MY WINTER BASE

I don't change my foundation as often as I'd like to because my skin is so dry, most don't work as good as they should. But this Winter I've added a few extras to tackle hydration and radiance all in once, I got back my summer glow and my skin is soft and supple.

BUDGET BUY FROM BARRY M

I've had this palette in my stash for a while but completely forgot about it until now, Barry M Natural Glow Palette (£6.50) is a bargain for any make-up lover. The eyeshadow shade range is beautiful and comes with a gorgeous blush colour, perfect for girls on the go! All shadows and blush are great quality, super creamy and pigmented, they're really soft and easy to blend in. They don't become patchy or flakey, and very long-lasting. I'm in love with this palette and I'm gonna have to get more...

The Natural Glow Palette has a great selection of neutral shadows and blush you can wear everyday, there's six eyeshadows (both glitter and matte) and one pinky toned blush colour with two simple shadow applicators. (I tend to use my MAC 217 brush!) Unfortunately the shadows don't have shades names to I've swatched them as they appear in the Palette - insert thumbs up emjoi. 

THE BODY SHOP RADIANT PRIMER

I've been using The Body Shop's Radiant Primer (£12) for a while now but I couldn't wait to share it with you guys. Basically, a dewy primer I tend to use over my moisturiser as it's very radiant and adds back that glow. After using this, my skin looks really healthy and plump, it's very soft and gentle without being irritating or breaking me out into spots! It isn't as hydrating as I'd like it to be so I mix this in with Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer. They both work perfectly together! 

The Radiant Primer is really lightweight and creamy, it isn't glittery or make you look like a gigantic disco ball. It blends in super easy and sinks in quickly, I only need use a small blob all over my face. Adding a clear sheen across my face and make-up goes on like a dream on top of this stuff. I'm really loving using this product and The Body Shop have some seriously good products! 

HOPELESSLY IN LOVE WITH RIMMEL

I'm a little saddened by the Rimmel Undercover Shadow Primer and I'm not feeling alot any love for this. It's so upsetting because Rimmel is a fantastic brand and nothing I used before has ever let me down. (The only thing I can describe this product as, a let down...) I didn't do my research beforehand and instead went out on a whim and bought this - such a bad move! After not falling in love with this primer, I wanted to see whether anyone else felt the same and oh my, there are so many disappointed people it's unreal.

The wand didn't hold alot of product so applying enough product takes some time, it comes out in a white liquid form but feels extremely greasy and really powdery. It didn't do anything, it was pointless applying this let alone trying to involve it into my routine. My eyelids are quite dry anyway but after using this, concealer began to flake away. It really wasn't worth the hassle, and of course I'm really disappointed especially with it being from a brand I love so much. 

THE LIP LINER EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT!

Rimmel Lip Liner in Eastend Snob is something that's been spoken about alot recently, either it's a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Liner in Pillow Talk or it's a Kylie Jenner Lip Product.

Eastend Snob is beautiful, nude pink that you can either wear over lip balm on its own or wear under lipstick. Either way it will look gorgeous! It drys matte and is very long-lasting, this is very creamy and feels comfortable on the lips and blends in seamlessly. It isn't irritating or drying and doesn't flake off towards the end of the day when its life line comes to an end. You know what I'm talking about! 

What's great about this liner is that the lid clips on so it won't dry off inside the packaging, and it's a twist up crayon so there's no waste and it definitely won't get stuck inside the lid. We've all been there! The tip is Very small, perfect for getting in corners or your cupids bow. It's something I use more frequently when I want my lips to look fuller but not overly done. 

L'OREAL PARIS LA PALETTE NUDE

L'Oreal Paris La Palette Nude is something that's spread like wildfire through the beauty world and I finally got my hands on one as you can see in my latest beauty buys. When I heard that L'Oreal were introducing a budget palette similar to it's high end friends I knew I had to have it. The shade range is beautiful and one for everyone, with it's subtle beige's and brown shades to strong purples and pinks, this is a winner all round! 

This Palette in Rose is filled with beautiful shades and perfect for any eye look, there are ten shades; four matte and six shimmer. They're all very pigmented and have a gorgeous buttery soft texture but unfortunately the shades don't have names so I've swatched them as they're set out in the palette from left to right. 

