Current Favourites ♡

I made it my goal to do a favourites post every month this year, but somewhere along the way life got in the way and I definitely failed, I've decided instead to just do current favourites every so often when I have a collection of things instead, 

When I saw the release photos of the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette it was love at first sight, the colours are all stunning and I get so much use out of it, I feel like it's perfect for all year round and there isn't a single shadow I don't find myself using.
For most of the Summer I was loving putting a pop of bright colour under my lower lash line, and the Urban Decay Dive Bar shadow was my go to do that with, it's a gorgeous periwinkle blue with a violet sheeny shift, it brightens up under the eyes and is something a bit different to what I'm used to.
Last Urban Decay product I promise but the Heavy Metal liquid liner in ACDC, it's a super pretty purple with silver glitter and I use it instead of black liner on my lid and it opens and brightens up my eyes more than normal liner, because it isn't heavily coloured it goes with any eyeshadow look and it's really easy to layer to get a stronger glitter look.
Since I dyed my hair lighter I've been using bronzer to bring more colour to my face and The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in shade 3 has been the best for that, it's matte and not too orange or dark, and blends out really well so that you can really control the colour and intensity, bronzer normally scares me a little but this one is really natural and easy to use.

The Anastasia Riviera highlighter is such a pretty rose gold colour, it's been great for Summer and I'm hoping it transitions well into Autumn/Winter, I wish they would bring out more colours of this as the formula is one of my favourites.
This rose coloured Barry M lip liner has been great to use under lip colours that are too peachy for my skin, it's meant that I can actually wear colours that would usually have not looked right on me, such as the Ofra liquid lipstick in Bel-Air, I love the colour when it's layered over the lipliner so much, the formula is really nice for a liquid lipstick and I'd like to try more of them.
Anastasia Staunch matte lipstick has been my most used lipstick for the past month or so, it's actually really got me back into using lipsticks over liquid lipsticks again, it's really creamy and comfortable to wear but lasts well too, I definitely want to try more of these at some point.

I've been loving Oh Wonder for a while now but their newest album Ultralife is such a favourite lately! I find that listening to it really cheers me up but it also helps if I'm feeling anxious which is amazing, I have it on my phone as well but I wanted to show the vinyl as I love the grey and blue design, if you haven't heard of them before you should definitely give them a listen.
I'm really trying to focus more on my skincare at the moment, I haven't got a proper routine yet and my skin is going a little crazy but one thing I find that always helps is the Nip + Fab Dragon's Blood Fix Cleansing Pads, if my skin is having a freakout, either with a rash, bumps blemishes or anything these tend to clear it up really quickly, I always feel the need to have them in my bathroom just in case as they really do help me out a lot, another thing that I think helped with a stress rash I had on my face recently is the Lush Coalface soap, before I had this I wasn't really using much skincare in the morning but I make an effort to use this everyday before applying makeup and it's made quite a big difference in my skin, it's stopped acting up too much and is helping me start to develop a routine in the morning with my skin care.
The Body Shop Skin Defence SPF 50 Moisturiser is another thing I've been making an effort with to use daily, I've read a bit about sun damage over the Summer and it's really made me more conscious about protecting my face as well as my body, I just pop this on before makeup and to be honest I don't find it all that moisturising so I can usually move straight on to using my primer without having to wait for it to sink in.
I think a sure sign that you really love a product is that you feel the need to replace it straight away when you notice it's missing, and that's definitely how I feel about my Body Shop Hemp Lip Balm, I'm now on my third tube simply because I keep misplacing it and feeling like I can't be without it, my lips are constantly dry from using lipstick all the time but using this whenever I have bare lips really seems to make a difference.
My Summer scent has definitely been the Zoella Gelat-Eau body spray, it's so fresh and uplifting I've been loving it for everyday use at work, I'm also really excited to see what her new Christmas fragrance is like when it releases but I can't quite believe it's time for that already!
Back to Summer for my final favourite and it's my Coconut Lane sunglasses, These are the Rio sunglasses in Rose Gold and I've worn them so much and received so many compliments on them, I've had pink hair for most of the Summer so I've been quite matchy but I really have been loving them (you can also receive 20% off if you use my code Ditsy20)

I was also going to mention a few TV/Netflix/Movie favourites but this post is so long already so I might do another one for them, I hope I haven't rambled on too much-sorry if I have.
Thank you for reading ♡

Collective Haul Summer '17♡

I don't think I've posted a haul in such a long time but recently I've purchased a few things that I've been really excited about and wanted to share.

Urban Decay Dive Bar Eyeshadow (£15) I've been really into putting a pop of colour onto my lower lash line, with blue being my current colour of choice, I went to my local Urban Decay store and swatched so many colours and fell in love with this one, it's a gorgeous blue with a periwinkle purple shift, it's insanely beautiful, I either use it alone or layer it with the eyeliner that's up next.

Urban Decay Abyss Eyeliner (£15.50) This eyeliner looks stunning by itself or layered with the Dive Bar eyeshadow, it's a gorgeous blue with a silvery sheen, it blends beautifully and lasts really well too.

Topshop Chameleon Glow Changeling Eyeshadow (£9.50) I've managed to collect all of these and they are so pretty, this one has a peachy gold shift and looks great alone on the eyelid, these are perfect for a quick and easy eye look that looks like it was more effort than it is.

