WHAT'S ON MY BEAUTY CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

Hello everyone! With Christmas Day only being one week away, i thought it was about time that i shared what has been written on my beauty Christmas wishlist to Santa this year. Obviously now that i am older i don't post a letter off to the North Pole, instead i tend to drop "subtle" hints on what i would like instead.

1. | jouer cosmetics powder highlight trio gift set | £35 |

If you have read quite a few of my posts then first of all you will know how obsessed with highlighters i am, second of all you will know the shade Topaz from Jouer is one of my favourites. That being said mine is actually broken so it now proves difficult to use it, so i would love to get my hands on this trio of the highlighters this Christmas as i would not only have a new Topaz but also the other two shades from the range.

2. | bobbi brown luxe lip colour lipstick | £27 |

If anyone is stuck on what to get me for Christmas, the safe option is a lipstick and more specifically a nude lipstick and i am obsessed with how beautiful and perfect this new Bobbi Brown luxe lip colour lipstick is, from being the perfect nude/pink shade to its equally beautiful packaging.

3. | zoeva matte eyeshadow palette | £18 |

When it comes to eyeshadows i am all about the warm tones and the warm neutrals to be more specific. so when i spotted this new eyeshadow palette from Zoeva i instantly fell in love and it is perfect as recently i am obsessed with a warm matte eye look.

4. | zoeva aristo blush palette | £13 |

I have mentioned several of these little trio "blush" palettes from Zoeva, as they are some of my favourite things out of my whole collection. The quality/formula of the powders are simply beautiful and not to mention super easy to travel with, as they are so compact. The thing that attracts me to this new one the most, is the highlight shade as it looks stunning!

5. | bareMinerals gold obsession chandelight glow illuminator | £32 |

Talking of highlighters and yet another one that i am lusting over, is one from bareMinerals which is a brand i have become obsessed with this year and i use their bronzer every single day. This is such an amazing gift to give/receive as it is not only boxed beautifully but it is also limited edition for Christmas time only.

6. | gucci bloom eau de parfum | £52-£99 |

Who doesn't love to receive perfume for Christmas/Birthday's? because i know i do, as perfume can be expensive and who wants to spend that themselves right? I actually have my eye on a couple of perfumes that i love the scent of, this new one by Gucci is one of them (i love the fresh scent and packaging) and i also love the lancome la vie est belle too.

7. | ghd white platinum styler | £165 |

Finally we have something on my wishlist that should probably be at the top, as it is the thing i am most desperate for and that is a new pair of straighteners. I have honestly had mine for so long now and i can tell they are on their way out now, so that makes me desperate as i can't live without one. I have always used GHD ones, as they just work the best with my hair. Even though it is the most expensive gift on the wishlist, it is the thing that would get the most use.

Catch up on last week's blog post instalments...

| current non-beauty favourites | christmas pinterest diy inspiration | my favourites picks from my beautybay (30% off black friday) order |

xo.

THE MULTI-PURPOSE OIL I CAN'T PUT DOWN

Hello everyone! A while back i shared with you a current beauty wishlist: skincare edition post and in that post, i mentioned how i wanted to try out a specific dry oil. The oil i am of course talking about is the ever so famous Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Use Dry Oil by NUXE, which comes in two different formulations the original and a golden shimmer version but the formula i decided to go with is the original.

As i mentioned above this is a multi-usage dry formulated oil, that can be used for the face, body and hair. I have mentioned on many occasions now how much i have really become obsessed with using facial oils (this year mainly), as i just find it is the best product to really hydrate/keep my skin hydrated. That being said so far i have tried so many different oils, some good, some bad but this oil is a game changer for me. Huile Prodigieuse is a dry oil with a unique combination of six different plant oils, including borage, st johnswort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut and macadamia to help nourish, repair and soften skin in one use. This product is available in two different sizes in both formula's, 50ML (£17) and 100ML (£29).

I honestly do not have a bad thing to say about this oil, except for maybe the fact it isn't the most travel friendly bottle but i can live with that. I love how much of a luxurious feel this product has, from it's perfume-like packaging, how amazing of a scent it has and not to mention how beautifully makeup sits and leaves your skin feeling once applied. As this product is a dry formulated oil, it sinks into the skin quickly/effortlessly and doesn't leave your face with that "grease" like feeling. Another amazing thing about this product is how you can justify spending a little bit more on it, as a little bit goes a long way and even more if you only use it for one particular thing (like i only use it on my face). This is the only product i have tried from NUXE but i definitely want to try out more from the brand, if you didn't know NUXE is a french natural cosmetics company popular in pharmacy's across the county and has won many award for the first multi-purpose oil titled "prodigieuse".

