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Holy Grail Beauty Products

31/7/2016

2 Comments

 
Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday!
This is the first weekend I've had off in three months so it's been lovely to actually have time to enjoy creating this post.
Today I'll be sharing with you my holy grail/can't live without, beauty products.
I've been wearing make up 'properly' since I was 16 and I'm now nearly 21 and I've been so much more serious about make up since I started blogging about it almost 3 years ago.
I have tried and  tested a vast variety of products over the years and have built quite the collection of 'ryde or die' products, hence why there a lot of products mentioned in this blog post!
Some are fairly new, others I've been using for years.
Brace yourselves, it's going to be a looong post.
​
Holy Grail Beauty Products | abibailey.co.uk
Here we have:
Face:
- The Body Shop Oils Of Life Revitalising Facial Oil
- Garnier Moisture + Matte Moisturiser
- L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base  primer
- Revlon Colorstay Combination/Oily foundation in '180  Sand Beige'
- L'Oreal True Match The Concealer in '4 Beige'
- Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder in 'Sandstorm'
- Freedom Makeup blush in 'True Loved'
- Gerard Cosmetics Star Powder highlighter in 'Marilyn'
- Urban Decay De-Slick Make Up Setting Spray
Eyes:
- GOSH Forever Eyeshadow Stick in  'Bright Copper'
- Makeup Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave eyeshadow palette
- Urban Decay Naked  eyeshadow palette 
- Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner  in 'Black'
- Maybelline  Lash Sensational mascara in 'Extreme Black'
- Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in 'Black'
Lips:
​- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Revlon Red'
- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Cherries in the Snow'
- GOSH  Velvet Touch Lipstick in 'Temptation' 


Face

Holy Grail Beauty Products | Face Products | abibailey.co.uk
Holy Grail Beauty Products | abibailey.co.uk
L'Oreal True Match Concealer / Revlon Colorstay Foundation / Freedom Blush / Gerard Cosmetics Highlighter
I always use  The Body Shop face oil and Garnier moisturiser every night before I go to bed as it intensely hydrates my skin. I always moisturise in the morning too so that my skin is prepped for make up. 
To achieve a flawless base that lasts all day I rely on  the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base as it mattifies my skin and gives my foundation something to cling to. I used the L'Oreal Matte Infallible foundation for a while but I found that TOO matte and it just made my skin look dry and cakey.
The Revlon Colorstay foundation is a favourite amongst bloggers and I can see why; it's the best matte foundation I have ever used. It doesn't make my skin look dry or cakey and it lasts all day. It actually looks better once it's been worn for a couple of hours! It looks like skin and not a mask on your face, has great wear time and doesn't melt off of my nose. 
I don't often use concealer but when  a pesky spot breaks out, I like to hide it with the L'Oreal True Match Concealer as it has great coverage and the shade blends well. 
I set everything with the  Rimmel Stay Matte powder to keep everything in place all day.
 To bring a bit of colour into my face I love the Freedom blush  (at only £1 may I add!), the pigmentation is great and it lasts well. I like the Make Up Academy blushes too for the same reasons. To glow up my skin I use the Gerard Cosmetics Star Powder; it is beautifully pigmented and blends like  a dream. It's also the most gorgeous gold shade.
Lastly I ​practically  drown myself in the Urban Decay's De-Slick Setting Spray (once all of my make up is done) to keep everything on point for the rest of the day. This stuff is epic!

Eyes

Holy Grail Beauty Products | Eye Products | abibailey.co.uk
Holy Grail Beauty Products | Eye Products |  abibailey.co.uk
Holy Grail Beauty Products | Eye Products | abibailey.co.uk
Caffeine Fix / Fortune / Golden Coins from the Fortune Favours the Brave palette
Holy Grail Beauty Products | Eye Products | abibailey.co.uk
Dark Horse / Smog / Half Baked from the Naked palette
The two most well loved palettes I own are the Naked palette and the Fortune Favours the Brave palette. They are so well loved  because   of the pigmentation and  blendability  of the shadows. Fortune Favours the Brave has a wider  range of shadow colours but the Naked shadows  pigmentation lasts longer on the lid. I've been reaching for the Fortune Favours the Brave palette literally everyday since I first used it!
The GOSH eyeshadow stick  makes an incredible eyeshadow base and really makes the metallic shadows stand out, it lasts all day too! I have  a bunch of these shadow sticks as they're so easy to use and are so  versatile. The dry down pretty quick though so you have to blend them out as soon as you've put them on.
My number one gel eyeliner  and  the only eyeliner  I  ever use is the Maybelline one, I've been using it for over 6 years  (obviously not the same pot - eew)  and don't know what I'd do without it. Although they've changed the brush and the formula over the years (boooo) , it's still the best  eyeliner I've ever used. The formulation is great, it glides on and lasts all  day on the lid and in the waterline - it stays jet black. I love love love it.
I always find myself coming back to the Lash Sensational mascara and I've recently bought  the 'Extreme Black' version and I like it so much more than the original, it's obviously much more pigmented and the formula is just much better, it's more buildable. It separates and lengthens  each and every lash thanks to the spoon shaped brush.
I bought the Better Than Sex mascara a little while a go and didn't like it much at first. Now that it's had time to dry out a bit, I love it. I use it every day on top of Lash  Sensational to add volume to my lashes. A perfect duo for amazing lashes.