L-R changeling, abyss, dive bar, abyss & dive bar layered

Festival Face Pink Champagne Glitter (£4) I don't really know what there is to say about this, it's a really pretty chunky glitter..who doesn't like glitter?

Jeffree Star Crystal Ball Skin Frost (£25.50) I thought the colour of this was really pretty and different to what I own already, it's a little chunky but it is a nice shade, I'm not sure I'll buy any more of his highlights as they haven't been the best but this ones quite nice.

Urban Decay Jean-Michel Basquiat Gallery Blush Palette (£27) I bought this more on a whim in Debenhams but it was discounted at the time, the packaging is so cool and the shades are really pretty, the collection is probably limited edition but if you can get your hands on this you so should, I also have the red eyeliner and it's beautiful.

Lush Perspective Lipstick (£14.50) This lipstick is really pretty, it's a rosy nude colour and feels really nice on the lips, it makes such a difference to have a non-drying liquid lipstick.

L-R crystal ball, UD palette, perspective

Lime Crime Venus 2 Palette (£27.95) I have and love the first Venus palette but the second one has been out of stock for so long, it was on sale a couple of weeks ago so I decided to finally buy it, it is so pretty I'm really excited to experiment with it more.

Venus 2 

The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF50 (£16) Recently I've been really trying to be good with using SPF on my face and this one got so many good reviews I had to try it, it's also supposed to be good at protecting against pollution damage and apparently Southampton is the worst for pollution so hopefully this looks after my skin while I'm here.

Beauty Blender & Real Techniques Diamond Sponge (£16 /£12) I thought I'd put these together because really how much is there to say about makeup blenders? I needed a new beauty blender as one of mine was getting old and I was really intrigued by the diamond sponge, I used to think it was a gimmick but it's actually really useful and soft.

Crazy Color Rose Gold Dye I saw this in Sally's and thought I'd give it a go, I haven't seen much about it anywhere though I'm not sure how well it will work.
Mario Badescu Silver Powder (£12) I also bought this on a whim to see how it works, it's supposed to treat congested pores and oily skin which I feel like mine definitely is, it's a powder that you apply using damp cotton pads, it's a bit strange but I really hope it works okay.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (£16) I've been hearing so much about this lately, it's a spot treatment that contains salicylic acid and calamine, my old favourite spot treatment was the Origins one so I needed a cruelty-free alternative so I hope this works as well.
China Glaze Base & Top Coat(£7.19) I needed a new base and top coat so picked up the Strong Adhesion base coat and the No Chip top coat to see if they keep nail polish on properly for longer.

Dixi Amethyst Necklace I can't find this exact one on the website anymore but I bought this when they had a sale on and it's so pretty, I love being around crystals and the length of this necklace means it's really easy to wear as I usually find them too long for me.
Scorpio Pendant Necklace (£10) I've been looking for a zodiac necklace like this for a while and this one is really cute, I find that both of these necklaces layer really nicely as well.

Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland (£9.99) I know "youtuber" books can be a bit hit and miss but this one by Louise sounds really good, I'm so excited to read it and see what it's like.

Thank you for reading♡

May Favourites 2017♡

I've been kicking myself that I keep putting my favourites posts so late but I kind of just write these for me anyway so I suppose it doesn't matter, I am trying to put more time into this but for now, I'm happy just doing it my way.

With the warmer weather I've been preferring using the Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done, it's described as a hybrid complexion perfector which I'm not entirely sure the meaning of but it's got a lighter coverage and isn't heavy on the skin, it's been really nice not having the cakey foundation feeling. Where I'm using a lighter coverage on my face I do sometimes need a bit of help in some areas where I do need more coverage and the Nars Soft Matte Concealer has been perfect for that, it isn't heavy on the skin but adds more coverage where I need it.
The new Too Faces Blinded by the Light highlight is so pretty it was basically the only one I used in May, it gives a really pretty glow but has a soft finish which was great for Summery looks.

I had to get the Sleek Vintage Romance palette after seeing Gabby from Velvet Ghost using it in a tutorial, I love the pinky purple colours, initially I thought this wouldn't work well in the Summer but after using it for a while I think it might just be one of those palettes that could work all of the time.
The Jeffree Star Androgyny liquid lipstick has been a huge favourite recently, the colour is so pretty and the formula is so much better than the other shades that I've used.

top-bottom: Sleek eyeshadows, Too Faced Gloss & Jeffree Star lipstick

Other than Androgyny I've actually gone off of liquid lipsticks lately, they are so drying on the lips that I've actually started wearing lip gloss a lot more and my favourite is definitely the Too Faced Sweet Peach gloss in Papa Don't Peach, I usually can't wear peach tones on my lips but this one leans more nude so looks really pretty alone or layered over nude/ pink lipsticks.

I got a new tattoo done in May and Lush's Dream Cream was a lifesaver, I don't really like using the nappy cream people say to use as it's so thick and sticky but Dream Cream is a really good alternative, it sinks in much quicker and is really refreshing, it contains oat milk which is great for dry skin, it's also really good for eczema as well.
As I can't wear bright or bold nail polish for work these two China Glaze polishes have been my go-to nail look, They are Beach Beige and Fairy Dust and together they look so cute, you really can't see it in these photos but Fairy Dust is a really pretty sparkly silver based glitter but it reflects almost holographic but over the top of Beach Beige it just adds a nice sparkle.

