Black eyeliner round up

A black eyeliner is something that I wear everyday and there are so many out there to choose from.

I had only ever used kohl liners up until about a year ago when I discovered liquid liners and then gel liners.
Every girl needs a good jet black liner on hand, if you haven't found your perfect one yet here is a little round up of the ones that I'm not currently using:

Collection 2000 Fast Stroke (far left)
This is one of the best liquid liners around and it's as cheap as they come too at only £2.99. This liner is just as good or maybe even better because of the value than my Benefit Magic Ink. It is the most jet black of the bunch.

Be a Bombshell (second left)
I was never a fan of liquid eyeliner pens until this beauty came along in a recent Glossybox. I really love this liner and it doesn't dry up. I love how it gives a nice thick line so my eyes go from drab to fab in 2 seconds flat.

Maybelline Gel Liner (second right)
I thought that I'd prefer gel liners over liquid but I don't. I still like to use this though as I can get good precision with my eyeliner brush. It's not as black as my liquid ones which is a shame.

Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof (far right)
This is a good liner but for the price I don't think it's worth it. It lasts well and I like the smudger on the end but I don't think it's better than a drugstore one for half the price. It also isn't as dark as I like a eyeliner to be it is black but not dark enough.

So that's the ones that I'm currently using there is a reason why the collection fast stroke liner has won awards and it's because it is a must buy for any black eyeliner lover. It would be rude not to at that price.

Have you found your perfect black eyeliner and what is it?
Jodie x

My September Favourites

So that's another month over nearly and here is what I have been reaching for most over this past month.

Bioderma Sensibio Eye
I have been using this eye cream morning and night for the past couple of months and I really like it. It feels nice and gentle on the eye and is more soothing than my other loved eye cream which is Benefits It's Potent. I will definitely be repurchasing this when it's empty.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20
I bought this in the travel size to test it out. I'm not sure if nude is the right colour for me as I was shocked initially at how yellow it was. Either way bit does blend out nice and leaves a more natural colour. I do like this but I would like to get a proper colour match. This for me is so much better than a bb cream and if I'm not wearing foundation then I use this. It blends out flawlessly with the Real Techniques buffing brush and has medium coverage.

Bobbi Brown Corrector
I got colour matched for this as I was struggling to cover my dark circles. This is seriously my new holy grail product even if I change concealers I can see myself still using this underneath. This neutralises dark circles under my eyes so my concealer works better. Before without the darkness undertones still showed through my concealer this but this stops that.

Bobbi Brown Concealer Duo
The same as above I got colour matched for this as I was wearing the wrong shade of concealer. The quality of this is definitely the best that I've used and I've tried a few high end concealers. I like this duo as you get setting powder with it to which prevents creasing. Also unlike a lot of other high end concealers this has lots of different shades.

Mac Pro Longwear Lipcream - To The Future
This is my ultimate nude lip shade and due to the Longwear formula this is perfect for work. I find myself wearing this most days. It also feels very creamy and moisturising on the lips so it is so comfortable to wear.

NYX Lipliner 858 Nude Pink
This is a good quality Lipliner that matches my Mac To The Future nude lipstick very well. It isn't as creamy as I'd like but it is very cheap to buy.

So these are my favourite products that I've been using most the past month. Most not them are new discoveries for me that I will continue to enjoy.
Have you ever tried any of my picks and do you share any of the same favourites as me?
Jodie x

My Picks of the Christmas Gift Sets

So it's getting to my favourite time of the year Christmas! I've already started my Christmas shopping and today I've put together my Christmas wish list.
Most of my favourite brands have released their Christmas gifts sets already on Debenhams, Boots and Selfridge's so I've spends a few hours this morning picking and choosing my favourites and here they are:

Origins Morning to Night Set £40
I've never tried Origins skincare and this set looks like a perfect introduction to the Ginzing range which is much raved about in the bloggersphere so I want to try it out.

