I Never Knew I Needed You

Have you ever bought something on a whim? How often have you fallen completely in love with a product you never thought you needed? Well, that's what happened to me and these lovely products. At the time, I didn't really need any of these products, I just wanted them and luckily for me, they are amazing!

The Naked Basics palette was always something I felt like I needed, only because I had the previous 2 Naked palettes. So many times I looked at this little palette and thought 'I really don't need another neutral palette'. Then one day the temptation got the better of me and I added it to my shopping basket. I am so glad I did, it has quickly become one of, if not my all time favourite palette. It is so perfect for everyday makeup and perfect for work. Even the size makes it handbag friendly and it holds every shade you need for the perfect neutral eye. 

Benefit Hoola was another product that I didn't really need, I already have more than enough bronzers, but the hype surrounding this just made my curiosity too much to bare. After using this for the first time I fell in love, it really is as amazing as everyone says. Not only does it blend like butter, but it's also a great shade if you are of the more fair skinned variety. 

When it came to purchasing the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation however, I did think up an excuse for buying it. Summer was fast approaching and I always turn into an oil slick in the warmer months. I bought this to mattify my foundation and also give me a bit of extra coverage for the mass amount of breakouts I was having at the time. I wouldn't recommend using this to set foundation as it can make you look a little cakey, but on it's own it is amazing. This will forever be a summer makeup staple for me. 

Finally there is the TIGI Totally Baked Volumising Hair Meringue. I saw HeyClaire using this in a tutorial and the packaging drew me in immediately. I have very fine hair so getting volume into it is a task and a half. This is the first and only product I have ever found that really gives me the volume I need without making my hair greasy and it smells just like lemon meringue! 

It just goes to show that sometimes it's a good idea to give into impulse buying. Maybe not on every little product you see, but sometimes you could find your holy grail product by just taking that chance. 

What products have you bought on a whim that you now couldn't bare to be without? 

Blog Sale

After doing my Shopaholic video I got together a fair amount of products that don't get used as much as they should. There's a good mix between high-end and drugstore items, all only used a handful of times, if at all. 

This is my first ever blog sale and I was a little hesitant in doing one, just because there's always an element of danger when it comes to selling things online. However, all these lovely products need a new home and they deserve one. You can find the array of goodies by heading to the top nav bar an clicking Blog Sale, or just click here! 

Have a mooch around, see if anything catches your fancy. I'll be keeping the Blog Sale page on the top nav bar for a fairly long time so you can always check back. 

Happy shopping guys! 

What's In My Tiny Makeup Bag

Around the same time I hosted my 1000 subs YouTube giveaway, I went and made a sneaky purchase for myself. If you remember or if you took part you will know I gave away the black and gold version of this amazing Art Deco style Ted Baker makeup bag. Despite it being extremely beautiful (I'm a little in love with anything Art Deco) it is a little on the tiny side. 

I like to keep this little bag on my shelves filled with the makeup that I use every day. It never ever gets completely zipped up and there are always various items poking out at all angles. Even though it is small it can actually fit a fair amount of stuff inside it, as you can see above. 

This month I've been switching between just using the MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC15 and the Revlon BB Cream in Light, depending on whether my skin is particularly oily that day. Both products give me a medium coverage and the BB cream fits perfectly inside the bag, the MAC not so much. 

Then we have the absolute staples, the products that never ever leave my makeup bag. The Maxfactor Liquid Effect Eyeliner, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, Urban Decay Primer Potion, L'Oreal Gel Liner and the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. No matter what other products I have in my collection, these will always be present in any makeup bag I use. I would say that these products make up my 'If I was stranded on a desert island' makeup bag, all extremely reliable and good quality. 

Some new additions are the L'Oreal Brow Artist Pencil, which I recently talked about in my Current Eyebrow Routine post. Its red tones and excellent pigmentation is perfect for matching my brows to my hair (I'm not a natural redhead, I'm actually blonde *gasp*). Another new-ish addition is the Bourjois Liner Feutre Pen Eyeliner, which I think I've spoken about too much now, but it is amazing and I'm happy to report that I'm still in love with it. 

