illamasqua cream blush in rude

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude - £18.00

It's no secret that I'm a lover of all things cream at the moment. There's nothing better than a flush of colour, a dewy/natural look and a long lasting finish. This Illamasqua offering is all of those things. I'd describe this as the perfect coral with hints of peach, pink and orange all throughout. It's glowing, warming and easily buildable. The formula is extremely easy to work with as it's very creamy, almost melting onto the skin but gives you plenty of time to blend before settling nicely on the cheeks. It's highly pigmented and suitable for so many skintones. Packaging is sleek and compact but there's plenty of product. A little goes a long way with this beauty, whether I use my Expert Face Brush or fingertips it's definitely a stand out product within my collection. I'm confident wearing it knowing that it'll stay there without reapplying throughout my day at work. I don't even notice it as it's so light, but  find it looks really pretty, particularly paired with my fave L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick in Dating Coral. I'm totally new to Illamasqua but this has really got me intrigued, price point doesn't seem steep for the quality of the product and I'm pretty sure it's paid for itself by now anyway!

What would you recommend from Illamasqua?

Cream or powder blush?     

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diptyque jasmin candle

Diptyque Mini Jasmin Scented Candle - £25.00*
With the quick flash of summer in the past few weeks, I never thought I'd be posting about a candle. The weather has completely changed in the past few days and I've found myself wanting to stay in my room wrapped in my duvet cuddling my pug and my boyfriend with candles burning and The Big Bang Theory or Friends on TV. I've wanted a Diptyque candle for such a long time but couldn't ever justify the price. I am a splurger, but I can resist... sometimes. Luckily in my Space NK gift bag a few weeks ago, there was a mini Jasmin candle in it to give me a little taster. This particular scent is suited to larger rooms, perfect for my bedroom which is the whole of the attic. After burning for around 15 minutes, I popped out of my room and returned to such a warming, cosy jasmin filled room. Jasmin isn't a scent I would have chosen myself despite it being very fresh but I've found myself in love with a candle?! It's strong and very sensual, relaxing and homely. You can even smell it when it's not burning. The holder is so cute too and I can't wait to use it to store cotton buds etc. I'm definitely considering investing in the full size... someone take away my debit card! 
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nars cream eyeshadow in mykonos

 NARS Cream Eyeshadow in Mykonos - £18.00

I am so desperate to go to Mykonos. I keep seeing and hearing about it everywhere, and it just looks so beautiful. So holiday destination 2k14 I think! Of course I had to try the eyeshadow with the name, luckily for me it was a cream finish that I've just been adoring in all types of make up lately. I do have varied thoughts about this so won't rave or hate. 

The shade itself is rather beautiful, a taupe in the pan but almost chocolate brown when on the lids. It does have a very fine shimmer within it and can look copper in some lights. Blended out, it does look great as a smoked effect, a much better shade than blacks/greys/silvers for fair haired girls like me. Formula wise, it builds up easily but can be worn sheerer, it only takes a little warming up in the pan before application with my finger or Real Techniques Base Shadow brush and dries quickly. Being a cream shadow, I did have high expectations for the longevity of this but after around four hours, the shadow appears sparse, faded and almost cracked despite the use of an eyelid primer. I wouldn't recommend this for oily lids or hot days as it's staying power is pretty poor. The colour is a beaut, but this lacks in a key area. For the price, I'd say go and buy the two Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoos in Permanent Taupe and On And On Bronze and blend them rather than going for this little compact. I'm a huge fan of their powder eyeshadow duos but let's hope the place isn't just beautiful and has something about it, unlike this disappointing cream shadow.

What are your favourite cream eyeshadows?

Which NARS products would you recommend most?

