Mini beauty haul!

Hey folks! 

I've been so tired this week, and I don't think i've done much out of the ordinary...just my usual 5 day full time working week. But man I'm exhausted. Today I've got a mini beauty haul for you! I ordered these all online from boots which came instore the next day?! Which I think is pretty damn good, seeing as you have to wait like a week for a new look order to arrive instore. I still love you though New Look, still love ya.

We'll start with my all time favourite beauty product, eyeshadow palettes. I've seen these extremely often on majority of the blogs and youtube video's i've been watching/reading recently. Its the Collection Eyes uncovered 'Nude Palette' When I was listening to the reviews I was like YES! This is right up my street! I love a good nude palette. I also picked up at the same time the Little Mix 'All About The Eyes' palette. Which at the time I thought were completely different palettes, which I suppose you could say they are because the Little Mix palette is a lot lot more shimmery than the other. When I opened the nude palette, I was sort of semi-dissapointed...purely because I thought this was going to be an all matte palette but it wasn't. I still think the pigmentation and staying power of the shadows are incredible for the price. Just not what I was expecting from it really. I do however have what I was expecting from the Little Mix palette, it was all shimmer and more. Its stunning for the price, and the pigmentation and lasting power is incredible. Such a good product to have in your make up stash. 

Next onto Lip liners and eye liners - I've wanted to try NYX products for a while, I don't know why I haven't to be truly honest. I ordered these off amazon, I was scrolling through the beauty section and just popped them in my basket with the though 'Meh, i'll try those!' I picked up the NYX Lip liner pencil in 'Natural' and the NYX eye pencil in 'White'. I've been searching for a white pencil for a while to try and brighten up my eyes and to use it in the waterline. I love these pencils, they're so pigmented and last such a long time.

Lastly is the Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer - I've heard so many good things about this product and i've been on the hunt for a new primer for a while. I'm not too sure if primers are a scam and if they actually benefit my make up at all. I really need to try that one half face primer one half face not thing. It has a really strange texture, not what I expected at all...really silicone-like and greasy? I wasn't actually that impressed by it, also I didn't want to buy the full size one incase I didn't like it. So I purchased the travel size one for £12 and its absolutely tiny, I know its 'travel size' but come on! I'm still deciding on whether this was a good buy or not.

What have you picked up lately from the drugstore? :)

Love Lauren xx

Trip to Brighton - Beauty Essentials!

Hey loves! Today marks the start of my many days off from work, and I'm currently l-o-v-i-n-g it! Can I always have Mondays off? Anyway, I'm off to Brighton this week with my gorgeous other half, and its safe to say I'm so so excited! I've always wanted to go to Brighton, and from all the pictures I've seen it looks so beautiful! I'm extremely excited to see/ take some pictures of some beach huts (its the little things in life ay?) So I thought i'd write a post on what I'm going to take with me beauty wise! I love reading these kinds of post because it gives me such good ideas as on what to take if I was going to go? I'm also super nosy and love seeing whats in peoples bags/make up bags. But hey, who isn't?

When I was prowling (yes, prowling) the aisles of Boots, I came across my one of my favourite sections...Soap & Glory. Now I always have to lug my 500ml Tresemme shampoo and conditioner with me whenever I stay round Jacks. They're amazing products, just not all that practical to travel with. So when I was hunting down a body scrub in this section, I came across these mini baby shampoo and conditioners from their range. Not only did I buy them because they were mini and the most adorable thing. But also because they're so lightweight and will take up practically no space. I also picked up their mini shower gel version too, because I mean normal size shower gel isn't light either.

Now when It comes to perfumes I'm a kinda go big or go home kinda gal. So for my trip i'm choosing Lady Gaga's 'Black Fluid' perfume, one of my absolute favourites. I've always found when I've carried samples around with me, they run out so quick and I just wish I'd brought a full sized one with me. Now this one isn't all that heavy so I often have it in my hand bag anyway so I can spritz away when I feel like I need to. Always choose a perfume you're used to wearing and that you know you like, there is nothing worse than taking a product away that is new to you, and it turns out you hate it. Then you're kinda stuck. Who would wanna be in that situation? 

