Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette | Review

Today I'm back with another review! I don't very often do reviews specific to an individual product, but recently I have acquired quite a few products that I thin deserve their own post.  As you will have seen in my 'What I've Won' Post, I received the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Streak from Kelly over at Vampy Varnish and it hasn't failed to impress.
Starting off with the packaging, it is very aesthetically pleasing with its dark gold back ground and rose gold writing.  It looks very luxurious and looks lovely sat on your dressing table, or on show in acrylic storage which is where mine resides.  The packaging is sturdy, hard plastic with a firm clasp so it won't open without a good tug.  Although not overly slim, it is lightweight and compact which makes it perfect for travelling.
I think the idea of creating a palette with a bronzer, blush and highlight all together is genius.  This 1 palette has everything you need for your face in one place, making it extremely convenient. It makes life so much easier in the morning, only having to reach for one thing saves time unlike before when I was vouching for 3 separate products every day.
As for formula, they are buttery and pigmented which is all I would expect from Urban Decay. The bronzer is quite a light colour, suitable for pale skin and has a hint of warmth to completely transform your complexion into that of a healthy, and bronzed glow.  It is completely matte, and is the perfect shade for either a subtle, all over bronze or more precise contouring.  It is very pigmented so a light hand is necessary to ensure you don't look like a dirty satsuma.  The blush is a beautiful peachy pink with a hint of coral, perfect for the summer months and really enhances the bronzy glow you have already created with the bronzer.  Again, it is very pigmented so proceed with caution in order to avoid looking like someone who is still stuck in the eighties!  Last but not least, the highlight which is my favourite part of any makeup.  This is a beautiful rose gold shade which is quite universal and would suit most skin tones.  It creates a sheen rather than a shimmer and a light dusting off this just brings life back into my otherwise dull complexion.

This palette is definitely a winner for me and has encouraged me to want to try even more Urban Decay products! Let me know your thoughts on this palette, and Urban Decay as a whole.

Emily xx

Monday Makeup Inspiration #1

I have decided to start a new series on my blog called 'Monday Makeup Inspiration'.  On Mondays, I will be showing you makeup looks that I feel inspired by, to try and brighten up Mondays! I will also be talking about why I like the look, the creator of the look, and the products that I think would be perfect to recreate this look.

Todays inspiration comes from the beautiful Becca Rose.  I'm sure most of you know who she is, as she is rather well known in the bloggersphere and the Youtube world.  She has her own blog and YouTube Channel where she talks about all things beauty and fashion! I am obsessed with her channel and have watched everyone of her videos over and over again.  She seems such a lovely girl who is very down to earth and she never fails to put a smile on my miserable face.  We have so much in common as we are both obsessed with pugs, makeup, vintage things and fashion which has led her to become one of my all time favourite bloggers/youtubers.

Her signature look is glowy skin, bold brows, winged liner and a lot of rosy pinks on her eyes, lips and cheeks. It is such a pretty and girly look and is one of my favourite looks to wear throughout the spring and summer.  I love using the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation mixed with a small amount of the Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter to give a very dewy finish. On the cheeks, I love using the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub to create a light pink flush, and then using a cream/liquid highlight, such as Benefit High Beam.  Becca has beautifully pale skin, so I wouldn't bronze my skin, however, she does have very defined cheekbones.  To contour very slightly and add some definition, I would use the Makeup Revolution The One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu to add some shadow.  For eyes, I would use a few of the lightest shades from my Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette to create a soft pink look.  Becca loves this palette and often uses the shades dust, buzz and dark side very softly.  I would create the winged eyeliner using sellotape and the Rimmel Glameyes Liquid Liner so I could create quite a big wing easily.  To finish off the eyes, I would apply theBalm What's YOUR Type? Mascara along with some falsies to give a doll-eyed, fluttery look similar to Becca's.  For lips, she uses either Topshop 'Petal' (this is what she is wearing in the picture above) or the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Lipstick in 07 Lingerie Pink.  I don't own the Topshop Lipstick (yet) so I would use the YSL one which is a gorgeous, cool toned baby pink which oddly suits my pale skin! This lipstick is really beautiful and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking to treat yourself! An alternative to these 2 lipsticks would be Mac Creme Cup as it is a very similar shade, and most of you are probably more likely to own this as it is such a popular shade!

What are your opinions on this new series? What look would you pick as your makeup inspiration? I hope you've enjoyed this and hopefully there will be many more to come! I may even start a Friday Fashion Inspiration too!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #36

I've had a pretty average week really, same old same old! I only had a 4 day week because we had an inset day on Friday so I went and did a bit of food shopping and then really just sat and did nothing all day! Yesterday I went to the mall shopping, and I bought my first ever ysl lipstick as you can see from the picture above! I absolutely love it, it is such a luxurious product and just looks beautiful on my dressing table! I will do a full review soon if that is something that you would like to see.

