Wherever you are...

Please stay safe. Tonight seems to be quiet around my area, but two blocks away, our local shops are in ruins and many lives have been destroyed. If there are clean up operations in your area, please consider giving your time.

Review: Johnson's Daily Essentials Gentle Eye Make-Up Removal Pads

I've been on the hunt for an inexpensive eye makeup remover that doesn't sting my eyes or give that uncomfortable cloudy feeling that needs a good rinse and several hundred blinks to get rid of. I ventured into Simple products, great for the no stinging but I still got cloudy peepers. Until I found these, I stuck with good old fashioned baby wipes but didn't like that sometimes, when I'd been particularly heavy handed with the eyeliner I'd have to scrub and it would mean sore, raw patches in the corners of my eyes. Not ideal when you're trying (ok, half trying) to look fresh faced and awake for work, especially as concealer refused to stay on!

I nipped into Tescos one evening to buy some broccoli *cough doublechocolatefudgeicecream* and saw a load of Johnson's skincare products were on offer at 2 for £4 so I picked up a tub of these and some face wash for the fella (he's got very picky skin, but I like to use him to test products) and whilst the face wash only mildly impressed (great for everyday, mild exfoliation for combo/dry skin - does nothing if you've got problem or oily skin) these pads were an absolute gem.



You get 30 pads in a tub and one is easily enough to remove even the heaviest makeup on both eyes, though it does say to use one for each, I just turn it over. I gently swipe downwards, open my eyes and gently swipe side to side and it loosens and removes all my eye makeup. It does require a quick going over with a baby wipe or a quick rinse as it does smudge very heavy product but it gets it all off with no irritation whatsoever.

The fragrance is minimal and is pleasant and while the moisture it gives the eyes is in my opinion insufficient, it's nice not to feel like your lashline is sticking to the hood of your eye halfway through your cleansing routine. Absolutely keep using an eye cream. I've noticed my lashes are shinier (?) too.

I highly recommend these pads and I've already repurchased while they're still on offer. I've tried a dozen eye makeup removers from Lancome to Superdrug's own brand and this kicks them all off my bathroom shelf.

Review: MUFE HD Foundation

I believed in the hype, I shelled out and received the hype in my grubby little hands and smeared the hype all over my face. I liked it!





The foundation's consistency is not runny, but certainly fluid enough to move quickly. It does not dry particularly fast so it is not necessary to work quickly.

MUFE HD foundation claims to be an undetectable, oil free medium to full coverage foundation with easy application. I initially used my fingers to apply the foundation and found that even with the sheer layer, I got decent coverage and did not need to use my usual amount of concealer. When applied with my (NBF) Beauty Blender, I got full but natural coverage without the weighty mask feeling. I used concealer sparingly on particularly difficult blemishes, if at all. I did not find this foundation broke down or oxidised on my skin, however I did notice some oils peeping through at around 6pm (I usually slap-up at 8am, de-slap at 9pm) so this was still impressive. With some great oil control powder, it lasted my whole 13 hour day. If I know I won't be wearing makeup for more than 6 hours, I will not set with a powder and topped with some gel bronzer and cream blush, I really love the dewy finish us oily skinned girls sometimes long for, but mostly can't risk! It's a fantastic foundation and I would absolutely repurchase.

My one and only gripe is the packaging. I do not like. You can't tell when you're about to run out, the pump has very little control so I find myself wasting half a pump (at least) each time I use the product and my usual thrifty (ok...CHEAP) self cannot open the bottle up to scoop out the last of the product.

All in all, the product itself is fantastic. If there was a way to transfer it to another container, it would certainly be my go-to foundation.

Have you tried HD? What are your thoughts?

