Wednesday 12 February 2014

Essie Winter 2013

      
      
      
      
      
     
      
      
      
      

 
 Essie's Winter Collection was a purchase I completely forgot I had made until I found it under my bookcase earlier this week! I had a bit of a fall out with Essie before Christmas as a lot of my polishes from them had turned gloppy and dry but these new Essie polishes have given me hope so fingers crossed they don't disappoint!


The Winter 2013 Essie Collection contains three 5ml mini polishes in 'Shearling Darling', 'Parka Perfect' and 'Toggle to the Top.' 'Shearling Darling' is the perfect deep red, burgundy which is my go to winter colour of the moment. If I ever struggle to pick a colour this what I've been gravitating towards. 'Parka Perfect' is a light blue/ grey with a subtle silver shimmer throughout that is almost unnoticeable. It's unlike anything in my collection I own but is a great staple to have. Finally 'Toggle to the Top' in my opinion is the show stopper. A dark raspberry, packed with glitter and shimmer that is super opaque and easy to apply. I wish I'd have had this over the festive period as it wouldn't have left my nails! 


If you're a fan of the brush on the full size polishes you'll be pleased to hear these minis have the identical thick brush that so many love. It makes them ridiculously quick and easy to apply that's great for when you're in a hurry! If you haven't tried any Essie polishes before I'd really recommend trying a set of minis to try a few colours and see how you get on with them without having to splash out lots for full sized bottles. If you are interested I know these are still available in Superdrug and Boots as I saw them earlier this week. 


Have you tried any of the colours from the Winter 2013 Collection? 



 

 
 
 


Monday 3 February 2014

January Favourites!

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
 

I don't usually do monthly favourite posts but this month I've been loving so many great products I couldn't help but want to share! Having my birthday (January 4th) and Christmas so close together meant discovering products I wouldn't have bought myself but now can't see myself living without! 



I have lived in these Topshop 'Joni' jeans since purchasing them as a spur of the moment buy recently. I needed something that I could get away with at work but could also be dressed up. I hadn't ever tried anything high-waisted before and comfort plays a big part in my mood but these are super soft and stretchy. At £36 they aren't the cheapest jeans out there but are definitely worth it in my opinion. I'm looking forward to pairing them with a crop top when the weather warms up and jumping on that wagon! I'm usually pretty awful at remembering to accessorise my outfits, its normally just throw on and go however these rings have been put on everyday. I picked these 3 sterling silver ring up in the Accessorize sale after Christmas as part of a set. They can be worn stacked as a 3 or spread across your fingers as you wish and love how dainty they look. 


I've had the Origins 'Out of trouble' mask for a good while now that I try and apply on a weekly basis but with post Christmas skin from eating far too much chocolate this has been used a lot more! A 10 minute clay mask (that when my skin is awful I leave on for a good 30 minutes!) that'll help clear up problem skin. I mentioned it in my 'Best of 2013 - Skincare' post if you fancy reading more and have recently written full reviews of Benefits 'They're Real' mascara and the MUA 'Heaven and Earth' palette       which you can read here. 



The perfect nude in my opinion, MAC's 'Hue' is a subtle pinky nude that compliments my skin tone and looks great with a dark, smokey eye. 'Hue' is a glaze finish which is super moisturising and glossy looking on the lips. I've been making an attempt to use my MAC lipsticks more this month even though it makes me sad to see them coming to an end! I have been looking to expand my blush collection so this blush in 'Macaron' from The Body Shop made a welcome addition. I usually gravitate towards deeper, plum toned blushes so this had me stepping out of my comfort zone. I don't think these body shop blushes have the greatest formulas but I have been really enjoying wearing this colour, a lighter pinky peach. 


My go to brushes are Real Techniques so its no surprise another one of their brushes has made it into a favourites post. I don't use this brush for my eyebrows as most would but to apply eyeshadow as an eyeliner to define my eyes. I am horrible at liquid eyeliner but luckily eyeshadow is much more forgiving! The angle of the brush makes it easy to apply and picks up the perfect amount of product. I like to use a deep brown from either my Naked palette or MUA's palette as its a lot less harsh than black.  


I'm going to do a more in depth review of Benefits much talked about 'Porefessional' which FYI  is love. I have always skipped the primer stage but now I actually look forward to applying it so stay tuned for that one shortly! Lastly my Martha Stewart journal from Staples couldn't not be in this post. I got it for Christmas and have actually only started writing in it these past few days as I've been so scared to ruin it! I'm using it as my blogging notebook so any post ideas will be jotted down in this beautiful book. I hadn't seen the range before but for all you stationary enthusiasts out there its worth a peek, you won't leave empty handed! 


Phew that was a long one! I hope you enjoyed having a nosey at my favourites this month and have had a great Monday! What have your favourites been?! :)