Sippy Cups, Instagram Filters and Sweets.

About a year ago, I used to do non-beauty favourites on Bed In The Kitchen, but that was before it really became a beauty-only blog. It was really hard to pick out things I was loving every month, because it's not really like makeup products that get rotated month on month, sometimes I go months before getting obsessed with something. That all being said, I thought I'd show you some of the little things I love right now. 

First up being these Wylers drink sachets, I got hooked on these a few years back when I spent six weeks in the states, they're super tasty and cheap too. I normally get people to bring them back when they go to the states, and stock up when I go, since they don't do anything like these in the UK. I was saying to my mum the other day that I needed to get some more, but it turned out she had these two boxes hidden away in the kitchen, so I poached them for myself. My favourite flavour is the Pink Lemonade, but the Peach Iced Tea is amazing too. 

Still on the drinks theme, I spend a lot of time working from home, and I've been trying to drink more water. I was drinking loads of water with mint in and getting frustrated because every time I took a sip I'd get slapped round the face with wet mint. Welcome to the exciting world I live in. Anyway, I got super excited when I came across this in Home Sense my sad old lady brain got wildly excited a) because I can drink water out of it without mint slapping me round the face, and b) because it's purple. I know I lead a crazy life. I've now started putting different fruits in my water, my favourites are strawberry and orange. So tasty, and it makes drinking 2 litres of water a day much easier.

I ordered some new instagram prints from Polargram last week, I've ordered from them before and have always been really impressed. They're printed so they look like Polaroids, the quality is great, and they're much cheaper than anywhere else, I payed £9.50 for 48 prints, and the delivery is free! I ordered them to put in the scrapbook I started making at the beginning of January, and I can't wait to put these in!

Can we talk about how awesome this is. This was a naughty little treat that the boy and I grabbed on a quick trip to town for deodorant, boxer shorts and washing powder. This will probably last me til April (I'm a one sweet at a time sorta girl) but it's full of red and cola sweets, which are my favourites! Also, it makes me feel like a child and since I only have 18 days til I turn 20 (that's a proper adult) I really need that!

I recently started using a website called Statigram to look at my Instagram stats, purely out of curiousity, what filters are most popular, when most of my followers are active, stuff like that. I noticed whilst perusing the site that not one of my 1286 Instagram photos had the Nashville filter. Long story short, I've now become slightly obsessed with that filter, and if I could put it on my blog photos I would!

February Favourites 2014

Because February has been such a short month I thought it would be really hard to pick out favourite products, but actually there were so many I could have mentioned here, and I found it hard to narrow it down, meaning this is a long'un! Really, these are my favourites from the last six weeks, there were a lot of products I loved through the second half of January that I didn't feel like I had been using long enough to include in my January favourites, but I've continued using them throughout February and really love them.

Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that I haven't bought a single beauty product all month? This has never happened before. That's restraint guys. 

So first up, the product we knew I'd be including. The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette. Let's just take a moment to appreciate it's beauty shall we? This has been my go to palette for the entire month, it's the palette I took on my trip home, it's got every colour offering I could possibly need. The formula is buttery smooth and intensely pigmented, and man the colours are gorgeous. My favourite from the whole palette is Ashes to Ashes and I think it's a shade I will end up purchasing the single of at some point in the not too distant future. I also really like Lhasa and Bali.

The base I've been reaching for repeatedly this month is the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, a product I've rediscovered my love for. It's a very lightweight medium coverage foundation, but what I really love about it is the finish. It's almost satin on my skin and it looks so natural but beautiful. The lasting power of it isn't fantastic, but I've been pairing it with my Laura Mercier Radiance Primer which extends the wear time to the end of the day. My one concern is it doesn't feel like there's much in the bottle? We shall see?

Whilst I've still been loving the Body Shop Bronzer, I've been using the YSL Terre Saharienne bronzing powder* too, which adds a little more colour and than The Body Shop's offering, but is still matte and subtle. It's a gorgeous product, pretty pricey, but it lasts incredibly well on the skin. 

There are two lipsticks that I've pretty much been back and forth between this month. The first is the Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Pink Flush, a limited edition shade from the Nude Glow Collection. I love everything about it from it's limited edition silver packaging, it's moisturising properties, and most importantly the colour. It's a blue toned rosy pink with, as the name would suggest, sheer application, meaning it just gives your lips a subtle wash of pink. It's really flattering and a perfect spring lip colour in my opinion. 

The other lipstick that's gotten a lotta lovin' is the Topshop lipstick in Beatnik, a muted rosy berry toned lipstick which is a similar shade to my actual lips, just with a little something something extra. I did a full review on this on Wednesday, so if you want to know more, you can read that here.

The mascara I've been loving this month is one that I loved during the autumn months, and then it kind of got forgotten about, but I pulled it out of my stash back at the beginning of the month expecting it to have dried up. Surprisingly it hadn't, so I figured I'd try and use up the lasts of it, and it's actually become a firm favourite. The mascara in question is the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara. It's got a thin plastic wand which isn't something I normally like, but I have to admit it really complements the formula. The wand is almost like double sided fine toothed comb, meaning it really grabs each individual lash and coats it in product, leaving you with long, voluminous, fluttery lashes. Even the boy comments when I wear this, and he's pretty oblivious. I'm nearly out of this now and it's definitely something I'll be repurchasing.

And the last beauty product I wanted to mention is the Models Own Nail Polish in Pink Fizz. It's a beautiful solid glitter polish in a gorgeous metallic light pink shade. Not the sort of thing I normally go for at all, but I think this is just beautiful. It's slightly textured but once you add a topcoat it just looks and feels like a gel polish. This is the shade that's been on my nails at least half the month, and it was my Valentines nail pick too. Very pretty and girly.

