Urban Decay De-Slick Review

I’ve never been bothered by the idea of setting sprays. Personally I do not suffer from over oily skin, so they just seemed like an unnecessary step in the makeup routine for me. However when I received this Urban Decay De-Slick (£9.00/30ml) In my Selfridges Summer beauty box I had to give it a go. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of setting sprays, You simply spray the product on after you have your desired make up look and the idea is that they ‘lock’ your make up into place. I find that when using De-Slick, I normally use around two sprays to cover my entire face and it dries pretty damn quickly. I think the thing that surprised me most about this product is the way it actually enhanced the look my makeup. I found that Urban Decay’s De-Slick really helped to set my makeup into the skin and really gave that ‘airbrushed’ look. For example on days were I’ve been a little bit too generous with my powder this almost helped to mask those powdery areas and gave off a more natural look.

As for staying power this stuff is pretty damn impressive. On days were I’ve been wearing De-Slick I find that I have so much more make up to remove at the end of the day - It’s so impressive to see so much more foundation on my cotton wool!

Once an unnecessary step has really become a must for me, and I will be picking up a bigger size when mine runs out! Have you ever tried a setting spray? which would you recommend?

Worth the investment? | Bold Metals Flat Contour Brush Review

Admittedly, I wasn't blown away when I first caught wind of the Real Techniques Bold Metals range last year. Personally I've always valued the fact that Real Techniques are able to offer such high quality brushes at  a reasonable price point and felt like the Bold Metals range really contradicted this idea. However, When I spotted the flat contour brush In a blog sale recently,  I wanted to see how these brushes compared to the original line.

The appearance of these products is probably one of the biggest differences between the lines. While the original collection had a pretty standard brush design, the Bold Metals range are unlike anything else on the market and stand out from the crowd, complete with different metal finishes depending on the type of brush. 

However while the look of these brushes imply they are somewhat more expensive the quality certainly does not! While you would think a name such as ‘Bold Metals’ would imply that the brush handle is made from some form of metal it is in fact plastic (albeit weighted) and the further towards the point of the handle you get the more hollow it appears.. I almost feel that if you applied the right amount of pressure near the end of one the handle would snap instantly. While the handle quality may be disappointment enough, the brush handles also chip extremely easily making the final look a lot cheaper than the brushes retail price. And the bristles? Dare I say they aren't half as soft as previous Real Techniques brushes.

Now here’s where things get complicated, as despite my many issues with this particular brush I have fallen head over heels for it! Personally I thought that something so small could not possibly be any good at blending but oh my, I was wrong! The dense design of this brush and my Makeuprevolution blush stick in matte Malibu (£5.00, Superdrug) make a dream team. In fact my non-existent contouring skills are suddenly working wonders, my best friend even commented on how slim my face looked recently. I love that the size of this really allows me to work the product into my cheek bone and control where the product is going.

So would I pay £22.00 for this? Surprisingly yes. While the handle is chipping away and I am forever scared that I will somehow snap the plastic handle, nothing has beaten the effect this brush has had on my makeup routine. 

Selfridges summer beauty box

In the months I took away from blogging, I really missed beauty boxes, so was really happy to discover this gem from Selfridges while I was in a spendy mood. The £40 box boasted an amazing £176 total value, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

STARSKIN Instaglam foam peel perfect (£7.00/Full Size) - This 'pre-dosed' puff is designed to vanish dead skin cells to reveal radiant looking skin. Personally I love trying more unique beauty treatments and will enjoy putting this one to the test. 

STARSKIN After Party Brightening (£8.50/Full Size) - This sheet mask claims to intensely energise, boost radiance, even skin tone, correct dark spots and smooth skin texture. 

CAUDELIE Grape Water (£6.00/Full size) - I love water mists so this one from Caudelie is a welcomed addition promising to refresh,moisturise, tone and sooth the skin.

CLARINS Eau des Jardins Smoothing Body Cream (£29.00/200ml | Sample Size worth £14.50) - I'm yet to try anything from Clarins so cant wait to put this body cream to the test.

