Brightening Cranberry.

Bobbi Brown –

Brightening Brick in Cranberry

“Your go-to product for a lit-from-within glow, Bobbi’s Brightening Brick in Cranberry combines the warmth of a bronzer and the soft flush of a blush to give you skin gorgeous, subtle luminosity.”

Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks combine the effect of bronzer, blusher and highlighter in one compact, to brighten the complexion with a skin-flattering glow. I’d describe the finish as mid way between their Shimmer Bricks and Brightening Powder, veering closest to the latter.  I have four of the six shades to show you and think these will be a big hit for Spring skin or as a little boost in the dreary in between months.  The powders feel smooth and finely milled, with subtle payoff… designed to be worn as a soft blush (my preference) or all over the face as a luminous veil. They do have a touch more shimmer than the likes of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders - and of course an added flush of colour - so I like to place them carefully on my skin rather than use all over, focusing mostly on cheeks and temples. Infused with Mulberry and Grape, they illuminate while absorbing excess oil, without drying or settling into lines.

I chose Cranberry because out of them all it gave the most colour, and as I wanted to wear it as a blusher, I wanted something that was brightening but that also gave me a nice flushed and healthy look. This is beautiful and I’ve used it every day since I bought it. The 6 shades swatch the same as they look in the pan, however not as strong (obviously), and the squares are big enough that you can use the shades separately which I have done many a time! Its like your perfect blush, bronze and highlighter in one little easy to use compact!

Hardwired.

NARS -

Fall 2015 Color Collection

The Fall 2015 Color Collection, created by NARS Founder and Creative Director François Nars, stars a lush and lavish mix of shades for eyes, lips, and cheeks. The look begins with natural sculpting of the face. Eyes dramatize in smoky shimmering brown and golden ombré. Lips captivate in tones of iconic red. Making its official launch is the Velvet Shadow Stick, a silky, velvety shadow in a range of sumptuous shades for layering under and over, blending and setting, creating looks that are modern, sophisticated and always tempting.

Velvet Shadow Stick

Hollywood land - Pale gold

Aigle Noir - Black infused with gold shimmer

Glenan - Navy

Goddess - Pink champagne

Oaxaca - Quartz

Sukhothai - Shimmering peacock

Filbuste - Black

Reykjavik - Grey

Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow

Telesto - Brown with gold shimmer

Pasiphae - Shimmering peacock burgundy

Lipstick + Lip Gloss 

VIP - Red Dark brique

Chelsea Girls - Pink beige

Baby Doll - Shimmering candy pink

Blush

Tribulation - Shimmery rosy sand

NARSissist Six Appeal Hardwired Eye Kit (Limited Edition)

For Fall 2015, NARS Cosmetics introduces every NARSissist’s eye essential – smoky, subtle, minky, bold – the combinations are endless. The limited-edition eye kit features a compact of six shadows ranging from pale lilac to smoky charcoal, a mini Via De’Martelli Larger Than Life® Eyeliner and a newly designed travel size Wide Contour Brush #43 for easy application on the go. It’s neutrals worth noticing.

I’m beyond excited for this Fall Collection. The colours are amazing! I think I'm especially excited for the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows because they are such amazing and rather unique shades. Plus the Limited Edition Hardwired Eye Kit is just flawless and I can imagine it looking amazing on and that they’re colours to suit everyone!

Hourglass.

Hourglass Cosmetics -

Christmas 2015 Palette

Wow, SpaceNK posted a preview of Hourglass palette for Christmas 2015 on Instagram which contains the original Ambient Lighting powders, which started the hype,  and also blushers and bronzers.

Look how gorgeous does it looks? I have definitely added this to my Christmas wish list!

Speaking of Hourglass, they brought out more shades of another cult product, their Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil  that is now available in nine shades!

If you’re not familiar with The Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil first of all, just look at the elegant, chic and sophisticated design. When you pay £26 you want your product to look appropriate to the price, and it does! Besides being a beauty, it is a very functional product, too. You get a pencil in a nice triangular shape that is very convenient to use, on one end, and a spoolie on the other. The texture of the product is lovely, it is not too dry or too soft/”greasy”.  It looks natural when applied and “blends in” with your brows, so no one will be able to tell that you have a product in. The finished look, you get fuller, more defined eyebrows and the effect lasts all day.

By the way, I would recommend checking out SpaceNK Instagram account in general, they posted a preview of byTerry, Lipstick Queen and more Christmas releases.

Chocolate, Bunnies and Something Extra Special.

TOO FACED –

Bronzers

Too Faced, as a brand, sits in the same category as Benefit for me. Slightly confusing as their price tag doesn’t really match they’re young and fun packaging, but despite that the products always impress. If you can see past the not my cup of tea packaging, you’ve got yourself a really lovely brand with great products.

Something they are well know for is their huge range of bronzers, there are eight in total and there’s literally one for everyone. Lots of people have been asking which one would suit their skin type or would suit summer/winter, therefore due to Too Faced getting bigger in the UK, I thought it would be a good idea to create a little guide to each bronzer and who its aimed at.

