NYX HAUL

NYX is becoming a firm favourite in my collection, especially now Boots have opened NYX counters in many stores in the UK, Aberdeen being one, and once again I couldn’t help but pick up a few bits, oops…

I’ll jump straight in with the lip products I purchased.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, £5.50. From left to right, I bought Abu Dhabi, Transylvania and Moscow.

The soft matte formula is one of my favourites when it comes to liquid lipstick. It is creamy, smooth and applies with ease. They dry down to a matte finish, long lasting but unlike most liquid formulas, it remains moisturising on the lips. I find Abu Dhabi perfect for work as it stays in place while I’m running about at work. Transylvania will be perfect now we are coming into Autumn and Moscow, well, I’m not sure when I will ever be brave enough to wear a dark blue lipstick but people that are pull it off very well. One last thing to mention is that these lipsticks have a strong vanilla scent. I’ve grown to love this but it might be overpowering for some, it was for me at first.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick, £6.50. This is in the shade Tea & Cookies. 

Again, this is one of my favourite formula of liquid lipstick and have many shades so decided to pick this one up too. It applies effortlessly and doesn’t make your lips feel dry as it remains slightly velvety on the lips while still looking completely matte.

For me personally, I find the colour a little too baby pink against my pale skin tone which isn’t how I imagined this colour to look which is disappointing. I’ve seen this colour on my friend and it looks completely different on her. I’m going to try again with a nude brown lipliner all over first to see if I can tone down the pink on application.

Here are the colours of each lipstick swatched – Moscow, Transylvania, Abu Dhabi, Tea & Cookies.

NYX HD Concealer, £5.50, in the shade Porcelain.

From the very start of my makeup days back when Bebo was all the rage, the only concealer I’ve ever used and loved is the classic Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer until I tried out this concealer from NYX. They actually have a shade which is light enough to brighten up my undereye which is the main reason I decided to pick this up but the concealer in general works great on me. It is quite full coverage which really helps cover up my dark circles but doesn’t look thick and cakey. I also find that this creases on me a lot less than anything else I have tried. It’s a winner.

NYX Colour Correcting Powder, £8, in the shade Banana. 

I picked this up because I’ve been enjoying using loose powder recently and I’ve heard great things about banana shade powders for brightening. I’m yet to try this out but I will let you know how I get on.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil, £7, this is in the shade Taupe.

My favourite brow product is my ABH Dip Brow but this can create quite an intense brow so I was on the hunt for something I could use for a more natural brow on a day to day basis. I had heard this NYX pencil was the same shade as my dipbrow but it is slightly warmer which I’m not too fond of. However, I will continue to use this on days where I’m less concerned about how brilliant my makeup looks because it easy. The pencil is thin enough that you can draw on natural looking strokes to any sparse areas of your brow.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil, £5, in the shade Milk.

Out of everything I purchased, this is definitely the one that makes me most excited. Originally I bought this for an eyeshadow base to intensify colour but I would always forget to apply it so I decided to try it out for my inner corner highlight and I fell in love. This really helps brighten and elongate my small eyes. It also stays in place all day, it’s amazing! Honestly, I cannot rave about this pencil enough, it’s exactly what I needed in my collection without even knowing it.

If there is one thing you buy after reading this post, make it this Jumbo Eye Pencil, you won’t regret it. I’d highly recommend trying out the Soft Matte Lip Creams also.

I’d love to know what your NYX must haves are, let me know!

Thanks for reading,

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I WON A COMPETITION

Recently, I signed up for The Blogger Programme, which is a site that allows bloggers and brands to find and connect with each other. Even though I’m not at this level of blogging, occasionally they hold competitions which is something we can all participate in.

Now, I’m in no way a lucky person. I’m perhaps the complete opposite so when I entered this Feel Unique giveaway in collaboration @moomooi, a fashion illustrator, never in a million years did I expect to receive a box full of beauty goodies.

As you can tell, the items I won are incredibly eye catching and I’m still in shock I actually won them.

@moomooi Make up Bag, £12.