Today, I am hoping to have a very productive day! I have some English homework to finish off, some art work to do, some revision and a few blog posts to write up, so hopefully I will be able to find some motivation to get all of it done.  I have to say, I have woken up in one of those moods where I would just rather stay in bed all day and do absolutely nothing, so I can't guarantee that I will get everything done which is a little disappointing.  Hopefully I will get a sudden burst of energy within the next hour and will whizz round and get everything done within an hour! Well we can only hope!

I would like to do a Q&A post at some point in the near future, I think it would be one of the best ways for you to get to know me a bit more and would make a change from the usual beauty posts.  If you have any questions you would like to ask me, tweet me @L1ttleEm or leave a comment below.  If not, you can contact me in any way you like via the contact and social media pages at the top of my blog.  I will write them all down and answer them all in 1 post in the future. If you have any other requests, do not hesitate to leave a comment because I like to take your thoughts into consideration and post what you all want to read instead of guessing what you want and posting something completely irrelevant!

I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Emily xx

TheBalm 'Balmsai' Palette | Review

TheBalm Balmsai Palette - £26

 In the Buff (Basics) - Left to Right: Wipe Out, High Tide, Hang 10, Dreamboat, Sand Bar, Tubular

 Mavericks (Splash of Colour) - Left to Right: Epic, Surfs Up, Big Kahuna, Kawabunga, Surfari, Pipeline

 Curve and Angle (Brow/Shadows) - Left to Right: Score, Dig it, Woodie

Catch A Wave (Use Wet or Dry) - Left to Right: Stoked, Ripper, Righteous

After mentioning this palette in my recent 'What I've Won' post, a few people contacted me and said that they would like to hear more about it and they were curious to see what this palette has to offer.  I was waiting to play with this palette properly before I gave you a review, just so I could be sure that the opinions I put across are as accurate and certain as possible.  I have been using this palette for well over a week so I thought I would spill the beans on what makes this palette one of my favourite palettes (trust me, you know its good if it's in my favourites, I am reasonably difficult to impress).

Pictured above are the swatches of every single shade in the palette, as you can see they are all highly pigmented after just one swipe.  The formula of these shadows are beautifully buttery and easily blend able, even the mattes.  My only criticism would be the amount of fall out left behind after, but I can work around that and it doesn't end up causing too much of an issue for me.  This palette has an amazing variety, making it perfect for travelling, you have neutrals, colours, mattes, shimmers, glitters and eyebrow shades all in one slimline palette.  For me, this palette has everything I would ever need and the colours are easy to work with, coming from a neutral lover who never fails to shy away from colour and anything 'Out there'.  You can easily create every day looks, subtle hints of colour, smokey eyes and massively colourful looks easily without having to use too many eyeshadows.  As mentioned before, everything you could ever need is in this palette, the possibilities are endless!

I will go through each shade individually, giving you an idea of the colour (some aren't depicted accurately in the pictures, damn you english weather) , the formula and the overall finish so you have an overall idea of what you can do with this palette.

In The Buff - Basics:

Wipe Out // A light flesh toned shade with a slight sheen running through.  Perfect as a subtle highlight or all over the lid to create an even canvas.

High Tide // An off white/cream shimmer.  Very buttery in texture and has quite a lot of fall out, put is gorgeous as a highlight all over the lid.  You could also use a very small amount as a highlight on your face as well.

Hang 10 // Not dissimilar to mac's Patina, very understated and looks quite boring but is beautiful as a quick wash of colour on the lid.  Almost has a hint of mustard and would suit all eye colours and skin tones. It has a very slight sheen, not completely matte.

Dreamboat // There is a slight hint of rose gold in this colour.  Similar to Hang 10, with just a bit more of a pinky peachy hint to it. Again, it has a slight sheen to it, not completely matte.

Sandbar // This is a very unique shade, it sort of reminds me a bit of mac's Retrospeck.  It is a greyish silver, with subtle hints of gold and some khaki green.  It also has a strange iridescence to it which appears a vibrant purple in good lighting.  This is a beautiful shade and is unlike anything else I have seen before.

Tubular // Your typical bronzy brown.  The sort that I just chuck on, blend out and apply some mascara and I'm done. What makes this slightly different to other bronzy shades, is the slight hint of amber/copper running through it which adds a bit of warmth to what is otherwise a cool toned bronze.  I have gotten a lot of use out of this shade already!

Mavericks - A Splash of Colour:

Epic // A light matte brown, with a hint of a dusky pink colour.  It can be used all over the lid, or through the crease for a bit of definition. I personally love using it as a crease colour when I am using tubular and it creates the perfect every day eye for me and requires minimal effort.

Surfs Up // This is a dark charcoal grey, with a hint of purple running through it.  It reminds me of 'Dark Side' from the Naked 3, just with glitter! I can't wait to use this for a really dark and dramatic smokey eye!

Big Kahuna // This shade is what I would describe as a mermaid green.  It is a shimmery turquoise bordering on duck egg blue but I think it would be so easy to wear.  I definitely think it would come under the umbrella of 'muted' shades.