As for the remaining items, I've had these guys for a while and I've allowed them to join the guys of the makeup bag big league for a limited period. The Barry M Liquid Eyeliner is one of the older products I'm currently using, I like to have options when it comes to doing my cat flicks. Then we have a few Benefit products making an appearance. I'm not going to lie, Benefit isn't my favourite makeup brand and I've been attempting to love their Porefessional Primer, but I just can't seem to find the feelings for it. The Hoola Bronzing Powder on the other hand, I do love, unconditionally. The tiny Benetint also sneaked in but yet again I can't seem to find the love for it. 

Finally, we have the last little bits, a sample of Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Foundation and two mascaras. Again, I like to have options when it comes to mascaras. Currently I'm switching between the Soap and Glory Thick & Fast mascara for super volumisation and the Rituals Volumising mascara, which gives amazing length. 

So as you can see, despite its small exterior, it can hold a pretty good number of products. It's a bit like the Tardis of the makeup bag world. Let me know in the comments what products never ever leave your makeup bag and if you can zip yours closed or like to leave it open and free like me!

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Review

I have many a neutral palette, big ones, smallish ones, cheap ones, expensive ones, I wear neutrals all the time and I have an army of beige and browns in my MAC palettes. When Urban Decay released this handy little travel size neutral palette I took a step back, money in hand. So many questions I needed to ask myself, do I really need another neutral palette? Do I need one that small? Do I just want to buy it because its part of the Naked range and I'm like a Pokemon trainer when it comes to Naked palettes, I gotta catch em all? 

I avoided parting with my money for so long, but after testing it out I'm sad I didn't welcome it into my collection sooner. This little dynamo encumbers all of my most worn shades and into one easy to carry package. Yes, I have shades that are similar or in some cases the same, but this groups them all together in a palette that fits perfectly in your hand. No more routing through various palettes trying to find my perfect neutrals, here they are ready and waiting. 

The pigmentation, like all Urban Decay eye shadows, is spot on. I've also noticed that there seems to be less fall out then I've experienced with the bigger Naked palettes. Overall it's a handy little palette to have and I've been using it none stop since I bought it. It's easy to throw into your handbag or travel size makeup bag and it really is all you need if you love a good neutral eye. 

Have you caved in and purchased the Naked Basics palette yet? 

Worth The Splurge

We all fall prey to hype and new shiny products, but sometimes they can fall a bit flat of what we expect. I like to read every written review and watch every video about a product before I buy it, just to make sure I know the negatives as well as the positives. I've therefore been pretty lucky when it comes to buying higher end products.

I had to think long and hard about the products I wanted to feature in this post. I wanted to include products that, when I was first starting to get into beauty, really wanted to know the truth about. 

MAC Eye shadows

When you first start to get into the world of beauty and cosmetics, the first brand you hear about is MAC. MAC isn't as expensive as most higher end cosmetics companies, but they still cost more than a £7.99 eye shadow quad from Boots. The fact of the matter is that MAC eye shadows are simply the best of the best. The pigmentation is amazing, they come both in pots and as pans for empty palettes, which is extremely handy, and they are long wearing. At £12.50 for the potted shadows and £10 for the pans, they are definitely worth paying a little bit extra for.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

One of the most hyped up products in the beauty world. With the new Naked 3 palette recently released, I think it's important to point out that these palettes are 100% worth the splurge. The pigmentation is amazing and all the shades can be worked together, giving you endless amounts of options. I've featured the original Naked palette because it is the one that I prefer for my skin tone. This is the warmer toned palette, but if you find cool tones suit you better, then the Naked 2 is for you.

MAC 217 Blending Brush

If you don't like to spend an exuberant amount on your brushes, you may be forgiven for avoiding MAC brushes. I myself don't own a great deal of them, but the 217 is a brush that belongs in every brush collection. Its super soft natural hair is the perfect brush for blending out your eye shadow, it makes blending feel effortless and gives amazing results every time. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick

Despite it being the most gorgeous packaging ever created, the actual product is a dry lipped girls dream. These lipsticks are so creamy and the most comfortable lipstick to wear. The pigmentation is amazing and makes you feel like your living in the lap of luxury. Yes, they are extremely pricey for what they are, but if you are like me and find lipsticks usually uncomfortable to wear, then these are perfect. 