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette £42
Urban Decay are like the holy grail of eyeshadow palettes and this one looks like it could be the best yet. It looks so versatile as it has neutral shadows all the way the deep smokey eye colours I wan to this so bad.

Soap & Glory Power Trip £20
How cute and is this? I love something that is compact with lots of different products squeezed in. I've been wanting to try the highlighting powder for a while now so I can test it in this. This could be one of the presents that I end up buying myself early as I can't wait until Christmas day.

YSL Babydoll Mascara Set £24.50
I was hoping YSL would bring out a gift set that included a lipstick or 2 or even a whole bunch of like Illamasqua have but I can keep dreaming besides it would be hundreds of pounds. I just want lots of YSL lipsticks Ok, that's my dream as they are my favourite. Anyway I need a new mascara and this one looks pretty and has good reviews so it's made my list. You also get a make up remover which isn't a bad thing.

Ciate Mini Paint Palette £25
How cute is this set, seriously I love this! I don't own many nail polishes so a set like this would be a quick way to bulk up my collection and to bring some variety into my life.

Clarins All About Lips £18
I think this one is a good price and all the colours are nice and wearable, I think this one is definitely a winner.

So that's it my Christmas list, I hope my husband is reading :-)

Have you started your yet? What do you think of mine, I think everyone will be wanting the Vice 2 palette this year and I have a feeling it will sell out eek fingers crossed that I get one.

Jodie x

ModCloth Cute Retro Inspired Collage

So today's post is a new one for me as i was asked by the lovely people over at ModCloth to style a outfit around this super cute mint dress. I am so happy to be asked to do this as i love ModCloth as it has something for everyone and it ships internationally woot! I am very excited to see the other outfits put together by other bloggers as this dress could be styled so many different ways. This dress would be suitable for both casual day or evening party wear so i expect to see lots of variety. I really enjoyed putting this outfit together as it is something that i do for myself all the time, i always pick out my outfit in the evening for the following day and i like to have lots of options depending how the weather goes. I am the type of person who is usually always cold hence the cardigan with this outfit. I love this outfit as every single item is something that i would happily wear for a casual day out meeting friends and going shopping. All of these items are so cute and are inspired by my retro style and my love of cats. I hope you like it too. Out of everything here I think my favourate piece is the handbag as it is so damn pretty, please let me know what you think.
If you like this dress as much as me then you can find it by clicking here.

ModCloth Cute Retro Inspired Collage by retrococktail featuring an adjustable cat ring

Dress
modcloth.com

Mink Pink ivory shirt
modcloth.com

Shoulder bag
modcloth.com

Adjustable cat ring
modcloth.com

Etiquette nickel free jewelry
modcloth.com

Hair accessory
modcloth.com

Cutie sunglasses
modcloth.com

 

So this is my entry into the weekly Polyvore outfit challange by ModCloth, if my ensemble is chosen then i will win the great honor of being displayed on ModCloths Polyvore page so wish me luck people. Jodie x

Hard and expensive lesson learned with concealers

So I've learned a hard and expensive lesson when it comes to choosing my shade of concealer. For years I've always thought of myself as pale seeing as I keep out of the sun and don't get a tan. So thinking that I was pale I always bought the palest or one of the paler toned concealers. As a shade lighter than my actual area will brighten the area right? Wrong.

The past year I have used Benefits Boi-ing concealer in light, Fake Up in fair, erase paste in shade 01. Then Nars Radiant Creamy in Chantilly all these together add up to a small fortune not to mention others that I will have tried. All along I was buying the wrong shade for me. I knew straight away that the Nars Chantilly was too light but my main problem was buying offline! It only really became apparent looking back at photos of myself taken at weddings etc that my concealer was far too light for myself.
I have now learned that it is important to buy your concealer from the make up counter and to get matched up to a shade by a professional.