Kawabunga // This is a very golden khaki green colour.  This is definitely a neutral shade with just a little bit of colour and is the perfect way to slowly start adding a pop of colour to your looks.  I can imagine creating a beautiful smokey eye with this and I can't wait to use it!

Surfari // This is a very vibrant matte purple!  In the pan, it has blue glitter running through it but only a small amount transfers on to the lid so I suppose you could get away with calling it a matte.  This again is a very unique shade, you can put a small amount on your lower lash line for a subtle pop of colour, or you could go all out and do a full on purple eye! It all comes down to personal preference.

Pipeline // This is a beautiful indigo colour with a slight shimmer. Most places have described this as a royal blue, but I think it has a lot more purple than royal blue.  This again is a very versatile colour, and I would love to be brave enough to do a dramatic eye with this as I think it would look amazing!

Curve&Angle - Brow/Shadows:

Score // A very light matte brown, perfect for blonde brows or as a transition colour for eyeshadow.

Dig it // A medium ashy toned matte brown, perfect for medium-dark brows or as a crease colour for eyeshadows.

Woodie // A dark matte brown, perfect for dark brows, a liner or an outer corner colour as an eyeshadow.

Catch A Wave - Use Wet or Dry:

Stoked // A deep muted purple, with a subtle magenta glitter running throughout.  A very dramatic colour in my opinion, but could be dressed down when paired with a fairly neutral eye.

Ripper // This is simply a very dark matte brown which on close inspection, I would say could be slightly warm toned.

Righteous // This is simply matte black, but it is one of the most pigmented I have ever used! Just a tap of the brush picks up more than enough product, so proceed with caution!

Well that was a rather long post, I think that could almost be classed as a small novel!  I hope you found this helpful, and send me pictures of any looks created using this palette to give me a bit of inspiration!

Emily xx

Products I Should Use More Often

left to right: mac lets skate, maybelline on and on bronze

makeup revolution baked eyeshadows

Being a beauty blogger, I have a rather extensive stash and there are always those few products that get pushed to the back of the drawers once something new comes along.  I thought that today I would give you a low down on all the products that I love but never use because other products steal all the glory! I suppose you could call this a shop my stash, but whichever way you look at this, its a whole post on the forgotten and neglected.

Starting with base, I think I have only used the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation 4 times since I splurged on it at the beginning of the December.  Although this is a good foundation, I'm not sure that its really my favourite.  I have 3 other foundations that I always choose over this, which is a shame considering how much I paid for it.  I just find that it doesn't last that well on my skin, and is nowhere near as dewy as I had hoped.  I need to use it more often to almost force myself to begin to like it and try to get my moneys worth.

For cheeks, there are quite a few products that get neglected because by blush changes on a regular basis.  One that has been particularly neglected  for quite a while now has been the Sleek Blush in the shade 'Rose Gold'. Way back at the end of 2013, this was my holy grail and I used it all the time.  Once I really got into blogging, I started trying so many that I pretty much completely forgot that this existed until I stumbled across it whilst going through my collection.  This really is such a beautiful shade and adds the most gorgeous glowing flush to the cheeks and I definitely should use this more! I definitely recommend sleek blushes, they are a bargain with an amazing formula and a rather extensive colour range.

Recently, I have been obsessed with cream shadows which has led to me collecting a considerable amount over the past month.  I have turned all my attention to playing with my new favourites and oldies but goodies got completely pushed to the side.  The first product being the Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade on and on bronze.  I used to wear this every single day with some smokey liner and mascara but I haven't used this for a good 6 months.  The formula of these are amazing and again, have an amazing colour range at an amazing price.  I will definitely be purchasing more shades from this line in the future.  The other is a slightly pricier option coming from Mac.  I received the Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot in the shade 'Lets Skate' for Christmas in 2013 and wore it a few times before it got put in the drawer and forgot about.  It is such a beautiful shade and is so easy to wear, I really don't know why I don't use it that often!

Sticking with eyes, there are a lot of products that get forgotten about.  Being a lover of palettes, I like to use eyeshadows from the same palette, purely through laziness! The first one will probably come as a shock as it is a product I have raved about quite a lot in the past. I haven't used my Naked 3 Palette in quite a few months as I find some of the shades can be slightly difficult to wear and I find it hard to get a whole look from one palette and tend to dip into others.  I think it lacks a more of a brown toned matte for a transition colour and a light colour that is shimmery without glitter.  I also have completely forgotten about the Makeup Revolution Pure and Innocent Baked Eyeshadows. These shadows are absolutely phenomenal, the shades are to die for and the formula is, dare I say it, on point! I could create so many looks with this, but being a creature of habit, I like to stick to the same old thing.  The last product is the Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara.  This is a really good mascara, I really don't know why I don't use it! The length side isn't really a lot of cop, but the volume side is amazing and creates the perfect amount of length and volume which is able to hold a curl all day long.

