Post-Workout Beauty

I like to workout in the morning, it makes me feel pumped for the day ahead. However, I'm generally running late in the morning, which means I need to be able to get ready as quick as possible, and out of the door. I've got it down now so that I can go from sweaty mess to sort of presentable in under ten minutes. Impressive, no?

I start off with a quick shower, I won't wash my hair, cause who has time to dry it? I'll just wash my body and get out as quick as possible. In the shower I'll also wash my face with the Nivea Gentle Cleansing Mousse, this cleanses my skin and stops me feeling all shiny and gross. I've mentioned before that my favourite deodorant is the Dove Go Fresh Cucumber and Green Tea Roll On, but for these situations I usually go for the spray, and just get it everywhere, is anyone else super self conscious about being sweaty after working out? If I really don't have time to shower I will literally use half a can of this. 

Body sorted, I'll move onto face. I always keep some blotting sheets to hand, to get rid of any excess shine, the ones I'm using right now are the Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets, which I like because they're super thick and soft! I usually then skip foundation and just go with concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes or red areas (read: all over my face). Right now I love the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, because it works equally well for under-eyes and blemishes, and offers really good coverage.

For eyes I keep it simple, a swipe of MAC's Painterly Paint Pot across my lids with my finger, to even out the skin colour. Then I apply lashings of the Max Factor Lash Extension Mascara, I feel like this really opens up my eyes, lengthens my lashes, and make me look more awake and alive! 

I then grab a multipurpose cheek and lip product, that I can apply with my fingers. Less to carry and easy to use. This is the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon, a gorgeous peach shade. I just blend a little of this onto my cheeks with my fingers, and then tap a bit onto my lips to give them some colour. 

And Voila I'm done! All in under 10 minutes!

How do you get ready fast after a workout?

The Brush Edit

Brushes are something I use on a daily basis, but very rarely talk about. I'm not by any means a brush snob, I have a few MAC, Dior and NARS brushes, but for the most part, my most used brushes are high street ones. So here's the lowdown of the brushes in my daily rotation (if I had any brain cells I'd have photographed them in some kind of order that made sense, but I didn't think about that at the time and I don't fancy washing them again to photograph them!).

The first brush pictured is the Topshop Domed Shadow brush, which I don't think they actually do anymore (helpful I know). I picked this up on a whim, I think it was about seven pounds, and I actually love it. It's got quite densely packed bristles, and it's slightly domed, which means it fits perfectly into the crease of my eyelid, for applying shadow directly into the crease. 

Next is a little Angled Brush I got in a Umberto Gianni travel brush Christmas kit from Boots aeons ago. It's a small angled brush that I use for so much, usually either for filling in my brows with powder, applying shadow as liner, or taking eyeshadow along my lower lashline. It's really small and thin compared to most angled brushes, making it more precise.

Next is the NARS Eye Shader Brush, which came with my And God Created the Woman Palette. I use this occasionally to apply colour to the lid, but mostly to sweep under my browbone after I've finished my eyeshadow to blend out any harsh lines, or to apply highlight under my brow. It's super soft, but just a little too big for shadow application.

Next one along is the & Other Stories Artist Brush, think of it as the MAC 217, but with slightly longer bristles. This is my absolute favourite eye blending brush, it's so easy to use, I prefer it to my 217, and it's only £7!

You'll all know the next one, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush is the best foundation applier I've ever tried. I use this on a daily basis for seamless, flawless foundation. It's super soft, washes well, and just an all round good'un. I'm considering buying a second one because it's also super handy for powder too!

A recent addition to the tool ranks, the Eco Tools Buffing Concealer Brush is awesome for, you guessed it, blending in concealer. I like to use this on any redness or blemishes I want to conceal, I place the concealer where I need it, then use circular motions to buff it in. This brush is excellent, it blends in seamlessly but doesn't compromise the coverage.

The MAC 215 is the only MAC brush of mine that actually gets used a fair bit. It's got short, densely packed natural fibre bristles that are perfect for really packing shadow and colour onto the eyelids. I haven't found anything better than this!