This is ideal for travelling with its great shade range and a very thin but sturdy compact - it also comes with a double ended brush already placed inside, and the brush isn't too shabby! The shades are good quality, blend in very easily and have long-lasting power. There's no fall out from the brush or once you apply any of these shades, a must in any beauty junkies collection as it's such great quality and very affordable at drugstore price. 

CLINIQUE EYESHADOW PALETTE

I forgot to mention I picked this up in Duty Free on my return when I recently went on holiday, it's a very beautiful palette to have in your collection, even the packaging is beautiful although not for the sticky fingers! The packaging is very simple, a mirrored effect that's very simple and chic. Clinique is a beauty brand that you can't go wrong with, it does high end beauty so well and has something for everyone. 

The shades are all so beautiful, there's a great mix of colours to complete any eye look with no over-whelming or dud shades that would suit all eyes; brown, hazel, blue, green and make your eyes pop. The Shadows are really creamy and easy to apply, with the rather sturdy dual ended applicator much to my amazement, they're easy to apply and just glide on the lids without any discomfort and tugging at the skin. All the shades are gorgeous, they range from pinks, purples and brown to greens and greys with a gorgeous white shade you can use in the inner corner of your eyes to make you look much more awake and like you've had your eight hours sleep. 

This is the perfect multi-tasker when it comes to different eye looks, you can create anything from a gorgeous nude eye to a heavy smokey eye look, all you need is this palette. I'm definitely going to collect more of these beautiful things, they're so compact and easy to carry around and with the dual ended brush inside there's no need to carry around a handful of brushes with you. You can literally pop this in your bag and off you go, this would fit in most make-up bags because it's quite a small and compact palette. 

SEVENTEEN BROWS THAT! BROW KIT

Seventeen have unveiled their Brows that! Brow Kit and it's definitely comparable towards the higher end brow kits like the Bobbi Brown version but Seventeens latest launch is less than a quarter of the price. The product consists of a wax, powder and highlight as well as mini pencil and brush - something that's always handy just in case! It's suited for brows that are a brown shade and medium to dark in tone. As I haven't seen this product in a range of shades and found no colour name on the packaging as it all seemed the same to me! 

The wax is a dark brown shade, very creamy and easy to blend giving great colour pay off, it didn't harden or fall out through the day, the wax didn't clump together either so my brows looked more like twins, than sisters! After applying the wax I then went over any sparse areas with the brown powder, this is also very creamy and pigmented but there was fall out from the packaging but no fall out from the brush or once I was applied to the brows. Phew! The highlight shade is beautiful and with a hint of beige it didn't look too obvious. The highlight sculpted out my brow bone and lifted my eyes making me look more awake, blending in seamlessly and staying put all day without any fall out. 

I didn't use the brush or pencil because they tend to be slightly lacking in quality but they are there if I need them but I wouldn't choose to use these on a daily basis. For the wax I used the Real Techniques Brow Brush which is great for perfectly outlining brows and creating faux hair lines for thicker brows. For the brown shadow I used Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush as this is one of my favourite shadow brushes because of the soft, rounded end suited for blending. For the highlight I used the MAC 217 Blending Brush  as it's brilliant for any shadow blending. After all that my brows looked perfectly sculpted and filled in, no flaking or clumping happened so I was ready to hit the town! The Seventeen Brows That Brow Kit is definitely one for the brow lovers, on a budget. 

A NUDE FOR EACH DAY

I love a good nude lip as this shade is so versatile and can be put with any outfit either day or night. Wearing a classic 'your lips but better' shade can only make your lips even more luscious and alluring, they're plumped to perfection and no one knows your secret! I've had a little round-up of nude products consisting of lipsticks, glosses and balms either high-shine or matte.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks are very hydrating and comfortable on the lips, the names stem around places in London and Nottinghill Nude is no exception. A creamy, vibrant pinky toned nude that sits perfectly on. 

Another budget lipstick is Loreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick that claims to have the colour intensity of lipstick, the shine of a gloss and hydration of a balm all wrapped into one. They're super cute and easy to throw into your bag, with a quick swipe you're good to go and with the shade Nude Vibrato your lips look beautified and plumped up.

