Lime Crime Lipsticks

What's up Sports Fans? Now I know what you're thinking 'your last post was Lime Crime too - what is this?' But my last post was one I had been meaning to write up for months, + I'm sorry to say this is where you're going to get my excuses. For one, I'm convinced Christmas was last week, and yet here we are hurtling towards the end of March at lightspeed. Secondly, on January 1st, I was promoted at work, and that has meant extra hours at the shop, traveling for training, and even traveling to cover shifts in other stores. I was in Somerset just last week! All of this has meant that my posts have been few and far between for 2016 so far I'm afraid. So it's just a coincidence that two Lime Crime posts are next to each other - I'm very sorry.

This is a very special post though because it also has my first Vlog! This is a huge leap for me, I've never made a video like this before, so this is my first attempt and I clearly have loads to learn, but I'm very excited to be expanding my blog in this way.

So what am I reviewing? Today it's a selection of four really exciting, vibrant shades from Lime Crime Make Up. I have selected two of their signature liquid-to-matte Velvetines, and two of their all new metallic matte Perlees. The shades I've selected tell the story of my life, I chose one of each that was in my usual red to purple range, and one of each that was completely different from anything I've ever worn before.

The first pair that I try in this video are the Perlees, my reason for that is because whenever I've worn Velvetines before, they will not budge for love or money or even make up wipes. It's why they're so good, but give me a second and I'll get onto that.

The Perlees shades I purchased were two really retro inspired colours. The first is a 'mulberry red' called Third Eye. It's really deep, multi-faceted pinky-purple mauve. It goes on really smoothly, and really easily, literally gliding on and really defining your pout. It's a few shades off a red wine lip, the shimmer and glitter in it though are just to die for. So beautiful, so vibrant, and such a stunning colour. It sounds like I'm overselling how lush this colour is - but I'm really not. I love this, it feels very retro, very throwback-esque, and I can just picture it being applied by Rebecca in Cheers bar, batting her eyelids at Sam, or even by Rachel Green before her first day at Bloomies. It's reminiscent to me of that early 90's, late 80's glamour that was so prevalent in fashion at the time.

The next shade I took for a test drive was Penny. Let me tell you a little something about Penny: Once upon a time Lime Crime announced they would be bringing out a new collection of lipsticks. The fifth shade reveal on Lime Crime's Instagram was Penny. Meanwhile, in a far away land a girl was scrolling through her feed when this delightful bronze colour appeared as if by magic. The girl knew she had to have it, and so from then on she came to own the Perlees named Penny. 

This truly is an incredible colour, just as dimensional as Third Eye but in a rich copper instead. I love orange, and I love shiny things, so give me a lipstick that meets both criteria and I am going to be on cloud 9, 10 and 11. It's subtle enough still for every day which I think came sometimes be the issue with these out-there colours. Although Lime Crime create make up for every Unicorn, not every Unicorn feels like they have the confidence to walk down their peninsula-living high street in pastel blue lipstick - sometimes they feel more like a donkey with an ice cream cone on their foreheads. This is a unique enough colour to feel experimental and edgy, but not so far as to feel exposed. Though come on girl, you're fab any which way - who are you kidding?

I followed the Perlees with Velvetines, I bought myself two very different shades. The first I trialed is Shroom, which is sort of a nude, 90's, brown shade. The first thing I thought when I tried this one on is how in it is right now. It seems the fashion world can't quite decide if we're flashing back to the 70's, or throwing back to the 90's. But for the days you're choosing tattoo chokers over flares this is the lipstick you want with you. It's a really smooth, blemish free nude. It's a few shades darker than my skin tone and underlaid with almost a caramel brown. It complemented my tones brilliantly, a result I wasn't really expecting because I've never worn nudes or brown lip shades before. So for a home run on my first foray into this new phenomenon is pretty incredible.

The final shade I took for a spin was Pumpkin. I've owned pumpkin previously but somewhere down the line, it got lost. It's a beautiful orange-y, brick red, clay-y colour. Very vibrant, and really harks back to those to-die-for pouts of 1940's pin up girls, which I took as my inspiration when I got dressed + ready that morning. This is another shade that I can dress up or down, and one that can take me through my darkest goth days, and through my ultra fluffy girly days. I love things that are versatile, I am more than a one-look chick, and I expect my lipsticks to be able to carry me through every situation as well.