JAMES READ Day Tan (£22.00/50ml | Sample Size worth £11.00) - To Be honest I'm not a massive tan fan, so this is the product I'm least excited to try although I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

RODIAL Dragons Blood Sculpting Gel 15ml (£79.00/50ml | Sample Size worth £23.70) - I've heard a lot about Rodial so look forward to putting this to the test. The retail value of this is massive considering the tiny 15ml sample size so I cant wait to see how this compares to cheaper creams.

NAILS INC Gel Nail Varnish in 'Chiltern Street' (£15/Full Size) - I've owned other nails inc polishes in the past so look forward to seeing how this gel effect one compares.

ILLAMASQUA Lipstick Luster (£19.50/Full Size) - While I like the Illamasqua lipstick I have I'm not a fan of the shade given in this box so will probably pass this on.  

NARS Orgasm Lipgloss (£19.00/Full Size | Sample Size worth £9.75) - I'm yet to try anything from Nars so cant wait to use this! I cant say I rotate towards lip glosses although will make an exception for this.

URBAN DECAY Setting Spray (£9.00/Full Size) - While I was excited to try my first Urban Decay product I didn't expect to love this quite so much.. expect a post very soon!

RIBBAND Ribband Sorbet (£6.00/Full Size) - I guess hairbands are handy, although personally I would not pay £6 for this pack.

EYEKO Fat Eyeliner (£12.00/Full Size) - I love a good felt tip eyeliner so this is a very welcomed addition and I look forward to putting it to the test.

TANGLE TEEZER Original Blue (£11.00/Full Size) - I love my tangle teezer so was excited to see another as mine has seen better days!

So there you have it, everything in my Selfridges summer beauty box! Sadly this has sold out online although I'll be looking out for other Selfridges beauty boxes! What's your favourite item in the box?

Makeup Revolution | The One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu

When I saw these blush sticks from Makeup Revoultion I knew I had to get my hands on the shade 'matte malibu', as I figured it would make a great product for contouring. The one blush stick comes in eight different shades which you can view here, although this is the only shade I own from the collection. They're all housed in the same sturdy black packaging which allows you to twist up the product to apply directly to the face. Matte Malibu as its name implies is a matte bronze shade that I love using on my pale skin. I found the formula to be both creamy and bendable, however the product itself is extremely pigmented so I'd recommend a light hand and a dense brush when it comes to application. Below is the amount I tend to use on each side of my face blended out with my Real Techniques bold metals contour brush.

I really love the effect this gives my skin, and can see it lasting ages as I use so little of it at a time, At just £5 this is a complete steal, and can be found in selected Superdrug stores or online over on the Makeup Revolution website. I cant wait to try more from the range and will be certainly trying more of these fab blush sticks. Have you tried anything from Makeup revolution? 

Boots Haul | Making the most of your advantage card

 About a week ago I popped into Boots and was rather pleased with the bargains I managed to find. Store offers along side advantage card deals meant I saved over £15 on my purchases, received £4.44 back in points and bagged a free pair of sunglasses.

Bourjois Happy Light Primer (£10.99/15ml | Currently on 3 for 2 offer) - I'm all about that glowly look so when this primer offered a luminous complexion and hydration I knew I had to give it ago. I've used it a couple of times now and so far so good, although I'll update you guys once I've had the chance to properly put it to the test!

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation (£10.99/30ml | Currently on 3 for 2 offer) - I have absolutely adored every foundation I've tried from Bourjois, so I figured I'd give this one a go. I look forward to trying it as my current Bourjois foundation is on its last legs.

Bourjois Volume 1 seconde mascara (£9.99/12ml | Currently on 3 for 2 offer)-  Since I brought these products on 3 for 2 I got this mascara free, along with a free pair of sun glasses. I've never tried a mascara from Bourjois before so look forward to seeing if it matches up their other products

Batiste Stylist Smooth it Fizz Tamer (£4.49/200ml | was £2.99) - As a lover of their dry shampoo, I was ecstatic to see that they have expanded on the line now offering a range of other hair related products too.  I picked up this fizz tamer and will be reviewing one I've had a chance to test it.

Barry M Sunset nail paint in 'Do it like a nude' and '' (£4.99/10ml | was 2 for £7, now buy one get one half price) - I love Barry M polishes so really wanted to try their knew line, I love both of these shades and will writing a blog post on the pair shortly.

