March Favourites

Another month has come and gone, and with the weather turning a bit more bearable, I definitely felt like going to different stores and trying new products. One of my goals this spring is to stick to a well planned out wardrobe and only but what I actually want and need. Make up-wise I definitely didn't limit myself, as so many brands brought out irresistible spring collections!

With the sunnier weather and blooming flowers, I couldn't resist trying lighter formulas and rosier colours. Some things haven't changed from last month, I'm still enjoying my Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette, especially pairing the golden-shimmery shades with rosy lips and cheeks. So fresh and happy!

Make up-wise I have really been enjoying Charlotte Tilbury's Light Wonder Foundation. This really reminds me of Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, but the finish of this one is a bit more glowy, I feel. I normally just shake this up and apply with my fingers as the watery formula blends like a dream and gives a very natural, dewy base.

As the weather got warmer, I ditched my contouring products and switched to more of a rosy cheek- look, especially after I purchased this L'Oréal Le Blush in Sandalwood Pink (Shade 120). It's a beautiful fresh colour with the tiniest shimmer in it, and I feel like it gives my make up look a very healthy look.

As I mentioned, in March I enjoyed using some light, golden shimmery shades on my eyes, but nothing too dramatic. Instead of a smoky look, I dialled up my lashes with the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noire Major Volume Mascara. This product is absolutely incredible! It gives my lashes an insane amount of volume, quite a bit of definition and the colour is very intense. I do have to say that this gives you a 60s lash look, and if you can't put up with some minor clamps, this product is probably not for you. I am definitely all about the lashes though!

On my lips I really enjoyed using the Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Dusty Pink. On work days I normally just patted this on very lightly and blended with my fingers for a natural rosy look, but when I felt like going for a bolder lip look, this gave a perfectly muted, but still bright rose colour.

Fashion-wise I invested in these Topshop Hayden Boyfriend Jeans. I have to say, I have not loved a pair of jeans this much before. It's so comfortable and still looks amazing, especially when paired with some ankle boots. My mum almost got a heart attack when she saw me in this, but I absolutely love them and I'm already contemplating buying a second "just in case" pair.

As for shoes, I love the whole white sneakers trend that's going on at the moment, however I'm afraid that if I invest in a more expensive pair, someone is going to step on my feet pretty my right away. With that in mind, I went around in high street shops to find an alternative found this lovely pair in Zara for £25.99! I think that's an absolute bargain and if it doesn't last as long as an expensive pair would, I can still buy another pair and save some money. And they're comfy too!

My absolute favourite purchase of the month was these sunglasses from Michael Kors. I actually got these as a birthday present from my mum, after I fell in love with them in store. I always wanted a pair with reflective lenses, and this one was absolutely perfect! The rims are rosegold (score!) and the temples are white, absolutely stunning colour combination. I love the aviator style and thankfully they're not as delicate as the Ray Ban ones, as I always feel like they would break very easily. The lenses are bright blue in most lightings, sadly this doesn't show on the photo very much. The downside to the reflective lenses is that you can see me struggling to take this photo... how lovely!

As I'm going on a city break at the end of May, I'm already thinking about what summery make up and clothes I should get hold of. I'm thinking about bringing forward my "summer wishlist", but let me know if you have any suggestions.... What do you think would look amazing on a holiday in Rome?

Lots of love xx

My Spring Wishlist

Out with the old, in with the new!

I'm in the middle of cleaning out my wardrobe and updating my make up collection in preparation for springtime. As I'm getting rid of anything I don't wear and packing away winter clothes, I needed to come up with an organised way of thinking through what I actually need to (want to really) buy this season. And what better way there is than writing a list, right?

Fashion

This season I would really like to aim for a well thought out and put together wardrobe. I normally tend to buy things I like, not things I need, so I end up with a bunch of jumpers but no jeans or trousers. Classic! Living in the UK also means that I can carry on wearing some of my winter jumpers pretty much until July, so I only have to get a few extra additions. Let's see the list!