For under eye concealer, I really love the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Eye Brush, it blends out concealer flawlessly, and doesn't let it settle into any creases. It's the perfect partner to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

For setting powder, no surprises here, the Real Techniques Powder Brush is my first love. I don't wear powder everyday, but when I do I love to just dust it all over my face with this, it doesn't disperse product too heavily which I really like. On a daily basis though, I like to use this after I apply blush and bronzer to just blend out the edges a little more, I find that when I take the time to do that my makeup looks much more natural. 

The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is a great all rounder brush, I actually have two of these in my collection, they are so handy. This is what I use to apply my foundation when I'm after a little more coverage, the bristles are slightly denser than the Buffing Brush, so it gives a fuller coverage finish. I also love this for cream cheek products, particularly the Chanel Cream Blushes, Benefit Sunbeam and the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. It really buffs them into the skin leaving a natural finish.

And last but certainly not least, the Space N.K. Contour Brush is just one of those brushes that everyone needs. Perfect for applying blush and contour, it's slightly angled and very fluffy. I also use this to apply the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I love this because it really picks up product, the natural bristles give a lot more pigmentation than artificial ones would. 

Those aren't all the brushes I own, but they are definitely my favourites! 

Phew! If you made it that far, I salute you! Let me know in the comments what your favourite makeup brushes are!

The Review: Urban Decay Naked 3

 So a few weeks back, before Christmas, I did a first impressions review of the Naked 3 Palette. One of the most highly anticipated releases of 2013, even if it did sneak up on us. I've had over a month now to play with it, and I've worn it everyday,

Strange: a soft, buttery matte cream shade, perfect as a base colour, or to highlight the browbone. Highly pigmented and quite lovely.

Dust: the only shade in this palette that's been a bit of a let down for me. A really heavy glitter shade, that looks like a pretty pale pink, but it's such a heavy glitter that when you put it on it looks like it's just silver glitter.

Burnout: this shade makes up for dust, it's a very similar shade, a touch darker, but with a finer vein of shimmer, meaning it looks lovely. This is the colour I've been applying all over the lid most, as a base colour.

Limit: a matte dusky pale pink shade. Incredible pigmentation, I've been reaching for this when I'm after an easy eye look, just blending this into the crease with Burnout on the lid, to add a little depth.

Buzz: similar shade to Burnout, just slightly darker. Same light vein of shimmer, but a bit pinker. Nice all over the lid. 

Trick: a nice shade but I can't see me using this, it just doesn't flatter my skin tone at all. It's a gold shade with a hint of rosiness to it, and a slight shimmer, very pretty but just doesn't look right on me at all.

Nooner: a darker version of Limit. Also great for the crease, but I reach for this when I'm using darker shades on the lid. 

Liar: a light bronzy shade with a hint of pink. My go to colour for across the lid, this has a slight shimmer but looks gorgeous. 

Factory: a deeper bronze without a rosy hint! Slight shimmer, kind of reminds me of a darker On and On Bronze. Probably my favourite shade in the whole palette.

Mugshot: a silvery bronze shade, reminiscent of MAC's Satin Taupe.

Darkside: a subtley shimmery dark grey. Looks beautiful in the outer corner paired with Mugshot.

Blackheart: side note; if I bought out a clothing line, I'd call it Blackheart. This is a really deep slate grey with gold and red shimmer, gorgeous as a liner. 

In terms of the packaging, it's much the same as the Naked 2, I like the big mirror and the brush that comes with it too. The brush is double ended, one flat end that's great for packing on colour to the lid, and a fluffier brush that fits perfectly in the crease of the eye. If only it came with a blending brush!

Overall, I think I'll get a lot more use from the darker shades in this palette than I will the lighter shades. I don't think this is a palette you need, but it is a nice addition to the makeup ranks. 

