5 New Beauty Favourites

1. Daisy Dream - Marc Jacobs

 

 

I was very excited to receive his as a Christmas gift as I had actually been wanting to get a tester of it after running out of my beloved Marc Jacobs Daisy. I was surprised that I actually prefer this scent to Daisy as I find it is much more fresh and floral, so I think this will be the perfect scent for the Spring/Summer season.

2. Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil - Dark Brown

 

 

I was looking for a new brow product after I ran out of my Benefit Gimme Brow and so I decided to try out this Rimmel brow pencil that I had read amazing reviews about. I have never really been a fan of overly done, filled in eyebrows so I wanted a product that looked fairly natural and the brush supplied with the product helps to achieve exactly that.

3. Urban Decay Smoky Palette

 

 

This was also a wonderful Christmas gift I received that I had been longing after for months. I was sceptical about naked palettes at first as I wasn't sure whether they would meet my expectations however after reading  on many of my favourite beauty blogs say how amazing they were for months, I started to consider trying one of the palettes and when I saw the smoky palette I fell in love. Now that I actually own the palette, I can safely say it has exceeded all my expectations; I love all of the shades and the pigmentation is amazing. I will definitely be adding the 1, 2 and 3 palettes to my collection soon.

4. MAC Lipstick in 'Please Me'

 

 

 

 

I have recently grown quite bored of my nude lipsticks and as I have never really been that adventurous with lipstick colours, I wasn't sure which colours would suit me. I went on a visit to MAC and eventually decided on this gorgeous pink shade called 'Please Me'. This shade is a lot brighter than what I am used to and I also wouldn't usually choose a matte finish lipstick, however I think it will be perfect for a summer makeup look.

5. KIKO Cosmetics Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in '01 Golden Sand'

 

I heard about KIKO Cosmetics quite a while ago however I never got around to ordering any products off their website as I did not live near any of their stores in the UK. However when they opened a store in Manchester, I got very excited and had a little spree! This is my favourite product of theirs that they have tried so far; the creamy stick blush. I have never really been a fan of creamy blushers as I find that they always look too pigmented and harsh against my skin tone compared to powder blushers, however this shade and the formula of the blush are perfect for my skin and create a natural, healthy glow with a touch of shimmer. The formula makes this blush incredibly easy to blend into the skin and is definitely the most long wearing blush I have ever tried.

 

What are your beauty favourites right now?

 

Kathryn x

Favourite Songs Of January

Hi there!

 

I cannot believe it is February already! January seemed to go so quickly but I somehow managed to create a pretty long Spotify playlist this month, so here are my top ten picks of 2016 so far:

 

1) Lush Life - Zara Larsson 

  

 

Listen Here

 

2) The Sound - The 1975

 

 

As we are nearing the release of The 1975's second album 'I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it', their early song releases just keep getting better and better. Having listened to all three of their latest singles, 'Love Me', 'UGH!' and 'The Sound' being premiered on Annie Mac's Radio 1 show, 'The Sound' is by far my favourite and I cannot wait to hear the album in February.

 

Listen Here

 

3) Middle - DJ Snake feat. Bipolar Sunshine

  

 

 Listen Here

 

4) It's Strange - Louis The Child

 

 

 The first time I heard of Louis The Child was when I found their amazing remix of Oh Wonder's song 'Body Gold' on their SoundCloud. However I recently heard one of their own songs 'It's Strange' and I absolutely love it and hope that they release more songs of their own soon.  

 
Listen Here
 

5) Rumour Mill - Rudimental feat. Anne-Marie and Will Heard

  

 

Listen Here

 

6) Her (Loving You) - Glades

 

  

Similar to Louis The Child, I also found Glades through SoundCloud by listening to their amazing cover of Troye Sivan's Fools. I found this particular song of theirs from Connor Franta's fourth music compilation 'Common Culture Vol. Four' that was released at the end of 2015,  and I instantly added it to my playlist as  Karina's voice sounds stunning. 

 

Listen Here

 

7) All My Friends - Snakehips ft. Tinashe, Chance The Rapper

 

 

Listen Here

 

8) Renaissance - Steve James feat. Clarity

 

 

Listen Here

 

9) Loveblood - Sundara Karma

 

 

 This song was actually released back in November and although I had heard of Sundara Karma, it wasn't until they came on shuffle on Spotify Radio this month that I listened to them. I love this song and I am so excited that I will be able to see them support Nothing But Thieves when I see them live in April.

