The Sunday Edit #54

Sneak peek of an upcoming post!

This week has been a bit more chilled, it was mostly revision but it wasn’t as stressful because I have plenty of time to get stuff done!  

Thursday night, we went to see Jersey Boys at the Bristol Hippodrome and it was amazing! I was so glad to get out and take a break from revision and do something that I enjoy.  It really helped me and I was ready to go back to it Friday which I was glad about.  I also went to Weston-Super-Mare shopping yesterday for a bit of retail therapy and picked up a few bits from essence which I have used twice so far and I am very impressed with, along with a new background for my blog photos which I saw featured in one of Magpie Jasmine’s blogposts a while ago. I may do a whole post on DIY photography backgrounds because I for one know that it isn't easy to find a decent one.  I purchased a marble one like you see on all the high ranking blogs, so I can pretend I have a beautiful marble work surface when really it is just a roll of sticky back plastic with a pattern on it! Some of my future blogposts will be featuring photos on this background so look out for that!

I am writing this blogpost in my revision break, as I have 3 exams this week.  I have history tomorrow, maths thursday and biology friday, so with that being said I hope you all have a lovely week and enjoy the lovely weather at the end of it (fingers crossed).  I am off now to finish revision on public health from 1948-the present day, oh the joys!

Emily xx

Collection Undercover Eyes Palette in Nude | Review

As you would have seen from a previous post, I picked up this palette on a whim in Asda and for the price, I wasn’t really expecting much to be perfectly honest.  I had heard people talk about these before, but I am fussy when it comes to eyeshadows that I had already pre-judged them and decided I wasn’t going to like them.  I picked it up to be doubley sure that I hated it, just out of curiosity.  Well, I have to admit that I was wrong to judge these because I actually LOVE them.  I don’t just like them, I LOVE them!  I have used them every day since I got them and haven’t found a need for anything else. In fact, I love them so much that this is the only palette I brought with me on my little holiday.

This palette comes with 6 shades, 2 mattes, 2 shimmers and 2 satins.  It has everything from a stark white to a deep blackish/brown.  This palette has shades to suit everyone and to create very subtle day time looks and very dramatic night time looks, all in one very small and compact kit.  The packaging is cardboard which is quite sturdy, however the plastic bit that covers the eyeshadows is quite flimsy and would be easily split. The packaging is pretty average, but I wouldn’t expect anything more from something as cheap as £3.99.

The shadows themselves are very pigmented as you can see from the swatches.  I didn’t feel like there was really any fall out which is one of my pet peeves with eyeshadow so as soon as I discovered this, I knew I was on to a winner.  They are a very smooth formula, they glide onto the lid and blend so easily, especially the mattes which is almost unheard of for drugstore eyeshadows.  They aren’t chalky in the slightest and feel a lot more luxurious than the price tag suggests.  There are 2 other palettes in this range, a more golden one and a cool toned silvery one which means that everyone can find something in this range to suit them.  I haven’t tried the other 2 so I can’t comment on the quality of those, but I will definitely consider purchasing those in the future!

Overall, I am so impressed with these and I will admit that I was wrong to doubt them.  If you are in need of a small and convenient neutral palette, then Collection have got you covered with this one for a measly £3.99 (which is actually down to £2.99 at the moment in boots!)

Have you tried these?

Emily xx

Sebamed Clear Skin Range* | Review

I got sent the Sebamed clear skin regime* from the Bloggers Hub Twitter party about a month ago, and the company contacted me, advising me to use the products for 4 weeks before I wrote a review.  The regime consists of a cleansing bar, a deep cleansing toner, and a clear face gel which act as a moisturiser.  The whole regime aims to balance the pH of the skin to help prevent acne, which means the oils in your skin will be neutral.

The Sebamed Clear Face Cleansing Bar* is a rather odd concept.  It is literally like a bar of soap for yourself which I found rather odd to be quite honest.  You just lather it up in your hands how you would a soap and then massage it in to your skin and rinse off.  These made my face feel squeaky clean, however I didn’t notice any makeup that may have been left off being taken off by this like I do with other cleansers. Due to this and me being paranoid about leaving my makeup on, I now cleanse with my magnitone lucid and then go in with this so that I know my face is definitely clean. I found these to be a little bit drying initially, but when you have used the other products, it’s absolutely fine.  I found these to be a bit messy and not really travel friendly for someone who travels a lot so if this doesn’t worry you then it is definitely something to try if you have oily and acne prone skin.