Bourjois have recently brought out what can only be described as a modern lipstick, their Rouge Edition Velvet products have bold, intense shades with a matte finish. The shade Peach Club is super pigmented and creamy, with a silky matte finish they're a staple in my make-up.

As for high end, it can only be MAC Creme Cup is subtle, light pink that is a favourite with alot of beauty junkies. Very lightweight, long-lasting and super hydrating. 

I always sway more towards a gloss, as they have the colour of a lipstick and the high shine creamy finish. Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine gloss take up a large bulk of my gloss collection, as soon as they were released I had to have them all! Coffee Kiss is a stunning, sophisticated shade that feels really luxurious and velvety on the lips with their rich texture. 

A dupe for the NARS Velvet Lip Pencils, the Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencils are gorgeous and the shade Nude Perfectionist isn't too bad either. A creamy texture and matte finish, they were sure to be a hit!

Revlon Color Burst Matte Balm in the shade complex is a little more chunkier than Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencils, but they feel really hydrating and soft and have great colour pay off and lasting power behind them.

Shades Left to Right: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick, Loreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick, Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick, Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil, Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss, Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm and MAC Lipstick. 

SEVENTEEN SKIN WOW PRIMER

The Seventeen Skin Wow Primer is a little pick-me-up for skin when I haven't had enough sleep or during colder months when I'm longing for that extra glow and dewyness. During the Autumn/Winter months my skin is lacking extra moisture so I'm always on the hunt for products that plump skin and make everything look fresh and alive. 

This can be used a primer or highlighter either under make-up or over it; mix it in with your foundation to get an all round dewy glow, use as a base product before make-up or add to cheekbones as a highlighter. It really is an all round great product, and being from a budget brand it won't break the bank.

It has a very velvety texture and creamy finish, it feels very soothing and hydrating on the skin and doesn't irritate or sting any sensitive areas. This for me is a bonus before my skin is very sensitive and some products can cause certain reactions or redness.

This doesn't any scent or sickly smell and won't leave skin with a greasy or sticky feeling, once you've appled this it sinks in straight away only leaving behind that added glow. I tend to use this as a base because it is a really good primer as it leaves my skin very silky and soft. It doesn't have any glitter and lasts all day without drying out the skin or flaking away. A little goes a long way with this product, as you only need the tiniest amount - that being said the packaging helps to prevent any waste with the added pump.

AN OVERDUE SWITCH UP

I've been meaning to switch-up my make-up for a while now, when have you not heard that excuse on Vanilla in November! I tend to forget how many products I have then end up buying more and having no where to put them. They tend to sit on my desk somewhere under a pile of other things until I find them a home. True Hoarding Style! 

I've been using The Body Shop Honey Bronzer since it was released, although I haven't hit pan yet I would hate to because it's such a beautiful product. As for Rimmel's Blush in Santa Rose is a very under stated beauty product, such a beautiful blush colour but I don't think the simple silver packaging helps it. It's time for a change, this is happening.

Revlon's Bronzer and Blush have been lingering in the back of my mind for a while, and I've wanted to use them properly for so long yet never got round to it. Another Silly Excuse, when will this stop! They're both gorgeous shades and perfect for any month of the year - but I want to use them and I want to use them now.  

Bronzilla is a beauty favourite from what I've seen with most beauty bloggers, it seems quite similar to The Body Shop Bronzer because due to its brown tones it's more suitable for paler skins. Revlon Blush in Marvelous is quite a dusty pink tone that creates a natural flush, something I'm looking for in the Winter time. *Thumbs up for Revlon!*

CREAM BLUSHERS

Cream blushers are always a delightful piece of make-up to have in your stash or collection, whatever you have, they add to a natural look with gorgeous, flushing cheeks in every colour you could think of; pinks, reds and oranges.

They're a pleasure to use as well because they're so creamy and hydrating, and easily glide on and with their lasting power they stay put all day. They're a great item to use in the colder months because they add to where the cold would naturally make your skin appear pinker, so by enhancing your cheeks with a cream blusher it still looks natural and no one needs to know a thing. (Shhhh!) 

