Christmas Beauty Presents ❤♡

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely day. I spent mine with my boyfriend and stepson, and then we visited my Mum and Dad for Christmas dinner. A whole lot of Baileys, prosecco, roast potatoes and parsnips were consumed!

I was absolutely spoiled by James and my parents, so I thought I'd share my presents.

I'm a complete sucker for Lush products, especially Snow Fairy at the festive period, so you can imagine my delight when my mum had included this amazing set in with my presents.

In this set you get a shower gel, a bubble bar, body conditioner, and a bath bomb.

The Snow Fairy shower gel is something I purchase religiously every Winter, and I think it smells so so nice.  I used the bath bomb tonight which surprisingly turned green once it started fizzing, and I just love the feeling of how silky your skin feels after using it.

I would recommend getting something like this next year, but then again, I'd recommend tons of items in Lush as it's one of my favourite stores.

The Naked Skin concealer is hands down, the best concealer I have ever used. It is full coverage, and the formula is great. As soon as I had ran out I asked my mum to add it in as a present.

The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion is also one of my favourite eye primers, and I much prefer it to any of Macs. 

The Moondust palette was a first for me, and after swatching the colours, I wasn't overly impressed with every single colour but the green and pink are absolutely stunning. I would recommend buying this palette if you don't like using glitter but still want some more intense shimmer.

I have loved and wore Ghost for more than ten years now, and I still to this day, love it the same as when I first smelled it. I would say it's probably my signature perfume, along with DKNY women. I was so happy to receive this set from my Auntie, I didn't even know you could get sets like this.

It comes with a makeup bag, the original perfume and a miniature, body lotion, nail polish, lip gloss and a ghost candle! 

If you're a ghost lover like myself, I would definitely try and snatch this up!

Winter Haul ❤♡

Hello everyone! xo

It's been so long since I've posted on my blog, I think it may even be a few weeks- a month.

October was crazy for me. I was trying to concentrate on posting lots of Halloween Makeup Looks. This was the first year that I had concentrated on having a beauty blog/instagram and I managed to get around 9 ideas up.

I had planned to post them on my blog but I had ran out of time, I may just post them next year as inspiration while I'm creating new ideas.

Anyway! I'm heading to London next week and picked up a few items from H&M, Primark and ASOS. My boyfriend has already texted me saying "who needs four hats?" but I just try and ignore that negativity (Haha!) 

I absolutely adore Autumn/Winter, especially the outfits that come with the seasons. Hats, knitwear, jeans, boots and coats are my thing!!! It was also quite nice to stroll around Glasgow on my own today, not being rushed.

My favourite of all items is the fedora, which was from Primark. Originally it was meant to be £8, and its now on sale for £3. I was ecstatic! £3! I have bought dearer lunches than that! It fits perfectly, and I think it'll go with lots of looks, keeping you warm and adding a bit of winter glam to a warm coat.

I also picked up two bobble hats from Primark for £2 each, which I think is a total bargain. The black one will go with tons of clothing (especially since I wear black 90% of the time...) and burgundy is my favourite colour so I had to pick one up in that shade. I also bought a cute little black scarf from Primark, with some glitter at the bottom which I thought looked so pretty.

My 2nd favourite item is the cream hat with the pom pom on top. I was looking for one similar in Primark and couldn't find the one I had in my head.. After visiting H&M, I saw it and knew I had to have it. Perfect for going with more casual outfits and adding a little something-something to all the black I wear.

The last item was a ;pink polo-neck jumper from ASOS. This jumper is so cosy it's unreal. It's a nice fabric, it's really soft and doesn't have that itchy feeling you get with certain knitwear. It's a pale pink which is quite unusual for me, and they say pink should not be worn with pale skin and ginger hair, but hey-ho.

I'd definitely recommend all of these items. Xo

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette Review

Ok, so I must admitt, I am waaaay late on this palette. But after seeing it for ages, and never getting round to purchasing it, I finally bit the bullet in time for Autumn.

To keep things simple; I LOVE this palette. It has fast became one of my favourite eye-shadow palettes and I find myself picking it up every single morning.

Not only are the colours beautiful (a mix of matte and shimmer) but they are absolutely perfect for creating warm Autumn/Fall looks, with golds, warm browns, pinks and blacks. 

I am so impressed by the fact this palette is only £18 on Beauty Bay. I think it's fantastic for the money, considering the eye-shadows are extremely pigmented, buttery and super easy to blend out.

My favourite colour has got to be freshly toasted as it's just such a beautiful warm brown colour and works so nice with a range of other colours. It really reminds me of MakeupGeek's cocoa bear. 