Knowing this I got myself down to Bobbi Brown in Selfridge's at The Trafford Centre. I went with minimal make up, wearing no concealer made me feel like a zombie in such a crowded place but I persevered. I have quite dark under eye circles and knew that I'd need the corrector as well as a concealer.
I got matched up to the corrector shade light biscuit and the concealer due in warm ivory.
When she applied them I instantly looked more awake and alive. The corrector is a important step for my skin as it neutralised the darkness of the circles and then using the concealer is step 2. Last of all it gets set with the powder.
It is a expensive price to pay at £42 for buying the wrong concealers but now that I've found the one I can buy it offline as much as I like.
The shades that she matched me with are both the 3rd lightest that they do so not the first or second lightest shades which I would have bought and wasted my money on.

Have any of you made the same mistake as me? Or think you could be currently guilty of it? Put your concealer down and get down to your local department store and get matched up properly.

Jodie x

My make up brush collection

Here is my make up brush collection, it is by no means complete so I will update you as I go along.

Can you recommend me any that I'm missing.
I hope you enjoy my video :-)

If you don't have time to watch a video right now you can visit my written blog post with pictures of my brushes here.

Jodie x

My favourite lipsticks

Here is a video featuring my top 8 favourite lipsticks. I count down to my number one favourite, can you guess what it is?

I will do a post very soon showing swatches of each of the lipsticks featured and links as to where to buy them.

Jodie x

So that's it, I've finally cancelled Glossybox and here's why

So I've finally bitten the bullet and cancelled my Glossybox subscription.
I will miss it a little bit but the truth is that I only use 1-2 products out of the 5 each month. I get all excited at first with my box but once that's worn off the reality is that I won't use the products.

I have cancelled so I can spend that money each month towards a new lipstick. I could be tempted with a I Love Beauty box (formally Beautecobox) here and there as I do keep an eye on what is in each box each month. Anyway I currently have 4 lipsticks at the top of my list and I hope to buy one each month until I have all 4.
The lipsticks that I currently want are:

Mac Vegas Volt
Mac Coral Bliss
YSL Rouge Volupte Peach Passion
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Orange Impertinent

These are in no particular order as I want them all just as much (which is a lot!) so I will have to be patient until I can collect them.

Do you subscribe to a monthly beauty box and do you often think of cancelling to buy other products that you know you'll use?

Jodie x

Meet my favourite foundation

This foundation is the reason why I fell in love with Lancome. It isn't the of cheapest out there at £28 but it is everything that I have always wanted in a foundation.

Why I like it:
* It has great coverage
* it's comfortable to wear
* it looks natural on the skin
* it smells really nice
* it's long wearing
* it isn't shiny
* it doesn't cake
* it has lots of shades and mine matches my skin perfectly
* it blends seamlessly
* it has a pump

Anything I don't like?
* the bottle is glass which makes it heavy
* it's expensive

So there you go the above reasons list why I love it so much and I recommend that you go try it as you might just find a new favourite.
Let me know if you have tried this and what you thought.

Jodie x

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Nude

So after my disaster with the Maybelline BB cream I looked again for something  lighter than foundation that I can wear daily. I was tempted to try high end bb and cc creams but this Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser shot to the top of my list. It has featured in all my favourite blogs such as What I Heart Today. I decided to jump with both feet on the bandwagon and to try this product out.

It is more expensive than my favourite Landore foundation which I'm trying to save for special occasions so as I don't have access to a Space NK in Manchester there is no where to try out swatches. I decided rather than to pay the £33 for a full size and end up with the wrong shade like I usually do do (Nars creamy concealer I'm looking at you - anyone want to swap me a vanilla for a chantilly?). I hunted eBay for the smaller tester size of 14.7ml and I went for the second lightest shade of nude.

I really like the formula of this but nude just looks to damn orange on me :-( I will still use this but I need the porcelain shade.
I want to buy the full size oil free one of this as all the bloggers prefer that one for some reason. First of all I will try to find a small trial size of the porcelain shade to see if the colour is better for me.

