Christmas Gift Ideas

The christmas season is once again upon us, consisting of sweet smells of cinnamon and huddles for warmth by the fire. It's one of my favourite times of the year and although it feels so soon, I'm defiantly going to be getting into the Christmas spirit. If you're like me, you'll have left some of your Christmas shopping until December (oops) because you were convincing yourself early in November that it's, 'far too early to be present shopping'. How time flies!

Here are a few gift ideas for those of us who are stuck for ideas. This is aimed at primarily women/girls as I've only ever bought for my Dad so I'd be quite useless in the male gift criteria. Most are purse friendly or affordable.

1. Topshop Lipstick and Blush set - £12 - The ideal gift for a best friend if she's into make up and you're on a budget. I haven't actually got around to trying their make up myself but I always read positive reviews. There are two different varieties, they both feature the same peach/coral blush but with one lipstick being Wine coloured and the other being your standard blue-toned red. I'd be better at describing this if they would have actually included the product names in the description but hey ho! The only thing I don't like is the cheapy looking neon pencil case it comes in.

2. Soap and Glory Good, Butter, Best Gift Set - £8 - This set features three different body butters in Original Pink, Sweet Lime and Fruitigo. I have the Original Pink one which I really like myself, and I love their Sweet Lime scent smells amazing. Honestly, it's delicious. These are smaller tubs than normal, but it'd be great for someone who's looking to find their perfect moisturiser. It'd make a great stocking filler if you have a daughter or you're making one for a friend.

3. Snapshot 3 x 4 Frames - £10 - I love vintage photography and the magic that is a polaroid camera. Impersonating polaroids, these little magnetic frames are perfect to decorate your fridge with. I think this is a pretty neat idea and it would be perfect for somebody who enjoys Photography.

4. Hershey Chocolate Bars Hamper - £9.99 - When I saw this I thought I've got to buy that! It includes five different Hershey chocolate bars/bags enclosed in an American flag box, very fitting. It doesn't give away how big the bars actually are, but I presume they're of significant size. This is defiantly a gift for people who are too hard to buy for or chocolate addicts. I just might have to hunt this down.

5. Urban Decay Naked 3 - £37 - The Christmas gift on everybody's list this year is of course the new Naked palette featuring rose hued eyeshadows. I can't wait until I get my hands on mine as I've been interested in having more pink toned eyeshadows. Perfect for most ages as it appeals to the masses! I have the Naked 1 and use it nearly everyday and I don't doubt that it'll be the same with the Naked 3. It's currently available from House of Fraser.

6. Marc Jacobs Honey Solid Perfume Limited Edition Necklace - £30.60 - This would be a good alternative to the standard run of the mill perfume as it's a bit different in the aspect that it's in a solid form. I've never used a solid perfume but it'd be ideal for those who travel a lot as it'd be lightweight and small enough to carry in hand luggage. Marc Jacobs make beautiful perfumes (I have Dot) which I'd say appeal to young teenagers and to young adults. The idea is that you wear it around your neck, or you could simply carry it in your pocket. Marc Jacob scents tend to be quite sweet, which should appeal to most.

I hope these suggestions helped your Christmas shopper mind block. If you have any suggestions for what I can buy my mother who is a mad baker, leave a comment down below :)

Thanks for reading!

October Favourites

Once again another month has passed and left me feeling a bit lost.. It feels like yesterday that it was just the beginning of September or the middle of Summer for that matter. Time defiantly moves fast, which I'm in two minds about.

Alas! Here is my first monthly favourites, consisting of products I've been using a lot this month and products of course that I'm liking.

First up is the Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover which I'm now on my second bottle of already! It's a really good eye make up remover that hasn't irritated my eyes. I was previously using the Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover which I swear was leaving my eyes blood shot as well as not being very good at actually removing eye make up. This Nivea product though is really good at removing everything. It does leave an oily residue which doesn't both me that much as you can just wash that off with a bit of water. Before you use it you're supposed to shake the two different colours together which I keep forgetting to do, oops.
Boots | Superdrug

Next is another Nivea product which is the Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream. I bought this because I have acne prone skin, which I'm currently on medication for. One of the many woes of having acne prone skin is not only the acne itself but the greasy skin that comes with it. Since on the medication my acne has reduced dramatically and my skin has got less oily.. still I don't want to add any more excess oil to it when I don't need it. For me, this works well as a moisturiser beneath foundation and I don't think it's increased my breakouts. When you apply it, it has a cooling feeling which feels really nice and it also, makes the skin feel really soft. Although it's only 50ml it's reasonably priced at £4.00 and you can find it cheaper in Home & Bargains. Also, it is currently £3.00 in Superdrug.
Boots | Superdrug

