My Five Make up Must Haves

I'm so happy October is here, my favourite month of the year (along with December) for obvious reasons. September was a really stressful month for me in terms of work, and its still pretty hectic now. Trust me this is relevant to this post I promise...

As I've been limited with time, my make up has been pretty boring and it got me thinking what products I always reach for. Like a capsule wardrobe (something I fail at majorly), everyone has some make up items they always reach for, so I thought I'd share the five I'm always reaching for and what I call my must haves.

Kat Von D beauty is personally one of my favourite brands for many reasons, the products are great, packaging is great and has a Gothic and dark feel to it (something I dig being a goth at heart). I bought this powder back in May when I visited Birmingham with my boyfriend Ben and have been using constantly since. I haven't tried many powders but I love this one as it just soaks into my skin and doesn't highlight the dry skin I suffer from. I always struggle to get the lid back on the powder as I'm bloody stupid.

Two New Make Up Additions

Hands up who has been terrible at writing on here recently *guilty* I've not posted on here in so so long! All I can say is I'm sorry. You know when you don't know where time has gone, yeah it was April and now somehow it's August... what the hell. Soon it will be Autumn and that means my favourite spooky day is almost here. I've been getting used to having a full time job, I'm actually so grateful to have a 9-5 job at the moment, finishing before 10 pm is amazing!

Anyways today I wanted to share with two new products that I've added to my "little" make up collection. The wishlist of make up products is getting pretty bad but I've re-discovered my love for it.

Make Up Wishlist #1

Morphe Fall Into The Frost Palette

Rex Colourpop Eye Shadow

Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk Lipstick

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

Cover FX Custom Enhnacer Drops

Stila Liquid Eye Shadow

So I thought I'd share some make up I really want to get my hands on. Again I'm in the mood to spend money... whats new there then. Lately I've been wanting to purchase a lot of make up. I blame watching a few too many YouTube videos and tutorials so it instigates me to want more things. Plus I've been so lazy and done the same look forever I need some new items to play with!

Two items in particular I have wanted for ages!! The first being the Morphe Fall Into The Frost palette, look how pretty those colours are. There quite Autumnal shades so I think that's what I like about it, I just want it to be October again. The second being the Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eye Shadow, oh my god they look so beautiful. I'm really wanting the shade Rose Gold Retro. Pure sparkly goodness. Had to chuck in a bit of Charlotte Tilbury as I just love her and the brand, would love her to do my make up one day but a girl can dream. 

Have to say I'm quite happy with how this collage turned out, I did a lot of playing around on Photoshop and I kinda love how it turned out. Also I'm off on holiday tomorrow for a week to Lanzarote. I cannot wait to have a break and hopefully get some sun.

Yeah I'll stop rambling on now.

The Essential Eye Brush Set by Studio 5 Cosmetics

 

Firstly I realise I've been really bad at posting lately, I'm having a lack of self confidence at the moment so haven't felt like writing so yeah. One day I want to feel happy enough to do outfit posts again.
Recently I have rediscovered my love for doing my makeup coming out of what feels like the longest lazy slump. I realised that I needed to add some new brushes to my collection and in particular some eye shadow brushes. You know times are bad when you're trusty H&M eye shadow brush snaps in half (shameful I know!). Most of the brushes I own are from Real Techniques but I really wanted to try out a new brand. Whilst browsing Amazon I came across the Essential Eye Brush Set by Studio 5 Cosmetics which sounded pretty decent to me. In this set you get seven 'high quality' brushes all designed to help apply eye make up. Within the set you get:

*Pencil brush
*Precision Shader
*Small angle
*Eye liner
*Shader
*Angled shader
*Perfect blending

 

 

 

 

The one brush I was really looking forward to using was the perfect blending brush as I'd never had a brush specifically for blending out eye shadow. The amount of times I've wanted to create a soft eye shadow look but not been able to do it. That brush is so fluffy and does the job of blending out colours perfectly. All of the brushes seem really high quality and none of them so far have shed all over my face which I've had happen before. Plus the bristles is 100% cruelty free so that's an added bonus. And for the price of £11.80 for the whole set you can't really go wrong.

Syrup by MAC

Woah woah woah I've bought another MAC lipstick. Can I just say my friend Lizzie is bad, she's the biggest instigator to buy MAC then anyone in the world. We go into a store together and it just spells out trouble and before I know it my purse is out and I'm purchasing something. We both took a trip to Brent Cross shopping centre a few weeks ago and both decided straight away we need to visit MAC. Of course like every store I visit it was bombarded with people, hardly any room to move and you had to queue just to ask someone who worked there a question. This is my fourth lipstick I've bought so I'm not doing too bad, a lot of restraint and walking away. I went in not having a clue what I wanted to get but immediately swatched one on my hand and fell in love.