I still haven't actually finished Into the Water by Paula Hawkins but I have really enjoyed what I've read so far, like Girl on the Train it keeps you hooked and I find it really interesting seeing the story and the characters develop.
The adorable Baby Groot had to make this favourites, I saw both Guardian's of the Galaxy for the first time in May and while I loved the second one Baby Groot was my favourite part of both of them, he's so funny and adorable and he just makes me so happy..is that strange? Whether it is or not I now have a keyring and a pop funky figure of him and I don't think the love is going anytime soon.
It's slightly annoying me that I can't remember whether I saw Fast and Furious 8 in May or June but I'm going to mention it now just in case, I never in a million years thought I'd like these films but they are such a non-guilty pleasure of mine, this one was so cool and I loved everything about it!
With TV Pretty Little Liars has made a comeback and while a lot of people are tired of but I'm actually really liking the new series, it's a bit annoying in places but I'm going to be so gutted when it's finally finished.
I started to watch The Vampire Diaries again last month and am obsessed again, I used to watch it years ago but now it's on Netflix it's so much easier to watch and it's so good!
 The last thing I wanted to talk about is the crystals in the last photo, in May I was travelling to Bath to work quite a bit but there's a really cool crystal stall that's been there quite a few times and I've picked up these in a few visits, I'm not entirely sure what they all are so I need to do some research but I absolutely love them.
I've said it before but the quality of my photos is really annoying me lately and I do really want to try a new camera but for now, this will have to do, sorry if it's annoying.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post
Thanks for reading♡

all of the glow-my highlight (and bronzer) collection ♡

I love seeing peoples makeup collections and thought I'd share my collection of highlight and contour products, like nearly everyone at the moment I am obsessed with highlighters and am definitely more into the more intense, glowy options out there.

I do find that I tend to prefer higher end highlighters but I think that's more to do with the range of brands I can choose from there as in the UK at least the "highstreet" cruelty free brands are very few unfortunately. 

I thought I'd also mention my bronzers/contours as they sort of fit together I suppose.

Makeup Geek-Bad Habit- My current go to contour product, you don't need much of this at all and it blends really nicely, they have a range of colours and they even tell you what skin tone they work best for which is so helpful, I'd definitely recommend checking these out if you struggle to find contour shades to suit your skin.

Makeup Obsession-Light- This isn't a brand I've heard much about but my sister got me some of their pans for Christmas, you build your own palette and they are quite good for their price, when I went onto the site to look up the shade they have a few to choose from but they do have one very pale shade which would be great if you usually struggle to find a contour for pale skin.

top-bottom: Makeup Geek, Makeup Obsession, The Balm, Smashbox, Sleek.

Sleek Contour Kit-Medium- This one's a little bit dark for me but I found that the contour shade was cooler in this than the light one, the highlight is also a little dark but makes a pretty eyeshadow.

The Balm Bahama Mama- I don't have many non contour bronzers as I don't tend to use them that often but this one gives a really pretty healthy glow, it has a subtle shimmer but nothing too intense.

Smashbox Contour Kit- You can definitely tell that I liked the contour shade in this, the bronzer is really nice as well, all three shades are matte which isn't usually what I go for but is it good for highlighting the brow bone. (Also Smashbox is now cruelty free!)

Becca Champagne Pop- The highlighter that everyone lost their minds over, it's basically fact that this highlight is stunning but for some reason I thought it was limited edition so panic bought a back up, it's definitely worth it though.

Becca Split Pan Duo-Prosecco Pop/Amaretto- I mostly got this for the blush shade, amaretto is such a pretty colour for a blush and not something I had in my collection already, Prosecco Pop is slightly too gold for my skin usually but it does look pretty blended out or as an eyeshadow.

t-b: The Balm, Jeffree Star, Becca Champagne Pop, Becca split pan

Jeffree Star & Manny MUA Eclipse- I'm not really a fan of either Jeffree Star or Manny but I have been wanting to try one of the Skin Frost's for a while and this was the first one that I really liked the colour of, the formula of this isn't my favourite as it's a bit hard to get decent pay off with so I have to use a much more dense brush than usual and build it up but the colour is really pretty and I have heard that this isn't the same with all of Star's highlight formulations, because of this I am really tempted to give Ice Cold a go but I'm a little reluctant to buy another one right now.

The Balm Mary Lou Manizer- This highlighter has so much hype behind it and it is really pretty, I don't tend to use it as much as I probably should, I'll have to give it more of a go but I would definitely recommend it, it is also slightly more affordable sitting sort of between high and low end so would be good if you're looking to try slightly pricier brands.

Sleek Solstice Palette- This is another product that had SO much hype around it for a while, Sleek has come out with a few of these but I think this one was definitely most popular, I actually have a separate review of this so I won't go on too much but it is really pretty and definitely worth a swatch if you're interested, it's a good way of testing different tones of highlighters without being too pricey.

t-b: MUO pearl, moon, Sleek palette

Makeup Obsession Pearl & Moon- These are really pretty and quite good quality for the price, I think if they made these in bigger, stand alone versions they would be really popular, as with the contour shade they have so many different colours and tones of these so I really want to have a look at them next time I see them in boots.

t-b: kitty kat, forever young, daydream, forever lit, glow getter, 143

Anastasia Nicole Guerriero Palette- I'd be wanting to try the Anastasia highlighters for a while and this glow kit seemed perfect, I really love how metallic and intense these look, with the more gold shades I tend to mix them so that they don't look too gold on my skin but I use all of the shades a lot, they also make great eyeshadows, this palette was limited edition but it's definitely got me tempted in their other glow kits.