If you made it through all that, you deserve a new lipstick.

What have been your favourite products this month?

The One Wash Wonders

Whilst I love to spend time playing with eyeshadow, trying out different colour combinations, blending to my hearts content, but there isn't always time. Sometimes, day to day, you just need one product you can slap on your eyelid, blend out and be done. I'm usually more of a palette kind of girl, but sometimes it's easier just to have an individual product for this, especially when you're as indecisive as me (it takes me a good ten minutes to pick a shade in a palette, and that's not even counting the time it takes me to pick the palette in the first place).

When it comes to products that work well on their own, I like something with a bit of dimension to it. I usually favour shimmery formulas as opposed to matte shades for this, since they tend to have more dimension anyway.

You guys know I'm a big fan of taupe shades. I love to pair a simple taupe eyeshadow look with a pink lip, it's my go to look really. I've spoken about the Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow in Iced Fudge recently, it's a good drugstore find, a pretty brown based taupe shade packed with sparkle, it's really easy to wear and looks pretty on the lid. For a higher-end alternative, I love MAC's Satin Taupe, a very similar shade to the Maybelline offering, but it has more of a grey base to it. This is probably my favourite eyeshadow, I wear this a lot, it's so flattering. Another taupe-y offering is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Rich Russet, a liquid eyeshadow that gives you just enough time to blend out the edges before setting rock solid, and staying put all day. A good long-wearing option to have in your stocks. 

I have four cream shadows that I like to reach for on these sorts of days. I'm pretty fussy when it comes to cream shadows, I like formulas that really set. I have a few MAC Paint Pots, and there are two shades that I love to wear alone on the lid, Rubenesque is a beautiful golden shimmer shade that I tend to reach for more in the summer, it's not as orange as it looks in the picture, it's much more golden, and it's slightly sheer on application, but it looks gorgeous with a slick of bronze liner on the lash line. The other colour I reach for is Constructivist, a gorgeous metallic chocolate brown shade, I like to apply this to my eyelid, blend it with a natural bristle brush, and then smudge a little under my lower lash line. It looks really nice and like you've actually bothered, also, the fact it's dark means it hides any red veins from lack of sleep! Occasionally, I'll reach for the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze although I haven't much recently, I just find it a bit shimmery, but it is a beautiful taupey bronze shade. A newer addition to the ranks is the Topshop Eye Gleam in Bronzed, which has a more moussey texture to the others. The shade is a deep gold with quite a heavy shimmer, I like it, but I don't find the wear time to be as good as the others.

The last two products are a duo I reach for when I want an easy smokey eye. I take the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Pencil in Bulletproof Beige all over the eyelid, and then the shade Bad Girl Bronze in the crease and outer corner. I then just blend it all out and it takes literally 30 seconds. The foolproof smokey eye.

What are your favourite easy to wear shades?

The Review: Topshop Beatnik Lipstick

I've mentioned previously on this blog that I'm not a massive fan of Topshop makeup. I find that whilst their products are nice, there's always something not quite right, the shades, the formulas, the lasting power. As a result, I don't own much, it tends to get passed on to less-fussy friends, or my little sister. Recently though, in my latest haul post, I showed the three products I picked up in Topshop in an effort to love the makeup a little more. 

The real standout product for me of the three I picked up was the lipstick. Beatnik is a lot more subtle than Topshop's usual lipstick fare, which normally look okay on the little sticker at the bottom of the tube, but when swatched are pretty garish and bright. It's a muted berry shade with a hint of rosiness to it. It's pretty subtle, the cliché 'my lips but better' springs to mind here, since it is very similar to my natural lip colour, just with a little something more. 

This lipstick has ended up my handbag lippie of choice this month, because it's so similar to my natural lip colour it goes with literally every makeup look I wear, and when I haven't know which lipstick to wear, this is what I've gone with. 

The formula is the one thing that lets this product down in my opinion. It's got a really creamy formula, so it applies really nicely, but unfortunately the wear time is really short, I have yet to see this last longer than two hours, which is pretty pathetic in my opinion. This will also disappear at the first sign of food drink or kissing too, which is pretty rubbish since I'm a serial water drinker. If I had known how rubbish the wear time was I don't think I'd have purchased this, since I feel like I'm getting through it pretty fast having to reapply five or six times a day. If I use Lipcote it does last a little longer, but the formula is so creamy even that doesn't help that much. 

It's a shame because I love the colour of this lipstick, but I think I'll end up trailing the aisles of Boots with it looking for a similar colour from elsewhere. 

Do you like Topshop makeup?

The Beauty Tool Kit Essentials

Being a beauty obsessive is expensive work, but there's no point splurging on pricey products, if you don't have a good quality team of tools to work with them. Without the right tools, the products are pointless. Over the last year or so, I've developed an army of tools and I'm pretty sure I'm covered on all bases. That's not to say you need all of these tools, but if you're considering a career in makeup, or if you're just a beauty junkie, this is a pretty extensive kit.

Good Brushes: In my humble opinion, you need a minimum of five. One good foundation brush, a brush for packing eyeshadow onto the lid, a eye crease brush, a blending brush, and a face brush, for powder, blush and bronzer. Personally, I'd recommend the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, a MAC 215, a Topshop domed shadow brush, the & Other Stories Artists Brush & the Space N.K. Contour brush. I'm not saying that's all you need, but those are the ones I reach for without fail on a daily basis. I've done a full post on my most used brushes, which you can find here.

Good Lash Curlers: I'm not one to advocate over the top spending, but lash curlers are one of a few things where the more you spend the better they are. Personally, I've never found a pair of drugstore curlers that work for me, my favourites are the Shu Umera Lash curlers. They're pricey, but they're excellent, and they last forever.