The Seabed Clear Face Deep Cleansing Facial Toner* really is deep cleansing! It stings a little bit, which I like because then I know that it is really doing something! It is quite strong in smell, and appears to be quite chemically so I’m not sure if it is really healthy for your skin, but it certainly helps to clear blemishes.  I think I would probably pick this toner over my lush tea tree water which I never thought I would say! It feels so refreshing and takes off any residual dirt with just one swipe.  It isn’t as drying as I thought it would be which is a bonus and my face feels a lot plumper after using it. Definitely a winner for me and something I will be repurchasing!

The Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel* pretty much does what it says on the tin.  It is an oil-free gel moisturiser with acne fighting properties, perfect for oily and acne-prone skin like the rest of the range. I find it to be very hydrating and not greasy in the slightest.  It is a very cold and refreshing gel that sinks in to the skin very quickly, a little bit goes a long way!  Makeup goes on so much more nicely once I have used this and I really like the way that it makes my skin feel.  This is again something I would repurchase as finding a good moisturiser is something that I really struggle with due to my awkward skin.

Overall, my skin has been a lot clearer and smoother since using this regime.  Any blemishes are cleared very quickly and it has definitely prevented anything else forming which is ideal when you are under as much stress as I am!  I think my magnitone really stole the show this month which is probably why I’m not quite as fond of the cleansing bars, but the other two products will definitely be repurchased in the future I’m sure.  The tiny sample sizes of this product have lasted me the whole 4 weeks so they are definitely worth it, and I think Sebamed are a brand that deserve a lot more recognition! Their products are very cheap and amazing quality! The whole range altogether costs around £10 for all full size products!

Have you heard of/tried these before? Let me know if you decide to try them!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #53

This post is up a little later today due to horrific wifi!

This week has been pretty sad really, I had 2 exams and then had to say goodbye to my friends and teachers forever! It was my last day on Friday so we all had a really soppy assembly and spent the whole afternoon taking pictures and shirt signing! I have a few pictures up on my instagram if you would like to have a look, my username is @its_little_em.  There were quite a few tears and it was really sad, but I'm glad I now have some time off to do plenty of revision, ready for the rest of my exams which resume Monday. I am having a revision free bank  holiday weekend to recover from this week and give my brain a rest so hopefully I will do a lot better when I restart on Monday afternoon.

As I am writing this, I am waiting for my fake tan to soak in before I go and wash it off in a bit as we are going out tonight.  We are having a celebratory meal for me leaving school and will be partying most of the night so I am getting ready for that which I am quite looking forward to.  I might try and get some pictures and maybe do an ootn for you, though I feel a little awkward taking outfit pictures in public! Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me being weird? It's a reason why there are so few fashion posts on my blog, I just feel awkward doing it!

Anyways, nothing exciting is happening at the moment, so all thats left to say is I hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend and if you are at school, have a lovely half term!

Emily xx

Little Beauty Haul

You know me, I just cannot control myself when I go shopping and more often than not, I leave with a few bits and pieces.  I certainly don't need them, but I somehow convince myself that I do because 'I can do a blog post on it at some point'.  Most of the products I buy do not ever get a mention on here so really I will use any excuse to buy more stuff.  Anyways, I have a few bits and pieces that have been building up recently that I thought I would share with you and get your thoughts on!

The first product is actually something I won from Alexandra at Glam O'Clock.  I received the Makeup Revolution I <3 Makeup Go! Palette in the post on Saturday, and I have to say that I am really impressed so far! This palette comes with 6 eyeshadows (all naked 3 dupes by the way) plus a bronzer, a blush and a highlight which I also believe are dupes of one of the naked flushed palettes, but more on that when I do a full review of this when I've given everything a good go.  On first impressions, the texture and pigmentation of these powders are amazing! I generally find fault with most powder products from the drugstore, so I was pleasantly surprised with these and I have been using the face products ever since I got it.  I will be trying the eyeshadows out very soon so watch this space!

