MINI SEPHORA HAUL

Hi everyone!

Another beauty-based post for you today, but I couldn't wait to share my #feelingspendy purchases with you! I recently went on holiday to Canada (which by the way, is SO beautiful in Autumn) and couldn't resist a visit to the beauty motherland that is Sephora. Considering we don't have this store in the UK, I think I was pretty restrained in my purchases: read on to see what I decided on!

Kat Von D: Ink Liner in Trooper

The hype surrounding this brand is incredible: I've been lusting over the liners (and more recently, the liquid lipsticks) for ages now thanks to beauty bloggers and YouTubers alike. I had my heart set on the classic Tattoo Liner but since the Sephora I visited were out of stock, I tried out the Ink Liner range instead. This liner has a felt-tip-like end that is so fine I just knew I'd want to try it there and then. The Ink liner is also waterproof and I can really say it stays on as the swatch on my hand was still there the next day! I really had to scrub it to get it off! As for on the eyes, it has a little less staying power but definitely lasts me all day, is super super pigmented and the point of the felt tip is so precise!  As I mentioned above, I was hoping to get a liquid lip (or 4) but again with this brand being as popular as it is, the shades I was after had all sold out. But alas, Kat Von D is now available to buy in the UK in Debenhams (and here's me thinking that I was coming home with products I couldn't get in the UK...) so hopefully I'll be able to get my mitts on the Lolita and Double Dare in the liquid lip range!

CLEAN: Rollerball Perfume in Skin

Having a perfume in rollerball form is perfect not only for travelling but also being on-the-go, you can just pop it in your handbag as it's tiny and light. Sephora had a great selection of these on offer and after trying multiple scents, I decided on this one by CLEAN. I'd never heard of the brand before but looking into it, CLEAN is one of the world's first 'conscious' perfume brands which I really admire. I loved this subtle scent so much (it includes two of my favourite smells: vanilla and amber wood) I couldn't not get it! And being an Au de Parfum, it really does last throughout the day, too, unlike most of my other big bottles of perfume.

Make Up For Ever: Ultra HD Concealer in Y23 and Y31

Finding the perfect concealer for me is a huge struggle. I always end up buying ones that match my skin tone when swatching in the store, only to find that when worn over or under my foundation they oxidise, turning muddy or orange-y. Not a good look, I think you'll agree. I'd heard great things about this concealer, and the Ultra HD range in general so knew I'd have to try it out to see for myself. This range offers so many shades with both colour correction and concealing properties. After swatching some shades in the store, I ended up purchasing concealers Y23 and Y31, mainly for the fact that my skin tone becomes a lot paler in the winter and don't want the wrong colour! I've used both of these and love them so far, and am using the lighter shade (Y23) as an illuminator of-sorts for under my eyes and it works so well. Another pro to this little concealer (it's a really tiny bottle for the price, I'll have to admit) is due to it's squeezy tube, you'll be able to get every little bit out.

Smashbox: Bronze Lights in Warm Matte

Winter is well on its way, and with that comes a paler complexion and the need for a little bronzer to add some glow to my face. I've heard great things about this bronzer online and not being able to buy it in my local Boots, I thought I'd see what I thought of it. The main draw to this bronzer for me is that it has a matte finish. As I have combination/oily skin, bronzers or contour colours with shimmer (whilst absolutely gorgeous) do not work for me - they just make me look greasy! The colour of this product is absolutely gorgeous as it gives me a really subtle glow that looks completely natural, just what I was looking for! Finding a bronzer that isn't too heavy means that I can wear it day-to-day which is just perfect.

So there it is - my mini Sephora haul! Do you have any of these products? What are your thoughts?
I think I can speak for S and myself that we really wish Sephora would just open in the UK already! Although that may not be so great for our bank balances...

See you Sunday

K  xo

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AUTUMN / FALL LIP FAVOURITES

Happy Tuesday!
 