Lips

Holy Grail Beauty Products | Lip Products | abibailey.co.uk
Holy Grail Beauty Products | Lip Products | abibailey.co.uk
Holy Grail Beauty Products | Lip Products | abibailey.co.uk
T to B: GOSH Temptation / Revlon Revlon Red / Revlon Cherries in the Snow
I always recommend Revlon to people who are looking for great but affordable lipsticks. I own at least five and have  gone through so many tubes of 'Revlon Red'! 
I'm definitely a red lipstick girl and this is my all time favourite red. A recent addition to my Revlon lippies is 'Cherries in the Snow' - a beautiful pink with plum undertones.  It's such an incredible colour and I think it'll work in all seasons and suit many skin tones. They both have a  'Super Lustrous' finish meaning they have a slightly glossy  sheen to them. The colour payoff and longevity of these lipsticks is just unbeatable - better than the  3 MAC lipsticks I have!
I also love my GOSH lipstick in 'Temptation' as it's a perfect pink  colour with a slightly  red undertone. The pigmentation and  longevity  of this is also amazing and such great value at £7.

So those are all of my Holy Grail Beauty Products.
What are some of yours? Leave me a comment!

Congratulations if you got to the end of this post - it was a big'un. 

Thanks for reading and I'll be back next Sunday with a little NYX Haul.

Abi xxx

​Read my last post here: What's in My Glossybox? | July 2016

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Fortune Favours The Brave Palette | Review

29/5/2016

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Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday!
Did you see last week's post about the May Glossybox (here)?
Today's post is all about the beautiful Fortune Favours The Brave eyeshadow palette  which is a collaboration between  the beauty blogger BristishBeautyBlogger and Make Up Revolution.
I love Make Up Revolution and always want to help support  other bloggers, plus I loved the variety of shades so I knew I just had to have it!
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First let's talk about the packaging, it isn't a beauty review without talking about the packaging!
I love the gold as it's a total contrast to the usual black packaging and the addition of  a giant mirror is  always nice. The palette looks expensive and fancy even though it's so  affordable.
There are a total of 30 shades in the palette.  Some of the shades are marbled and make the palette look really eye catching and  classy.  
The shadows are a mix of shimmers/glitters, sheens and mattes. The shades vary between neutrals like creams/golds/bronzes, browns and pinks and then bolder colours such as purples, blues and olive/khaki green. Definitely a few shades here to suit everyone.
​ Each shade has a fun name too which just makes me love the palette even more!
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The consistency of these shadows is like a creamy powder, really smooth, pigmented and blendable. The pigmentation is really good and long lasting. I haven't had chance to use all of the shadows yet, such as the blues and purples  but I've been loving the left side of the  palette and have been using it everyday. I can't wait to use the bolder colours too. There is such a huge variety of shades in just one palette! I'll definitely be taking this on holiday with me.
​ 30 great quality shadows for £10 is such a steal.
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What do you think of the Fortune Favours The Brave palette? 
I think it's a lovely palette and is versatile for all skin tones and all seasons.
It'd definitely make a great present too.
​
Leave me a comment from your lovely brain!
Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you  next Sunday.

Abi xxx

P.S. You can follow me on  Twitter   |  Instagram   |  Bloglovin'  ​​

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Make Up Brush Starter Kit

8/5/2016

22 Comments

 
Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday.
Did you see last week's post reviewing the Shaaanxo Palette (here)?
I was also nominated for the Liebster Award! You can read more about that here.
Today I'll be showing you what you need for a starter make up brush kit.
I have loads of make up brushes because I have no self control, but these are the ones that I think are most important.
Obviously you don't need to get the same ones as me, these are just ideas.
A lot of my brushes are from Real Techniques because a) I think Real Techniques are amazing brushes and b) a lot of them came from the Brushes and Train Case gift set that I got for Christmas (here). 
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Face Brushes

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Here we have  the:
*Powder Brush
*Blush/Contour Brush
*Foundation Brush
*Setting Brush

All you really need for your base is a brush to blend out your foundation/concealer, a big powder brush to set your whole face, a setting brush to set smaller areas like under your eyes, and a blush/contour brush to add a bit of colour to your face. 

I bought the powder brush from Wilko for around £4.
The blush/contour brush is from Luxie which I received in my Glossybox (here). Sadly, the shipping to the UK is so expensive, otherwise I would love to buy more!
The foundation brush is the Expert Face Brush from Real Techniques.
The Setting Brush is also from Real Techniques.