I hope you like my first ever Vlog! If you do be sure to let me know so I can create more in future! Have a fab day my Unicorns!

You can buy all these lipsticks from Lime Crime:

Velvetines - In shades 'Shroom' and 'Pumpkin'

Prelees - In shades 'Third Eye' and 'Penny'

On my eyes I'm wearing Mustard from the Venus II Palette you can buy here

Lime Crime Venus Palette II

Hello all! It's been a little while since I did a make up review but here we are with this fabulously bright palette from Lime Crime. Lime Crime are one of my all time favourite make up brands, they are a vegan company, and provide a vibrant and diverse collection for every unicorn. I have had a few of their unicorn lipsticks in the past (which are being discontinued now - sigh) but when I saw this beautiful eyeshadow set I knew I had to have it.

The colours of this palette are what attracted me to it. I have always wanted to wear really brightly coloured eyeshadows, I'm such a goth in everything else I do, so I've fancied that pop of colour on my eyes for as long as I've been a make up addict. But for some reason I've always struggled to do that, I have a pigment or a colouration in my skin which tends to make a lot of the eyeshadows I've tried in the past look a bit grey and washed out. This set though is completely different!

Lime Crime's Venus II palette consists of eight vastly different colours. This is what made me want this set over the first Venus palette which was mainly full of nudes and reds. Venus II is the exact opposite, not one of these shades could be classed as nude.

We start at the top right with Pigeon, an iridescent greeny-purpley shimmer, it is identical to the band on a pigeons neck that changes colour in the sun. Colour number two is Filter, the perfect matte powder-blue you always wanted in the early noughties at school. Mash is a slightly metallic soft green. Mustard is my fave colour, when I saw this shade in the pre-launch reveal on Lime Crime's instagram I knew I had to have it, it is a matte french mustard. The first shade on the bottom is Fly, a soft delicate gold. Shade #6 is called Jam, it's a vibrant matte orange colour. Mud follows in a muted brick red. The final shade of this incredible palette is Boot, an absolute black packed with tiny green and purple glitter pigments that catch the light beautifully.

I swatched all the colours above here, and you can see how vibrant and highly pigmented they are, and how completely non-grey they are! Now there are loads of different looks you can create with this palette, for my work Christmas Party I combined Marsh, Pigeon and Boot for an ultimate green smokey eye. The green colours work really well on me as well, I have brown eyes with a green rim around the iris so green colours really make them pop.

My two favourite looks at the minuet are more full of colour than I usually sport. My everyday go-to shades tend to be nudes, browns and golds. So these shades are so out there from my norm - and I love them. Below I created these two looks, the first using Filter and Marsh. This is a soft light mermaid style eye, with lots of mascara to further hint at that early 2000's look. I simply covered my whole lid in Filter and then blended it into the corner with Marsh for a soft smudged out look. You can see again just who strong the pigment in this set it in this image. You can clearly see the blue-to-green blend, and how much it pops compared to the normal nudes and smokey colours you usually see in day to day life.

This second look was created using Mustard and Jam, and it is a true cat eye. It's for the days when you want to go full Lion of Lannister. I dusted Mustard all over my lid and used Jam in the crease and blended it up and outwards in the outer corner of my eye. I teamed this sleek look with a slick of matte black liquid eyeliner just to finish the cat eye effect and bring the whole look together. This is currently my favourite look.

I wore both of these looks with the liquid to matte Velvetines lipstick by Lime Crime, I'm wearing he shade Wicked which is a deep red. I love these lipsticks as well because they are soft, nourishing and moisturising but also bullet proof! 

What do you think of this palette? Would you rock these colours?

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

The latest Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette has been hugely anticipated and has been selling out in seconds to bloggers and make up enthusiasts a like. It's my favourite palette of all the Naked sets simply because in my little goth head, smoky eyes are always better. But it works beautifully even if you don't want to go full Amy Lee. There's a huge selection of sparkly pinks, golden and muted nudes, shimmery blues and silvers, and of course super pigmented dark blacks, purples and greys. 

But to appeal to me a make up set only needs two things. Gorgeous packaging and cute names for all the shades. Urban Decay deliver fantastically on both these fronts. The palette box itself is a frosted black plastic inlayed with swirling, swooshing smoke in a greyscale of shades. The name of the palette itself is embossed and coloured in a striking silver. The names however are what I really love. If you're going to make an eyeshadow and name it Password or Dagger or Thirteen then I will just throw my money at you and go. 