I think this palette is perfect for creating a mixture of looks as it has your transition shade, warm browns for smokey eyes, pinks for a pop of colour, blacks to create a dramatic look and the prettiest gold shimmer to add some glam. It's the type of palette I would take travelling, and when I'm visiting London in November, this will be the palette for me.

I cannot recommend this anymore, it's such a stunning bunch of colours and a lot cheaper than other brands such as Urban Decay, Jeffree Star etc.

Xo

Space NK and Boots Haul. ♡

Last month I decided to splurge a little, after seeing that My Boots App had sent a few goodies.

I was sent an offer for 400 points, if I spent £20 or more in one single transaction. Please note that Boots regularly send these, and if you haven't already I HIGHLY recommend getting an advantage card if you're a massive beauty lover like me.

The women at the counter had gave me a few test foundations away to try, and I found that because I have acne, and I have combination skin (oily t-zone and dry/normal elsewhere) the beautifully matte worked best for me. Now I cannot recommend this foundation enough if you have similar skin to myself. I have tried loads of foundations from Maybelline Fit Me, to Illamasqua Skin Base, to Estee Lauder Double Wear and this is by far my favourite. It lasts all day, it never oxidizes, goes patchy or cakey. It is full coverage without feeling too heavy, and you get the added benefit of being matched to your true colour. Although, I decided to go two shades darker as I wear fake tan.

At the time, No7 were doing an offer where if you bought two No7 products you would recieve a beauty box filled with treats. 

As I was buying the foundation anyway, I picked up the lip crayon in berry. I was so excited to try this, especially since Autumn is coming up and I love plum shades. Well, my excitement stopped as soon as I swatched it. The pigmentation is bad, but I gave it a try on the lips to see if it was any better but it wasn't. Trust me when I say, it's not worth the money. The crayon was almost transparent after a good few layers, when the light hit the middle of the lip it looked as though it has rubbed off from eating, and generally feels quite slimy on the lips. 

The beauty box however, was fantastic! You received a voucher for £5 off your next purchase, a true match lipstick of your choice, a grey matte eyeshadow, a primer and a mascara.

The true match lipstick is great because it matches the colours that suit your skin tone. I was looking for a dark spicy coloured nude, and I chose honey bloom which has fast became one of my favourite products/colours. 

The dramatic lift mascara is great, is wears brilliantly and I never get any smudges. It's quite a small applicator which is great, my only downfall is it's a sample size and quite hard to get to grips with, so i'll definitely be buying a full size one.

I really liked the airbrush away primer. I really did notice a difference in how long my makeup lasted and it feels so nice and smooth on the skin. My only fault is that it smells of the Dove tan/moisturizer  that I used to use as a teenager, and it brings back memories of being yellow/orange and not having a clue how to apply it without leaving streaks.

I've not used the eyeshadow yet, but no doubt I'll get round to it as it's such a versatile shade, especially for going on a night out.

So not only did I get a free beauty box filled with amazing beauty products, I received 400 points (the equivalent of £4.00), a £5 off no7 skincare voucher, a £5 off my next purchase over £30 and triple points because of a promotion that was running in store at the time too. I don't know about you, but I think I timed that pretty well. This is also the reason why I tend to shop in Boots a lot more than Superdrug etc. 

I also picked up Nyx Vivid Brights Eyeliner in Vivid Bloom. I had originally wanted the light pink one but it was sold out, so I opted for this gorgeous purple pastel colour. It glides on like a dream and I'm definitely going to purchase the other colours in the range.

Last but not least, I visited Space NK to get Becca Costmetic's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone. I just love these highlighters so much. They are without a doubt, one of the best ones I've ever tried, they feel buttery, smooth and are so highly pigmented it's unreal. If you have light/fair skin like myself, opt for moonstone as it's such a beautiful shade and really compliments lighter skin tones.

Ciara 

Xo

♡

The Butterfly and the Pig Tearooms.

After trying a couple of times before, and being fully booked, my mum and I managed to get a reservation for The Butterfly and the Pig Tearooms in Glasgow, Bath St.

It's such a cute, little vintage themed tea room with old decor and fancy china. We opted for the afternoon tea with champers deal, which worked out at around £16 each which I thought was worth the money and more.

The bottom tier consisted of amazing sandwiches including tuna, egg, roast beef and cornation chicken. Surrounded by crisps too.

The middle tier (which, lets be honest, we are all interested in the most!) contained two out-of-this-world scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam, cupcakes, buttercream topped cake and a pistachio type sponge. Honestly, these were so bloody good, teamed with coffee and champagne, I was in heaven!

