Barry M natural glow palette review:

Hey guys! How are you all doing? a while back I picked up three of the Barry M palette's. Today I'm going to do a review on the natural glow version.

I've put together some swatches for you. They aren't the best quality, but I'm sure you will get a good idea of the colours. 

These are the shimmery colours, and they are quite creamy. I was able to keep them natural for day time or work, or build them up a bit more to create a smokey eyed look for night time or special events. They are quite pigmented  especially when you build them up, and I got a good colour pay off. They are very wearable, and you can create different looks. They mix and match well.

And here are the two matte eye shadows and the blush. These are quite powdery, but the white makes a good base to build colour on. The light brown colour isn't really my cup of tea, so I tend to use this one less than the others.

The blush is very natural, I had to build this up on my hand so you could see it. Its not that shimmery when applied to your cheeks, its very subtle and pretty. Perfect if you want a natural looking blush. Not usually my type of blush (tend to go for one a little darker and more obvious), but I wore it for work a couple of times to create a natural glow. You definitely don't have to worry about over doing this blush, you can never put on too much. 

I enjoy using this palette and will continue to use it. The colours are perfect for the summer months. The packaging is nice yet simple. I will give this palette a 9/10. It's purse friendly, and fun to use. 

See you all soon with more reviews. Let me know if you have used these palettes and how they worked for you, 

Avon haul:

Yay its finally here! Its definitely a mood booster when you get your parcel delivered, I feel like a kid in a candy store!

I ordered quite a bit, and I also ordered my mum some goodies for mothers day. I'll show you what I got for myself. Oh and I also received my re-order of the Pavers heels, there's definitely much more room in the next size up, but a little extra room is always better than squeezing your feet into something too small!

First up we have the ANEW vitale skincare kit. I got the 25+ range in the trail sizes to try them out. The range is quite expensive, so if I like the products I may order the full size. These little sets are usually around £22-£28, and they are currently on offer for £10! Now that's a bargain, if I don't like it I wont have wasted too much money. Here's the one I bought ANEW 25+ skincare set but you can buy them in other ages.

Next we have the Planet spa perfectly purifying body scrub. This contains dead sea minerals. I love a good scrub for my face and body, and I needed a new body scrub. The one I tried last wasn't rough enough for my liking, was a little too gentle. So hopefully this will do the trick. It's on offer at the moment for £3.85 instead of £5.50. I do love my bargains, here is the link if you are interested Planet spa body scrub.

I also picked up the prepare to party gift set which comes in a little evening bag with the goodies inside. This cost £10 which is great as everything separate would cost much more. The set includes supershock mascara in black, ultra colour lipstick in red 2000, true colour eyeshadow duo in healthy glow, and glimmestick eyeliner in blackest black. The bag is PVC but very soft. This is out of the stock at the moment, but they should be getting more in soon, here is the link prepare to party gift set. I've had similar ones before in the past, and they are worthit.

I picked up two foundations on the 2 for £12 offer, ones the extra lasting liquid foundation which contains SPF 12, and the other is the ideal flawless invisible foundation which also contains an SPF 15. I'm always on the lookout for new foundations to try, and I'm quite excited to try these out. I got them both in Ivory so will soon find out how dark they turn out on my skin.  Here are the links Extra lasting foundation, and Invisible coverage foundation. The invisible coverage has more color options.

Below I have uploaded some closer looks at the products:

I quickly did some swatches to show the product colours:

These are swatches from the prepare to party gift set.

The darker swatch is the extralasting foundation, hopefully it will blend well and wont be too dark for me. The lighter swatch is the ideal flawless foundation, I had a problem getting this out of the bottle because the pump wouldn't work, maybe its faulty. I'm hoping it begins to work so I don't have to scoop the product out of the bottle.

I'm just waiting on my makeup storage to come now, but it's out of stock due to high demand. So may be waiting around 2 weeks until it arrives.

Let me know if you have tried any of these products and your thoughts. See you all soon,

Beauty bag part 1- the face & eyes:

Well hello there. I thought I would show you some of my beauty bag goodies that I reach for regularly. You can tell these products are well used, some of them look worn out haha. But hey at least it shows they are well loved.
 I haven't included everything in this post as we would be here all night. There will be others, but this just sticks to the face: foundation, powder, blush, mascara, eye shadow, mascara etc. Some of these I have reviewed already so I wont touch on those. There are a few newbies mixed in there too + some products that are missing (I need to repurchase etc). I hope you enjoy.

As you can see I have already talked about the Jerome Alexander stackables, Elf mascara primer, and 17 concealer, so if you would like to read reviews on them they will be in another post.

Firstly we have the sleek contouring and blush palette (it broke and the lid went missing lol) : this is amazing, and I use it everyday. Not so much the contour as I find this is too dark for me.
The blush has a lovely glow with a sheen, but its not overly dark, it makes my cheeks look like they have a nice flush. If you would like a deeper colour its easy to just apply more, which I would do for a night out.