From the top left:

MOTO Vintage Daisy Shorts, Topshop, £24

Zipped Backpack, Mango, £39.99

Lightweight Textured Truster Coat, Topshop, £79

Plimsolls with Laces, Zara, £25.99

Lace Applique Dress, Mango, £35.99

Quilted Bomber Jacket, Zara, £39.99

ASOS Boyfriend Sweat with Hey Sweetie Print, ASOS.com, £22

Relax Fit Ripped Jeans, Zara, £25.99

Printed Blouse, Zara, £25.99

As you can see I'm very much into my whites this spring and my wardrobe will be quite monochrome as per usual. It will be interesting to see if I actually get all these items, as I will have to try on most of them. This is where I normally cry a bit in the changing room and then put them back on the shelves.

Beauty

Make up shopping, however, never makes me feel fat! Let's see all the items that will make my purse empty this spring!

From the top left:

Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Bette, Charlotte Tilbury, £22

Diorblush Sculpt in Pink Shape, Dior, £32

Art Stick in Sunset Orange, Bobbi Brown, £20

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita, Nars £19

Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Marc Jacobs £20

Light Wonder Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury, £32

Accessories

Accessories-wise I'm still in love with my Michael Kors rosegold watch and my Pandora Rose necklace, but I would like to expand my happy rosegold family with this beauty:

Rose Gold- Tone Rose Quartz Cuff, Michael Kors, $115 (I haven't managed to find it on a UK website as of yet...)

I'm also desperately looking for some rosegold rings, so if you have seen some that would tie in with this style, please do let me know in the comments!

This is all I'm really planning to purchase this spring, although my planning may not be so realistic. Let's see how it goes!

My all time favourite beauty products

We all have those beauty product that have a special place in our collection. The ones that we just clicked with, ones that sneak into our lives time and time again, and when they do it just feels like greeting an old friend.

I have to admit I haven't been a beauty enthusiast for a long time, I spent most of my teen years and early twenties bare faced. When I look back at the pictures from those times I wonder how I never realised that the bags under my eyes were darker than the night sky and at the same time my eyebrows were pretty much non-existent. Not that I needed it in my life, but I never realised how much more confident you feel and how much fun you can have with it! So really, when I say "all time favourites" I mean "did not disappoint me in the last three years".

I should also mention that I have very dry and eczema prone skin. It is very difficult to work with, especially in the winter and that certain time of the month. The eczema mostly affects my jawline, my eyelids and under-eyes and sometimes the skin around my eyebrows. I can't use any heavily fragranced products as they often worsen my skin condition, and I tend to keep away from matte foundations or cakey powders.

Complexion

Nars Sheer Glow

I know, I know... it's almost boring to hear how many people like this, but if you prefer a dewy complexion and you had the chance to try it, you know it's a winner. It has a decent amount of coverage without looking cakey on the skin, it doesn't accentuate my dry patches and it looks fab in pictures. Another bonus is that they have quite a lot of colour choices! I use Mont Blanc in the winter because I'm quite pale and I really appreciate the "not too pinky, not too orangy" tone. It's also very easily blendable and stays in place for a decent amount of time.

One huge downside to it is that they couldn't include a pump for the fairly painful price, and if you decide to buy yourself one separately you can't use the lid anymore. Absolute nightmare to travel with!

Despite all of this, the product in the unfortunate packaging is a dream! Definitely one I keep coming back to.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

Unfortunately I'm a major Charlotte Tilbury fan. Unfortunately, because her products are definitely not drugstore price. I did however justify buying the Filmstar Bronze & Glow sculpt and highlight palette. If you are a little bit like me and have your face is rounder like a football, you know the importance of contouring. I don't like to go overboard and I'm not a huge fan of the Kim Kardashian style contouring technique, but it is nice to put a subtle shadow on my face to pretend that I have cheekbones. And this palette is so easy to work with! The sculpt shade has an ashier, cooler tone to it than a normal bronzer, so it's perfect for contouring, it's very pigmented and it doesn't go patchy! I love that it looks quite natural on the cheeks and adds more of a barely there effect.