BACK TO SCHOOL/UNI BEAUTY EMERGENCY KIT ESSENTIALS

Hello everyone! In a week or so the majority will be heading back to school, uni or work in the UK from summer (if you haven't started back already). Last year i shared with you all a super quick and easy back to school drugstore makeup look, so this year i wanted to switch things up and do something a little different. Being female can be a struggle at times, as we tend to need a few beauty products in an emergency situation. The best way to be prepared for any situation is to carry around a small "bag of tricks" filled with the emergency essentials that you might need during the school/uni/work day, so i thought why not share with you/those who might be wondering how to put a "bag of tricks" together and what to products to include.

skinnydip coco makeup bag
I have mentioned these particular makeup bags from Skinnydip so many times and they are the ones i always opt for, whether that be for travel makeup or a beauty essentials kit as you can fit so many things into that one place and it is a super compact bag. Also i love how these bags are a mixture of cool prints but also slightly transparent, so you can still see what is where in the bag.

mini/travel sized deodorant
Carrying mini sized deodorants/sprays can come in handy for those moments when you need them, whether that be to refresh after sports/gym etc or even some hairspray/dry-shampoo to refresh your hair. You can pick mini/travel sized items up for very little money and more often than not, you can get them either 3 for 2 or 3 for £3 at most drugstores/supermarkets.

pocketbac/anti-bacterial hand gel
If you are anything like me and a complete germaphobe, then this item will be on you at all times as you never know when you might need some. If you hate the boring clinical smelling ones, you can pick up so many different scented ones from bath & body works, merci handy and also the body shop for very little money and they will last you quite a while as you only need a tiny amount.

tampons/slim panty-liners
Quite a straight forward no-brainer thing to have in an emergency and something i always carry around with me in my bag, as you just never know when that situation could occur for either yourself or a friend and just throwing a couple of spares inside an emergency kit could make all the difference.

multi-pack hair ties/hair grips
Carrying around hair ties and hair grips always comes in handy because you just never know, you could get caught in the rain/wind or be having a bad hair day and that can be fixed by tying it up or pinning it into place.

compact mirror/retractable makeup brush/compact tangle teezer
Of course if you are going to want to fix your hair, you will probably need a hair brush and these compact tangle teezers are super handy as they are not only small but also have a lid to protect the bristles from becoming damaged or getting hair etc on anything else in your bag. Also i find carrying a pocket mirror and a travel friendly makeup brush come in handy for those touch-up moments, unless you prefer to stick to the trusty front camera on your phone (we all do it right?)

concealer/pressed powder/lip balm
Sticking with the makeup touch up theme and another set of products that come in handy through-out the day, whether you sweat your makeup off, have to control shine or simply need a refresh these three items are a must. If you are at school you might not be allowed to wear makeup or not a lot, but keeping it a minimum with concealer, powder and lip balm might be for you.

pain relief tablets/anti-blister stick/mints
These three items are also those "you never know when you might be in need of" things, whether you or a friend gets a headache or a rubbing shoe issue or you both decided to opt for a garlic-y option for lunch ha ha! Also these anti-blister sticks are so handy as you simply rub it on the area before putting your shoes on, or when you feel like it is going to rub and you are set, no ugly looking plasters or blister bandages.

mini makeup removing wipes/pocket tissues
Carrying makeup wipes come in handy for if you are needing to do makeup touch ups, have something sticky on your hands etc and picking these mini packs of wipes up are so handy, rather than lugging around your typical 25 pack of wipes and the same with the tissues these pocket sized come in handy. Very often they come in multi packs so you can just pop one back in its place inside your emergency kit when you have ran out.

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BROW PRODUCTS TRIED AND TESTED

Hello everyone! Earlier this year i shared with you all my current brow routine, which you can catch here if you haven't already and i mentioned how i barely switch up the products up that i use on my brows. Saying that over the years i have tried out my fair share of eyebrow products, before landing on a cult favourites and just recently i have been trying to switch things up from time to time. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you some tried and tested eyebrow products, that i love and would recommend giving a go.

anastasia beverly hills dipbrow pomade in the shade dark brown 

So i thought i would kick things off with the "cult favourite" brow product that i mentioned and is something i used every single day for well over a year, because i was that obsessed with it and i still have so much love for this product. Using a pomade is super easy to control what you are doing with the product, as you are using a brush to create the shape/hair-like strokes. This product will keep your brows on through anything, sun, sweating, rain, hail, snow as it is completely budge proof and waterproof. This pomade retails for £15 but is well worth the money in my eyes, this tiny pot will last you such a long time and a little goes a long way.

