Fashion and Beauty Wish List

Almond Wish List by shanibandangle-1 featuring lips makeup

Miss Selfridge polyester shirt, £22 / Obsessive compulsive cosmetic, £12 / Benefit lips makeup / Charlotte Tilbury lip liner / Yankee Candle Happy Birthday' Celebration Candle Medium Jar only |... / Urban Decay Naked Lip Gloss - House of Fraser

1. OCC Lip tar in Memento. I can't believe I've gone through this far in my life without owning an OCC Lip Tar. Bonkers, I know. I've seen them being applied many times and with the ability to mix any two colours or more, they really are like your own personal lipstick factory.

2. Miss Selfridge Polyester Shirt. This is a beauty! Clean, elegant, classy and fitted. What more does a girl need in a shirt?

3. Yankee Candle in Vanilla Cupcake. Pass me anything with a scent of vanilla and I'll adore it. I know freshly baked and sweet scents aren't everyones cup of tea, but they are absolutely everything I crave in a candle.

4. Urban Decay Naked Lip Gloss in Nooner. I'm in need of a nude gloss. Especially one that compliments the naked palettes, and with such a wide array of colours there's a naked out there for everyone. :)

5. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk. I think I saw Lisa Elridge use this, and what an amazing colour! A lipliner 'cheat' in different skin tone colours to outline your lips and still look totally natural!

6. Benefit Dandelion Lip Gloss. The benefit Dandelion blush is such a complimentary colour for pale skin tones. Lets hope the gloss is the same!

My Current Makeup Favourites

I'm going to take this opportunity today to rave about my current favourite makeup products and why I love them so. Many of these products I am a long-term lover of and continue to purchase, whereas others are recently purchased and instantly adored!

1.  Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette. If you hadn't already guessed just by looking at it, this palette is a drugstore dupe of the beloved Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, but at less than a quarter of the price. The shades are incredibly flattering on me and the warmth really compliments my skin tone. You could be forgiven for thinking that a palette priced at just £4 will hold nothing but cheap, tacky, dull eyeshadows that don't blend or work well together. WRONG! These colours are some of the most easily blendable I have ever worked with and the pigmentation is incredible for the price. Even the matte colours are really vibrant and the lightest shade is the best pale eyeshadow I have ever used. Not to mention they are the closest colour and texture dupes I will ever find compared with the Naked 3 Palette. I swatched my favourite 5 shades below (numbers 12, 6, 7, 2 and 1)

Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette

2. Mac Soft Ochre Paint Pot. I was introduced to this by Nikkie Tutorials on Youtube who uses it on so many of her tutorials. As we are both mega pale I thought I would give this a try. The texture is lovely and creamy and it blends so easily onto the eyes with either a brush or your fingers. I use this as an eyeshadow primer every single day and the longevity is the best I have ever experienced from an eyeshadow base. If I was being picky I would say this specific colour is slightly too yellow on my skin but this is irrelevant as I always pack more colour on top of it. It is great for providing a smooth base for eyeshadow and it covers any veins on the eyelids (of which I have many!)

3. Benefit Dandelion Blush. I've had this for an embarrassingly long time and I'm not even sure you're supposed to keep makeup that long, but besides that, Dandelion is great! It's a pale pink powder blush that, in my opinion, reminds me of the cheeks of porcelain dolls! Pale, subtle, and so pretty. 

4. Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow. If you're a super pale girl on a quest for the perfect ashy contour colour, then stop searching, because it's right here. I first heard about Hollow from Samantha Chapman on YouTube who described it as the perfect contour colour for pale skin because it doesn't have any orange or red tones in it. It's a pale, ashy brown that's buildable and easy to blend on the skin. The swatch below is very pigmented but blended out it looks incredible and mimics the shadows someone might have on more naturally contoured cheeks.

Benefit Dandelion blush and Illamasqua Hollow

5. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This is already a cult favourite and for very good reason! I don't own any other Collection makeup apart from this product, but I'm on my fourth bottle as we speak. It has just the most perfect full coverage, it's creamy, blendable and lasts a really long time. I haven't had coverage as good as this concealer with any others I have tried, and this is especially important from someone who doesn't wear foundation. Not only that but it actually caters for pale people! Can you imagine that?!  No more having to pick between 'light', 'medium', or 'dark', but instead we have 'fair' for the rest of us. Thank goodness for that, because I typically struggle finding concealers (and foundations) that don't turn me into an orange mess.

6. Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss lipstick in 03. The Kate Moss lipsticks have an amazing formula. They're beautifully creamy, moisturising and they fade gradually on the lips and don't leave a ring around them like some lipsticks do. Most lipsticks I find leave my lips flaky and dry when they fade, but not this one. When I need a top up I find that I can just instantly put another coat on top and not have to worry about exfoliating and moisturising all over again first. The shade 03 is a lovely nude that leans on the darker side. I would describe it as a medium brown-beige colour with a creamy finish. I find this colour very flattering on pale skin and doesn't wash me out like other nudes do.

L- R. Kate Moss lipstick in 03, Revlon Matte Balm in Elusive, Revlon Matte Balm in Striking

7. Revlon Matte Balms in Elusive and Striking. These balms were all the rage when they first came out and I jumped wholeheartedly onto the bandwagon and have built a mini-collection over the last year or so. First things first, the words 'matte' and 'balm' are not two words that you often hear together, but it's precisely what they are! It is the creamiest matte lipstick I have ever worn and instead of dragging across the lips like many of them do, it glides across beautifully and is so easy to apply. The finish remains soft and moisturising about an hour on me afterwards where it then sets. I love these for their ease of application and matte look, but I do find that they leave a sticky, built up residue in the middle of my bottom lip after a while! The swatch in the centre of the picture above is quite a bit darker than it truly is, but it's actually a cool-toned, dusty, pale pink matte that I think could be universally flattering. To the right is 'striking', a vibrant, warm red that instantly lights up my face!

8. Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid. Lanolips is wonderful in the way that it moisturises so extremely well but somehow manages to gently exfoliate at the same time! I haven't tried any of the other variations of this lip treatment but this lemonade scent smells amazing. Unlike other lip balms and moisturisers, when I take them off I have to exfoliate the dead skin before I apply my lipstick. With Lanolips the skin seems to come off with the product which is amazing and saves me so much time, especially out and about.

9. Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara. This mascara works better on my eyelashes than most I have tried. I'm not blessed with long eyelashes and they can be quite sparse, so I need a wand that's big and bulky in order to capture every lash that tries to escape. The wand is quite bulbous and goes inwards at the centre. I don't know what kind of effect this creates but it works! I think it helps in curling the lashes and after I use it I notice that they are much thicker, longer and slightly curved.

That's all for now and sums up most of my 'staple' products that I always return to in times of need.

What would be your one staple product?

Todays Look: Eye of the Storm

FACE:

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 'Fair' and 'Cool Medium'

Max Factor CC stick for under eyes

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Transparent

CHEEKS:

Benefit 'Dandelion' blush

HD Brows 'Blusher 2'

Makeup Revolution eyeshadow in 'Mocha Love'

EYES:
Sleek Storm V2 palette

Maybelline Scandaleyes mascara
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ebony
The Body Shop clear brow gel

LIPS:
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 'Striking'

My Minimalist Skincare Routine

I wanted to talk today about my facial skincare routine and why I opt to use as few and as natural products as possible. Firstly, I am not one who seeks out entirely natural, chemical-free products, but at the same time I try and and get most of my skincare products from nature itself as I believe nature can provide everything we need without having to turn to harsh, man-made, chemical solutions. Like I said, I try to go natural with skincare, but sometimes there's a better solution from an established brand.

First thing's first, when I wake up in the morning I wear my The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser with an SPF of 30. This moisturiser is incredibly hydrating and lasts all day and night without having to moisturise again. As a girl with tight, dry and flaky skin, this moisturiser hits the right spots and revitalises any dullness. I should also mention that I apply this moisturiser with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush because it's less harsh on my skin than my hands, and gently buffs away any flakiness that I might not be able to see before the moisturiser is applied.

SPF is incredibly important to me and is the difference between waking up as a 40 year old with lines and wrinkles, or waking up with the youth of a 20 year old. I was talking to a cosmetic nurse a few months ago as I had problems with my baggy skin between my eyebrows and eyelids. She told me that wearing an SPF of at least 30 every single day will prevent my eyelids from sagging further as I age when the process naturally begins to take place. I have no doubt that when I get older I most probably will have some surgery to remove excess skin, but for now I can take measures to lessen the effects of it.