The highlight is my favourite, its really pretty on the skin. I add this to my cheekbones, on my brow bone, and in the corner of my eyes. It adds to the face without being over the top. I wanted this for so long, then I finally just went for it. And I'm so glad I did. Definitely a good investment for my makeup bag, I don't know what I would do without it now. 9/10.

Revlon colorstay for combination/oily skin: I use the colour 110 Ivory. I also wanted this for ages, and I'm glad I finally took the plunge, got it a while back now. I love this foundation. You don't need too much, and I would definitely apply a little at a time, as it can go cakey and heavy if you just slap it on without blending little by little. It lasts all day, stays put, and its great if you have pale skin, as its quite light colour wise. Unlike some other foundations that claim they are and turn out orange. I don't use it everyday as I want it to last as long as possible. 8/10.

Maybelline mega plush volume express mascara: I use this a lot, and its great for everyday wear. Its very light and natural looking, but can be built up to make it more extreme. One coat just adds a nice light daytime look, which is great if you like natural looking eyelashes. I tend to do at least 2-3 coats as I like more intense eyelashes. I like this mascara but its not my all time fave. 7/10.

Rimmel stay matte powder: Everyone in the beauty world has heard about this. But I thought I'd review it anyway just in case someone hasn't or would like to hear my opinion on it. Its definitely a great powder, does what it says, sets makeup, keeps shine at bay etc. I get my powders in transparent/ivory.They are must for my face, don't like looking too shiny, and if I wear foundation on its own I look way too oily. I've tried many powders in my time, think I started using them just after foundation (which I started playing about with at around 14 years old). Although this powder is very similar to a lot of others out there, I'd say it slightly (only just) out shines them (see what I did there? lol). 9/10.

Maybelline dream pure BB cream: I got this for oily skin, which has 2% salicylic acid in it + SPF 15. Its in the colour light, but it is a bit dark for my skin, and a little orange but it can be worked with. I set it with powder and add a bit of blush. Recently took a trip abroad, and this is what I took with me, didn't want to be wearing foundation, and with the added bonus of SPF 15 ( I still wore sun cream underneath). It says it conceals imperfections, but my break outs were still quite visible. It doesn't add much coverage at all, but its nice to add to your face if you just need a little something, I never want to leave the house completely bare faced. In terms of redness, it concealed that ok. I wear this on my natural days, if I feel foundation is too heavy or overdone. 6/10.

Collection 2000 pressed powder: I love this powder, its really great for the price. This is probably my most used powder throughout the years. I've used the Maybelline one quite a lot as well, and this is really similar. I thought its virtually the same, and cheaper so I purchased this a long time ago. It works- keeps my shine at bay, sets makeup, definitely money well spent.  Its enriched with silk and blended with moisturisers- vitamin E, and has UVA and UVB sunscreens added. 9/10. I just love this, Iv'e repurchased it so many times.

Beauty UK eye shadow collection in earth child: I hit pan on my old palette, and really missed the colours I used to use all the time. So I went searching for a similar one with similar colours, and I came across this. I needed something cheap, and quickly, and this was definitely cheap. The colours weren't exactly what I wanted, but they would do. Its not a bad palette for the price, its quite pigmented, and if you just want something you can wear on a daily basis, now and again, on a budget, or just starting out with makeup, its perfect. They are very sheeny and silky, and you can create a smokey look with them. 6/10. (I'll throw in a watch so you can see what they look like better). See below for swatch.

Elf little black beauty book in festive everyday and glam holiday: I can tell already that these little
beauties will be my go to eye shadows. Ever since purchasing them I have not stopped wearing them. They are so creamy and pigmented, although I haven't tried them all. Some seem more pigmented and creamier than other, but I just think they are fab and great for a range of looks. Glad I purchased them, value for money in a nutshell. There is one gorgeous natural peachy colour that I love for everyday or for work, its so shimmery and pretty. I have included a swatch of each one below, but only 8 colours from each as we would be here for a week swatching them as there are 96 in total lol. See them below. 8/10.

This one is festive everyday. 

And this one is glam holiday. My hands all shiny from the glitters =]

Last but not least Elf lash extending mascara: I quite like this mascara, I've used it everyday since I purchased it. It's very similar to the maybelline one in terms of its natural looking when applied once, and needs to be be built up to become dramatic. It separates lashes really well, no clumping. As I said earlier I love applying 2-3 coats, the thicker and more dramatic type eye is what I go for. I'm not convinced it lengthens lashes that much more than any other mascara I've used, but it definitely separates them well.The wand is flat on one side and curved with longer bristles on the other, and is a plastic. I would rate this a 8/10.

That's my beauty bag go to products with reviews on each one. I didn't go into detail about products I've already mentioned, as to not repeat myself. So I left the Elf eyelash primer, HD powder, and Jerome Alexander out. That was quite a heavy blog post, hope it didn't bore you too much, and you got some useful information from it. Thank you for all the views so far, I really appreciate it. Stay tuned over the next few days for more posts.