As I had used the Boots App to load offers to my advantage card I received an extra £2 off of my total for buying two make up products, and 400 points (worth £4) for spending £20 in store.
Not too shabby if I do say so myself, have you bagged any bargains recently?

Blog sale buys

While I normally have no luck with blog sales, I was lucky enough to stumble across Georgie's one a few days ago which was filled with lots of great products. I brought four things, although she was lovely enough to include a few extra treats such as this L'occitane soap which left the whole package smelling amazing!

Diorskin Nude BB Cream - I have been saving my Boots points for a Dior foundation, So when I saw this BB cream in the blog sale I knew I had to treat myself. I look forward to using this over the summer months and will be reviewing as soon as I've had a chance to use it properly.

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in 'seductive pink' - I've been eyeing these up for a while now although was waiting for some sort of offer to come around. The shade looks so so pretty and I cant wait to put it to work.

Real techniques Bold Metals 301 Flat Contour Brush - I wasn't going to buy into the whole Bold Metals line as quite frankly I was already happy with the original line and felt like these were overpriced. Although when I spotted this in the blog sale I knew I wanted to give them a go to see of they were worth the fuss.

BareMinerals Perfecting Face Brush - This brush is unlike any other brush I've seen on the market so I really wanted to give it ago. It's a lot smaller than I expected although I love that it will be perfect for travelling as I often find myself living between two cities.

I spent £35 on all of these products, which was a bit of a bargain considering considering the retail value of each. I'd highly recommend giving Georgie's blog sale a look, I couldn't be happier with my latest additions and they arrived so quickly!

Four year blogiversary | Looking back

Today marks four whole years as a blogger, which is absolutely crazy! To celebrate, I thought I'd look back at some of my favourite posts. I was going to do one for each year.. but the less said about my earliest posts the better!

The best of 2014 / January 2015 

I love this post mainly because its filled with absolute favourite products, I do one of these every year although I feel like this one featured some of the best products yet!

Do you trust bloggers? / August 2014

Sometimes the best posts come from the heart, while 'Do you trust bloggers?' wasn't filled with thought out pictures and creative content, it was a true reflection on my thoughts on the blogging community at the time and one which received such an amazing reaction. With that in mind this is one of the posts I am most proud of, making it one of my favourite posts here on this blog till this day.

My Everyday Brushes / July 2014

I feel like my blog was at its best in the summer of 2014, not only did I have so much time to dedicate, I was lucky enough to attend an array of events and meet so many new bloggers. I think I could have easily filled this post with images from then, although I wanted my favourite posts to reflect my blog as a whole so, this is the last summer 2014 post I want to direct you to for now. I absolutely loved making this post, while the idea was simple I was so proud of the way I put it together and how the pictures turned out. I still use all of these brushes often and find myself referring people to his post time and time again.

My top five highlighters / July 2013

It's crazy that this post is over 2 whole years old now, I really loved making this post as it features some of my favourite products and was really pleased with the end result.

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 101 / October 2012

Like many of the posts here this is one of my favourites purely because I remembered how happy I was with the pictures at the time. It was also one of my most viewed posts which is always lovely.

So there you have it, 5 posts I truly loved making! Which was your favourite?

It's all about matte!

While I love faking glowy skin with my make up, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. So today I'm focusing on ways to achieve the matte skin look on a budget. Achieving that matte look isn't just about slapping on plenty of powder, in fact there are a range of other ways to help keep oily skin at bay throughout the day.

 There's a common misconception in that moisturising leaves you oilier however there are many lotions on the market designed to combat oiliness like the one above from my skin. Correctly preoping your skin in such a way can really go a long way in making this look last, another way you can prep your skin, is by using a matte primer, There a bunch of these floating around on the highstreet, although one of my favourites happens to me Maybelline's Babyskin which also aims to combat pores at the same time.

Although its not just skincare you should be tailoring to your skintype, in fact there are many makeup products such as foundation designed with oily skin in mind! Take this 'all about matt' oil-free make up from Essence* for example, which aims to cover imperfections without adding any further oils to the skin! Of course it goes without saying that a good setting power can really help in creating that matte look. However I like to treat this with a 'less is more' approach and simply apply powder in the areas I feel the need for extra protection, such as my T Zone.