Eye Brushes

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Next we've got the:
*Brow Spooli
*Eyeshadow Brush
*Eyeshadow Blender Brush
* Eyeliner Brush

An eyebrow spooli is a necessity even if you don't put any product through your brows; it's just a good idea to give them a brush through and tame the hairs.
An eyeshadow brush and a blender brush come hand in hand as you don't want any harsh lines.
A liner brush is important even if you don't wear gel eyeliner (but I recommend you try it because it's the blackest, longest lasting eyeliner formula I've ever used) because you could always use it to soften pencil liner or to fill in your brows.

The spooli came from a huge set of brushes that I bought from Amazon ages ago for around £10 .
The eyeshadow brush and the blender brush both came from the Real Techniques gift set I mentioned earlier.
The eyeliner brush is quite old (ew) because it came with the orginal Maybelline Gel Eyeliner (which I can't believe they stopped doing because I LOVED it and the new one is just not the same and the brush is now rubbish!)  
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Here's a little photo chart of all the basic essential brushes you need!

These are a few brands that I've used that I think do great brushes and are quite reasonably priced:

*​Real Techniques
*E.L.F 
*Revlon
*Make Up Revolution

Have I missed any key brushes? I tried to keep it as basic as possible so you just have the necessities to start with and then you can expand your collection (and become a brush obsessive like me!).

Leave me a comment from your lovely brain!

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you next Sunday.

Abi xxx

P.S. You can follow me on  Twitter   |  Instagram   |  Bloglovin'
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The 5 Product Face

10/4/2016

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Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday!
Did you see last week's post about the  TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Reverse System (here)?

Today I thought I'd do the '5 Product Face' tag as I thought it'd be a challenge as I am not a minimal make up kinda gal.
The idea is pretty self explanatory; if you could only pick 5 products to wear, what would you pick and why?
​
5 Product Face | abibailey.co.uk
The 5  products I chose, and  can be considered my 'ryde or die' products, are:
​
- L'Oreal Infallible 24-H Matte foundation (here) in '12 Natural Rose'

- Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in 'Very Black'
Rimmel  Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 'Black/Brown'
- Revlon  Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Revlon Red'
- Maybelline  Eye Studio Gel Liner in 'Black'


5 Product Face | abibailey.co.uk
Considering I wear 12 make up products a day, narrowing it down to just 5 essentials was quite difficult but I figured I could look quite put together  with the items I chose.

I could easily survive without concealer, as my foundation gives a lot of good coverage and it dries matte so I could skip powder too.
I would miss my blush but I could get by without it!

There is no way in hell I'm leaving the house without my eyebrows so my eyebrow pencil is a non-negotiable must have.

I would really miss my eyeshadows and eyeshadow crayons but just eyeliner and mascara would give a nice classic look so I could get by without them, although it pains me just to think about it!

I need lipstick in my life and I pretty much always wear Revon Red. Paired with a classic winged liner look and lashings of mascara I think it would  add to the classic  1940's look.
5 Product Face | abibailey.co.uk
Maybe one day I will actually do the look!

I'd love to hear what your 5 Product Face would consist of so please leave me some comments!
If you've done the tag please link me to it as I'd love to give it a read.

As always  thanks for reading and I will speak to you next Sunday.
My Freedom Make Up order arrived the other day so I'm  hoping to blog about that next!

Abi xxx

You can follow me on  Twitter    |  Instagram    |   Bloglovin'
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Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel | Review

31/1/2016

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Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday! 
I know in last week's post (here) I said that this week's post would be either an E.L.F haul or a Gerard Cosmetics haul, but I picked up this brush cleanser in Superdrug, used it, and was so blown away I just needed to blog about it. The hauls will have to wait!
Everyone knows how good the Real Techniques brushes are so it is no surprise that their brush cleanser is just as fantastic.
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Normally, cleaning my brushes is something I put off - I doubt I'm the only one!
It takes ages, you get all messy  and they're never 100% clean.
Usually I use liquid soap and make up remover to clean my brushes and it takes me at least 20 minutes minimum.
I used the Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel and it took me about 15 minutes to clean 12 brushes! 
Here's how dirty my brushes were to start with:
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Even the handles were mucky from sitting in my brush pot. Not good enough!
I will get to the review, but first I want to talk about a little silicone brush cleaner I recently bought   that sits on your finger tips. I think Real Techniques have bought their own one out but I just bought mine from Amazon and it's made a world of difference!
​
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
It cost around  £2 and it is so worth the money. 
It cleans your brushes better than just using your finger tips  and I don't know about you, but I always end up getting pruney fingers and a sore palm!
You just pop it on the end of your index and middle finger like a little glove and you're good to go.
It has two textures so you can clean big brushes such as foundation brushes and little brushes like eyeshadow brushes.
​
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
I was going to do a pros and cons list, but I just can't find anything I don't like about it!
So here are the pros:
- It smells delicious; it reminds me of Calippo ice lollies in the summer- it's very fruity.
- It cuts brush cleaning time in half
- A little goes a long way so it'll last you ages
- It costs £6.99 which I think is a reasonable price to pay especially as you get so much of it.
- It's a lovely gel formula which foams up 
- It rinses clean really easily.
- I actually enjoyed cleaning them! I know right.
Look how clean my brushes are now!


Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
So those are my thoughts on the  Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel!
I will definitely be washing my brushes more often from now on. 

Leave me a comment  from your lovely brain and I will be back next week reviewing the Milani Baked Blush in the colour Luminoso, so pop back for that!

Speak to you soon, 
Abi xxx

Don't forget you can follow me on Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin
​
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Top 5 Red Lipsticks

9/8/2015

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Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday!
Just a quick post today, showing you my top 5 red lipsticks, as red lipstick is definitely a staple of mine. I'm sure you've heard me talk about some of these before. 
These are in no particular order!
Top 5 Red Lipsticks

1. Barry M Lip Paint Stain Paint 
(Matte finish '1 Absolute Burgundy') 

Top 5 Red Lipsticks

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 
(crème finish 'Revlon Red')

Top 5 Red Lipsticks

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
(Crème finish 'Fire & Ice') 

Top 5 Red Lipsticks

4. MAC Viva Glam Rihanna 
(Frost finish, I think this was limited edition)

Top 5 Red Lipsticks

Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick
(Matte finish, '1 Queen Of Hearts')

Top 5 Red Lipsticks
Those are my top 5 red lipsticks!
What are yours? Are there any I absolutely must buy? 
Leave me a comment!


Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you soon, 

Abi xxx

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin! 



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GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Sticks

26/7/2015

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Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday. 
My GOSH Forever Eye Shadow stick soon became a staple while I was on holiday. I've had it for months but threw it into my make up bag last minute and I'm so glad I did. 
Today I'm going to talk about all the things I love about my little eyeshadow stick because I think it's fab and feel that everyone should know about them (although you probably already do!) 
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
They are metallic eye shadow sticks and I have the colour '03 Light Copper'. I bought mine from Superdrug and it was £5.99 which I think is a perfectly acceptable price for the amazing quality. They do loads of colours; I really want to get more but when I looked the other day I was looking for more 'everyday' colours and they only had dark blue and violet. I might still go back and get them though as they'd be perfect for a quick smokey eye! 
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
Out of direct sunlight.
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
In direct sunlight
The colour pay off of this little crayon is insane. I love how you can vary the degree of intensity too- you can either cover your eyelid with it and blend it out, or you can add a little to your eyelid and blend it for a subtle shimmery look. 
They're waterproof too which was perfect for when I was in Spain because boy was it hot! My eyeshadow didn't crease or absorb into my skin at all. 
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
Out of direct sunlight
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
In direct sunlight
They are so creamy that they blend like a dream. 
They're also perfect to use as an eyeshadow base, especially with shimmery eye shadows on top as it'll really make them pop. 
I use a brush to blend it out but you could easily use your fingers which makes these eye shadow sticks perfect for on the go. 
GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3
Can you tell that they're super long lasting? This was after a few vigorous rubs with some make up remover on a cotton pad. Don't let that make you think that you have to rub at your eyes to remove it though because you don't. I just wanted to show you how good the staying power is! 

I honestly can't get enough of this eye shadow stick! 
It's a real time-saver in the morning too as you don't need to spend a lot of time applying and blending eye shadows. You can just pop this on, blend it out and move on to eyeliner (or whatever's next in your routine!) 


Have you tried any of the GOSH Forever Eye Shadow sticks? 
Let me know your thoughts! 


Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you soon,

Abi xxx

P.s when will I stop using so many exclamation marks? Probably never.
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How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

17/5/2015

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Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday to you!

As promised, today I'm going to show you how I get long, thick, fluttery lashes.
No false lashes, lash extensions or growth serums needed. 
How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes
To achieve this, I use three mascaras. I know to some people that seems like a lot, but I LOVE mascara; if I could only have two beauty products, it'd be mascara and lipstick. 
The three I used are:
Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' £7.99, L'Oreal 'Miss Manga' £8.99 and Rimmel 'Wonder'Full' £7.99
Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' £7.99, L'Oreal 'Miss Manga' £8.99 and Rimmel 'Wonder'Full' £7.99
I'll go into more detail about them at each step. 
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes
I love Lash Sensational, it has a spoon-shaped brush to catch all the little lashes and if you use the other side, it helps to separate your lashes further. It has a really black pigmentation too and the formula is wet but not too wet, so you can build coats easily, without it clumping or just getting wiped off. 
The first step is to coat your lashes with a few coats of Lash Sensational to lengthen and define your lashes. Look at the difference with just a few coats compared to bare lashes. 
P.s. please ignore my brows, they were NOT on point that day. 
Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara
How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes
When I first used Wonder'Full, I really didn't like it, I thought the formula was too wet and it didn't make any sort of impact. It sat in my draw for a few weeks before I thought to use it again and I'm glad I did! It had dried up a tiny bit which made all the difference. 
The brush has lots of little bristles and gives you a really natural look, perfect for 'no make up make up'. 
This is the second step, to further define and separate the lashes, I apply lots of Wonder'Full. 
In this photo I have a lots of coats of Lash Sensational and Wonder'Full on the left and lots of coats Lash Sensational on the right.  Even though Wonder'Full is a defining mascara, do you see how it's thickened the lashes?
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes
I was never that interested in Miss Manga, it just never drew me in, but my mum bought me one and I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. Lovely volumising mascara. It's a bit drier than the other mascaras but still wet enough to prevent clumping. 
Here on the left I have Miss Manga on, compared to the right with just Lash Sensational and Wonder'Full. 
That's the final step; to apply lashings (haha) of Miss Manga to add real volume and impact. 
How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes
Here's the end result! Apologies for the poor lighting! 
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I just keep repeating the steps until I get the length and volume I am looking for. 
I would say these are my holy grail mascaras at the moment, I really suggest getting one (or all three) of them if you haven't got them already! 


