Katie Snooks

Eyeliners are my thing.
I've tried a hell of a lot of them and over the years have found some good'uns that I keep coming back to. One of my fav brands, Urban Decay, have recently launched 4 new formats of black eyeliner which I've been testing out and can now reveal my thoughts on!

Ultra Intense Waterproof Cream Eye Liner & Brush: I adore gel liners as they give an effect that no other liner can - a soft, gentle line which you can build up to create a create flick in any shape you want. This gel liner is super creamy but stays put once applied so you can rely on it to keep your eyes looking smouldering all day long. The brush that is available alongside the gel is also great, thin and slanted to help apply either thin or thick lines.

Waterproof Precision Eye Pen: This may just be my favourite of the bunch. This liquid liner has the most fine nib which allows me to create the most precise cat eye flick which really does last all day. I have to use an oil (Shu Umera Cleansing Oil to be precise) to remove this in the evening as otherwise remnants can be left on the skin. This has become my handbag staple and I need to repurchase another soon.

24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil: This is a typical black kohl crayon which I've been using on and underneath my waterline to create a gorgeous smokey eye. This smudges beautifully under the lower lash line with a blender brush to give a sultry effect.

All Nighter Eye Liner: This is super similar to the Glide-On Pencil but waterproof and therefore long lasting. This is perfect if you're going to be out all day with minimal time to re-apply, or if you are planning to party the night away!

I have to admit I've absolutely fallen in love with these products and it almost makes me want to get rid of all my other liners as these suit every need!

They're available online and on Urban Decay counters and I'll definitely be topping up when I run out.

What's your favourite type of liner? Will you be giving these a try?

xxxx

I have bad skin, blah blah I admit it. It's funny how my skin is the one thing that always, always gets me down and ruins my confidence.

Anyway, I've recently completed revamped my skincare regime and wanted to go through some of the products in detail. First up is a face wash from a brand I hadn't heard of until recently. Face B4 is a brand dedicated to those who suffer who acne, blemishes and oily skin. I've been using this for over a month now and it has made a difference.

It's a combined cleanser & toner, containing two pumps which dispense into one foam puff which you then massage into wet skin, leave on for a minute or two and then rinse (I like to use a flannel). I do this after I've taken all of my makeup off with another remover (more details in my full regime post to follow) so it can thoroughly get to working on my bare skin.

Many facewashes I've used which have been specifically for acne in the past have left my skin looking & feeling worse than it originally did - red, stinging, dry and feeling so tight which often feels like it's irritating my skin even more but this actually feels really gentle.

It is fragrance free, antibacterial and dermatologically tested to suit all skin types which makes it a winner in my opinion. There is a serum available with this too but also helped (although I'll admit I haven't loved it as much as the wash, it smells a bit funky in my opinion) but makes a great little regime if your skin is suffering.

The face wash retails at £14.99 and the serum £9.99 and are avaialble from Boots stores and online.

Have you tried Face B4 products? What are your favourite cleansers for blemished skin?

xxx

A party if a great excuse for dressing up and taking some outfit photos, right? A couple of week's ago Andrew, my family and I went out to a party to celebrate my uncle & aunts birthdays. There was a little bit of a colour theme going on of red, white and blue, which is coincidental As England were playing their first match in the World Cup that evening!

Here's what I wore!

I've had this dress from Missguided sitting in a bag for a while now, I was originally going to return it as I thought it looked a bit 'pyjama-esque', however after re-trying it on I decided I actually loved it (and it's super comfortable) so I premiered it for the party. Teamed with some red lip (Illasmasqua's new Liquid Matte Lip in Exotic - full review coming soon) and my fav heels (from Zara 2013) I was ready to go.

I also pulled Andrew in front of the camera for this very own outfit of the day too! Isn't he dashing!

The playsuit is still available online here - http://fave.co/1o9YgNJ Now I can't wait for another excuse to dress up!

Do you have a favourite party lipstick?

xxx

Matte + lipsticks = LOVE! My matte lippie obsession is growing which meant I was ridiculously excited to hear about the new Matte Lip Liquids by Illamasqua. As part of the exclusive 'matte' summer range they've released 3 new beauties.

Full swatches below!

My absolute favourite of the two is Exotic, a stunning, bright orange red which is practically MAC's Morange but in matte liquid formula. As you know I much prefer red shades with an orange tone which explains why this is my new fav - I even took it as the only red lippie on holiday with me last week.