These two don't really need their own section but if I'm being honest I bought them after taking the photos for this post but I really wanted to add them in, if I'm being even more truthful I do have even newer ones since this but I figured they'd just end up in another post somewhere..I really have a highlight problem..

Too Faced Prismatic Highlight-Blinded by the Light- When I saw these highlights on instagram I fell in love, they remind me of little Polly Pockets and they are truly stunning, this is the lightest shade and it looks so pretty on but the other two shades would look so nice on deeper skin tones, I really hope they bring out more shades in this range as I feel they could really be popular.

Primary Mermaid Glow- A much cheaper product here that I think I saw in someones testing Primark makeup videos and fell in love with, I've never used Primark makeup before but for only £3 or so this is really good! Again they should really bring out more of these as they could do so well! I have since realised that Primark probably isn't cruelty free which is annoying as I didn't even think about that at the time. 

t-b Too Faced, Primark

I hope this was interesting, whether you're a fellow highlight obsessee or maybe you're looking to get into highlighters? it was definitely fun to swatch them all and talk about them, though it hasn't really helped with my addiction. If you have any highlighters that you feel I need to look at please let me know (or don't..should I be fuelling this obsession? Probably not..)

Thankyou for reading  ♡

April Favourites 2017 ♡

April was quite a good month but I can't get over how fast this year is going, hopefully Summer is on it's way 'cause I'm a bit tired of being cold all the time! I have quite a few favourites this month so I'm going to try not to ramble too much.

I've been loving the Makeup Geek Contour powder in Bad Habit, it's designed for warm, fair skin I really like that they have so many shades and they tell you what skin tone they are best for, it's so helpful if you're unsure of what colour to go for. It is really pigmented but blends really well.

The Soap and Glory Rosy Chic blush is such a pretty, easy to wear colour, it's great for Spring and probably the nicest "drugstore" blush I've used.

I've heard great things about the Jeffree Star skin frosts but hadn't seen one I thought would work on my skin, then I saw his collab with Manny MUA the colour Eclipse looked perfect, it is a little difficult to work with so I tend to use the Spectrum Contour brush to buff it on and then use the Sigma Tapered Highlight brush to blend it out and it works great, I know there's controversy around Jeffree and Manny and I'm not a fan of either but this is a really pretty highlight.

L-R S&G Rosy Chic, MUG Bad Habit, JS Eclipse, UD Roach, ABH eyeshadows 

I'd been eyeing up the Urban Decay eyeshadow in Roach for a while and it is everything I'd hoped it would be! It works really well with the Naked one palette and the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette but I also find that it works well by itself if I'm in a rush (overslept and have no time to do my makeup)
I've also really been into orange toned eyeshadows lately, I know I've mentioned the Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette before but this time it's the shades Burnt Orange and Realgar that have really been in use for this month.

The Body Shop Tea Tree range has really been saving my skin lately, the 3in1 wash, scrub and mask has been useful to use a few times a week to keep my skin from breaking out, and then I've been using the anti-imperfection daily solution twice a day and have really been noticing a difference. I've also been loving the facial mask brush to apply facemasks, it makes applying facemasks so easy, they go on evenly and it means it doesn't irritate the eczema on my hands.
I'm only supposed to wear nude nail polish at work so this Essie colour in Spin the Bottle is perfect, I thought it was cruelty free but I now don't think it is, I wanted to mention it anyway as it has literally been the only nail polish I wore all month.
My lips have been really sore and dry lately and this First Aid Beauty lip balm has really helped to make a huge difference, I think as long as I keep wearing liquid lipstick my lips will never be great but this has really helped a lot.
I've been looking to try the Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner for a while and it has lived up to all of my hopes, it makes your skin so soft but also leaves a beautiful scent that lingers.
I think I mentioned in my February favourites that I loved Broadchurch, as it ended in April I figured I could talk about it again, it was such a well thought out story and I really felt like it did the show proud, I am sad it's all ended now but it ended so well and really did the first season justice.
After seeing everyone go on about Line of Duty on twitter I decided that we needed to give it a go, we could only watch the first two series online as the third isn't out on netlflix yet but we both absolutely loved it. It's such an interesting side to police dramas and so addictive, I'm really hoping series 3 comes onto netflix soon.
The last TV show I wanted to mention is one I never thought I'd watch, Hollyoaks, it's so over the top it's quite funny but as it's only about half an hour long it's so easy to watch and I've been getting hooked on all of the different characters.
That's it for my April favourites, again I'm so annoyed about the quality of the pictures but I'm not really sure how to change that for now, I hope it isn't too bad.
Thankyou for reading ♡

March Favourites 2017 ♡

Not quite as late as all the other's but still later than hoped, I'm finally getting round to doing my March favourites, I don't have as many as I thought initially but I do love everything in here a lot, also I mentioned in my last post that I'm kinda annoyed with the quality of my photos, I would love to get a camera but I'm not sure I can justify £££, if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them, I have no idea when it comes to tech.

I'd been wanting a Jurassic Park t-shirt for ages and found this one on etsy, I decided to get a medium as I wanted it slightly baggy, it is a bit big but I love this tucked into shorts and skirts, I actually wore this when we went out for a few drinks for Greg's birthday and so many people came up and said they liked it, in a bar full of girls in dresses so I thought that was kind of cool, slightly geeky but I love it, I'm actually tempted to get a smaller size so I can wear it with jeans as well.