Have you tried these mascaras? What do you think of them?
Are there any mascaras you think I need to try?
Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading and I shall speak you on Friday! 

Abi xxx
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Top 5 Nail Art Starter Items | 5 Things Friday

8/5/2015

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Hello Everyone!
A happy Friday to you! 
I did a post similar to this when I first started blogging a year and a half ago, but I have since improved and I think this is much more concise. 

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Make Up Sponges

Make up sponges
Perfect for sponging on colour to create ombrés or gradients. I bought a big pack for £1 from Primark.

Nail Glue

Elegant Touch Brush On Nail Glue
Nail glue has many uses; it can be used for sticking on fake nails, applying gems or studs and sometimes I use it if my nail tears and I don't want it to rip off! Just put a blob over the tear. 
I love this brush on nail glue, I buy it from Superdrug for £3.08. 

Striping Tape

Striping Tape
I bought mine from Amazon years ago, and you tend to get lots of rolls in a pack in different colours. It's super cheap and it'll last you forever, I'm nowhere near finishing a roll yet. You can use it to create stripes by placing it on dry painted nails or you can use it to create clean, straight lines, by placing it on your nail, painting over it and pulling it off with tweezers. 

Dotting Tools

Dotting Tools
Definitely worth having. You can easily buy them on Amazon. Sure, using tooth picks and Bobby pins is fine, but you get much better results using the proper tools, plus they're not expensive and you feel more sophisticated using them (well, I do anyway). 

Nail Art Brushes

Nail Art Brushes
Did you know that these are also super cheap and available on Amazon? Because they are (Haha).
These are perfecto for painting really thin, long lines and little details. 


Did you find this helpful? 


What beauty or nail art tool do you find essential? 
Leave me a comment letting me know!


Thanks for reading! I'll speak to you on Sunday,
Thank you to those who have cast their vote in the survey, it's just in my sidebar if you were interested!


Abi xxx
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Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

19/4/2015

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Hello everyone! 
Happy Sunday to you.
Today I'll be talking about the Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'. 

I have about eight, if not more, eyeshadow palettes. They're mainly high street and I should stop buying them but I can't help it, I love me an eyeshadow palette and no one shall stand in my way *cue evil laugh*
I took the photos on different days so apologies that the colours look slightly different! 
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
I walked past this in Superdrug and fell in love instantly. 
The colours are so feminine and can be used for daytime or nighttime looks. They're a mix of matte and shimmer shades. 
The palette is £6 which is a little bit more expensive than usual but you do get a doubled ended eyeliner/highlighter pencil with it. 
I am always pleased with the quality of Make Up Academy, especially as you pay so little. 


These colours are so pigmented and blend wonderfully as they're a creamy powder consistency. The black (Smoke) is so dark, it's excellent to set your eyeliner with. 
I love that the eyeshadows are big in the pan, you can really pack the colour onto your brush. 
The top row from left to right are; Air, Cherub, Charm, Refine, 
Entrance and Adore. 
The bottom row from left to right are; Astral, Grace, Smoke and Sepharic.
It's such a versatile palette and is already one of my favourites. 
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Top Row (L to R): Air / Cherub / Charm / Refine / Entrance / Adore
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Bottom Row (L to R): Astral / Grace / Smoke / Sepharic
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'
I'm not really an eyeliner pencil sort of girl, but it blends out really nicely so would be perfect for the bottom lashes and to create a smokey eye. 
The highlighter is a bit unusual. It's quite yellow toned and doesn't blend very easily but I'm not complaining, it might be good in the waterline.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this palette and could talk about it all day!

Do you have this palette? If not, have I convinced you as to why you need it?
Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you again on Friday.
Don't forget about the survey in my sidebar, thank you!

Abi xxx
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'Can't Live Without' Beauty Essentials

22/3/2015

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Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday.
Today I'll be sharing with you my absolute, can't live without, beauty essentials. 
I thought in this blog post I'd just include drugstore/high street favourites. 