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour

I'm not a big lover of blush; my blush collection is probably the smallest out of all my products. So when it comes to splashing out on blush I usually hold back, I've found such amazing blushes in the drugstore that I didn't feel I needed to spend more. But then I found this blush, the packaging drew me in at first but then I fell in love with the finish. This isn't powdery at all and goes on so smoothly and evenly, with uneven and freckled skin, I find that blushes can look very patchy on me. This can also be used in a multitude of different ways due to its mosaic design. 

So what products in your collection do you feel are worth splashing that bit of extra cash for?

Top Fall Collection 2013 Picks

With all the new Fall/Autumn 2013 collections being released or at least announced, I thought I should share with you all my top 6 (It was originally supposed to be 5 but I couldn't choose) products from the new collections. I have to say after having a good hard look at the shiny packaging and vampy red hues, the YSL and Urban Decay collections are by far my favourite. 

1. YSL Blush Radiance No.9

This peachy toned blush looks so gorgeous, I love a warmer peach toned blush in the winter and this one looks divine. I've never tried any YSL blushes before but I would love this to be my first. YSL Fall Collection is available August 2013.

2. OCC Lip Tar in Black Metal Dahlia

As soon as I spotted this shade I was in love. The rich blackened red tone is soooo vampy and perfect for Fall. I don't think I could wear this day to day (Don't get me wrong, I'd give it a good go) but as a night time lip colour it is perfect. Available on Sephora.com from August 27th and from OCCMakeup.com from September 6th 2013.

3. Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks

Is this cheating because it's technically more than one product? Ahh well never mind. Urban Decay have really impressed me with their Fall collection, the packaging in particular is stunning. These lipsticks come in a massive array of shades, all perfectly wearable. They have such a creamy look and are apparently just as pigmented as one would expect. Available right now online at Sephora.com and Debenhams.co.uk!

4. Smashbox Fade To Black Eye Shadow Palette in Fade In

Out of the two Fade To Black palettes, the Fade In palette attracts me more. I think it's my love of dark sultry shadows that attracted me to it. It looks like a palette I would use regularly to create a really vampy smokey eye, my preferred look when heading out for the night. Available the end of August 2013.

5. Tom Ford Lipstick in Bruised Plum

I know I'm not the only one who walks past the Tom Ford makeup stands with a longing look in their eye. Tom Ford cosmetics are notoriously expensive, but I may just treat myself to this plum red lipstick. It's perfect for this years Fall vamp & punk trends. This shade has been available in the past, but it's packaging has had a tiny makeover to fit it in with the 2013 Fall collection. Available from September 2013. 

6. YSL City Drive Palette in Classy
Another pick from the YSL collection (I said I loved it). Out of the two available palettes, Classy contains the more wearable shades. A really nice neutral palette, this holds all my go to shades, the shades I reach for for an everyday look. The packaging (Like all YSL packaging) is gorgeous, a gold square case with large gold 'Yves Saint Laurent' font on the lid. Available August 2013.

What are your top picks from the recently announced Fall 2013 collections?

August Lust List

2 posts in 1 day! Wahhh! Well the last post of my Decorating Diaries was supposed to go up days and days ago and it never did. And so my friends I am back again this fine evening. I've bought a fair few goodies this month (Ooops!) but there is always more on my shopping list!

1. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Corail Incandescent

Oh YSL, why you make lipsticks so beautiful yet so expensive. I already have one of these beauties in Coral Intuitive but the Corail Incandescent is such a gorgeous shade, it would be rude not to add it to my collection.

2. Granny's Attic Makeup Bag 

My clear makeup bag from boots has been driving me insane lately as it keeps falling over on my desk. I really want to get one that stands up firmly and doesn't throw my makeup everywhere. I spotted this makeup bag by Disaster Designs and fell in love. I love the vintage design and it's just the size and shape I need! 