I mentioned all of these makeup products in my last, what's in my makeup bag post so I've already spoken about them on here, I'll try not to ramble on about them but can't make any promises.

As I mentioned in my last post I've been using the Lottie London Selfie Ready foundation to lighten the colour of my Too Faced foundation, it stops it from going too orangey on my skin but doesn't sheer the coverage out at all, I really like that it's in a squeezey bottle as it gives more control over how much you add. This was the first Lottie London product I've tried and now I'm definitely wanting to try more. 

I've already mentioned the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette in a monthly favourites but another product from the range that I've been loving is the Papa Don't Peach blush, I usually layer this over other blushes to add a nice glow but it is also great on it's own as a less intense coloured blush, I'm planning on doing a blush collection post soon so I'll probably talk more about this then.

The Anastasia Nicole Guerrero palette has been my go to highlight of choice lately, they are so pigmented and look stunning on the skin, I usually mix a few of them together but especially love forever young and kitty kat, after using this I know I would love more of the Anastasia highlights in future, again I'm planning a highlight collection soon so will go into this more then but it is really stunning.

I switched over to using the Urban Decay Brow Box a little while ago as I was finding pomades were too heavy and unnatural looking, the two shades in this work really well to blend together to make natural, full looking brows and I've even been enjoying using the wax to set them, it isn't heavy or stick at all and I'm loving having lighter, less heavy brows.

TV wise I have to mention Broadchurch, the third and final series started in March and is now nearly over, if you haven't seen or heard of Broadchurch before you need to go and watch it! This new season is just as well executed as the last two, I love that it's talking about really important topics and highlighting the way that society handles them, the acting is amazing and I really wish there were more shows like this on TV as I feel like it portrays difficult topics really well.

Very different to Broadchurch but I don't think I mentioned it before, Greg and I have been watching The Big Bang Theory on Netflix and been loving it, he isn't usually one to watch those sorts of shows but I'd been watching it as a quick watch and he ended up catching up and watching it with me, I love that the episodes are quite short so they are perfect for fitting in a few after work, we've finished all of the episodes on Netflix now so need to find a way of watching the more recent ones. 

That's all for my March favourites, sorry if it's been a bit rambly, I got into the mood to write at 2am and have just sat and babbled it all out onto the screen. I do have a few ideas for new blog posts but as I mentioned before my photo quality is really irritating me so if you do have any recommendations I'd be really grateful. Thankyou so much for reading ♡

What's In My Makeup Bag-Cruety Free ♡

I've been loving seeing the How Cruel is Your Makeup Bag tag on youtube lately as it wasn't until I decided to only buy Cruelty-Free about a year ago that I realised how many brands are CF and how many are quite shady about it. It's not as easy as I first thought it would be as some brands aren't entirely honest about their CF status, and even the ones that are CF aren't always easy to get hold of. I thought I'd share with you my current everyday makeup, I think most of it is CF but some brands I'm still not 100% sure on as certain sources contradict each other-it's definitely not as easy as having a straight up yes or no answer, unfortunately.

An easier way I found of making my makeup collection cruelty-free is to identify some CF brands that you know you love already, or are really interested in trying and build up your basics using them, and then work from there, for me that was mostly Urban Decay but I've also branched out to Too Faced for basics as well, I would that that the budget "drugstore" brands in England don't tend to be CF, and I'm not overly a fan of those that are but it's all personal preference and down to you and your budget.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser (£9) My skin's been quite blemish prone lately and using this is not only helping to clear up my skin but it's also a really nice feeling primer, it doesn't have a very silicone-like texture so feels nice on the skin and helps provide a nice base for makeup.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation (£29) I've mentioned this foundation in a favourites post before, the coverage and consistency work really well for me but I do find that it can oxidise on me and go kind of orange but I mix it with the Lottie London one and the colour works out fine.
Lottie London Selfie Ready Foundation (£6.95) As I mentioned I use this to help control the colour of the Too Faced foundation, I haven't used Lottie London makeup before but I am definitely interested in trying some more after this.
Kat Von D White Out Concealer (£20) Years of late nights have left me with the worst dark circles under my eyes, I've basically accepted that they are here to stay but I have started trying colour correctors to help cover them a bit, this isn't really a corrector but as it's white it does help to brighten the under eye, I really want to try the regular concealer and foundation but can't work out what shades I would need and they don't stock them near me.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Colour Correcting Fluid in Pink (£19) This is my other colour correcting product of choice, it helps brighten under the eyes along with the Kat Von D concealer.
Too Faced Born This Way Concealer (£20) This concealer has been raved about so much by so many people, it is nice but I think I'm far too fussy with concealer, it's probably because of my dark circles but I always expect far too much from concealer which is definitely more my fault than anything else.
RCMA No Colour Powder (£11.95) This is another hyped product and I really love it, because it doesn't have a colour to it it doesn't interrupt your makeup, it's so finely milled that it goes on so smoothly and not cakey. The one issue I have is that the packaging is really inconvenient but I have ordered a container to put some of the powder into to make it easier as I currently have to take the entire lid off which is definitely dangerous with a kitten hanging around.
Urban Decay Chill Setting Spray (£23.50) Setting spray is one of those products that I feel lost without, the Urban Decay ones are my favourite but I don't really mind between this one and the All Nighter, they are both really nice.