Next up, carrying on with the 'packing light' theme, I've chosen my Clinique Moisture Surge moisturiser, Now I got this when I bought a few items from the Clinique counter in Debenhams as I wanted to try it but then didn't want to buy the full size and find out it didn't work for my skin. Damn you sensitive skin. I've had this for such a long time now, granted I haven't used it everyday as I switch it up with my Clarins Hydra-Quench Moisturiser, but that is one HEFTY tub. This is a small mini pot which is perfect for taking away. 

For the 'Make-up' part, always have a make up bag which you know will hold everything in. No one likes the struggle of trying to zip up a make up bag which just ain't gonna zip. I chose my Victoria Secret one 1) Because its too pretty to not love and 2) It holds all ma goodies.

So I'm taking away my current favourite foundation which is the Rimmel True Match, again take away a product which you know you love and you know matches your skin so thats one thing you wont have to worry about in photos and things. Now I've chosen three shadows to take with me which I know are neutral and can be worn in different ways, I find this easier than taking a great big palette with me when I probably already know what colours I want to use. 

I chose MAC 'all that glitters' and MAC 'charcoal brown' following with Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'on and on bronze'. For lips I carried on with the neutral theme with my Topshop lipliner in 'ceramic' and my Nars Velvet Matte Pencil in 'Bahama'. 

Two colours which could with every outfit. I then packed my Bodyshop Pore Minimiser primer, because I'll be in Brighton I want my make up to last all day so that I won't have to touch it up often. 

Then followed by my favourite mascara at the moment which is the Max Factor 'Transform' mascara and my Natural Collection Mineral Powder. No make up is done without brows, so I packed my Make Up Revolution 'Focus & Fix' kit, cant do my eyebrows without this. Lastly a new purchase, my Maybelline Age Rewind concealer which I love! And my trusty faithful Hoola bronzer by Benefit.

Hope you enjoyed this post, what are your 'trip away' beauty essentials? 

Mini Make Up Revolution Haul

Hello lovelies :) Today I am off sick from work from the lovely change in the English weather which has given me a cold. Yummy. So I thought I'd take this day to be productive on my blog :) I'm no stranger to Make Up Revolution products, I absolutely love love love them. They're such good value for money, i'm finding it hard to go back to buying high end products? As much as I want them, its hard to justify the prices when brands like Make Up Revolution exists. However, I don't feel this way for all of my products that I use on my face, some products I'll always stick to high end no matter what. 

Goodness me the rambling. I thought I'd try a few more products from their range... I also have the reviews on my Whats in my make-up bag? post :) 

Lets get started with Lipstick, I chose two shades out of their massive collection of lippies and two very different shades at that. Firstly, I chose a lipstick from their new #Liphug range which are only £2.50! I chose a beautiful nude to begin with in the shade "Not giving up"  

This is a great nude which will go perfect with any smokey eye, its really pigmented and easy to apply. For the price its amazing at how pigmented it really is? This is a perfect lipstick to go in your handbag as you know it will go with any outfit! Apart from its staying power which most lipsticks struggle with, it does have to be reapplied frequently, however for the price its totally worth pulling it back out of your make up bag. 

The second lipstick I picked up was more of a autumnal wintery shade called "Keeps the planet spinning" 

Its a beautiful light berry toned lipstick which is going to be perfect for the colder season I can tell. Just like 'Not giving up' it is super pigmented and so easy to apply, it feels so moisturizing and lovely on your lips. And its not very sheen either which is what I prefer in a lipstick personally. I would totally recommend picking up these two lipsticks or certainly looking at their range, I know I will be definitely repurchasing more colours. I'll leave some swatches below so you can see the shades and what colours they really look like.

Now onto face products! YAY.

