade which is pretty much an exact dupe for Impassioned other than the matte finish. Impassioned is undoubtedly of better quality and looks better and I think has a nicer finish BUT they are identical in colour. If MAC did a matte version of Impassioned this would be it!

 The formula of these lipsticks is really nice, they aren't in the least bit drying which I was worried about with it being a matte lipstick. They have really good pigment which transfers to the lips in the same colour that you see swatched unlike the ones that as soon as you put them on your lips, the colour from them vanishes. They're really creamy too so they glide on your lips rather than dragging across them which is another thing I'm relieved about. The only thing I find is they can look a little 'chalky' on the lips almost especially with 'Mischievous' but I still like wearing them and it's not enough to put me off.

For only £7.99 I think these lipsticks are worth the money although I do think they need more shades in the range as a few of them are very alike each other e.g. 'Audacious' and 'Mischievous'.

 Have you tried the Revlon Matte Balms? What did you think of them?

Shop the Post:-
Boots

Previous Posts:-
Hair Saviour || Argan Dew Review
March Favourites
Skincare Saturdays || Soap & Glory Dr Spot Review

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

Is Revlon's Highlighting Palette a Cheaper Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick?

Hellooo beauties!

At first glance, you could quite easily mistake this for one of Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks but it is infact Revlon's new highlighting palette . That is infact what made me stop and take a second look at this product. I have been lusting after a Bobbi Brown shimmer brick for a while now and I thought this would make an excellent dupe since Bobbi Brown's costs £38.00.

 I had no intention of using this as a highlighter but instead I wanted to use it as a bronzer because I have heard about the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick being an amazing bronzer and this palette also has deep bronzey colours in it. However it definitely isn't a dupe, although I haven't tried Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick I would imagine it has a lot more pigmentation than this. With this product you really need to press hard up and down with your brush to get decent enough colour payoff for it to show on your face. Don't be fooled by swatches of this because it seems to show up more pigmented on your fingers than it does when transferred to your face. It would be really nice if you wanted a super subtle all over bronze look but for contouring it's a definite no go and even for me it doesn't give the colour pay off I want for an all over sun-kissed look.

 It is an okay product and I will continue to use it but I won't be repurchasing this and nor will it be replacing my beloved Sleek Face Contour Kit. It has however quenched my need for Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick quite a bit though which is a positive for my piggybank! You can also get this in a blush shade with rosey pink shades in it that would look amazing paired with the Naked 3 palette so I'd quite like to give that a bash. Although the lack of pigment has put me off as I think there are better, more reasonably priced products out there. So overall it's not a bad egg but there's definitely better one's out there!

SHOP THE POST:-
Boots (£8.99) - http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Highlighting-Palette_1416321/?affwin&awc=2041_1392931142_bf58fa705cbcc09d6cd8aa9b7147f3cb&cm_mmc_o=-uubkbzfwlCjCKww5kbELCjCvi%20i9%20niioCjCC

Previous Post featuring shimmer brick:-
http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/exam-celebration-beauty-haul.html

Have you tried any of the Revlon Highlighting Palettes? What did you think of them?

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

Exam Celebration Beauty Haul

Hellooo my lovelies,

 So yesterday I went shopping and I decided to treat myself because I PASSED MY UNI EXAMS (cue party poppers!) and I had been so worried and anxious about them for over a month so I was super relieved! I actually had a panic attack in one of the exams so I was certain I had at least failed that one but I done really well and I thought I deserved a treat. So I went to YSL and Space NK (are you excited yet???!) and bought a few goodies! I'd actually intended to get something from Bobbi Brown and Benefit aswell BUT I found drug store alternatives and thought I should be budget friendly and try them out first.

 Firstly I went to Boots and I was browsing the make up shelves, doing my usual routine of swatching every tester in site when this Revlon Highlighting Palette caught my eye. It looks very similar to Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick which by the way ladies costs £32!! and this one was a steal at £8.99 so I'm glad I popped into Boots before heading to the Bobbi Brown counter! I had been lusting after the shimmer brick and this looks like it just might solve that pressing need to buy Bobbi Brown's one! Revlon are also doing a Rose Glow one which is also similar to Bobbi Brown's rose coloured one if you prefer that one! The second thing I popped into my basket in Boots (well hand hehe) was the new Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser which is meant to be very similar to Benefit's Porefessional and less than half the price at £7.99! So I thought that would definitely be worth checking out because I don't actually use a face primer currently!

 Then I popped into Jenners and got myself the YSL touche eclat in shade 1 which I have wanted for so so long but I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend £25 on something that had mixed reviews. I tried it on at the counter though and I decided to bite the bullet and buy it because I've been constantly debating over getting it!!

The last thing I bought was the Copacabanna illuminator by NARS which I have also wanted for quite a while now! It's a lovely shimmery, pink highlighter and it wasn't too expensive for NARS at £22 and I felt I deserved to treat myself.

 I don't feel too guilty because I only bought two high end products which was very restrained of me!! and I feel I deserved it after all my hard work for my exams which thankfully paid off!! If you would like a review of any of these products then please be sure to let me know in the comment section below.

Have you had exams recently? Hope they went well! What beauty products have you been lusting after? Have you tried any of these?

SHOP THE POST:-
Maybelline Baby Skin- http://www.superdrug.com/face-make-up/maybelline-baby-skin-primer/invt/839263%26bklist=
Revlon Highlighting Palette- http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Highlighting-Palette_1416321/
YSL Touche Eclat- http://www.boots.com/en/Yves-Saint-Laurent-Touche-Eclat-Radiant-Touch-Highlighting-Pen_1214075/
NARS Cocacobanna Illuminator- http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/color/multi-use/illuminators/~/illuminator

Lots of Love,

A x x x