Now for the lipstick that everybody has been taking about on the blogsphere, Rimmel Kate Moss in 107, a lipstick that I bought last year in Summer despite it being a Autumnal shade. It's a deep berry shade which has a red tinge to it. One of the things I like about it is that it's matte, as I think I suit matte lip products more than glossy. It is drying so make sure to use lip balm. It smells lovely though, I almost want to eat it. In my opinion, these are the best smelling Rimmel lipsticks. I defiantly need to buy myself more berry/purple toned lipsticks. Werdily, I always thought this lipstick didn't have a name but according to Superdrug the name is 'Wine', who knew eh?
Boots | Superdrug

Finally is something I didn't intend to buy, the limited edition Vaseline in Paint The Town. Now I bought this thinking it would tint my lips red, it doesn't it just makes them look a bit of a darker pink. I sort of bought this because of the packaging and the name which reminded me of the song Where The Lonely Ones Roam by Digital Daggers (featured on Pretty Little Liars, one of my many tv obsessions). I don't usually buy Vaseline because people tell me it's actually bad for your lips? Anyway, I think the best way to wear this is over another lip product to give a nice glossy shine. I've been wearing this a lot the past week and it does give a lovely look. Also it has a spiced berry scent which smells divine!
Boots | Superdrug

If you have any questions on any of the products mentioned, let me know :)

Thanks for reading,

Rimmel Moisture Renew: As You Want Victoria (New Formula)

£6.49 - Boots and Superdrug

As many of you will know if you've been around on the blogsphere lately, Rimmel have vamped up their old Moisture Renew lipsticks. I presume they've done this to draw attention to the line, as it's been dwindling in popularity and hasn't had the same sort of attention as the Kate Moss range (which I adore). They have completely changed the packaging and the formula is different which I'll get on to later.

I bought the shade 'As You Want Victoria', the shade that seems to (oddly) be the one they're advertising most, despite it not being a very Autumnal colour. It is a bright glossy pink, which I didn't realise in the store, as the lighting was pretty dim.. I actually thought it was a deep dark pink, oops? However, I only have one other bright pink lipstick so it is very much welcome to my collection. The shade seems to be the new version of Funtime Fuchsia from the previous line, that or it is just a similar colour.

I like the new packaging but I don't think there was anything from with the previous. I do like the long shiny tube though - reminds me of the Revlon Lip Butters. They also have the same smell as the previous line, which the more I smell the less pleasant it gets.

The formula to me is what's strikingly different, it is so much more pigmented than the previous line. With one swipe, you have full lips of colour, no building up required. The old formula is very sheer in comparison.

Here's a swatch comparing it to Pink Chic and Cherry-Licious, shades I have previously reviewed when I first bought them, read here.

Top to bottom: As You Want It Victoria, Cherry-Licious, Pink Chic (One swipe)

I do like the colour but I'm just not feeling bright pink lips with it now being Autumn. If anything I'll be wearing this as an evening look with a smokey eye. The staying power is average, don't expect this to last through eating.

To be honest I'm not completely sold on the formula, although the formula is light on the lips, many of the shades have too much shimmer and sparkle in, which I personally don't like and it makes me look ridiculous.

I'm not sure whether I'll be buying anymore Moisture Renew's for awhile, especially since I'm looking in to buying more darker lipsticks, specifically mattes with good staying power. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

So, what do you think of the new line and colours, anything take your fancy?

Thanks for reading,

Liebster Award!

I was tagged by Kayleigh Wilkinson and Brodie White for the Liebster Award which was very un-expected but thank you both so much! I'd recommend you to check out both of their blogs :)

For those of you who don't know, the Liebster Awards are a tag question (sort of like a chain, but a nice one) were you nominate blogs to suggest to your followers to check out, in turn they answer questions you've set for them. It was created for us blogging 'newbies' who have less than 200 followers.

Firstly, according to the rules you have to give 11 facts about yourself, but since I'm awnsering two sets of questions I'll have to skip this otherwise this post will be ridclously long.

I will now answer the 10/11 questions that Kayleigh and Brodie has set me :)

Cheap and Cheerful

Many of you will know that Poundland/Poundworld stock beauty items and these are a few I've found in my local stores lately. I just can't help myself when they're so cheap and you really can't go wrong when they're £1 can you?

Now the whole reason behind why they are so cheap is because it's from old lines or (I presume) the companies that sell the products had too much leftover stock. 

I picked up a Calvin Klein Sheer Creme Eyeshadow (Tempting Glimmer) in Cashmere Plumb which I was very uncertain was real but I think there's a good probability it is as I read a review which stated that it was from their first beauty line a few years ago which was unsuccessful. 

The colour is actually a rather medium toned pink with a lot of shimmer in it. The formula of these are sheer so don't be expecting a Maybeline Color Tattoo sort of pay off although the one I bought is quite pigmented. The texture of this reminds me of a lip balm, as it's quite light to the touch. I haven't wore it yet but when I do I'll be interested to see what the wear time is like.

As you can also see I've picked up two nail vanishes. The first vanish is Lilac Pastelle by Revlon Nail Enamel which is a pretty lilac and it is still available in Boots! So that's a saving of £5.45 which is quite sufficient! The shade needs quite a few coats to become opaque because it is a bit watery. It claims '10 days wear' but it did chip quite easily on me. 