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the lipstick rotation

 Lolita, Romy, Lovelorn, Beige Trench

Of all the different kinds of beauty products out there, lipsticks are my favourite. I could never blog about every single one as there's just so many in my collection and I'm always buying more. It's almost an addiction, or obsession whatever you want to call it but I own more lip products than it would ever be possible for me to wear. There are many that have sat there never to have graced my lips, but all that is hopefully about to change. With a promise to myself that I will buy a maximum of 4 lip products in a month, the lipstick rotation comes into play. My lovely little TKMaxx acrylic cosmetic storage has room for four lip products and with pride of place on my dressing table I've decided to switch it up at least every two weeks. 
This time around I've not been too varied or too daring, particularly for work where rocking a statement lip isn't really the right place. An old favourite has been pulled out in the form of MAC Lustre lipstick in Lovelorn. Buildable or sheer this muted blue toned pink is so wearable and is the shade I'd most recommend as a first MAC lippy! Next up is the Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in Beige Trench. The most neutral shade I own, it's not my favourite but one I'm trying to get to grips with. Paired with my fave dramatic mascara, Benefit They're Real, the lip does begin to suit me but not one I think I'd be pulling out all that often. A bit of an unflattering finish when lips aren't in the best condition but a safe option as an everyday shade. The next two, L'Oreal Glamshine Stain Splashes in Lolita and Romy* almost compliment the other two, being gloss-stain hybrids, I do like them alone or over other shades. They're the easiest products to glide on and go with plenty of wear time too. Romy is a real beauty, probably the most suited to me, a total my lips but better shade choice. Neither are sticky or thick and with a little added hydration, these could stick around for a little while longer.
So Beige Trench will be the first to depart from the current storage stash, who knows what will be next in line...
What are your favourite lip products? What area of make up do you buy too many of?
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reorganised makeup storage

It was about time I reorganised my beauty collection. It's added to every day in some shape or form and half the time I just fling it into the correct drawer but not actually into a section, usually resulting in it being left at the back of the drawer not to be seen again in a while. But now I'm taking great care in putting things back in the correct place and I could now tell you where every single product will be found without any sneaky checks. My actual dressing table or make up drawers haven't changed since this post but there's a few extra bits around including a Primark pop up laundry basket, a little woven ottoman-type box from a second hand warehouse, a new Ikea stool and Ikea bedside table (shown in more detail in this post). 

My nail polish wall racks aren't new, they're from eBay from but as my collection is always growing I've had to put some into this 3 tier cake stand in the bottom basket. The middle basket is full of Lush products and the top one has all of my mini make up samples. The floral covers you can see are Cath Kidston Provence Rose place mats which I love! There's also a Yankee Candle holder and 3 samplers from House of Fraser and a trinket box from Next at Home. I've also placed the TKMaxx acrylic cotton pad holder and a Liz Earle candle* by the side of my mirror. 

On the top of my dressing table I've made the most changes. The TKmaxx acrylic storage is now the home of all of my face brushes, my five most used lip products, the NARS blush I'm currently giving away and two of the mini milk jugs from TKMaxx which hold all of my eye brushes, cotton buds, tweezers and eyelash curlers. I've also popped in my everyday deodorant. 

This pink Tesco pen holder now has all of my eyeliners and lip liners, separated by a piece of card. The little charity shop dish has my rings, most worn earrings and hair grips. Next to it I've put all of my hairbrushes in this Ikea plant pot. Next to my mirror I've got my Jasmin Diptyque candle and multi vitamins.  

In the top drawer of the dressing table I've used the Ikea Godmorgan acrylic storage which is much tidier now. The back has all of my individual eyeshadows, both cream and powder as well as pigments. Front left has eyeshadow primers, eye crayons and gel eyeliners. Left-Middle front has eyeshadow duos and trios as well as sample mascaras and Clinique bottom lash mascara. Right-Middle front has eyelashes and adhesive. Front right has full size mascaras.

The second drawer is my skincare drawer of products I'm not currently using but know I'll be rotating back into the routine. It's not particularly neat but there's rather a lot to fit in! 

The bottom drawer is much deeper so perfect for all of my body scrubs, body butters, oils and shower gels. Somehow I'm always buying more even though I know this drawer is full!

Top drawer of the Ikea Alex drawer has an Ikea Antonius drawer insert for all of my eyeshadow palettes and eyebrow palettes.

Second drawer also uses a Ikea Antonius drawer for my lipsticks, lip glosses and lip crayons.

Third drawer has two acrylic lipstick holders for my MAC collection. There's also a bowl from a charity shop for all of my lip balms and a basket full of PR samples or recently purchased products to review.

Fourth drawer is full of concealers, primers, Fashionista palettes, powders, illuminators, BB creams, tinted moisturisers and foundations. 

The bottom drawer is full of both cream and powder blushes with a Next at Home tealight holder and TKMaxx acrylic storage at the front to hold some extra blushes.

 What do you think of my storage?

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the magazines with free gifts- out now

I can't even remember how I spent my time before I became obsessed with all things beauty. I'm always reading blogs, flicking through magazines until I reach the beauty pages or even just browsing my Twitter feed for any beauty-related news. It's probably not healthy the amount of time I spend thinking about beauty... 
There's nothing I love more than trying out a product, especially when it's a freebie. This month I've been totally drawn in by all of the free gifts with magazines in the UK so I thought I'd share the ones available with you as well as which will be having freebies next month too!