The top tier compromised of oatcakes, cream cheese and smoked salmon. Also delightful.

All in, it was a fantastic afternoon tea, especially for the price. There's always the option to take the champagne off for a cheaper alternative, and you can also get a pot of tea instead of a cappuccino. 

As there's so much, you don't feel bad for leaving leftovers, as they provide you with a doggy bag of all the food you'd like to take home.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant for afternoon tea, it's cosy, pretty and the food is extremely tasty.

Lush Haul

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided I needed some beauty therapy so after raiding Boots, Debenhams and Space NK, I headed over to Lush for some pick-me-ups. So I thought after trying out some of these new products, I would review and deliver back to you guys!

1. Cup o' coffee face and body mask.

Oh. My. GOD. This stuff is the epitome of an amaaaazing scrub. I bought the smaller tub with the mindset of that if I liked it, I'd go and buy the bigger size. And let me tell you, I'll be buying the bigger one! It has fast became my favourite scrub EVER! It smells really strongly of coffee though, so if you can't stand the smell, then I'd stay clear. I usually smear a generous amount all over my face, go and have breakfast so it's resting and sinking into my skin for at least 20-30 minutes, and then once I'm in the shower I'll give my face a really vigorous scrub. I would say that, leave it until a day that you're washing your hair as the tiny particles can get into your hair line and they are a nightmare to get out. Once it's off your skin, it leaves it feeling so smooth and silky, yet tight too. I would 100% recommend this to everyone and anyone, most of my family and friends have been persuaded to purchase it.

2. H'Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment.

I knew originally before I had entered Lush that I needed something to revive the shine in my hair and give it an all-over boost. I have recently stripped my hair having had it black for two years and getting from that, to my natural red/ginger colour has been really damaging to say the least. After speaking to one of the lovely assistants at the Buchanan Street, Glasgow store, he persuaded me to get this. It's got egg yolks mixed into the product, which helps restore the shine and moisture in your hair, and it smells so good. I lathered it all over my hair, and left it on over night for maximum results. It worked really well, although as said on the tub, for the best results you need to use it once a week for a while. Eventually I got sick of my long hair and cut off around 5-6 inches of dead, bleached, dried-out locks. My hair is in great condition now, and getting better each week with the use of this hair mask.

3. Intergalactic Bath Bomb

Bath bombs are bath bombs. But I'm a sucker for all things girly, like treatments, beauty products and I love nothing more than soaking in the bath with bubbles or a bath bomb. This particular bomb spreads out, with gorgeous blue, pink and purple colours. It leaves your skin so silky, and you can feel how smooth it is when you're relaxing in the bath. There are very fine glitters but they don't transfer onto your skin, thank god. There's nothing worse than getting a bomb with petals and stepping out to find they are all stuck to the back of your legs. 

My every-day, go-to makeup.

I think everyone has a look that they automatically go for when picking your makeup bag up in the morning. And it's all about telling yourself "No, I'm going to try something different. I might push past my comfort zone and go for that white liner, or blue lipstick." Don't get me wrong, I'm not too adventurous. A lot of the time I'll see all these stunning girls who can pull of a certain bold colour and I know straight away I'd never have the confidence to wear it outside.

We all know what suits us, what colours compliment our skin, eyes or lips. I have a habit of going for a super simple, easy look but with still having a full face of makeup.

So above is my favourite "day makeup".

Because I have blue eyes, I like to compliment them with using golds, browns and bronze palettes. Urban Decay Naked or Smoky is usually what I use, but I'll tend to go for some Makeup Geek single eyeshadows for more pigmentation if I'm feeling more flush.

On a regular basis I use Illamasqua skin base foundation, and contour with the NYX contour palette. For my concealer, I like to use Nars as it's amazing! But if I'm a little on the poor side, I'll always have Rimmel's Super Stay on hand. I currently use The Balm Mary Lou Highlighter, which is a golden colour but if my makeup is slightly lighter, I'll use Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector. I cannot recommend this highlighter more.

Lips are always a nude/pink. My skin is quite fair, so I always feel too white when wearing a really light nude. So I opt for a nude with pink tones. I always reach for either Mac Lovelorn or Brave which is slightly darker, Nyx Liquid Suede in Tea and Cookies or Sleek Makeup's Birthday Suit. I just find that these colours compliment my skin tone the most and are super easy to apply.

On average, it takes me about half an hour to do my makeup. As someone who loves to wear a lot of product to work etc, I've actually cut my time down. I get too carried away with listening to music and taking my time. (Eyebrows aren't the quickest!) 

Ciara

Xo