Below you can see the colours of this make up palette against my skin tone. Now I don't know why because I have seen other bloggers use this palette and they had a better variation on colour to me, but my skin tone makes most colour grey. I'm not joking. I always struggled with blues and purples back in the noughties because on me they just go grey.  The same unfortunately can be said for some of this set of colours too. The light colours towards either end, and even some of the matte colours are still easily definable, until you get to colours around the black (or Black Market as it is here). You can barely see the difference between Black Market, Smolder and Password on my skin tone. They look in the palette above as black, purple and grey. But that is no reason to be put off! Password blends beautifully to soften the edges of Black Market and acts as a boarder between a dark colour and a light colour. Smolder would look more purple-y against a lighter colour such as High or Combust. However between two dark shades it just gets lost.

To test out this incredible palette I created a few different looks. + if you buy this palette you can make them too, these are the suggested looks for this palette. The look above is quite a dramatic smoky eye created using Combust, Thirteen, Smolder, Password and High. I also used Soap and Glory eyeliner in Superblack and Benefit's Roller Lash mascara. Considering I felt that this was quite a rock chick look, I went completely uncompromising on the lips. Who care about the bold eye or dramatic lips rule?! I did both and applied coat upon coat of Topshop lip colour in Legend.

Below we have the Smoky Reality Star eye make up. Which basically uses a pencil to create a dramatic but smoked out cat flick. The colours used here are Thirteen, High, Black Market, Slanted and Dagger. Again I used S&G eyeliner in Superblack and Benefit Roller Lash to help create this look. On my lips this time I went for a Kardashian family nude, layering Coquette by Lime Crime and Cognac by Smashbox Cosmetics, layering the two into a nude ombre look.

Below here we have the Everyday smoky which is a striking softly round eye. There's no elongating with eyeliner, or pulling the corners of the eye up and out, it's simply a soft everyday bit of smoke. This look was created using Combust, Armor, and Password. It drags a little of a lighter colour through the centre of the eyelid to give the appearance of bigger an brighter eyes, which is a clever and super easy technique of seeming more wide awake. This look I teamed with a red wine stain lip colour from Revlon's Colorbust Matte Balm range in a shade called Sultry.

The last look is probably my favourite. For everyday make up I usually go for golds and metallics to lift and brighten my eyes. These types of colours work well on my skin and compliment the fact I have very dark brown eyes. On top of that I usually do a sleek and pointed cat flick, a look I have been practicing since I was 13. To create this Smoky Cat look (which is my fave) I used the shades; High, Dirtysweet, Radar and Whiskey. I again used the S&G eyeliner, and Benefit Roller Lash. I also used my all time favourite liquid eyeliner, Glameyes by Rimmel London. I also teamed it with my current favourite lipstick, Sexy Sienna by Charlotte Tilbury. It's peachy undertone becomes more vibrant with the neon orange of my hair but still keeps a subtle off-nude look.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eye Palette 
Soap and Glory Smolder Kohl Eyeliner in Superblack
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara 
Rimmel London Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Eyeliner in Black Glamour

Topshop Long Lasting Lipstick in Legend (discontinued, similar shade here)

Lime Crime Unicorn Lipstick in Coquette

Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lipstick in Cognac
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm lip colour in Sultry
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Sexy Sienna

If you love make up and dramatic eyes then this is a palette you need to own. It's new for Autumn 2015 which means it's packed with this seasons essential shades. It comes with a fantastic double ended brush that helps you complete this eye looks to a professional, high standard. I recommend this palette to everyone - even more so if your skin take purple pigments well!

Have a happy Sunday everyone!

Charlotte Tilbury II

  Some of you maybe aware of my love for luxurious, extravagant make up, such as Chanel, Tarte and of course Charlotte Tilbury. But unfortunately I am not able to afford a full face of these incredible products - well I could - but pizza. So instead I go for a few key pieces that I refer to as 'Forever Extras' 

By that I mean buying a few key pieces that you won't power through in a few months. For example I use Clinique make up everyday, and I have to replace my eyeliner and foundation every three months, my blusher every six. If I was spending luxury prices every time I'd have nothing left! So instead I see these pieces as an investment. A lipstick that I'll wear a few times a month, or a contour kit that I'll use for nights out. These are 'Forever Extras' the forever is obviously an exaggeration but what I mean by this is I can buy a lipstick and know it's not going to dwindle down really quickly. It will last and so is worth spending that little bit extra on.