I then use another skin moisturiser like Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on my lips whilst I apply the rest of my makeup. This cream is a cult beauty product and I can absolutely see why. I got this along with a 30ml hand cream in ASDA for a grand total of £3. Yes, I thought there had been some kind of mistake! It comes out as a thick, transparent gel which you can apply to any area of your skin that needs some serious hydration. A little goes a very long way with this product and as I gently take it off before I apply my lip products, I am left with soft, hydrated and gently exfoliated lips which provide the perfect base for lipstick. 

When it comes to taking the days makeup off, I have used one product for over a year and never looked back. That product is coconut oil. Although the brand is usually irrelevant so long as you choose unrefined oil, I have been using Goan Coconut Oil that is 100% virgin. You will often find that unrefined coconut oil is the oil in its most natural state. It smells like coconut and comes in a thick, solid consistency. Refined coconut oil, which I made the mistake of buying first, has had the coconut scent removed and has been processed in some way. I found this oil to be a little more even in texture and I guess more 'consumer friendly' in a way, whereas the unrefined oil can become a little gritty. Although I like the even texture, I still prefer the unrefined coconut oil as I am safe in the knowledge that it hasn't been tampered with.

So coconut oil is incredible in the way that it simply melts off any makeup. It is yet another dry skin saviour and has the added benefit of diminishing the appearance of under eye circles and uneven skin tone. It also helps your eyebrows become thicker and your lashes grow longer. You can see why I love it now, right?

Whilst in the bath or shower I find it important to exfoliate my face once a week maximum. Any more than that and I tend to create dry patches as opposed to targeting them. To coincide with my Body Shop Vitamin C Moisturiser, I combine this with the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, which I promise isn't as scary as it sounds. This product is a 'weekly home-spa exfoliation with vitamin C rich Amazonian camu camu and Community Trade Shea butter', and it contains lots of tiny, sand-like exfoliating particles which will literally give you the scrub of your life! Unlike many other exfoliators out there, this product feels like it has almost twice as many exfoliating particles that target every morsel of your face.

When I come out of the shower at night I am not particularly picky about which moisturiser I use, but I usually opt for a more intensely moisturising night cream. The past few weeks I have been using Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion that comes out transparent and has a very watery, gel-like consistency. It sinks in incredibly quickly which is useful for people who hate the feeling of wet, tacky skin after applying moisturiser. I am not entirely sure what makes this product 'dramatically different', but it works for me and I'm fine with that!

So there you have my most minimal skincare routine. I stopped wearing foundation many months ago so skincare is obviously very important to me. I started to notice that my skin actually looked better without foundation than with it, as it only emphasised dry patches on my face. No matter how much exfoliating I did, and how many foundations I tried, I couldn't help but feel too 'made up' and hated having to deal with the inevitable patchiness as the foundation wore off during the day. The most important thing, though, was the realisation that I am lucky to have soft, even skin with rarely a spot in sight. Seriously though, I get about one spot every 6 months or so, and am eternally grateful for this!

What skincare product could you not live without?

Makeup Revolution - Most Recently Purchased

First thing's first - Makeup Revolution are just a god send to beauty obsessives like me who need their fill of makeup but are on a strict budget at the same time. Everything I have bought from this brand so far has really impressed me. And I mean everything. From blushers to eyeshadow palettes and highlighters to concealers - they've really got everything covered. Have I mentioned that they're also DUPE central? I've been reading various blogs recently only to discover that Makeup Revolution have created dupes for some of the most sought after (and most expensive) brands out there including MAC, Benefit and Urban Decay.

While I could rave all day about this brand, I'm here to review my three most recent purchases. The Vivid Baked Highlighter in 'Golden Lights' (£3), Vivid Blush Lacquer in 'Rush' (£3), and Single Eyeshadow in 'Mocha Love' (a whopping £1).

Golden Lights Baked Highlighter is a stunning highlighter that appears to be a pale cream colour in the pan but once swatched you can see a golden shimmer running all the way through it. The colour is beautifully subtle on the skin but is buildable for a stronger highlight. Reportedly a dupe for MAC Lightscapade highlighter.