These are all so easy to use, even in stick form you can literally swipe this across your cheeks; blend, blend, blend and you're good to go. I'd say that Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blushers are the most pigmented out of them all, you only need one swipe - so a little goes a long way with these. Whereas although the Max Factor Blushers aren't as pigmented they seem to be a tad creamier, they feel like silk when I run my finger continuously round in a circle to pick up a slight sheen of colour, too luxurious to be budget. 

SHADES LEFT TO RIGHT

Sexy Mother Blusher in Onamatopeacha, Pinker Belle and Berry Jamm. Revlon Pinched, Bourjois Exclusif and Max Factor Blush in Soft Copper, Soft Pink and Soft Murano.

NOT JUST ANOTHER CONCEALER

Soap and Glory Kiss Ass Blur and Brighten Concealer is a piece I've had in my drawers waiting to used for a while, but I've never got round to using it. It's always been in the back on my mind and I've always caught it in the corner of my eye. When I first bought this and opened it, it ended up in the freezer because the crayon had stuck to the lid and consequently half of it had snapped off, that's why it's so messy! 

I was surprised at how good this actually is, it's really creamy and feels super velvety and luxurious - it's just a delight to use. It's really easy to blend out and buff in, it doesn't dry too quickly or end up gathering up in sections. With Medium, buildable coverage it covers my dark circles effortlessly and stays put with it's long-lasting powers. The yellow tone works against the pinky/red tones in my skin where I want to cover marks or redness and against the blues and purples in my under eye baggage, and sits well under foundation. What more do you want! Did I forget to mention it also comes in two shades light and medium and in crayon form, where you can twist the concealer up if you ever need more - Perfect for one the go!

AUTUMNAL SMOKEY EYES

I've had this piece in my collection for a while now, it's always been tucked away in my drawers because I've never really been bothered to use it. I don't know why, but something's always put me off. I noticed this a few weeks ago and thought this would be ideal to dust off during the Autumnal Season. 

LOreal Paris Colour Riche Quad Eye Palette are a beautiful thing to have in your stash, they're great for travelling, there's four gorgeous shades in one compact. This one, in Eau De Rose is perfectly suited to Autumn and Winter - the light to dark pinks and a strong burgundy to finish your smokey eye off.

The shades are stunning, feel really lightweight and velvety and apply super creamy and soft. The powders blend out seamlessly and feel extremely comfortable without drying or flaking away. The shades aren't seem matte or to shimmery and have great colour pay off - another excellent budget palette! And another great thing is that it's foolproof, each shade is designated for a certain eye area and it shows you where on the back of the packaging. 

THE GOLDEN PEARL

Seventeen eyeshadows are always a hit with me, especially their solo shadows that are super cute! Seventeen have a great selection of shades, and they have every eye look covered with both their solo and trio shadow pots.

The Solo pots are around £3.89 each, which sounds like alot for one shadow, but they're worth so much more than that because they're great quality and the pot will last as long as you need it to - I can't take how cute this teeny tiny pot is! 


This stunning shade is Walnut Pearl, a beautiful golden shade with brown undertones - ideal for all over the lid or blend into the crease to create an eye-catching flick. This shade will make any eye colour pop and suit all skin tones, it's effortlessly chic. It's really creamy, very long-lasting and easily blendable with a strong colour payoff so a little goes a very long way with this! I've had this for over a year and still haven't even made a dent in the imprinted design, there's alot of product in this 'teeny tiny' pot as they're much bigger/deeper than your standard MAC shadow. I highly recommend these as they tick all the boxes for me, they're much greater in every area than any other budget/drugstore eyeshadow. 

BUILD YOUR OWN BUDGET PALETTE

I've had these a while but never got round to using them and that may be because I forgot about them - insert sad emoji. I haven't seen alot of reviews on these, a few people quietly raving about them but nothing too much. Similar to building your own budget MAC palette as each individual shadow can clip and slide together and on there own cost around £2.99, (Now 3 for 2 at Boots!) 

You can create your own customised palette that's interchangeable, given your mood or current season, so it suits all make-up moments. These come in 3O stunning shades, with three different finishes; pearl, matte and shimmer. They have great colour payoff and blend out seamlessly with a little help from my MAC 217 blending brush - the only blending brush I'll ever need! 

I chose Sand and Bone that are very neutral and subtle everyday shades you can work into any look. Sand is a very simple, light skin colour with a shimmer finish - I use this as a base all over the lid then go in with Bone that's a light, matte brown ideal for the crease. 