Deep Brush Cleaner: If you're going to be swirling brushes all over your skin on a daily basis, you want to make sure they're clean. I'd recommend giving all your brushes a good deep clean on a weekly basis (yes it's tedious, but it has to be done). There are two products I use for that, the Dr Bronners Magic Soap, and Johnsons Baby Shampoo, and to be honest, I probably prefer the latter, I just find it gives a deeper clean.

Brush Spot Cleaner: This is an essential if you're an eyeshadow lover, unless you want to buy enough eyeshadow brushes to keep swapping until your weekly deep cleanse. I use the MAC Brush Cleanser to spot clean eyeshadow brushes, removing the colour pigment so I can use them again and again, without getting yesterday's eyeshadow involved in today's look.

Cotton Buds: Seems like kind of an obvious one, but they are so handy. Can be used to clean up eyeshadow mistakes, smudge out liner, remove lipstick that smudged...the possibilities are endless. Mine are from & Other Stories, but any will do.

Kleenex Facial Cloths: Whilst I still use traditional cotton wool for a lot of things, these facial cloths are excellent for covering in product to remove a whole face of makeup, big and soft they are fantastic, I always stock up on them when they're on offer.

Baby Wipes: I don't condone using these for makeup removal, they are never going to give your skin the cleanse it needs, but if you're taking makeup off to reapply it they can come in handy. Also great for cleaning up your hands if you've used them to apply your product!

Flannels: For giving your skin a good deep cleanse. I just use the basic Primark ones, they're soft and fluffy, wash well, and they work out at 50p each.

Makeup Setting Spray: Whether it's boiling hot, or you've had a long day, there are some occasions where it doesn't matter how good your products are, your makeup isn't intact by the end of the day. This is where the Makeup Setting Spray comes in, I personally love the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, which works kind of like a hairspray for your face.

Lipcote: A must have for bold lip lovers. Seals in lipstick making it last all day.

A Good Topcoat: A good topcoat should lock in your nail polish, extending the wear time, preventing chips, give a glossy finish, and if possible dry fast. I've found all of these qualities in the Sally Hansen Megashine Topcoat, which has booted Seche Vite from my makeup ranks once and for all.

Nail Files: Continuing the nail theme, a good nail file is an obvious one. For shaping my nails I love to use the Stylefile which is available in Boots, but I also keep a glass one in my handbag for nail emergencies, or smoothing rough edges. The one I have is from Tiger! 

Tweezers: For eyebrow problems and lash applications, they're handy. Mine are from Tweezerman, I've had them for nearly four years now, and they're still the best tweezers I've ever used. You can also send them off to Tweezerman to sharpen them for free too!

Dark Lash Glue: I'm not a massive false lash lover, but when I do don the falsies for a night out, dark lash glue is a lifesaver. My favourite is the Revlon offering, dries black so it blends into the lash line beautifully.

Compact Mirror: For lipstick touch ups, removal of burger from teeth, and shine watch. Everyone needs a compact mirror.

Makeup Bag: Somewhere to store all your essentials. My favourite is this Paul and Joe one, which has removable sections and reminds me of a filofax.

What do you keep in your beauty tool kit?

The TMI Tag

So I was tagged to do this a few weeks ago (by the wonderful Daphne, check out her version here) but I figured I'd wait til this blog was live and do it here instead of on my beauty blog, since it seems a little more appropriate. Plus I'm aware that some of you don't follow me there, and you're here for the lifestyle thing, and probably don't know all that much about me, so what a great way to get to know me a little better! Also, my Uni deadline is tomorrow, so there's really not much interesting going on around here right now.

1: What are you wearing? 

A tshirt with pugs on and Topshop Leigh Jeans, with cosy socks.

2: Ever been in love? 

Yes.

3: Ever had a terrible breakup? 

No, not really! Though no break up is nice, is it?

4: How tall are you? 

5 10", i.e. I'm gigantic

5: How much do you weigh? 

I couldn't tell you an exact number (and I wouldn't!) but I'm always heavier than I think I'll be, because I'm tall and broad, with muscly ballet legs!

6: Any tattoos? 

One, a quote on my inner wrist.

7: Any piercings? 

My ears and my belly button. I actually had my ears done after my navel, and that was only about two years ago? I'm a needle phobe.

8: OTP? 

I don't really have one? Although I'd have loved it if at the end of Sherlock him and John had gotten together. I'd definitely ship that.

9: Favourite show?

Umm I don't really have one show I absolutely love above all others? Some of my favourites though would be Sherlock, Breaking Bad (sob, why did you have to end?!), The Big Bang Theory, Battlestar Galactica (don't judge me, I'm a secret geek), Modern Family and Orange is the New Black.

10: Favourite bands? 

I kind of go in phases with music, but right now I'm listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, Shinedown, the new Panic at the Disco! album, Paramore's latest album, Disclosure, The Pretty Reckless, Foxes, Lorde & Ellie Goulding. So basically a really random mix.

11: Something you miss? 

The beach back home when I'm in London.

12: Favourite song?

How is anyone supposed to pick just one answer to this question? Right now I really like Rather Be by Clean Bandit, Going to Hell by The Pretty Reckless & Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons.

13: How old are you? 

Nineteen, but I'll be twenty very soon (cries)!

14: Zodiac sign? 

Pisces, and a very typical one at that. Every time there is a description of Pisces characteristics, it usually sums me up completely!

15: Quality you look for in a partner? 

They've got to make me laugh.

16: Favourite Quote? 

"Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself."

17: Favourite actor? 

Can I say Ryan Gosling, not on a talent level but just because he's dreamy?

18: Favourite color? 

Realistically, it's black, if I can have it in black I do, but I love the colour purple.

19: Loud music or soft? 

Loud, definitely, to drown out my terrible singing.

20: Where do you go when you're sad? 