Have you tried this and what do you think of the shades?
Jodie x

My make up brushes

I'm quite a novice to make up brushes as I'd usually just use the ones that came in a palette and then have a foundation brush. Up until about a year ago I never really wore much make up but now it has become a obsession.

Here are my brushes that I have so far collected and use often:

Too Faced Eye Brush Set
Shadow brush, eyeliner brush and a shading brush. These brushes are the first proper set that I bought and I love them. These are made from "teddy bear hair" and they feel so soft. These come in a gorgeous vintage style case which I didn't keep hold of.

Real Techniques Core Collection
If you read my blog you will see that I bought this recently from iherb super cheap! These brushes are a no brainer as Real Techniques are professional quality and nice and soft. In here you get a buffing brush, pointed foundation (which I use for my concealer), detailer brush and a contour brush - which I'm currently using my powder blusher.
.
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
This is my favourite brush to apply my foundation or tinted moisturiser. It just blends my foundation in seamlessly and I prefer it to the buffing brush that I got with my core collection.

Elf Studio Stipple Brush
This was a bargain at about £4 new from eBay. It's always sold out on the Elf store but it is my brush of choice for applying most of my blushers especially my cream blusher and also my Benefit Watt's Up highlighter. This brush really comes into its own when applying cream blushers as it applies them evenly and light over the face. It feels just as good professional quality as some expensive brushes and It is one of my favourites.

Mac Double End brush 275SE/316SE
This came in my Mac Illustrated palette and it is amazing quality I adore the lip brush especially as it gives me the precision that I need to apply brighter lipsticks. The shadow brush end applies the product well but I find it can be a bit scratchy on the eyelid.

The Body Shop Eyebrow grooming brush
I don't use the eyelash end but I do use the other eyebrow one to keep mine nice and neat before using my Benefit Brow Zings.

Maxfactor Eyeliner brush
I use this for my gel liner as I don't want to mess up any of my nice brushes. This gives me a thin line of liner across my eyelid and it doesn't drag at all. It is also good at giving a cat eye flick with liner.

I store these in my Benefit make up bag and my Mac Illustrated Rebecca Moses brush bag. I bought this bag of eBay for £3 which is a bargain, it didn't have any brushes in it but I like it as it matches my Illustrated palette and I know it's good quality. It has a small pocket inside and a clear flap over the brush holder side to keep it clean. It has a cute bow print inside.
So that's my make up brush collection I am happy with it but I know that I'm missing some serious essentials. Next on my list is the Real Techniques eye collection as even though I don't need the eyeshadow brushes I will use them but most of all I want a proper eyebrow brush. I also want the Real Techniques blusher brush.

25 facts about me

1. I love to make lists, I have lists for everything. You will usually find at least one screwed up post it note in my pocket haha.

2. I'm married, yeah I'm only 26 but I'm very happy and have been with my hubby for 8 years.

3. I have a degree in Forensic Science sadly there aren't many jobs in it these days.

4. I was never really interested in make up until about 2 years ago. Crazy right I never used to wear it.

5. I'm obsessed with cats! I currently have 2 Wolverine and Rogue who I both love to death. I would happily have a house full but the hubby won't let me haha. Therefore I collect anything with cats on clothes, statues, pictures you name it.

6. I love tattoos I currently have 10 but want more.

7. I wear contact lenses.

8. I'm pretty good at Call of Duty Multiplayer and i did play it obsessively for a while.

9. I'm obsessed with tea preferably Twinings English Breakfast, I drink several throughout the day. I don't like coffee at all.

10. I've never been abroad at all.

11. I rarely drink alcohol

12. My middle name is Marie

13. I am obsessed with Vampires. Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries your name it I've watched it and read the book.

14. I enjoy reading. I'm currently reading Clash of Kings (Game of Thrones book 2).

15. My favourite colour is emerald green.

16. Incase you didn't already know from my blog but I'm obsessed with the 1940s era and all things retro. I love the rockabilly fashion. I wish I was born in that era.