Next, I made a little splurge last weekend.  If you read 'The Sunday Edit #51', you will have seen that I wrote about how down I was feeling and I just didn't really feel myself with all of the stress that I am going through, so what better way of cheering myself up by spending an obscene amount of money on one product! I raved about the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara when I first tried the sample size a few months ago, and as the sample was coming to an end and my Maybelline Lash Sensational was on its last legs, I panicked.  Desperate times call for desperate measures! I did have a voucher though so I didn't pay full price so I suppose that makes it ok........oh well, I have a full review of this product already up here if you would like to know more about it, though I expect you are all sick to death of hearing about it now!

Next I picked up a few little bits from Asda last night (well Monday depending on when this goes up)   because late night shopping is my weakness. I was tired after sitting a 2 hour english paper and really didn't even think about what I was doing, just grabbing things that caught my eye! The first thing I picked up completely randomly was the Garnier Fresh Essentials Hydrating Day Cream for normal/combination skin.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone talk about this before, and I thought it looked good for only £3. I've used it twice since I got it and it does seem very hydrating which makes my makeup sit a lot nicer, so far so good!
Next I picked up the Rimmel London Exaggerate Lip Liner in Easton Snob. I've heard the world and it's mother talking about the fact that this is a dupe for Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk and has been on my wishlist for a while so I thought it was about time I gave it a go.  As you can see from the swatch, its a deep, muted, rose pink which is slightly kylie jenner-esque.  The formulation is smooth and creamy and it seems to be fairly long lasting from what I have seen so far.  Definitely a staple lip product for me as I love a good pink lip!
Lastly, I picked up the Collection Eyes Uncovered Palette in Nude as I had seen so man talking about these and it seemed the perfect little palette for travelling.  These shadows are very pigmented and very smooth and buttery and easy to blend so they are perfect for all kinds of looks.  Full review coming soon!

Keep an eye out for some more in depth posts on these products! Which are your favourites from this haul?/what are your thoughts?

Emily xx

Magnitone Lucid* | 7 Day First Impressions

Clear skin is my ultimate goal, so I jumped at the chance to try the Magnitone Lucid Cleansing Brush*.  You've all heard me bang on about how amazing the No7 version is, so I thought I would try this one to see how they compared and delve deeper into the world of electronic facial devices....or just cleansing brushes really! I was kindly sent this by Magnitone and was able to choose the colour of my device.  As you can tell from the picture above, I chose 'plush pink' but it is also available in mint green, blue and yellow.  I don't know about you, but having things in pretty colours always makes me more inclined to use it, plus it matches my bathroom perfectly so I don't have to hide it away!

This product claims to leave your skin clearer, softer and brighter skin within 7 days.  I have only been using it once a day, and I am still at what you call the 'purging stage'.  I'm not sure whether this is because I'm only using it once a day or whether exam stress is just getting to me and its nothing to do with the product.  I have noticed softer and brighter skin though! My makeup goes on a lot more smoothly and I have had a huge boost of radiance since using this.  I don't find that it strips or overdries my skin either, as it seems to be slightly more gentle than my No7 one.

This product has 2 modes, Daily clean which gives you a deep clean and sensitive mode which is very gentle and as the name would suggest, targeted more toward sensitive and easily irritated skin. It also has a 'beeping system' if you will.  You start with your forehead and brow area until the first beep, and then your cheeks until the second beep, and then your nose and chin area until it automatically turns off.  I find this helps me to make sure that my whole face gets an equal amount of cleansing and I then know when enough is enough! Over cleansing dries my skin out massively and it's just all a hot mess!  I personally prefer the Daily Clean mode which gives me the perfect amount of cleansing action! It gets rid of any residual makeup and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean! I have also been using this product in conjunction with my Sebamed clear skin kit* which I will have a review of up soon.  It allows me to go to bed knowing that my face is completely clean which makes me feel a lot more comfortable!

It is very compact and travel friendly, also coming with multiple adapters for the charger! It also comes with a cover to go over the brush so you can toss it in your bag with no fear of it getting damaged or caked in bacteria.   It is also 101% waterproof, so it is perfect for use in the shower to save time! It's charge lasts 2 weeks which I think is amazing and is highly convenient for those of you with a busy lifestyle! If only they made phones like that!

Overall, I think this is a fantastic product and is definitely a worth investment.  If you would like to purchase one of these, you can use the code 'EmilyR20' for 20% off and I will also have a referral link in my Affiliate Links Page above (I am not affiliated my Magnitone in any way).