Can't live without beauty essentials

Face

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
L'Oreal True Match Concealer
L'Oreal True Match Concealer (4/Beige) £6.99 
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (004/Sandstorm) £3.99
Not the powder I usually use because I couldn't get it in Boots or Superdrug, so I think they must be taking it off the market *sniffles*. I like this one though, it does the job. 
Now I had to find a new concealer when my favourite Maybelline one was taken off the market a couple of years ago (I don't get much luck) so I bought a couple of different concealers and didn't like them that much; they were ok but they didn't compare to my Maybelline one! Until I found this one which I love a lot, it's just quite expensive for such a little amount- I feel like I'm always having to buy more. 
L'Oreal True Match Concealer

Eyes

Make Up Academy
Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme Mascara
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Maybelline
Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme Mascara
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
MUA 'Undressed' Palette £4
Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner (Black) £7.99
Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (Dark Brown) £2.99
Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme! Mascara  (Leather Black) £6.99
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (Very Black) £7.99
A very well loved eyeshadow palette; it gives super colour payoff and they're lovely to blend. Such a good price for such amazing quality. 
My holy grail eyeliner (if you read my blog a lot you'll know how often I go on about it!) super easy to use, really long lasting and stays black all day- it doesn't get absorbed like kohl. 
Love this eyebrow pencil, super soft so it blends really well and its a great colour match. Nifty little comb/brush on the end too. 
My favourite mascaras at the moment. Lash Sensational has a spoon shaped brush so it catches all the little lashes and separates and defines them wonderfully. The Colossal adds loads of volume without being clumpy. 
Mascara is my faaaaaave. 

Lips

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (730/Revlon Red) £7.49
Quite possibly my all time favourite red lipstick and that's even compared to my Mac one which I love A LOT. So that's saying something! Cannot beat Revlon for lip products, I've said it time and time again and I still stand by it. 

So those are my ride or die beauty products! 
What are some of your 'can't live withouts'? 
Leave me a comment! 

Don't  forget about the survey at the right of this post! thank you  

Thank you for reading and being so supportive, it means so much to  me ♥

Speak to you soon, 
Abi xxx
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Christmas Make Up

11/1/2015

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Hello Everyone!
We've done enough reflecting and goal making for now, time to get back to make up and nail art. 
Today I want to share with you the make up I recieved for Christmas, I only asked for two things and was lucky enough to receive them both. 
This is the Make Up Revolution Ultimate Eyeshadow Collection and Urban Decay 'Naked On The Run'. 
Make Up Revolution is a sister brand to Make Up Academy, of which I am a huge fan of. I was hoping the quality would be of the same standard and it's similar, but not as good, but when you pay £10 (I think?) for 144 eye shadows, I'm not sure anyone can complain?! ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTY FOUR. 
Now the Naked On The Run has been my staple for like a week. I cannot get enough of it! Perfect for taking on a weekend away or something. Not ideal to carry round day to day as it's quite large (that wouldn't stop me, I just don't want to damage it!). It's ace. 

Make Up Revolution Ultimate Eyeshadow Collection

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The palette consists of a mix of mattes, shimmers and neons. The only problem is that I don't think it's available anymore because it was a limited Christmas thing. They'd be mental not to bring it back though! It even comes with a little mirror and two double ended applicators, totally useless to me because I'm blind as a bat without my glasses but the little applicators are good for packing on colour. I'm sure swatches would have been useful for this blog post but I'm not down for swatching 144 different eye shadows. I don't have enough skin! 
You're pretty much set for life with this palette as you can create any look you fancy. Creamy with good colour pay off too, plus you can build colour by packing on more layers.

Urban Decay 'Naked On The Run'

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It's beautiful isn't it? It is on the pricier side though at £37. Definitely worth it though in my opinion! 
The kit includes a travel-size 'Perversion' Mascara, travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in the shade 'Stag', six new eye shadow shades, in the colours (left to right) 'Dive', 'Fix', 'Resist', 'Dare', 'Stun' and the larger size '50/50' which doubles as a highlighter. The set also includes a blush and bronzer and a full size lipgloss in the colour 'Sesso'. As usual with Urban Decay, the colour pay off is amazing and long lasting, I love the mascara as its really lengthening and thickening and the blush and highlight are beautiful with a delicate shimmer. 
I just love it! Would definitely recommend even though it is quite pricey. You have to bare in mind though that it would cost you A LOT more to buy all of it individually. 

That's it for this week! Thanks for reading!
Next Sunday will be about all the nail art stuff I got for Christmas, brace yourselves, I got a lot!

