The Best Eyeshadow Primer in the World!

Firstly I must apologise for my disappearance! It's been an extremely busy summer for me, with holiday planning, going on said holiday, helping out with arrangements for a friend's hen do and of course, general life admin. Boy do I have some serious catching up to do! 

I've been meaning to write about this for a while as I've actually been using a sample sized version for over a year and oh my goodness has my life been transformed! Ladies, let me introduce, the spectacular, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion! 

This primer has changed my life and saved me so much time! It claims to give your eyeshadow 24 hour staying power and YES! It does exactly what it says on the tin. I have the Original, which is my favourite, as it's the most versatile in my opinion, as you can wear it as a base under any colour combination and also use it as a base for glitter (anywhere on your face like if you're going to a festival etc). The primer potion is also available in the shades Eden, Minor sin, as well as an anti-aging one, pore perfecting or the brightening & tightening version. I have tried Eden in store and it is the most gorgeous shimmery, champagne colour which I would love to wear on it's own, however as a primer I didn't think it would be suitable to wear under blue, green or berry shades.

I don't know what Urban Decay have put in this formula but it is absolutely amazing! I apply the primer at 8am, followed by a a couple of eyeshadows from my Naked 1 palette and it remains absolutely flawless all day, without the need to top up if I decide to go for dinner straight after work. It is absolutely ideal for festivals as your eye make up will stay on whatever the weather. It is also super handy for anyone who is extremely busy and doesn't have time to top up make up during the day. 

The original primer dries clear so make sure you apply it evenly before it's too late. My only grievance with this product was that it comes in a squeezy tube and I always seem to squeeze out too much which gets a little annoying, However, I shall suffer no more! As Urban Decay have revamped their packaging to incorporate a handy doe-foot applicator like they have in the sample sized primers. I'm just gutted that I only bought mine a few months ago so have loads left and won't be repurchasing this for a while. If you haven't seen the new version yet, here it is:

So if you haven't yet tried it you must go and seek it out! I really don't know where I'd be without it, or how I've managed to go for so long before finally giving in to the Urban Decay craze!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

After seeing it receive so much praise in the blogging world I knew I just had to try out the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer ... and boy have I been missing out! It's brilliant! For a bargain price of £4.19 I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly when it lived up to the hype.

Not quite sure about it's "16 hour coverage" but it definitely lasts throughout your average 8 hour working day which suits me just fine. With 4 shades to choose from (a relatively limited selection) I chose number 1 - fair, which was actually a pretty good match for me so added bonus points there. 

The Lasting Perfection Concealer provides great coverage and blends seamless and I'll definitely repurchase this when it runs out. Great colour, great coverage, great lasting power and a very affordable price - generally not a bad word to say about it. It has a handy doe foot application which is easy to use and then I generally just blend with my finger. I still cannot believe good it is and it's less than a fiver! If you haven't yet tried it out - GO GO GO!

Birchbox // May 2015

This month's Birchbox incorported a creative 'Free Your Mind' theme where you got the opportunity to decorate your own box as May's design came as blank white canvas full of lovely patterns.

My May Birchbox contained: the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser, WAH London Nail Polish in Red, Parlor by Jeff Chastain Moisturising Sea-salt Spray, Jelly Pong Pong Caribbean Sun Bronzer Duo in Matinique, Absolution Youth Activator Mask, Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque and as a bonus, a set of colouring pencils was included - to decorate my box :)

Overall thoughts - reasonably pleased! (last month's box was difficult to live up to so I had pretty high expectations haha :P). I'm most looking forward to trying out the Caudalie tinted moisturiser and the sea-salt spray - which will be a perfect size to take away on holiday this summer.

Product Road Test #1

Having a sort out of my make up station over the weekend reminded me just how much stuff I seem to acquire and store without actually using, especially since I've been subscribed to Birchbox. To try and keep this under control, each month I'll be doing a product road test, trialing 4 products (predominantly Birchbox items) where I will include a make up item, skin care item, hair product and an additional random beauty product. At the end of the 4 week trial I'll post a " To buy or not to buy" review post with thoughts on whether or not the products worked for me.

In this first installment I'll be experimenting with:

The Green People Intense Repair Shampoo, Caudalie Vino Perfect Radiance Serum, London Butterflies Bath salt scrub and the Calvin Klein Delicious Pout lip gloss in Sparkle. I've already used these a few times this month, with a mixed bag of thoughts, so stay tuned to find out more! :)

Spring Wish List

Hello lovelies!With Spring in full swing, there are a few items I've seen floating around on the high street that I would love to get my hands on, so I thought I would share them with you. As much as I love high street stores for clothes, shoes and accessories I can't help to stray towards department stores to raid MAC or Urban Decay stands as I love them so much! So here's what's on my Spring wish list:

1. The most gorgeous Winged Tote Bag from Topshop, which can be found here. They have it in a few colours but the black is definitely my favourite.

2. MAC Mineralize eyeshadow quad in a Glimmer of Gold.(I've been naughty and actually bought this quad already as they were so beautiful and I just couldn't resist). Can be found here.

3. River Island Bikini. Love this set! It looks like it gives your a fair bit of support as both the top and bottom look quite structured. This combo really remind me of the Triangl bikinis but are definitely a more budget friendly version. The top can be found here and bottoms here.

4. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner. These are all absolutely stunning but I think my favourite is the probably the Midnight Cowboy which is the gold glitter. I'm already a cult follower when it comes to the UD eye products so needless to say these were bound to make their way onto my radar at some point. These gorgeous eyeliners seem like the perfect way to take a look from day to night with an added glam factor. The eyeliners can be found here.

5. Waterfall Blazer - New Look. I love waterfall blazers as they can be worn as smart or casual, day night, perfect addition to any outfit. I really like this cream one but the red is lovely too, really summery. The blazers in a variety of colours, can be found here.

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm

With so much hype over lip crayons/colour balms I thought I would treat myself to a lovely new addition to my make up collection. With so many brands to choose from, after careful deliberation I opted for this Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Demure, which is a sheer, shimmery pinky-peach shade.

The colour balm is lovely, with a smooth texture and a gorgeous glossy finish, which I absolutely love. It leaves my lips feeling really tingly straight after application so I think it's got lip plumping properties. It tastes a little minty too, not sure how I feel about that though. In terms of wear, pretty similar to what you would expect with all glossy lip products - the lasting power isn't great, especially if you're eating and drinking, so regular re-application becomes necessary. I like to wear it over a matt lipstick to give it that oomph of shine, also helping to maintain the lip colour for longer. With so many shades to pick from it was difficult to choose my favourite, but I figured that as the 'nude' of the collection it will be perfect for any season, and as I usually wear heavy eye make up I can incorporate this into more looks.

Now I just have to fight the urge to buy every single colour in the range as they are all so beautiful!

Birchbox // April 2015

This month's theme was Royally Good, celebrating the due arrival of the second royal baby, available in two designs, in pink and blue.

My lovely blue April Birchbox contained: a Laura Mercier Mascara, Lola Barcelona Nail Polish in Garcia, Percy & Reed London - Soothed, Sealed and Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm, with the Beauty bonus this month - Inner me, energize me vitamins.

Overall impressions - what a brilliant box! Really cheered me up after the let down of last month. I've heard so much about the well loved Liz Earle Cleanser so I was super excited when it arrived in my Birchbox! Definitely the item that caught my eye the most, closely followed by the Laura Mercier Mascara which I'm also eager to try out. Overall I think there's a great combination of products this month all of which I can see myself using - something's that's a bit of rarity!

Hopefully next month's turnout will be just as great :)