I always thought I'd be a Benefit Hoola bronzer gal for life or no bronzer at all. Until I tried Make up Revolution Baked Bronzer in "Golden Days". I originally thought when I purchased this that it was going to be ridiculously shimmery and way too much for me to pull off. When I put it on for the first time I soon discovered it is buildable, if you want a light flush of bronze then its totally doable, but it also looks gorgeous if you build it up some more. It has the smallest amount of shimmer in it which I can handle and actually looks okay on my skin and works really well as a contour shade too. I love this bronzer and it makes a nice change from  my Benefit Hoola bronzer too. Reccomend it highly! 

Moving on to highlight, I purchased the Baked Highlighter in "Peach Lights" When I first got this out of the box I just  thought I think this is the most beautiful thing I have ever layed eyes on? As for appication...

I wasn't so sure on this at first, as it takes a long time to build up and I couldn't notice it very well on my skin. And I wasn't sure if I was adding too much and then would notice later on the day "Oh my god what HAVE I done to my face...?" Or maybe it looked alright?  I'm not so sure on this product so far, I'll keep trying it though, maybe I just need to practice some more! 

And Finally, Powder!

I picked up the "Porcelain soft pink" Pressed powder. Now I've always switched between Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder or Mac Mineralize skin finish. So I thought I'd give this a try, and I am really surprised at how pigmented it is! I'm yet to test its staying power on my face but I'll let you know how that goes. So far I'm very impressed with the pigmentation of this powder and how light and silky it feels on the skin. Also, is it really lame that I love how the product opens aswell? It just slides out of the outer packaging and comes with this cute little sponge which I might actually try aswell instead of a brush. EXCITING TIMES.

Have you had a look at Make Up Revolutions collection? Comment below and tell me what you think! 

Urban Decay "On The Run" Palette

So for a while now I've had my eyes on this palette. My first ever one from the Urban Decay 'Naked' collection, so for me this was super important to then consider the other palettes. I've already purchased a Urban Decay gel eyeliner as my first ever product from this brand, and let me just say it did not disappoint (going way off subject there!) Anyway, back to this palette! The palette comes in the most gorgeous packaging which I for one don't want to throw away (infact I haven't...its still in my draw happily) The palette has a beautiful big mirror which is PERFECT for travelling, its got all you need in one palette?! It includes...

1. A mini "Perversion Mascara" - I've always wanted to try this product as I've heard amazing reviews, having this come within this palette is amazing! It allowed me to try the product in a mini version - and totally persuade me to buy the full size version! Its one of my new favourite mascara's, it has quite a large applicator which is good for creating full fat lashes. However, it also separates my eyelashes like nothing before!! It creates fuller fatter lashes, but also separates them at the same time! Its now one of my all time must haves! 
2. Full size Naked lip gloss in the shade "Sesso" - Okay, I've never been one for lipgloss purely for my long hair which just doesn't mix well with typical windy British weather. But this colour is beautiful, it's a rosy pink which enhances your natural lip colour. I'm not sure if i'll use this product as much as the others in this palette, but I sure will give it a try! 
3. A mini "24/7 glide on eye pencil" in the colour "Stag" - I have discovered a holy grail in this palette! I cannot express how much I LOVE this eye pencil!! It is so easy to apply and the staying power is incredible! Its a super pigmented eye pencil which gives the most amazing dark look, perfect with a smokey eye! I wouldn't be able to recommend this product enough to anyone! You don't have to keep reapplying over the same line if you were creating a 'wing liner' look, one glide and your totally set! love love love.
4. 6 brand new eyeshadows in the shades "Dive, Fix, Resist, Dare and Stun" - Included in this palette are six new shadows which are perfect for a natural or smoky look! The 6th shade is an allover shade but can also be used on the cheeks as a highlight (a double duo!) The shadows are extremely pigmented and are super easy to apply! So many choices and so many looks can be created! 
5. Blusher and Bronzer - Finally, this palette includes a beautiful pink blusher which is perfect for every skin tone. The colour is simply gorgeous and looks beautiful on the skin. It applies so well onto the skin and just gives such a fresh glow to the cheeks. And for the bronzer, it is a very matte bronzer which is good for contouring the cheekbones. It goes extremely well with the blusher for an allover bronzed look.  

x - x - x