Into The Makeup Bag

 It's not often I carry around a makeup bag (if I did, it would probably be double the size of my handbag) so I haven't ever given you a peak inside one, but being back in Bournemouth means I'm splitting my nights between my parents house, and my boyfriend's parents' house, so for the first time in a long time, I've been lugging a face worth of products around. 

I've ditched the primer and powder over the last few weeks, being home and bad weather means I haven't been out of the house from seven til eight, like I often am in London, so I don't need my makeup to last as long. The foundation I've been sporting the L'Oreal True Match foundation, which is a recent addition to the makeup ranks. It's pretty comparable to my YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation, in finish and formula, even in colour. It's a lightweight foundation but with a buildable level of coverage. It's not a matte finish by any means, but it's not full on dewy either, I'd say it's almost satin-esque, but it feels nice on the skin, and is a perfect colour match.

On the cheeks, I've been alternating between two bronzing products. This sample size of the Benefit Hoola Bronzer has been sat unloved in my drawers for a long time, I've only just started using it now. It's nice, but I think it might be a little muddy for my complexion, maybe one to revisit when I have a bit of a tan. The other bronzer I've been trying out is the Soap and Glory Solar Powder, which I actually really like. It's got two shades in, which when swirled together work really well on my skin tone. It's matte so it's great for contouring as well as just brightening up the face. I find this lasts on the skin really well too. From the same Soap and Glory palette I've been using the Love at First Blush cheek colour, which I actually really like. It's got ten segments of four different colours, that you can wear alone, but I like to blend together. It gives a really pretty pink glow to the cheeks, and it's got just enough shimmer to mean you don't need a highlighter. 

On the eyes, I've been reaching for two particular palettes when I'm out and about (the Naked 3 is taking pride of place when I'm home), mostly because they're small and handbag perfect. The Laura Mercier Trio I picked up in the Space NK Sale is perfect for when you're in a rush, I take the lightest shade all over the lid, the middle shade in the outer corner, the darkest shade through the crease, and then blend it all with a fluffy brush. Takes less than two minutes and looks like you've made an effort. I've also been using this MAC Quad, the darker of the two I have. I've been wearing Satin Taupe a lot, it looks great all over the lid on its own, or with a little bit of Sketch or Blackberry in the crease. Satin Taupe also looks great when paired with the liner I've been loving, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Rockstar, a deep purple shade. These 24/7 liners are fantastic, they can be easily smudged out across the lash line, but after a minute or so, they set and stay put all day, even on the waterline. I've been pairing this with the Lancome Hypnose Star mascara, which I love the wand of, but I'm not sure about the formula.

For brows, I'm totally in love with the Soap and Glory Archery brow tint and pencil. I don't really use the pencil side much, unless I'm going out and want big bold brows, but I've been using the tint to draw in little hairs where my brows are sparse, and I LOVE the effect! Natural looking full brows. 

And lastly, on my lips I've been loving the Revlon gloss in Berry Allure. It's a beautiful muted berry pink that applies pretty sheer but imparts just a hint of deep pink. It's not sticky and it lasts a surprising amount of time.

 So those are the beauty picks gracing my face at the moment, what have you been wearing?

The Review: Benefit Rockateur Boxed Blush

I put off picking up the Benefit Rockateur blusher for a long time, because, well my god isn't the packaging tacky? It totally put me off. However, a lovely friend picked this up for me as a Christmas gift, and I've fallen in love with it. 

Packaging gripes aside, this is a dusty pink blush with a slight vein of shimmer. The top is coated in a film of full on shimmer, but once you've used it once, that disappears and you're left with a fine shimmer. This blush is the perfect partner to the Naked 3 palette, so if you've got that, you need this.

I love Benefit blushes, the formulations are great, they last really well, and you only need a tiny bit of product, plus they smell amazing!

Have you tried this blush?

Worth The Splurge

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I have a weak spot for high end products. I can't help it, I think I got worse while I was working for YSL, being surrounded by luxury products all the time does get to you. Having said that, I have tried a lot of high end products that really don't warrant the price tag, so I thought I'd show you some of my favourite picks from the more expensive end of the spectrum.