freedom pro brow pomade in the shade dark brown

If you are still not convinced about the ABH dipbrow pomade or you have never tried a brow pomade out before and you don't want to spend a ton of money, on something you might not like then this product is for you. Just like the ABH one this is also is also long wearing, budge proof and has a similar if not identical formula. The only difference between the two products is this one is probably a touch cooler in tone and this one only retails for £5 on tam beauty or superdrug in-store and online.

freedom duo eyebrow powder in the shade dark brown

If brow powder is your thing then you definitely need this one in your life, which also happens to be from freedom makeup london and another dupe for an ABH product. This brow powder is pigmented, yet easy to work with and also long wearing. As this is a brow powder duo is comes with two different shades one cool toned and one a little darker (which is the one i always use) but you could use a mixture of the two all depending on your personal preference. The most baffling/amazing thing about this product is the fact it only retails for £2 for such an amazing product, that i have been reaching for on a regular basis recently.

benefit browvo! conditioning primer

This product has been a real brow saviour and is something i have used every single day on my brows for around a year now, i simply brush some on my brows before i start my makeup. This products acts almost like a primer for your brows, allowing product to sit/last longer and better, as well as encouraging your brow hairs to grow fuller and thicker. It isn't the cheapest of product retailing for £23.50 but just like a lot of brow products, a little goes a long way and lasts you for quite a while.

l'oréal brow artist plumper in the shade medium/dark

This particular product from L'Oréal is another cult favourite of mine and one that i go back to over and over again, as nothing ever seems to quite compare to this brow gel for me. I like to brush/set my brows in place by combing through them with this upwards, doing this gives you the appearance of fuller and fluffier brows that will stay put all day long. A great thing about this product is as it is tinted, you could simply apply a small amount to your brows if you are in a hurry and you would be good to go. Another great product from the L'Oréal brow artist range is the brow artist shaper in the shade dark brunette and probably my favourite drugstore brow pencil, as i really struggle with the shades of pencils being too warm toned and making my brows appear reddish, yet this one doesn't do that at all and it is also super easy to work with.

estée lauder double wear brow lift duo in the shade black

So i picked this up in the sale on feel unique recently, as i really wanted to experiment more with brow pencils and i thought why not give this one a go, as i always love anything i have tried from Estée Lauder and this product was no different. Even though this is in the shade black, you wouldn't think so as it isn't too dark and it matches the tone of my brows perfectly. The tip of this pencil is super thin and is perfect for creating hair like stokes, for a full yet natural everyday brow. This is also a duo product so one end is the brow product and the other end is a beautiful brow bone highlight shade, that allows you to clean/neaten up the brows easily.

eylure pro-brow dybrow in the shade dark brown

Finally we have a product that will make all the difference when it comes to filling in your brows and also their over-all appearance when you aren't wearing makeup. I have tried a couple of different brands of eyebrow dyes, yet nothing compares to this one from Eylure. A lot of the time we are quick to spend unnecessary money on getting our eyebrows tinted at a salon, when you can get the exact same result easily from the comfort of your own home. One of these dybrow kits lasts for 12 or more uses for around the £7 mark and some salons charge more than that for one treatment. 

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TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO GET BEAUTY SAMPLES

Hello everyone! I am all for spending money on trying new products, but keeping that in mind there are so many different ways to get your hands on samples either for free or for a little amount of money and over the years i have learnt a trick or two. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you some of my personal favourite tips and tricks to get beauty samples, whether that is just for trying a new perfume, shampoo or to take away on a trip rather than lugging around a huge bottle of product.

1. feel unique pick 'n' mix sample service

First up is probably my favourite of them all because you can pick and choose the samples that you go for, from a selection of over 300 products and these products range from makeup, to skincare, hair and of course perfumes. I have actually previous blogged about this particular sample service a couple of times this year, so you can catch them here and here where i explain the details of the whole service in full. This will only cost you £3.95 p&p for 5 samples per month, but you will get that money back in a voucher for the following month.

2. buying magazines

Another way to pick up samples for a little amount is by buying magazines, which will probably only set you back around £1-£2 and you get some great reading material/inspiration at the same time. Some magazines will also include free gifts, which can range from deluxe sample size products or even a full sized product as well as the samples included on the advertisement pages. My personal favourite magazines for great samples are cosmopolitan (which i have bought every single month for years) and also glamour magazine.

3. free samples/gift with purchase with online orders
There are so many different brand sites that will give you a selection of free samples with purchases, whether that be if you have spent over a certain amount (which you can usually choose what sample/s you want to try) and sometimes they will simply just add samples into your order bag or box. Certain sites such as feel unique and debenhams do a free gift with purchase or if you spend over a certain amount, which will usually be a deluxe sample or full size of a certain product from the same brand. Sites that i have received the most samples from are feel unique, superdrug, asos and mac cosmetics.