3. Origins Make A Difference + 

The Origins Make A Difference moisturiser has been on my list for a very long time. I got a sample months ago, but when I went in to the store to buy it, I couldn't find it anywhere! They've recently changed the old Make A Difference to Make A Difference + so I'll have to get a new sample to test it out. I'm not sure whether to go for the moisturiser or the treatment so I'll have to have a test first. 

4. Urban Decay Setting Spray 

Since going back to work I've noticed my foundation looking really cakey at the end of the day. I wouldn't mind trying one of the Urban Decay setting sprays to see if it helps but if you know of any better solutions for my cakey problem, let me know.

5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder 

Anastasia Brow Powder is a name I hear/read a lot about and have never tried! It's a bit hard to get hold of here in the UK, but it is possible. I'm in the market for a new brow powder set so I've got my eye on this little gem. 

6. MAC Paint Pots 

MAC Paint Pots, which ones Cat? I hear you ask, all of them is my reply. There are so many paint pots I want I'm not even going to list them. But if you absolutely need to know, the Rubenesque shade is my no.1.

7. Smashbox Primer  

I'm starting to run out of my beloved Seventeen Photo Flawless Primer so I need another gel type primer and this is always raved about. It's a wee bit more expensive than the Seventeen primer, but if it's worth it, why not eh?

Have you tried any of my lusted after products? Got any recommendations for me?

Urban Decay Glinda Palette

I've had my eye on this special edition create your own palette by Urban Decay for months! This is 1 of 2 special edition Urban Decay palettes released for the film Oz: The Great And Powerful. I did want to get the Theodora palette originally (I'm more drawn to the darker toned shadows) but by the time I got the money to buy one they had all but disappeared from the shelves. 

The Glinda palette comes with a saturated lip color in Glinda and a super soft 24/7 eye pencil in Rockstar. Both I love, the lip colour is a really sheer rose pink and is so comfy to wear, it's also a lovely day colour. The liner is a dark purple,I've never tried any UD eyeliners and was really impressed with the staying power of this. Once it's on, it ain't coming off!

The Glinda has a lighter more airy feel then the Theadora palette, obviously it has to represent her 'Good Witch' status. I have to say though that as much as I love the shadows, I would have got more use out of the warmer Theodora palette. For example the shade Oz is pretty hard to wear, I'm not sure when I would ever wear a rich silver or gold shade. The shadows are however as creamy and pigmented as all UD shadows, Aura is a beautiful blue and pink iridescent, perfect for highlighting.

The palette also comes with a face chart complete with instructions, on how to create a Glinda inspired look. It uses all the shadows in the palette along with the liner and the lip colour. It's not a chart to create the look from the film like I thought it would be, but it definitely tells you how to use the palette to it's full potential. 

The main reason I bought this was because I loved that you can use the palette for any UD shadows. It's easy to pop them out and put your favourite UD eyeshadows in there. The tin is gorgeous and a perfect addition to my palette collection, where it will stay forever and ever!

RRP: £36.00

What do you think of the Glinda palette?  

 

June/July Collective Haul!

  I'm not going to lie, I've been a bit naughty with my money lately. I am supposed to be saving for a potential tour of the US after graduation, but I'm the worst saver ever! I have managed to bag a few things that I've been eye balling forever though, so I suppose I can justify my spends right?  

This haul right here is a bog ole' collection of the goodies I've bought in the past two months. Some of it I needed, some of it I just plain wanted!

First up is the Fast shampoo and conditioner set. I did a sort of starter review on this here, I will be doing updates on how my hair is getting along with it though. I've used it in the past and it proved succesful so thought I'd give it another bash now that it's available in Boots.

Then we have the Barry M Gelly nail paints. You probably already know that I'm OBSESSED with Barry M. They are by far the best nail polishes I have ever used and I have quite a few in my collection. I decided to take advantage of Superdrug's 3 for 2 nails offer and grab the entire summer collection. I also picked up a confetti nail effects polish in Sour Apple to complete the offer (there's only 5 shades in the summer collection).