First up, Blushes. For the most part, I much prefer high end blushes to high street, I just find they last longer and look better on me! Two of my absolute favourites come from NARS and Chanel. In my opinion, NARS just bring it when it comes to blush, they have every colour under the sun, and the formulas are incredible, they last so well on the skin, and are incredibly pigmented, so you only need the tiniest amount. My favourites are Orgasm, Mistinguette and Doucer. I'm not a fan of Chanel powder blushes, they are really chalky and you need a ton of product for any colour payoff, but I do love their cream blushes. I'm not even sure if they are still doing these, but my god they are the best cream blushes I have ever tried. 

Two face powders made the cut, first up, the highly coveted Chanel Les Beiges powder. This is an incredibly finely milled matte face powder that not only smells incredible, but keeps shine at bay all day. I love this because it never looks like you are wearing powder. Plus look at that packaging...*dribbles*. The other high end powder I am obsessed with is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders. I forgot to bring these home with me for the holidays and I already miss them so much. They, again, are incredibly finely milled powders but with varying levels of shimmer and different base tones, so they can be used for setting makeup, as highlights, and adding warmth to the skin. These genuinely make your skin look like it's been lit from within, they are so flattering. 

One base product I had to include is the Diorskin Nude BB Creme. If you read my blog over the summer you'll know I was obsessed with this. It's a lightweight creme with just enough coverage to even out your skin tone, but it makes your skin look like it's naturally perfect. 

In the lipstick department there are two brands that bring it. I love both the Chanel and YSL Lipsticks, they have great pigmentation, stunning colour selections and great staying power. Plus they look so luxurious. 

I'm not one for splurging on nail polish, but the Nails Inc Gel formulas are an exception. Big wide brush, glossy finish, one coat is all you need and the colours are gorgeous.

You don't need any of these products in your life, but if you're looking to treat yourself or someone you love, I'd definitely recommend all of these products.

What are your favourite high end products?

The Review: Urban Decay Naked 3

I'm sure you guys have seen tons of photos and reviews of this by now, but I thought I'd chuck in my two cents. 

This palette is gorgeous, 12 very wearable, neutral rosy hued shadows. There's a nice handful of matte shades, more than in the original Naked Palettes, which makes a nice change. I particularly like the five darker shades, they're unlike anything else in my collection. The staying power is great, but best with a primer (I like the Painterly Paint Pot from MAC) and the shimmery shades don't fall out around the eyes. The shades are particularly flattering with hazel or green eyes, and look gorgeous on pale skin. As always with Urban Decay shadows, the formulas are great, buttery smooth and a little goes a long way. An awesome palette for travelling, it's got everything you need for neutral day and smokey night looks. I even like the brush in this kit, the flat end is great for packing on shadow, and the fluffier end is perfect for popping colour in the crease, you just need a fluffy brush to blend out with. 

Overall, this is a gorgeous palette. No you don't need it, but hey, Christmas is coming, maybe you deserve it?

What is your favourite Naked Palette?

The Review: Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Tutu

Last month I posted a What's On My Face where I used a lipstick I had just bought.  I got a ton of compliments on the colour, not just from you guys but also from 'real life' people out and about, and really, that's the true test of a good product. A few weeks down the line now and I've given it a run for it's money, and I can definitely say it's a firm favourite.

There's a new Bobbi Brown store in Westfield so naturally I popped in after a lecture one afternoon (my university is handily located a three minute walk from Westfield) to peruse the counters. Bobbi Brown is a makeup range that I lust after frequently, but purchase rarely. I'm not really sure why that is, maybe because their range is quite solid, it's got all the basics, but I tend to get hooked in by the latest and greatest. Either way, all the products I do have from there I love, so I didn't have any qualms about picking up something.

After a little swatching I fell in love with the Sheer Lip Colours, a line of lipsticks with a creamy, sheer but buildable formula, and ended up taking home Tutu, a peach that definitely sits on the pink sides of proceedings, but is quite muted on the lips, just giving a wash of colour to perk up the whole face. I don't own anything like this in my collection, Rimmel's Let's Get Naked is similar but more orange based, and this is definitely more subtle. Either way it was an unusual colour choice for me, but the risk definitely payed off.