Stackables review:

Hello everyone, I'm back with another review. I received the Jerome Alexander stackables set for Christmas, so I thought why not do a blog post on it? There will be another little random item included in this review as well (concealer). lets get started then..

 This is the box that it came in (which I'm holding shut with a clip). The set included:

• Blush called 'pretty peach blush' - aims of the product: 'pretty peach blush adds the perfect highlights, giving your cheeks a soft glow and bright even finish.'
• Blush called 'sun kiss blush'- aims of the product: 'sun kiss blush gives you a stunning tanned look without the streaks. Glides on evenly to give you a natural all-year round tan.'
• Magic minerals foundation/powder- aims of the product: 'A sumptuously smooth Italian marble and mineral full coverage foundation with colour corrector's and concealers. It evens out skin tone, taking away redness and enlivening pallid skin, without setting into fine lines or wrinkles.' 
• Eye obsession eye-shadow- aims of the product: 'Four co-ordinated shades blend together to give your eyes full coverage and fuller impact. Lighter colours include 'sandalwood' and 'gold dust' that act as a highlighter. Darker colours include 'rustic pink' and 'deep auburn' that act as a contour.'
• This set also includes three brushes: A mini stubby brush for applying powder, a blusher brush, and a eye-shadow brush. 
• A mirror is included.

The story: "For over 40 years Jerome Alexander has been helping women to look their most beautiful. An internationally recognised beauty expert, he is constantly innovating and pushing forward new cosmetic breakthroughs to help women get more from their makeup. His mission is not to change the way you look, but to enhance your natural beauty."

As you can see in the picture there are four components which all stack on top of each other- this makes it easier to travel with and its definitely handbag friendly. Its compact,light and easy to use.

These are the three brushes that are included which are also travel sized. The concealer is 'stay time' by the makeup brand 17, and its meant to last for up to 18 hours.

The review on the stackables set: Firstly I want to touch on the foundation/powder. I use the powder over my foundation, I don't use it on its own as a foundation. It states its full coverage, but its not enough for me, I need something a little more than the coverage it provides. I love this as a setting powder, it feels lovely on the skin, without being cakey or heavy, and it keeps any shine at bay. Not sure about the concealing elements of the powder in terms of redness etc, but it works really well. I would rate this an 8/10.

Blusher-very light in colour, there's not a lot of pigmentation there so would therefore suited to people who like a light blush or have a pale complexion. The highlight elements are low key, definitely not over the top so you wont look like a disco ball, which makes it good for day time wear. Its not really my cup of tea, I'm on the pale side so I like to add a little more colour to my cheeks to add something to my face as I can look a bit dull otherwise. This for me personally would rate a 5/10.

Sun kiss blush- I think this is perfect for someone who likes bronzing powders that are very light in colour (like me). I don't wear bronzer as it looks really out of place on my face because they are always too dark for me. It also has a slight shimmer, but not over the top. The rating for this would be a 7/10.

Eye-shadows- these apply really nicely actually, they are build-able for either a light or heavier coverage. I would say these were more daytime colours as they are on the natural side. The texture is smooth and silky. 7/10.

Brushes- I haven't used these much as I use my everyday brushes for applying my makeup, but these come in handy for traveling without being too small to grip. 6/10.

Concealer by 17- I saw a review of this on youtube and liked the sound of it. It covers my redness, imperfections and any breakouts I have well. It lasts all day, applies evenly and doesn't get cakey (as long as you don't overdo it). I would say this aimed towards normal/combination skin and oily skins, as it could be a little cakey/drying on dry skin. I really like this concealer and can see it being my staple concealer throughout the foreseeable future + its affordable, its around £4.50. The only gripe I have with it, is that if you have any creases under your eyes, fine lines or wrinkles it tends to go in them. I have natural creases under my eyes always have had some form of crease and I find it clogs them up, so I tend to steer clear of the under eye area. Bargain beauty buy. 8/10. 

Hope you enjoyed this review, see you all soon xx

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11609359/?claim=8jpep2ehwfn">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Elf haul- it finally arrived:

Hey guys, my Elf order came today so I thought I would share with you what I purchased!

When I order from Elf I love to order quite a few items, as there is still so much I want to try. And with everything being decently priced, its easy to indulge.
Whats inside the box?

• Two little black beauty books in glam holiday and festive everyday. These are half price at the moment. Instead of paying £8 each, I paid that for both. They include 48 eye shadows in each one, a little applicator, and a mirror. These are handbag and travel friendly, compact and light. Absolute bargain!
• Lash extending mascara from the studio line
• Lip exfoliator also from the studio line
• Eye widener pencil which is in the colour white
• Wet gloss lash & brow clear mascara (I bought this especially for my eyebrows)
• Makeup mist & set from the studio line
• And last but not least the flawless finish foundation in porcelain- this has an SPF 15 and is oil free.

I'm so excited to try all of these products out. I have tried a few in the past but these are all new to me. Stay tuned for a review within the next few weeks. I've included a few more pictures of the products, so you can get a better look at the packaging.