2016 Makeup Favourites (So Far)

We're about a quarter of the way through the year, so I thought it would be worth looking at my favourite makeup bits and pieces so far this year.  Some of these are still favourites which I included in my 2015 Makeup Favourites post, and some of them are new finds.

Urban Decay Cosmic 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil Set

I am loving Urban Decay lately, I am using so many of their products every single day at the moment.  I was on the lookout for a brown pencil kohl-style eye liner, and I stumbled across this Cosmic set of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liners.  I am an absolute sucker for anything miniature so I just couldn't resist, even though I'd never tried any of their eye liners before.

Birthday Afternoon Tea

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday! As we already have a meal out booked and she spent the last few days in a luxurious spa hotel with my Dad, my sister and I decided to surprise her with a home made afternoon tea for when she got home from her mini-break.  After a browse on Pinterest (see my Afternoon Tea Pinterest board here), we picked out the bits we liked the most and gave them a shot.

Liquid Lipsticks

The beauty blogging world has gone mad for liquid lipsticks lately, myself included.  I am definitely not one for keeping up with lipstick maintenance - I will leave that bright red shade wear of until I'm left with an unsightly ring around my lips before I remember to reapply, so these matte long lasting shades are right up my street.  I don't have a huge collection, but I have quite a few liquid lipsticks now and I can't stop reaching for them.

Books I Never Stopped Thinking About

Sometimes, I finish a book but find myself still thinking about it weeks, months, even years afterwards.  They aren't always the best stories, or the most well-written, but they always have something about them - maybe a character, a plot twist or even just a few words - which stay with me,

Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume

I love floral fragrances, so I spend all winter looking forward to spring when I can get all of my favourite perfumes out. I am a huge fan of Marc Jacobs perfumes, and I've tried a huge range of limited edition versions of Daisy, but until now I've never owned the original! I finally have it in my collection, and I'm falling in love with it!

NARS Velvet Shadow Stick in Hollywoodland

I am always on the look out for beauty shortcuts.  Anything that can shorten my morning routine and give me an extra few minutes in bed is a winner in my books.  I was on the look out for a shimmery champagne/gold pencil to use as an eye shadow and to highlight my inner corner, brow bone and cupid's bow.  Rob kindly bought me the NARS Velvet Shadow Stick in Hollywoodland for Valentines day, which was exactly what I was looking for.

Spring Lipsticks

Lately, we're beginning to see the first signs of spring.  Hopefully I'm not jinxing it, but I've been enjoying clear blue skies and leaving my hat and gloves at home.  When it comes to beauty looks, I love spring and summer - I am a sucker for a pastel lip, fresh base and bronzed complexion.  I've already phased out my deep vampy lipsticks and the paler shades have been on their way into my makeup bag.  These are the shades I'll be reaching for the most over the next few weeks.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Pop

Since I bought the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette before Christmas, I have been smitten with it.  It has the perfect mixture of matte and shimmery shadows in a range of neutral shades with a few brighter colours thrown in too.  It is perfect for creating any eye look, and lets face it - it's gorgeous.

Everyday Hair Accessories

I know what you're thinking - every time I see the title of a post saying something about hair accessories, I expect to see sparkly scrunchies and My Little Pony clips, but that's not what I mean.  Teaching children every day means I am constantly conscious of where my hair is - I definitely don't want any 'visitors' so I always tie my hair up and these are the hair accessories I usually reach for.

ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Solow

After reading so many incredible reviews of ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipsticks, I was desperate to get my hands on one.  Lately I've been loving matte liquid lipsticks (along with everyone else!) and was too tempted by the huge range of colours on offer from ColourPop.  Colourpop Cosmetics isn't particularly easy to get hold of in the UK so I did a bit of research and ended up risking an eBay order.

Caseapp Custom iPhone Case

One of my favourite things about owning an iPhone is the huge range of cases available to choose from.  I love having a little collection to choose from so I can swap and change them whenever I fancy.  I had been on the look out for a floral case with wild flowers on for a while, but hadn't found anything I was in love with when Caseapp contacted me.  I had heard about Caseapp in the past, but I had never made my own case before.  I jumped at the chance to create my perfect phone case.

A Matte Base

Usually, I am a huge fan of a matte base.  I love a touch of highlighter and some shimmery eye shadow, but I am not a girl after the dewy look.  I have spent so long powdering my skin to stop it looking oily that I'm not about to start using foundations and spritzes that add shine.  Lately I feel like I've mastered the matte base and I want to share the beauty bits I've been using.

