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.