I love this colour on me, it's my perfect lazy makeup day colour, just adding something to the face to make it look more alive. The lasting power is excellent, particularly for a sheerer formula lip colour, and I love that you can wear this sheer, or build it up. The packaging is sleek and I love the magnetised close to it. 

I've totally fallen in love with this lipstick, I'd go as far to say it could be one of my favourite discoveries of the year, up there with the Urban Decay Lipsticks, and the Dior BB Creme. I'm definitely going to be adding a few more of these to the collection in the future!

You can see this colour on my face here.

Have you tried any Bobbi Brown Lipsticks? What should I try from there next?

The Repurchasables

Because I try so many different products, whether I get sent them or just go mad in Boots, it's very rare that I actually repurchase a product. For a product to get repurchased, I have to really, really love it, and there are a few that made the cut.

Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation was the first foundation I ever repurchased (other than Dream Matte Mousse in my oily, acne, teenaged skin years, I'm sure I wasn't alone!). It's got a good medium, but buildable coverage, the lasting power is great, but what I really love about this is the finish. It's not a matte finish, it's more like satin, but it really makes your skin look healthy and naturally radiant. I always get complimented on my skin when I wear this foundation, it looks so natural but flawless too. I can't imagine not having this foundation in my stash these days.

L'Oreal's Nude Magique foundation is still pretty new to the highstreet, but I've already repurchased it. I love this foundation, it's really light, just enough coverage to get rid of blemishes, and it looks so natural, like you're just wearing a little powder, but what I love about this is that I don't feel like I'm wearing makeup with this on my face. It's so light on your skin, and perfect for those no-makeup makeup days.

Skincare is not something I repurchase often, but there are two products that have all made the cut this year and been bought again. First up is Bioderma, which you all know is my favourite makeup remover. A little goes a long way with this, so it lasts for ages, it's light, it literally feels like water on your skin, but gets rid of all makeup easily. I always grab a double pack of these when I'm in France, or if someone is coming over! A cleanser I've repurchased a lot is the Lush Let The Good Times Roll. You guys know about my love for this, so I won't say anything else, but you can read my review here.

I'm pretty fussy when it comes to mascara, but one that has made the cut a few times is the Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara in the waterproof formula. I've talked about this loads, it's my absolute favourite highstreet mascara, length + volume, whilst staying put all day, and you can't ask for more than that.

The Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer isn't super high in coverage, but it really brightens up the under eyes, the dark circles that are part and parcel of insomnia. Super creamy formula but it sets really well and doesn't shift all day. I rushed out to repurchase this when I used it all up in the summer, and it's the first concealer I've done that with in a long time.

And lastly, a lip balm I've been repurchasing since I was around 13. The Lush Honey Trap lip balm smells like honey (shocker) and white chocolate. It's super hydrating and perfect for the winter months.

What products have you repurchased?

The Best of MAC

If you're a makeup fanatic, MAC is one of those brands that inevitably ends up in your collection. When you're after a particular shade and finish of lipstick or eyeshadow, it's easy to head to MAC since chances are, their wide range will have what you're looking for. Yes it's pricey, but it's kind of middle of the road, it's not drugstore, but it's not up there with Dior, Chanel, YSL, those kind of brands.

There are a lot of products from MAC in my collection (I think I'm up to 17 lipsticks, sob) but it's a brand I'm pretty ruthless with. If I don't like it, it goes.

THE HITS

Eyeshadows: Yes MAC eyeshadows are really expensive, but my word they are beautiful. Buttery soft, incredibly pigmented and they last really well on your lids. I did a full post on my palettes last week, you can read that here.

Paint Pots: I think I've rambled about these a fair bit. Super creamy but they dry on your lids to create a perfect shadow base, or even a stand alone wash of colour on the lids. I use Painterly on a daily basis as a shadow base, to intensify the colour of my shadows and make them last longer, but I also use Rubenesque and Constructivist as cream shadows on there own. I am a huge fan of these, definitely my favourite cream shadows. 