Charlotte Tilbury's products are 100% worth it too! They all feel super silky on the skin and are full of nourishment to keep you feeling fantastic all day. Plus the rosey-gold packaging looks super sophisticated when you take it out your handbag in the bathroom of a restaurant. What I love most is they all evoke an image of the woman of yesteryear. Think Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe,  Jerry Hall, and just about every iconic woman of the last century. 

She has just released a new range alongside Norman Parkinson, the iconic fashion photographer. Using his photos of previous vogue shoots as inspiration. This is an era that I am a huge fan of. I have an epic love of all things vintage so to find a modern make up, drawing as much inspiration from the past as I do is fantastic.

This time when I went to the Charlotte Tilbury concession at  Selfridges I purchased two items. The Filmstar Bronze and Glow conturing set in Sun Tan + Sun Light. This comes in a beautiful little compact with the Jerry Hall Vogue cover for May 1975 on the top. The two colours and stunning as well and blend so easily. The Sun Tan is a lightweight silky smooth, mediterranean sand colour. You simply paint this on around temples, nose, hollows of your cheeks, basically anywhere the sun would naturally hit. The Sun Light creme is a shimmery gold with ground peal to instantly give your skin a summer glow. 

I also purchased a new Matte Revolution lipstick to wear with this look. The colour I bought however was not the Norman Parkinson collaborated Miss 1975, or the Miss Kensington. The colour I  bought is called Sexy Sienna. I would probably describe it best as a peachy, just off nude colour. Now don;t be put off by the fact it's Matte! It is the opposite of drying, your lips feel super nourished and full of moisture, and they don't look dull either. This collection of lipsticks reflect light brilliantly and give you a sumptuous, sexy pout.

I teamed this conturing holiday skin with a Matte Revolution lipstick I had bought previously. This one is called Bond Girl - sticking to that vintage image you see - and this is a dark yet muted, red wine stain colour. It's sexy and bold, and a perfect red lip if you can't get away with the glossy orange-red that Taylor Swift sports so often.  This is probably my favourite lip colour of all time. It's a subtle red, oozing sophistication and works perfectly with the majority of my outfits - especially if I'm having a goth day!

If you are unsure on all these luxury products but like me want a few key pieces I would have to direct you to Charlotte Tilbury.  I truly believe you get what you pay for and for these fantastic products the slightly steeper price is completely justified! + if you're a sucker for cute packaging like me, you won't be disappointed either!

Flawless Skin with Clinique

Clinique are a universally loved make up brand. All their products bring out the best possible version of your skin, bridging cosmetics with skincare. I have been an avid user of their skin care range for a while now, not daring to deviate from this trusted brand. But the other day I decided it was time I went for a Clinique make up bag, knowing it was the best thing for my skin. 

Above is an image of my skin before and after using these miracle workers. I love the way these products have transformed my skin, leaving it soft and glowing. I wanted a foundation that would last all day without falling off, but with a light texture, nothing to cloggy or heavy. That's why I opted for the Even Better foundation in Alabaster. It's silky texture makes it super easy to apply using your fingers or a brush, it stays in place all day and never looks tired or worn out. 

I also bought their universal primer which is a lovely consistency, smooths on like a dream and keep everything in it's place. I use the primer straight away after moisturising my skin with Moisture Surge skin cream and the All About Eyes cooling serum.

On my eyes I went for this multi-neutural brown toned pallet, I have always gone for eyeshadows like this, I love a pale shimmery colour all over my sockets, right up to the brow line. A little bit of a gold across the lid, a dark brown in the crease and a very dark thin line along my lash line. This is the All About Shadow Quad in Morning Java. I finished my eyes with a quick once over of Lash Doubling Mascara. 

On my cheeks I like a glittery rosie glow along my cheek bones so to achieve this look I went for the Cheek Contouring Palette, which is fantastic because it includes a contour in the darkest shade, a blush in the mid shade and a highlighter in the lightest shade, Three in one - no sweat. On my lips I wanted a subtle pinky glow, and my friend very kindly bought me this shade of Woppin' Watermelon.