Sleek Contour Kit (£6.99) This is one that I'm now not sure is actually cruelty free which is annoying, having said that contour is something that I haven't found one that I'm in love with but this one creates a natural colour to contour with, I have just got a Makeup Geek one that I'm excited to try so if this isn't cruelty free then at least I can replace it.
Soap and Glory Made You Blush Rosy Chic Blush (£9) I bought this on a whim but the colour is stunning! It's pigmented but blends really well.

L-R Sleek Contour, S&G Rosy Chic, TF Papa Don't Peach, S&G and TF layered, Anastasia Forever Young & Kitty Kat

Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush (£25) I tend to use this lightly over the top of other blushes, it adds a really pretty glow, not a highlight but just a nice glow.
Anastasia Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit (£39) I've been really into highlight lately and this palette has been in constant use since I got it, the colours might be quite pink but they don't look strange on at all, I tend to mix and match them to suit my makeup and they are so pretty!

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Enigma (£16) The Urban Decay primers are my favourite and this one is really nice, it's limited edition but the money for it goes to an initiative for women, I've used a few of the different shades of Primer Potion and this is one of my favourites so I hope they do make it permanent.
Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette (£39) I have been obsessed with this ever since I got it, the shades are stunning and the quality is really good, I actually prefer this to the chocolate bar palette and find it so much easier to use despite the fact that the shades are peachy toned, I think they look really pretty on blue eyes and are perfect for Spring/Summer.
Urban Decay Roach Eyeshadow (£15) I've wanted this for a little while and it is definitely as nice as I was expecting, it's a warm bronze brown with a red undertone, it's stunning and I've found it works quite well with the Too Faced palette as well, I've started collecting quite a few Urban Decay single shadows and they are some of my favourites.
Top Shop Chameleon Glow in Shuffle the Cards (£9.50) Again I thought Top Shop makeup was cruelty-free but I'm not so sure anymore, this is a really pretty multi-dimensional eyeshadow that can also be used as a highlight which I would be tempted to test on a night out. I tend to use this over the top of other eyeshadows to add a glittery glow, you can't go wrong with a bit of sparkle.

L-R: UD Roach, TS Shuffle the Cards, TF Peach Pit, Luscious, Summer Yum & Cobbler

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (£16) This is probably the easiest eyeliner to use to get a winged eye look, it gives a beautiful sharp line and is really easy to apply.
Anastasia Waterproof Creme Eyeliner (£18) I've been trying to get the hang of creme eyeliners recently and while I haven't quite got it right yet this one is really pigmented and creamy and I've found it's more forgivable than others I've tried if you make mistakes.
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara (£10) Mascara was one of the things I was most unsure about when I went cruelty free, I was so in love with Maybelline mascaras and didn't want to have to keep spending on higher end brands but this Soap and Glory one has been my favourite I've tried so far, it gives volume and length without being clumpy.
Urban Decay Brow Box (£22) Before this I had been using the Anastasia brow pomades and started to find it was a bit heavy looking, I decided to try this instead and have found that it's much less cakey looking and as it has two colours in you can play around with them to make them work better for your eyebrow colour.

I feel like this has been such a long post, it's taken me so long to write it but I really wanted to get it up in between my Feb and March favourites so I've been trying really hard to get it finished, I'm really annoyed about the photo quality and am thinking about getting a camera at some point as I'm currently using my iPhone 6 but it isn't great quality, if anyone has any recommendations please let me know.
I hope this post was interesting, I know when I was looking to go Cruelty-Free I found it really daunting and I'm thinking of making more posts about it to see if it can help anyone at all.
Thank you for reading ♡

February Favourites 2017 ♡

The Too Faced Sweet Peach palette wasn't really something I'd thought about before but after hearing a few people rave about it I gave in and bought it, I love the shades in this palette, they seem to have everything you need and the colours work beautifully together, I actually think this palette has a better layout and colour range than the Chocolate Bar palette which is such a relief as I wasn't sure I'd like it as much.
Urban Decay eyeshadows are some of my absolute favourites and I seem to be building a little collection of the single pans, my latest addition is Blackout, I actually have this in a couple of my UD palettes but it's such a useful shade I had to have it in pan form, it's so handy to have as a lot of palettes don't tend to have black/very dark shades so this is perfect to have on hand when I want to add a deeper, smokey edge to my eyeshadows.
The RCMA No Colour Powder is the perfect loose powder, it doesn't leave a powdery cast on the face, it sets makeup well and isn't too heavy on the skin. I've been struggling to find a good loose powder to use all over and this one is exactly what I wanted, my only problem with it is the packaging as I don't like the fact that you have to shake it out of the holes in the lid as it makes a mess and goes everywhere which is a shame.

Everyone seems to have fallen in love with the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lipstick and for good reason. It's the perfect partner to the lipliner and looks beautiful, Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks are probably my favourite at the moment and I kind of hope they make this one permanent as I'd hate to run out of it.
Another popular product lately has been the Pixi and Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse, not only does this leave my skin entirely makeup free but it's quick to use as well so even when I can't really be bothered to properly take my makeup off this makes it really easy.
What Would Love Do? came out around Valentines time in the Lush kitchen, it contains benzoin resinoid, tangerine and lavender and smells sweet but fresh as well, the best thing about Lush perfumes is that they smell so different to more popular, regular brand perfumes and tend to last longer as well.