Since Autumn is my favourite season (I mean, who doesn't love the changing of the leaves & crisp, bright days?!) and it's the perfect time of year to change up your wardrobe and beauty looks, I thought I'd share my current lip routine and some favourite colours I will be using non-stop this season!

It's always good practice to prep your lips before applying colour, and this is a must when the colder weather starts to arrive, with it bringing the promise of cracked lips! Also being a huge fan of a good matte lip means prepping before adding colour is an important step to ensure your colour to stay on for longer.

 I like to start with this Santa Lip Scrub from Lush - an exfoliant that leaves lips feeling super soft and even in texture!
  I then reach for my favourite lip butter from Herbivore Botanicals in sweet-smelling Blood Orange. (This one isn't sold any more but check the rest of their range here) It's a really rich and moisturising texture which is perfect for pre-colour lips.

 These are swatches of my favourite lip colours for this season. They're not quite berry colours (classic choice for this time of year) but almost neutral: not too bold but still richer & more autumn or fall-like.

1. Charlotte Tilbury: Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

I absolutely adore this shade! Definitely a spendy purchase but oh so worth it. I think this colour would look great one any skin tone (it differs on each person - I was worried it wouldn't suit me as this shade is Kim K's go-to and I'm lighter skin-toned but it just looks more berry/pink-ish).  The formula is super moisturising and definitely doesn't have that drying feel like other cheaper matte lipsticks I have! This colour is also buildable so you can go as bold as you like with it. Also it smells gorgeous, an extra bonus!

 

2. NYX: Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in 07 Sandstorm

I first heard about this product thanks to Zoella mentioning it in a monthly favourites video a little while ago now, and absolutely loved the shade on her. As you can see from the swatch above, this colour is brown-tinted which is a big difference for me as I usually shy away from very neutral colours as they tend to wash me out. However, this colour has a pink-y undertone to it which allows me to wear this gorgeous colour without having to worry about it being too wish-washy.

3. NYX: Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in 04 Soft Spoken

 
This colour is more of a deeper pink, as you can see from the swatch above. Being from the same line as the previous colour, I knew I'd love this shade. It can be super dark if you build it up which is great for a night out! Formula-wise, this product isn't super drying and definitely doesn't crack which is brilliant for a matte liquid lip, but I'd still use some lip balm underneath to ensure you lock in some moisture to keep your lips looking good all day. As for wearability of this liquid lip (and the same goes for the above colour, too) it's great! I barely have to touch it up throughout the day but keep it handy if I'm going for food or drinks.


What are your go-to shades for autumn/fall?! We're always on the lookout for different brand to try too so let us know what you're wearing!

K  xo
 

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My top Four Favorite Nail Polish brands

Hello everyone! 

As you may know by now, I am obsessed and I mean OBSESSED with nail polishes. I recently wrote a post about OPI Alice through the looking glass collection where I touched upon my love for nail polishes. Writing that post made me think about my unnecessarily

large collection ((of polishes)), this oversized collection currently features 7 brands. Throughout many years I have tried many brands and wanted to share with you today my current top four favourite brands. 

OPI

OPI is a new found love for me. When my mother introduced my to the brand, I fell in love with the formula, the colour lacquer creates a gloss finish without even adding a top coat. The OPI formula also lasted a really long time which is perfect! 

Ciaté

When looking for glitter and sparkle I turn to Ciaté. They have the best collection of nail glitter, sequins and caviar in every colour you can think of. Their annual advent calendar features all the glitz and glam a girl could ask for, I seriously can't wait to see what this year's calendar looks like. 

L'Oreal

The cheapest brand in my top four, L'Oreal which is priced at £4.99 has upped their game this year with their polishes. The colours and tones featured in their collection reminds me of Essie's colours and at almost half the price you can buy twice as much! 

Essie 

I always used to treat myself to an Essie nail polish at the end of a University term or after a large deadline. The variety of colours made choosing one so hard. I am also loving their top coat at the moment, its formula adds longevity and shine to a manicure. 