Abi xxx
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e.l.f Make Up Brushes

14/9/2014

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Hello everyone!
Recently I needed some new make up brushes and as much as I like the Real Techniques brushes, they can be quite expensive. I remembered the eyeshadow brush I have that I've used everyday for years and I still love it just as much. It's from e.l.f, so I thought I'd head over to the website and have a little look. I ended up getting four. Can you believe they're only £1.95 each?! 
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These brushes are such great quality, especially for the price. The hairs never fall out, they blend beautifully, they are easy to clean and they have been ergonomically designed so they are really comfortable to hold and easy to use.
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This is the Smudge Brush and I wanted one of these for smudging (funnily enough) eyeshadow along my bottom lash line. So far I have been using it to highlight my brow bone as it's the perfect size.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.
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This one is the Crease Brush which is a bit smaller than the Blending Brush so it makes blending out your eyeshadow really precise so that there are no harsh lines. You could also use it to apply eyeshadow to the bottom lash line.
Click HERE to read what it says on the website.
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This is the Blending Brush, so this is a bit bigger than the Crease Brush so if you're blending colours together or blending out, it gives a softer effect.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.
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I've used the same blush brush for ages and it's fine, but it's a short handled one from H&M and you can't clean it because the hairs get matted so I wanted to try a new one, just for a change and for hygiene reasons! This is the Bronzing Brush but I use it for blush. It's angled so it gets a bit of getting used to, but it picks up and applies colour nicely.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.


Just thought I'd let you know about these amazing brushes! Can't believe they're less than £2 and such fab quality.

Loads of my friends left for uni this weekend, so if you're in the same boat, I hope everything goes smoothly for you! I'm already thinking about when I can go and visit my friends!

Thanks for reading, speak to you soon,
Abi xxx
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Current Favourite Nail Varnishes

31/8/2014

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Hello everyone! 
Today I thought I'd share with you my favourite nail varnishes at the moment, even better they're all very affordable. 
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This is two coats of the varnish.
Collection 'Work The Colour' in 'In The Pink' (£1.50)
Collection 'Work The Colour'  in 'Blurple' (£1.50)
Barry M Matte Nail Paint in 'Copa Cabana' (£3.99)
Barry M Nail Paint in 'Strawberry Ice Cream' (£2.99)
Barry M Nail Paint in 'Grey' (£2.99)

In The Pink is a typical lipstick pink colour, its lovely, very feminine. Pink is my favourite colour to wear on my nails.
How great is the name Blurple? I'm obsessed with the name and the colour! As the name describes; it is a blueish, purple colour. Perfect for the colder months (I'm so excited for autumn/winter)
Copa Cabana is a matte coral/orange colour, it was perfect in summer and will continue to be throughout autumn.
Strawberry Ice Cream is a classic baby pink colour. It's very sheer so depending on what look you're going for and how opaque you want it you might need more or less coats than I have done. 
It's very elegant.
Grey is such an edgy colour and I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do! I think it'll be perfect for autumn. It can really change the look of an outfit too; adds a bit of edge to a girlier outfit or adds a hint of glamour to a casual outfit. 

There's a little insight into the nail colours I have been loving recently.
What colours have you been loving? Let me know!

Can you believe it's the last day of August?! Where has this year gone? On the plus side tomorrow is my blog's first birthday, so check back tomorrow for a post about that :)


Speak to you tomorrow,
Abi xxx
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I have a bit of an addiction... | Lip Products

6/7/2014

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Hello everyone! 
Yep it's true, I have an addiction to lip products so I thought I would show you my favourite ones. Sound good? I might make this a little series because I have an addiction to most make up products! 
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This is Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Fire and Ice' and is a bright summery red. I am a HUGE fan of the Revlon lip products, especially the lipsticks, they're super creamy, long lasting and really pigmented.
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This is another Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick and this one is called 'Revlon Red'. This is a typical deep red and it's also creamy, long lasting and very pigmented. Love it. Very classy.
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This is a Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick and this is in the colour 'Neon Red'. It's more of an orangey red and is quite sheer but buildable, it's nice for summer time (how coincidental).
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This will always be one of my favourites because it is such a vampy dark red and I love it, I can't get enough. It's a shame it's summer because I LOVE dark lipsticks and can't really get away with it at the moment (although I'm still going to try). This is a Collection lipstick in the Lasting Colour range, I love the name 'Queen of Hearts' too. Just a side note, I've had it a while and it still says 'Collection 2000' on the sticker so I'm not sure if they still do it, I'll be very sad if they don't :(
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On to the pinks, I'm not normally a fan of lipgloss (and I've mentioned it in my Current Beauty Faves post a while back) but you cannot beat Revlon for a good lipgloss. This is Revlon Colourburst in 'Adorned' (love the name) and is a proper neon pink colour, the swatch does it no justice! I get so many compliments on this lipgloss, it's beaut.
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This is a another dark colour *swoons* and this is Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in number 156. This is a really deep pinky purple and it's such a nice colour. It's more of a plum purple so it's easy to wear and not too daring. I miss the rubbish weather when I could get away with these vampy shades! Roll on autumn!
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As you can tell, I've had this lipstick a long time and I've nearly run out, I've had it so long that the print has rubbed off the bottom (which is why I didn't take a photo of it) I looked on the Barry M website and I think it is the number 145 or 146, I can't really tell. It's just one of their normal Lip Paints. This is more of a blue toned pink but it's just a typical bright pink colour. It's easy to wear and also very summery (are you detecting a theme?).
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Now this is a bit weird but I thought I should include it anyway because it's one of my favourite combinations. This is a massively old (and by old I mean at least six years) lip pencil that came in a make up box/set thing I got for my thirteenth birthday (I think) and this is an old Rimmel lipgloss. The lip liner is like a perfect nude/pink and I like to fill my lips in with it completely and then blend it with a layer of the sheer lipgloss. It's one of my favourite lip looks! (Thinking about I should probably bin the lipgloss for sanitary reasons, but oh well)