Back in January I lightened my hair from brown to what was supposed to be a dark blonde/rose gold, years of dye abuse however left me with a lighter, coral blonde shade which I wasn't a fan of, the Maria Nila Colour Refresh in Pearl Silver has really saved my hair a lot, it's still now how I'd like it but it has cooled down a lot, it's a toner mask that I use about once a week and it's been working perfectly, I also use the Pink Pop colour every now and again to put a rosy tone in and they work really well, not to mention they smell amazing and leave your hair feeling great.
I actually feel kind of guilty about this one, but it happened, I'm cheating on my Tangle Teezer with the Wet Brush. I'd been hearing rave reviews about it for so long I caved and bought it and it's so good! I feel like it's softer on my hair both wet and dry, but I also love the fact that it has a handle, it's probably my clumsiness but I frequently found myself dropping the Tangle Teezer..or throwing it across the room by accident..I feel bad but I think this is definitely my new favourite hair brush, definitely worth a try.
I love Coconut Lane's laptop accessories and added this one to my collection in February, it's the Rose Gold Marble laptop case and it looks so pretty! They have so many different styles to choose from and also do this rose gold marble in phone cases and other products, the prices are reasonable and the quality is really good too, this definitely isn't sponsored but I do have a 20% discount code if you're looking for anything on the site, just enter ditsy20, I'm definitely excited to see what new products they come up with for this year.

I've been looking for a zodiac coin necklace like this for quite a while and found the perfect one on Simply Different, I love the style of this pendant, especially it's antique silver effect as I think they look much better when they're more worn looking. I've work this nearly every day and love it.
A movie favourite for Feb was definitely Hidden Figures, I loved this film so much, the entire cast was brilliant, it made me laugh, cry but most importantly it really made me really think. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can watch it again.
I'm so annoyed that this months favourites is really late again, life seems to continuously get in the way and working full time awkward hours definitely doesn't help. Hopefully March's favourites won't be quite as late. I do have some really exciting favourites in mind though so it shouldn't be too difficult.
I do have someone very exciting to introduce though which I thought I'd do at the end of this post seeing as she is part of the reason this post is so late (she's very distracting)

This is Luna, our new kitten, she's adorable but can be very mischevious, hence why I've been a bit more distracted, but she's incredibly cute and cuddly. Technically I got her in March but we'll class her as a favourite anyway. 

Thankyou for reading, I hope your month is going well, hopefully it won't be so late next time! 

♡

The Ultimate Beauty Tag ♡

The other day I was scrolling through my youtube subscriptions and came across something I haven't seen in a while, a tag..and a beauty tag at that! I don't know what happened to beauty tags but in a time where cutting through things with a hot knife is trendy on youtube I really miss good old fashioned tag videos/posts. Gracie Saunderson has created this Ultimate Beauty Tag and I really wanted to give it a go as her answers were really interesting.

1. When did you get into makeup and why? I was about 14/15 when I started to wear makeup and to be honest it was mostly because everyone else was so I felt I should, I feel so stupid admitting that, especially as I didn't really need it at this time and most of the time I would put it on for school in my first lesson sneakily, between lessons or at break which was just ridiculous. This was in the days of dream matte mousse so I'm sure it didn't even look good, thankfully selfies weren't really a thing back then. I was about 17/18 when I got into makeup properly, taking an interest in different brands.

2. Most repurchased product? I don't really repurchase products often as I'm always looking for new things, I have bought several of the W7 power puffs (their answer to the beauty blender) as well as the Seche Vite Top Coat but I don't buy them or use them anymore.

3. Product you'd never repurchase? I could say anything not cruelty free but I feel like that's cheating, I haven't bought anything in a while that I've hated because I tend to research products before I buy them but I'd say the Urban Decay Perversion mascara, the actual mascara was nice but I found the brush was too big and messy for my eyes, also the Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks in general as I've had two and find the formula to be more difficult to work with than other brands.

4. Best dupe product? I think the Makeup Geek eyeshadows make a really good alternative to mac eyeshadows, they are cheaper and cruelty free and I honestly think that the formula and pigmentation are better. I'm hoping to do a post on my palette with these shadows at some point as well.

5. Have you ever bought fake makeup? No and I never would, that's one of my biggest depop hates is seeing people selling fakes, they can be so dangerous it really isn't worth the risk!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRGoTW6lkVg/?tagged=makeupquotes

6. Current favourite makeup brand? Definitely Urban Decay though Too Faced is second at the moment, I love shopping at my local Urban Decay stand and their new releases are so exciting lately! As for Too Faced I've found myself more and more interested in them recently despite not really bothering before.

7. What is one beauty hack you know and do? I don't really use any hacks, though I've learnt to spray my setting spray before doing my mascara to stop it smudging, slightly annoyed it took me so long to work out to do it that way but it saves me so much hassle.

8. Do you have any beauty regrets?  Like I mentioned before it's probably just wearing it when I didn't need to when I was younger, and also becoming dependent on it to the point where it's only been recently that I've been able to leave the house, even just to the shops, without any on.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRD5QMgDZYf/?tagged=makeupquotes

9. What's one product or brand you'd like to try? One product that's been on my wishlist for the longest time is the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette. I'd really like to try Colour Pop as a brand as well as their lip products look really pretty but I'm not sure how easy they are to get in the UK.

10. What do you use to remove your makeup? At the moment I'm using the Pixi Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse which is really good, it's super easy to use and makes my skin feel really nice, sometimes I wish I had makeup wipes in if I'm tired and can't be bothered but it doesn't actually take long to get your makeup off so that's just me being silly.