 

Syrup literally glided onto my hand and it just looked gorgeous. I'm usually all for a matte lipstick but this one has completely changed the game. Its from the lustre range and its so creamy and pretty. Its not been drying and really stays on. It has just the right amount of shimmer without being too overpowering. It's a gorgeous muted pink colour that is perfect for everyday wear. Makes such a change from the nude shades I tend to stick too. I just feel a tad more glam putting this on when I wake up at 6am to catch a train to volunteering like I have been lately. Also I remember this shade being one of Essie Buttons top picks and well I just have to trust her judgement just saying.

I don't what's up with me lately but I'm just loving everything pink. It's like I'm trying to be a bit more girly or something.
As of right now I'm having a no make up day (happening too much lately) sitting in bed watching the Purge. I've actually had quite a productive couple of days so feeling pretty proud right now!

Loving A Bit of Pink Eyeshadow

 Yep pink that's right, so not like me. I've never been a pink type of girl even from a young age I loved Barbie but hated that it was all pink. Maybe cause its the stereotypical girly colour. I'm pretty basic when it comes to eye shadow, yep I'm a neutral girl like most. But I wanted to mix it up a bit more, so I've been experimenting with pink. The palette I've been using is the Redemption Palette Iconic 3, amazing range of shades and a bargainous price (yes I know that's not a real word).



 

Now I'm no pro and will never claim to be so everything I do is pretty basic. So this look is done in three simple steps. Firstly I brush the light pink shade (second one in) all over the eyelid. Then take I get some of the darker pink (next shade on the right) and put it on the outer third of the eyelid. Finally I take my favourite the purple pink shade (on the far right) with a blending blush and put that in the crease and blend it out. That really is it.



 

 

 Added with  a pink lipstick and I'm done. Look at me trying to be all girly. Quick I'd  put on something black otherwise people will start getting worried...

I'm going back to watching the Brits, first year I think I've bothered watching it properly.

 



I Finally Caved

 There's always that one thing that you want to get your hands on but costs quite a bit of money. I'm a bit of a nightmare to go shopping with. I'm so selective on what I buy as I come from a family that don't necessarily have tons of money. So my dad has installed the 'want it but do you need it' mentality into my brain. Well after Christmas I thought you know what Katie treat yourself, buy that sodding make up product you've wanted for months. I finally caved and made a cheeky make up purchase cause I bloody well deserve it.

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand I've heard so much about. The lady knows exactly what she's talking about and every time I go on the website I am amazed with how pretty every product looks. And there was one product I've wanted ever since first seeing it in some form of YouTube video, The Filmstar Bronze & Glow. Contouring and highlighting are two things I've wanted to perfect and I feel like this is the perfect start. Obviously I bought the shade light to medium for my pale pale skin. I actually haven't been that excited to receive a parcel as when this arrived. The packaging is an amazing metallic rose gold, a colour I have anew appreciation for. I've only had it for a few days but I am already falling in love with it. The contouring is so buildable and not that awkward orange colour that so many appear to be on my skin tone. I'm no where near master at contouring but I am seeing cheekbones starting to emerge which is a good sign right? The highlight is gorgeous and my face just looks so much more healthy with it.

If you're on the hunt for a face product that's on more of a pricey side then go for this bad boy.
Do I regret parting ways with my money, hell no. Do I see this being the start of wanting more Charlotte Tilbury products? No brainer, yes!

MAC Diva The Perfect Berry Lip

As Autumn is approaching (cue me getting really excited) I have decided that I need to switch things up a bit. I plan to apply this to all aspects of my life. But for now lets begin with make up. Lately I've been well lets say lazy with beauty, practically wearing the same look for months now. Well no more Katie you need to branch out a bit more. And to start with I'm finally trying out an Autumn trend that has been popular for years, the berry lip. Plus I purchased another MAC lipstick, three and counting guys, check me out!

 

MAC stores kind of terrify me. The staff have always been pleasant whenever I've ventured into a store but there's just always so many people and it's a tad overwhelming at times. Plus half the time I have no idea what I am looking for and all I want to do is simply browse. I had a sudden spontaneous moment went into the store in Covent Garden and found the perfect berry shade to begin experimenting with. I'm a sucker for a matte lip so I just had to try out Diva. It's a beautiful deep berry red and let's just say ladies and gentleman I think I may have fallen in love. I never thought I'd ever like a dark lip colour on me. But you know what I don't think it looks that bad. To make life a bit easier when applying I've been using the detailer brush by Real Techniques to apply an outline to the lips and then filling it in. I'm not skilled enough to go freehand! It's soft, has amazing colour and isn't drying at all.