What I've Been Using: June

Shampoo: Soap & Glory Glad Hair Day
Conditioner: Schwarzkopf Bonacure Colour Therapy
Styling Products: None!
Shower Gel: Lush Happy Hippy
Body Moisturiser : Body Shop Mango body butter
Deodorant: Cheapo cotton fresh anti perspirant
Face Wash: Mario Badescu Glycolic Cleanser
Exfoliator: None.
Primer: None.
Foundation Brush: Beauty Blender sponge
Foundation: MUFE HD
Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear
Powder: Boots 17 Shine Control Pressed Powder
Blusher: MAC Blonde MSF
Bronzer: Stila gel bronzer
Highlighter: Nars Luxor
Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadows: SLEEK!
Eyeliner: elf duo shadow/liners
Mascara: Fiberwig
Lipstick: None
Lipgloss: Lord & Berry
Nail Colour: Barry M 296 Coral

Collective Haul: April - June

Looking at the products laid out in front of me, I've not been buying a great deal over the past few months. It felt like I had but a lot of what I purchased were replacement products. I've also been investing more in clothes after havihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng a mad eBay clear out. I bought the most lovely Nicole Farhi silk top (I used it as a fabric background in this post) which I think I'll wear to death this summer. Also picked up a handful of maxi dresses which I tend to live in during the "warmer" months - whatever that means in the UK . Mostly, I've been saving. Mostly...



A few bits from Space NK. I haven't tried the new cleanser yet, I'm finishing up my Mario Badescu products (which I'll be honest, are not amazing. Stand out products are the buffering lotion and whitening mask. I didn't like the moisturiser at all and the cleansers were alright but quite drying)I also picked up a Nars blush in Deep Throat, Sheer Glow foundation and Shu Uemura Nobara foundation. Both are great and give good coverage while remaining light on the skin. Sheer Glow's coverage really surprised me! If I need to build it up, I use a Beauty Blender sponge (another I-love product) to stipple it on. Perfect.



A handful of things to try from BeautyBay.com. I'm excited about adding a toner to my skincare routine again. I haven't used a toner since Lush's Tea Tree Water and miss the squeaky clean feeling you get afterwards.



After scouring blogs and eBay, I'm 1 (Oh So Special - I didn't include the new Curacao palette as I just bought that today) palette away from completing my Sleek collection. If interested, I'll do a large review/swatch catalogue of all the Sleek palettes past and present.



I broke my nail polish ban and went a little nuts...the two Illamasqua nail polishes were STUNNING and I bought two of each to send to a couple of my friends. Perfect for a vampy night out. The Barry M colours are beautiful summer brights - the coral is by far my favourite. Seche Vite is hands down, amazing. Ah-may-zing. My nail colour lasts a good week without any major chips despite me working with my hands a lot.



I bought a few Soap & Glory products, one of which was the boddy butter seen and the other was a facial scrub and shower gel. LOVE the shower gel, LOVE the body butter, a little unsure about the scrub. It kind of burns my skin when it's meant to give a tingly sensation. The boy loves it so as far as I'm concerned he can have it! I'm giving one of these body butters away soon :)

Check out the adorable mini High Beam and Posie Tints free with Glamour magazine! Didn't get Benetint as I've got the full size, but aw, so cute!

I purchased (IMPULSE) a couple of MAC shadows - Vellum and Beauty Marked. Beauty Marked really stands out to me, it's dark but really brightens up the eyes. Vellum is a fab highlighter on the cheeks and cupids bow.

I'm also giving away a couple of Lord & Berry glosses that I bought a while back. I loved it so much I went back and picked up two. The perfect shade for any skintone, lovely texture and I actually like the smell of them. They're not MAC vanilla scented, but they're not plastic/playdough scented either! The lipstick I am less crazy about (weird considering I'm not much of a gloss girl) The New CID products, I've yet to try out yet but I'm excited about them. I've dangerously fallen in love with Illamasqua eyeshadows. They're dense, apply very well and stay vibrant until you take them off. I recently bought this matte purple called Fallen.