The highlighter in the palette is mostly shimmer-less and has a beautiful golden sheen to it. I like to use it on the top of my cheeks for an everyday highlight that gives a healthy, glowy appearance to my skin. When I have a particularly dull looking skin day, I use it as a illuminating powder all over my face, just to put some life back to the skin.

As mentioned, the price of this beauty is quite steep, but even the packaging is worth it. Of course this is one of Charlotte's trademark rosegold product that I would wear as jewellery if I could. As an added extra, it has quite a big mirror included so it comes very handy when travelling.

Eyes

Bobbi Brown eyeshadow

I got this handy little travel palette as a Christmas present in 2014 and unfortunately I don't think it's available in stores anymore. However they have small sized palettes with very similar (if not the same!) shades in new packaging. The lightest shade in the palette is a very creamy off-white colour, perfect for all over the lid. The medium one is a light, soft grey, I normally use this either in the crease of all over if I want to go for a heavier look. The last shade in the palette is a darker brown colour, perfec for a soft eyeliner look or a smokier crease.

This is an amazing palette if you travel a lot! You can use it for a very simple and classic day look with the lighter shades on the lid and the dark brown as eyeliner, or you could smoke it up for more of a dramatic look. As you can see, I use this a lot, it's the perfect natural combination and doesn't require too much time, which is a bonus in the morning. I also like the lip colours that are very handy if you forgot your lipstick at home. Definitely will be repurchasing something similar when this one is completely used up.

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in 'Verushka'

This one is more of an occasion eye shadow. I adore all the shades from the Eyes to Mesmerise collection, the texture is heavenly, it blends easily but doesn't crease and lasts a very long time on the lids. The Verushka shade is something different though. I couldn't really describe the colour of it, it is something very special I haven't seen before. It's sort of a grey-green colour with golden-silver shimmer going through it, giving you a very smokey eye, without making the look harsh. The one word I would use to describe it is mesmerising. See what I did there?

This is definitely the shade I turn to when I want to look special, it could be a heavier smokey-sparkly look for Christmas, or a subtle, but mysterious look for a wedding. Definitely worth the splurge!

Lips

For lips, I really had to categorise my favourits... I decided to go with a nude matte, nude moisturising, wintery red and summery red. There is kind of a theme going on here though, I definitely prefer a matte lip, and on an everyday basis, I wear mostly nudes or subtle colours, or sometimes just throw on some lip balm when I don't have a lot of time (about 90% of my mornings...).

The lip colour that's always in my bag is definitely the Laura Mercie Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Spiced Rose. It's so easy to put on, even without a mirror and it gives you a very natural, "your lips but better" look. The formula is very moisturising too and very easy to wear.

My favourite nude matte look comes from another Charlotte Tilbury product ('m a bit obsessed, can you tell?). The Lip Cheat Lip Liner Pencil in Pillow Talk gives a very natural, browny-pinky nude finish, and because it's matte, it's very long-lasting. Definitely one I reach for a lot, and it actually works very well with Laura Mercier's Spiced Rose.

When it comes to bold lip colours I'm definitely a huge fan of classic reds. But for me, the orange-y tones only really come in, when the sun comes out! In the wintertime, especially during holiday season, I love to wear Mac's Ruby Woo. This is actually the perfect red in my opinion, it's not too cold, not too warm and very veeeery matte! I love pairing it with shimmery eyeshadows for Christmas.

In the summer, especially when I have a bit of a tan, I love a good orange-y red shade. My favourite has been the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious. This has a really easy to put on and easy to wear matte formula, a very bright, orange-y red colour and it smells like mint. Bonus! The very affordable price is an added extra!

You may have noticed that I haven't included any concealers, setting powders, blushes, mascaras or brow products. This is simply because I haven't found the one. So if you have any recommendations, anything you liked or you think I should try, please do write it in the comments, let's have a conversation started! What are your favourites?