 Finally for those of you that hate that over powdered look or simply want a quick way to maintain this look on the go, blotting papers could be the ideal solution. Not only are they a great way to get rid of any excess oil before applying your make up, they can be used over it to blot away oil throughout the day.

So there you have it, a few ways I've discovered to keep that matte look throughout the day. I asked for your tips on twitter and here are a couple I received. @Chocandlipstick said 'stay matte balms, blotting paper and anti-shine powders are a must' for her and  @ClarkeCouture  added 'Using products that are oil free!' can really help. What are your favourite tops for achieving that matte look?

Twenty...

Admittedly it's been a long while since my last post here, although I have been super busy in the past few months. I finally finished the second year of my degree, bagged myself a new job and said goodbye to my teenage years. With all that in mind this post is a lot (lot) later than normal, although I've been doing birthday posts here for years so wanted to keep up the tradition!

This year I received quite a few food themed gifts, The first of which being these cupcake sets since I've developed somewhat of a baking obsession this semester. I am now kitted out with cases, labels and pipping bags so look forward to putting them to work. I'm also a big Reese's fan so was over the moon to receive an excessive amount of peanut butter cups along with a matching set of lipbalms! Finally food wise, I got this melon fusion candle which smells incredible. If you're a fan of fizzy watermelon sweets I recommend giving this a good sniff.

 Beauty wise I was given lots of lovely bits including a Loreal set featuring their new superstar mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow. I was also lucky enough to receive an array of beauty bits from a friend including this stunning Pixi palette, a Max Factor mascara, blending sponge and some pretty polishes. As always I cant put them all too work, and if you see anything you like let me know so I can be sure to post about it in the future!

I figured I'd also show off a few beauty bits I brought myself with some of the money I received for my birthday. I've been keen to try these library of fragrance perfumes for a while so took advantage of Boots two for £25 deal. Scent wise I also picked up this body mist from &other stories. Along with a few beauty bits I've been wanting to try such as this blush stick from make up revolution and glow pot from Topshop.

I was lucky enough to receive a few gift sets too including this beautiful set of Nip+Fab hand creams and this luxurious Laura Mercier Set.

Finally I received this lovely gift set containing my favourite perfume. So there you have it, some of 

the things I was lucky enough to receive for my twentieth birthday which was a good while ago now!

Did anything catch your eye? 

The Glamour Spring Beauty Edit

It's been a while since I treated myself to anything beauty related, so when I saw this on the latest in beauty website I had to pop it in my basket! At just £16.99, The Glamour Spring Edit contains an amazing £99 worth of goodies! So without further waffle, here's what was in my box!

Moroccanoil Intense Hydration Mask (£7.65/75ml) - I'm yet to try anything from the Moroccanoil range so cant wait to put this to work! At £7.65 for 75ml, this isn't the cheapest product on the block so I'm expecting great things!

Nuxe Creme Fraiche Moisturising Mask (£18.50/50ml) - I've heard so much about Nuxe, along with French skincare in general, so I cant wait to give this one a try. This is probably the product I'm most excited about and alone is worth more than the cost of the whole beauty box!

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Enamel and Top Coat (£6.99 each) - I've not brought a new polish in ages, so was happy to see this pair of polishes from the Revlon range. Included in every box is the diamond top coat along with one of three shades. I have the shade Pocket Aces which looks like a lovely summer colour.

Kiko  Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow (£6.90) - I'm all for an easy eyeshadow look so was happy to see this eyeshadow stick in my box. I received the shade in Golden Brown and plan to pop this in my make up bag as soon as possible!

Rimmel Oh my Gloss! Lip Gloss (£5.49) - I was looking forward to giving Rimmels latest lip offering a go, however the shade I was given probably wont work against my pale skin tone which is a little disappointing, however I'll  pass it on to a friend.

Model Co Creme Rouge Cheek & Lips (£14.00) - I love a good cream blush so a new one is always welcome, This is in the shade just peachy and looks right up my street.

Beauty UK High Brow Kit (£3.99) - Although I'm not too in to brows, I'm sure many will love the addition of this Beauty UK kit. I'll be passing this on too.

Elie Saab sample- While some hate perfume samples, I personally love them for my bag so was happy to see this last item in my bag.