I like to sit on my windowsill and shut the curtains around me, so I can just look out the window and ponder life.

21: How long does it take you to shower? 

Depends, if I'm just washing my hair and body then like 10 minutes, but since I'm so tall if I've gotta shave my legs I'll be in there hours.

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 

Again it kind of depends, if I'm going to uni then half an hour, if I'm staying in and working from home 10 minutes, and if I want to look super nice than anywhere up to like an hour and a half. I don't like to shower in the morning though, so that saves me time, I always shower in the evening before bed!

23: Ever been in a physical fight?

Nope. Unless you count sisterly fisticuffs but what's the odd slap between sisters?

24: Turn on?

Nice eyes.

25: Turn off? 

Bad grammar. Yes I am a grammar nazi.

26: The reason I started blogging? 

I was pretty lonely when I moved to London, and I needed someone to talk to about makeup!

27: Fears? 

Waking up in the morning, taking a sip of my glass of water and accidentally swallowing a bug that fell in the glass overnight. I know, I'm nuts.

28: Last thing that made you cry? 

I had a good old cry a week or so ago after I got all worked up over uni work, money stuff and getting old. You know when you just have too many emotions going on they spill out a bit? Yeah, that.

29: Last time you said you loved someone? 

Earlier today.

30: Meaning behind your blog Name? 

This blog is just my name. Pretty straightforward. My beauty blog is called Bed in the Kitchen, and I started it when I was living in a studio flat in University halls, where my kitchen was at the end of my bed! (really bad if you're a grazer like me, all my time in that flat was spent lying in bed eating!)

31: Last book you read? 

Oh crumbs, technically the last book I read was research for my dissertation, but the last proper book I read was Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

32: The book you're currently reading?

Inferno by Dan Brown.

33: Last show you watched? 

Battlestar Galactica (geek).

34: Last person you talked to?

The Boy.

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

My mum!

36: Favourite food? 

Just one?! Ummm probably donuts, I could eat donuts til I explode.

37: Place you want to visit?

Marrakesh

38: Last place you were? 

Other than my flat? Uni.

39: Do you have a crush?

Eh I hate that word. Well I have a boyfriend who I live with and he's alright I guess.

40: Last time you kissed someone?

About an hour ago!

41: Last time you were insulted?

I can't remember! 

42: Favourite flavour of sweet?

This'll divide opinion, I love a good Parma Violet. Also those big flat gummy strawberry things. Any red sweets basically.

43: What instruments do you play?? 

A bit of piano.

44: Favourite piece of jewellery?

The Tiffany necklace my parents bought me for my 16th birthday, I never take it off.

45: Last sport you played?

What is this sport you speak of?

46: Last song you sang?

Foxes - Youth

47: Favourite chat up line?

I really can't think of one? Maybe I need to get out more?

48: Have you ever used it?

Clearly not!

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?

I'm 'hanging out' with the boy right now if that counts? Not sure if doing work side by side counts! 

50: Who should answer these questions next?

Vanessa (because then both me and Daphne have told her to do it!), Danniella, Celina, Becca & Holly. And anyone else who wants to!

What's On My Face: The Monday Morning Edit

To me, Monday mornings are all about tricking people into thinking I'm awake. Not this Monday, because I have a rare day off, so today will be spent catching up on work from the comfort of my bed, but every other Monday. Since I'm not really a morning person (my idea of a perfect day is one that involves me waking up around 1pm) I tend to have a fail-safe plan for fast Monday makeupto make people believe I'm well rested, and enjoy getting up at ridiculous o'clock. The aim of the game here is to look awake, healthy and glowy, using as few products as is humanely possible, to be as fast as is physically possible.

So to start with I always spritz my face with the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which does an incredible job of brightening up my skin, making it look naturally glowy. Then, to really ramp up the glow factor, I like to use my Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer which not only adds a real glow to my face, but also makes sure my makeup stays put all day without fuss. I then go in with the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, a gorgeous natural looking foundation with medium coverage. My concealing tag team of choice at the moment is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on blemishes and redness, and MAC Mineralize Concealer for under the eyes, the shade I have gives good coverage whilst still really brightening the area. All of this literally takes about three minutes now (I've got it down) so that's a good start.

Monday mornings are not the time for attempting contour and highlight, so I just like to really go to town with a good highlighting blush. Most of the time, the blush in question is NARS Daydream a beautiful pink blush with silver shimmer running through. I use the Space N.K. Contour brush to really pack this onto my cheeks, the silver shimmer is subtle but it really brightens my complexion, whilst the pink adds dimension back into my face and gives me a good old glow. 

Eyes are normally a mascara only affair, but if I have time (read: am bored on the tube) I'll add use a coloured eyeshadow primer to even out the tone of my eyelids, and then smudge a little liner into the outer corner of my lashline. On this occasion, I used a sample I had of the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden a matte beige that disguises the redness on my eyelid, and the Smashbox Eye Liner In Graphite just to define the lashes a little. For mascara, Monday mornings call for the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara, a one-coat-wonder that lengthens and volumises each individual lash, making my eyes look more awake and my lashes fluttery.

This is all finished off with a slick of a sheer lipstick (Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Pink Flush, a pretty pink that brightens up my face) that can be applied on the tube sans-mirror, my glasses so I can actually see at uni, and a good spritz of dry shampoo in the roots of my hair, to disguise the fact that I haven't even brushed my hair, much less styled it. 

I've got this entire routine down to an impressive seven minutes. How long do you spend on your makeup on a Monday morning? Do you have a failsafe, go-to routine?

This Week's Most Loved #7

I've been pretty limited in terms of product choice this week, I've been back in Bournemouth since Tuesday with just a small makeup bag, and a selection of skincare samples. The plus side of this is it was pretty easy to pick out which products I've been loving the most. 

