"They're Real" Benefit Review

For me, mascara is the most important make-up item. It is extremely extremely rare that you will ever see me without any mascara on whatsoever, however I'm more than happy to leave my flat, nip to the shops, or even go into university with no foundation on! I'm quite lucky in that I have always had good skin, so covering up blemishes has never really been an issue for me. Despite this, I am a strong believer that if you can draw attention to your best feature, no body will even notice the flaws you spend hours scrutinising yourself over in the mirror each morning!

For me, that feature is my eyes. It's crazy how much more confident I will feel with even the tiniest bit of mascara on, which is why Benefit's "they're real" mascara is absolutely perfect for the job, because a little bit really does go a long way! As we have all established (more than once), I am a HUGE benefit make-up fan, but out of all of their products that I own, this is definitely in the top two! There's nothing I love more than having long, dark, thick eyelashes that really highlight and frame your eyes, and this mascara provides all of these things... Personally, this is the first mascara which I have used alone, as previously I would layer up different brands, each promising to fulfil a separate task, whether it be length or thickness, but not one mascara could provide the full package for me. And then I found "they're real" and quite literally died and went to eyelash heaven! 

Priced at £19.50, it's more expensive than your typical drugstore mascara, but it lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates your eyelashes whilst remaining smudge free! On a day to day basis, one coat of this mascara is enough to really bring out your eyes, and if I'm going out at night time, or want a more glam dressed up look, I will layer up another coat to really make my eyelashes pop.

Comment below and let me know what you think of this product... have you tried it? Feel free to request reviews, and thank you for following and taking the time to read! Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin and check out my twitter and instagram!

"Dot on Cheeks and Blend"

I have a secret obsession with blushers and cheek stains, I've always been a blusher over bronzer person, and I love the natural, healthy glow that a good blush can provide. Therefore, when I saw how beautiful the colour of this Topshop "head over heels" blush was, I had to try it, and at a price of £6 I really can't complain!

I was definitely sceptical before trying the product, considering the blush I use on a daily basis (Benefit's fine-one-one), costs £23.50. I was already expecting there to be a considerable difference in the quality of the product, and I wasn't wrong. I did exactly as the minimal instructions told me, I dotted the product onto my cheeks and attempted to blend in. Although the colour was lovely, it was the blending part I was struggling with! You really have to work quickly with this product to blend it in naturally before it sets on your face in large dots. However, after some vigorous rubbing, and a few days practice, I am starting to really like this product! I have been using it very subtly and blending into my foundation, starting from the apples of my cheeks and blending up to the hollows of my cheekbones. The blush is available in a variety of colours, meaning you can choose the shade that best compliments your skin tone- personally I chose this beautiful coraly colour, which comes across as slightly orangey on the photo, but once applied it gives your cheeks a really healthy glow!

I did find that this product tends to "slip" off your face and fade as the day goes on, so you have to make sure you take it with you and reapply throughout the day! Unfortunately that's a disadvantage you're going to get with all cream blushes- they just don't have the same staying power as powders! For me though, this is a small sacrifice as I love the dewey, moisturised look that cream blushers leave.

I would never replace my higher quality benefit item with this blush- the quality and ease of application of these two items is incomparable. However this Topshop blush is so cheap it truly is worth every single penny!

Comment below and let me know what you think of this product! What's your favourite blusher? Do you have any product recommendations for me to try?

Wednesday Wishlist

Morning beautiful followers!! It's so early but I just cannot get back to sleep, and yet again it's cold and rainy here in Manchester, so I've decided to do another Wednesday morning pick-me-up for us all! 