17. I love Dita Von Teese, I admire her style and everything about her. Can I be her please?

18. One of my dream jobs would to be Snow White at Disneyland! How amazing would it be to be Snow White everyday and to get paid for it.

19. I currently don't use a computer, my husband has one but I don't use it. So all my blog - videos, editing, posts are all don't on my Samsung Galaxy S3. Crazy right. I need to get a laptop.

20. I burp too loud for a girl, not ladylike in the slightest oops.

21. My husband says I'm insane because I refuse to have any other toilet paper apart from white - is there a phobia for that?

22. I am absolutely shit scared of spiders.

23. I love horror films!

24. My favourite band is Blink 182

25. I regret the fact that I had my brace taken off after 2 weeks when I was a kid and now I have crooked teeth :-(

So there you go you know abit more about me, I hope you don't think that I'm too weird :-)

Jodie x

Shopping my stash

So it's that time of the month again where my wages have run out and payday seems like so far away, the only thing to do right now is to put my wish list's to one side and to shop my stash.

Here are some products that I've owned a while that i may have forgotten about or that I fell out of love with it for some reason. Today I have rooted through my products and rediscovered some gems. Here are my finds:

Burt's Bees Hand Salve
I love this brand of products and I disregarded this hand salve early on as it is abit too greasy for my liking. If you can get over than though it is a great little hand moisturiser and this is a little travel size version which is handy for handbags.

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water
I didn't use this when I first got it as I've had the L'Oréal and Bioderma ones on the go but this is so delicate and feminine. This one is made with rose petals and it smells gorgeous. It reminds me of summer. Also it works really well at removing my make up so i can't wait to get more use out of this.

Bourjois Cream Blush 02
Is it me or do these cream blushes not feel like a cream at all? Mine feel more like a powder but anyway I still love them. I have shades 01 and 02 and they are so pretty but I feel like I do need to build them up quite a bit with my stipple brush to get a decent amount of colour.

Benefit Peek a Bright Eye's Kit
This is my go to kit on a lazy day as it gives a nice polished eye look. I really should use this more as the shadows are lovely and pigmented and give a gorgeous overall eye look.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 15 Corail Intuitive
These lipsticks are still my favourite ever but I've been using my 14 Corail in Touch more as it is a deeper coral colour. This one is perfect for everyday wear as it just gives that my lips but better appearance. They smell so fruity and delicious and feel so luxurious on the lips. I really want more shades in these but for now I need to use these more to justify the price that I paid for them.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lipstick Peach on the Beach
I'm not too keen on the smell of this as it seems abit plastic-y and I'm disappointed that all the writing on my Bourjois packaging rubs off after a few months adding to the cheap feel. I do like the colour of this though as it's nice and pink on the lips but it isn't too drastic for day wear. 

Benefit Coralista Lipgloss 

This smells really good and gives a nice subtle colour and shine. It lasts for decent amount of time and most importantly it isn't sticky. There's nothing worse than walking outside for a gust of wind to blow your nicely clean styled hair into your lipgloss leaving it a gloopy sticky mess.

Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Liner
I'm usually more of a liquid liner gal but if I fancy abit of kohl then I always use this. This has a handy smudger on the end to help smoke it out for a sexy eye look. Unlike most kohl liners this is waterproof so no under eye mess. That is reason I stopped using kohl in the first place as my eyes can be sensitive and water in the wind etc and that would leave me with smudged eyeliner all smudged into my concealer under my eye but with this being waterproof it means I don't look like a panda by dinner time.

Lancome Travel Size Lipstick Nu Rose 06
This is a cute little lipstick that is perfect for Autumn due to its berry like colour. But for us pal gals it doesn't look to dark as dark berry lipsticks scare me a little. This helps you go for the berry trend but in a good way. It also smells gorgeous and is long lasting. Due to it being a popular one you can pick up this travel size version for cheap too to test the waters.

Lipstick swatches from left to right are - YSL Rouge Volupte, Bourjois Colour Boost, Lancome nu Rose and then Benefit Coralista gloss. 

