July Favourites 2016 ♡

July has been such a long month, I moved down to Southampton a few weeks ago and have been finding my feet since, I have a few ideas for home decor posts so I'll be working on those but for now, it's July favourites time.

I tried the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation (CF) this month and despite being underwhelmed at first (I have a bad habit of expecting perfection from foundations and concealers) I have grown to love it, it's buildable so that you can get the coverage you want. I find that when I use this foundation my skin looks fresh but not cakey, it looks lovely and I'm really tempted to try the Naked Skin concealer now as well. 

In my last post I reviewed the Sleek Solstice Highlight palette (CF?) and I love it,  particularly the shades Equinox and Hemisphere, they both look stunning on the cheek bones, and Equinox looks amazing on other highlight areas too, they are nicely pigmented so you don't need a lot, they definitely pack a punch and I actually haven't used my beloved champagne pop since I've had this palette, and to make it even better it's really affordable.

I just realised that I actually mentioned the Lime Crime Venus palette (CF) in my June favourites..oops..but I guess it shows I really like it? For the first week or so after I moved I just used whatever palette I could grab but wasn't really happy with any of the makeup looks, so I went back to using this and my eyelids are now happy again, I love the looks you can put together with this palette and am planning a review of it soon.

I've been liking this NYX Matte Liquid Liner (CF) despite usually struggling with this type of applicator, this one is more sturdy than others I've tried, it stays put all day and is really affordable.

Another two liquid lipstick favourites this month, I'm kind of obsessed with them and lately it's been these two in particular. Tanya Burr released her new soft luxe line recently and this Martha Moo Matte Lip (CF?)  really stood out to me, the colour is really pretty and the formula is creamy and lasts really well, I hope she brings more shades out in this line because I'd love to try more. 

For a darker shade I've been really liking the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita (CF), I've been wanting this shade for so long and finally bought it on depop, they are releasing Kat Von D products in Debenhams soon so I'm so excited for that! I don't really know what else there is to say about liquid lipsticks, I always seem to repeat myself but this one is definitely one to look out for when it comes to the UK.

top to bottom- NYX liner, Lolita, Martha Moo-sleek equinox on right
venus palette-muse venus &aura,sleek ecliptic& hemisphere 

While I was packing to move I got into watching Cuckoo on netflix and iPlayer, it's another BBC British comedy which I've really been getting into lately, I love Greg Davies and Tyger Drew Honey but to be honest I got to love all of the actors, if you're looking for something new to watch I'd definitely give it a go. 

Once I moved we didn't have any internet for a couple of weeks so I bought a few seasons of CSI quite cheap and have been addicted, I've loved watching the show since I was younger and really want to watch the New York ones too, is is bad that the whole murder/CSI thing really interests me? I think if I were to train to do anything it would be to be a crime scene detective..or a makeup artist, possibly weird..

I've had Me Before You for at least a year but never got a chance to read it, then I heard all the hype when the film came out so gave it a a go and I'd definitely recommend you read it if you haven't. I still need to see the film but the book was so beautifully mundane and frustrating..in a good way, I fell for the characters and after seeing which actors are playing them I'm now so excited to see the film, even though I'm secretly hoping the ending changes in the film. 

I forgot to take a picture of it but while we had no internet I really got into playing Rise of the Tomb Raider, I've never really been a games console person but this game was really fun, I've played Tomb Raider in the past but this game is so much better than the older ones, I'm so excited for the next one to come out, I am playing the game that came before this one and it's not as addictive but it's nice to do something that isn't on the internet.

So that's it for my July favourites, it's been a pretty crazy month and I'm still getting settled in in the new flat, hopefully soon I'll have a new job..mostly because there are a few releases coming up that I really want..but I'm also bored out of my mind.

Thankyou for reading ♡

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette Review & Swatches ♡

Everyone loves a good highlighter but they can get quite expensive, I think I may have found the perfect affordable option and as a bonus, it's a palette of four different, stunning highlight shades.

The Sleek Solstice Highlight Palette is a gorgeous gold palette with a magnetic closure and retailing for only £9.99 Sleek have really tapped into what every makeup lover seems to be looking for, and that's not even getting onto the highlighters. It does contain a brush but like most brushes that come with palettes it's not the best quality.

The Solstice palette contains four highlighters, three of them are powder and one cream but the formula for all of them is really nice.