Recently, the fella and I went down to Brighton for a couple of days. We stayed in a beautiful hotel by the beach front and whilst pebble beaches aren't my favourite, I had a wonderful time. While having breakfast on the beach, we had a little debate on whether pebble or sand beaches are better. My argument was that you could build sandcastles on sand beaches...so John made a stone castle which he said was "more realistic" so better. I'd still rather get sand up my butt any day. Pebble beaches hurt right?!



I made some divine (if I may say so myself) lavender and lavender and lemon cupcakes (with my own recipe for lemon curd). So light you don't feel too guilty for eating more than one!

I've got reviews planned: MUFE HD foundation, Mario Badescu (the week-by-week thing didn't work out because honestly...I wasn't getting the results I'd hoped for but there are some great produts within the range) and a new foundation routine. I'm hoping to start pre-writing posts during the weekend as I'm so busy during the week. Though lately my weekends have been pretty crazy too! We'll see...but I miss blogging a lot! Thanks so much for reading!

e.l.f. Winner

Is Mai - please email me at chrissydee1011@hotmail.co.uk or DM me with your address on Twitter and I'll send your liners out first thing tomorrow!

I hope to have a collective haul post up later today but the weather is SO lovely right now, I'm heading out to do some gardening (I know, I'm like...85 right?) Plus, it's been so damn long since I posted and I've bought so many things I want to write about it's hard to figure out where to begin. My own fault really.

I hope Mai enjoys the e.l.f. liners as much as I do and I hope everyone had/is having an amazing weekend.

A wonderful surprise & a very small giveaway

This afternoon, I got home from work in a foul mood. It was raining, some crazy woman kissed her teeth because I'd had the nerve to say "don't worry it's not like I need my spine" when her umbrella poked me in the back and she'd failed to even make a half-assed apology....and I'd stepped in a dog turd wearing new shoes...BUT...I walked through the door and ripped open a neat little package from my first ever swap buddy! Stoked. Seriously. This woman knows me and what I like.



She bought me some beautiful things, and things I'd never choose for myself. I don't think I'd ever pick out neon nail colours for myself because I'm so pale...you know what? They work. I'm IN LOVE with the matte bright purple. It looks gorgeous matte and glossy with a top coat.



Tried the bright red lip (again, something I'd never choose for myself) and I love it! Wet n Wild lippies have a great texture. I'm not sure how well they wear but they apply well and easily straight from the bullet. Got a couple of back ups of some Wet n Wild single shadows which I'm so pleased about because one in particular (Nutty) - is nearing pan territory. M - thank you SO much for everything, it was the sweetest thing and a wonderful surprise to come home to. I can't wait to send you a few things and to set up another swap! It's time huh?



I'm also back with a small giveaway. Recently e.l.f. had an offer on their Studio Eyeliner & Shadow sticks so I snapped up two of each and I'm giving the other set away. They're great on-the-go products and have excellent staying power. If you're in it to win it, just comment (say anything other then I WANNA WIN) and the winner will be chosen at random on Saturday 25th June 11.59PM GMT+1.

I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their Summers/Winters. We've had nothing but rain and the possibility of rain. When the sun comes out, it rains 3 minutes later and sh*ts all over all chance of tanning/hanging your laundry out/GOING ANYWHERE! But it's London...and I love it. Mostly.



Plus, the messed up weather meant we got a buttload of fruit early this year! Yummy, home grown raspberrys. Incredible.



Remember the cute, tiny little kitten we got? Well...she's still tiny...but she's a cheeky little bugger. She's taken to jumping in my bag before I leave for work.



In a load of bee hive frames. Don't worry, we didn't leave her in there. Plus she jumped in on her own when we were stacking them.



All cuddles........



....no....I'm totes not trying to eat the cat...

I need to sort it out...really...

Not just sort it...SAAAWT it. And I will do. Starting with a giveaway and a huge haul post. I've fallen off planet internet but I haven't stopped shopping.