If you read my July lust list, which can be found here if you're interested, you will have seen this little gem. This is the Urban Decay Glinda Palette and I've been in love with it since it was first released. I love the fact that the actual palette can be kept and reused, it really makes a lovely addition to my palette collection. You also get a free 24/7 pencil in Rockstar and a Saturated Lip Color in Glinda, bargain. 

 I also picked up another Nivea Regenerating Night Cream because I ran out of my last one, I decided to try the normal to combination skin formula this time around. I usually go for the dry to sensitive skin version but fancied a change. 

We then have the products that I've bought purely from reading blogs, you guys are not good for my bank balance. First we have the REN F10 Smooth and Renew mask. I bought this after reading Little Red's review and it was also in my July Lust List post. I wanted an exfoliating mask that was kind on sensitive skin and didn't contain any beads, this guy sounded perfect. I've never tried any REN products before so I'm excited to use this! I also got two lovely samples, one of the Glycolatic mask and one of the Hydra Day Cream.

I also grabbed a bottle of Moroccanoil from Regis in the Trafford Centre. I've heard constant praise for Moroccanoil but was always just too frugal to pay out. I only bought the 25ml bottle because I just wanted to give it a test drive, I have to say I will be purchasing the full size when this runs out.

Finally I picked up some of Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. I got this because Caroline Hirons was raving about it and I'm trying to stay away from frothy cleansers. I've had one go of this so far and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. 

So that's all I got guys, I will be doing reviews of everything so keep an eye out and make sure you're following me on Bloglovin!

Have you tried any of my recent purchases?

 

July Lust List

I've been reading sooo many blogs lately that I have developed a rather long list of items I really really want to try. I thought I'd share some of the products that have really tickled my fancy. I am determined to own all of these by the end of the month! Money or no money (no money being the most likely). 

1. Gucci Premiere EDP - £45 30ml 

One of my all time favourite perfumes that I can never afford! I absolutely love the smell of this and often go into department stores just to take a sniff. Unfortunately it is extremely expensive, with the 30ml bottle costing a whopping £45! A girl can dream hey.

2. MAC Lipstick in Coral Bliss - £15

This is a MAC Lipstick that I've had my eye on for a while but just never seem to buy. With the prices of MAC lipsticks ever rising, it is getting harder and harder for me to be able to afford these luscious lippys. I am determined that I will own this, and soon. 

3. Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment - £12.85 25ml

After trying the Organix version, I'm intrigued to see how it compares to the lord of all hair oil. Someone pointed out to me that the main ingredient of the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil was silicone, bad Organix! I want to see if the real stuff makes THAT much more of a difference. 

4. Dr. Jart+ Regenerating BB Cream - £21

Every beauty blogger and her dog has been praising this BB cream and I want to see why! There's 3 to choose from and the regenerating version is apparently the one that suits my sensitive skin the best. My skins been clearing up a lot lately and I want something that I can slap on when nipping out, this might just be the answer.

5. REN F10 Smooth & Renew Peel Mask - £20

I have Little Red to thank for this. After reading her review I was immediately hooked. I find it hard to find masks that agree with my sensitive skin, this one is apparently fine and dandy! I'm always after something to give me smooth radiant skin and this looks rather tempting. I have seen this in the REN Sensitive Skin Starter Set for £19, so I may buy that so that I can test out a few REN products at the same time. 

6. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask - £23.95 250ml 

Another product I've seen featured on many blogs. I haven't tried any Macadamia products as of yet and I love a good hair mask. With growing my hair out, I'm constantly on the lookout for products to keep my hair healthy during the growing out process. This looks a good a place as any to start testing out Macadamia products.

7. Urban Decay Glinda Palette - £36

I very nearly bought this instead of the Naked 2 palette, I've wanted to get my mitts on this since the day it came out! I think the main appeal of this for me is the idea of a reusable palette. The packaging is so beautiful and would be a great addition to my collection that I could use again and again. Plus you get a pencil liner and a lip crayon! 

Have you tried and tested any of these products? Would you recommend them?