That is all of my forgotten and neglected products, what are yours?

Emily xx

What I've Won #2

My lucky streak seems to have continued and I have won yet another giveaway! This one comes from  the lovely Kelly who blogs over at Vampy Varnish.

The first product I received is theBalm What's Your Type? Mascara.  I had never even heard of this before the giveaway so I was intrigued to see how it worked.  I have fallen in love with this mascara, it has completely stunned me! I really didn't think it was going to be much, seeing as I hadn't heard anyone rave about it so I was pleasantly surprised! It lengthens amazingly, holds a curl and volumises well without a clump in sight, due to the plastic wand which really combs through the lashes.  We are definitely on to a winner here!

The second product I received is the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette - Streak.  This palette conns a light bronzer, a pinky/peachy highlight and a peachy pink blush! This is such a handy little palette for travelling because everything you could ever need cheek-wise is all in one handy little package! I have worn these every day this week and I am massively impressed! I won't go into too much detail as there will be a review coming very soon!

The last product was probably the one I was most looking forward to! theBalm Balmsai Eyeshadow Palette has been something that I have been eyeing up for a while but never bought, so when I found out that I had won this, I was pretty chuffed! The colours and formulas of this palette are amazing and I can create so many different looks, whether they are neutral or colourful! There will be a full review with swatches soon where I will bear all!

That is everything that I have won this time, thank you so much to Kelly for these lovely things, and make sure you check out her blog!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #35

I will first start off by apologising for the fact that there wasn't a post on friday! I have had a pretty rough and stressful week, I won't go into detail but I have had other things to sort out which meant that blogging was pushed to the bottom of my to-do list.  I know that isn't a very good excuse, but I am sure you are all lovely enough to understand!

On a brighter note, today I am going to get my belly button pierced! All of my friends have got theres done and it is something I have been contemplating for a while, so I'm finally going to bite the bullet and do it! I will admit, I am slightly nervous but I think I am more excited than anything! If you would like a whole post dedicated to the piercing, and my experience within the next few months then do let me know!

I havent really done anything fun this week, apart from Wednesday! I went to gymnastics with my friend, as I would really like to get back into it. We had a good laugh but I still hurt now, it was a little intense for me! I think I am going to have to do a lot more training before I can go into something like that again! My thighs and knees have been agonising the past few days, walking up the stairs and bending down have to be the worst! Nothing a nice hot bath can't sort out though!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and I will speak to you tomorrow!

Emily xx

What I've Won #1

I absolutely love reading these sorts of posts and seeing what goodies people have received, and I seem to have been quite lucky recently and won a few giveaways so I thought I would start up my own little series and show you what I have won!

This giveaway was hosted my Lizzie who writes xBeautyMagic.  I was so surprised when I received a direct message from her on twitter to say that I had won!
The first product is the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette which I have been contemplating buying for a while! I had noticed that this was a dupe for the naked 3 so I was desperate to do a comparison! I will hopefully be putting up a comparison post at some point within the next few weeks so you can really see whether it is worth spending £37 on the Urban Decay one.
The next product is the Zoella Fizz Bar which I am so excited to try! I haven't got anything from Zoella beauty yet, surprisingly enough, so I look forward to using this and letting you know what I think!

left to right: luscious, in love with ginger

I also received 2 lipsticks, one from Makeup Revolution and one from Rimmel.  The Makeup Revolution Lipstick is in the shade 'Luscious' and you can see from the picture above that it is a really nice peachy/corally shade that I think will be perfect in the warmer months.  The other one is the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade 'in love with ginger' which was extremely popular last year.  It is a little darker and more red than the Makeup Revolution one, and I can't wait to wear this in the summer. I put it on as soon as it came through the post, and I knew straight away that I was going to use this a lot!

For eyes, I received the Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade 'Metallic Pomegranate'. It is a little bit more red than the camera is picking up and is quite similar to Mac Cranberry which I think I will blend over the top to set it.  This is such a beautiful colour and would create such a gorgeous red toned smokey eye! Cant wait to play with this! The last product is the Revlon 3D Volume Mascara which Lizzie said is her favourite mascara at the moment so I am looking forward to using this.  It has a plastic wand, which is immediately a winner for me and it seems like it is something that would fit my needs!

That concludes todays 'What I've Won' post and there will be one up in the next few weeks when my other prizes arrive!

Emily xx

HUGE Beauty Haul!

left to right: Stila in the nude, Kat von D Agatha, Stila copper, Mac cranberry and the Mary Loumanizer.

So I've bought a few things......well a lot of things recently! These are products that I have been collecting since before Christmas and there are so many to talk about!  I won't go into a great amount of detail, otherwise I would be left with an impressive novel at the end, so I will give a brief overview of each and then hopefully there will be an in-depth review coming soon!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation // This is an old favourite of mine, as you might remember from the spring last year. I spotted this for £3 in a Blog Sale last week and I just couldn't help myself! I now remember why I loved it so much, the perfect amount of coverage with a beautiful radiant finish which last all day!

