Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush - Radiant Magenta

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush/ Radiant Magenta £28.00

If you read my blog regularly, you will know how much I love my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. They are truly incredible and I can't even imagine my makeup without them. As soon as I found out that Hourglass are bringing out Ambient Lighting Blushers, I knew I had to get my mitts on a couple of shades. My budget is tight at the moment though, so I only ordered one so far. Most of the shades are still available on a 'pre-order' basis, but mine arrived within 5 days. After googling swatches and reviews I went for Radiant Magenta- a stunning fuchsia colour combined with some Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder. It is simply breathtaking! 

Serozinc Review (and UK stockist)

Serozinc has been on my radar for quite a long time, but we all know how difficult it is to buy in the UK. Most people get it on ebay, but you can now order it from www.farmaline.co.uk. They are an online pharmacy and deliver the goods to your door within 48h. I would recommend getting 2 bottles or placing a bigger order to make it worth the money or maybe ask a friend, if they want to split the cost of postage (£5.95). If you like French skincare, you will be able to fill your basket  really quickly and if you spend £75 - delivery cost is free. Anyway... I have been using Serozinc for the past 3-4 weeks and I am finally ready to share my opinion. 

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer Review (SX06)

 Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (shade SX06) £38.00

I have been thinking about buying this product for a long time and I finally placed an order for it a couple of weeks ago. I've heard mixed reviews and I realise that you can either love it or hate it. I was quite confused when I first used it, so it is understandable, but it is all about the technique. Thankfully, I figured out a way to use it and I absolutely love it! I can't believe I waited so long to buy this miracle worker!

Spring wishlist: fashion, makeup, fragrance

Ebay crystal necklace £7.99 (uk seller)

Beige 'smile' bag £19.99 (uk seller)

Embellished ballerina flats £30.00 (asos)

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Purse Spray £24.95 (fragrance direct)

Lace Insert Jumper £30.00 (river island)

Skinny White Jeans £25.00 (river island)

Set of 4 midi rings £10.00 (asos)

L'Oreal Collection Prive Lipstick in Julianne's Nude £8.16 (feelunique)

By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace in Melba £38.00 (space nk)

Spring is probably my favourite season and I already started organising my wardrobe to make sure I get more wear out of all my pretty pastel jumpers and accessories. As a typical girl, I still end up saying that 'I have nothing to wear' though and my wishlist is never-ending :)

I picked a selection of items I have been eyeing up, with the embellished River Island flats  and lace insert jumper being on the top of my list. I also need a nice beige bag and the ebay replica of Celine (shhh...) is an absolute bargain. I already have two of these: one in red and one in mint green, but I wanted something more neutral this time. To go with the light/pastel theme, I will have to get myself a pair of white skinny jeans :) My current pair doesn't fit me (yet!) and I don't think I can drop 3 dress sizes before spring :) haha.  I also need some cute midi rings and a new necklace to feed my addiction. I just can't stop buying new ones.

From beauty bits, I really want to finally get one of the L'Oreal Collection Prive Lipsticks, but they always sell out really fast instore. I might order one online along with a a cute little bottle of Daisy Eau So Fresh and the new By Terry Blush - it looks gorgeous!

What's on your wishlist at the moment? Are you ready for Spring?

This post is NOT sponsored!

  

Love Me Beauty Box (February)

Love Me Beauty Box* £10.00 (+£2.95 p&p)

I am usually blown away by Love Me Beauty and when I opened my Valentine's Day themed February box, I was very excited about the contents. Take away the body milk sample and swap it for a nice little nail polish and it would be THE perfect box for me :) Seems amazing, but... let me explain why I was left feeling a bit disappointed...

TheBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Review

I blogged about the release of theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer* (£16.00) back in January and I couldn't be more excited to finally try it. I already own Mary-Lou(highlighter) and Betty-Lou(bronzer) and they are both gorgeous, so I had really high expectations. 