Next up is the Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush. These liquid blushers are simply fantastic and this colour is beautiful on pale-skinned girls like myself. I put this on at 7am before college and checked in the mirror almost 10 hours later and my cheeks were still kissed with the gorgeous pale pink stain. The swatch above shows the colour as it comes out of the tube, the intensity after it has been slightly blended, and finally the fully blended colour and the stain it leaves on the skin. This is my new favourite blusher and will definitely be a staple in my makeup bag for weeks to come. Especially with that AMAZING staying power! This specific colour is also reportedly a dupe for Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Flush.

And finally a single eyeshadow I picked up on a whim before I left Superdrug. Makeup Revolution have a gorgeous range of eyeshadows in both mattes and shimmers but what I really wanted was the perfect dark brown crease colour that was compact and easy to carry around with me. Mocha Love is a dark, warm matte brown that looks gorgeous in the crease and is easily blendable. You get a very generous amount for the £1 price and it's so light and compact that I simply can't fault it.

If you needed any more reason to purchase some Makeup Revolution goodies, you'll be pleased to know the brand is stocked at Superdrug and they're always releasing new top-of-the-range products like there's no tomorrow. The eyeshadow palettes are particularly incredible, especially the pale colours which have amazing pigmentation. Makeup Revolution has knocked both Sleek and MUA off the top of my budget beauty brand list and at the moment there's no chance of them moving!

What's your favourite budget beauty brand at the moment?

'Fullips' Lip Plumpers Review

When I first spotted Fullips on Instagram I purchased it as quickly as I possibly could. You hear about so-called 'plumping' products all the time, most come in the form of lipglosses that promise 'XXL' and 'Super XXL' lips, but getting there by way of a nasty stinging sensation just isn't pleasant. When I discovered Fullips on Instagram I made my way over to YouTube to watch the device in action, and the results were just as astounding. Many ladies had posted videos of themselves using the product and you can watch their lips plump before your very eyes!

When I recieved my package I had a lovely handwritten note from Linda, the creator of the product, which was really lovely and made me feel valued as a customer. I actually only purchased the Large Round product but she gave me all three sizes as well which was just incredibly generous.

Fullips product three different sized devices to cover all mouth and lip shapes. From L - R in the photo above you have the "Medium Oval - For smaller, overall mouth size, single or both lips.", then next is the "Small Oval - For thin lips and targeting.", and finally the "Large Round - For fuller mouths and overall mouth fullness, both lips." The idea is to dab your lips in water or moisturiser first, place the device to your mouth and suck in small puffs of air which then draws blood to your lips and creates the fullness. I should mention that you shouldn't suck in so much that your mouth hurts, the procedure should be painless.

There are two different methods of using Fullips, and it's completely up to you which one you choose. You can put the device to your lips and suck in small, short bursts, then removing the device and repeating a few times. You can also keep the device on your lips for about 30 seconds and suck in continuously but with less pressure.

My preferred method is the first, which is exactly what I did in the following comparison pictures using the Small Oval.

The difference is pretty amazing, and I could have plumped even more if I wanted to! If it's your first time using Fullips it can take some time to get used to the three sized and decide which is best for your mouth shape. I tried all three numerous times and decided that the Small Oval was perfect for me. The results can last anywhere between 1 and 3 hours and the device can easily be stored in a handbag or purse and used anywhere you want to! Of course when you're done plumping you can add some lipliner, lipstick and gloss to emphasize the fullness even more!

Overall, Fullips is a unique and fantastic product that could prevent many people from turning to surgery or injections when they want to plump up their lips. It's pain-free, needle-free and absolutely natural. You can buy the product on Amazon, Ebay, or through their website here.

Todays look: Sao Conrado

 

FACE:

Revolution Makeup The One concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 'Light' and 'Cool Medium'

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 'Transparent' 

CHEEKS:

Benefit Dandelion blusher

Illamasqua 'Hollow' pigment

EYES:

Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Medium Brown'

Sleek 'Rio Rio' eyeshadow palette

Revolution Makeup 'Iconic 3' palette

No7 pen eyeliner

Maybelline Scandaleyes mascara

Soap and Glory brown eyeliner pencil

About Me

I thought I'd get this show on the roll with an 'About Me' tag that I've seen many bloggers post before. It's quite lengthy but I think it's important to properly introduce myself before I start becoming a regular blogger :) Hope you enjoy!

1. Do you have a middle name? Nope, not many people in my family do.

2. What was your favourite subject in school? Art and English were my favourite subjects and, not surprisingly, the subjects I got my highest grades in!