I decided to pack my NARS One Night Stand Palette since it contains four blushes, a bronzer and a highlight, it's got all my cheek needs covered, and I've remembered just how much I love it. The last month or so I've been using my newer NARS single blushes and neglecting my One Night Stand Palette but I love the shades in this. I've been wearing Orgasm and Goulue the most, and they're gorgeous. 

I have a full size of the YSL Babydoll Mascara, but I decided to chuck in a mini sample of it I had for my trip home, since it's a great space saving size. I didn't originally like it when I first used it, but it is growing on me. It's not as good as the YSL Shocking mascara in my opinion, but it does separate my lashes and define them nicely, giving great length. A nice every day option. 

Two MAC products I've been loving this week, first the MAC Mineralize Concealer, which I love for under my eyes, it's got good medium coverage but it's also quite brightening. I like to apply this in a triangle under my eye, and then blend it out with my ring finger. The other product is the MAC Lipstick in Craving, which I bought on a weak day for no particular reason and hadn't worn since. I don't think that this suits me applied directly to the lips, but I do like to just pat a little bit into my lips more like a stain, and then top it with a lip balm. This has photographed really bright pink, I don't know why since in reality it's a dark pinky colour.

Another Model's Own polish I've been loving this week, is the Velvet Goth Polish in Valerian, a gorgeous Royal Blue with different shape and size glitter. It finishes matte but I've been wearing it with a glossy top coat and I really like it, even the boy commented on it!

I also wanted to mention the boots I've been wearing all week, they're the F&F Cut Out Western Boots in Brown* and oh my god they're the comfiest boots ever. They have a slight heel but whatever it's made from means it squishes slightly underfoot, making it incredibly comfortable, you don't even realise you're wearing heels! I love the side detail too, and they're in the sale here for only £15! I've had quite a few pairs of boots from F&F now and they always last forever, they're really well made, especially considering the price!

What have you been loving this week?

The Drugstore Dupe #6

Satin Taupe is without doubt my favourite shadow from MAC. It's a gorgeous iridescent purpley silver shade that looks great washed across the eyelid on it's own, or with a whole host of different shades in the crease. It's the only eyeshadow I've ever completely used up and repurchased, which considering the number of eyeshadows I have, is pretty impressive. 

However, the fact remains that MAC eyeshadows have been steadily increasing in price recently, and realistically, £12.50 is a lot of money for one single eyeshadow. Especially, when if like me you like to travel with your favourite shadows, and they have a habit of smashing. So when I came across an almost identical colour in a pre-Uni Superdrug browse before Christmas, I had to snap it up. 

The Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow in Iced Fudge retails for £4.09 in Boots, but I actually picked this up half price (bargain), making it a ton more affordable than MAC's offerings. In terms of colour, in the pan they are almost identical, but I would say that Iced Fudge has a slightly browner base, and Satin Taupe is more grey based. Once you get these on the lid though, you really can't tell a difference.

Of course, the formula isn't quite the same, Satin Taupe has an incredibly smooth, almost buttery texture, it's incredibly soft and incredibly pigmented, I find Iced Fudge to be soft but slightly chunkier, it takes a bit more blending to get an even texture, but the result is the same. I tend to always use eye primers so I haven't seen a difference in wear time with these. 

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows? Have you tried any of Maybelline's shadows?

10 Under £5

Since last week's 10 under £10 post went down well with you guys, I decided to take it one step further, and I took to my stash looking for my top ten products with a price tag under £5. I thought I'd struggle, being a luxury product girl at heart, but I actually found it really easy, turns out there are a fair few bargain products in my stash that I love.

Maybelline Baby Lips - £2.99 in Boots

You guys knew I'd include this, right? My favourite from the line is the Intense Care lip balm, I apply this every morning before my makeup to soften my lips for lipstick, and I also tend to chuck this in my handbag for midday lip emergencies. It's cheap and it softens up my lips a treat! I also have the shades Cherry Me, Pink Punch and Peach Kiss, that I use when I want a sheer lip colour. No, they aren't the most hydrating lip balms in the world, but for day to day hydration, or a moisturising burst of sheer lip colour, they're great!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.00 in Tesco

One of my favourite under eye concealers, and one of the only concealers I've ever repurchased. Creamy medium coverage concealer with brightening qualities, it's one of the best concealers I've ever used, and the price tag means I will continue to repurchase it.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint - £4.99 in Boots

The longest wearing cream shadow I've ever used. These are like liquid eyeshadow, apply to the lid with a doe foot applicator and it sets solid in around 30 seconds. These things honestly don't budge until you go at them with makeup remover. The shade range is a little iffy, but I love Rich Russet and Golden Bronze is pretty too. They make great eyeshadow bases, you can guarantee your eyeshadow will stay intact all day with this as a base!

Kiko Kiss Balm - £4.70 in Kiko

I actually got this a little cheaper since I picked mine up in Italy, but it still comes in at under £5. These are an incredibly creamy lip balm formula but with good pigmentation. I have the shade Blackberry, a creamy my lips but better shade. These also have the same vanilla scent as MAC lipsticks, which I am a sucker for.

Maybelline Eye Shadow in Iced Fudge - £4.09 in Superdrug

This is a discovery I made in the run up to Christmas. A beautiful, shimmery taupe shade, very similar to MAC Satin Taupe. The formula is soft and pigmented, it blends easily and is one of those shades that looks effortlessly good on it's own, blended across the eyelid.

