Hi all! I’m back after a long week of A-Level mock exams and I’m throwing all my energy into this post now that I’m up to date with my school work. I was going to do a what I got for Christmas/18th birthday post however seen as Christmas was over a month ago and my birthday was three weeks ago, it feels a bit late for that! Instead, I’ve compiled all the lovely beauty related gifts I received as well as those I bought myself between Boxing Day and now, which is a lot more than I initially thought. Anyways, I’m super grateful for all the lovely gifts that my amazing family and friends have bought me and just as a quick disclaimer as I’m not writing this post to brag, I’m writing to give my honest opinions on these products.
MAC Lipsticks in Twig and Diva – £15.50
Although I’ve rarely expressed my love of MAC lipsticks on my blog (I have no clue why!), they’ve always been a staple in my makeup bag and a product I can always trust, so I was delighted when I received Twig for Christmas and Diva for my birthday! I’ve seen so many bloggers rave about the ‘Twig’ shade, but it was Jasmine Talks Beauty’s reviews that made me want to try it out the most. I was a little concerned that this lipstick would be too dark for me but I actually love it, it’s a dark dusky rose/pinky brown shade that looks lovely with the MAC Spice or Boldly Bare lip liners and lasts a pretty long time too and fades evenly. Diva is a shade I was desperate to try due to it having a dark, vampy red vibe and I was lacking a high end formula of this colour. I love the matte formula of MAC lipsticks, its creamy yet completely matte on the lips and lasts a really long time too, everything that you would hope for from a MAC Lipstick.
Morphe Brushes 12 Colour Magnetic Palette (£6.95) with Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans in Shimma Shimma, Goddess, Homecoming, Roulette, Pocket Change and Bitten (L-R) (£6 each)
Since I tried my first MUG shadow in December, as I mentioned in my January Wishlist, I’ve been obsessed and it led me to order 5 more as well as a handy Morphe magnetic palette to house them in. The quality of these shadows is amazing; they are so pigmented and blend so easily and the quality is consistent throughout the different variations of shades too. My favourites are Shimma Shimma which is a light champagne colour, perfect for an everyday subtle makeup look or as an inner corner highlight with a smoky eye, and ‘Bitten’ which is a deep burgundy colour that looks amazing in the crease.
eBay Eyeshadow Brushes – £1.85
These brushes are an amazing Zoeva dupe and it was Makeup Savvy’s eBay roundups that led me to buy them. At only £1.85, these brushes are absolutely stunning and amazing quality for the price too, and definitely comparable to that of my Zoeva ones. Although they’re not quite as soft as Zoeva brushes, and they may not last as long, so far they have washed well and they enable me to do a smoky eye with ease.
Chloé Love Story Eau de Parfum – £47
Although I’m still in love with my Si by Armani and Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream fragrances, I wanted to find a more wearable everyday fragrance that was still floral but more subtle. I do like this scent, it’s floral yet sweet and it is nice for day to day wear because it’s pretty long lasting. It’s not comparable to either of my other fragrances in terms of being my favourite, but it’s nice and worth it’s expensive price tag.
Urban Decay Ultimate Mattes Eyeshadow – £38.50
I’ve had my eye on this beautiful palette for so long as I lack matte eyeshadows in my collection, so I was delighted when my wonderful friends got it me for my birthday. Extra Bitter which is a deep rust shade is my favourite to blend into the crease but I get use out of the all of them, particularly Commando, Instinct and Faith all over the lid as a subtle day time look.
NYX Lip Lingerie in ‘Exotic’ and ‘Beauty Mark’ – £6.50
I received both of these as gifts over the festive season and although the dusky rose Exotic shade is definitely my favourite, I’m going to give ‘Beauty Mark’ a chance and report back as it’s a tad bit outside my comfort zone with its deep brown shade.
Laura Mercier Flawless Contour Palette – £35
I had never tried cream contour products before receiving this palette for Christmas, only my NARS Contour Kit which is powder. I love how creamy and blendable this is although I’m not sure that the lighter and medium shades are dark enough once blended to create a sharp illusion of cheekbones. I’m going to need to try mixing the medium and deep shades to assess whether I think this contour kit really performs as it should. However I’m impressed by the highlight shades as they too have a creamy formula and although only the lightest shade suits my skin at the moment, I think the darker bronze highlight shade will suit me when I have a tan in the summer.
TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer – £20
I am so grateful to my sister for getting me this beauty. I’ve only really tried pink, icy toned highlighters before due to my pale complexion however this light golden shade is an absolute dream and I can imagine that this highlight works for a range of skin tones and it has a beautiful, finely milled blendable formula.
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in ‘Golden Light’ – £28.50
A good bronzer has been missing from my makeup collection for so long now since I became bored of my Soap and Glory solar powder. I’m so glad I opted for this Bobbi Brown pick, it’s a warm matte medium brown shade that adds depth and colour to my complexion to make me look like I’ve spent a week in the sun, when in reality I’m actually as pale as a ghost.
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in ‘Cannes’ – £5.50
This is now my fourth NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and I think this shade is actually my favourite. It’s a dusky rose shade and it pairs perfectly with so many of my lip liners and has the same lovely moussey formula as always.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Mini Lipstick Charms – £29
I’ve wanted to try out a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick for some time now but at £23 a pop, I couldn’t choose which was my favourite shade and I couldn’t justify purchasing multiple shades. So when I saw this mini set as part of their Christmas gift range, I knew it had to be on my list! The set includes Amazing Grace, Very Victoria and Red Carpet Red, which are all really wearable shades for me and although I’ve had the most use out of Red Carpet Red for all my recent nights out, I know I’ll get use out of the other two shades as everyday shades too.
Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede Cologne – £43
I’ve wanted a Jo Malone cologne for so long as I have the Pomegranate Noir Candle and I love it so much. I opted for this floral scent as my favourite perfumes are always floral scents like Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream. This is definitely the most natural floral scent I own as it isn’t as sweet as my others, but I love it and I think it is going to be the best scent ever for Spring.
Makeup Revolution Contouring Precision Oval Makeup Brush Set – £19.99
I’ve wanted to try these for ages ever since I noticed the Mac ones on instagram as I mentioned in my Drugstore Beauty Wishlist post and I am so glad I put these on my Christmas list as they are copper and they coordinate perfectly with my Copper Zoeva brushes. The quality of them is amazing too, they blend seamlessly leaving no streaks as some brushes often do, and they wash well too without any fallout. For less than £7 a brush, these oval brush dupes are great quality and a good option if you want to try the trend but you’re on a budget.
The Style Compulsion 