The first item in my package was this large make up bag, which will be perfect for holding all the makeup I need for touch ups at university and more. It is made of canvas with this gorgeous print on the front. It even has a rose gold zip and baby blue tassel, too sweet.

@moomooi Travel Pass Wallet, £9.

@moomooi iPhone case, available for iPhone 5 & 6, £10.

Continuing with the theme, I received this travel wallet and iPhone case. The travel wallet is just what I need to keep my bus pass safe and it comes with a handy mirror for making sure my makeup hasn’t smudged during a long day in the library. Also, this pretty transparent phone case in the same style. Unfortunately, this is too small for my phone but I have passed this on to a friend to get the use of it.

@moomooi Flat Kabuki Brush, £14.

Just look at how adorable this brush is though with its blush pink, Parisian theme and the rose gold hardware. I’m not the biggest fan of flat topped brushes as I can find them quite harsh on my skin but even if I don’t use it for make up, this will be great for flatlays, yes I just said that…

ELEMIS British Botanical Hand and Nail Butter, £18.

This is one item I am very excited about. I am a huge ELEMIS fan but it’s a brand I tend to only use when I receive sets for Christmas as it is more on the pricey side. This smells lovely and I know I am going to get on well with this product.

STEAMCREAM Moisturiser, £13.95.

I’d never actually heard of this brand before but after looking this product up I am intrigued and excited to try this cream out. It is a multipurpose cream that is uniquely formulated using pure, unrefined steam for maximum absorption. This exact tin design is no longer available but they have a couple of others to choose from.

Invisibobble Hair Bobbles POWER Pack, £4.75.

It’s no surprise I love these bobbles, I’ve even spoken about them in a monthly favourites post before. Up until now, I’ve only tried the original bobbles so I can’t wait to see if the POWER range will hold up better as I find mine tend to snap quite quickly due to having my hair up almost every day for work.

Fleur De Force Eyeshadow Quad – Lunar Rose, £5.35.

This palette will be great for throwing into my uni bag when I’m in a rush and after a natural and simple make up look. It doesn’t have a mirror but with my travel wallet I’m all set! I’ve never tried any of Fleur’s range before so I look forward to giving this quad a go.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream – Stockholm, £5.50.

This is probably my favourite product I received. The formula is smooth and glides on your lips like a dream, dries down matte but doesn’t make your lips feel dry like other matte lipsticks. The colour reminds me of Velvet Teddy by MAC and I find the formula lasts longer on the lips than Velvet Teddy lasts on me.

And there was a quick look at everything that I won in the TBP competition. Thanks to them and Feel Unique for holding the competition and let’s hope my luck continues!

Thanks for reading,

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I’m Feeling 22 | Birthday

It’s been over a month since my birthday, but finally I am finding the time to write about my day.

Just like every year, I was very lucky to have had such a lovely day spent with most of my favourite people.

My friend, Holly (DaSilvax.com) and I went out for a quick lunch then she came back to mine early afternoon and helped me set up for the day. We shared a few drinks as we got ready.

One by one, all my friends turned up for an evening of Domino’s pizza and drinks in the garden – until it started raining, that is. It was a great evening spent with my dearest friends. We played games, had a nice catch up and drank ourselves merry.

Later on the night we decided to head out to a club, Exodus, for their Motown night which is always such a brilliant night! Unfortunately, as a couple of my friends had work the next day, they were unable to join but I am thankful they stayed out as long as they could.

Speaking of being thankful, I thought I would show you some of the presents I received from my friends and family. If there is one thing I love to see, it is what gifts people were given from loved ones.

Let’s start with family.

My mum knew I was after a more luxe skincare routine so I asked her to pick out some products for me. She surprised me with this set from Clinique. 

This set included:

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Extra Mild which is meant to cleanse the face without stripping protective layers.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1.0 Twice a Day Exfoliator is an exfoliating lotion that claims to be non-drying, soothing while de-flaking the skin.

Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Clay Mask and Scrub which is a deep-clean treatment to help remove impurities and dirt from the face.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief is a daily moisturiser that claims to be lightweight, comfortable and plumps skin with hydration for 24 hours.