Lipcote - £3.69 in Boots

A must for any bold lip lovers out there. So it doesn't taste so great, and I wouldn't recommend using it on chapped lips, but this stuff is a lifesaver. Apply this over your lipstick to lock it down, and make it last all day, no matter how many burgers you eat, boys you kiss, and coffees you drink.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner Pencils - £3.99 in Superdrug

The closest thing you'll get to an Urban Decay liner on the highstreet. Creamy texture that sets, staying place all day even on the waterline. I love the shades Bronze and Nude, I have Taupe too which I don't love as much, but it's still pretty good.

Sleek Blushes - £4.49 in Superdrug

In my most humble opinion, the best blush on the high street. Intensely pigmented, and soft to the touch, with a gorgeous shade range. I have four of these that I use all the time.

Models Own Nail Polishes - £5 in Boots

Other than Essie Polishes, these are my favourite polish picks. With an incredibly vast colour range, good formula, and a super affordable price tag, I love these.

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry Spray - £3.05 in Boots

Spray this onto freshly painted nails for totally dry nails in 30 seconds. If you struggle with sitting still after painting your nails like I do, you should give this a go! 

Have you tried any of these products? What are your top picks under £5?

Five Best Things About Coming Home

Since I've had the week free of uni classes so I can attend Fashion Week (which I have lost all interest in this season, you see one fashion week you've seen them all) I decided to pack up my car and head home for a few days. For those of you who don't follow my beauty blog, twitter or instagram and have no idea where home is, it's the not so sunny seaside town of Bournemouth. I have to say, it's pretty weird waking up in the morning and hearing nothing but birds. Where are the sirens? Where is the traffic? Why can't I hear trains? Very peculiar. But nice peculiar. I feel like I can really unwind back here, it's quiet, and I can have cuddles with my kitty. This week has been particularly lovely, and has made me very reluctant to head back to London Sunday.

1. Cuddles with my animals. My house is something of a menagerie, coming home for cuddles with my one eyed labrador, tennis ball obsessed Cockapoo and mental kitten with squiffy eyes is the best thing ever. The Cockapoo gets so excited when I walk in the front door after a month away, he climbs into my lap and actually cries. For like half an hour. It's freaking adorable.

2. Not having to cook. Anyone who lives on their own I'm sure will feel me on this one. Not having to go food shopping, not having to decide what to eat, and having a big plate of healthy, organic, gluten and dairy free food plonked in front of me is bliss. This is how I know I'm getting old.

3. My bed. Ahhhh my bed. My bed in London is horrible and springy and even with a big feather mattress topper, just not comfortable at all. This week I've spent half my time snuggled up in bed, sleeping, watching Netflix, and using it as a makeshift work station, since the Boy and I both have deadlines next week. So cosy, plus, isn't my bedding adorable?

4. Long dog walks. This is probably an extension of puppy cuddles, but it's so much more satisfying going on a four mile walk with an excitable dog too. I would have loved to have gone for a walk along the beach but since the wind recently means half the beach is on the prom now, it didn't seem like an option, so we headed up the park with a soggy tennis ball and some now muddy Nike Blazers. It took me ages to get a photo of Finn because he was running so fast, and then I realised my dog is not particularly attractive when he's been rained on! If any of you have any suggestions for nice places to walk in London, please let me know, I'm enjoying my Sunday rambles!

5. Lunch dates with Mummy. The last few times I've been home, my mum and I have made an effort to go for lunch together and catch up (read: bitch about the men in our lives), and I really look forward to it now. Today, we headed to a nearby Café restaurant that has a full gluten free menu for my mum. I had a very non gluten free Ciabatta sandwich with salad and chips which was super tasty!

My mission now is to sneak my kitten into my car and take her back to London with me, and hope my Landlord doesn't notice!

Getting Things in Order - Skincare

Whilst I was back in Bournemouth a few weeks back, my Mum asked about this here corner of the internet. We had a conversation during a mini homeware shopping trip about my blog, the posts I've been doing recently and the products we've been using. A brief discussion led us to the realisation she'd been using her MAC Cleanse Off Oil all wrong (pumping it onto a cotton pad and swiping it over her face, then wondering why it was breaking her out!), she suggested that she, and many other non-beauty obsessives would find a post talking about the order you should apply things would be really helpful. So lets talk skincare.

In the mornings, I've gotten pretty lax with my skincare. I keep things simple, a quick cleanse usually takes place, I like the Vichy Purete Thermale Cream Cleanser for morning cleanses. I like to pop a little of this on a cotton pad, and swipe it over my face to remove any traces of dirt or oil. I follow this up with a hydrating toner that I can spray directly onto my face for ease, right now I'm loving the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which dramatically brightens my skin. After that it's a case of slapping moisturiser and eye cream on. I've been loving the Origins Ginzing Duo recently, they're hydrating but with a gel formula that doesn't make my skin greasy or oily throughout the day. After that, I just apply my primer of choice, and start with my makeup.

In the evenings things get a little more complicated. I like to start things off with a makeup remover. Oil based makeup removers are great for getting off waterproof eye makeup, but for my standard everyday makeup, I put my trust in the Bioderma Sensibo H20, my favourite micellar water on the market. Micellar waters generally feel just like water on the skin, but remove makeup fantastically, I like to squirt a little of this onto a Kleenex Facial cloth to take off the bulk of my makeup. After that, I like to use a creamy cleanser to remove any remaining makeup, and cleanse the skin. My favourite is the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, I take a pump of this in my hands, massage it into dry skin, and then remove with a wet flannel or muslin cloth. If I've been wearing a lot of makeup, or I've been out in the city all day, I like to do it twice, just to make sure my skin is as clean as possible. This is my favourite step, it's always so nice to feel my skin totally clean at the end of a long day!

In the evening I like to use two toners, one to exfoliate and then one to hydrate my skin. For exfoliating, I like Pixi's Glow Tonic, two pumps on a cotton pad swiped over my skin is enough to get rid of any dead skin cells, and keep my skin looking fresh. After this, I spray the Lush Tea Tree Toner directly onto my skin, this hydrates my skin, but the tea tree also acts as an antiseptic, calming any redness in my skin or incoming outbreaks. 