Ecliptic- a really pretty champagne colour, the one cream of the group and is really smooth and easy to blend, this works really well as an brow bone highlight, and you can use Equinox or a similar eyeshadow to set it if you need to

Hemisphere- a lilac pink with a silver tone to it, I was really unsure about this shade but it manages to be wearable without losing it's colour, this is lovely on the cheekbones and the cupids bow

Subsolar- a golden yellow which is another I was unsure about, probably the one I reach for the least but it does look nice with the right look, I do light this down the nose to add some depth to the face

Equinox- a coppery gold colour that is stunning! this over Ecliptic is incredible and I think this might be my favourite shade in the palette, I love this on any highlight areas, it's great all round, I've also been using it on the inner corner of my eyes a lot too

sunlight swatches-L-R Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar & Equinox

I took the swatch photos both with and without flash to show the shades properly, and all of the swatches are just one layer to show how pigmented they are, you really don't need a lot of product with these! 

flash swatches-L-R-Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Sebsolar & Equinox

I use the Real Techniques setting brush (CF) to highlight, and a Spectrum A13 smudge brush (CF) to apply the cream shade to the brow bone, I can imagine these would also work well applied with your fingers if that's how you prefer to highlight, the only thing I would change about this palette is the brush, it would be better if it was softer but also would have worked well without the brush with larger pans of highlight instead. 

All in all I really would recommend you check this palette out, I was unsure myself to begin with but it was love at first swatch when I saw it in Superdrug, at £9.99 this palette is not one to miss, the packaging is lovely, the highlighters are incredible and I even love the names, such a cute touch.

This palette is available in Boots, Superdrug and Feel Unique. Sleek also has a highlight palette called Precious Metals which I'm now really tempted to get knowing how amazing this one is! 

I mentioned in my last post that I'm starting to note in my posts which products are Cruelty Free by putting (CF) next to it, I'm not 100% sure whether Sleek is cruelty free but I think they are.

Thankyou for reading ♡ 

June Favourites 2016 ♡

How is it July already?! I know everyone says it but it's so crazy how fast the year is going! I actually  just moved into my new flat today and won't have internet for a few weeks so I'm hopefully just going to get some posts ready as and when I can but for now I have my June favourites, before I start though I just wanted to say that I'm starting to try to go cruelty free, I still have and use some non cruelty free products but I will be putting (CF) after any products that to my knowledge are cruelty free, if I make a mistake please let me know but I am referencing various blogs and bloggers to check as much as I can.

The Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner has been an actual saviour this month, this eyeliner stays put so well that I have been relying on it to withstand my leaky hay fever eyes, I find that the applicator makes it easy to get a nice eyeliner shape and while it's a bit pricy for an eyeliner it does last quite a while as you don't need to use a lot of it.

I've also been loving the Rosie by Autograph loose powder (CF), it looks really nice on your skin but the packaging is kinda genius, it has a net that dispenses the product and a stopper that stops it from spilling out into the top section, I always make such a mess with loose powder but this one is really mess proof!

I've also been in love with the Lime Crime Venus Grunge palette (CF), I love the tone of the palette and think the shades look stunning in smokey eye looks, I really want to try posting some looks with this palette but I don't know how it could work.

I know I've been on a liquid lipstick hype lately but I've been hooked on them so much lately, I like the Lime Crime ones, specifically Saint (CF)  and Anastasia Beverly Hill's Crush (CF), I'm thinking about making post comparing all of the different brands and formulas but I just heard that colour pop are shipping to the UK so I might wait to try those..not that I need anymore, anyway, Saint is a really pretty deep almost brown red, perfect for vampy looks, while Crush is a nude pink colour that looks really nice for just everyday normal looks.

I think I've mentioned the M.J Arlidge Helen Grace series before but his newest book came out last month and I was so excited, the book was really good, it had me hooked and I love that the story twists and surprises you, it's called Little Boy Blue and I'm so excited to read the next one which I think it out in a couple of months, if you like crime/murder detective books I'd really recommend this series, I've actually got my boyfriend hooked on them now and it's set in Southampton as well which is where we are both now living, I know I've mentioned quite a lot of posts I want to try and do but I also want to write a review for the whole series but I don't want to miss any upcoming books out, but I also never want the series to end, oh the struggles, I know..
I've actually been meaning to put this in a favourites for a while now but I've finally remembered, it's the new (ish) Tangle Teezer for thick & curly hair, I love normal Tangle Teezers but this one is amazing, I have quite thick hair that gets the most impossible tangles in it but this helps so much, if you have slightly longer more difficult hair I'd really recommend these.