My makeup storage

Since getting rid of my big dressing table (click to see my old post), storing makeup has been a bit of an issue, so I decided to buy the tall Malm chest of drawers last year and I am quite happy with it. I also added some clear acrylic drawers for my everyday makeup (I got an extra set since I took the photos). They are perfect, because I can see everything and access my favourite products easily. I would still like a small dressing table in my bedroom, but I will wait patiently, until I actually have a walk in wardrobe in our dream house and I can make it as girly as I want :)

Pink Makeup Look and Nails for Valentine's Day

Ooops I did it again... I just can't resist wearing pink on Valentine's Day. Pink lips, pink and violet eye makeup, pink nails... I love it! I was worried that it might be a bit too much, but I think it looks ok :) I am not too sure about the lashes though. Let me know what you think :)

Davina's BT Sport Relief Challenge: Davina-Beyond Breaking Point

I am all about supporting a great cause and I am absolutely blown away by Davina's BT Sport Relief Challenge: Davina-Beyond Breaking Point! The 46-year-old is currently attempting a seven day challenge, where she is swimming, cycling and running 500 miles from Edinburgh to London. Insane! 

Clarins Opalescence Collection for Spring 2014

Spring makeup is all about a fresh, radiant complexion, juicy lips and beautifully flushed cheeks. As usual, Clarins didn't disappoint and covered every single aspect of Spring beauty in their stunning new Opalescence collection. The new releases for Spring 2014 include: four cream blushers, an eyeshadow quartet, face & blush palette, 3 new shades of Joli Rouge Brilliant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick, 2 new lip gloss shades and a single eyeshadow. There are two more product launching along with the new collection as well: Instant Light Boosting Radiance Complexion Base in three shades and Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream. 

F&F Lingerie and Valentine's Day Treats :)

Valentine's Day is a perfect excuse to buy lovely lingerie, but it doesn't have to be super expensive. I am a big fan of F&F Clothing and I buy a couple of things from their collection every season. I have never bought any of their underwear though, but this set really caught my eye. It is sooo pretty!

Real Techniques Retractable Brushes & Silicone Liner Brush

I am always on the lookout for travel brushes, but most of them aren't retractable, which makes them hard to keep clean and store. That's why I couldn't wait for the release of new Real Techniques Retractable brushes and as usual, I am really impressed with the quality. They are well made, pretty and affordable.

January Favourites

It's time to share my monthly favourites again :) All products featured in this post (except one) are brand new or relatively new discoveries and I absolutely looooove them! I tried to keep a nice balance between makeup, haircare, bodycare and skincare this time and I will do my best to avoid writing a long essay :)

MAC Contrast Eye Makeup Look

Every time I photograph a makeup look without falsies, I think it looks a bit unfinished, but... I am giving my lashes a break, so no falsies this time :) The eye shadows I used for this look are Contrast and Nylon. I must admit, Nylon has been my most used MAC shade and it goes with so many looks. I would definitely recommend picking it up. Contrast is a stunning dark blue with purple undertones and a velvet finish and it is perfect for a dark blue smokey eye.

NEW IN: Bourjois CC range, Liners and Mascara

New releases from Bourjois always excite me and I have never been disappointed with any of their makeup (except the erasable liner...)! The most recent additions to their range include the 123 Perfect CC Cream, 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream, 2 new shades of Liner Feutre, Mega Liner and a new Dark Khol Mascara. 

Cute tea strainer with a doughnut trinket :)

I very rarely blog about my 'non beauty finds', but I really love this little tea strainer and I wanted to share some of the pictures I took today :) I have been looking for a nice infuser on ebay and I stumbled across a range of Kilo ones, with cute trinkets attached to the chain. I went for a doughnut with pink icing and white sprinkles and I absolutely love it!

Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey Flamingo Candle

Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey Candle* by Flamingo Candles £12.00 (200g, 50h burn time)

I am a big fan of luxury candles and I mostly buy from NEOM Organics, but I was really drawn to the quirky design of Flamingo Candles and their fun, scrumptious fragrances. Their candles are organic, hand poured in Britain and made with fairtrade, eco-friendly soya oil. Perfect for those who try to stay away from paraffin based candles, but don't want to break the bank.

