Topshop All Over Glow

This product really does what it says under the tin. It was hard to show the effect on a picture but once blended in it gives a lovely pearlescent finish. The instructions suggest using it all over the face underneath foundation but it can also be used as a liquid highlighter over foundation.

It's a lovely product which really does illuminate the skin and gives a 'lit-from-within' effect. The formula is very lightweight and doesn't weigh the skin down so it doesn't feel as though it is just another added layer of product.

Definitely a worthy product for £10!

Max Factor Colour Corrector Stick: The Brightener

Recently, I've really started to notice my under eye circles. They didn't use to be a problem so much in the past but since the stress of my final year at uni, they seem to have come out of the woodwork. 

I was very tempted to try the Bobbi Brown corrector but I was a bit wary to spend so much on it. So, when I saw that Max Factor had released a collection of CC sticks, I was so excited and picked up the one for under eye circles straight away!

The product comes in a pencil form, which is helpful for quick and precise application.

The product is designed to be applied underneath foundation and I tend to take the product straight from the pencil onto my skin, and draw a semi-circle along my under eye area. Then, I use the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre eye brush to blend it out.

I was a bit disappointed in this product. I found it to be very chalky, so it didn't blend very easily into the skin. In addition to this, I didn't notice much of a colour correction on myself as the product is almost too sheer to provide any pay-off.

All in all, I don't think I would repurchase again :(

Are there any under eye concealers you love? Please let me know!

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer

Following the success of their Facefinity All Day 3-in-1 Foundation, Max Factor extracted the secret behind the long-lasting foundation and delivered this primer. It promises to prime, mattify and hold your makeup in place for longer. But does it deliver?

The product is a white cream which easily blends into the skin. When applied, it actually feels very moisturising to me, which is not something I often experience with primers! My favourite thing about it is that it doesn't feel silicone-y at all, so I don't feel as though I'm suffocating my skin. It feels very lightweight on the skin.

I definitely see a difference when I use this product before my foundation. I feel as though my foundation applies a lot easier and just looks a lot better. I have really dry skin in the space between my brows and I find that my foundation always sticks to the dry patch there and just doesn't look great. This still happens when I use the primer but by about 90% less so I can't complain!
As I expected, it does help to keep my foundation on during the day. My day at work involves a lot of running around but by the end of the day my makeup looks just as good as when I first applied it, when I use this primer.

So yes, I think the primer does live up to expectations. I probably would buy it again, but I really want to try the L'Oreal Studio Secrets Primer, so I'll probably try that one when this runs out!

Have you tried this primer? Or is there a primer you particularly love? Let me know!

L'Oreal Color Riche Chameleon

 OK, so I definitely do not need any more eyeshadows to add to my collection, but I couldn't stop myself when I saw these. They are L'Oreal's chameleon eyeshadows. Part of the Color Riche line, the chameleon eyeshadows are two-toned and fairly shimmery.

 I bought two shades: 602 Plume de Paon and 600 Opalescent.

 602 Plume de Paon is a gorgeous bluey-green shade, almost teal. I'm not used to using colour on my eyes so this one may take a bit of getting used to, but I love it anyway even if I'll never wear it!

 600 Opalescent is an absolutely gorgeous shade. In the pan it looks completely silver but when applied it gives the most beautiful pink sheen. The product definitely suits its name in this case!

The colour payoff with these shadows is excellent and they have the same pigmentation I would expect from higher end products. However, the lasting power isn't too great, it's not bad but if you have oily eyelids like me, I would definitely recommend an eye primer - I use MAC's paintpot in Painterly.

Overall I am head over heels for these shadows, especially 600 Opalescent which I think will be my new go-to eyeshadow in the mornings! The shadows give just enough interest to the eye that you can slap them on without having to worry about blending or adding a crease colour, so that's a definite win for me!

Mop Lemongrass Lift Spray

I'm trying to grow my hair out at the moment so I've decided to stop using heat on my hair as much as possible, and instead I'm just letting it dry naturally and leaving it as it is. My hair is naturally curly, and I do like it in its natural state, the only issue I have is that my roots lie sooooo flat. I've tried a few drugstore volumizing sprays but I've never been particularly happy with any of them so I decided to splash out a bit and bought the Mop Lemongrass Lift Spray.

 The spray comes in a plastic bottle and is really lightweight. Its ingredients include lemongrass, ginkgo, apple cider vinegar and wheat protein and this combination gives it just the freshest scent!

The nozzle on the bottle has a fairly long arm so it's really good for being able to accurately spray the product where you want it and for really getting into the roots of the hair.It has a small hole which really allows for precision and also emits just a light mist of product which ensures that it doesn't weigh your hair down.