4. asking in-store for samples
It can be really scary sometimes even thinking about approaching a makeup/beauty counter (especially in a department store) and you might think you will feel embarrassed asking someone if they have any free samples, but do NOT feel embarrassed as so many brands are more than happy to give you free samples. Whether you are buying something or if you are just curious about a product, a lot of sales assistants will give you the advise along side the correct sample. One time i was paying for something and the sales assistant gave me a huge bag of samples, along side a clarins beach bag (which came in super handy).

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WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL MAKEUP BAG

Hello everyone! In a recent post all about the tropical trend for summer, i mentioned not only how much i love love love skinnydip makeup/wash bags but also if you wanted to see an updated "what's in my travel makeup bag" post. So seeing as recently i was packing up my makeup for travel, i thought why not share with you what is in my makeup bag this time around. If you didn't catch my previous one, then you can catch up on that here.

So this is the makeup bag i am currently using and it is the peachy washbag by skinnydip, i have mentioned so many times before how much i love these bags simply because of their cool prints and most importantly because of how much you can fit into them. As you can see i have managed to fit a ton of stuff into it, including the two new palettes by zoeva. When it comes down to packing a travel makeup bag, i like to pack what i know works for me, as well as what i can do multiple looks with and also a couple of different lip options. All links for the products inside of my makeup bag will be linked below, if you want to know where i got them from.

CLICK TO SHOP THE MAKEUP BAG:

mac cosmetics studio moisture cream

maybelline fit me matte and poreless foundation in the shade 220

l'oréal paris true match liquid highlight in the shade golden glow

collection lasting perfection correction concealer in the shade lemon

maybelline fit me concealer in the shade 10 light

barryM mist and fix dewy makeup setting spray

nyx sculpt and highlight face duo in the shade almond/light

nyx hd finishing powder in the shade translucent

zoeva cosmetics the basic moment eyeshadow palette

zoeva cosmetics the basic moment blush palette

bareMinerals invisible bronze bronzing powder in the shade medium

mac cosmetics extra dimension skinfinish in the shade oh darling!

anastasia beverly hills dipbrow pomade in the shade dark brown

milani brow shaping gel in the shade clear

mac cosmetics pro longwear lip pencil in the shade nothing sexier

mac cosmetics pro longwear lip pencil in the shade oh honey!

nip+fab matte liquid lipstick in the shade tart

mac cosmetics matte lipstick in the shade honey love

nyx soft matte lip cream in the shade manila

bareMinerals gen nude buttercream lip gloss in the shade far out

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CONQUERING CREAM CONTOURING

Hello everyone! So when it comes down to makeup application at some point we have all had some form of fear when it comes to applying a certain type of product, whether that is doing a wing liner or applying false lashes. In my case that fear was always cream contouring, as i always had these visions that my face would be left looking like a muddy/patchy mess but how i was wrong and now i have conquered that fear and cream contouring has now become a part of my everyday makeup routine.

nyx sculpt & highlight face duo in the shade almond/light

If you are looking for a super hydrating formula product to cream contour with, if you are like me and have a dry/normal skin-type then this product is going to work for you, over something thick and creamy in pan form. The great thing about this product is that it is a multi-purpose product with it being double-ended, one side a contour shade and the other a highlight shade. This particular shade almond is perfect for me as it isn't too warm or too cool toned, it is that perfect in-between and the highlight shade is a beautiful slightly yellow/brightening shade. My favourite way to apply this product is simply straight from the applicator, blending the contour shade with the real techniques bold metals 301 flat contour brush and to blend the highlight shade i always go in with a damp beautyblender. (RRP £9.50)

l.a girl pro conceal hd concealer in the shade toast
So this is the specific cream contour product, well concealer that i mentioned in my most recent everyday base makeup favourites post and one i have been using quite frequently just lately. I had mentioned how i had seen quite a few people use a darker shade in this concealer to contour with, so i just had to give it a try for myself because i knew i love the concealer in my usual shade for my under-eyes. As it suggests this product is a super "hd" full coverage concealer, so for contouring i have learnt a little goes a long way. Just like the nyx sculpt and highlight product, i like to go straight in with the applicator on my face but i like to use a beauty blender to blend this one out over a brush. (RRP £5)

clinique chubby stick sculpting contour in the shade curvy contour
Finally we have the product that finally sold me on cream contouring and one that is great for those who are scared of the process just like me, because it is literally foolproof. The product comes in stick form that can be twisted up, either allowing you to apply straight to the face or how i like to do and apply some product to the brush, blending as you apply and to do that i always opt for the freedom pro strobe brush that came with a palette but i ended up loving the brush more than the palette. The actual formula of the contour stick is super creamy yet easy to work with, allowing you to blend the product out effortlessly. (RRP £19.50)

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