I hope anyone who reads is well and living life. Please come and have a chat. It's been too long.

With great love xx

Review: Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes

Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes

£3.05 for 25 wipes

On a recent stay away from home, I'd realised I'd forgotten my trusty baby wipes so picked these up for easy makeup removal and cleansing. At a touch over 3 quid for 25, they're not badly priced but they're no pound for 80!



These wipes, like all Simple products contain no perfumes, colour or unnecessary ingredients. They do however contain spot fighting/calming ingredients. 3 of them in fact. Zinc, Chamomile and Phytosphingosine. The wipes themselves are smooth to use, don't sting (even when used over the eyes) and remove makeup very well. Even with a soft texture, they gently slough away dead skin cells and provide a smooth, exfoliated feel after use.

As for spot fighting, I think these made little difference to my skin. Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes do the same job as my regular cleanser and makeup remover but nothing above that. I'll continue to use them when I need a convenient, quick makeup remover and will certainly be repurchasing!

Review: New CID Cosmetics Eyes Lips & Cheeks Palette

New CID Cosmetics Eyes, Lips & Cheeks Palette

£24



I picked up this palette for a bargainous £12 on ASOS.com. Like I've said before, I rarely buy palettes where powder and cream/gel products are mixed. This palette has the shadows in a separate compartment to the lipsticks, gloss and blush. Not overly keen on the blush and lip products being mixed but I think I'll find myself using the eyeshadows much more often as they are just divine!





4 wearable, neutral colours. Three shimmers, one mid-tone matte brown perfect for brows, contour and liner. You've got a lovely, shimmery champagne colour to highlight and brighten, a mid-tone shimmery brown and a dark mocha shimmery brown. Each eyeshadow has wonderful colour payoff, all blend well and are easy to use. The two lip colours and gloss aren't ones I'd choose for myself but it's nice that they're there. I'd imagine they'd double up well as cream blushes but I've yet to try that. The blush is a blue toned pink and isn't something I'd usually choose for myself but is pretty all the same. It's flattering with a hint of silver shimmer.





Despite being an all-in-one palette, I don't think it's particularly travel friendly purely because of its size. It's generously sized - the eyeshadows are huge! - so not ideal to lug around with you if you like a compact makeup kit when you travel, so it's great to have on standby when your brain stops working on Monday morning and you still want to create an easy, flattering neutral eye.

Packaging is sleek, rigid cardboard with a strong magnetic closure. The drawer that the lip colour and blush is in does fall out quite easily though - again not making it ideal for secure travel.

I would definitely have paid full price for the palette and I'm so happy I striked lucky and picked it up for just over a tenner. I'm looking to branch out and try a few more products from the brand. Any recommendations?

What I've Been Using: February

Shampoo: Schwarzkopf Bonacure Colour Therapy
Conditioner: Schwarzkopf Bonacure Colour Therapy
Styling Products: None!
Shower Gel: Lush The Olive Branch
Body Moisturiser : No7 Body Balm
Deodorant: Dove Lemongrass & Grapefruit (delicious scent)
Face Wash: Mario Badescu Acne Cleanser/Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
Exfoliator: None for my face, as the Acne Cleanser exfoliates as well.
Primer: None
Foundation Brush: Fingers
Foundation: MUFE HD
Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear/MAC Studio Finish
Powder: MAC MSF Natural
Blusher: Natural Collection blushes are my new favourite
Bronzer: None - rocking the pasty
Highlighter: MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow
Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadows: Trying out all my new shadows and rediscovering some old favourites. Shu Uemura makes me dreamy.
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7
Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous
Lipstick: Having a moment with Stila lippies
Lipgloss: Sephora mini glosses
Nail Colour: At the moment it's Nails Inc Jermyn Street

Haul: NYX

I picked up a few NYX bargains, not much but enough to make me fall in love with the products and want to explore the brand a bit more. I'd really love to try out NYX lipsticks. Anyone up for a swap?!