Benefit Mascara Battle: They're Real vs RollerLash

When I am looking for a new mascara, I find it pretty hard to decide - there are thousands of options on the market, each claiming to do very similar things.  How do I know which ones will make my lashes look long, black and fluttery without ending up comparable to spiders legs? How do I know which ones will flake down my face half way through the day and which will be impossible to remove at the end of the day?  Reading some reviews helped me realise that Benefit know what they're doing when it comes to mascara, but which of their options to I choose?  I received a sample of Rollerlash in a magazine last year, loved it, and kept re-purchasing over and over again.  But until now, I didn't know how it compared to one of the brand's most popular products; They're Real.

The Original Beauty Blender

It's pretty hard to avoid the hype which has surrounded this pink sponge for years,  I have tried a few similar tools, and I really loved using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, so when I spotted the Beauty Blender on Wowcher for £7, I made my order.

Dainty Daisy Designs Prints

A few weeks ago, on twitter, I came a across a giveaway hosted by @daintydaisydesignco to win some of their prints.  I'd come across their site before, and loved the look of their high quality prints, but didn't hold out much hope for winning the giveaway.  I clicked retweet, then kind of forgot about it.  Not long after, a notification popped up and I'd won! I emailed my address over and three days later, my gorgeous prints had arrived!

Benefit The POREfessional Matte Rescue Primer

As an oily-skinned girl, foundation doesn't last three hours on my skin without the help of a good primer.  When I reached the end of my Illamasqua Matte Veil a few weeks ago, I fancied trying something new as a replacement.  The Benefit POREfessional Matte Rescue primer seemed to be everywhere to looked, and I was reading amazing things about it's power to keep oil at bay, keep makeup in place and prolong wear so I made an order.

The Tenth Hole Tea Rooms, Southsea

When it feels like we're finally coming to the end of a month of particularly horrible weather, as soon as the sun shines through the clouds I can't wait to get outside and make the most of it.  A few weeks ago, there were blue skies in Portsmouth so Rob and I headed straight for Southsea beach for a stroll.  By a complete coincidence, ten minutes later we were outside The Tenth Hole.  This adorable cafe claims to be the best tea rooms in Southsea, and I'm definitely not going to argue with that claim.

The Liberty Colouring Book

At the moment, adult colouring books seem to be everywhere I look.  There are patterns, animals, landscapes, quotes, swear words and films to spend hours colouring in.  Two years ago, if you'd told me I'd be spending my evenings under a blanket, watching a good film while colouring in I'd never have believed you, but now more often than not that's where you'll find me.

Red Carpet Manicure Gel Nails Starter Kit

I have never been the sort of girl to go and get my nails done every other week, even though I'd like to be.  I've had my nails done professionally once in my life, I had acryllic extensions and they were a pain in the arse, so I never had them again.  I do, on the other hand, love to paint my nails.  I hate how my hands look with bare nails, so spend way too much time and money painting my nails every colour known to man.  

Recently, gel nails seem to be having a bit of a moment, but I wasn't keen on paying over £20 for mine to be done, so I thought I'd give it a go myself.  I spotted the Red Carpet Manicure Starter Set on offer on Beauty Bay just after Christmas, so I went for it.

LUSH Lover Lamp Bath Bomb

I love reading reviews of bath products.  I'm always on the look out for something that smells amazing, makes me feel relaxed, makes my skin feel lovely and looks good in the bath so I can put a photo on instagram (if it isn't on instagram, did it really happen?)  A few weeks ago I was in LUSH when I spotted the Valentnes Day range.  First of all, that is the most adorable range ever and second, how cute is this bath bomb? After a quick sniff I detected vanilla, so I headed straight to the till.

Plaited Top Knot Hair Style

I have a new favourite thing to do in my spare time.  I love to watch hairstyle videos on instragram.  I waste hours watching people braid, curl and style their hair in different ways, and although I definitely am not talented in that area, it's made me a bit braver when experimenting with my hair.

I've never posted any hair styles on my blog before, but I found this braided top knot so easy to create and I love how it looks, so I couldn't resist!

Game Changing Beauty

Every now and again, I find a beauty product which completely changes my makeup routine, and I know I'll be repurchasing for a long, long time.  These are the current game-changing products I have in my stash which I just can't get enough of.

6oz Burger Restaurant, Southsea

6oz Burger has been on my list of restaurants to try in Southsea for so long, I have heard amazing things about their pink burgers from so many people, and they get their meat from my favourite butchers ever so it's fair to say I had pretty high expectations.

Clinique Nude Pop

Back in December, there was a choice of Clinique free gifts with Glamour magazine.  I had heard incredible about these Pop lipsticks, so as soon as I saw that there was a nude one up for grabs, I was desperate to get my hands on it!

Perfect Brush and Beauty Matches

I've build up a bit of a collection of make-up brushes, and there are a few brush-and-beauty-product partners which are truly a match made in heaven.  After reading a similar post on From Roses, I was inspired to write my own post all about my favourite brush and beauty product pairings.

January Favourites

I'm not usually one for monthly favourites posts, but this month there have been so many bits I've been loving that I can't resist including them.