So there you have it everything in my Glamour Spring Beauty Edit box, while there were a couple of items I wont be using the others are fab and I cant wait to try everything out. Will you be treating yourself?

The five minute face...

Lately I've found myself torn between that having that extra hour five minutes in bed and wanting to look like I've had enough sleep.. The solution? a routine that I've got down to under five minutes, leaving just enough time to deal with other aspects of my morning.

My base is pretty simple, I just apply this Maybelline Babyskin pore eraser (£7.99/22ml) along with my new Maybelline dream flawless nude foundation (£5.99/20ml). The result is very natural. although I find that the look helps to even everything out. I do however have to go in with a Essence concealer (£2.50/7ml)*, for under my eyes and any blemishes. At just £2.50 this stuff is bloody brilliant and well worth a try!

To make my eyes stand out I use my Benefit Roller Lash mascara (£19.50/8.5g). I got this little sample size in Elle and have been really enjoying it so far. While I find I do still have to use my curlers I love that it coats every individual lash and makes my eyelashes look so much thicker! I then go in with my brow drama sculpting mascara (£4.99/7.6ml) to quickly neaten my brows up before finishing the look with my Soap and Glory lip crayon in the shade 'Bashfull' (£8.00).

So there you have it, the make up steps I use in the morning to look a little more human! What are your quick fixes?

Free Roller Lash Mascara in ELLE

It hasn't even hit the shops yet, but this month you can bag a sample Benefits latest mascara with issues of ELLE magazine (£4.00), admittedly I grabbed mine a couple of weeks ago but as a few copies seem to be floating around I thought it was worth a post! I for one am a huge fan of Benefits 'They're Real' so am excited to see how this compares.

Will you be trying Roller Lash?

Memebox Special #52: Wonderful Treasure Finds

After discovering Memebox over the summer I have become somewhat of a fanatic. I am yet to be disappointed with a box, which is saying a lot since there have been a fair few. My favourite boxes happen to be those which contain products completely unlike those on offer in the UK, The wackier the idea the more interest I have in it, as compared to Korean market beauty products here can be a little (dare I say) dull. I was delighted earlier this week when the DHL man delivered the Special #52 WTF: Wonderful Treasure Finds box, filled with a whole host of 'under-the-radar' beauty products I cant wait to try!

Skindeco Comedo AC Power Serum ($36/50g) - I really love receiving skincare and have really impressed after trying items from past boxes. This particular item is a serum is housed in a read glass bottle which promises a 'healthier more glowing complexion'. The card also states that this is enriched with a blend of ginger and garlic, although luckily for me this doesn't really have a scent to it and I look forward to trying once my current serum has run out.

Tonymoly Mr. Smile Patch ($2/10g) - This has to be the most interesting product in this box, and is a patch formulated to 'effectively smooth out and firm up the skin along your smile lines'. While I'd love to see my house mates faces if I walked around wearing this, I cant say I find my smile lines to be an issue.

Elinette BMS Cure Cream ($65/50ml) - Again, creams are something I really like finding in my boxes as they're something I always need. This one has a pretty high retail price so I'm interested to see how I get on with it.

Mumur Air Waterdrop Cooling Hand Cream Snow Blossom ($9/50g) - I had a chance to try this out earlier and was impressed! The idea behind this is hat the cream melts into your skin like a snowflake melting into you hands. While I thought the idea was a little mad this actually works and melts into the skin effortlessly! A winner from me which is going straight in my handbag!

Dearberry Play Choux ($13/30ml) - This is the only make up item in this box, meaning I cant wait to give it a whirl. Play Choux is a primer which promises to 'create a smooth, even canvas for foundation' all while adding a 'healthy light-from-within glow to skin'. While I I'm a huge fan of that glowly look I think this is a little too much for me so will be using this as a highlighter.

Bath Charm Store Dead Sea Salt Natural Soap ($6/100g) - I've never used a face soap before, so I'm interested to see what this is like as it promises to 'help brighten up dulled complexions and is perfect for treating troubled, sensitive skin'

Yadah Capsule Tok Soothing Gel ($11/100ml) - Being the biggest item in the box this gel was the first thing to catch my eye, I look forward to using this to cool down in the warmer months.