I bought:

For Your Eyes Only Palette in Beautiful Green Eyes

For Your Eyes Only Palette in Smokey Eyes

Super Powder Brush

and Nail Polish in South Sea

The palettes are much smaller than I imagined. I don't mind, it's just something I noticed when I first opened the package. Pigmentation is great upon swatching but I'll see how they wear and post a review at a later date. Colours are beautiful and well chosen for each palette. I've got a bit of an obsession with eyeshadow palettes and think these are fantastic additions to my collection.

The brush is large and fluffy, not especially soft but not painfully scratchy. Will have to see how it holds up in terms of shedding when in use and washing.

The nail polish is an impulse buy as I don't have a colour similar to it in my collection. I'm quite disappointed to be honest. I know it's only a cheapie but I've paid far less for a polish and this one is so sheer it requires a good 4-5 coats to get a nice finish. I resorted to wearing it over a navy blue cream polish and thought it looked lovely.

Any review requests, send them my way!

Monday Night Rant: Vol 1

Tonight's rant will be about public transport. More specifically, public transport in London. While I enjoy the huge spectrum of wonderful people I see on my travels to and from work and find myself giggling at the lost tourists or just-got-a-big-job-in-London-town girls and boys ending up in Edgware when they meant to get to Waterloo; I do not enjoy the proportionally large number of morons I find myself dealing with. These include perverts, the inconsiderate and those who refuse to follow the rules.

Why oh why do people not obey the golden rule of the underground? Let people off before you push yourself and your 30 tonne suitcase through the doors. While you're at it, don't get your coat/scarf/arm trapped in the door. I'm late, you're making me later.

Why, when the train is completely empty, do you choose to sit next to me and read my paper? There's 500 discarded papers in this carriage. There's also 30 other free seats and a thing called breath mints.

Why do you choose to leave it until you reach the barriers before you retrieve your Oyster card/ticket from your wallet/bag/pocket? It almost always requires you to "Seek Assistance" anyway. Whilst I'm on this subject, how about NOT using my Oyster/ticket to let yourself through the barriers? It means I can't get through, you know...even though I've PAID for it.

How about realising when the train is full and waiting for the next one? We all have to do it at some point in our lives. I'd rather not have my face pushed into the sweaty armpit of a 73 year old whos never heard of deodorant just because you're impatient.

Spilling your coffee on my white coat DOES require you to apologise. You're lucky I don't send you a dry cleaning bill.

Just because the bus is full and someone is standing in the wheelchair/buggy area, doesn't mean you can demand to take up half the standing space with your buggy by giving us sinister looks and tutting. Notices say at busy times, they must be folded. Fold them or wait for the next bus please. Or put your baby in a wheelchair.

I really don't appreciate having to listen to your crappy taste in music when I've got a headache and the parent with the buggy is shoving it into the backs of my new boots.

Many thanks,

Chrissy xx

Review: e.l.f. Bamboo Brushes & Studio Stipple Brush

Quite a while ago, I ordered a few brushes from e.l.f. I'd been using a number of their regular range and Studio Line brushes for just over a year and thought that they were good quality for their price point. Seeing the new Bamboo Brushes and knowing how soft and lovely my Studio Complexion Brush was, I ordered the Powder Brush. Having a thing for angled brushes, I chose the Angled Blush Brush as well. I noticed the Studio Stipple Brush was still in stock so quickly popped one of those into my basket and paid up.



These brushes are all an absolute pleasure and a dream to use. All soft, all pick up and deposit the perfect amount of product and all easy to clean, economic and best of all - each brush is produced using man made fibres (Taklon). The Bamboo Brushes are made of recycled materials too.



The Powder Brush is large, fluffy and perfect for applying loose powder quickly and evenly. I use it for pressed powder as well. The brush is also fantastic for blending out and diffusing colour when I get too blush-happy.