Tie Dye Summer.

Dior Tie Dye Summer 2015 Collection offers a range of sunny shades that bathes the skin in warm light. I know many of you were dying to find out about Dior Tie Dye Collection which promises to be the hottest summer 2015 Collection; I personally can’t wait to get my hands on most of it. You will definitely love at least of couple of products from this Tie Dye limited edition collection as the colours vary from jade to golden-brown amber to beige or sand-coloured lagoon blue shades. The lips shine in combinations of coral, pink, mauve and red shades, while nails are painted in a wave of grenadine trend colours of summer with a special twist. Let’s not forget about that gorgeous limited edition new Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye shades which are the thrill of this collection.

Rain or Shine.

Burberry –

S/S15 Runway Palette

“Introducing the Burberry Spring/Summer 2015 Runway Palette, featuring an artwork from the Prorsum collection. The “Rain or Shine” motif, originally hand-painted in the Burberry studio reflects the synergy between Burberry fashion and beauty. This limited-edition powder palette uses colours from the womenswear collection: Pink Azalea and Bright Coral red sit alongside a nude cloud on a Hydrangea Pink background. Effortless to use, the shades blend together to enhance and highlight the skin with a radiant glow. Contour the cheeks to highlight the cheekbones or apply to the apple of the cheeks for natural radiance. 

-Burberry

Natural-Looking Dimension.

NARS –

Contour Blush

“A duo of contouring blush shades to create natural-looking dimension for the face with a lightweight luminous finish. A deeper shade enhances definition while a lighter shade illuminates the high points of the face.” 

– NARS

Rose Gold.

Benefit - 

Rockateur Box o’ Powder

For some reason, Benefit is a brand I rarely have any interest in. However, as autumn started approaching everyone seemed to start talking about how amazing the Benefit Rockateur blush was for autumn/winter due it its rose gold shimmer. Therefore whilst at my local Debenhams I thought I would give it a swatch and I fell in love!

Mosaic Bronzer.

No7 - 

Perfectly Bronzed Mosaic Bronzer

Ok, I’m not going to lie, this was actually my mums but there was something about it that I really enjoyed using, and as she found it wasn’t enough for her very dark skin tone, she donated it…to me.

The compact is very sleek and with the mirror inside it's perfect for my handbag. I love the multi-tonal colours in this as I like the bronzed look but also favour the pinky reds as well. It's a great mix of colours and gives a highly pigmented colour without looking to over the top.

This product gives off a lovely shimmer, you only need the smallest swatch on your brush and it looks amazing! It is perfect for winter and summer as it gives you a little bit of colour but doesn't tango on pale skin. I really like using this for a quick every day look, as with just one product I can do the whole blush, bronzer and contorting that doesn’t look over the top or muddy. 

It really is a gorgeous bronzer/brusher duo, which looks great on both pale and tanned skin!

Dior’s “It” Shade.

Dior -

Diorblush Vibrant Colour Powder Blush

When it comes to high-end, high-quality makeup, Dior Cosmetics have yet to disappoint. While the prices are definitely on the higher end of the spectrum, all of the Dior products I own are incredibly well made with out of this world pigmentation (hello one coat Dior nail polishes), and high quality formulations (hello moisturizing Dior Addict glosses). 

Diorblush Vibrant Colour Powder Blush does definitely NOT DISSAPOINT! It comes in a classic navy, yet new slim casing that features the mono-shade blush, a newly designed natural, angled brush that is super soft and ideal for large application and sculpting the cheeks and a built in mirror on the lid. It has an incredibly silky texture, a dual finish and even though it features a sheer formula it’s highly pigmented. It soft to the touch, slightly drier and a little powdery but applies smoothly and flawlessly to the skin. It blends beautifully into the skin and leaves behind a smooth, satiny finish that lasts the entire day without fading.

I was so hard choosing which shade I loved best, however with the help of a Dior Make up Specialist I decided to go for Rose Cherie, one of Dior’s “It” shades in the collection. A peachy-rose toned blush packed with finally milled golden shimmer, 'Rose Chérie' applies lightly giving cheeks a natural-looking, rosy flush. Due to a lot of shimmer, this particular colour does draw some attention to larger pores but, when placed higher up on the cheekbones, works nicely as both a blush and highlighter. 

I can’t say enough about these new Diorblush Vibrant Colour Powder Blushes, I love their silky soft texture that applies like butter to the cheeks, they are easy to apply and blend out considering its extreme bold colours, they are long wearing, you’ll get a solid 12 hours out of each shade without losing its intensity or fading and its highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. I love that you can use the flat side of the brush to blend colour to create a healthy glow or use the beveled end of the brush for a more professional contouring application at the temples, around the oval of the face and to sculpt the cheekbones. 

Overall, this is one of the best blushes I have ever used. It is such a beautiful shade, which can be built up for a stunning day to night look. The formula is incredible and even thought they aren’t cheap at £30 a blush, they are just amazing quality and definitely work the money.

October Wish List.

