UK Haul

So… I didn't wait very long after landing and making my way to boots! My intention was purely to buy some eyeliner (I'd run out), and the all other purchases I can completely justify so I'm quite proud of myself - I ventured into Boots and returned without a huge dint in my bank balance!

L'Oreal Super Liner
The one thing I intended to buy. I vaguely remember purchasing this before and liking it, so after playing around with every single other pen-liner boots had to offer I decided this one looked the most promising- by far! No Doubt I'll keep you updated on my thoughts

Revlon Kahki Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Mildew smashed on my last flight (still heart broken) and I don't have any similar shades as it's not one I wear regularly. The absence of a khaki eyeshadow has most definitely been felt though and I thought I'd try out a revlon eyeshadow as I've heard good things.
(but I dropped this getting it out the bag and it now has a precarious chip…not the best start)

Bourjois Liner
I saw another eyeliner similar in the US in Sephora and I was so close to buying it. So when I saw bourjois had a similar one I had to give it a whirl.

Barry M Gelly Almond
I cannot tell you how much I have wanted to try the barry M Gelly formula but I couldn't get my hands on it until I got back to the UK. I was all set on buying Lychee until I saw it in person, and at the last minute I swapped for Almond. (excuse the messy application I was so excited I just slapped it on)

I'm not 100% sold on the Gelly formula but I'll experiment more with it before I make up my mind! So glad to be back in surrounded by affordable make up - it's going to be a struggle to keep myself in check though!

Gaga Blush

So I was clearing out my blog drafts - as soon as I have an idea for a post I make a draft. And post never make it past then, I have even more that are half done, some photos taken, some writing thrown in, but it's just too 'out of date' to finish and post now

Well I was clearing it (54 drafts down to 12!) and found these photos I took in NZ. And I honestly don't know why I didn't post this as wearing Mac Gaga Lipstick as a blush really is one of my favourite ways to wear it and I love the finish it give.s

The photos aren't great, but I think they show what the lipstick really looks like on the skin so I figured I'd post them anyway!

I rarely wear it on the lips, but I do often grab it for a lovely dewy pop of pink on the cheeks. 

The rest of my make up is nice and simple. Nars Sheer Glow, a mix of lots of random golden shades (the sort of eyeshadow look I do all the time), lashings of Benefit they're real mascara and slightly filled in brows. I'm also showing off my lovely new OPI Polish - Taupe-less Beach!

Still loving this colour.. despite having several colours shamefully similar!

American Haul

I've spent the last 3 months travelling and a large chunk of that was through North America. And being a little bit of a make up addict, I obviously couldn't pass through the states without picking up a few things!

I was pretty restrained, and held myself back from going crazy but I absolutely love everything I did get

EOS Lip Balm
I feel like this is just obvious. I've wanted one for ever, so I simply had to pick one up. obviously.

Mac Nocturnelle
A little while ago Fleur sported a light purple smokey eye and since then I've been hooked on finding the perfect purple. Especially since Mac Trax smashed on my travels

Essie Watermelon
This purchase is entirely due to Laura. I'm addicted to her blog, and I've come to trust her nail polish recommendations so when I saw this beautiful shade I knew it'd be making its way into my basket.
(I actually got this in Toronto not the USA and the brush is completely different, I'm hoping it's not a new shape as I much prefer the bigger brushes)

Essie Bikini So Teeny
I saw this years ago on various blogs and I've wanted to get my hands on ever since. But I could never find it in the UK so when I saw it in NYC it was another no-brainer.

Buxom Lipgloss Sugar
This was the only purchase I wasn't set on buying before landing in the USA, but after trying it on in Sephora I was sold. Given I usually hate lip glosses this one is pretty special.

Nars Duo Eyeshadow Kalahari 
I have been eyeing this up for months but bars is ridiculously pricey in NZ so as soon as I went into Sephora in the states I knew this was coming home with me!

Worth it? Deep Comfort

I love body moisturisers, specifically body butters. I swear I hoard them like an addict. And in keeping with the whole streamlining and simplifying things I decided to start trying to use some of them up.

Clinique Body Butter is the first body moisturiser I'd say I 'splurged' on, it's no where near as expensive as some higher end brands, but compared to my bog-standard Bodyshop Body Butters it's quite a step up at around £25! So I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on whether it was worth the extra.

It's got a light fragrance and a gorgeous creamy texture. It's not as heavy so other body butters I've used, and yet it definitely takes its time to sink in. I feel like it perfectly walks the line between begin an intensely rich moisturiser without leaving an film on your skin.

I have to say there is certainly a difference, but what surprised me most was the packaging. I know packaging shouldn't really matter as it's the product that counts… but when I'm paying this much for a moisturiser I expect some nice packaging, and the tub just felt cheap.

Overall there is definitely a difference in general texture and feel of the product itself. But just not enough to justify such a price difference for me. If you're wanting to treat yourself - go for it, but there are definitely better things you can splurge on to pamper yourself!

I just couldn't do this post without throwing in my buffing brush. There are all sorts of different types but the natural ones are much better than the plastic (apparently). I've had mine years and it's still going strong so I definitely recommend investing in a good one as they are little miracle workers!

This little abrasive brush, used every morning (or just whenever you remember if you're like me) honestly makes the biggest difference. My skin truly is noticeable smoother once I use it. And If I know I'm going to be showing some skin (e.g. before holiday or once the weather gets warmer) I always ensure it's in my routine. If you don't have one of these I highly recommend you run out and get one!