Makeup Revolution The One Blush Stick - Matte Malibu // As mentioned in my Contouring and Highlighting Post, I bought this as a cheaper alternative to the Nars Matte Multiple.  It hasn't failed to impress as with every other product I have tried from this brand.  It glides on smoothly and blends like a dream! A fantastic product for a cream contour, regardless of skin tone!

Elf Studio Eyebrow Kit - Medium // I have never really bothered with my eyebrows, since I have a full fringe I felt it was a waste of time!  This was a bit of an impulse buy and I bought it just to play around with really.  So far so good, the gel glides on smoothly, keeping all hairs in place and then the powder just sets them and makes them look very natural.

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick - Agatha // This is another blog sale find! I saw this for £5 and thought it looked interesting so I took the plunge! It is quite matte and can be a little bit patchy and drying, so I layer my Tanya Burr lipstick over the top to create the perfect nude!

Seventeen Skin Wow Primer // This was another impulse buy, I saw it in boots and thought it looked fun so it wen straight in the basket! This is a multi-purpose product, you can use it as a primer before foundation, mixed in with your foundation or as a liquid highlight after foundation! This is the perfect way to get a really natural and healthy glow back into your dull winter skin and I think I will get a lot of use out of this product.

Elf Studio HD Undereye Setting Powder // After hearing Shaaanxo raving about this, I have been on the hunt for it for a while! Elf had stopped selling it and I couldn't find it, until I finally tracked it down on amazon! I am so impressed with this, it sets concealer perfectly and really prevents creasing as well as highlighting and giving your face slightly more definition.  Definitely worth picking up if you can find it!

Zara Perfume // I was browsing Zara the other day, and when smelling their perfumes I was really hooked on this one! None of them really took my fancy, apart from 'Femme'.  As the name would suggest, this is quite a feminine and sophisticated fragrance that I think I could get away with all year round!

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer // Being one of the beauty industry's best loved highlighters, I just had to try it! I managed to find it on feel unique in the sale so I bought it without even thinking about it! This product really is worth the hype, it adds such a beautiful glow to the skin without a fleck of glitter in sight and really makes it look as if you are glowing from within.  It can also double up as an eyeshadow as well!

Mac Cranberry Eyeshadow // This has been an eyeshadow that has been on my wish list for a very long time! I was in Mac the other day looking at it, and I just thought, what the hell?! They didn't have it in the regular pot, so I was persuaded to buy a quad and a pan! I am now trying to figure out which other eyeshadows I want to put in here to fill it up! The one eyeshadow looks lonely :(

Stila Eyeshadow - Copper // I have been after a copper eyeshadow for a while, and when I spotted this in the look fantastic sale, I realised it was perfect!  The formula is very buttery and immensely pigmented and blends like a dream! It is definitely something I am going to get a lot of use out of for many different looks.

Stila Long Wear Lip Color - In the Nude // Another purchase from the look fantastic sale, this looked like a lovely brown nude and I assumed it would be matte as it is 'long wear'. I was mistaken and this is almost similar to a creme sheen formula from Mac. I haven't worn it properly yet to judge the longevity so I will keep you posted!

Ren Clarimatte T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel // This was reduced to £8.50 in the Space NK sale and it seemed like something that was right up my street! I haven't used this yet, but I have high hopes for it as Ren seems to be a brand that I get on well with!

Mini Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask // This is another blog sale pick.  I bought this as a perfect pick me up on dull skin days which I seem to be having rather often at the moment! I have to say, this is one of the most bizarre masks I have ever used! It is so weird that I don even know how to begin to describe it, but what I will say is that it really does feel invigorating and gives your skin a kick up the backside. It really just puts a bit of life back into your complexion!

Mac 217 Dupe // I can't remember who it was, but someone was raving about this a while ago and said that is was the perfect dupe for the Mac 217 which I have been eyeing up for a while.  I only paid 99p for it (although the price has gone up to £1.05 now) so it was practically a steal! It is very soft, washes well and is perfect for applying and blending all sorts of shadows, whether they be cream or powder.  Definitely worth a look.

Real Techniques Setting Brush // Last but not least, this is a tool that I have been umming and ahhing over for a while. I saw it in the feel unique sale and just decided that it was now or never! I had originally planned to use it for setting under my eyes, however I feel it is better suited to highlighting.  I prefer a more dense and precise brush for under my eyes, and this is the perfect size and shape for highlighting so that is the main thing that I use it for now.

Phew, that was one hell of a lot to talk about! Let me know your opinions on any of these products, and what are your most recent beauty purchases?