The Angled Blush Brush is beautiful and I love me a multi-purpose product or brush. It's perfectly sized to use as a blush brush, tilt it slightly to use with a highlighter or lay on its side to contour with bronzer.



The Studio Stipple Brush is not as dense as many duo-fibre brushes I've used but it's a nice size unless you plan to use it for foundation. I like my foundation brushes to be big (I use a MAC 189, e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush or my fingers) so this one wouldn't quite cut it. Though I did try it once and found it gave a nice finish. I love this brush for cream or gel blushes.

Each brush sits well in the hand and is comfortable to use whilst looking stylish and above their price range. I would highly recommend the Bamboo range!

Have you used any e.l.f. brushes? What are your thoughts? Any winners I'm missing out on?

I hope you're all well, I hope to be back and posting more often from now on!

What I've Been Using: January

Shampoo: Toni & Guy Dark Brunette Shampoo
Conditioner: Toni & Guy Dark Brunette Conditioner
Styling Products: None!
Shower Gel: Lush Grass/Glogg/Happy Hippy
Body Moisturiser : Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite
Deodorant: Dove Lemongrass & Grapefruit (delicious scent)
Face Wash: Mario Badescu Acne Cleanser/Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
Exfoliator: None for my face, as the Acne Cleanser exfoliates as well. Body: Soap & Glory Flake Away (not loving it to be honest)
Primer: Trying out a Pixi primer.
Foundation Brush: MAC 189
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay
Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear
Powder: e.l.f. HD powder
Blusher: Shu Uemura blush tint
Bronzer: Rimmel Natural Bronzer
Highlighter: Nars multiple in Luxor
Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadows: Sleek Original palette.
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 liners
Mascara: CoverGirl LashBlast
Lipstick: None
Lipgloss: None
Nail Colour: Model's Own Nude Beige. It's the only polish from my collection that I'm able to get to as my polish boxes are under a pile of cat food. No, I'm not joking.

Stylish Blogger Award

Both Brittany and Rabiyah have kindly nominated me for my second blog award! Thanks so much ladies! As one of the rules for accepting the award state I must share 7 unknown/little known facts about me, here they are:

1. I'm the worst person in the world for bulk buying. Think your grandmas bad stocking up on 3000 toilet rolls? I've got 3002. I can only think of how much worse it'll be when we move and have more space.


2. If I could eat fried rice and ramen for the rest of my life, I totally would.


3. When my boyfriend isn't home I listen to some pretty dirty ass hip hop. I'm talking the filthy underground stuff. He hates it, I love it.


4. I have a cat called Reggie who we've nicknamed Belly. Or Reggie Belly. Partly because he's a little tubby and partly because he's one of the only cats we know that loves having his tummy rubbed. Our other cat Mimi loves to have her ears rubbed. It makes her fall asleep.


5. I stopped drinking when I was 21.


6. I once set fire to my mum's brand new carpet. I don't remember why or how but it partly led to unknown fact number 5.


7. I really dislike it when people (myself included) say "sorry" instead of "excuse me" when trying to get past someone. There's nothing to be sorry about!

The rules also state I must nominate 15 recently discovered bloggers for this award:

Everythingism

The Makeup Drawer

Girl In The City Glasgow

Grazed Knees

Jessica Allison/Out In A Pout

Jeweled Thumb

LE FLASSH

Sparklz and Shine

Sweet Like Jelly

Tacky Blue Eyeshadow

oogle makeup

Obsessive Cosmetics Disorder

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Lipstick Rules

Katiexo

With the acceptance of the award, you must follow these rules:

* Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award.

* Share 7 things about yourself.

* Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

* Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

FOTD: Navy Eyes, Coral Lips

Products used:

Face: Revlon ColorStay foundation, MAC Pro Longwear concealer, e.l.f. Pressed powder

Eyes: Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Superior, NARS eyeshadow in Night Flight, Bourjois Volume Clubbing mascara in Absolute Black

Lips: OCC Lip Tar in Grandma

Swap Haul with FunnyFaceBeauty!