Before moisturising, I like to use any oils or serums that I feel like my skin needs. If my skin is feeling congested, I like to use my La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo,  just a pea sized amount on my skin, which helps keep my skin clear. If I'm struggling with the pores in my T-zone, I pull out the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner, which helps unclog pores and minimise their appearance. And if my skin feels dry, I reach for the Trilogy Rosehip Oil, which hydrates, reduces the appearance of scars, and helps spots heal faster.

For moisturiser, I've been using the Origins Oil-Free Night-A-Mins, similar in texture to the Origins Ginzing moisturiser, with the same orange scent, it offers my skin intense overnight hydration. I then use my ring finger to tap the Lancome Genifique Yeux Eye Cream onto my under-eye area, in the hope I won't wake up with massive under eye circles. 

Do you do things differently with your skincare?

Where to Splurge and Where to Save

With a whole wealth of beauty products out there, from MUA to Tom Ford, it's hard to know where to invest your hard earned cash, and where to save. Because of this blog, the nature of my job, and even to a certain extent the uni I attend, I have had the opportunity to try a whole wealth of products from so many different brands, and it's become glaringly obvious that there are some products worth the splurge, and others that high end brands don't do any better than the highstreet.

Where To Splurge

Skincare - There's no point buying a tonne of expensive makeup, if your skins not looking it's best. There's something to be said for spending good money on your skincare routine, since upping the anti in mine, my skin has never looked better. You don't need to spend a fortune, but look for products with natural ingredients.

Brands to try - Bioderma, Origins, Liz Earle, Trilogy, Aesop.

Primer - Along a similar line to skincare, what's the point in expensive makeup if it's looking worse for wear by 6pm? I'm a big believer in primers, not only do they increase the wear of your makeup, but a good one can also blur imperfections, smooth uneven skin, and create a barrier between your skin and makeup to prevent breakouts. I have yet to find a drugstore primer that's as effective as a high end one, if you have any suggestions please leave them below!

Products to try - Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer.

Foundation - A good base makes the difference between looking okay, and looking incredible. Whilst the highstreet has certainly upped their game on the foundation end in the last year or so, I truly think this is an area still owned by high end brands. There's just something about high end foundations that wins that battle in my opinion. Plus, all the highstreet foundations I do like tend to have a really strong scent, which puts me off massively.

Products to try - Diorskin Nude BB Creme, Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat, Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation.

Blush - My love affair with blusher has been renewed in recent months. Whilst I do like some highstreet blushers, namely Sleek, Revlon and Soap and Glory, I just find that they've disappeared from my face by lunchtime. I don't ever find that with High end blushes however, they've completely stolen my heart, they all just seem to have incredible staying power!

Products to try - Nars Blushes, Benefit Blushes, Le Blush Creme De Chanel, Bobbi Brown.

Eyeshadow Bases - Eyeshadow base products seems to be something that high street brands haven't really dabbled in much. Whilst Rimmel do have one that I love, on the whole I much prefer higher end offerings, for staying power, increasing shadow pigmentation, and preventing creasing.

Products to try - MAC Paint Pots, Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Eyeshadows - I have a lot of eyeshadows and I've tried a lot of eyeshadows, but to me there's nothing on the high street comparable to the buttery texture, intense pigmentation and blendability of most high end shadows.

Products to try - Urban Decay Shadows, NARS shadows, Stila Shadows, MAC Shadows.

Eyeliners - Whilst I do have a soft spot for the Rimmel Scandaleyes liners, I haven't found anything on the highstreet that stays put as well as some of the high end liners I own, especially on the waterline. You gotta pay good money for lasting power!

Products to try - Smashbox Liners, Urban Decay 24/7 Liners, YSL Waterproof Eye Liners.

Lipsticks - There are brands on the highstreet that do nice lipsticks, but nothing beats luxury lipsticks for me. There are very few high end brands I've tried that don't do incredible lipsticks, they also tend to have shade selections!

Products to try - MAC Lipsticks, Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks, YSL Lipsticks, Chanel Lipsticks, Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colours.

Makeup Setting Sprays - I tried a few of these from the highstreet this summer and they did nothing at all, whereas my high end alternatives are life savers. This is something I don't mind spending on, since they last forever and make a big difference.

Products to try - Urban Decay All Nighter, MAC Fix+.

Where To Save

Concealer -  I've tried a whole wealth of concealers from all over the place, and with the exception of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, I haven't found a single high end concealer without a drugstore dupe that's just as good, if not better.

Products to try - Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer, Maybelline Instant Eye Eraser Concealer, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer.

Setting Powder - Whilst I'm partial to my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and Chanel Les Beiges, the drugstore has really upped it's game in the setting powder department recently. Affordable, good, and if they break in your handbag it's not the end of the world.

Products to try - Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

Highlighter - Highlighter is a tricky one, I have a good mix of both high end and highstreet highlighters in my collection, and I love them all, but when it comes down to it, I love them all equally, there isn't anything particularly special about the high end ones, the highstreet ones are just as good, so it's worth saving your pennies and going for drugstore this time.

Products to try - Topshop Glow, Revlon Photoready Skinlights, Topshop Sunbeam Powder.

Brows - My three favourite brow related products were all from the highstreet, so this one was easy. I wasn't impressed with the MAC brow pencil, and I found a dupe for the Anastasia Brow Whizz, so drugstore wins this round.

Products to try - Along Came Betty Br-Wow, Maybelline Brow Drama Mascara, Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil.

Mascara - I'll always love my YSL Shocking Volume Mascara, but the drugstore has so many amazing mascaras you really don't need to fork out on a high end purchase.