Sigma Born To Be 'Smoke Screen' Eye Shadow Palette

 Sigma Smoke Screen Palette* 

I declared my love for Sigma eye shadows many times and I think that they are very underrated and don't get enough coverage on British blogs. I am not going to lie - nothing beats Urban Decay, but Sigma is definitely in my top two when it comes to the formula of eye shadows and I use their stunning palettes very often.  The latest addition to my stash is the Smoke Screen Palette from Sigma's new 'Born To Be' collection and it really is a beaut! 

Neom Love Candle Review

Neom Love Candle* £42.00

I am not picky when it comes to candle scents. I love sweet, floral, spicy, herbal, woody etc... I do have a couple of specific favourites though and most of them are from Neom. That's why I was really excited, when their new 'Love' Home Candle landed on my doorstep. As soon as I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised with the scent. It isn't something I would normally expect from Neom. 'Love' is much sweeter than the rest of their candles, which is a good thing for those who find Neom's scents too herbal and overpowering. 

Michael Kors Sporty Bronze Powder - Glow

 Michael Kors Sporty Bronze Powder/Glow*  £34.00

When it comes to makeup, I am usually drawn to pretty packaging, even when I already own about 10 alternatives of the actual product :) haha. The formula is very important too (obviously), but with the Michael Kors bronzers, I couldn't stop staring at the gold packaging and after looking at swatches, I decided to go for 'Glow'- the lightest from all the shades.

OCC Lip Tars / Plastic Passion Collection, Spring 2014

OCC Plastic Passion Lip Tars* £11.95 each

I love OCC Lip Tars and the new Plastic Passion Collection features some stunning, unique shades. They launched today (1st of Feb) and you can choose from six shades in total. Four of them are bright matte colours and two have a metallic finish. I was kindly sent three of the shades to try out before the products were released and you might have seen me wearing the levender/purple one on instagram. I looooove it!

Planning my holiday swimwear choices

AD -  (compensation with a voucher)

Last Summer I didn't really have to overthink my swimwear choices, as we were in a private villa, where no one could see me, but I still wanted to be comfortable, so I opted for a nice swimsuit and didn't care much about getting the right two piece option.

Health update

I thought I should update you all a bit after a long break... First of all...I can't believe it is now the end of January and I am still not back to my normal routine. I just need more motivation. I think I have to switch it up a bit. I apologise in advance,  if the post turns into a ramble :) Here's what I have been up to.

4 Rituals To Help You Unwind

Image credit 

After a stressful day, bingeing on your favourite show or scrolling through your social media pages can seem like the ideal way to relax. However, engaging in a night-time ritual before retiring to bed can help you rest well. These sets of activities typically last from 30-60 minutes. They aid in adopting healthy sleep practices, reducing anxiety, and cultivating positive habits. Here are four simple rituals that will prepare you for bedtime.

L'Oreal #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

My hair is naturally extremely flat and thin and I struggle to add volume to it. It recently became even more annoying and I have to use lots of different products immediately after washing and drying my hair (if I don't want to look like I haven't washed my hair for two weeks). That's why I am always on the lookout for volumising sprays and the L'Oreal #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray ended up in my basket as soon as I noticed it in Boots. I must admit... I am quite impressed!

MAC Humid and Lucky Green Eye Makeup Look

Another MAC makeup look :) My MAC palette is definitely getting a lot of love! This time I used a super bright green shade called Lucky Green and a dark/medium green called Humid. I also added a little bit of Nylon to blend out the edges. 

Magnitone Pulsar Brush Review

Magnitone Pulsar* (RRP £129.99)

I mentioned this brush in one of my Christmas Gift  Guides and my December Favourites post, but it is finally time to review it properly and tell you more about it. I was kindly sent the Magnitone Pulsar brush back in November and started using it immediately, but I had a bad reaction to a MAC foundation and got tons of breakouts, so had to stop using the brush and let my skin recover from the allergic reaction. Once my skin was back to normal, I started using it again and... I absolutely love it. 

