Make-Up Haul - MaxFactor, Soap & Glory & KIKO!

A shopping trip to Westfield's without browsing at the make-up aisles of Boots and KIKO? No, it doesn't make sense to me either which is why I obviously partook in such an activity. My list of products to try had been growing alarmingly over the last month or so; thanks to the beaut ViviannaDoesMakeup in particular.

MaxFactor Face Finity All Day Primer. I have been neglecting the primer department of my make-up routine for quite a while now. I really didn't get on with the Maybelline Baby Skin primer, the texture above all just made me squirm a little bit when I applied it. However, I have heard some good things about the fairly new-ish primer from MaxFactor and the assistant there told me it was oil free which is a great feature for me. I'm excited to try this out and really see if it keeps my make-up from slipping away; the bane of my make-up routine.

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Instant Retouch Pressed Powder. I love the powder that is in the Kick Ass Concealer and have been on the look out for a good translucent powder so didn't think twice when picking up the similarly named pressed powder compact. What I am thinking twice about it picking it up from the Boots in Westfields Shepherds Bush. The Soap & Glory stand was a mess to say the least and even though I reached to the back to get my powder, it was still partially smashed *angry face*. Let's hope it redeems itself...

L'Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation in 120 Vanilla. Another VDM recommendation! I love trying out different foundations. It's the one part of my routine that I really rely on as I have a whole lot of redness, uneven skin tone and hyper pigmentation going on. Reportedly lasts for 24 hours but honestly, who wears their foundation for an entire day?! Not me but I like the potential. 

Soap & Glory Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen. My beloved L'Oreal Super Liner ran dry and I had heard a lot about this little number. I'm really hoping this is super black and doesn't drag on the eye which is a pet peeve I have with eyeliner pens.

Soap & Glory Archery Brown Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil. Now one thing I have been focussing on is my brows. I recently had them waxed (thank god!) and whilst I love them, they are a tad thin for me. However, this is nothing a little filling in cannot remedy. This is a product I have heard a lot about and thought it was time overdue to give it a whirl.

KIKO Color-Up Long Lasting Eyeshadow. Please note: I know I spell it 'colour' but it says 'color' on the packaging, to avoid any confusion. Back to the product. My oh my are these long lasting! Just upon swatching and a train journey home, these definitely need a little more elbow grease to take off. I picked '10', '20' '24'; a taupe, light brown and a purple. These were also in the sale at £3 a piece so I just had to pick up several shades! Very impressed so far and will definitely be creating looks with them soon!

L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in 'Julianne's Nude'. The main reason why I bought this is because Julianne Moore is a pale skinned redhead like me and logic said 'if it's her perfect nude, then surely it'll be mine too, right?' I popped it on whilst I was shopping as my lips were a little dry and I must say, I really do like it. I can definitely see this being my go-to everyday lipstick. 

Whilst my make-up collection is looking rather replenished, my bank account is feeling rather less so... 

The Golden Globe 2015 Red Carpet Round-Up

Last Sunday night, I perched myself on my sofa rather comfortably ready to watch all the celebrities step onto the Golden Globes red carpet in their Jimmy Choo's and equally beautiful gowns, prepare to swoon.

With a rather large penchant for high fashion (my kind of art if you ask me), I love seeing how celebrities can take their chosen designers creations that are already breathtaking in themselves and bring them to life. The Golden Globes are also in the midst of Californian winter and its always interesting to see what colours are showcased as well as the typical darker colours. Canary yellow and red were popular choices this year to name a few and here are five of my favourite looks.

Who? Rosamund Pike

Wearing? Vera Wang

Thoughts? Kudos to this lady for wearing a dress this revealing a mere 5 weeks after giving birth. Seriously. If I had a hat to take off, I would! Albeit a very brave choice, I don't think it was the right choice for her. I'm not keen on how the top fits. I do wonder if it would look better if the straps were slightly more halter neck style. Nevertheless, her hair and make up was beautiful, I'm just not keen on the dress choice.

Who? Allison Williams 

Wearing? Custom-made Armani Privé

Thoughts? Everything about this dress I love. The colour, the frills, the fit. The fact that is was custom made for her is enough to make me go 'oooh how glamourous'. Allison looks very old Hollywood and I'm all about this look. It really is timeless.

Who? Lupita Nyong'o

Wearing? Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

Thoughts? Lupita was a knock-out in 2014. Since the film 12 Year's A Slave hit theatres and she stepped on many a red carpet, she quickly became one hell of a fashionista. Her arrival to the Golden Globes in 2015 was no different. She looks incredibly beautiful in this dress; the colour suits her so well, its young but still chic. Definitely one of my favourite looks of the entire evening.

Who? Kate Hudson

Wearing? Versace

Thoughts? *Jaw drops* Dang girl, Kate Hudson is white hot in this dress (pun always intended). The diamanté embellishment along the ribcage and plunging neckline are one hell of a risk but she definitely pulls it off. Her body looks fantastic; such an excellent choice!

Who? Jessica Chastain

Wearing? Atelier Versace

Thoughts? Hands down, my absolute favourite look from the night. I'm recently a Jessica Chastain convert, and it may be due to the fact that she's a redhead like me. I find myself turning to her for make-up and fashion inspiration quite a lot nowadays. At the Golden Globes, she oozed sex appeal and I've got to be honest, when I first saw her in this dress I did think "Damn, she is looking... perky". I also really like the colour of this dress. On TV it could be mistaken for black but when she walked, the true colour really showed and it complements her skin tone and hair colour so well. 

Did you watch the Golden Globes? Who was your favourite look from the evening?

Thank you for reading! 

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Ciaté Bargains

Hello again and Happy New Year!

I love TK Maxx for a good bargain and this shopping trip was no different. I'm a self-confessed nail varnish addict. I just can't get enough of trying different brands, colours and textures. 

I absolutely fell in love with these colours as surprisingly, I don't own anything like them. The shades I got were 'Gold Digga'; a hybrid of bronze and 'Mines A Mocha'; a deep chocolate brown. Both shades have a fine shimmer running through them. 

I've never tried Ciaté varnishes before but have always thought they look really classy with the long black handle and cute black bow. Thanks to the January sales, I only ended up paying £5 for the two full size bottles which I was thrilled about. 

Most of the year I always opt for dark colours on my toes. Anything too light doesn't do anything for my very pale skin. Usually I wear dark plums or burgundies so a chocolate brown will be a nice change to try.

These varnishes are actually in the sale on the Ciaté website now so if you want to try these out, be quick!

I'm excited to see what these look like on my nails and also what nail art designs I can achieve.

Have you ever tried Ciaté nail varnishes? What are your favourite shades?