These both blend out very easily with a pretty, buildable colour payoff - at first they tend to come out a little chalky with slight product fall out but they apply without ease and slowly but surely you can build a beautiful eye look with these. They do need a little retouch towards the end of the day just to keep your look going, but they don't crease or fall away and sit comfortably on the lid - Revlon, you genius!

THE £3 SMOKEY EYE

I recently discovered the Collection Eyeshadow Palettes yet only ever tried the Lasting Perfection Concealer, Surprise Surprise!  I recently posted about their Nude Eye Palette you can find here, an array of gorgeous whites, creams and brown shades with great lasting power. I read Amelia's review on the Little Mix Palette and was completely sold, the shade selection is stunning and the price isn't too bad either. (Pats self on back!) 

Six super creamy shades with a buttery texture and great colour pay off, need I say more! This would be a great gift to stick in someone's stocking as a cute little present. This has to be the perfect budget smokey eye palette, or if you're wanting the bronzed goddess look, I haven't found something better than this in the budget beauty market; the shades are b-e-a-utiful, with a variety of matte and shimmer thrown into the mix, what else do I need...

PINCHED CHEEKS

Are you looking for the perfect winter blush? Because I have just the thing. Revlon Photoready cream blush is a lovely blush colour that's really creamy and silky smooth. It's really easy to apply, either with a buffing brush, you can slowly buff this into the cheeks or glide it on with your fingers, either way your cheeks are going to look blushingly beautiful.

You The formula is really lightweight and to be honest I can't even feel this once I've got it on. I used this blush whilst I was away recently, read my beauty abroad post here,  if I wanted my cheeks to look all pretty around the pool I turned to this because it's so glowy and it lasted all day. The blush is quite subtle and natural looking but it's also buildable, and can highlight your cheeks either with one swipe or ten. It blends out into a gorgeous, natural blush colour and doesn't dry out or flake away, it's stays very soft and cheeks feel hydrated all day. You'll definitely be PhotoReady with this blush!

IN THE NUDE

These are new to the beauty world, and a staple in any lipstick lovers handbag especially if you're a lover of Nars Velvet Lip Pencils. Maybelline recently launched their Color Drama Lipsticks in a variety of shades, ranging from that subtle, ever so thought out pinky tone to a bright and vibrant, out on the town red. Maybelline have got this covered.*Yay for Maybelline!* 

The Lipsticks/Pencils, whatever you want to call them, are super creamy and soft. The colours are highly pigmented and all the colours are show-stoppingly beautiful. The packaging is very simple and sleek, with the added colour on the end of the lipstick it's easy to tell which shade is which, *claps hands.*

Not only are they SUPER creamy but they glide on without tugging/pulling at the lips, and the colour pay-off is incredible for a budget brand. They're really long-lasting and only need the odd touch up, so there's no regular fuss or lipstick on the teeth situation happening. They don't dry out my lips or flake away and dry matte on the lips after application.  

SIX REASONS WHY MUJI STORAGE IS AWESOME

Everyone loves a cheeky purchase from Muji, and it mainly contains storage ideas or cute little bits and bobs, for any beauty hoarder they need somewhere to store products, but where they're easily accessible but also always visible, the answer I hear you ask is Muji, of course! 

1. The Range - Depending on the size or amount of drawers, whether you want flippy lids of no lids, small compartments or no compartments, Muji has this covered. The Range is impeccable because it has such a wide variety; thin, wide, tall, small...

2. The Price - The drawers are very affordable and Muji constantly have sales or deals going on, whether it's online or in their store, you can also find the odd cheeky promo code lying around somewhere. 

3. The Size - The two wide drawers alone are great because they can fit so much in, they're just the right size. I can fit so much inside the drawers and I can stack products on top of one another to create two rows inside the drawers which creates more space. 

4. The Look - It looks good, it really does because you can see all of your products and everything's on display but it's all set out beautifully.

5. Organisation - Everything's organised so there's no need to rummage around having to find something, you can still see the products inside the drawers and they're easily accessible. 

6. Everything has a home - before I couldn't find anything or it would all be dotted around in different places, or even all piled into a box but now they have a lovely acrylic home!