I am super happy with my results of these products and highly recommend Clinique to anyone and every one. My skin has never felt so lovely!

Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Massage

Superprimer Face Primer in Universal

Even Better Makeup with SPF15 in Alabaster

All About Shadow Quads in Morning Java

Lash Doubling Mascara

Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette in Defining Roses

Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colouring Balm in Woppin' Watermelon

Bath Time with Lush and Roses

Baths are my all time favourite way to chill out by myself. I get toe scape from all things in the world for an hour a week, I play some uplifting and melodic music and I am gone from the world for a while. So when I finished work today I thought I'd have some quality 'me' time with some of the Lush stuff I've accumulated. 

I opted for the Tisty Tosty bath bomb from Lush this time. It's embedded with seven real roses, rose oil, lemon and jasmine, and is based on a real medieval love potion - perfect if you spend all your free time absorbed in Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings!

One of the things I love about this bath bomb is that it doesn't dye the water, which means you don't finish your relaxing bath to the scrub out a bright purple colour from the bottom of your tub. The scent fills the room entirely and chills you out perfectly. I added extra rose petals and bud to my bath because it feels super luxurious and I can pretend I'm a Princess.

To compliment the scents of my bomb and to create more of an ambiance I lit some vanilla and jasmine scented candles, as well ad my Woodwick candle for a soothing, warming crackling sound. This was a nice touch and transported me a thousand miles away from my little south coast flat to somewhere more magical and infinitely more relaxing.

Bath times though are not just for lounging and day dreaming, they're also for getting clean, which means I get to use my all time favourite product Buffy! Packed with softly exfoliating ground almonds, calming lavender oil, uplifting lemon notes and softening cocoa butter, it's a one way ticket to the skin of your dreams. It banishes cellulite, eliminates dry skin, and leaves your body feeling fresh and glowing. You can see in the picture above the ground bits of almond, they're pretty substantial to really give your skin the love it so deserves.

The last product I used today was Ocean Salt. You can use it all over your body, but I use Buffy for that so I just used it on my face. It gets into every nook of your skin completely slaying black heads and skin imperfections. It's also fruity fresh because it's packed with grapefruit and lime juice infusions. Plus it's not even overly drying either because the sea salt is balanced by skin-softening mango butter, however I still recommend using your usual facial moisturiser afterwards. 

I also recommend taking your make up off throughly before as well, I was a little hasty with the make up wipes today, especially on my eyeliner! But I now feel super relaxed and all settled to chill out, and besides, after all Lush went through to make they're products calming it would be rude if I didn;t!

Herbal Essences: The Hair Greats

For the past hundred years I've been hating my hair. It's thin, it breaks, it splits, it doesn't grow, I can;t do anything with it... and so on. I used to reminisce about the old days when my hair was healthy, I tried a thousand different shampoos and conditioners and treatments trying to find something to help. I tried everything, thickening, moisturising, coloured, damaged, anything! But none of it helped. It still broke, it was never shiny and I had just accepted that this is what my hair is now.

Until one day I walked down the hair aisle in Asda, and there it was! Herbal Essences Original Sensuously Smooth shampoo and conditioner with ginger, cinnamon and banana. I think my mum used to use this on me and my sister when we were very, very young, and I thought 'hey why not, I've tried everything else.' 

It was the best purchase I ever made! on top of smelling delicious for three days straight, my hair shines like the sun's glinting off it, it tumbles in beautiful soft, shimmery waves, it doesn't break when I tie it up. + the best bit? I don't find myself clutching handfuls of hair in the shower after washing it. It's been a life changer. 

I'm sure the reason for this incredible finish is the fact that it's 100% silicone free! It leave dry and damaged hair fully replenished the best condition you ever remember. After one wash I noticed an instant change and uplift in my hair. By the end of my first bottles I wouldn't even consider going to anything else. 

Thank you Herbal Essences, my hair once again is fabulous!

Top Products of 2014

Today katherineharriet.co.uk is one year old (hooray!) and is tribute I am going to give my my favourite products for the new year, which was the first post I ever made as well. This year I have moved from the drug store products, to high end cosmetics, and danced with everything in between. So here I have the products that worked there way into my life this year.