Pearlmatte Face Powder: A product that tends to be released only as part of a limited edition collection, I picked one up from the Archie's Girls one, the Pearlmatte face powder is kind of multipurpose. I use this as a blush, but I also sometimes use it as a setting powder, just by avoiding the pink bits. I love how natural this looks.

Blush: Surprisingly, I only have one MAC blush (not for lack of trying, more because I can never make a decision). These are super super pigmented, you only need the tiniest amount of product to create a pop of cheek colour. 

Mineralize Skinfinish: I love how multipurpose these are. I used to use Soft and Gentle as a highlight and Light as a setting powder, but I now use Lightscapade for both. Very finely milled powders that don't look cakey.

Studio Finish Concealer: My favourite high coverage blemish concealer. Stays put all day and covers a multitude of sins.

Mineralize Concealer: Best friend of under-eye circles. Medium coverage concealer but slightly brightening, great for disguising late nights.

Lipsticks: Like I said I think I'm up to about 17 of these now, I did a post a couple of months back where I went through my collection and talked about all the finishes, but the gist is great colours, great pigmentation and great lasting power.

Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint: These are quite a recent addition to MAC's repetoire, kinda reminiscent of the YSL Glossy Stains, or L'Oreal Glamshine Splash Stains, it's glossy to apply but leaves a stain of colour on your lips. I love this for a low fuss lip colour. 

Dazzleglass: You all know I don't love lipgloss, and this one isn't my favourite, but it's a beautiful colour and leaves a lovely iridescent sheen to your lips. Just wish it was less sticky!

THE MISSES

Eyebrow Pencil: I picked this up in duty free on my way to Italy when I forgot to pack any eyebrow products. Clever. Anyway, a member of staff on the counter 'colour matched' me, and maybe it was the lighting, the fact it was 4am, or maybe she was colourblind, but this really isn't the right colour for me, it just makes my brows look ginger. Colour issues aside, I don't really rate this, the formula just doesn't stick and by midday it's almost completely gone. I would be tempted to grab another one in a different colour, just for quick fixes, but not sure about this...

Foundations: I'm grouping these together because I've tried four MAC foundations and every single one breaks me out like nobody's business. I don't know what ingredients are in this but they just clog my pores up and cause massive breakouts. However, I do still use Studio Sculpt, I mix it into other foundations to either increase coverage or lighten the colour. If I use a heavy primer and mix it fifty fifty with another foundation it doesn't break me out!

What are your favourite products from MAC? What should I try next?

Read more about my MAC Eyeshadow palettes here.

Read more about my MAC Lipstick collection here.

Christmas Party Picking

'Tis the season to be jolly, and that means parties. Whether you're going to be dancing the night away, doing the desk to dinner dash, or just going out with the girls, I got your back, or rather, your face, covered.

Whatever kind of form your party takes, what we are looking for is a festive look with staying power. Here, I've put together a little roundup of some of the products I rely on for my festive face, and the way I like to use them for maximum wear time.

I like to start it all off with a high coverage, matte foundation with no SPF. Foundations that contain SPF are great for the day, but cause a serious case of ghost face when flash photography is involved, so leave them at home for your big night out. The one exception to the SPF rule is the Max Factor Facefinity foundation, which provides minimal SPF, but no flashback. I've raved about this foundation for a long time now, it provides flawless coverage, a matte finish that has incredible staying power, and it's cheap too. I don't always pair this with a powder, but if I know I'm going to be photographed, or if I haven't had time to re do my makeup before going out, I like to add a little powder into the equation. My absolute favourite is the Bourjois Healthy Balance, good coverage, banishes shine and unlike some powders, doesn't look cakey when you touch it up.