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #34

This week has been slightly stressful, what with going back to school and trying to get back into a routine.  Yesterday I went in town for a little bit of shopping, and ended up coming home with a huge prim ark bag, a mac bag and a zara bag! I promised myself that I wouldn't spend too much money, as I am saving up for a Michael Kors watch, but I just couldn't help myself! I am hoping that today will be a productive day, I have a title page and a mind map  to do for starting my Art exam and a ton of homework! I'm hoping that I will have time to write up some blogposts as well, I took some pictures yesterday and I wrote one up last night so hopefully I can get this week's done and possibly next weeks as well so I have plenty of time for school work.

Pictured above is products that will be featured in a 'What I've Won' post, as I recently won 2 giveaways! This one is from xBeautyMagic and I also have another one coming from Vampy Varnish hopefully this week!  As you will see tomorrow, I seem to have accumulated a rather considerable amount of beauty products over the past month!  I have so many new and exciting products to try and write about, it excites me so much!

I felt like I had a lot to tell you today, but I have had a complete mind blank and I can't think of anything else! I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Emily xx

Contouring and Highlighting for Pale Skin

I've never really been that interested in the whole contouring and highlighting malarkey since the Kardashians made it famous, it just seemed like too many extra steps in my routine and I couldn't be bothered.  It wasn't until recently that I had a dabble around, and came up with the perfect routine for me, and now I couldn't be without it! For people with pale skin, like me, this task becomes quite a struggle! If you don't have the perfect products, you can look like an orange muddy mess which is far from attractive!  Today, I will be talking you through the steps I take to create a subtle and natural, but very effective contour and highlight.

The first product I use after foundation is the Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roll-On in the shade fair to do a bit of highlighting.  I use this in a triangle shape under my eyes and up onto the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupids bow and under where I would put my contour.  I blend all of this in with my trusty Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to ensure everything is seamlessly blended and looks natural.

Next is the contour! I take a thin line of the Makeup Revolution The One Blush Stick in the shade 'Matte Malibu' under my cheekbones, slightly down the sides of my nose and under my jaw line.  I am so impressed with this product, it is so creamy and blends seamlessly (providing you're not too heavy handed).  Definitely better value than the Nars Matte Multiple which has an RRP of £30! I blend all of this in with either my Real Techniques expert face brush or the cheek brush, depending on which one is clean at the time!

To set under my eyes and retain the highlight that I have already applied, I use the Elf HD Under Eye Setting Powder on a big fluffy brush.  This powder is white with some sheen to it so it really gives your eyes a pick me up and adds to the bright eyed effect.  It is a really subtle way to give your face a bit more definition and stop it from making it look flat.

Last but certainly not least, I use theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer which is certainly worth the hype! It adds the most amazing glow to your skin, without a fleck of glitter in sight! This is seriously giving my holy grail Mac Soft and gentle a run for its money! I take this on the real techniques setting brush and just dust it on the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my cupids bow to really bring some radiance back into my dull complexion.  I also use this as an eyeshadow on a daily basis, and it is perfect!

That is all for my contouring and highlighting routine, these few extra steps really make a huge difference to the whole look and just add that little bit more oomph to your whole face!  This routine is perfect for my ghostly complexion and is just the right amount for me without looking too much! what are your favourite contouring and highlighting products?

Emily xx

The £12 Michael Kors Dupe

Like most girls, I have been lusting over a Michael Kors watch for the longest time.  I do have a sekonda one, which is similar but its still doesn't quite make the cut.  Whilst shopping the next sale, I found this little beauty! It looks almost identical to the Rose Gold Michael Kors one that I have been wanting for ages!  The only difference between the £12 watch and the £249 watch is the infamous michael kors label which really is what you pay for! I will warn you, they are quite big and I had to go and get 5 links taken out although, thinking about it, I do have abnormally small midget wrists!  I have had so many people asking me if my watch is Michael Kors, and although it breaks my heart to tell them that it isn't, they are amazed by how similar they are and the dramatic price difference!

Next time you are in your local next store, have a little look and see if you can find it, I definitely recommend it!  I would hurry though, I'm not sure its going to be around for long!

Emily xx

Bargain Boots

As requested, this is hopefully the first of many fashion posts this year! Enjoy!
Now I don't know about you, but I love a good bargain so when I spotted these babies in tesco for £10, I couldn't help myself!

They are black velvet heeled boots with gold buckles on the side.  They have quite a chunky heel, which I really like because not only do they look nice, it makes them a whole lot easier to walk in!  they are so comfortable and easy to walk in that I can wear them on a daily basis with no problems or pain whatsoever.  I have done one hell of a lot of shopping whilst wearing these and have never really took any notice of them.  They are such a classic pair of boots, you can wear them with everything whether it be smart or casual.

I absolutely love these and can really see myself getting a lot of use out of them throughout the colder months.  Tesco have an amazing sale on all of their boots at the moment so I definitely recommend checking them out here if you are a bargain hunter like me!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #33

This week has been pretty chilled, I think I have only left the house twice! I went to morrisons on wednesday and went to the mall on friday and that is about it!