The Barbie purple based pink is called Forbidden, and boy, it is bright in real life! I'm still gearing up the courage to wear this out but I think it's stunning and would suit a tan beautifully.

I've seen a lot of people talking about the formula of these so I wanted to input my thoughts also. These apply as a liquid but dry to a matte effect on the lips after a couple of seconds. I find the thin brush very easy for me to apply the product and it just takes practise creating the perfect, even base. The product does feel quite drying once set, but to be honest I've never found a matte lipstick that isn't (compromise, right?). I've found that it lasts well whilst lightly kissing/eating/drinking but will need applying after a full meal etc. I am actually wearing this in my previous outfit post here and only re-applied once in the night at that party.

I hope I haven't rambled too much. All in all, I really love these and am definitely eyeing up the third shade already - Surrender, a gorgeous peachy nude. These are available for £18.50!

Do you like matte liquid lipsticks? Which is your fav?

xxx

The day that Andrew and I flew back from Portugal, we decided that we rather missed the hustle and bustle of London town and wanted to go on a little date night in the capital. After throwing ideas back and forth, nothing seemed more appealing than a stroll down Brick Lane and a curry!

I wore a bright floral print boxy t-shirt from Primark which I picked up for £3 - bargain! I've been really trying to wear more colour recently as I always tend to lean towards black as a safety colour. I teamed this with black shorts from Primark (I find Primark really good for shorts, comfy and fit well), tights and my favourite boots from New Look.

As we were walking towards the curry houses of brick lanes we stumbled apon a lot of graffiti artsits doing their thang - apparently Saturday night in Shoreditch is graffiti night, so we stopped to watch them create their masterpieces.

After having a week in the middle of nowhere abroad, it was lovely to be back in London and makes me appreciate it so much. I'm incredibly lucky to live in such a fantastic, creative, diverse and beautiful part of the earth. And the curry is bloody fantastic!

What's your favourite part of London?

xxxx

If you follow my Instagram (@katesnooks) then you will have seen that I recently went on holiday! I visited Portugal with my family and boyf for a week to celebrate my gorgeous Mum's 50th birthday (big holiday blog post to follow)!

I wanted to share the beauty products I took away with me so this post is all about the makeup I took, and following shortly will be the skincare, body and hair care bits I also packed!

Super picture heavy - I apologise, but I really wanted to show off my new Muji makeup bag. It was the perfect size to take away and fit all of my makeup bits and brushes in. It has two compartments, one for products and the other side has slot for brushes and more little compartments (in which I kept ear plugs and any medication/pills & cotton pads/buds)! This is currently on sale online at only £7 - bargain!

I took away Bobbi Brown products for my base - the Foundation Stick and Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation, both in the shade Porcelain. I love the liquid foundation because it gives good coverage without being too heavy in the warm weather. I also used my Collection Concealer & Cover FX Powder to complete and set my makeup.

Blush/bronzer wise I stuck to Benefit's Hoola and didn't use anything else (not even Mac's Melba I took away with me). I went eyeshadow free this holiday and stuck to liquid and pencil liner to give my eyes definition, and mascara of the hols was Tarte's Light's, Camera, Lashes! Again love this, but it does transfer onto my eyelids after a long day.

I took away 4 lip products; Sleek Makeup lippies in Peaches and Cream & Barely There, and two red shades - MAC's Morange and Illamasqua's Matte Lip Liquid in Exotic.

As you can see above, I still took too many products with me (I always do) but it's better to have too much than too little, right?!

Next post coming up is the hair/skin & bodycare products I took away!

What are your holiday beauty essentials?

xxx

I am becoming a little bit in love with filming fashion lookbooks! They are my favourite type of video to film as they are creative and include prancing around in pretty outfits. I also love the editing process of choosing clips and putting it all together with music.

I filmed this one on holiday in Portugal. As usual, my lovely boyf filmed it for me around the hotel we were staying at and in some Roman Ruins! Here are a couple of outfit pictures from the video (full lookbook is below)!

Belt - New Look
http://fave.co/1otXsTP

Sunflower Dress - Choies
http://fave.co/1npEmln

Mint Green Bikini - Triangl
http://fave.co/1istePi

Nude Playsuit - H&M
http://fave.co/1npDqgM

Wedges - New Look
http://fave.co/1npDTQ1

Do let me know what you think of this lookbook and if you'd like to see more. I have another one which I have planned to film soon so stay tuned. It'd also mean the world to me if you could subscribe to my channel - www.youtube.com/snooksy!