Valentines Day Gift Ideas for Her

Every time a gift-buying opportunity comes up, I find myself searching the internet for wonderful gifts that someone would love to receive, so this year I thought I'd contribute my gift ideas for the lovely ladies in your life.  Of course Valentines day is around the corner, so you might be looking for a gift for February 14th, but these gifts would be perfect for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries or any other occasion. Amara kindly sent me a few bits and pieces to include in this post (marked with a *), but I have added a few bits and pieces of my own.

Adorable Valentine's Day Cards

Although Rob and I don't really celebrate Valentine's day in a big way, we do get cards for each other.  For the first few years I spent ages trawling around the shops looking for a card which didn't have a soppy poem written in it.  Now I just look online - there are so many different online shops selling unique, cute and funny cards.  The only hard bit is choosing just one! These are my top Valentine's day card picks for your other half for this year.

Skincare I've Fallen Back in Love With

For some stupid reason, when I finished my last tube of La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ and pumped out the last bit of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish I never re-purchased.  Last month, when my skin took a turn for the worst and my face was covered in painful blemishes I was all out of ideas for how to fix it, so I made an emergency order of these two products.

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup: Dolce Vita Palette and Lipstick Charms

I was lucky enough to receive some beautiful Charlotte Tilbury make up from my parents for Christmas and over the last few weeks I have further and further in love with these beautiful bits.  These products have been on my wishlist for so long and I was over the moon to open them on Christmas day.

Popbands London Review

My reason for buying this pack of Popbands is because I am the easiest person to enable in the world.  One day in work I was complaining about the kink my bobble had left in my hair, so one of the girls I work with recommended Popbands.  Less than an hour later, I'd make a sneaky Feel Unique order.

Zoeva Classic Brush Set

After falling madly in love with the Zoeva Rose Gold Eye Brush Set in 2015, I had my sights set on one of their face sets. After listening to me talk about them for weeks, my parents kindly bought me the Classic Face Set for Christmas, and I've been using them every day since!

Warm Toned Eyeshadows

I am a sucker for a warm eye shadow.  I'm just not keen on cool tones on my eyes, I find myself constantly drawn to warm shades and I prefer how they look on my blue eyes.  I've built up a bit of a collection of warm shadows and although I have a few cooler shades in my stash, these are the ones I find myself reaching for over and over again.

Chroma Stationery Notebooks

After spotting the 'What would Blair Waldorf do?' notebook on Corrie's blog, I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful the gold embossing was, so followed Chroma Stationery on Instagram... after three hours I'd purchased my own! I couldn't resist.

Olivia Burton Midi Dial Silver Bracelet Watch

For Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful watch from my boyfriend after we spotted it in John Lewis a few weeks before the holidays (see my full What I got for Christmas post here) and I couldn't resist sharing it.

Urban Decay Base - Naked Skin Foundation and Concealer

I've been quite a big fan of Urban Decay for a while now.  I wrote this brand focus post on them back in May, and have added quite a few more UD products to my collection since then.  I even made the Naked Skin concealer my ultimate beauty favourite of 2015 in my 2015 Beauty Favourites post. so how could I resist making the most of the Feel Unique sale to add their foundation to my stash.

10 Product Face

I have seen so many '5 product face' posts, but I'm a bit of an all-or-nothing person when it comes to makeup.  I'm either slobbing around the flat without a scrap of makeup on, or I've gone for a full face of slap, there isn't much in between.  I wear a bit less to work every day, but I have a post on the way about the makeup I wear to school.  For me, ten products is a bit more realistic, and this is the sort of thing I'd be wearing to pop to the shops on the weekend or for a relatively normal day, and it doesn't take too much time or fuss to apply.

St Tropez Self Tan Express Mousse Review

I don't know about you, but I just feel a bit more myself when I've got a bit of a tan.  I feel more confident, and I just prefer how it looks.  Obviously, at this time of year I'm not getting even a hint of natural colour, and I'm not one for sunbeds so I turn to the fake stuff.

I have tried an endless range of fake tans at all different prices, but I'm pretty sure I've found my favourite here: The St Tropez Self Tan Express.

Roy Grace Books

Over the Christmas period us teachers are lucky enough to have two weeks away from the classroom, and although I have quite a bit of work to do, I've been spending lots of time catching up with friends and family, eating too much and relaxing.  For as long as I can remember, I've been a bit of a bookworm.  Even since I was small, I've loved getting lost in a fictional world.  Over the last year or so, I've been a sucker for crime/thriller video, and recently I think I've found my favourite series yet.

2015 In Review

Happy New Year!

I wasn't going to do this sort of post, but after enjoying so many fantastic ones over the past few days, I just had to!  Here are my best bits of 2015 (if you want to read my 2014 in review post, click here)!