The Retoucher by Charlotte Tilbury - This is a fantastic anti-reflective concealer. It's ideal if you like a soft, matte complexion and it's thick silky formula mean it hides blemishes and dark circles in seconds. Th fact it has a pen like shape with a brush nib means it's also really easy to contour, a dab on your chin, cupids bow, nose and each eye is all you need for a bone structure worthy of the red carpet.

Moisture Surge by Clinique - The super fast absorbing oil free compound in this little pink pot is every make up addicts dream. You all know you need to moisturise before you put on your make up, but many of you may struggle with the issues of peeling. Where the moisturiser and foundation combo makes for flaking and an uneven complexion. This however is lapped up by skin in moments, and the rest of your make up can go on without a glitch. 

Gimme Brow by Benefit - Now when it comes to the eyebrow trend of 2014, we all know bigger is better. Thanks to miss Cara Delevinge we can do away with the tweezers, however they still need to be groomed and even. These little miracle workers are like mini mascaras for your eyebrows. They fill out the more sparse bits, and set them beautifully solid.

All About Eyes Serum by Clinique - This is my most recent and most loved product of the year. It's cooling and quick absorbing serum means it's a twos second job to combat tired eyes and dark circles. However - better yet - it's the best headache reliever ever! Roll it around your temples, and the metal ball/cooling liquid combo is like heaven.

I hope you guys will try a few of these products in the new year because honestly - they have been life changing. I wish you all a fantastic New Year and I'll see you all again in 2015!

Lush Stuff

I have been an advocate for Lush products since I was about 14. My mum bought me and my sister a little variety box that had in a bath bomb, a sugar scrub, some moisturisers and that was it. No turning back. I've been hooked ever since. I love everything about Lush, I love the smell when you're walking down a street and coming up to a shop, I love the people who work there, all lovely and kind, I love what they stand for, I love that when you make a purchase you feel as though you've made a small difference in the world. 

They are always bringing out new products so if you're ever in there I'd try and get your hands on their free magazine, it's free and gives you a run down of their latest products and what product is best for specific issues, as well as interesting articles. However there are some things that I will just always buy in Lush. As in when one runs out, a new one comes home that same day. So much so that my roommate has had to accept that there is a 'Lush Shelf' in our bathroom.

This is a walk through of my fav Lush Stuff, and if you're unsure one what to get, give any one of these a go.

Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask - This face mask was recommended to me when I spoke to one of their helpful members of staff. Now I have pretty good skin, it's normal and doesn't get spotty too often, but when I do have breakouts they're huge. This one is a lovely gentle soothing face mask. It's packed with tea tree oil, which is antibacterial and smells fresh and clean. It has green grapes in too cool the skin after a long day. The garlic in the product is probably the best though, it cleans deep and works brilliantly with tea tree oil to cleanse skin better than ever before. Smooth over your faces once a week, and keep refrigerated. (but tell your Dad! Otherwise he might open it, think 'mm that smells quite good' and put it on toast - yes my Dad actually did this!)

Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb - This is the best thing ever! As it dissolves it changes colour like a Willy Wonka Ever Lasting Gobstopper, with lovely papery flakey scales swimming around you.  Once it's fully dissolved you feel like royalty sitting in a shimmery, glittery gold pool. It's reminiscent of that scene in Voyage of the Dawn Treader in Narnia where the sword is in the lake full of golden objects, and the water itself turns anything that touches it gold. It smells fresh and fruity with a citrus-y lemon-y scent.

Bohemian Soap - I don't think I've actually ever bought this one myself, but for every birthday/Christmas/event I tend to get at least one Lush box, and this is in almost every one of them. It's fantastic and is my go to soap. It smells amazing, clean and packed with lemon oil, rapeseed oil, and coconut oil. It's softening and smells as good as it looks, uplifting and energising.

A French Kiss Bubble Bar - This is the perfect way to send you off to sleep after a long day. Lavender aids in a restful sleep, as does being warm and cosy a good half hour before going to bed. It starts your brain unwinding and so you can drift off to sleep more easily. Break a bit off and crumble it under running water, before you know where you are, you'll have a tub full of bubbles and room full of calming scents. This bubble bar also contains coconut oil to moisturise skin in a non greasy way. Pure bliss.