Are you going on holiday this year?

xxx

As a beauty blogger, I'm sure you can imagine I LOVE trying out new lotions & potions and rotate the products I use almost daily. When B. is for Beautiful challenged me to trial their skincare range for a full 7 days in a row, using NO other skincare products I was apprehensive to kiss goodbye my old routine but also super excited to try out the range and see the results.

It was a hard task, but I managed it and wanted to share my thoughts from the past week!

I swapped all my products for a morning and evening regime that was chosen out specifically for my skin type (being acne prone, combination and as I'm turning 26 in less than 2 weeks, also good for anti-ageing).

Morning consisted of Melting Gel Cleanser, Day Cream, Eye Cream & Targeted Wrinkle Filler, which all helped prep my skin for the day - the wrinkle filler acting as a gel to help makeup glide on softly around my eyes, and day cream to moisturize and protect (contains SPF15).

Evening consisted of Micellar Water, Melting Gel Cleanser, Facial Oil, Night Serum and the Eye Cream. I used the Refined Exfoliating Cleanser twice in conjunction with the Cleanser and boy, my face felt the cleanest and softest it's been in a long time afterwards. Combined with the facial oil (another of my favourite products from the range) and eye cream, my skin felt really soft, clean, pampered and well looked after.

I've never in my years of beauty-blogging tried using all products from the same one range before and I've also realise I really like having products which match (packaging wise). It helped my bathroom look organised and clean.

I say:
I'm sure you're wondering what if I've seen any results after a week of just using this range? Well the results were surprising. I'm normally covered in cystic spots after adding any one new product to my regime but so far, I haven't got any! I experienced a few tiny whiteheads (that disappeared after a day) after using the Refined Exfoliating Cleanser but I think this is down to it getting all the bad stuff out of my face! Apart from that, my skin looks brilliant - soft, dewy (down to the Night Serum I'm sure) and clear.

I also tried a couple of makeup items from the B. range (the thought of also using just ONE brand for my whole beauty regime for the week was tempting) but failed! I do however love the powder, Intense Lip & Cheek Colours and the Longer & Lengthening Mascara (images above).

B. say:
B. is the complete makeup and skincare brand that’s easy to use, understand and proven to work. Whether you want flawless skin or inspiring on-trend looks in a few simple steps, we make it easy. Exclusively at Superdrug

The B. Cosmetics and Skincare range are not tested on animals and support Cruelty-Free international (formerly BUAV). The whole range is dermatologically approved, Paraben Free and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

For more inspiration, advice, the latest looks, tips and news from our experts visit: http://www.superdrug.com/b-is-for-beautiful/b-home/page/b-home

Have you ever tried B. skincare from Superdrug? What's your fav highstreet skincare range?

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Superdrug via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Superdrug.

When I think of Illamasqua, I think of incredibly bright colours, pale foundations, experimental, innovative makeup and eye catching shades, so when I heard they were bringing out a nude lipstick range I couldn't wait. I trust the formulation, pigmentation and quality of their products entirely so I knew I was going to fall in love with this range!

I have 4 shades out of the 7 new shades available in the Glamore Range as you can see above. I've found it so hard to choose a favourite because I really love them all!

Rosepout: This is a really pale pink nude and the one that Andrew likes the most on me. It's super pale so I think would look gorgeous on pale or tanned skin.

Naked: This is possibly my second favourite to Rosepout. It's a true typical peach-brown nude which I think will be really popular.

Starkers: Described as a 'soft flesh-pink'. Looks sultry and mature on my pale skin.

Minx: The perfect nude for dark skin, this is described as a warm rose. Although it looks almost purple on me, judging by the swatches on their websites, it looks like the perfect nude for those with warm skintones!

The formula of these lipsticks are lovely with a satin finish, allowing a big pop of pigment in one sweep. They feel creamy and moisturising on the lips (compared to some nudes I've tried) which makes them really easy to wear. I love that Illamasqua have again catered for all skintones with this range and I can't wait to see what they release next!

You can see the full Glamore range here - http://www.illamasqua.com/explore/collections/glamore/

Will you be trying the Glamore Nudes?

xxx

A friend of mine (hey Phoebe!) recently asked me to recommend her my favourite highlighters. I thought instead of just reeling off a list, I would do a blog post complete with pictures and swatches!

I pulled together pretty much every highlighter I own for this post, in quite a few different formulas - powder, cream and liquid, so there is something for everyone, what ever their preference!