Emily xx

*products in this post were kindly sent to me for review.  All opinions are my own and I am not being paid for this.  I earn no money through the referral link or from the discount code, they are purely for your pleasure! :)

The Sunday Edit #52

Todays post is a very special one, as it marks exactly 1 year of 'The Sunday Edit'.  I can't believe it is exactly one year ago today that I sat in bed and felt the sudden urge to write a blog post, and came out with 'The Sunday Edit'.  Over the past year, these have been some of my most popular posts, and I enjoy sitting down and just writing about some things that are going on in my life to make a change from the usual beauty stuff!

This week has been stressful as ever, I have been working tirelessly to get my art stuff finished for the deadline on Friday, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that art is completely done.  I have my english literature exams this week so I have been re-reading the books, watching the films and trying my best to memorise as many quotes as I can possibly get into my little head!

This week is going to be pretty sad, as Friday is my last day ever at Secondary School before I go on study leave.  I really don't want to leave, I have so many friends and amazing teachers that I am going to have to leave behind to move on to college and that really upsets me! I feel like the past 2 years, I have become very settled there and I get on so well with some of my teachers and the thought of not seeing them again is really upsetting.  On Friday, we get to do the usual shirt signing malarkey and then the rest of the school finish early so we get to eat food and say our final goodbyes to everyone! The only time I will ever go back is for an exam and then I'm straight home again, it seems so strange the thought of never going back there!  The only good thing is it means that prom is getting closer which I am so excited about! I have my dress already so now I am on the hunt for shoes, jewellery, a bag and a makeup look!

I think that is all I have to say for today, if I don't stop now I'll be rambling all day. Oh, one last thing, add me on snapchat emilyfaye1998 and leave a comment to let me know your username so I know who you all are!

I hope you have all had a lovely week! :)

Emily xx

Acrylic Storage from Dunelm

I thought I would post to let you know that Dunelm have started to stock small pieces of acrylic storage, the perfect companion for muji storage. I picked these up last week from part of the Dunelm 'With Love', unfortunately they are only available in store at the moment and are not yet online so they may be a little harder to get hold of for some of you, but if you can find them, then they are a worthy investment.

This range is highly affordable! The lipstick holders hold 9 lipsticks each and are £1.98 which is so much cheaper than ordering from eBay or Amazon and having to wait for them to come all the way from China or paying a fortune for postage to get them here quickly.  I picked up 2 because I have a lot of lipsticks and I like to display my high end and pretty ones, such as Mac, YSL, Chanel and Nars.

I also picked up the cotton pad cube which is both a handy, and aesthetically pleasing way of storing them.  Having a packet of cotton pads strewn on your dressing table just doesn't look pretty and it is a pain when you want to quickly grab one to fix your makeup and you have to try and fiddle with the bag to try and get one out! I believe this was £1.49 which is unbelievably cheap.

Lastly, I got the mini 2 drawer unit with the organiser on the top.  This is like a tiny version of my muji storage and is perfect for storing little things. I keep a few of my little skincare items, eyelash glue and some small products like my Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette, my Mac quad and some little sample products.  This comes with the organiser that fits on the top which is pretty handy, and the two together only cost £4.99!

Overall, this all cost me £9.96 which is one hell of a lot cheaper than ordering from Muji, so if you have a Dunelm near you I would definitely recommend checking these out! I found mine by the till, if that information is useful to anyone!

Do you know of any other cheaper muji dupes?

Emily xx

Feel Unique Haul

When I saw that Feel Unique were having 20% off sitewide, plus Tanya Burr products were half price, I couldn't help but make an order!

I have tried Tanya Burr individual lashes and not really got on with them, I always found them too much of a faff and they drove me nuts.  Me and strip lashes get on so much better so I thought I would try a couple of pairs seeing as they were reduced to £2.75 a pair. The first pair I picked up were the Bambi Lashes which are pretty natural, and not too much longer than my natural lashes.  I have worn these already as you can see in the picture, but I took them off as they kept sticking to my hair. I really don't like the Tanya Burr glue, it doesn't really dry and just stays really wet and sticky (gross) and the lashes stick together and to my hair. I also picked up the Date Night Lashes in the hope I could wear these for prom. I wanted to trial them first so that I can see what they're like before I make my decision.  I wore these today for my dance exam (I am writing this on Sunday even though it probably won't go up until Wednesday) and I really like them.  They are very similar to the Ardell Demi Wispies, except less wispy....if that makes any sense at all! They are really pretty and fluttery and I will definitely be purchasing some more for prom!