Buffy Body Butter - I swear by this miracle product. I used to suffer with cellulite on the backs of my thighs and on my bum. I started using this on the problematic areas a few months a go and now you wouldn't even know I'd ever suffered with it. Whilst in the shower I just scrub this over my thighs, bum and tummy, working it in well all over and then rinsing. The ground almonds exfoliate skin leaving it soft and rejuvenated. It's also packed with cocoa butter, lemon oil and lavender oil, to make for a skin-calming experience. It leave skin feeling as soft and dewy as that of a baby. I wouldn't have a shower now without this trusty product with me. It has saved my bikini bod.

Hottie Massage Bar - A favourite of mine and my boyfriends. We have tried many of the Lush massage bars over the years and we both agree that this is the best. The bobbles on it are great for getting in-between your vertebrae to release tension. It smells warming, and amazing, great for cold winter evenings what with the ginger and black peppery smell emanating from it. Simply place on your other half's back, or best friend, or sibling or whoever to work up an oily surface, then work in. It's relaxing and soothing, and after you've done them - they do you! It aids in circulation and releases stubborn knots. It's also made with a cocoa butter base meaning afterwards your skin is super nourished. 

These are permeant fixtures in my bathroom now, and I couldn't make it through a pamper day without all of these. What are your favourite Lush products? Have you tired any of these?

*All photos found through Google Images

5 Everyday Miracle Workers

Although a stream line cat flick is my war paint, there are a few things that I just don't feel human without anymore. These five products I use every single day and they are completely incredible - I don't know how I ever made it through a day with out them. They are sort of high end, but I think it's one of those things where you can quite happily use budget make up every day of your life, but when you make that first step into premium cosmetics there's no turning back. Your entire make up collection for £50, turns into a collection worth upwards of a few hundred.

Now I didn't just splurge one day and buy all of it, this has been two years building, two years of accumulating and growing, as one product ran out, a higher price bracket one followed. But now I'm here with these wonder products and I will be loyal to these for the foreseeable future. They're perfect for my skin type in almost every way.

1) Clinique Moisture Surge - This is a dream come true for me! I used to skip over the moisturising part of my skincare routine because whenever I did my foundation wouldn't hold properly and would peel off in clumps. When I found this though I knew. The fact it's a gel rather than a lotion means it doesn't sit on the skin for ages causing clumping, or making your skin look greasy. It absorbs in seconds and you only need a tiny amount to do your whole face. The soft pink colour of the gel is lovely as well. It just looks nice on your vanity surrounded by other pretty packages. If there is one thing I'm a sucker for - it's nice packaging.

2) Clarins Ever Matte Mineral Powder Compact in Transparent Fair 02 - This is my go to sculpting powder, using a tapered blush brush I dust this in a big E around each side of my face. It gives instant cheek bones and blends out any left over foundation lines in an instant. Although it's a powder it has a creamy - almost velvety texture about it. It feels super luxurious and the little red velvet bag it comes in adds to that feeling. I opted for this colour because I wanted something a touch darker than my skin so I could contour properly. I think this does it perfectly, and considering I'm not a huge fan of glitter and shimmer the complete matte of this compact is ideal, however it doesn't look stale or dark, it reflects light brilliantly and offers users a healthy glow.

3) Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher in 2 Fair - This little tube is the other half to my contouring trick. I sweep a little of this over the centre of my forehead, down my nose, under my eyes and along the top of my cheek bones towards my hair line, and also on my chin and cupids bow, these are all the areas that I want a little bit lighter. The fact that again this is quite a matte liquid is perfect, it doesn't reflect light as much as the compact which makes for a balanced face, rather than dazzling brightness. This lifts the dark circles under my eyes and softens the lines of my nose, and teaming that with a darker powder means I have a super easy contour without really even trying.

4) Estée Lauder Perfectionist Foundation - The one I actually have in this picture is Resilience Lift, but it's been discontinued and replaced with this one which is basically the exact same thing. Both brighten, lift and hydrate, improving the look of radiance. Both have an SPF rating, the new one actually has a higher SPF than the one I'm currently using, it is important to use products with sun protection in even on cloudy days to protect skin from drying and ageing before it's time. The formulas themselves are enriched with anti ageing properties, and although I can't speak for whether they work in that respect they do lift and make your face feel fresher and slightly more taught - and definitely more radiant. 