Topshop Highlighter in Sunbeam - A beautiful yellow gold highlight which looks gorgeous on cheekbones teamed with bronzer. You get a whooping 8grams of this product for £10 which is great and will last bloody ages!

MAC Soft & Gentle - One of MAC's bestselling highlighters. This stunning bronzed highlighter looks amazing in my makeup bag and it's fine pigment applies a gorgeous shimmery colour for a sun-kissed look.

Sleek Makeup Glo & Highlight - Very similar to Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks, this highlighter contains 5 shades for an ultimate bronzed glow which can be used on both the face and body. In the swatch above I've mixed all shades but you can also take a thin highlighting brush and apply only the colours you want.

The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in 04 Coral- Another shimmer brick dupe. I own every single one of TBS's Shimmer Waves and they're great quality. This shade variation is my favourite - peachy pink tones for a beautiful summer look.

The Body Shop Baked-To-Last Bronzer - Another one from TBS - this baked bronzer reminds me of MAC's Soft & Gentle but a bit more affordable.

Estee Lauder Geelee Blush in Tease - This is one of my most cherished blush products but one I hardly wear (need to dig this out again). It's a stunning pink highlighter with a gorgeous shimmer. You're gonna hate me but I think this might be discontinued (it's currently out of stock in Boots) but wanted to feature it 'cause it's a beauty!

Zoeva Mineral Highlighter - Zoeva are quickly becoming one of my favourite makeup ranges! You've probably noticed in my tutorials that I use a lot of their brushes now, and I think their cheek products are equally as fab. This is a loose powder which can be built up for a stunning shimmer.

Make Believe Enhance Cream Highlight
I just had to include a cream highlight in this post and this is one of my favs! I think I received this in a beauty sample box and it's a beautiful gold cream shimmer which you can mix with foundation for a dewy base or tap under brow bones to accentuate and enhance! I like to apply this with a stippling brush. It's £7.50 available at Look Fantastic - http://fave.co/1pWbmPp

MAC Pigment in Vanilla - This is one of my all time favourite MAC products because it can be used so many different ways (see here). This white gold loose pigment just looks stunning as a highlighter or eyeshadow. Love, love, love.

Benefit Cream Shadow in Bikini Tini - Okay, I know this is an eyeshadow cream but it also works great as a cream highlight. Tad on the pricey side though.

Nars Sheer Glow Illuminator in Orgasm -
I included this as I think it's classed as an 'illuminator' and gives a beautiful shimmer but also with a pinch of peachy pink pigment. I don't use this enough but I adore it.

And breatheeeee... that was a hefty post, huh!

So there we have it - some of my fav highlighters. I still have another handful with I realised after I took the pictures that I missed out, but I'm sure one day I'll get round to doing another post!

Really hope this helps at least one person choose a highlighter to invest in!

What's your favourite highlighter?

xxx

Following on from my 'holiday makeup post', here is an over view of the body, skincare and hair products that were lucky enough to make my holiday suitcase! I'll admit now, I took WAY too much stuff (my bag weighed over the 15kg weight limit) so note to self for next time - Don't take so much!

Andrew's Beauty products... big comparison aha!

Most used products -

Murad Essential C Sun Balm - This little roll on SPF stick came in ridiculously handy for keeping my tattoos well protected from the sun's strong rays. It fit perfectly in my handbag for touch ups throughout the day.

Eucerin SPF 50 Skin Fluid Mattifying Face - Finding a great high SPF product for the face can sometimes be tricky as some of them leave you feeling sticky and greasy, however this was beautiful, protected my skin and dried almost like a powder so makeup applied beautifully on top.

Vichy Capital Soleil SOS Aftersun - I can't express how much I adore this product! If I was to recommend any aftersun lotion, it'd be this! Not only does it smell gorgeous, it was also incredibly gentle and soothing on mine & Andrew's burns (yes, we did accidentally over-do it).

Moroccan Oil Shamp, Cond & Oil - I desperately need full size versions of these products at home, they leave my hair smelling delicious and stupidly soft!

Muji Decanters - I'm still completely obsessed with anything from Muji and holiday's are the perfect excuse for a Muji decanter haul. They have a great selection of tubs, bottles (spray and foaming dispensers!) and tubes which make them perfect for travelling. I also took away with me Muji travel eyelash curlers & perfume atomisers to save room in my toiletries bag.