Make up swatches from left to right are - Benefit eyebright, Bourjois blusher, Benefits Peek a Bright Eye's base, pearly pink shadow and then the brown contour shadow. 

So there you go that's my rediscoveries for the time being. Have you been shopping your stash recently and what gems have you found?
Jodie x

Glossybox UK September 2013 - The London Edition

Well this month's Glossybox was meant to be my last as I been left underwhelmed by my past few. I used my Glossydots to pay for this one but now it's arrived I'm not to sure if I can bring myself to hit the unsubscribe button just yet. I'm actually really happy with this month's box my favourites are the eyeliner and blusher.

First things first yes I am absolutely devastated that I didn't get the HD Brows blusher excuse me while I cry into my Glossybox tissue paper - but once I got over that fact I realised that I am happy with everything that I received.

Here is what I got in this month's box:
Rimmel Stay Blushed Blusher in 004 Sunkissed Cherry RRP £4.49 for 14ml
This colour is perfect for the upcoming winter months. I usually wouldn't buy such a dark blush but even on my pale skin this is not too much. The colour is gorgeous. It is very pigmented and a little goes a very long way. I squeeze abit of the product onto the back of my hand and then I use my Elf Stipple brush to apply to my cheeks. This way I don't get too much product on my face and look like a clown. I will definitely be scouring Boots for more shades of this.

Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Onyx Eyeliner RRP $14 for 3g
Yes I know the box is London themed so I don't have a clue where this brand fit into the equation but I'm not complaining because I love it! I have been eyeing the new L'Oréal felt tip liners for a couple of weeks as I've seen good blog reviews about them but after the disaster that was the Eyeko one that was free with a magazine a few months back it put me off felt tip liners. After trying this though I now want more, it's nice and jet black and goes on nice and smooth. I like how it is a thick pen it makes it so much easier to get my cat eye flick which I wear daily. I have never heard of this brand but in wouldn't mind trying more from them in the future.

Elizabeth Arden Untold £48 for 50ml, 5ml Sample received 

As far as perfume samples go this is a great size I'm very happy with it, not to mention that it smells just divine. I usually stay clear of this brand as I see it for the older lady for some reason but this is a gorgeous sweet smelling fragrance that I would be happy to own the full size.

Eylure Pre- glued Lashes RRP £5.06 I have never tried false lashes before but I'm happy to try these out. I've never tried them before as I'm scared I'll like the look so much that I will want to wear them daily and end up wrecking my own lashes in the process. I'm also not the most patient person and false lashes look like a lot of faffing about but I'll see.

Toni & Guy Classic Shine and Gloss Serium RRP £7.19 for 30ml
My Paul Mitchell shine spray from my May box is still going strong so I wasn't in the market for a new hair shine product just yet but I am happy to try this out. It smells gorgeous and you get a lot of product here so I'm sure that it will last me a long time.

Overall I think this month's Glossybox is a winner I don't really see the connection with London but who cares. I'm loving the Glossy makeover with a small magazine now included. I also like the new card layout containing the the product detail. you can subscribe to Glossybox here
What do you think of my box and what did you get in yours?
Jodie x

Products that I'm lusting after the most

Even though I've only recently got a new Ted Baker handbag I have fallen head over heels in love with another bag. I am definitely more of a bag person that a shoe person. I love handbags!
Here is what is currently at the top of my very long wishlist:

Kate Spade Beau Bag
I love the classic black but I want this in red. It looks absolutely stunning and I know it's very expensive so I won't be able to get one but a girl can dream right. This is gorgeous and I could team it with red shoes or a red lip to set off the look. I first caught sight of this bag in either Marie Claire magazine and I'd never heard of the brand but now it is definitely on my radar.