3. What’s your favourite drink? I'll have to be a boring sod and say water. It really just is the best liquid you can consume! Sprite would be a close second though ;)

4. Favourite song at the moment? There isn't really an ultimate favourite right now, though 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen is just brilliant, I love my alternative music.

5. What would you name your children? I couldn't possibly say yet but I've named many fictional Sim babies 'Cassie' before. I find it cute and bewitching, just like the character from Skins.

6. Do you participate in any sports? I resented sports as a kid and I pretty much ALWAYS got picked last. I couldn't handle the pressure of team work. Now that I think about it though, I would be interested in taking up a sport in adulthood such as swimming. It's about the only sport I don't suck at :)

 7. Favourite Book? There was a period of time when I was mad about existential written plays and philosophical fiction. I think I liked to pretend I understood more than I truly did though. I still absolutely love Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett. It's so utterly absurd but incredibly clever and honest about the world.


 8. Favourite Colour? Blue is always the colour that makes me the happiest. :)


9. Favourite Animal? I think monkeys are really cool as they remind me so much of humans. I love rodents too but I'm a little biased as I have two degus myself :)

10. Favourite perfume? I love pretty much anything Anna Sui produces. She has a knack for fresh, fruity, light scents that are just so pleasing to me. Secret Wish was go-to perfume for quite a while.


11. Favourite holiday? Florida last summer. I've been to America twice before but it's much different when you're an adult and you have your previous assumptions and views on a specific culture. I found it so interesting just being there. I hate most rides in theme parks though!

12. Have you graduated High School? Only what feels like a lifetime ago!

13. Have you been out of the Country? I've been to America, Thailand, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, Australia and hopefully many more in my lifetime.

14. Do you speak any other Languages? Nope. I'm a little bit ignorant in the way that I have no interest in learning another language. I guess it's just not something that interests me.

15. Do you have any siblings? I have two half-sisters

16. What’s your favourite store? Superdrug. I think many people overlook just how many amazing pieces of makeup you can buy in there.

17. Favourite Restaurant? I never really had one before but I recently visited Frankie and Bennys for the second time and holy crap... Italian food was my favourite anyway but this place is a whole new level of amazing.

18. Did you like school? The short answer is no. I was a very confused, anxious and timid child. And, kids being kids, many loved to exploit those characteristics.

19. Favourite YouTubers? I think Sharon Farrell  is just an amazing makeup artist. I have to hand it to Pixiwoo as well though for ultimately igniting my passion for makeup and beauty. Other honourable mentions go to Maya Mia, Linda Hallberg, Nikkie Tutorials and Karima McKimmie to name just a few!

20. Favourite Movie? Not a big movie person, but I love a good psychological horror/thriller. 1408 just blew my mind.

21. Favourite Tv show? Just mindless comedy usually.

22. Pc or Mac? PC for playing any sort of games, and a Mac for anything creative.

23. What phone do you have? A Blackberry Curve. It's simple and functional, and that's all I need in a phone. :)

24. How tall are you? 5 foot 6.

13 Personal Questions:
1. What do you order at Starbucks? I rarely ever go to Starbucks as I hate coffee, so it would usually be a hot chocolate for me (with tons of marshmallows)

2. One thing in your closet you cannot live without? An oversized fluffy jumper. They are just the epitome of comfort.

3. What’s one thing most people probably don’t know about you? I have many secrets... Doesn't mean I'm gonna tell you them just because a survey told me to ;)

4. Name one thing you want to do before you die… It was on my bucket list to see my favourite band live (Manic Street Preachers) but as I accomplished this in December I'll need to think of something else!

5. What’s one food you cannot live without? Crisps. I am just crisp mad.

6. What quote/phrase do you live by? "Everything you want is on the other side of fear"

7. What’s your most listened to song on itunes? Stay Beautiful by Manic Street Preachers

8. What kind of style would you define yourself as having? Eclectic. Some days I wake up and I want to look as though I slept in my clothes and makeup. Other days I want to look prim and proper without a single hair out of place.

9. Favourite number? I really don't go as far as picking favourite numbers!

10. Two Hobbies? Doing my makeup and discovering music that is new to me.

11. Two Pet Peeves? People that eat loudly and really loud, obnoxious people. So basically people.

12. Guilty Pleasures? Lots of (sometimes terrible) 80s pop music.