Paula's Choice Oil Face Wash - I used this religiously a few years ago and saw massive benefits whilst using it. I started using it again on holiday and my skin became perfectly clear and blemish free. I'm still using it now I'm back and my skin is still perfect. Love this cleanser so much. Full review here!

There were still an awful lot of other products I took with me that you can peek at in the pictures above. If you would like to know my thoughts on any of them just leave a comment and I'll reply :) Also, a note - my two holiday fragrances were Diptyque's Moheli roll on and Eau Duelle!

What are your must have holiday items?

xx

I've recently gone a little face mask crazy - I'm practically obsessed. Recently I've really seen the benefits of using them weekly so I've made it into a little pamper routine which I do on Sunday nights with Andrew. Yes, you heard it, even the boy's been loving them too!

I thought I'd run through my current favourites today. These are ideal if you have blemished or acne prone skin and I've also thrown in a couple of moisturising ones if you find your skin is feeling dry or sensitive after acne treatments.

Origins Out of Trouble Mask - Origins are so well known and popular for their great, high quality skincare products and so I really wanted to get my hands on one of their face masks. I chose out the Out of Trouble to help with my blemishes. It contains amazing ingredients known to combat oily, blemished skin such as salicylic acid, zinc oxide and sulfur which work together to clear the skin which have great results (although be aware you may get a few pesky blemishes at first as it draws the toxins out). Just FYI, I wouldn't use this if your skin is sensitive though.

Dr Murad Clarifying Mask - I mentioned this in a previous favourites video last year as it always really helps clear my skin when it's congested and blemished. It's a lovely thick white cream which dries to a clay. Once washed off my skin feels soft and clearer. I need to get a full size of this because it's really great (also because of the sulphur ingredients, it does leave you smelling like rotten egg if you don't wash off properly)!

Jurlique Purifying Mask - This is my newest face mask and one I've been using for the past couple of weeks. It's a dark grey slimy liquid which sets in place once you leave it on your skin. I like to apply this before I get in the bath, wash my hair, shave and by then it's usually dry, so I rinse off. Again, this really helps to clear my skin and my face is currently blemish free. It has quite a strong fragrance, almost spa like, but it contains incredible ingredients such as natural clay, green tea and sesame seed oil which all help to clear oil and impurities and calm the skin.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Treatment Mask - This is one I always make Andrew do; he suffers from dry skin and often gets flaky skin on his cheeks (especially in the winter) and so I put a thick layer on his skin and wait until it's soaked in completely. You can then either rub in the excess products or towel off. It's featured ingredient is clary sage which is incredible at retaining moisture, leaving your skin hydrated and supple! It's also great for calming skin after acne treatments.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink in Moisture Mask - I worked in The Body shop for years and loved this product. It's a thick pink jelly-like cream which you can smooth on and rub in or wash off. It has the usual Vitamin E TBS scent which smells like soft roses!

I really hope this has helped someone out there! I know how crappy bad skin can make you feel but I've found these have really helped to clear some congestion in my skin over the past months!

What's your favourite face mask and how often do you do them?

xx

You all know how much I love and adore my Real Techniques brushes. I'll admit I get way too excited when I hear about new products launching in the range.

Last week Sam and Nic Chapman (the brains & beauties behind Real Techniques) announced their newest Limited Edition Collection 'Nic's Picks'. At a first glance, these brushes are absolutely stunning and so I couldn't wait to put them to the test!

The set contains 5 brushes, 3 of them being new set exclusives, never before sold in the range (these are the three I'm most excited about). The brushes have a gorgeous, expensive looking and feeling silver handle.

Duo Fibre Powder Brush - I adore my original duo-fibre face brush and love it for applying powder for an airbrushed effect to set my makeup, or for bronzer.

Cheek Brush (exclusive) - This is very similar to the Expert Face Brush but the hairs are more dense and the shape is rounder. I'm desperate to try this out with foundation but it's perfect for building up a good pigment on cheeks (either it be with blush, bronzer or highlighters).

Angled Shadow Brush (exclusive) - According to Pixiwoo, this has been designed to fit into the crease of the eye - perfect for those who want to add depth. I can see myself using this a lot when accentuating my eye crease with a neutral brown shade, daily.

Base Shadow Brush - This is my all time favourite eye shadow brush and so it's great to have another back up!

Eyeliner Brush (exlcusive) - SO excited for this! It's a thin, angled brush perfect for creating flicks with powder or gel liner. I think the slant will make it really easy to perfect the cat eye look.