Mac Lipstick in Vegas Volt
I am a huge fan of Mac Ravishing as it is definitely my favourite Mac shade. This shade looks similar to it, It's like Ravishing but on a better day. It is brighter and more pigmented than Ravishing so I definitely want to own Vegas Volt.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser
This is a cult favourite among bloggers and I want to get involved and see what all the fuss is about. I would like to wear this as a stand alone complexion products. No foundation no primer no bb or cc creams just this alone to see how it fairs. I would also wear it alone as casual day make up as I don't wear foundation everyday anyway.

Nars Adult Content Blush Pallette
I have never tried any Nars blushers so I thought this would be a great way to be introduced to the product in love how you get a highlighter too so even though it's pricey I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this.

So that's it my current wishlist lustings, what do you think is there anything here that you own that you can give me advice on?

Jodie x

My current go to products

I have a lot of favourite products which changes from week to week but here is what I'm currently reaching for:

 

Bioderma Hydrabio Light Cream £14 buy here
This feels really nice and soothing on my skin and it soaks in immediately, something which Is a must have quality in a cream for me. I like to pat this in rather than rub but it is quickly becoming a favourite for me.

Bioderma Sensibio Eye Contour Gel £14 buy here
This is perfect for the sensitive under eye area. I have noticed that it helps to brighten up my dark
circles which a lot of creams claim to do but don't. I love how a little bit of this goes a long way.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24hr Foundation 010 £24.75 buy here

This is my favourite foundation ever! I feels so nice on the skin and sets like a powder but doesn't look cakey at all. This has such great coverage you can get away without using concealer or a primer. Even though this is pricey you definitely get what you pay for. It also smells gorgeous and isn't too thick I couldn't rate this enough.

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer 01 Light £15.75 buy here
This is my joint favourite concealer. It works amazing under the eyes or on blemishes. It has very good coverage and doesn't look cakey. This is one that I repurchase over and over again.

Art Deco Eyeshadow Base Primer £8.00 buy here

This is without a doubt the best eye shadow primer that i have ever used. It smells good and feels silky and smooth on the eyelid not sticky at all. The best thing about this product is the actual results that it gives as you can see a big diference in your eyeshadow pigmentation when using this. I did a test just on my hand and the results where astonishing. I will share it with you in more detail very soon.

Benefit Badgal Lash Mascara £15.75 buy here

I do prefer the Benefit They're Real mascara as that gives you more length but i prefer this one for volume and everyday where. I feel like the brush is really good at seperating the lashes. I feel like the They're Real mascara gets so much hype that this one gets left out and this is a great mascara in it's own right.

The Balm Nude Tude Palette £26 buy here
You can get so many looks with this palette and I love how all the shadows are gorgeously pigmented. It's good how you get a selection of matte and shimmer shadows.
I like to use the black shadow as a eye liner, as it is so pigmented it works better than some of my kohl pencils. The formula is nice and smooth so these glide onto the eyelids and the brush is good quality too.

Mac Ravishing Lipstick £15 buy here
This is my go to Mac lipstick, I love the creamsheen formula and this colour works well for day or evening wear. Also it smells good enough to eat.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick 111 Kiss of Life £5.49 buy here
I was very impressed with this lipstick as the quality knocks some of of its high end competitors out of the water!
The pigmentation is amazing as well as the smell. The packaging obviously isn't YSL standard but it's not bad for a drugstore lipstick. I now definitely want more shades in this.

Benefit Watts Up Highlighter £22.05 buy here
This is still my highlighter of choice. It goes on effortlessly with a stipple brush and it is very long lasting. The packaging is a big winner in my eyes too.
It is a classic champagne colour which leaves your complexion beaming in a good way.

The Balm Instain blusher Swiss Dot £18 buy here
I have mentioned this before but I'm still reaching for this blusher on a daily basis. It is just so good. The pigmentation and long wearing formula is a winner. I need more shades in this. Also it will last forever as a little goes a long way with The Balm. I've been using this for at least a month and I've not even made a dint in it.

 

Also last but not least is Company magazine £2.50, this is my favourite magazine and the latest issue is new out. This is probably the only magazine that I read from cover to cover throughly.