NEW! Benefit Lollitint (review and swatches)

Benefit Lollitint* £24.50

Oh Benefit, I adore your lip & cheek stains and the new Lollitint simply stole my heart. I am not sure, if I mentioned it before, but my first ever Benefit product was their Benetint and I used to be addicted to it! I still love it and use it quite often on my 'no makeup days', but I have been dying to get my hands on a pink shade. Posietint was a bit too light, but  Lollitint is just perfect! 

Depotting some of my eyeshadow palettes

  

I was a little bit bored last night, so I started a big makeup clearout + prep for a blog sale. While deciding what palettes to keep, I thought I should depot some of the bulky ones (looking at you Sigma!) and put them in my lovely Z Palette (from www.beautychamber.co.uk). I used it for cheap blushers and eye shadows in the past (read my original post here), but they are now past their expiry date, so they went in the bin. I made exceptions for my most loved (and old) Urban Decay Singles though and kept them :)

Marie Reynolds Ti Amo Candle Duo

Created by a professional beauty therapist Marie Reynolds, the 'Ti Amo' candle duo would make a lovely gift for Valentine's Day. It consists of two massage candles: Indulge and Passion and comes in a lovely gift box. Each candle burns for approximately 10 hours and contains 5oz of wax.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushers

More stunning products for Spring 2014, this time from Hourglass. I am obsessed with their Ambient Lighting Powders, so the new blushers are definitely something I will be investing in. They will be available from the Hourglass website on the 24th of January for $35.00 and we should be able to get them in UK at the beginning of February. I am not sure about the UK price, but they are $10 cheaper than the Ambient Lighting Powders, so they might cost around £30.00 each. There will be 6 gorgeous shades to choose from.

My 2013 Makeup Favourites

It's time for my last instalment of 2013 favourites.The makeup category was the hardest one and it took me ages to decide what products were my definite favourites last year. If you are interested in my favourite makeup brushes and tools, I wrote a separate post about them here.

Beyonce 'Mine' inspired makeup look

Whenever I mention that I am not really a Beyonce (or Rihanna) fan, I actually get abuse on Twitter, which I find absolutely hilarious :) We all have different tastes and values, right? I respect someone's opinion, so they should respect mine. Anyway... When lovely Danielle mentioned a makeup look Beyonce wore in her 'Mine' video, I really liked the sound of it, so I watched the video and decided to give the eye makeup a try. It is not exactly the same and the shades used on her look totally different against my skin tone, but I used similar colours and I quite like how it turned out. The only palette I used for this eye makeup look is Urban Decay Vice 2, plus bright blue eye pencil, mascara, liner and falsies.

ZOEVA 'ROSE GOLDEN LUXURY SET'

OMG! How gorgeous is this brush set? The new 'Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury  Set' launches on the 27th of January and it is a beaut! It is inspired by the 'dazzling explosion of pink and gold 'and comes in a sleek clutch. For 58.00 € (under £50), you get eight stunning brushes, which is amazing! The quality of Zoeva brushes is exceptional and comparable (if not the same) to MAC and Sigma. 

Brand focus: Zoeva (+giveaway)

When a little Zoeva parcel arrived at my doorstep all the way from Germany, I couldn't wait to play with my new brushes and liners. I already own the Luxe Colour Blush in Last Love, so I decided to give the new one away to one of my readers :)

2013 Favourites: Makeup Brushes and Tools

I was planning to include my most loved makeup brushes and tools in my 2013 makeup favourites, but... the post would be far too long, so I decided to split it into two separate edits. I own 50-60 good quality brushes and use most of them regularly, but I managed to pick 6 favourites from my entire collection and...one amazing tool I can't live without :)

Neom Refresh Body Wash

Neom Refresh Body Wash* 240ml, £18.00

I love Neom's Refresh range, especially the gorgeous room spray and candle. I use them, when I want my house to smell very fresh, but not overpowering and they work really well in the kitchen as well. That's why I was very excited to try the Refresh body wash and I must admit - it is a  gorgeous product.