The bottle promises 'voluptuous and radiant hair' and it definitely delivers! When I spray it directly onto my roots the results are clearly visible and I have much more volume than without. Spraying the product all over provides a nice texture and shine to the hair.

So the bottom line - would I buy it again? Probably. I think it is a great product and if I had all the money in the world I would definitely repurchase but at £11.85 I do wonder if it's maybe a little bit too pricey for my liking as I don't usually tend to spend a lot on hair care. However, it is a pretty big bottle so if it lasts for ages then that might make the price tag worth it!

Top Notch Top Coat

The Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat has been the best thing to happen to me this month (yes, that is how exciting my life is!).

I hate painting my nails. I never manage to keep 'in the lines' and I always smudge it before it dries - which reminds me of the first time I ever got a manicure and I managed to smudge the polish as I was opening the door to leave *sad face emoji*.
I've never really been into the idea of using a topcoat, it has always just seemed like an unnecessary step in the already horrendous process. However, this one caught my eye.

I've always been a fan of Sally Hansen products, I really don't think you can go wrong with them. This product promises to dry any nails colour in 30 seconds! 30 seconds!! As soon as I saw this I had to grab it, especially once I saw it was only £5.99.

It is a brilliant product- it does exactly as promised and leaves your nail colour looking uber-shiny and the chip resistance is amazing.

MAC Warm Neutral Palette

So a couple of months ago I treated myself to this little beauty. And boy am I glad I did. I genuinely don't think I'll ever feel the need to buy another palette ever again. This baby's got it all.

That's right, I'm talking about the MAC Warm Neutral Palette.

 From left to right: Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance in the Dark, Brule, Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle, Lemon Tart, Butterfudge, Creative Copper, Divine Decadence, Unwind.

As an avid beauty blog reader, I was quite surprised at how little fuss was being made about this new arrival. Very little has been said about it, so I though I would put in my two cents.

Price
Now for me, this is the best part. The thing that has put me off creating a MAC palette of 15 shadows of my own in the past is the sheer price of it. The eyeshadows themselves are £10 (in pan form), so that would be £150 spent to fill up a MAC palette with 15 shadows. The Pro Palette is £14 and the insert is £2.50. Add this all together and you would be spending £167.50. A bit ridiculous, no?
Well wait to you hear the price of this ready-made palette *drum roll* £65!!! That's a saving of £102.50!
I realise £65 is still a lot to pay for an eyeshadow palette, but with MAC you definitely get what you pay for.

Quality
For me, MAC can do no wrong with the quality of their products and their eyeshadows are no exception. They are all very buttery and glide on to the eye without any irritation. As well as this, they all blend incredibly well and with very little effort. I was worried that the relatively cheaper price of this palette would mean that the quality of the eyeshadow wasn't up to the usual standard but I was happily mistaken as the product is just as good as if they were bought in any other manner. My favourite thing about MAC eyeshadows is their longevity. They will quite happily last all day, which is something I have always had a problem with due to my oily eyelids.

Product
Here are some swatches of the eyeshadows
First row:

From bottom up : Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance in the Dark.

Second Row

From bottom up : Brule, Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle

Third Row

From bottom up: Lemon Tart, Creative Copper, Butterfudge, Divine Decadence, Unwind.

The shades are a mixture of mattes and shimmers. Some of the shades are part of the permanent collection but some are only available in this palette.

Overall Verdict
I honestly think this is one of the best palettes out there. It gives every shade you could need for an everyday, natural look, and you need to use so little product when applying because it is so pigmented so it will last for so long. I know £65 seems like a lot of money to spend on a palette but it really is worth every penny.


What do you think? Is the an everyday neutral palette to rival this one? Let me know!
F xo

Begin

Hello!

I am a recent graduate with no idea what direction to take in life. When I began studying psychology at uni my dream was to become a clinical psychologist however during my second year I all of a sudden decided the career path I had chosen wasn't actually for me. Shout out to my fickle brain.

Now I am left with a degree I don't really know what to do with and the crippling fear that I will never end up with a job I enjoy. Many have tried to reassure me that I am not the only person that comes out of uni feeling this way but yet I am surrounded by friends who have the next ten years of their life completely planned out. 

I'm starting this blog in the hope that it will give me an outlet to discuss the things I am actually interested in - beauty, fashion, food, literature and more (all of which have nothing to do with my degree). I have attempted to start blogs in the past but to no avail, so we'll see how this one turns out. I'm hoping I will manage to keep up with this one since I have more time on my hands and also a clear focus of what I want to discuss!

Anyway that's all or now. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a post which has actually interesting content!
Thanks for reading
:)