The last product I picked up was the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse.  I was fed up of being pale so I decided to invest in a fake tan to try and perk myself up a bit.  I have used this once since I got it, and on first impressions, its great! I actually left my tan on for 3 hours, and I was left with a medium tan which was very natural looking, not a hint of orange in sight! Once I had left it for 3 hours, I rinsed it off in the shower and I looked like I had been on exotic holiday! So many people have asked me where I went for the bank holiday weekend because it looks like a real tan! It applied evenly with no streaks or patches, apart from one on my wrist because I must have missed that bit when rubbing in.  It also doesn't smell strange for days afterwards which is always a bonus! This is definitely an essential product for the summer time if you are not a fan of natural sun tanning like myself! Hopefully I will be back with more on this product soon!

Have you made the most of Feel Unique's offers?

Emily xx

My Top 3 Spring/Summer Blushes

As I have mentioned in a few posts before, I am really into baked/shimmery blushes at the moment. I have had so many compliments on how glowy and pretty my cheeks looked this month so I thought I would do a whole post on my most worn Spring/Summer Blushes.

The first product is the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso.  I got this a little while ago and I have been using this non-stop over the past few weeks.  It is the perfect peachy pink to go with any makeup look or on any skin tone and it is a beautiful colour for the summer to give you that healthy golden glow.  If you would like to learn more about this product, I already have a First Impressions Review up here.

The second product is the most recent addition to my blush collection.  As mentioned in my previous iHerb Haul, the Elf Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky is the perfect natural blush for pale skin.  It is a pale pink with a golden shimmer running through it, acting as a beautiful blush on pale skin or a highlight on slightly deeper skin tones.  The formula is very sheer, but easily build able so you are not caked in shimmer. Speaking of shimmer, the shimmer is very finely milled, not chunky or glittery in the slightest which makes this a real winner for me!

The last product is perhaps one of my oldest favourites.  I have loved the Sleek Blush in Rose Gold for a long time, but as I own and try so much makeup, it sometimes gets slightly neglected! I have recently re-discovered it, and I have used it so much that it was featured in my April Favourites.  This is a beautiful pinkish red with gold shimmer running through.  The colour is almost exactly the same as the colour I normally flush, so it looks very natural on my skin and just leaves me with a beautiful golden glow.  This, along with the elf blush are the perfect blushes for bringing out a tan and making you look like a bronzed goddess.

What are your favourite Spring/Summer Blushes?

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #51

This week has been pretty rubbish really! I had my first English exam on Tuesday, which actually wasn't too bad and I found it quite easy.  I had my Business Computer Exam on Wednesday which was shockingly bad and I am convinced that I am going to get an awful grade in that! At least with business, I can pull my grade up with my controlled assessment and my written exam so I am trying my best not to fret to much, even though I can't help it! I have so much work to do, and to be honest, I am starting to get really fed up and I have no motivation whatsoever.  I just feel very run down and down in the dumps and I'm really just not happy at the moment.  I keep trying to tell myself that everything will be fine, I just need to prepare for the exams and try my best, but I just can't help feeling worried and just really rubbish and general.  I feel like I am being buried in work and I feel trapped and miserable.  I don't really know how to describe how I feel, I just don't feel right.  I am tired of just about everything and I think I've just had enough! To top it all off, I had my dance exam today which went absolutely atrociously and I got the worse grade that I have got in any exam I have done since I started dancing when I was 4.  I think it is safe to say that I am not a happy bunny at the moment and I am in desperate need of some cheering up and motivation.

Before I bore you to death with my miserable life, I will move on to talk about something a little more exciting.  I had quite a few parcels in the post this week which can only mean more blogposts! I have some bits from feel unique that I bought to try, and I also have an exciting product from Magnitone that I was very kindly sent to try! I am so impressed with everything I have tried so far and I can't wait to share them with you! I have a referral link for magnitone which I will put on my affiliate links page, and I also have a 20% off code for you across the entire site! Just use the code 'EmilyR20' to grab your discount.  A review of this product should be up on the 18th May so keep an eye out for that. I will also have a haul up with mini reviews of the bits I got from FeelUnique very soon.