If powder isn't your thang, or if you went a little heavy handed, then the Urban Decay All Nighter spray is your new best friend. Think of it as hairspray for the face. This stuff is amazing, it saw me through all those unbearably hot days in the summer, and stopped my makeup melting off my face. I've decanted some into this little spray bottle from Muji, to make it purse friendly, for makeup refreshing all night long.

My favourite way to perk up a day look to night is a red lip and big lashes. For lasting power, you can't beat a matte lip. I love the colour of Russian Red from MAC, but for makeup on the go, you can't beat the NARS Lip Pencils, I particularly love the shade Cruella. Whichever colour I go for, I like to apply once, blot and reapply, and if there's gonna be food involved, I like to go in with a coat of Lipcote too.

When it comes to Red Lips, nothing works better than a cat flick and a big ol' set of lashes. I'm totally loving the Soap and Glory Supercat Liner at the moment, it's got awesome staying power and it's jet black. I've been loving the Eylure Naturalites Super Full, they add real volume and length, but they don't look really fake. I pair this with the Revlon Precision Dark Lash Adhesive, a really strong lash glue that dries black.

What is your go to party look? What are your favourite festive products?

The Christmas Gift Guide: Benefit Love At First Shine

You guys know that I'm not big on lipglosses, I'm particularly fussy about stickiness, but I do have a soft spot for Benefit's glosses, so I jumped on this set when I saw it in Boots.

This Christmas gift set contains six of Benefit's Ultra Plush Lipglosses, which I love. They are completely and 100% not sticky in the slightest, they have good colour pay off, smell good, and they last a surprising amount of time.

A-Lister, is a nude peach gloss that kinda goes with everything. I've been particularly loving it with Rimmel Let's Get Naked and Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Tutu. Fauxmance is a light brown toned nude, that looks awesome over lipsticks like MAC Faux. Kiss You is a striking purple gloss, that I love layering over plum lipsticks to add a purple toned, but it's definitely quite subtle. I particularly like this with MAC Plumful & Syrup. Lollibop is a bright blue toned pink that I like to wear alone, or over my Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, or my Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 37 L'Exuberante. Poutrageous is a bright orange peach, although it does sheer out on application. This looks great to brighten up nudey peach lipsticks like Rimmel Let's Get Naked, or on a brighter peach like MAC Betty Bright. Lastly is Ice Breaker which is completely clear, making it great for everything, but I particularly love it with red lips. 

If you are in need of a last minute gift for a beauty lover, or any teenage girly girl, this is definitely it! It's only £19.50, which means you could even get away with treating yourself...

What do you think of this set? Have you tried any Benefit lipglosses? What are your favourite glosses?

Check out my other Christmas Gift Guides here!

Top Five Eyeshadow Palettes

When it comes to eyeshadows, I'm pretty predictable. It's all about the neutral palettes. So, you should be fairly unsurprised that four of my top palette picks are all neutrals! 

I should point out that there are decent palettes on the highstreet, I just massively prefer the formulation of high end eyeshadows. In fact, I think eyeshadow is the one product that I wear everyday that is high end, I just prefer them!

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Backed, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Let's get the obvious out of the way, one of the Naked palettes was going to be in here wasn't it. I have both the Naked and the Naked 2 (and soon to be the proud owner of the Naked 3) but I think I get more use out of the original of the two. Particularly at this time of year,  I tend to prefer warmer toned shadows, which has me reaching for this. I do wish there was more matte shades in here though! I love that this palette has lots of combinations that work really well together, and you don't have to think about what you're doing too much! My favourite shadow combinations are Toasted & Hustle, Half Baked & Smog, and Sin & Hustle. Urban Decay shadows just own it really, they have every possible colour, and they're so buttery and smooth, and they last all day with incredible pigmentation.

Hush, Quarry, Mulch & Corduroy

Next up is a palette I've already mentioned this week, it's my MAC Neutrals Quad. I am probably using my other MAC Quad more at the moment, but long term, this is my favourite. This has everything I need for a basic eye look and a smokey eye in one compact little palette. I do wish this came with a mirror though, and I find the packaging annoying because it always looks dusty from shadow fallout. If you want to know more about this quad, check out yesterday's post.