So those are my favourite lip products,
Thanks for reading and I shall speak to you soon!

Abi xxx
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Current Beauty Faves

11/2/2014

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Hello everyone!
This week is going to be a post about the beauty items I am loving at the moment, some are new items and some are items I've had for a while now but I just thought it'd be nice to share them with you.
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Let's start with face products. Here we have the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation (£5.99), Maybelline Super Stay 24H Concealer (£6) and Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9). I got the primer with a lot of other mini Smashbox cosmetics as testers that came in a set that I got for Christmas (I just googled it and on it's own it costs £25! I think the whole set came to about that). I was never really that bothered with primer, I used the MUA one which is nice but I didn't see an outstanding difference but this one I really like, it makes my concealer and foundation just glide on and sit really nicely and it makes my skin look and feel smooth. The foundation is a product I have only been using for about a month but I really like it, I was worried at first that I had bought it a shade too dark and that it would make me look orange but it doesn't, it blends well with my skin tone and is a lovely mousse consistency that blends really easily. As for the stay matte property that is definitely true as throughout the day my T-zone can get quite shiny as I have oily skin but this helps reduce the shine and I find I look less shiny throughout the day.  The concealer is something I have been loving for a long time, it conceals my dark circles and my blemishes and blends nicely with my skin tone, so well that for a long time I never bothered with foundation and just wore concealer and loose powder! It lasts well but I've never worn it for 24 hours solid to confirm it! The Real Techniques brush is a tool I'm glad I bought because I used to just blend my concealer/foundation in with my finger tips, which works fine, but it gives a much nicer, well buffed finish when you use a brush. I especially like this one as it is dense but not too dense and it is comfortable to hold and the brush is not too big. 
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This is the MUA (Make Up Academy) Smokin Palette (£6) and Benefit's They're Real mascara (£18).  I've had the Smokin Palette for quite a while now as my best friend got it for me for my birthday (definitely did NOT take a photo of it whilst I was out and send it to her as a hint, nope, didn't do that) and I love it, it's my 'go to' palette. I use the black to set my gel eyeliner everyday (Maybelline's Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner 24H, which thinking about it I should have included in this blog post because I've been using it for nearly three years  and have nothing but good things to say about it. Oops, live and learn) and I tend to wear the goldy brown shadow on the far right a lot, I also like to use the white shade with a bit of the black for contouring or the grey/khaki shade next to the black for everyday looks. The colours are very pigmented and last all day and they blend nicely, the only problem is is that they tend to crease once you've been wearing them all day, but I would expect that after about nine hours! The mascara is one of the best I've ever used, I got it for Christmas because I don't think I'd usually spend that much on a mascara purely because I'm broke half the time. It's a lovely consistency and the brush is fantastic at separating the lashes and making them super long. it also has bristles at the end which makes doing your bottom lashes nice and easy. Love it.
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This is Barry M's Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in 156 'Vicious Violet' (£4.49) and Revlon ColourBurst Lipgloss in the colour 060 'Adorned' (£7.99), I swatched them on my hand and on a piece of white paper which was a bit pointless because the lighting is rubbish and you can't see their true colour. The Barry M lipstick is a lovely plum colour and it becomes a more intense purple if you layer it, otherwise it is a pinky plum colour which isn't too overpowering. The Revlon lip gloss is one of my all time favourites, and I usually hate lip gloss because it's always windy and my hair ends up stuck to it and then it gets pulled through my lip gloss and across my face and its just a nightmare, but this is such an intense, almost electric pink colour and it's so pigmented and lasts all day and, ah, I just love it so much!
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I know this isn't technically beauty but it's my favourite scent to wear at the moment, it's Loverdose by Diesel (£30.99 as it came with a shower gel and body lotion as a gift set from Christmas) and I love a lot of things about this perfume, one being the edgy, jagged heart shape. It lasts all day and isn't too overpowering; it has a sweet coconutty, floral scent- it's delicious. 


So those are the beauty items I am loving at the moment, just thought it would be nice to share!


I might be back before Sunday this week as I'm going to see Taylor Swift tomorrow and I am so excited I don't quite know what to do with myself! So I might do a blog post in the week, while it's still fresh in my mind. 


Speak to you (very) soon, 


Abi xxx



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