So as you can see I LOVE my nail polishes and always on the look out to try more, so if any of you know of any brands that you love and think I should try comment below as I feel 86 isn't enough polishes for one collection haha! 

See you Sunday,

S  xo 

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Lush Gift Box: HAPPY BATHDAY

Happy Tuesday!

Now that the weather's on the turn and the nights are slowly drawing in as we head into Autumn, I feel like I can start to indulge in more baths and I can't wait! So to celebrate this, today I'm finally getting around to showing you a Lush gift set I got for my birthday earlier on in the year.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good pun, and pairing it with a boxful of Lush bath goodies? Well, that's me hooked.  This brightly designed Lush set, HAPPY BATHDAY is designed by MinaLima and contains six different bath products (including bombs, bubble bars and fun) and even has a cute little duck-shaped banner, too.

The gift set includes:

1.  Sea Monster Fun
2.  Blackberry bath bomb
3.  The Experimenter bath bomb

4.  The Comforter bubble bar

5.  Rose Jam bubbleroon

6.  Dragon's Egg bath bomb

I've only ever used the Experimenter bath bomb before, as it's one of their newer products, and the classic Comforter smell in shower cream, so the bubble bar will be first on the list to use this Autumn! I'm intrigued by the 'fun' as I've never used it before, but after seeing that it's a multi-purpose product (you can use it as both a shampoo and soap) I'm looking forward to trying it out.

If you're thinking of going to Lush for a gift (for someone else or yourself!), I'd definitely recommend a gift box like this one, as you can introduce new products and try things that you wouldn't usually go for. Plus, the smell when you lift the lid off this tin is so beautiful, it feels like I've been transported to a Lush Kitchen!

I really can't wait to start using these gorgeous smelling products and fully enjoy them in the colder weather to come! What are your favourite Lush bath products?!

K  xo

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Summer Favourites

Happy Sunday!

Today marks the last Sunday of August which means that summer is sadly coming to an end (where did the time go?!) We decided to end the summer in style by celebrating some of the products and items that we've been loving over the summer months and will continue to use into the autumn and winter.

Beauty

Chloe Love Story Eau de Toilette 30ml - £41.50

Confession time! I was originally attracted to this perfume because of the beautiful bottle! Luckily when I tested it in store I fell in love with the scent. Love Story has definitely become one of my all- time favourite scents. 

Caudalie Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil 100ml - £16.20

I was introduced to Caudalie through Rosie Huntington-Whitley's Snapchat where she said that Caudalie was one of her favourite cleansers and perfect for dry skin. The cleansing oil is perfect for removing your make-up without being too harsh or drying out your skin.

Caudalie Gental Cleansing Milk 200ml - £13.50

The Caudalie cleansing milk soothes and cools your skin after a long day and is very hydrating.  Since switch-up of my make up remover and cleanser, my skin has improved tremendously and now feels fresher and more hydrated.

Benefit Watt's up cream Highlighter - £24.50 

I was always unsure about trying out a cream highlighter, I could never understand how the cream formulae could be pigmented, how I was wrong! I now love this gold undertone cream highlighter! 

OPI Alice Through the Looking Glass - £29.88

I loved the OPI Alice Through the Looking Glass collection so much I wrote a whole post about it here. Fearlessly Alice was my favourite colour from the whole collection and the nail colour I have been wearing the most this summer.

Charlotte Tibury Lip Cheat 'PillowTalk' - £16.00

I was lucky enough to receive this Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat for my birthday. It is the perfect nude lip colour, the lip liner is also ideal to shape and naturally over line your lips helping to create a fuller pout.

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Eva Red - £6.99

Who knew buying a red lipstick could be so hard! Every red tone I tried had never looked right on me until I tried the Eva red lipstick from L'Oreal. This Eva Red is just the shade I was looking for, perfect for summer nights.

Pixi Glow Tonic - £18.00

I bought this after seeing it recommended on Caroline Hirons' blog and love it! You really notice how it brightens and smooths the skin, and with ingredients such as witchhazel and aloe vera it's not hard to understand why!