Alhambra, Bellissima, Kalahari, Galapagos, Coconut Grove & Night Clubbing

My NARS And God Created the Woman palette is probably my favourite palette ever. Bold claim I know. This palette has everything I need, a shimmery base/highlight, a matte taupe crease colour, a slightly darker shimmery base colour, the perfect golden shimmer chocolate brown, a dark matte brown, and a black brown shimmer. It's compact but with a big mirror, making it perfect for travel. And urghhhh I just love it. I am obsessed with NARs shadows anyway, but this is my favourite! I've done a full review here.

Bone, Stone, Frappe, Caramel, Champagne Truffle, Cocoa, Rich Chocolate

The Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Palette is a fairly recent addition to the collection. The thing I love about this is the number of matte shades, out of seven shades, only two are shimmery, making it a refreshing change from every other palette on the market. I go for this when I'm looking for something a little more subtle, but there's a shimmery option too. The shadows are super soft and highly pigmented (except for Caramel, which is the odd one out with chunky glitter and a medium pigmentation) and very well loved!

Kinky, Freestyle, Mushroom, Backdoor, Blackout, Barlust, Rockstar, Evidence, Loaded, Asphalt

And lastly, a bit of colour in the form of the Urban Decay Smoked Palette. I love the rich jewel toned shadows in this, but it also has neutral options too, making it a great travel option. Like I said, Urban Decay shadows are incredible and these are no exception. I love the zip up packaging, and that it comes with a liner and primer. 

So those are my top palette picks, have you used any of these? What are your favourite eyeshadow palettes? Are you a neutrals gal too?

My MAC Eyeshadow Palettes

When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, my MAC palettes are definitely among my most used! You got a sneaky peak of them on Monday in my Makeup Collection & Storage post, but I thought I'd show you these properly, since I don't think they've ever had a proper introduction to you guys.

So I have two quads, with eight shadows. I did think about getting a large palette (correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they hold 15 shadows?) but realistically, I am very happy with the shades I have, and I don't need any more encouragement to buy more. 

I've split the shadows in the way that makes most sense to me, I have a neutrals quad and then one with purple toned shadows.

The 'neutrals' quad contains two matte colours and two shimmers, in the shades Hush, Quarry, Mulch and Corduroy. Hush has unfortunately now been discontinued, which is a shame because I use this all the time and it's a gorgeous colour. It's a very light peachy/pink shimmery, frost finish shadow that is perfect for all over the lid for a natural look, or as a base colour, or even as a highlight. The shimmer is quite subtle on the lid which I like. Quarry is described by MAC as a soft, muted plum brown, but I would simply describe it as a matte light taupe shade. This looks great with Hush to give a little definition to the crease, but it is also a great base colour for a smokey look. Mulch is the only true shimmer in this palette, and it's a warm bronze shade, with golden shimmer running through it. This shade is absolutely beautiful alone on the lid, or as part of a smokier look. Lastly in this palette is Corduroy, which is a warm, matte, red based dark brown. This is great for adding definition to the crease, and it looks great smudged across the lash line.

In palette number two, all the shades are much darker. Top left is the classic Cranberry, a gorgeous reddy plum shade with pink flecks of shimmer, totally gorgeous this time of year. Next to that is Sketch, a deep plum burgandy veined with red shimmer, I love this shade so much. Then I have Blackberry, the only matte shade in this quad. It's a plum brown, similar to Quarry but darker. Lastly, Satin Taupe, which is just absolutely beautiful, I get so much wear out of this shade it's unreal. MAC describe it as a taupe with silver shimmer, sounds simple but it's so so beautiful.

My most used colour combinations are probably Satin Taupe with Blackberry in the crease, Satin Taupe with Sketch in the crease, Hush with Quarry in the crease and Quarry with Blackberry in the crease, but I find that most of the shades work well together!

Like I said, I am really happy with the shades I have now, and I don't really feel like I need anymore, but let me know your favourite MAC shades in the comments for me to swatch next time I'm in store.