The second is the shade Wet Cement by Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear range. As far as I'm aware these aren't sold in the stores anymore but are easily available online. I have to say, I was very uncertain about buying this as I was firstly put off by the name (not pretty!) and the colour which looked odd to me.

I have to say though I really like it and the formulation is great, you only need one stroke to get full opacity although I did use two in hope of it lasting longer! It leaves a glossy finish to the nails and my nails feel quite smooth, sort of like when you get Shellac nails and they feel soft. Of course it doesn't feel as soft as that but you know what I'm getting at. I've currently been wearing this for 3 days and it hasn't chipped yet - success!

Have you checked out your local pound store lately, if so have you found anything good? I'll be checking in again to look for more Sally Hansen polishes and also, they had a few NYC products in Poundworld last time I went in that I wanted to buy but the colours were not my thing.

Previously I've picked up Nivea lip balms and a Boujois lip tint in there. So it's always worth a look.

What can I say, I just really love a good bargain...

Thanks for reading!

An old favourite: Urban Decay lipstick in Requiem

Hey everyone, as you may know Urban Decay have recently brought out a new line of shiny lipsticks which really excited me as I love the brand. So far none of their products I have used have disappointed me in terms of quality and pigmentation. I can't wait to eventually get my paws on some of the shades!

The new announcement of the lipsticks made me think about my good ol' Requiem which I've been neglecting through the Spring/Summer months. I've had this for around a year or two and I bought it in a discounted make up store for around a fiver, which is pretty good going. Although it may be old and an outdated formula now, I still really like it.

Requiem is a sheer dark muted red which is velvety to apply to the lips because it has a really soft texture. It doesn't have the best smell (to be honest I'm not even sure what the scent is) but it isn't horrible. What isn't pleasant however is the artificially sweet taste the scent leaves in your mouth but, this can be overlooked as I love the colour it gives to my lips. 

For me, this is sort of my, 'my lips but better colour' as my lips are medium pink in pigmentation. The wear time of this lipstick is short, especially since it's sheer to begin with, but I don't mind re-applying as it is a lovely texture. 

Last but not least: the packaging. I'm not quite sure what Urban Decay were thinking when they designed this. It's certainly unique with the little dagger and odd shape but not practical. One thing I like it the way the brand name and dagger is engraved on the lipstick itself.

I'm really glad they've re-designed their packaging, as although it is cute it is not very sophisticated.

Swatch:

First swatch is one layer, the second is with multiple layers. As you can see it is slightly buildable and it is a lot lighter than it appears in the tube.

Although this is probably nothing compared to the quality of the new lipsticks it is still pretty good if you're looking for an easy every day lipstick that isn't too loud and proud. If you do want to buy one of these old things you can find them on places like Amazon or a discounted make up store like I did (prices will vary).

What do you think of Urban Decay's previous line of lipsticks? If you have one of the new ones how do they compare to Mac lipsticks which are around the same price?

Thanks for reading,

Can you afford not to? Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks

Hey guys! So I'm sure a lot of you will be aware with the website Fragrance Direct, which sells discounted make up, perfume, etc. Recently I picked up two of the Rimmel Moisture Renew for 99p each!! (BARGAIN ALERT) Which is a crazy price considering that they retail for £6.49 in the likes of Boots.

 I ordered Pink Chic (220) which is a barbie pink and Cherry-Licious (820) a cherry pink which unfortunately is frosted which I didn't realise when I ordered it.

These are quite artificially scented but not as much as the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks but there is still a rose taste/scent. This may be unpleasant for those of you who are not a fan of scented products - personally scents don't bother me as long as they are not sickening. They feel really nice and soft when applying and they are not strongly pigmented. The coverage of the lipsticks is probably light to medium as it is build-able. They are housed in a rather beautiful shiny purple packaging with the Rimmel logo on top like their other lipsticks. The plastic is quite solid, not flimsy and takes a bit of effort to take the lid off. These also obtain SPF 20 which is really useful and include vitamins and anti-oxidants.

In terms of the colours:

Like I said Pink Chic is a barbie pink, which looks brighter on the lips (at least on me). I don't really think this colour suits me much unfortunately but I'll give it a few tries. As you can see it has a fair bit of shimmer and looks glossy when applied to the lips.

Cherry-Licious is a wearable frosted lipstick although I still felt a bit unsure wearing it as I really don't like the frost look. This however has perfect coverage and sits well on the lips. I prefer this to Pink Chic as I feel it suits my pale complexion better.

Swatches:

Left to right: Cherry-Licious, Pink Chic

I'll defiantly be trying more as they seem perfect for College as they're not too bold. I've heard they're in Poundworld but knowing my look they won't have any in my branch. 

What do you think of the Rimmel Moisture Renew? Let me know below any shades you suggest!

Thanks for reading!