I think that is all for today, if you have any tips or comments that would help cheer me up and make me feel better, you can leave me a comment or tweet me! Thank you for all of your support and I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Emily xx

Slendertox Tea - 14 Day Teatox* | Review

This is a product that I got hold of at the Bloggers Hub Twitter Party a few weeks ago, and it is something that I have been intrigued about for a while! So the main question is, what is it and does it live up to its claims?

The main claims are that within a short period of time, you will have:
- Increased Metabolism
- Increased Energy
- Beat the Bloat
- Weight Loss
- A New Detoxed You

That is a lot for a company to live up to so I was very interested in seeing what would happen! I don't have any before and after photos as I was ill when I started the 'Teatox' but where weight loss is concerned, there are no visible changes to my weight.  I don't feel like I have lost any weight, but that isn't why I wanted to try this.  I have been eating normally throughout this, most of the time eating whatever I fancy and not really dieting at all so I'm not sure whether this would have affected my results where weight is concerned.

I do feel like I have a lot more energy and motivation, I have got so much done over the past 2 weeks as I have just felt good and more willing to get up and get on with things.  I have definitely felt less sluggish and lethargic and I seem to have a bit more 'get up and go' as my mum would say.  Feeling bloated is something I experience a lot, but when I look back on the past 2 weeks, I realise that I have suffered nowhere near as much as I usually do.  Feeling bloated is something that happens on an almost daily basis for me so I am glad to see that this issue has hopefully been dealt with.

The tea itself does taste horrendous in my opinion, and it has the strangest smell but if that doesnt bother you and you are willing to try it to experience the benefits, then I seriously recommend you do.  The taste is very herbal and plant-ish which I suppose some people would like, but for some strange reason it reminded me of fish food!

Overall, I think this is a pretty cool product and an easier way to lose weight and be healthier without having to put in too much effort! You can find the Slendertox Tea products here and they ship worldwide so everyone can have some!

Have you tried these or other similar products? Let me know about your experiences!

Emily xx

iHerb Haul

I recently discovered a website called 'iHerb' which is an American website that stock makeup and health related products. Their products are at a greatly discounted rate, I picked these 2 items up for only £13.97 which is a fraction of the price I would have paid for them if I had bought them in the UK. I only ordered 2 things as a trial to see how good the service was, but I definitely will make another order soon! Postage was amazing too, I paid £4 roughly to get it shipped from the US and I was told it would take 10 days and arrive on the 27th April, when in fact it came on the 25th so I was very pleased about that!

The first product is the Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes which I think the everyone owns apart from me! I have been lusting over them for a while, but have been reluctant to part with approximately £22 when I love my eBay brushes so much! When I saw these for $17.99 which works out about £11.87, I couldn't resist snapping them up! As you can see from the picture, I have been using them for a while now and I am very impressed with them. They serve a multitude of purposes and are a staple in my collection of beauty related tools.

The second product that I bought was the Elf Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky.  If you would have read my favourites post, you would have read that I have been obsessed with baked/glowy blushes recently.  When I looked up some swatches of this online, it didn't look like anything I owned and there was definitely a gap in my collection that this has certainly filled.  If you would like to see this blush in more detail, there will be a post going up about it on Monday so keep your eyes peeled for that one! 

I definitely recommend checking out iHerb, I have linked it above and I will also put my referral link in my 'Affiliate Links' page which is in the tab above.  If you have any product recommendations, do let me know as I would love to make another order! 

Emily xx

April Favourites 2015

This post is up a little late, I only just realised that its 4th May and I haven't done a Favourites Post yet! This month has been a pretty good month for trying out new products so hopefully next months post will be just as good!

The first product is the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit. I have to admit, this is not the best quality product I have ever tried, but with a bit of work, it does the job perfectly and it is fine for what I use it for. The light powder is absolutely useless, and the other two can be a bit patchy but with a bit of blending, that is an issue that is easily rectified. I just take a very small amount on my Real Techniques Contour Brush and work it in to the hollows of my cheeks and down the sides of my nose.  I then blend out a lot with my Real Techniques Blush Brush and it gives me the perfect amount of subtle definition. If I want a bit more definition, I just build it up the cooler shade and blend out with the warmer shade.  If you are willing to put a little bit more work into your contour, then this is a good alternative to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit.

