Boots Haul.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been doing quite a bit of shopping and collecting some bits and bobs for presents for Christmas so I thought I'd show you what I've purchased as there's quite a bit!

I'll start with the basics as I've stocked up on quite a few necessities including Contact lens solution(the boots one is the only one I'll ever buy), toothpaste(who doesn't need this!), hand wash and this one smells amazing!! And finally face wipes for use after cleansing.

I then picked up my favourite after shampoo and condition combination. I love ultimate blends, but the 'marvellous transformer' makes my hair feel so soft and silky. 

Now on to the good stuff! I bought two L'oreal mascaras because mascaras seem to run out really fast and I have nothing but good things to say about them. The Bourjois bronzer/highlighter duo was something I bought for my sister, but the reviews about this say it's amazing. I also bought another Garnier Miceller Water which for me is such a good product. It removes my make up so well before I go into cleanse properly and my skin has really been thanking me for it. 

I also picked up the No7 skincare collection because I love miniature products and think sets like these are really good for trying new products. I bought the Liz Earle Sparkling Skin Duo which contains products that I know are great and a set like this would be perfect as a Christmas gift. Then I picked up a La Vie Est Belle for my sister(sh!) as she really likes the fragrance and it's my all time favourite too. 

Is there anything nice you've bought recently? I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x

Rimmel Do It Again.

R-L Live Pink and Santa Rose

I seem to be having a real love for Rimmel London's products at the minute. The quality is amazing for the price and their products are really rivaling some of my favourite high end products. I spotted their Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush and thought they would be a nice alternative in my collection as I only really have high end blushes.

I picked up two colours: Live Pink and Santa Rose. Live pink, as the name suggests is a vibrant coral with a gold shimmer running throughout and Santa Rose is more of a muted peach which is much lighter in comparison to the other. It doesn't like much in the pan, but on the cheeks it's stunning.
Santa Rose is perfect for any occasion, as is Live Pink, although I think Live Pink will be making more of an appearance at nighttime towards Christmas - especially with the slightly golden shimmer running through. They're both really wearable shades, however Santa Rose is probably more so considering it appears as just a hint of colour unless built up a fair bit. The pigmentation of them is just right, they don't make my cheeks appear like clowns cheeks, yet they are subtle enough that you can still notice them. Santa Rose is a shade that complements any look and I think it goes with anything, whereas Live Pink is probably something that isn't as versatile, yet they both are brilliant every day colours.

The wear time on them is great, although after a very long day the colour is probably gone, but I can't complain as they give a decent 7 hour wear without going patchy or just disappearing. The formula of both are great and I highly recommend these products, I can't wait to add more to my collection!

What do you think of them? What other drugstore blushes should I add to my collection?

I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x

Bingo!

The other week at work we played a game of bingo throughout the day and whoever had completed all the tasks on the bingo sheet won a prize. Me being me took it upon myself to win the game and so I did. In return I was given a lovely little goody bag so I thought I'd share with you the contents:

1) Revlon ColourStay Eyeshadow Quad - Adventurous
I've never bought eyeshadows from Revlon before however this little palette didn't disappoint. It contains a nice mix of neutrals with one that is slightly green which I thought would be nice to experiment with.
2) No7 Skin Illuminator Radiance Boosting Beauty Fluid
This product is basically radiance in a bottle. It has a thin consistency and a lovely sheen to it so doesn't heavy on the skin, but creates a wonderful glow. It can be used as a highlighter or underneath foundation, both of which look amazing,
3) No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow - Violet Shine
To me this colour screams Christmas and it definitely something I will be using when that time rolls around. It is a rich purple with lots of fleks of glitter in it which makes it so pretty! No7 formula's are very good and this eyeshadow keeps in line! It's quite a vibrant colour which would be very complementary for a party attire.
4) No7 Moisture Drench - Caramel Silk
Within the goody bag was a voucher to get a free lipstick from No7 up to the value of £10 which I thought was a nice little prize. When I was looking at the lipsticks, the majority steer towards the reds/plums, but I was looking for a nice nude. They have recently launched three new nude shades so I was excited to see what they were like. I chose caramel silk in the end which is a gorgeous 'my lips but better' with a slightly mauve/brown undertone. It is very creamy and hydrating, but lasts a good few hours on me. I love it.
5) No7 Intense Volume Mascara
I am never loyal with mascara and absolutely love trying different ones all the time so was a very happy girl when I discovered this in my goody bag. As the name suggests it does create voluminous lashes without being clumpy or flaky. It separates out each individual lash and lengthens them whilst giving them a slightly dramatic look. This mascara has become my go-to recently. It's great.