1. Lollitint- Benefit, £24.50

2. Sit tights intense XL- Soap and Glory, £16.50

3. Foundation brush- Bobbi Brown, £32.00

4. Golightly low point heels- Miss Selfridge, £39.00

My wish list this week is very beauty based- I've been dying to try lollitint since it's launch a few weeks ago, but since I've invested in quite a few blush and cheek stains recently, I'm trying to put off buying it! I will definitely try it before the summer comes though, as I think it's such a fun, playful colour that will look amazing with a tan. Second on my list is "Sit Tight", yet another product that I've been meaning to try for some time! I am a huge fan of Soap and Glory products (however I may be slightly biased as we all know how much I am taken in by pretty packaging), and God knows I could definitely do with firming up some areas of my body, so I'd love to know whether this product actually makes a difference! If you've tried this product, comment below and let me know if it's worth buying! Bobbi Brown makeup brushes are so high quality and so soft I would buy the whole set if I had the money, but considering I am currently without any form of foundation brush, and have been having to apply my foundation with my hands, this foundation brush is right up there on my wish list. Lastly, this week I am lusting after these Miss Selfridge low heeled shoes. I even tried them on yesterday and it took a whole lot of restraint to put them back on the shelf! 

Let me know what's on the top of your wishlist this week and I may try it out and do a review for you! Don't forget to comment below, follow me on bloglovin and check out my twitter and instagram!

Topshop Lipliner in Ceramic

Today is all about new beginnings- I have never bought or used a lip liner before, and I have never purchased a Topshop makeup item before. I was sceptical to say the least.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I would class myself as a makeup snob. If a product is cheap, or isn't from a brand that I have tried, tested and approved, then I will most probably turn my nose up at it. To me, makeup has always been something that you shouldn't compromise on (who wants to layer a cheap product all over their face and end up looking worse than they did in the first place?) It is for this reason that I wouldn't have dreamed of buying makeup from a little known brand, or even worse; a high street clothing retailer. However I've read so much recently on the quality of Topshop's makeup products, that I decided that the only way that I could truly see for myself if these reviewers were giving an honest opinion was to swallow my words and purchase an item for myself.

I have been looking for a pale, subtle lip liner for a while now after being left fed up by lipsticks bleeding and smudging. After trawling the countless makeup counters in boots, I finally swallowed my words and purchased this Topshop lip liner in ceramic, and I have to admit I am more than pleasantly surprised! The colour is subtle and complimentary whilst the liner itself leaves a neat matt finish, edging the lips softly and beautifully. At first, due to the matt nature of the liner, I was concerned it would leave my lips feeling dry and malnourished, an absolute pet peeve of mine, but to my surprise it did the opposite and left my lips feeling plump and moisturised!

Leave comments below as I'd love some more lipliner and makeup recommendations! Feel free to request posts, follow me on bloglovin and check out my instagram and twitter!

Miss Selfridge Mirror Print Tunic

I'm wearing: Miss Selfridge Mirror Print Tunic; UK Size 4; £26

The majority of my wardrobe probably comes from Miss Selfridge- I think it's great when you find a shop that continuously makes and sells clothes that flatter your body and suits your style, and for me, Miss Selfridge is this store. Therefore I decided to share with you my most recent purchase! How lovely is the print on this tunic dress? It's bright, quirky, and the dress is so reasonably priced I really couldn't refuse! The dress itself is made mainly from polyester, with 6% elastane, meaning that it stretches, drapes well and is GREAT at skimming over parts of your body you'd rather not show off! 

Personally I have this awful habit of buying tonnes of clothes, wearing them once and never wearing them again, but I am happy to admit that I have already worn this dress twice so far, as part of two completely different looks- it's such a versatile dress you will definitely get your monies worth! The first time I wore it is pictured above- I teamed the dress with a pair of black heels, a statement necklace and bangle and wore on a night out with loosely curled hair. On the dresses second outing, I wore it with tights, flat ankle boots, and my Armani grey jacket, for a much more smart-casual day time look! In fact, the two looks were so different no body even noticed it was the same dress!

Comment below and let me know what you think of the dress, request posts and beauty reviews, and feel free to follow me on bloglovin, instagram and twitter!

McQueen

For as long as I can remember, Alexander McQueen has been my favourite designer. His silhouettes are exquisite, fabrics divine and his use of texture and pattern has inspired so much of my own art and film work in the past. I have lusted over owning a McQueen item for longer than I care to admit, and check the website on a daily basis to cry over the high price of the box clutch that I will forever be in love with, and most probably will never be mine.