These are available worldwide from 1st October for a limited time. I think they'd make a fantastic Christmas present or even a treat to yourself. I adore mine and can't recommend them enough!!

Will you be picking up Nic's Picks?

xx

There has been a lot of hype in the beauty world in the past year around liquid lipsticks and as you know I'm a massive fan. L'Oreal are one of the most recent to take on the challenge of creating a liquid lip colour and so here are the swatches & reviews!

I have to say these beauties contain the perfect balance of pigment and moisture which is a massive bonus for me. Some liquid lippies leave my lips so dry and highlight any dry skin or imperfections, where as these feel like a soft balm on my lips with a hint of shine. Also the colour pay off is lovely as you can see in the pictures above.

#301 Rouge Soprano - This is a gorgeous red shade. It looks slightly darker in the bottle but on the lips it's an easy to wear postbox red.

#401 Fuschia Drama - This is my least favourite of the bunch but only because I never wear pink lipsticks! I know it'll suit a whole bunch of people with it's fuschia pink tones.

#600 Nude Vibrato - This is my favourite of the three; a pale nude which really flatters my pale skin. I thought I'd look a little ghostly wearing this but it's actually stunning and really easy to wear. Plus it looks gorgeous with smokey eyes!

The only negative is that they don't last for very long on the lips, tending to fade after drinking and eating but their soft, furry, bullet applicator makes it a pleasure to apply!

These are available from highstreet stores for £8.99! I now desperately want to pick up shade 204 which is a bright orange red, very similar to my favourite red lipstick MAC's Morange.

Are you part of the new liquid lipstick craze?

xxx

I've never been one to really ever wear floral print - I'm normally found in black, grey and white but this summer I've really been embracing the floral trend. I have a new found obsession with daisy print and this is an outfit inspired by them. It's actually a sneak peak from a lookbook video I have coming up but love this outfit so much I wanted to make a blog post for it.

Top - New Look (similar - http://fave.co/1t45FW9)
Shorts - Ark http://fave.co/1t45pGC
Shoes - Zara (old)
Coat - Choies - http://fave.co/1sjQ3tv
Floral Head Crown - Missguided http://fave.co/1sjQpQY

I love the simplicity of the black daisy print shorts, matched with a plain bralet & shoes, combined with the yellow pop of the coat/cardigan. Also the head crown is massively mis-matched but I also quite like that.

One problem I have with bright/patterned shorts/skirts though, is that I feel like I can't wear them with tights (massive problem as a/w is approaching). Maybe it's just me being silly but I feel like it just doesn't look right - does this make sense? Let me know!

Are you a fan of daisy print?

xxx

I don't think I have seen a cooler makeup/film collaboration than this! Pulp Fiction is a classic - I can still remember the first time I watched it. Urban Decay have just launched the range, inspired by the femme female Mia Wallace.

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette - Contains 5 eyeshadows in wearable netural tones to re-create Uma Thurman's sultry eye look. Righteous is a gorgeous matte cream shade making the perfect base. Tyranny and Vengeance are lovely taupe and brown shades to contour your eye crease and finally Furious - a white satin with a shimmery sheen and Anger which is a matte black. I used them all together to create the smokey look in the pictures above.

Mrs Wallace Revolution Lipstick - A gorgeous deep, blood red shade which will flatter and suit all skin tones. I've also found that it's lovely to apply as it's pigmented and moisturising and is a bugger to get off the lips which means it stays on for hours!

Mrs Wallace 25/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil - This is designed to perfectly match the lipstick in the range except it's a matte (to stop the lipstick bleeding).

Gunmetal Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner - My first ever purchase from Urban Decay was their glitter eyeliners when I was 17, so they hold a special place in my heart! This is a clear base containing black and silver sparkle, which means you need to build to get a good coverage. This looks lovely on top of black liner for a gothic feel and I'm honestly a little obsessed! (You can see the sparkle behind my lashes in the shot of my eyes).

Mrs Mia Wallace Nai Colour - A stunning deep red to match the lippie, but with a hint of shimmer. This reminds me of rubies. Not a nail shade I would normally wear (I prefer them a bit on the brighter, orange side) but would look STUNNING on pale skin in the winter.

All in all, I love the range - the products are great quality and I also adore the packaging. It's all been well thought out, from the quotes inside the packaging lids, to the skull on the nail polish bottle and the font!

The range is available from 1st September in the UK, online and in Debenhams & House of Fraser stores!