Magazine: RED Issue: July 2013 RRP: £4.00 Free Gift: Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Offer: 20% off Elemis at www.timetospa.co.uk with the code RED2013 Next month: Free 3 piece REN holiday skincare set, out July 3rd. 

Magazine: Cosmopolitan Issue: July 2013 RRP: £3.60 Free Gift: Sunglasses, available in 3 styles Next month: Choice of 3 free Nip + Fab products, out July 4th.

Magazine: Marie Claire Issue: July 2013 RRP: £3.80 Free Gift: Ciate Caviar Nail Polish Set Offer: 30% off Ciate at www.ciate.co.uk with the code MARIE30 Next month: Free Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner, out July 4th.

Magazine: Elle  Issue: July 2013 RRP: £4.00 Free Gift: Rodial Brazillian Tan, available in 3 shades Offer: 20% off Rodial at www.rodial.co.uk with the code ELLE20

Magazine: Glamour Issue: July 2013 RRP: £1.00 (this month only, usual price £2.00) Free Gift: Model Co make up, available in 5 options Offer: 25% off Model Co at www.modelcocosmetics.com with the code GLAMOUR25 Next month: Choice of 4 free Balance Me products, out July 8th.

Magazine: Company Issue: July 2013 RRP: £2.50 Free Gift: Company make up bag, available in 3 designs 
Not Featured
Magazine: InStyle Issue: July 2013 Free Gift:  Neal's Yard Remedies Daily Moisture 
Magazine: Harpers Bazaar Issue: July 2013 Free Gift: Leighton Denny Colour & Go Manicure Pen
I've not tried all of the products yet but will do some reviews soon! Have you bought any of these magazines? Will you buying any of next months issues? Which are your favourite magazines? Bloglovin | Hello Cotton | Twitter

sunbathing essentials

Today was my first day back at work after having a lovely two weeks holiday where the UK finally saw the sun! I'm officially exhausted, craving chocolate and a hot bath but I thought I'd squeeze in a blog post before I relax. The first week was spent away in Wales (we stayed here) with my boyfriend, my parents and my two dogs. We seemed to do so much and actually only had one day where my boyfriend and I decided to just sunbathe on our balcony, of course I couldn't go an entire week without photographing something for the blog so whilst out I thought I'd show you the essentials I was using.
Now there was no way my pasty legs were coming out without a little bit of help from the Garnier Summerbody Moisturising Lotion. I used this every other day on holiday because I burn so easily and never tan. It's just a really easy to use, streak free bit of colour that builds up easily without an overpowering scent. I've just stocked up on bottles of this in both Light and Deep because I never want to be pale again! I apply it with my hands after a bath/shower and then leave it to dry for around 3 minutes before getting dressed. It's never transferred onto clothes or bed sheets, nor does it cling to dry spots on your skin instead leaving skin soft and nourished. 
So now I've got a bit of added colour, there's some other beauty bits I need to attend to before I can go outside! Hair was graced with the KMS Tame Frizz Oil*, perfectly designed for humidity control. I can't rave about this stuff enough, I love how glossy and soft my hair is when I use it. Nails were all topped with Models Own x Hed Kandi polish in Hedonist, the only neon I'll rock. Super quick dry matte formula looks immense with my bronzed skin. Face needed just the combination of the Bourjois Bronzing Primer and Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream which my sample made me fall in love with. These provide the perfect base, and with the BB cream containing SPF25 and 100% UVA/UVB radiation filter my skin had a lasting, protected coverage. Lips were topped up with the Badger Tangerine Breeze lip balm* that's not too heavy, but plenty moisturising. It smells amazing too and has become a handbag favourite of mine. 
Sun cream was Nivea SPF30 which was plenty high enough for me in this handy travel size bottle. I topped up every couple of hours and there were no lobster legs to be seen. It's suitable for face and body so I did add a little to my face, particularly my little nose! New to my sunbathing routine was the Tesco Soleil Hair & Scalp Spray, a part of me that always catches the rays due to my reluctance to wear a hat. This isn't amazing, but it does what it's supposed to. It does leave hair looking/feeling a bit greasy by the end of the day but there was no burnt scalp which is why I've included it in this post. 
Non beauty essentials are sunglasses for UV protection, although these are cheap Primark aviator-style ones, it is in my plans to invest in some that serve more of a purpose than just a summer accessory! And of course, drinking plenty of water (which I do anyway -because I'm a good girl-) to keep you hydrated. Between 11am-3pm are the worst times to be out in the sun, so remember to keep yourself protected whether you're off on holiday or just sitting in your back garden, none of us want our skin to be old before our time!
PS: No, Kris Jenner ... and all things Kardashian isn't an essential, but it's a darn good read if you're as addicted to the family as I am!
Are you or have you been off on holiday this year? What are your sunbathing essentials?
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new storage solutions