This week has been an entire week of procrastinating where anything school related is concerned.  Only yesterday did I start attempting to do some art work and today I think I might type up the english speech that I should have done before the holidays even started.  I think today I will be maybe finishing off some art stuff, doing my english speech and typing up this weeks blog posts. If I am starting to post 4 times a week, then I think thorough preparation is definitely going to be required.

This week, I have 2 slightly more fashion-themed posts as this is what you all requested in my survey, as well as something more beauty related!  I may have a haul coming soon because I got a little bit carried away in the boxing day sales and new year blog sales this past week or so and I have plenty of new and exciting things that I am dying to show you! I am going to wait until everything has arrived before I contemplate writing that as I don't want to be adding little extras in every time something comes.  With all these new products, comes yet another muji rotation so keep your eyes out for that in the next month.

Also, for a bit more of a lifestyle post, I was thinking of doing a bathroom tour/whats in my cabinet as I recently had my bathroom done and thought it would be something a little different for you to read.  I have my own bathroom so everything is done to suit me and I just have my stuff in there! If you would be interested in that, do let me know!

I think that is everything that I wanted to see, I am sat here eating cookies and drinking a cup of tea from my pug mug with a completely blank mind!  I will be back on Monday for the official start of 2015 in my eyes!

Emily xx

Best Discoveries of 2014 | Skincare

Welcome to the last post in the series of my 'Best Discoveries of 2014'.  I am a little sad to say that this is the end until next year, I have really enjoyed doing these posts and I have received so much positive feedback from you about these posts. Oh well, it is what it is I suppose, we can do it all again next year! I digress, lets get back to what I was supposed to be talking about today, skincare! I am a self-confessed skincare junkie! I take my skincare very seriously because I like to keep it as healthy as possible, and also, by keeping a good regime in place now will ensure that I benefit hugely when I start to age in quite a few years time! I think it is really important to start early because your skin will be in tip top condition throughout your adult years.  Over the years, my skincare has really fluctuated but this year has been the year where I really clamped down hard on myself and really concentrated hard on giving my skin the TLC it deserves and needs.  It'll thank me for all my hard work one day I'm sure!

The first product will come as no surprise to you, the Garnier Micellar Water has featured in a considerable amount of yearly favourites this year! Micellar waters took the beauty world by storm when they were launched in the UK early last year, and they have been a dear favourite to many people throughout the year.  This is the perfect method of removing makeup for me, I simply put a small amount on a cotton pad and sweep it over the face, and it just dissolves and breaks down my makeup, allowing it to glide off smoothly.  I have tried many cleansing oils/balms, both high-end and affordable to remove makeup, but I can never get on with them and always find myself going back to this.  It is very affordable and widely available, and I think I may have gone through 4 or 5 of them this year which is pretty impressive as I very rarely finish products!

As you know, I am a bit of a clean freak when it comes to my skin and I am a huge fan of a double cleanse.  I have tried a lot of cleansers this year, many of them I have liked but once I have used them up, have never felt the need to repurchase and have moved onto something else. The only cleanser I have repurchased this year is the Yes to Tomatoes Clarifying Cleanser.  The whole Yes to Tomatoes range is targeted at combination/oily skin as well as blemish prone skin. When I purchased this, I wasn't really expecting too much as I find it very hard to find products that actually benefit my skin type, regardless of the skin type they are designed for.  Formulating products for combination/oily skin seems to be harder than most people think for many skin care brands.  Finding that perfect mix of products that are strong enough to clarify and cleanse the skin whilst still being gentle so that the skin isn't stripped and isn't irritated by the product is quite a tricky task, especially for affordable brands.  I think natural ingredients are certainly the best way to go for this type of thing and this cleanser has worked wonders for my skin.  It cleanses deep down into the pores and controls oil without stripping my skin and keeping it moisturised and healthy.  This range is definitely something to invest in if you have problematic skin like me.

Sticking to the natural theme, my holy grail toner this year has been the Lush Tea Tree Water.  I have gone through about 3 of these since I discovered it in March and I absolutely love it, especially through the summer months.  If my skin is in a pretty good way, I tend to just spritz it directly onto my face, just to calm everything down and give my skin a quick burst of refreshing water after cleansing.  It s quite cooling, and helps my pores to tighten after cleansing with warm water and is lovely in the warmer months.  If my skin is being problematic, I tend to spray some onto a cotton pad and wipe it over my skin, the tea tree helps to take down any redness and helps to heal any blemishes.  An all round good product!

A slightly more expensive product is the Benefit Its Potent Eye Cream. I had never really been one for eye creams until I discovered this and I definitely notice a difference on the days I don't use this.  This really is perfect for keeping the eye area well moisturised and it also really makes a difference to dark circles which is something I suffer with a lot, and because I am pale, they notice a lot more. My dark circle have faded dramatically and this is the perfect pick me up for tired looking eyes.  It also will prevent against ageing in the future so it is an amazing product.  The only downside is the hefty price tag so if any of you know of any good, cheaper alternatives, do let me know because I will definitely try them, and maybe do a comparison!