What do you think of the range? Are you a Pulp Fiction Fan?

xxx

Braun has just launched the world's first 2-in-1 facial device. The nifty design consists of a facial epilator and cleansing brush in one.
I'm super lucky to be one of the first to review this today and so read about my thoughts below!

On first impressions this has been a really well thought out little device. It comes with a makeup pouch & magnifying mirror (with an inbuilt light) which makes it perfect for travelling with if you use your cleansing brush daily. It also has a little pink 'cap' for the epilating head keeping it clean and hygienic.

The Cleansing Facial Brush is lovely and an absolute joy to use. I've never used one before (I know! I must be the only beauty blogger not to have tried one) but it makes my skin feel ridiculously soft and clean, getting rid of all imperfections. I like to wet my face, add a drop of face wash onto the head of the brush and then power it up. It boasts the fact that it works 6 times better than manual exfoliation which makes washing my face quick and precise. They also recommend changing the brush every 3 months, and you can also change the rotation of which the brush spins to help cleanse hard to reach areas.

Now, onto the epilator! I'll admit straight away that the fine hairs above my top lip & between my brows annoy the hell out of me and I've done all sorts to try and get rid of them. I used to wax but as my skin is sensitive it used to flare up in pimples after reacting with the wax gel. So I am SO happy I now have a product small and precise enough to get rid of those pesky hairs. This epilator works 200 times faster than manual tweezing (so even though it's a little painful as you would expect it to be, it's quick and over before you know it).
It can also remove hair 4 times shorter than waxing which means you don't have those painful 'in between visits' hair growth. Like the facial brush, you can rotate the direction of the epilator to remove all hair growth in whatever direction it grows and it is small enough to fit between my brows which is impressive.

This has become one of my go-to facial accessories. It helps to achieve the perfect base for your favourite makeup look and break free from impurities.

Braun have recently launched their new Break Free Campaign (fronted by the gorgeous Jessica Alba), which encourages women to support eachother to break free from self doubt and feel their best. I think this campaign is fantastic - women are often the first to judge each other and put each other down and so along with Braun's range of beauty tools and coming together, we can break free from imperfections together. You can watch the positivity chain and upload yours to join in the movement here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdUXFZl18o

The Braun Face retails at £69 from Boots!

Do you use a facial brush and epilator? What are your thoughts?!

xx

Please note this post is sponsored but all views and thoughts are my own!

Last weekend I travelled down to Birmingham for Fusion Festival (my first festival of the year - wuutttt!). Bose invited myself and a couple other bloggers down to celebrate the launch of their new Yozilla headphones & I had such a good time I wanted to share the weekend with you!

After an easy train ride up from London with Andrew (complete with lots of tea & a mcdonalds breakfast) I met up with Steve& Jamell and we headed to the festival together.

The festival was great fun. Highlights of the day included; my chip & curry sauce butty (don't judge), Dizzee Rascal (we were all head bopping and rapping big time), Wilkinson had me dancing and I haven't heard girls scream as loud as when the Vamps came on, in a long time!

As part of Bose's new launch, we were also on the hunt for some inspiring festival fashion, so we encouraged the festival go-ers to tweet us their fashion selfies. Steve, Jamell and I got together at several points throughout the day to pick out our favourite entries, which we then shortlisted and held a photo shoot to choose our winners who each received Bose headphones!

I must say, I left the festival feeling really fashion inspired. We choose out an incredibly stylish bunch of revellers who all rocked it and looked effortlessly cool. The night before the festival I was actually googling 'festival fashion' as I had no idea what to wear in case of rain. I stuck with leggings, boots, a peplum top, furry cardigan and a rainmac but after seeing so much style I'm definitely dressing up a little more for my next festival.

Also, can't quite believe how many compliments I've received on my Yozilla Mint Green headphones (you can see me wearing them above). They are surprisingly comfortable, so stylish and they make music sound incredible. Andrew (the boyf) has even started stealing them for his DJ sets!

Had a wonderful day, thanks to Bose for inviting us!

What's your go-to festival outfit? Have you tried Bose headphones?

xx

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Bose via Glam Media. The

opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Bose.

You know how excited I get when a new Illamasqua collection is launched, and their newest was no exception. 'Once' is their autumn range and it's perfectly suited for the season, with earthy tones and soft textures, the products are beautiful and I'm very happy to review them for you today!