Balmi Cube Lip Balm in Raspberry

If there's one thing that's become a bit of a handbag essential as of late its this cube balm from Balmi. I spotted this half price in the Boots Christmas sale and have to give it ago. I own way too many lip balms, yet I'm a complete nightmare at keeping track of them meaning I find the design of this ingenious. Complete with a handy keyring meaning I almost always have it with me, this lip balm is designed to be mess free enabling you to apply directly to the lips.The balm itself is wonderful quality too and melts effortlessly onto the lips leaving them feeling soft and if thats not enough, It smells divine! 

These retail for £4.99 in Boots which I think is pretty reasonable considering unless I loose my keys I wont feel the need to buy another lip balm until this runs out! However I do happen to already own a back up after spotting these in the 70% off sales!

Soap & Glory: Orangeasm

After finally finishing my exams last week, I treated myself to this Soap and Glory Eau-La-La set for £8 just in the Boots sale. For the entire Orangeasm range containing a fragrance, body butter and shower gel, I thought this was a great deal and couldn't wait to put the set to work! 

Orangeasm Super Tonic Fragrance (£12.00/100ml) - I expected to love this. Housed in a thin glass bottle, I love  the look of this bottle on my dressing table and think it looks more expensive than it actually is. Having quite an expensive collection of Soap & Glory products I expected this to be really sweet smelling, however it's somewhat more 'sophisticated' than your average Soap & Glory Fragrance containing 'energising elemi, fresh green mandarin, cool mint, Sicilian lemon and sweet orange peel oils' and smells rather tangy in my opinion. While its not a scent I'd normally be attached to I do rather like it on, and one of my house mates even complimented it after I'd sprayed it. However the lasting power on this spray is terrible. I understand that in terms of fragrance this is on the more budget side of things, however a fragrance which fades after 5 minutes seems rather pointless to me and it really lets the product down.

Orangeasm Super Rich Body Butter (£10.00/300ml) - Luckily the Orangasm body butter saved the day, and is a firm favouirte of mine. Filled with the same tangy scent, the texture of this body butter reminds me a lot of S&G's famous The Righteous Butter, only slightly thicker and filled with Shea butter massage balls. The butter sinks into the skin effortlessly and fails to leave any form of greasy film meaning it is super convenient if I'm in a rush. This is an absolute joy to use, and to be frank the only product in the range I would consider picking up again. 

 Orangeasm Body Wash (£6.50/500ml) - This is by far my least favourite product from the range. Like all S&G showergels the quality of the shower gel itself is great, in that it lathers nicely and I only need a little at a time. However the smell of this one baffles me considering I have enjoyed the smell of the other two products. For me personally when I use this in the shower the orange peel smell is too overpowering, and the smell becomes almost hearbly which isn't my cup of tea.

Overall for me personally this range was a bit of a let down, While I enjoyed the scent of the fragrance and body butter, the smell didn't stick around long enough to justify a repurchase and the shower gel was far too hearbly for me. 

Current Favourites

 It's been a good while since I last shared a 'monthly favourites' with you guys, although to be completely honest, these days I don't try enough products to justify posting one every four weeks! However after receiving a few goodies for Christmas and treating myself in the sales I couldn't wait to share my current loves with you guys!

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter (£8.00/250ml) - Containing 'weet almond oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia nut oil and cocoa & shea butters and fragranced with delectable pistachio, almond and sweet vanilla' This is one of my favourite scents which Soap & Glory have to offer. This shower butter reminds an awful lot me of the wonderful Smoothie star body milk and has a smell which resembles cakes! I'm unsure If I'd buy this again as £8 is a lot for what is essentially a shower gel, however was a lovely treat!

Simple Moisturising Facial Wash (£3.49/150ml) - When I was home for Christmas I sneakily managed to finish one of these off as I forgot my own face wash and enjoyed using it so much that I picked up another. I cant quite put my finger on why I loved this so much, however it does a fab job at cleansing my face and works a lot better than products three times the price. A great little budget buy in my opinion.

Origins Out of Trouble Face Mask (£23.00/100ml) - In the Christmas sales I managed to bag three Origins masks for £20. My favourite of which happens to be 'out of trouble' which is ideal for when your skin isn't at its clearest as this mask helps to calm my skin down. My last tube lasted me ages so I'm hoping this one does too as it  has become a complete must have over the past few weeks. 