 

Listen Here

 

10) Ocean Drive - Duke Dumont

  

 

Listen Here

 

What was your favourite song this month?

 

Kathryn x

February Beauty Favourites

Throughout February, I have found myself reaching for these products frequently. Some of these products are new to my makeup bag after reading great reviews about them, whereas some are my ultimate holy grail products that I have re-purchased several times.

MAC Mineralise Moisture SPF 15 Foundation

 

This product has become my favourite foundation to wear on a day to day basis. I love light foundations as I think they are much easier to apply and blend, and never seem to have that 'cakey' look or texture that many heavier foundations have. I wear it in the shade 'NW15'.

 

I apply this using the 'DIOR BACKSTAGE Professional Finish Fluid Foundation Brush', (find it here http://www.boots.com/en/DIOR-BACKSTAGE-Professional-Finish-Fluid-Foundation-Brush-High-Coverage_1281368/?cm_mmc=pla-_-google-_-PLAs-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Luxury+Beauty) and apply the 'MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder' (reviewed below) to any shiny or oily areas, as I find this foundation to be a little dewy.

 

This foundation is perfect for either daytime or evening as it provides a sheer glow, however I recommend using a primer (I use 'Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, find it here http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-PhotoReady-Perfecting-Primer_1251374/) to ensure that it stays in place.

 

It is available to buy from: http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/158/24923/Products/Face/Foundation/Mineralize-Moisture-SPF15-Foundation/index.tmpl

 

MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder

 

 

 

I love this product for setting my foundation and concealer before applying bronzer and blusher. I purchased this shortly after my foundation as I found my foundation to be a little dewy for me but I still loved the coverage. I also find it perfect for setting concealer under my eyes as it keeps it in place all day.

 

It is available to buy from: http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/159/473/Products/Face/Powder/Select-SheerPressed/index.tmpl

 

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in 'Plum Jam'

 

 

This has become my 'go to' lip product over winter due to its gorgeous berry shade. As I have a pale complexion, I would not usually opt for dark toned lipsticks, and generally stick to nude shades, however the glossy look of this product has converted me. You apply the product in the same way as a lipstick, however the result is more like a lip gloss without the sticky texture. Another pro of this is that it can be touched up so easily, and is ideal to pop in your handbag.

 

It is available to buy from:

http://www.soapandglory.com/sexy-mother-pucker-gloss-stick

 

Lancôme  Hypnose Custom-Wear Volume Mascara

 

 

 

I have been using this mascara for a couple of years now and I must say, it is one of the best mascaras I have tried. I have used both drugstore and high-end mascaras, but I always return to high-end mascaras as I find I prefer the formulas and applicators. This may be expensive for mascara, however if you are looking for a good one, please invest in this! I swear by it, it provides both length and volume without looking clumpy and doesn't flake.

 

It is available to buy from:

http://www.boots.com/en/Lancome-Hypnose-Mascara-Custom-Wear-Volume-Mascara_12683/

 

Soap and Glory Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen

 

This is a new addition to my makeup bag, however it has become one of my favourite products and I know already that I will be re-purchasing it when it sadly comes to an end. This is the easiest eyeliner I have ever tried to apply due to its fine and precise felt-tip like nib, which means that it is easy to create a clean line and flick.

 

However, I am by no means an expert at applying eyeliner. As I am relatively new to using liquid eyeliners, I find that sometimes I want to tidy up a little line or mark that is out of place. To do this, I use the 'Estee Lauder Take It Away LongWear Eye and Lip Makeup Remover' (find it here http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/product/684/27274/Product-Catalog/Skincare/By-Category/Cleansers-Toners/Take-It-Away/Gentle-Eye-and-Lip-LongWear-Makeup-Remover/index.tmpl) with a cotton bud to get rid of any imperfections.

 

Another advantage of this product is that it never smudges or runs, so no touch ups are necessary!

 

It is available to buy from: http://www.soapandglory.com/makeup/eyes/eyeliner/supercat

 

What are your current beauty favourites?

 

Kathryn x