I thought my selection of little gifts was rather good. What would you put in a goody bag?

I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x

Lush masks are lush.

Face masks aren't something I've ever been overly interested in due to the fact I've never seen amazing results. However when I was recently in Lush, I was intrigued by the 'cupcake' mask which promises to absorb excess oil and calm the skin. Now being someone with dry skin, I thought this wouldn't be the product for me, but after having a few sporadic breakouts recently, I thought I'd give it a go.

The list of beneficial ingredients is endless, with them ranging from helping to draw out any impurities in the skin to toning and stimulating the skin too. 

Upon first use I noticed my skin was slightly less red in area where I've had breakouts and my t-zone was less oily (it's not that oily anyway, but there were results). The mask wasn't stripping or harsh and didn't make my skin any more dry than it is anyway. Any blemishes on my skin seemed to have calmed down slightly and within a couple of days they were gone.  However to notice any real, long term differences in the skin, this is a mask which should be used at least twice a week! Also, despite it looking quite thick, it isn't heavy once applied and provides a really nice gentle cleanse. Oh and it smells like chocolate too, bonus! 

Although the product is aimed towards those with more oily skin, it is suited to anyone who want a deep, but gentle cleanse. It is a really effective product.

What do you think of lush masks? I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x

Autumnal Nails.

A fresh set of painted nails is something I really love and I find when I have the time to sit and paint my nails properly, it's really relaxing. As the weather has begun to drop in the UK, you can definitely tell that Autumn is here. There are some really nice autumnal nail polishes around, even though I hardly pick my choice of  nail colour based on the season, so I thought I'd share my top 4 favourites.

Rimmel London Black Cherries. As the name suggests, this is a deep plum/purple colour. For me this colour screens autumn/winter because of the richness in tones. It's different to the usual burgundies, but still looks really good on the nails. 

Rimmel London Style Hunter. In the bottle this colour doesn't look very special, however on the nails it is gorgeous. It's a brown/slightly pink/slightly purple/mauve shade which fits in very nicely with the autumnal colours. The colour compliments any outfit really well too. 

Barry M - The collections Barry M come out with never fail to impress me. They have some brilliant autumn shades - the burgundy is what I would call your average autumnal burgundy. It's fairly dark, but without being very muted. The green on the other hand is something I wouldn't ever have thought I would like, but it's such a toned down rich green that makes me think of cosy nights and Christmas! 

All of these four polishes last really well and they apply well too. I know that these four polishes are going to be used in rotation all autumn. I would always look to these two brands when picking another shade for my autumn collection as they have some really great shades in their ranges!

What are your favourite autumn colours? I hope you enjoyed reading, Holly x

Rimmel London

Rimmel London is one of my favourite drugstore brands and I find the quality of the products amazing for the price. Recently I repurchased a foundation I used to use years ago. After receiving a sample of it and really enjoying it, I thought I might as well see if the full size lived up to how I remembered it. This foundation is even better than how I thought it was and on my first application I did question whether they had reformulated it. 

As soon as I apply it, any blemishes I have seem to disappear and and redness is neutralised out. Having said that, it isn't cakey or heavy at all. It leaves my skin looking almost flawless and I really like the finish it leaves. It isn't matte, but it isn't overly dewy either, it leaves a healthy sheen to the skin. 

Another bonus with this product is the wear time is great. It lasts on my skin for a good eight hours and still provides a decent medium coverage, however if it's on any longer than 11 hours then you can see where extra coverage is needed. Considering the price, I think that is pretty decent! 

There are many hydrating properties within this foundation and therefore it doesn't dry my skin out or cling to dry patches which is a must for me. The spf20 is a nice extra bonus also! 

I'm very happy I've added this foundation to my collection and its lived up to my expectations of how good rimmel foundations are! Have you used rimmel foundations before? What do you think of them? 

I hope you enjoyed reading, Holly x

Bobbi Brown Corrector

A couple of weeks ago, I was gifted with the Bobbi Brown Corrector. It is a peach or pink toned product which is meant to cancel out any dark colours under the eye. I think products like this are great as sometimes concealer doesn't always conceal discolouration the way you would like. 

The corrector has quite a thick consistency and need warming up in a finger before being applied. It blends really easily after this and I find it really brightens up the eyes as well as covering dark circles. On me it isn't drying at all nor does it cling to dry patches. It has some hydrating properties. I use the shade light to medium bisque which is a fairly dark peach, however the shade range is huge.

This product has made a difference in the way my makeup looks, but it is probably something I'd use when I've had all the hours of sleep in the world, as opposed to erase paste which is really heavy duty stuff! 

What do you think of all the corrector products? I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x