I've decided to do my new/reorganised storage solutions in two posts as my entire beauty collection has had a bit of a revamp. I of course couldn't get rid of anything, I'm too much of a hoarder but I love having ways to store stuff away and keep the pretty things out. 

In my recent TKMaxx haul I picked up this really pretty chest for £12.99 which I've used to hide away all of my hair products, my tangle teezer, hair grips, bobbles and hair clips. It's got so much room in it and comes with two rope handles so you can easily move it. Some of my favourite products in here are the Macadamia Control Fast Drying Working Spray*, Bumble and Bumble Texture Creme, Philip Kingsley Daily Defense Spray and Avon Kids Detangling Spray!

Alongside the chest I picked up this little wicker basket for £2.99 which I've put all of my skincare samples in. I love these types of baskets, they can be used for so many different things and like the chest it comes with handles too. Bargain piece that looks great in my room. 

I also finally found a use for this Ikea plant pot that was stored under my bedside table until I could decide what to do with it. It's currently the home of my perfumes, although I'm not sure if this will be permanent. Gucci Guilty is my signature fragrance that my boyfriend introduced me to and will always buy me a new one of when I run out. 

Candles are from Primark and Ikea, and 'home' is also from Primark. 

What do you think of my new storage solutions?

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what i've bought #24 - bargain buys

I took advantage of the & Other Stories free delivery this week as there was a couple of things that I wanted from their beauty section. Usually delivery is £6 which I definitely think is too much so knew I had to press order despite my bank balance being rather low! I picked up the Face Contour Cream (£10) after I saw Anna using it in her Brush Free Beauty Routine video, it does look quite scary in terms of how dark it is but I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work. I also ordered the Dr Bronner's Magic Soap (£7) in the Baby Mild formula. There's loads of different uses for it, but I bought this particular one for washing my make up brushes after seeing Alix's post on it.  

This week there has been some serious bargain buys, particularly from TKMaxx. I bought a few new storage bits from there that I'll be showing in a post over the weekend but of course I couldn't go in there without browsing the beauty section. As I walk in I found loads of bottles of the Dr Bronners Magic Soap for half the price I paid! A mere £3.50 each, and too late to cancel my order from & Other Stories I've now got two bottles of the stuff! This time I picked up the Citrus-Orange formula so I can actually use this as a body wash. I couldn't believe it when I saw a NARS cleanser (RRP £38) for £9.99 and a This Works set (RRP £22) in the sale for just £5! I do love a mini, and with there being a hand cream and eye serum, you always get so much product so I was a very happy girl. 

I've also come across these Real Techniques dupes brushes on eBay for less than £3 each (here) and (here). Whilst browsing I also chose another brush from the same seller, when it arrived it had MAC 190 on it which I wasn't expecting. Obviously for the price that I paid it's not genuine, but looking at the other real MAC ones I have, it's a pretty close match! 

Finally I saw Kirsty's post on half price Seche Vite Professional Top Coat on Amazon (RRP £10.95) so had to order it after all the hype. I really hope it lives up to its claims, but at half price I don't mind too much :) 

What have you bought this week? Have you tried any of these products? Bloglovin | Hello Cotton | Twitter

giveaway - nars blush in dolce vita (uk only!)

It's been a while since I've done a giveaway, and this is a "just because I feel like giving away something really nice to my amazing readers" giveaway. I have two of this shade and I can't even remember how, but it's paid for entirely with my own money, worth £21.50 and is brand new & genuine NARS. It's a powder blush, described by NARS as a matte dusty rose. It comes in it's original box but apologies for it being a little battered, it's a bugger to open & I wanted to photograph the brand new one that one lucky winner will be receiving!
The only terms & conditions for this giveaway is that unfortunately I'm only offering it to my UK readers this time and that you must be following my blog with Bloglovin. Other entries are optional. The giveaway is open for 2 weeks from today and I will be checking all entries. 
Good luck and thank you for reading/following my blog, I love you all!  a Rafflecopter giveaway Bloglovin | Hello Cotton | Twitter