However, this Christmas, I became a very lucky lady when my boyfriend bought me this beautiful hand woven 100% silk Alexander McQueen scarf in cream and navy, featuring the iconic Alexander McQueen skull print. It is such a beautiful scarf in a timeless print design that I will genuenly treasure for as long as I own it. Being crafted from such fine, delicate silk, you must ensure that you take proper care of the item, to avoid puckering the weave and distorting the pattern, therefore I keep mine hung up safely in my wardrobe to ensure no damage can be done- nothing annoys me more than when people are careless and mindlessly damage such beautiful items

The next item at the top of my McQueen wish list is a scarf from the new Damien Hirst collaboration, whose scarf designs are some of the most beautiful works of print design I have ever seen... They are so exquisitely beautiful that it's only a matter of time before I blow my entire savings on them, (so watch this space there may be another review sooner than you think...)

Comment below and tell me about your most treasured fashion items, I'd love to hear from you and will always respond!

Pretty in Pink

I've always been a lipstick over lipgloss person. To me, lipgloss is just annoying and gets stuck to my hair whenever it's windy (which is basically all the time in Manchester). I think lipstick is such a perfect way to make yourself look like you've spent time perfecting your makeup look, especially if you use a bold, bright colour like this one! When you are in a rush and don't have time to complete a full face of makeup, I find that applying lipstick will make you look much more polished and fake that perfect finishing touch, personally I ALWAYS make time to apply my lipstick. A good lipstick can completely transform your face! I'm not the biggest fan of nude and lighter coloured lipsticks, I'm a huge fan of big bold eyes and big bold lips! Why wear lipstick if no one can even tell you've got it on? That's why, for me, this No 7 "Blooming Pink" lipstick is the perfect girly accessory, especially as we (hopefully) start to approach the warmer summer months!

When wearing such a bright pink shade it's important that you tone the rest of your makeup to match.. personally I think this colour goes perfectly with Benefit's "fine one one" cheek applicator (see below posts), as the pinks all compliment each other perfectly! Stay away from dark bronzers and eyeshadows- if you're going for the bold feature lip make sure that is the only make-up focal point on your face or you could end up looking far too over done!

One last note: I keep telling myself to stop doing so many beauty reviews, and get round to showing you some of the gorgeous clothes I've bought recently, but I don't have my trustee sidekick and photographer (i.e. my boyfriend) on hand to take the pictures for me, so watch this space, there will be some FAB fashion reviews and OOTD's here soon!

Remember to comment below, follow me on bloglovin and check out my twitter and instagram!

Rogue by Rihanna

Morning beautiful followers, and happy Valentines Day to you all, I hope you all have days filled with love and happiness! 

I know I've been doing lots of product reviews recently, but I couldn't resist sharing the new Rogue by Rihanna perfume with you! Before I start, lets all take a moment to appreciate how absolutely beautiful the actual bottle itself is! As we have all established by now, I absolutely love well designed packaging and this bottle is so decorative and original I would buy the perfume just for the bottle regardless of what it smelt like... but luckily for us all the smell is absolutely divine! For those of you who don't know, I am possibly the worlds fussiest perfume wearer- in fact I could probably list the perfumes I actually like the smell of on one hand. I HATE over powering smells, mumsy smells, flowery smells, but this sent is so alluring. It is a combination of subtle, musty and sexy undertones that are so addictive you literally want to sit and smell it all day long! After the initial hit has worn off, you're left with a "peachy" type smell, it seems fresh and more natural than lots of other perfumes on the market, which I feel leave a chemically "nail varnish remover-esque" smell behind once the initial burst has died down.

The perfume has only recently come out, and so is exclusively being sold in a small number of retailers (I got mine from Selfridges) and many of these are already sold out, so make sure you grab a bottle while you can. The product is available in 30ml, 75ml and 125ml, so you don't even have to commit to a large bottle, if you want to try this new scent for yourself but are reluctant to commit or fork out, I recommend buying the smaller 30ml bottle, and I can almost guarantee you'll be back for another in no time