 

Even my dad complimented this lipstick and to get a compliment is a rarity. Seems everyone loves a bit of a Diva, pun fully intended.

What other berry lipsticks would you recommend?? I can see a dangerous obsession beginning.

That Trip to Superdrug

So the other morning before dragging my tired self into uni I ventured to Superdrug. I wanted to go and pick up a liquid eyeliner after misplacing mine on a recent night out in London. But with a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics I couldn't really not pick up three items. I mean it'd be rude to not take advantage of that deal right...

March Beauty Favourites

 

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer

Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3

Rimmel Volume Flash Scandal Eyes Mascara Extreme Black

Kylie Minogue Showtime Perfume

 

I'm on a beauty hype at the moment it would seem. I thought I'd put up a quick post showing some of the products I have been loving for the gloriously hectic month that is March. I've spoke about majority of these products in posts. The Nars foundation I have fallen in love with. I thought I would like it but I didn't realise how amazing it is. I don't apply a lot as it can look a bit cakey and I'm suffering from dry skin currently. The colour is perfect for my skin and I don't know how I coped without it for so long.

The Soap & Glory concealer is great as it has two different shades. One is used for under the eyes and the other corrects redness and blemishes. I've had this for a while but it's been a staple.

I've spoke about the eye shadow palette here so I'm not going to say much. The colours are just perfection.

The Rimmel mascara I started off by hating and now I love. Yeahhhh, I don't know how that happened but I really love it. To be fair it is time for me to get a new mascara.

I adore the scent of this perfume. I have Daisy dreams by Marc Jacobs which I love but I want to keep it for special occasions. So I wanted to find a perfume for everyday. I have had this Kylie Minogue scent for a few years and found it when I came back home. Its a beautiful fruity scent that is long lasting and not overpowering.

 

Can you believe how quickly March has gone (I say that for every month really). So today is the day of Wrestlemania exciting times!!! I am somehow preparing to stay up till around 4 am. Not gonna lie don't know if I'll do it but challenge accepted haha.



Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 08

 

I'm a bit disappointed with this one. I've wanted to try out one of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets for quite a while so was really excited. But the only word I can use to describe what I think about it is meh. Sure the matte finish is lovely, the applicator is really nice to use and the colour is pretty long lasting. I bought it in the shade 08 Grand Cru as in the bottle it looked to me like a really nice burgundy toned red. However it's a lot cooler toned then I thought and it's pretty similar to my Maybelline lipstick I already own. I'm still getting used to wearing red lipstick but I do really like it.
I cannot deal with the smell of this product. I don't even know how to describe it, it's like a dodgy felt tip pen. Not nice. Also it doesn't apply an even layer onto my lips, as you can see from the swatch on my hand it just doesn't apply evenly. And it's not as thick as I thought it was going to be. Its a tad messy to work with as well, it can get everywhere. And being the most unprofessional lipstick/lip gloss applier ever I need all the help I can get!!
Meh I don't know I'm not that impressed, but I'm determined to use it. I'm still on the hunt for a burgundy lipstick, any suggestions??

A Wicked Dupe for the Naked 3 Palette

 

 

 Who's the worlds worst blogger *raises hand*. I'm sowwy for the lack of posts, everything's been a little intense as of late. Anyways lets roll on...
A few weeks ago I found myself in Superdrug ya know as you do and spotted an eye shadow palette I just couldn't resist. It had a sticker under it which said the word dupe and once I saw I knew exactly what it was a version of. The palette is from a brand called Revolution and its called the Redemption Palette Iconic 3. It features a gorgeous set of pinky shades. I saw a lot of looks featuring pink eye shadows for spring last year and wanted to get my hands on some. And this palette only cost me £4!! There's a lot of shimmer but its not overpowering and can be worn everyday. I have been loving trying out different combinations and I've used it every day since I've bought it. I don't own the Naked 3 palette but from pictures I've seen the colours almost look identical and I'm really happy with it.

The resist to shop right now is hardcore, I'm trying to be good as my birthday is in a few weeks.  I've just started a work placement just off Oxford Street, I mean how harsh is that! So many spring/summer purchases to be made. One thing I can tick off my stress list is that my dissertation is all handed in wooooo! It was weird because I thought I'd be really happy to have handed it in but I didn't feel anything. I guess if you work on something for so long then the excitement goes after a while.