Vintage Metallix:
This is a brand new product launched especially for the range.; little pots of metallic pigment with a creamy-gel like texture which applies so smoothly.
Courtier is named a 'vintage nude' which makes a lovely natural base on all skin types. Embellish is a warm brown and Bibelot is a moss-green, all of which have a gorgeous rose gold shimmer running through them - perfectly antique and autumnal.

Sheer Lipgloss in Exquisite & Opulent:
Both of these glosses can be used over the top of a lipstick or on their own to create gorgeous depth and shimmer. Exquisite is described as a 'pink oyster' shade - a gorgeous pearly peach perfect for daily wear and Opulent is a 'rainbow beige', both iridescent to make your lips kissable.

Powder Blusher in Naked Rose:
I am already so in love with this blusher and can't quite believe how I've gone so long without it. Illamasqua blushers are extremely pigmented and so you only need a little to achieve the most gorgeous flush of colour on the cheeks. Described as a 'neutral beige pink', this adds the most stunning natural blush onto my cheeks. Adore it.

Nail Varnish in Melange:
I'll admit I'm not a big fan of green nail polish shades (unless their in the mint-shade-range) but this teal-gold two-tone it has going on is striking. It reminds me of leaves turning golden in the autumn as it looks different in the light.

The Once range is available now in stores and online. Are you eyeing any of it up?

Which is your favourite piece from this range?

xxx

This is gonna be a different post today but I feel like I just needed to write it down (probably won't even publish).

I've been having a difficult time in the past couple of months. I've always been prone to periods of melancholy but this one has been considerably worse and more difficult.

It's silly because I know I'm extremely lucky; I have a fantastic life with amazing friends and family but I just can't shake the worry, insecurities and constant sadness.

I also feel like an absolute weirdo for feeling like this but then remind myself that I surely can't be the only one. Even I admit to putting only the 'happy' things out there on social media rather than the low times (hell, everyone would rather see cupcakes on Instagram rather than a teary, mascara sodden face).

My 3 main issues are the ones I mentioned above.

I worry about almost everything (trying not to generalise here) but my mind is in a constant state of worry - from whether I'll have enough time to wash my hair/blog when I get home, to my parents dying, Andrew leaving me, what people think of me, whether the ebola virus will wipe the universe etc. Sometimes I can worry to the point where I become an absolute mess. I can fixate on one thing and my mind worries so much and blows it out of proportion. If I could change one thing about myself it would be to worry less.

I'm sure all my friends see me as a confident little misses, but recently I've been SO insecure. Constantly comparing myself to others, wondering why other people are so happy when I'm not, again, worrying that I'll get hurt in my relationship because someone better & happier will come along.

And finally there are days that I feel so down and sad that I could cry at anything. I will also admit to crying multiple times at work (poor colleagues) because anything will set me off. I can't remember the last day that I didn't cry.

Another big part of my life is my phobia. I've never really spoken about it in detail but my emetophobia controls certain situations of my life to the point where I miss out on things to avoid it. I think I might do a video on my channel about this in detail because I always get the weirdest looks whenever I talk about this.

Now I hope on my journey to feeling a little better - I have a doctor appointment booked and will hopefully start some sort of therapy/CBT to help process & control my thoughts. Until then, I guessed it's better to write things down rather than keeping them bottled, and maybe be able to talk to others who have also been through bad points. If you have any tips on how to get out of a bad period then do let me know.

xxxx

REVIEW: Urban Decay Black Eye Liners!

REVIEW: Face B4 Face Wash & Serum

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: White Dress, Red Lips.

REVIEW: Illamasqua Liquid Matte Lipsticks!

Outfit of the day: Floral Print

HOLIDAY PACKING: Makeup!

FASHION: Holiday Lookbook!

B Superdrug Skincare Challenge!

REVIEW & SWATCHES: Illamasqua Glamore Nude Lipstick!

THE BEST: Highlighters (swatches & reviews)!

HOLIDAY PACKING: Skincare, Hair & Body!

REVIEW: My Favourite Face Masks for Acne Prone/Blemished & Sensitive Skin.

REVIEW / EXCLUSIVE: Real Techniques Limited Edition Nic's Picks Set!

REVIEW & SWATCHES: L'Oreal Paris L'Extraordinaire Lip Glosses!

OUTFIT: Daisy Print

REVIEW / SWATCHES: Urban Decay's Pulp Fiction Range!

REVIEW: Braun World's 1st Cleansing Brush & Mini Epilator

LIFESTYLE & FASHION: Fusion Festival with Bose!

REVIEW: Illamasqua Once Collection Swatches!

PERSONAL: Feeling Down.