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry in Eat My Dust - £3.99

I featured this nail varnish colour in my last post about my fake-nail experience, but I couldn't not include it as one of my summer favourites. This colour is such a gorgeous dusky/sky blue pastel and is perfect for the summer season.

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - £16.50

 This is such a lazy-girl hack for people like me who hate to moisturise after getting out of the shower. Used just like hair conditioner, but for your body, it's super quick and smells divine! Plus you don't end up with that greasy feeling of moisturiser either.

Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Eastend Snob - £3.99

A dupe for Charlotte Tibury's 'Pillowtalk' Lip Cheat (as S has above!), it's the perfect base for all nude lipsticks and on it's own too.

H&M Blush in Golden Peach - £6.99

This blush has been my go-to for a few months now, as it's the perfect shade for slightly bronzed summer skin. The slight sheen in the blush also is perfect for this time of year.

Zara Perfume Black Peony - £7.99

I've loved this perfume for a while now, but it comes in and out of stock pretty quickly so nab it while you can! It's a gorgeous smell, and as a dupe for Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, it's so cheap! Just be aware that it's definitely not as long-lasting.

Fashion & Accessories 

Katie Laxton 'Shine Bright' Perfect Pouch - £15.99 

I fell in love with this pouch as soon as I saw it in Bristol. This pouch has now become my iPad case as it is the ideal size for holding an iPad Mini. 

Zara Tassle Cross Body Bag 'Similar' - £19.99 

 Since buying this Zara bag I have been using it non-stop (thankfully it goes with every outfit) sadly due to the light cream colour I have noticed that it has started to stain slightly where it has been rubbing against my clothes (mainly jeans).

Ted Baker (Sale) 'Similar' - £39.00 

This Ted Baker purse is the perfect size for all my smaller cross body bags. I love how compact the purse is while also being large enough to hold some cards and small change. 

Topshop Pink Cross Body Bag 'Similar' - £15.99

I bought this bag a few months ago in Topshop and haven't stopped wearing it this summer! It's that gorgeous shade of dusky pink which is everywhere right now and goes with pretty much everything. Definitely a summer staple that I'll be wearing through until the Autumn too.

Olivia Burton Watch 'Similar' - £70.00

All of Olivia Burton's watches are gorgeous, but this one goes with absolutely everything! The dot pattern on the face has the subtle detail that I love, and the grey straps match my (usually monotone!) outfits. The rose gold face also looks beautiful with summer bronzed skin.

Nike Air Max Thea in Lilac 'Similar' - £91.99

Being a huge trainers fan (I mean, ultimate comfort for everyday wear? Yes please!) I couldn't not adore these Nike Theas. The lilac colour seems to look different depending on what you wear them with, but they've been perfect to brighten up a casual outfit.

Lifestyle 

Lauren Conrad Celebrate - £15.90

 Who doesn't love Lauren Conrad right?! I have loved all her books since beauty and her latest Celebrate book has for me has been better. The mix of stunning photographs and party ideas has filled me with inspiration. 

Cath Kidston A5 Diary 'Similar' - £15.00

I'm a massive planner anyway, but recently I've been really into using my diary everyday as more of a planning tool: with to-do lists for the week and my days. This beautiful Cath Kidston diary has monthly and weekly spreads as well as space for shopping lists and everything else!

Gilmore Girls on Netflix

Gilmore Girls was always a favourite of mine to watch back when it was on e4, but I never watched the whole show in order! So when I saw all 7 seasons had been released on Netflix I was pretty excited to get into it again - does anyone else want to go and live in Stars Hollow?! Plus I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we can't wait for the new episodes later this year!

We hope you enjoyed reading about our summer favourites - what's been your go-to essentials for this season? Have a brilliant bank-holiday (if you're here in the UK) and we'll see you on Tuesday for another post.

S & K  xo 

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