Along with the set, I received these little sample products which includes an eye cream, overnight mask and another moisturiser.

I am very excited to try all these products out but I am currently working on finishing the products in my current routine so unfortunately I won’t be using these for a month or so. If you would like a post on my current routine, let me know and I can make that happen.

If you are interested in Clinique products, check out their products here.

Another gift from my parents is this Karen Millen purse which is just so classic and gorgeous. It is made from saffiano leather and matches my handbag perfectly. I love it.

My sister, Hannah, kindly bought me this lovely rose gold necklace from Karen Millen which matches perfectly with my rose gold watch. It seems very well made and looks great for an evening out or even just making something casual more dressy.

If I’m not wearing this necklace, I will be wearing this adorable elephant necklace that my friend, Holly, gifted me. Once again, this necklace is very me as I love elephants. It is just a little longer than choker length which is another huge plus.

Holly really spoiled me this year by getting me this Zoeva En Taupe Brush set which consists of 6 beautifully designed eye brushes and a small zipped pouch for storage. The brushes included are:

• 227 Luxe Soft Definer Brush
• 228 Luxe Crease Brush
• 230 Luxe Pencil Brush
• 238 Luxe Precise Shader Brush
• 317 Wing Liner Brush
• 322 Brow Line Brush

I definitely think this is the prettiest brush set I own. I can’t wait to finally be able to use them.

And lastly from Holly, I received this Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Naked Chocolate Palette. I use this palette most days when I am after a subtle make up look, such as when I’m working. It smells of chocolate and vanilla and is divine! Give it a sniff and you’ll automatically be hungry. The colour pay off is great and it really is a little gem.

And finally, from my friend Eilidh, I was gifted this lovely notebook and sticker pack from Paperchase. Eilidh knows me far too well as London is a place I adore and dying to go back to visit. I am a huge stationery addict and have more notebooks than I know what to do with. Also, probably the largest sticker collection of someone my age so these are just perfect to add into it! I might do a stationery collection and show you how I decorate my planner as I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with this obsession.

As well as this, Eilidh bought be the most adorable elephant pyjama set which again just shows how well she knows me. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of them to show you.

And that wraps up my 22nd birthday. I am beyond grateful for everything I received and can’t wait to shower my friends and family with gifts for their birthdays to show my appreciation.

Thanks for reading,

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Liebster Award Catch Up

Over the last couple months, I have been nominated to complete quite a few Liebster awards to the point I completely lost track. I’ve backtracked and came across a couple from some lovely bloggers that I will complete over the next few weeks but today’s tag is from Abbie (Abbie in Wonderland). If you haven’t already, go check her out!

1. What is your favourite place for a holiday? After being in Thailand this summer, I definitely have to say there. Beautiful temples, paradise beaches and playing with elephants, what more could you want?
2. What is your favourite ever make up brand? Right now, Anastasia Beverly Hills as that is the brand that features the most in my every day make up routine.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Honestly, neither. I will be incredibly grumpy if I have to wake up early but can’t stay up past midnight.
4. What is the one food you could not live without? I’d probably say chocolate. I definitely have a sweet tooth.
5. What is your favourite scent? Teabags, for sure.
6. What is your favourite relaxing treatment? I love a good face mask.
7. Do you have a favourite song ever? Babybird – You’re Gorgeous. This is the song my dad would always sing to me when I was little. It holds a lot of meaning.
8. Sweet or savoury person? Definitely sweet.
9. Would you rather give up your tv or phone? Tv for sure. I barely ever watch tv but my phone is glued to my hand at all times.
10. What is your favourite social media platform? Instagram as I’m a very visual person.
11. What is your favourite perfume? Anna Sui – Sui Dreams. This perfume was discontinued several years ago but I’m yet to find a perfume I love as much.

So now you know a little more about me. Thanks again to Abbie for nominating me to complete this Liebster Award.

Because I have several more of these in the pipeline, I will leave my set of questions for another time.

Thanks for reading,

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