Products to try - L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic, Max Factor False Lash Effect, Max Factor Waterproof Masterpiece.

Bronzer - This was another one where I have a good mix of high end and highstreet, and I do love a few high end ones, but there are a few drugstore ones I'm currently hooked on. It can be hard to find a non orangey bronzer in the drugstore but there are a few out there!

Products to try - Soap and Glory Solar Powder, The Body Shop Honey Bronzer, Bourjois Bronzing Primer.

Lipgloss - I never used to be a lipgloss sorta gal, I would never fork out loads of money for a non sticky gloss that wore off after a couple of hours, but now that there drugstore has started appearing with non sticky glosses too, I've gotten a lot more into them.

Products to try - Tanya Burr Lipglosses, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses, L'Oreal Glamshine Splash Stains.

To anyone who's looking for a new product, or building up a makeup collection, I hope this helps!

What products do you like to splurge on?

What's On My Face - The Drugstore Edition

Not the worlds most revolutionary makeup look but hey, it was a Sunday. Have you noticed that I like taupe shadows and dark pinky lips yet? 

I wanted to do a What's On My Face post with only drugstore products, I know a lot of you were after some more affordable products to be featured here, and well, consider me your Fairy Godmother. (P.S. I know it looks like my face is a different colour to my neck, it's just a combination of the angle my face is at and the lighting, my face appears to end where I applied my contour!)

Since this was for a lazy Sunday spent walking with the boy, I went for a light base (new blog plug, you can read about that walk here). I used the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint Foundation, one of my favourite highstreet bases. It feels like water when you apply it, but it sets like a powder, leaving you with a matte finish that stays put really well, but doesn't feel at all heavy. I then covered up the redness around my nose and on my chin with the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer, a product I've been reaching for a lot recently because of it's creamy texture and medium coverage. For my under eyes, I used the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eye Eraser, which successfully brightens and covers any signs of my insomnia. I also took a little of this down the bridge of my nose, to cover up my nose and highlight a little. 

I then filled in the sparse areas of my brows with the same product I've been using since Christmas, the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil, for natural brows that are a little more even. For my eyes, I used the Topshop Eye Gleam in Bronzed, to create a shimmery golden bronze base. I like this because it's almost a mousse consistency, it sets fast and fills in any creases or lines. I then used my Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Warm, I originally was going to use the golden shades but I decided I wasn't keen, so I built up colour in the crease with the taupey shade, and then covered my lid with the Maybelline Eyestudio Shadow in Iced Fudge. I took a little of the Max Factor Kohl Pencil in Black along the outer edge of my upper lash line, and in my waterline for definition, and then added lashings of Maybelline The Rocket Mascara, I'm still unsure if I like this mascara, I do find it kind of groups my lashes together and makes them look a little spidery, but I'm persevering!

On my cheeks I used the Body Shop Honey Bronzer in the lightest shade to define my cheeks. I honestly can't tell you how much I like this bronzer, it's so pretty! For blush I used the Topshop Cream blush in Morning Dew, a blush I haven't touched since the summer, but I like a lot. It really perks up the cheeks, but it has a powdery finish so it lasts much better than most cream blushes.

On the lips I used the No7 BB Lips in Berry Rose, a super moisturising but long lasting lip gloss.

What are your favourite drugstore products right now?

Dirty Looks Hair Extensions

My hair is currently in the awkward, shoulder length, not a bob but not long hair stage, and as well as being a bugger to style, it just looks a bit strange. I've been on the hunt for a few weeks now for a set of hair extensions to add an inch or two to my hairs length, and add a bit of thickness too. I miss having long hair so much, and was desperate to have enough hair to have more styling options than up, or down. As luck would have it, around the same time the lovely ladies from Dirty Looks got in touch and offered to send me a set of extensions to try. Perfect timing right? I explained what I wanted and they suggested a full set of extensions, in 16-18", they even colour matched me after I sent a few photos of my hair to them.

The extensions I received are the HK Full Head Hair extensions* in the shade Organic. The pack contains 10 Wefts of varying size and thickness, with all the clips already attached and ready to go. The kit comes with a little booklet showing how and where is best to apply the wefts (and if you lose the booklet, the diagram is also on the website), they're all numbered for ease of use. The first time I wore them it took around ten minutes of fiddling with my hair to figure out where they needed to go, but now I can pop them in in under 5.

The extensions themselves are fantastic quality, they are made from natural human hair, they're incredibly soft and glossy, they put the condition of my hair to shame! That being said, they still blend nicely with my natural hair, and the colour match is spot on. They're thick from top to bottom, a lot of extensions I've had before have been thinner at the bottom which can make them look a little ratty.

Since these are 100% human hair, it's safe to heat style them. I imagine that if you continually heat styled them they'd eventually need a trim, but otherwise they're absolutely fine. I personally like to just curl the ends with a barrel curler, to add a little shape and dimension, I've never been one for pin straight hair!

They aren't heavy when they're in and I can wear them all day without feeling irritated by them which is a plus. I love that I have so many more options when styling my hair with these in, and have been trying out loads of different styles with these in! 

Overall I'm really impressed with these extensions, the quality is excellent, delivery was super fast, and they look great! I do think that next time I'm at the hairdressers I may take these along and just get an inch or two cut off, for general day to day these are a little long for me, having had short hair for so long! They've definitely made me excited for when my hair is long again!

You can find these extensions on the Dirty Looks website!

I also just wanted to take a minute to thank you all, I reached 500 Bloglovin followers this weekend and I honestly feel so touched that there are 500 of you who like listening to me ramble enough to follow me! Thank you all so much, you mean the world to me! 

Do you wear extensions?

*These extensions were gifted to me by Dirty Looks, this doesn't affect the opinions expressed in this review!