Benefit Benebalm (£14.50) - I managed to pick this up along with lolibalm and two tints in the sales for £13! While I think this was a fab price for the duo, I don't think I'd have paid £14.50 for a single balm. I have however really enjoyed using them, especially Benebalm which offers more colour to the lips making it a firm favourite this month and something I hope to review very soon.

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks (£8.00) - I don't actually have a specific shade favourite when it comes to these crayons as I own three and tend to grab whatever is closest.  I do however really enjoy wearing them and have been reaching for them a lot in the past few weeks. I wont give too much away now as these are something I really want to review of you guys, but I will say that these give a wonderful glossy pop of colour without any stickiness and are possibly my favourite crayon product on the high street.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (£19.00) - I absolute hated this product when I first tried it, however now its been open for a while and the formula has dried a bit I have truly come to love it. This gives one of the best 'false lash looks' on the market and I love the effect it has on my lashes.

Yankee Candles - The Christmas cookie sampler pictured above is to represent the love affair I'm currently having with Yankee as a brand. I'm currently making my way through a mountain of samplers and wax tarts, along with three large glass jars as I was a very lucky girl for Christmas. Lately I've been burning Christmas Cookie which was a lovely gift, although I'm looking forward to trying Candy Cane Lane, which I just picked up in the sales with 50% off!

What have you been loving recently?

The best of 2014

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation (£8.99/30ml) - If there's one foundation I find myself recommending time and time again its this one from Revlon. In fact I'd even go as far as saying that this is my all time favourite, despite my pure hatred for the packaging (It's far too messy for my liking!). I love that this provides me with the coverage I look for in a foundation without any caking. I also love that it's pale enough to match my skin tone, somewhat of a rarity on the highstreet.  (To see my full review click here) 

Soap & Glory's Solar Powder (£11.00) - As a pale girl I've never been one for bronzers, but after reading such amazing reviews on this I had to give it a go. I simply swirl my brush around in this and use as a contour shade for a more defined look. Although like my favourite foundation, I have an issue with this products packaging! While the cardboard was enough for a good while, a years worth of travelling has been far too much for this product and the lid is hanging on by the skin of its teeth! (To see my full review click here)

Topshop Cream Blush in 'Head Over Heels' (£7.00) - It's hard to believe that such a vivid looking blush looking blush plays such a key role in my everyday 'natural' look. I simply stipple a this into my cheeks with a real techniques brush, and find it blends seamlessly into my skin. Unlike my favourites so far, I love the packing of this one! (To see my full review click here)

Younique Mascara* (£23/$29) -   I expect a lot of mascara and find that most disappoint me, so this was a refreshing change. Application is pretty easy, you simply coat your lashes with the transplanting gel, apply the fibers while the formula is still wet, then seal the deal by using the gel again. Never before have my eyelashes looked quite so impressive! (You can see them for yourself by reading the full review here)

Essence Eyeliner (£2.50) *  - I've always struggled with eyeliner, although this pen from Essence has made application a complete joy. If that's not enough it lasts all day too, without any from of smudging. Making it one of my best budget finds this year! (To see my full review click here)

Collection work the colour palette (£3.99) - I own my fair share of palettes although this happens to be my favourite! I find it's so easy to be other whelmed when you're given so many shades to work with although this product makes it easy and even gives users a handy how to! Fab for beginners (To see my full review click here)

Rio Nail Shimmer and sparkle set (£19.99) - I created one of my favourite nail looks with this kit so had to give it a mention in this post! While it may seem a little expensive you do get a fair bit for your money! (You can read more about this and see the finished look here) 

Maybelline bleached neons in 'coral heat' (£3.99) - It's rare that I wear a polish over and over again so I had to mention this one which barely left my nails last summer. I just love the colour and got so many complements on my nails whenever I had this on! (You can see my full review here)

Tools (Prices vary) - I did a very detailed brush post during the summer which you can see here. There haven't been many changes to the line up since that post went live, however I have also been enjoying the Real Techinque's Nic's picks collection in recent months and feel that they are worthy of this post too!