Through this blog I've had the absolute pleasure of being in contact with some of the most wonderful people from all over the world. A couple months ago after speaking on Twitter a few times, the amazing Alicia and I decided we'd do a swap. There were a handful of things each of us wanted from the other side of the Atlantic so we swapped! This is what I received in the mail yesterday.





Wet n Wild Limited Edition Holiday Palette in Night Elf

Unfortunately this didn't photograph as nice as it looks in life. It is much more pigmented though I feel slightly let down by the super sparkly black. It's pigmented for sure but once again a glitter shadow fails me as a lot of the glitter falls off immediately. A great palette regardless and I'm sure I'll find myself using the gold quite a bit. The bottom left shadow reminds me an awful lot of Blue Brown pigment from MAC. Will need to swatch to compare!







Wet n Wild ColorIcon Single Eyeshadows in Kitten and Nutty and OCC Loose Colour Pigment in Nori

After my first swap with an amazing Twitter friend I discovered Wet n Wild's ColorIcon range and for a drugstore product and at their pricepoint these products are incredible. I'd pay a lot more for them! The OCC pigment is just like I imagined it to be.





Sephora Color To Go Red Edition Palette

I'm not usually a fan of all-in-one palettes. I don't like it when cream products are mixed with powder prodcuts because 9 times out of 10 both end up looking grotty and unuseable. BUT! I spotted this and instantly knew I wanted it. 1 - because of the colour selection and 2 - because the glosses and blush are in a completely separate compartment. They neatly slide under the eyeshadows! WHY DON'T THEY ALL DO THIS?! This palette is tiny and super travel friendly - and it's preeetty.



OCC Lip Tar in Grandma, Sephora Glosses in Rosy Glow, Bronzed Beauty and Precious Pink, MAC Lustreglass in Lustrewhite

Grandma is exactly what I was expecting! I absolutely adore it and it's unlike anything I already own. As for all OCC products, it is insanely pigmented and a tiny amount goes a LONG way - sometimes too far. The Sephora glosses are lovely too. They smell a little fruity, a bit cupcakey and they're not overly sticky. Lustrewhite isn't something I would think to buy for myself and it's a nice break from a coloured gloss. It gives your lips a high shine and looks ultra wet! I prefer Lustreglasses over any of MAC's glosses. Partly because of the brush applicator but mostly because of their finishes.





Wet n Wild ColorIcon Trio in Cool As A Cucumber

In my opinion greens and purples are the most flattering for my patchy eye colour.



Biosilk Silk Therapy Sample

I've heard amazing things about this product and it'd be great to finally see whether it really works.



Lastly a stunning ring from Forever21! I love it - thank you so much Alicia! Really looking forward to our next swap.

She also sent me another eos lip balm as I'm completely in love since I recieved one in my last swap. They work so well! I've become a bit of a lip balm fanatic. I have a selection of them by my bed, in my bag, in my wallet (yes) and in my lip drawer. It's not out of hand just yet...

I sent Alicia's package to her last Tuesday so fingers crossed it gets there soon! I'm so excited to see if she enjoys what I got her!

NOTD: Rimmel Ash Rose

When I first put this on the first thing John said and I thought was it's not very "me" - it's not ugly-pretty and it's not obnoxiously bright or unusual. I thought about removing it and putting it in the pile of stuff to give away but this morning I woke up and saw it in sunlight and it's very very beautiful. It's muted elegance - something I've never posessed.



Ash Rose is a lovely tawny pink and is perfect for everyday. I think it'd look great on toes too; especially if you're pale.

Christmas Haul

I was also given a couple of Lush gift sets, tons of sweets and John bought me some haircare which I can't wait to use as soon as I'm done with my Toni & Guy shampoo and conditioner!

What did you receive this Christmas?