I'm sorry for the random pictures but in all honesty I've been so busy with work and we just got a new kitten so I completely blanked on taking photos for this post, oops. Shout out to instagram for saving me at the last moment- #makeupquotes to the rescue!

Thankyou for reading, I hope this was interesting and not just me babbling on, Gracie's video of her tag is here if you want to see the original, I really hope tags make a come back!
♡

January Favourites 2017 ♡

Last year I set myself the goal of writing a favourites post every month..and failed after August, this year I'm going to try again but I guess we'll see. Because of that I have a few things in this months favourites that I've been loving for longer but had to mention them anyway.

Skincare has been a huge favourite for January, I got my nose pierced and using salt water to clean it left me with a really dried out nose (lovely I know) so using the Lush Eau Roma Water and Enzymion moisturiser I managed to get my skin to settle, Eau Roma Water is described as a kind aromatherapy water. It helps to moisturise while toning, and contains rose and lavender water which are soothing and great for sensitive skin, you can mist it onto your face under and over water but I prefer to spritz it onto a cotton pad and wipe it on. 

One problem I tend to have with moisturisers is that they can be too heavy for my skin, Enzymion has been a great way to avoid this problem, it's gentle and isn't overly oily so sinks in quickly, it's quite pricey for a small pot but you only need the tiniest amount so it should last ages.

The Nip + Fab Dragon's Blood Fix Cleansing Pads have been a favourite for a couple of years now but I recently found out that they're cruelty free so have recently repurchased them, these pads are my saviours when my skin's misbehaving, I've been getting strange small bumps on my skin, like spots that won't form properly, but these help clear them up faster than any other product I've tried. Nip + Fab can be pricey but Boots and Superdrug usually have offers on for them.

Primer is something I've struggled to get on with in the past, I hate the silicone/oily feel of most of them but the Kat Von D Lock-it Featherweight Primer is silicone and oil free so feels much nicer on the skin. You don't need a lot and it creates a great base for foundation. It's hydrating as well so I do tend to use it in place of moisturiser some mornings if I'm feeling lazy.

After hearing so many good things about the Too Faced Born This Way foundation I thought I'd give it a go, it's oil free, contains coconut water and is beautiful, it sits really nicely on the skin, it lasts really well as well so I don't need to worry about it disappearing from my skin throughout a day at work which is exactly what I need in a foundation.
Nars Sin has pretty much been the only blush I've been wearing throughout January. It's a pretty berry  plum shade with a subtle gold shimmer, I apply it very lightly for a healthy looking glow, and I love the fact that it's buildable so it isn't too intense.
The Makeup Obsession highlighters are really beautiful and affordable and I've been loving the shade Moon in January, it's got a lilac tone to it but doesn't look overly intense unless you want it to be. You can put these in palettes but they also work really nicely as individual products, I'm not sure if they are cruelty free or not as the brand is so new but I'm hoping they are so I can look at more products of theirs.

I got the original Naked palette for Christmas and I'm so surprised with how much I fell in love with it, I've been unsure about this palette for years but now I have it I regret waiting so long. The colours are stunning but as I'm probably the last to the party on this one there's probably not much point going on about it...but it's definitely worth all the hype.
In January I gave in to a complete impulse buy and got the Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette. It's very pricey but I found myself loving the shades, even the ones I thought would scare me, I need to play around with it a bit more but it is beautiful and has a nice variety of colours.
I basically used the Anastasia Dusty Rose Liquid Lipstick for the whole of January, especially at work where I wanted an easy to wear, simple colour. It's a beautiful colour that is basically exactly what the name suggests but I find that the creamy formula of the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks is one of the best formulas that I've tried.

I completely forgot to put this in the makeup photos but at the end of 2016 I gave in and bought the actual Beauty Blender sponge (instead of using other brand's alternatives) and I love it so much, it feels so much softer than the other's I've tried, it blends foundation and concealer so well and cleans better than other ones as well.
Also at the end of 2016 M.J Arlidge brought out the next book in his Helen Grace series, Hide and Seek, it's quite different to the other books in his series but it's so good! I always find that I get through these books so quickly because they're so addictive but I also struggle to pick up other books after finishing them because I just want to know what happens next but have to wait for the next books to come out, It's a real bookworm problem.
My last post was all about my Odeon Limitless subscription  and in this months favourites I have to mention my favourite films I saw in January. Passengers was definitely a favourite, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt could never disappoint and it was such a cool film, I also loved Split despite it scaring me slightly. It's such an interesting film, especially if you're into psychology and psychological thrillers. I also surprised myself and really enjoyed Star Wars Rogue One, if you're not that into Star Wars and have avoided the last few new ones I'd definitely recommend giving them a chance as I usually avoid Star Wars at all costs but liked these new ones.
It couldn't be a January favourites without mentioning the fact that I am absolutely in LOVE with Ed Sheehan's new music, I've already preordered his album on CD and vinyl and am so stupidly excited to hear the whole thing!
Also TV wise I've really been getting into watching the Big Bang Theory, I like that the episodes are quite short, I started watching it from the beginning on Netflix and now Greg's started watching it with me too.
That's it for my January favourites, it ended up being much longer than I'd planned and also a lot later too, life definitely got in the way but I'm hoping that February's won't be quite so late.
Thankyou for reading ♡