The next is my Sleek Blush in Rose Gold. This is an old favourite of mine that I have recently rekindled my love for! I have really been into glow cheeks recently and this has been my go to blush! It gives your cheeks the perfect rosy flush along with a beautiful golden glow which is perfect for the spring and summer seasons.  I did have a review of this up on my blog, but I am struggling to find it so you can find Chloe's Review here at Simple Beauty Chatter.  She has swatches and all the information you need to know before purchasing this blush!

I am a self confessed lip product junkie so it is inevitable that I would have at least 2 lip favourites! The first one is MAC Boldly Bare Lip Liner which the world and its mother have raved about! I won't ramble on too much as I have a full review here, but it is pretty special and I have been wearing this pretty much every day this month, along with other products that I've paired it with.  Last but not least, I have the Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks in Natural Beauty and Love Me. If you would have read my full review here then you will know that I have 3 shades, but these are the two that I have got the most out of.  To find out more, head on over to my review linked above but they are so easy to wear, have a great formulation and are just the perfect lip product for daily use!

That completes this month's favourites, what have you been loving this month? Leave me a comment or a link to your favourites post so I can see some more product recommendations!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #50

This week has been very busy as per usual, getting ready for exams starting on Tuesday! Above is a picture of the view off Brean Down that I took last Sunday when we climbed all the way to the top! It was amazing, but it was so hard and I was absolutely shattered afterwards.

This weekend, the weather has been appalling so we have been stuck in, watching rubbish TV and I've been up to my eyeballs in revision! I am yet to write up this week's posts, I have an extra day off tomorrow to get some stuff done so I think I might do that then, before I start my revision.

This week I have been putting together my leavers book as I only have 2 weeks and 5 days left of school which scares the hell out of me! I have 4 exams over the next 3 weeks before I go on study leave until the end of June when all exams are finished and we have our prom.  I ordered my dress last week so I am waiting for that to come before I decide on which shoes and bag I want to get, and what I am doing with my hair and makeup! I will definitely be doing a whole post on prom nearer to the time, and if you want any other prom related posts, just let me know.  I am also doing a few peoples makeup for prom which I am really excited about, I may even do a post about that too!

I got a lot of products in the post this week too, which makes for some more interesting posts soon, so keep an eye out for those!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and you have had a lovely bank holiday weekend, let me know what you have been up to!

Emily xx

Milani Baked Blush | First Impressions

I'm sure most of you have heard of this product as it is extremely hyped up by vloggers/bloggers from across the pond.  I snapped this little baby up on eBay as I am going through a bit of a 'baked blush obsessed' phase.  I will be doing a post on my favourites very soon, but I wanted to take the time to focus on this one as this is probably the most interesting out of all of them.

After looking up plenty of swatches on the internet, 'Luminoso' which is probably the most popular shade, stood out to me the most as this is a shade that I don't own anything like. I have loads of bubblegum pinks and more red-toned shades, but I own very few peach/orange toned blushes in my collection, I only have one from MUA which resides at the back of my drawer and very rarely sees the light of day.

The packaging is very sophisticated and convenient, with its sturdy gold plastic with a good view of the colour, and a compact mirror and tiny brush.  The only issue I have with the packaging is that the lid with the mirror under doesn't clip down and just sort of flaps which is very annoying, however this is a minor problem when you consider the pros of the rest of the product.

I have been using this for around 5 days now so I have a general overview of it which isn't enough for a proper review so I thought a first impressions post would be a better idea for this product.  As you can see from the swatch above, it is very pigmented but blends out to look like just a sheer wash of a peach glow.  It isn't too glittery which I love, and it really adds a beautiful dewy glow which I find hard to get from powder products.  A lot of baked blushes I have tried are very glittery so I was extremely pleased when I discovered that this was the complete opposite. It is quite a soft powder, which means it blends beautifully into the skin, and I am never in fear of applying too much and looking a bit strange.  I find this to be a very neutral blush that would compliment pretty much any makeup look beautifully. Blushes like these are very hard to come by so I definitely recommend this if you're someone that is picky about which blushes you wear with which makeup looks!

Overall, I think this is a beautiful product and it is definitely something that I will be using a lot throughout the Spring and Summer months.  Hopefully I can get my hands on a few more shades to see if they live up to the high standard!

What are your favourite baked blushes? I'd love some recommendations!

Emily xx