This Week

I can't believe I've been back in the UK a whole week! Where has the time gone? Since I've been back there's been a few things I've been loving and I thought I'd share a handful of this weeks favourites! (reading people's weekly round ups are some of my favourite blog posts)

DeCluttering
I've decided to take the stance that if you don't use it and love it then it's clutter! This started with make up (which I wrote about here) and has steadily spilled over into nail polishes, shoes and is now infiltrating my wardrobe. And I'm loving being ruthless and donating things I simply don't need to people who do.

Practicing Hairstyles
This might be weird coming from someone with a beauty blog but I've never really bothered with my hair. I'm definitely a wash and go kinda girl but this last week I've been playing about with all sorts of different up dos and styles - and loving it!

Endless Birthdays!
My Birthday was actually way back in June but since this is the first time I've been home since I celebrated this weekend with my family and I have to say, I'm loving having my birthday celebrations spanning several months! (I actually still have another party planned for next month to celebrate turning 21 with some friends at university - Birthdays lasting over 4 months? Yes Please!)

Honey Lust
I truly have the most tumultuous relationship with this eyeshadow. I either loathe it or absolutely love it - there's never any in-between! Since I got back to the UK it's been all about the love though!

Graze Boxes
I am a verified snacker. So graze boxes just appeal to me! I've had one or two before (I remember placing an order when they first came out) So last week when I got a voucher through the door, I couldn't resist. I'm not one for a subscription as the novelty is half the fun!

& Incase you're thinking of getting one any time soon these are my thoughts:

Bonne wee Oatbakes:
These were so disappointing! I was so excited to try these, but… I only had two before they found their way into the bin - something just tasted 'off' about them.

Sour Cream & Garlic Crostini:
You definitely don't want to kiss anyone afterwards, but they were so worth it!

The Graze Brownie:
Considering the three little slices are only 110calories and 1g of saturated fat they're pretty damn good. Personally if I have chocolate I want it decadent, these worked as an after lunch chocolate fix though!

Cherries & Berries:
Dried cranberries are my weakness. And since they feature pretty heavily I was automatically going to like this one. Having said that it wasn't anything too special, but it was a delicious snack

Let me know if you like these kind of blog posts!

Clean Out

Before I flew to New Zealand I made a consious effort to drastically cut down my make up 'collection'. And I did pretty well. Even so I couldn't take everything with me (shoes took priority over blushes). And now it's been over a year with only a slither of my make up and I've realised I just don't need as much, and in fact I prefer having a more streamlined selection.

I've been watching Christine from Pinksofoxy for a while and I just adore her decluttering videos - seriously you need to go watch a few! They're weirdly therapeutic to watch, not to mention motivating!

So this last week since getting back to the UK I've had a big clear out, and I'm really happy with the result. Everything now fits quite nicely in one drawer and most importantly I wear everything. regularly

It's not the prettiest storage right now but it is practical, and everything will be getting moved into my muji drawers in a month so I'll update you then when it's all looking pretty! For now everything is roughly separated my 'type' with samples kept at the back and my palettes on top.

It's nerdy, but the other motivation behind this was the desire to create a make up itinerary! I've now got a record of every single piece of make up I own and I can find out how many blushes, foundations or lipsticks I own in a second which I'm hoping will keep me in check for future online make up splurges!

It's been a few days since I cleared everything out, and it's so refreshing to just see variety without being overwhelmed!

Do Tell

Since this is my last few weeks of winter for a while (yay) I've fully embraced the darker palette winter offers - including this beauty of lipstick from Benefit

What I've been loving is that if I liberally apply it (as above) I get a great darker colour that's still very wearable but adds a little extra something! It's been great for days I can't be bothered to do anything fancy with my eyes, simple eye+beautiful lipstick is always a winter in my book.

But I can just pat some on the centre and blend it out to get a much more 'natural' look for days I'm just not feeling up to braving it. 

And I couldn't resist this oh-so-cringey photo showing off the lipstick and my current favourite nail polish - OPI Navy. It's so gorgeous on, it's very nearly black but it's got just enough blue for it not to look too gothic when I'm pale skinned. Also, I thought this photo showed my eye make up quire well too. So just ignore the cringey-ness of the photo and focus on the good bits!

Beanie!

This isn't something I'd usually think to put on here, but I bought my first beanie hat! (I think it's a beanie hat… I'm calling it that anyway). I know buying a hat isn't a particularly interesting purchase, but I actually only own one other hat, and that's just a big floppy thing for on the beach. Hat's just don't suit my face so I typically just avoid them, regardless of how much I love hats

I got this one from valley girl here in NZ, and it came with these gem-flowers all along the front. They're definitely not my cup of tea so I just cut them off as I much prefer it plain as the lilac colour is just so pretty! 

Also, I never realised just how warm hats keep you! Silly I know, but I wore this yesterday and I was toasty warm despite the chill in the air - I get why people love their hats in winter now!

As for make up, I kept it super simple, some eyeliner, mascara, a little bit of pencil in my brows and the amazing collection concealer - done. I was just popping to the library (on a saturday?!) so I just couldn't be bothered doing a full face

Let me know what you think of it - I'm still not 100% convinced I don't look silly in it