5) Eco Tools Eye Enhancing Duo Set - These double ended brushers are the best thing if you like to wear multiple eye colours at a time. I like to wear a light colour all over, followed by a mid tone brightening colour from half way along the lid to the outer corner and a darker shade around the outer corner and in the crease. The fact theres four brushes in the set means you never get a dark colour mixing with the lights. The different shape of each brush also lends itself to different tasks. A small round one for all over dusting and blending; a flat fan shaped brush for layering up colour; a small stubby flat edge brush for blending and shading; and a final angled brush ideal for either lining along the lash line, or for filling in eyebrows. 

These are five outstanding products and I would recommend them  to anyone and everyone. They're all the best at what their job is and each one is well worth the money you spend on them. I bought all of these between three - six months ago and I'm not even close to seeing the end of their lives and having to replace them. So when you're only buying two or three a year you can afford a slightly more expensive product.

What are your can't-live-without essentials? Have you tried any of mine?

Ted Baker Christmas Make Up Boxes

I know my other half will flip when he sees the title of this because it's too early to even mention the C-word. But It's coming at you like a dark horse, we're just over a month away from Christmas and it makes sense to get a jump on gift shopping or you'll find yourself panicking the week before and you'll end up buying everyone a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

These are two lovely little Ted Baker sets from Boots, they're in the 3 for 2 gift offer which just means you get more for your money. These are an ideal gift if you have a make up addict friend or sister who just buys everything for themselves anyway. For example last year, three days before Christmas I ran out of my favourite concealer and posted it on Instagram, but I bought more later that day, not realising my dad had seen the post and bought me some more as a stocking filler! Make up addicts know what they need, and they know what they want, and they probably want quality. So it's hard to buy them something they wouldn't buy for themselves without spending a fortune. However these sets are perfect!

They're pretty reasonably priced at only £15 each, and you get a lot for that money. I think some people might be put off because it's 'branded' make up. By that I mean it's created by a company that don't really do make up for a one off occasion, so it might not be as good quality as dedicated make up brands. But this is where brand knowledge comes in. When a brand like Ted Baker are involved you have to think of what they stand for. Ted Baker make quality clothes, on trend and flattering. The same therefore must be said for anything they agree to put their name too. They wouldn't put their name to something they thought was rubbish.

So with that in mind I have to say they delivered! I bought the 'The Kiss Of Ted' lip box and 'Shades In Waiting' eye box. The lip box is fantastic. It comes with a cute compact mirror and a silky lip balm on one side. The other side has a deep wine red-purple chubby lip pencil, a velvety bright red lipstick and a matte red lip liner. The pigments in each of these is just amazing! They're super vibrant and true to the colours on the packaging. The lip pencil and lip stick compliment each other perfectly so you can get the perfectly defined pout, and what's even better is the chubby pencil is a to die for glossy texture, and a colour i had been coveting from Clinque for months, but I got it here as part of a set for the same price - if not less!

The eye box is incredibly well made too. It comes with an eyebrow pencil and tweezers so your face can be perfectly framed. It also comes with a felt tip liquid eyeliner pen in inky black, ideal for that perfect feline flick. The mascara that comes with this set I really didn't think much of, I thought the brush would be thin and bristly and the product itself would be clump inducing - it was anything but! The wand had separating rubber bristles and the product was smooth and jet black - it's the best mascara I've used in a long time to be honest with you!

The three eyeshadows in this pallet I was a bit wary of as well, I usually stick to either a flat neutral pallet on my eyes or go really super smokey, but always keeping a cat flick. So the champagne, olive green and pewter silver were new territory for me. They have a lovely metallic sheen to them and go on super smoothly, they have a slight liquid texture once on skin which made blending them really easy, and actually I think the olive green tone really compliments dark brown eyes like mine, it lifts them. So dark eyed beauties - take note!

To create the look above I put on my usual base and contouring and then carefully lined my lips with the red lip pencil. I filled them in with the chubby purple colour, after this I rolled my lips together to blend the red and purple seamlessly. One my eyes I coloured the centre of my eyelid with the olive colour and blended into the inner corner with the light champagne tone. On the very outer part of my lid I smudged some of the pewter eyeshadow to create a green toned smokey eye. I finished with a cat flick and lashings of mascara.  

I hope this in someway helps with your christmas shopping, or gives you a new pallet to crave if you're a make up obsessive like me. 

Ted Baker, The Kiss Of Ted - Boots

Ted Baker, Shades In Waiting - Boots