The last product is quite a recent favourite of mine, but it is definitely worthy of a mention in my 2014 favourites.  A product you have heard me talk about a lot this month is the No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush.  I love how well it cleans deep down into my pores and it is quite invigorating as it gently buffs away dead skin cells as well as cleansing.  I have definitely noticed a huge difference in the appearance of my skin and I absolutely love this product! Definitely worth looking into if you are someone who is quite interested in the Clarisonic but is reluctant to spend a huge amount of money on it.

That concludes all of my 'Best Discoveries of 2014'! I hope you have enjoyed this little series and hopefully I will be able to do the same next year!

Emily xx

Best Discoveries of 2014 | Tools

I can't believe we are already on the fourth instalment of my 'Best Discoveries of 2014' series! This week has flown by, along with this year, can you believe that today is 2nd January 2015?! I sure as hell can't!

Onto the actual post, tools are probably the most crucial beauty item you can have.  Your tools can make or break a look and applying the your makeup with the right tools can be the difference between loving or hating a product.  2014 has definitely been the year of the tools, I have discovered so many that I could not live without now, I am left wondering how I ever managed without them!

The first holy grail tool I discovered this year is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (full review here). As soon as this was released in the Spring, beauty junkies from all over the world jumped on it in the hope that it would be somewhat comparable to the infamous Beauty Blender.  I held off for a bit and waited for the rave reviews to start flooding the internet before I finally caved in and purchased it. This is a product that you should definitely believe the hype about as I mentioned in my review linked above.  It blends cream products flawlessly, leaving an airbrushed look whilst keeping everything looking natural and minimising cakeyness. This may not be as good as the beauty blender, but for the bargain price of £5.99, it is definitely worth a try!

The next tool I discovered was the Eyeko Eyelash Curler which I believe I received with a glamour magazine, but don't quote me on that. Before then, I didn't get on with eyelash curlers, the ones I had tried previously made my eyelashes look weird and I found it too much of a faff.  I don't know what it is that makes this one so magical, but my eyelashes look so much more long and fluttery when I use this and it really opens my eyes up, making them look bigger and more awake. I don't feel myself now when I don't curl my lashes and if anything happens to this, I will definitely purchase another.

The last set of tools are probably my absolute favourites of all time.  Theses Ebay Brushes (full review here) are by far the best brushes I have used all year. They looked like amazing dupes for sigma brushes, but for £8.00 for the whole set, I naturally wasn't expecting a great deal from these.  These are seriously better than most of the more expensive brushes I have tried! They blend everything amazingly, and their soft bristles ensure that they feel great on your face as well! Their synthetic bristles make them perfect for use with both cream and powder products and they wash like a dream as well! Definitely worth a try as this set has a brush for everything at the now further reduced price of £7.75!

What are your favourite tools?

Emily xx

Welcome, 2015

Happy New Year everyone! We are now officially in 2015, I am still trying to get my head around this! 2014 flew by in the blink of an eye and I almost feel like I've missed it.  I was sat last night thinking about what I had actually achieved in 2014, initially I thought 'not a lot', but when I thought about it even harder, I realised that I had actually achieved quite a lot even though it didn't seem like it.  This year I have been working tirelessly on my GCSE's which has required a lot of hard work and will power, which I have put in and it is really paying off.  I have also managed to keep this blog thing going since April, which I never thought I could do.  When I initially started blogging, I assumed I would tire of it and it wouldn't last very long but I have really proved to myself that I can do anything once I put my mind to it.  Sure, like every blogger, there have been times where I have had writers block and had no vision for my blog and considered packing it all in, but I have managed to push through that and carry on doing what I love.  As mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago, where I reflected on my 8 months of blogging that I am proud of how far my blog has come, and I have put a lot of hard graft into posting frequent and decent content which has payed off and I receive great feedback from all of my lovely readers.

So what can you expect from Emily Faye's Little World in the new year? Well I shall tell you! Based on the results of my recent blog survey (you can still fill it out here) it has become evident that I need to post more regularly, therefore I have decided to post every monday, wednesday and friday starting from next week.  Obviously this is subject to change throughout the summer when exams start, as it did last year when I was finding it too much.  You have also said that you would like to see more fashion posts and giveaways, so I have some exciting things planned for the near future that you will hopefully enjoy!  I think there needs to be more risks taken where my blog is concerned, instead of contemplating publishing  a post in case people don't like it, just take the plunge and do it! If people don't like it then I will know where to improve and if people enjoy it then I know what to build on.  I think I really need to push the boat out in the new year to push my blog that step further and hopefully allow it to stand out from the vast sea of beauty/fashion/lifestyle blogs flooding the internet now.

Thank you for all of your support this year, and hopefully you will be supporting the few little tweaks that will be made to my blog in the new year! Happy new year once again!

Emily xx