What products are you reaching for on a daily basis and are any the same as me?
Jodie x

 

Real Techniques half price from iherb!

So the crazy rumours are true! It is cheaper to buy Real Techniques from iherb in the US and get them shipped to the UK.

I got the Real Techniques Core collection for £10.79 including shipping I know crazy right. I can vouch for these that they are genuine and authentic too. The Real Technique quality is definately there.
You get $5 off your first order and then I got the cheapest shipping which was $4. My parcel arrived within two weeks. I am so happy I will definitely be buying more from iherb. I also got two little freebies which where a iherb touch screen pen and a sachet for a healthy drink, I'm sure that I'll never use either but the nice thought was there.

These brushes cost £20.99 from Feel Unique in the UK and to get them for only £10.79 including international shipping is amazing, but if you don't mind the small shipping wait you need to head over to iherb right now and get ordering. I couldn't see any other gems that caught my eye from iherb but I will definitely keep checking.

Have you ever ordered from iherb?

Jodie x

Mac Lady Gaga lipstick dupe?

So I was given this lovely Mac Lady Gaga lipstick by a friend and I love it! It reminds me of Mac's Pink Nouveau which I unfortunately do not own. I love the Mac formula and packaging I definitely want to collect more.
The Mac Viva Glam Gaga here is shade AC9 and it is a limited edition lustre lipstick. The fact that it is a light pink reminded me of my other only very light pink that I have in my lipstick collection which was a dirt cheap W7 Go West - Candy Pink lipstick which they class as matte - it isn't very matte at all so I think these two lipsticks could be dupes! The W7 one only cost me about £2.50 off eBay where as the Mac one would be £15± to buy.

The Mac is obviously my favourite but if your on a budget I recommend checking out the W7 Go West collection.

What do you think could these be dupes? I am wearing the Mac in the above shot and W7 in the bottom shot.

Left to right Mac - W7.

You will have to excuse my shoddy lipstick application as I wasn't in the best light haha. Jodie x

L'Occitane Ultra Rich skincare review

This is my introduction to the brand L'Occitane as I've never tried any of there products before.
I got a little clear zipped bag with 4 travel size products inside which are:
- Ultra rich body lotion 50ml
- Ultra rich shower cream 50ml
- Ultra rich face cream 10ml
- Dry skin hand cream 10ml

Each product contains shea butter and feels very soothing. I love the packaging how it is simple yet elegant. I love the nautical theme with this set how everything is white and blue down to the wash bag I don't know if this is on purpose or not but this set could also appeal to men or women.
The products are not scented but have a nice clean smell. I will definitely use them again and I am happy with the generous sizes in this travel set. Usually after one use there is none left in travel sets like the Benefit B. Right one as all the samples are tiny but I am happy with these sizes.

I don't yet have a favourite out of these 4 items as I love them all but I've seen that on feel unique they have larger sample gift sets available so I'm keen to try more.

I don't think this exact one if for sale anywhere as I got it as a freebie with a stationary offer from 3m.

Have you ever tried this brand before and what did you think?

Jodie x

Pin up must have accessory - hair flowers!

Here are some of my latest hair flowers. These have just arrived today and at the perfect time as I have a wedding this weekend where I will where one of these hair clips.

As I love vintage hair styles and the retro rockabilly fashion a hair style is never fully complete without a flower clipped in.

These two beauties are from Jessika Hill Accessories and she also has a eBay store. All these items are handmade and great quality I will definitely be going back for more.

As you can see from the picture these are quite big against my hand. As I always part my hair on the side I plan to clip one of these in the side with the less hair for that original pin up style. I will either wear my hair in victory rolls with waves or just set in waves I've not decided yet. I will definitely update my blog with pictures of my finished look.

My favourite of the two is the one with cherrys as it is so cute and unique this one has a crocodile clip to the back.
The all ivory one can be worn as a hair clip or a brooch as it has both fittings to the back. I am so excited to get wearing these gorgeous flowers.

Jodie x