Nearly my Easter break, I'm need some time off!! And hopefully get some more posts up! :)

My first Space NK Purchases

 

I can only apologise for my somewhat absence on here lately, when I am working on a show at uni things get a little intense. Plus I have deadlines looming so I have to try and get my work done somehow. Anyway so as you can see from the title I actually picked up something from Space NK. Plenty of bloggers and Youtubers mention Space NK all the time so I wanted to go in and see it for myself.. I visited the shop in St Pauls as I'd been in their previously and thought it had such a nice welcoming atmosphere. Also St Pauls in general I find pleasant to walk around. It's not too big or overwhelming which is what I get worried about. I get major anxiety when walking into shops that I don't really know about. But the staff in there are lovely (and really pretty just saying). They were so helpful as I had one product in mind that I wanted to splurge on.

Naked 2 Basics Palette

I seem to be going on a mad one recently with make up items. I received a few items for Christmas and am now slowly wanting to write about each one after using them for the last month. The excitement I felt when I received this as a present during the festive season was probably a little too much. My family didn't understand why I got so excited over eye shadow but you guys get it right... Its an Urban Decay Naked Palette need I say more. What I love about the basics palette is that its the perfect size to just put in your handbag and take with you wherever you need to venture too.

Red is Taking over

 

 

 

Can you believe that Christmas is literally days away. I haven't actually managed to get into the festive spirit as much as I would have liked this year (i.e haven't been to Winter Wonderland or visited any form of Christmas markets). It's not going to spoil my Christmas though, I'm definitely using it too much as an excuse for the amount of food I've consumed the past couple of weeks *guilty as charged*.

 I  don't know whether it's due to the festive day of the year approaching but I've found myself bringing more red into my life. I even donned a red lipstick recently when I went out for a meal with my family. I have never really wore a proper lipstick as I feel like I look a bit silly. I bought a red lipstick ages ago by Maybelline in the shade Hollywood Red which I did a post about ages ago. However it never stayed on my lips and I always heard that getting a lip liner is the key. I looked at the MUA stand in Superdrug whilst trying to kill some time before I started a late shift at work. I found this red lip liner for £1 in the shade brooding plum and I think it does the job perfectly. And for a pound.. bargain. It stayed on through me drinking and eating which really impressed me. I really now am starting to love the look of red lips with my dark hair colour. It was one of those moments were I just thought f**k it! (I apologise for the state of my face in the photos, I'm having a major breakout at the moment and not loving life)

One of my favourite bags I have ever purchased is my burgundy satchel from Asos. I got this last year after falling in love with it. Not to brag but quite a few people have asked where I got it from and not gonna lie that makes me feel really good haha. For once I have something that seems to be fashionable to others :P. I fell in love with the scalloped edge and metallic detailing. I think it's the perfect bag from Autumn/ Winter and its roomy too which is good if your like me. Literally chuck in whatever I can. Oh I also included a Barry M nail varnish I'm loving right now the shade is Retro Red. It's like a metallic rich red that I think is perfect for this time of year.

Red is literally taking over my life right now. Maybe this is the start of me venturing into bolder make up looks... what is happening to me?!?

A Duo of Disappointing Mascaras

 

 

Mascara is like my ultimate make up piece. I reckon if I were only allowed to wear one piece of make up it would be mascara, concealer would be a very strong contender though!. I'm quite lucky in the sense that my eye lashes are quite long but a mascara just instantly transforms the way your eyes look. Well that's my opinion anyway...

Now I don't know whether the reason I haven't liked these mascara's is that I'm still sulking that I've ran out of the Benefit They're Real and the Maybelline Rocket but the mascara's I've tried recently just haven't delivered. You can't love everything right.

First up is the L'Oreal Mega Volume Waterproof Miss Manga. I was so excited to buy this as I' heard great things, but I am left so disappointed. I don't like the wand at all. It bends and is what I can only describe as wobbly. I don't know if that's to make application easier but every time I use it I have visions of the wand snapping. Now I won't deny it creates beautiful length to my lashes but it makes them look so thin! I love having thicker looking lashes so it just doesn't work. Maybe if I find a mascara that  adds thickness I could use this. But on it's on it creates an effect I personally don't like.

The second is Scandal Eyes by Rimmel. This was an emergency buy from Asda when I'd totally ran out of mascara, all hell broke loose haha. It's just so clumpy and messy to work with. It's left clumps of mascara on my lashes. The brush is a lot more sturdier then the L'Oreal one but to me it makes my lashes look messy.

I think I may revert back to buying the Maybelline mascaras for now. Has anyone got any mascara recommendations??

I've had such a nice day off roaming London. I'll write more about that soon.