It couldn't be a June favourites video without mentioning Orange is the New Black..I know lots of people watch it but if you haven't you need to! This for me was the best season by far and I am already really excited for the next one, I feel like everything intensified a lot the season and is really boiling up ready for the next few, the season finale was incredible (I cried so much!) but I also feel like there wasn't a single weak episode or story line. I can't rave about it enough, just watch it, I'm ready to re-watch it already.
Another TV show I've been enjoying is Outnumbered, I'm really getting into re-watching TV shows on netflx and this one is so funny, I don't know how to explain it without making it sound rubbish but if you want a light heartened entertaining show to watch (perfect for after the heartbreak of OITNB) try this one.

I don't think I have any more favourites, my month was basically finishing work and packing to work,  I hope it wasn't too rambly (why do I end every post like this...I clearly ramble far too much..sorry)
Hopefully I can get a post or two up before the end of the month but if not I definitely will once I've got internet in the flat.

Thankyou for reading ♡ 

Summer Collective Haul ♡

I know I've only recently put a haul up but I have a few more things that I've bought recently, for a change I've actually got some clothes as well as I realised I don't actually wear half of what's in my wardrobe, I was supposed to be putting up my June favourites but a couple of these things actually features so I thought I'd wait until I'd posted this.

I bought these boots from depop, they're originally from New Look but I can't find these exact ones but these are fairly similar. I love the buckle detail but I did wear them on a night out the other day and my feet hated me, hopefully I can get used to them.

I needed a new pair of jeans and love the colour of these grey high waisted ones, they didn't photograph well on their own but you can see them at the top of the picture, I really struggle to find jeans to fit me properly but these are really comfy and soft.

I also needed new dungarees because they are perfect for Summer, again I love the colour of these, I'm not sure these are the exact same colour but they look close. I rely on dungarees so much in the warmer weather, they can make an outfit look more put together without being over the top.

The moment I saw this top I fell in love, I adore the colour and the lace detail, the bottom layers means it looks really cute with black leggings and they do this top in a few different colours too, the mint green one would look really cute with some denim shorts.

I love the colours in this H&M top, it's a really light weight material so perfect for Summer, they had this same print in a playsuit but I prefer the look of this top, I can't find it online but it wasn't in the sale so it should be in shops still.

Another H&M top that I can't find online, but again I really liked the patterns on this, it's a little thicker than the last one but still comfortable for Summer, I've definitely been following a theme with these clothes, but then I usually have too many Autumn clothes so these have definitely widened my clothing collection.

Makeup wise I bought another two liquid lipsticks, both through depop so I'm not sure how easy it is to get them in the UK, I have Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in Crush which is a really pretty nude colour but is lighter than the others I have which I felt I was missing, I also got the Kat Von D everlasting liquid lipstick in Lolita, I've heard so much about this shade and am so happy to finally have it, I wasn't expecting the wand to be so long so I'm having to get used it it but it is stunning! 

bottom-top: ABH Crush KVD Lolita & a selection of Venus Palette shades

I saw a few looks on instagram using the Lime Crime Venus Grunge palette and I had to have it, the shades are gorgeous and all work really well together, I'm really tempted to try and post some makeup looks using this but I'm not sure if I have the guts yet.

I also got this W7 Lavender corrector to try and help cover up my dark under eyes, I'm starting to accept that they are probably here to stay but this does help to mask them at least.

Another W7 product is this nail polish in Glisten, it's a really pretty grey/blue colour with a slight silver glitter in it, definitely not a Summery shade but I've been eyeing it up a lot at work and thought it would be perfect for Autumn/Winter.

Another nail polish but this time from Urban Outfitters in the colour Paprika, this one was in the sale but I've been eyeing the colour up for a while, it's a deep orangey red colour, I would wear this all year round as well, it's not overly Wintery like some reds can be.

 You may have noticed from my Top 5 Lush Bath Bomb's post that I love Intergalactic so I picked two up to use before I move, and I grabbed a Lava Lamp one too as I wanted something a bit more Summery, I'd definitely recommend both of these if you're looking for a new bath bomb to try.

Lastly I have Tanya Burr's new book Tanya Bakes I preordered the signed copy a while ago and am so excited to bake some of the recipes in this book! I love the pictures so much, I now kinda want to put sparklers in everything I make. 

That's it for this haul, I hope it wasn't too long and rambly, I'm moving house this weekend but will hopefully have my June favourites up before then, in the mean time if anyone has any recommendations for any cruelty free makeup please let me know, as I'm really interested in finding more CF makeup to try, especially to replace basics such as mascara and foundation.

Thanks for reading ♡