Not long ago I did two wish lists, one on high-end/luxury products I really wanted, and one on drug store products. Not long after I posted that, the list began to grow. I decided as different products are released every month, I thought I was a good idea to start doing a monthly wish list.

Therefore this is the "OCTOBER WISH LIST!”

I know sometimes when people do wish lists, they can just end up being a long list of products. Therefore I thought I would narrow it down to 5 products each month, and have a mixture of luxury and drug store products. Alongside this give a little description of what they’re meant to be like from their website descriptions.

So lets begin…

butterLondon Nail Polish in Petrol Overcoat.

This is a new release from butterLondon, as part of their Illusionist Collection. The website describes it as a sheer, tornate overcoat, which can be brush on top of any butterLondon lacquer to transform the shade, or alternatively can be use alone. Overall creating the opalescent sheen of oil reflected in rain. Now this is something I have tried before from another brand. However as much as I loved it, the formula of that brand wasn’t amazing, and trying to apply it was rather difficult, therefore I chose not to repurchase it. Therefore I’m really happy and excited butterLondon, whose polishes are of incredible quality are releasing a nail polish of this type. I have really high hopes for this polish, just hope it doesn’t let me down!

Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner.

I haven’t tried too many Mario Badescu products, actually only one other product and that’s the silver powder, which I actually will be repurchasing but that’s for another post (coming soon). My skin is sensitive however also combination due to having a rather oily t-zone, and my main concerns are large pores and blemishes, and obviously the sensitivity. Therefore finding skin care products I like and that work can be rather difficult. However this toner sounds amazing. It is designed for sensitive skin; therefore its alcohol-free, which is something I think, is really important. The main ingredient is obviously Aloe Vera, which helps to sooth and calms the skin, whilst other properties in the toner help lift and remove pore-clogging debris from the skin. I was struggling at deciding between this and the cucumber alternative, however I thought I would give this a go first due to the soothing properties and if it doesn’t give the results I’m hoping for, then I will try the cucumber one.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless PURE Primer.

Now, not too long ago you no doubt remember me raving about the Too Faced Primed and Poreless ORIGINAL Primer, which helps to provide a smooth and pore-free canvas for foundation. I really liked the primer because it did exactly as it said it would, providing the perfect canvas. However, whilst looking online I came across this PURE version, which is aimed at sensitive skin…yey. According to the website this version is a colourless oil-free formula, whereas the original has a slight pink tint to it, sometimes causing a slight chalkiness on the skin if you applied too much. The main reason I want to try this version is because it states it not only erases the appearance of pores and other imperfections, but it also helps sooth and minimize redness. This is something I often get due to how irritated my skin can be, and in fact helps brighten the skin. The soothing properties alone are what made this primer stand out in comparison to the original and other similar pore erasing primers. Hopefully this primer will live up to its amazing product description and glowing reviews.

Too Faced Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer OR Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer.

Recently I have found myself looking at some of the Too Faced products. The main problem with Too Faced in the UK is that its not as well known as it is in the US, therefore it can be rather hard to find and try the products before buying them. However I think this Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer would be just perfect not only for winter, but also for my paler skin as my summer glow begins to fade. The problem I have with bronzers when I’m a little paler is that they can tend to look muddy. Therefore due to the 4 very different shades in this bronzer, I thought it could help combat the muddiness I get from most other bronzers, as well as giving me a really pretty winter glow.

Alongside this I was also looking at the Too Faced Pink Leopard blushing bronzer. This also has 3 different shades aims to help combat muddiness and give a beautiful glow to the skin. I like it for the similar reasons to the Snow Bunny version, I think it would give the perfect pinky-peach flush which I think looks amazing in winter as its not too much. They both contain shimmer, so if you don’t like shimmer then you might want to stay clear. However I think especially in winter, a bit of shimmer helps to give a healthy glow to the skin, when actually thanks to the freezing temperatures and central heating it’s anything but.

I really cant decided which one I prefer between the two, therefore I think I’m going to have to find somewhere that stocks them…and try them both out to see which I prefer.

TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Intense Nourishment Mask.

Ok, do I need a new hair mask…not particularly. Is this really necessary…maybe not. However is this the first mask TIGI’s Catwalk collection have ever released…yes it is. Therefore I think that’s a good enough reason for me to give it a go. This is meant to be a really intense mask aimed at moisturising and conditioning dry, damaged hair leaving it smooth, soft and silky. This mask I think could become a serious god send when it comes to winter, as my hair is already seeming so much dryer due to the cold weather then it normally does. Now the one thing that really stood out for me when reading about this mask is that even though its an intense mask, it doesn’t weigh down or coat the hair, which is something I have found with other really intense mask, leaving my fine hair really flat and weighed down. Alongside this the ingredients look really good too, everything that’s in this mask is there to help nourish hair, not for a place holder or to help it smell nice. Also to add it has added heat protection elements, therefore this means it will also continue to help protect hair even after you’ve used this mask.

Overall this month it's a real mix of products that are on my wish list, which isn't always the case. I think due to it coming up to winter, I'm really looking for products which can really get me through winter and help transition from autumn to winter.

Whats on your October Wish List?