Hello!

I'm Ellie, 21. I enjoy makeup, fashion, kitties and everything cute!

[do-your-reseaarch]

February Wrap Up

Check out all the books I read in February!

Hello, everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted. I think this lockdown has been really tough for everyone and it has been especially difficult to find motivation. If you’ve been struggling, I really hope that things pick up soon. Just know that you’re not alone and we will all get through this together. My favourite way to get through lockdown, is to get stuck into a good book. I have…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Hello, everyone! Lately, I have been dreaming of all the places that I hope to visit. I just want to hop on a plane and explore new places. Does anyone else just get the urge to book a random flight to somewhere new? Last year I was fortunate enough to visit Denmark and Sweden so I thought I would share some ideas for things to do in Stockholm if you’re in need of some inspiration. I know now may not be the time to travel with Coronavirus going on a world tour but hopefully we’ll be able to do more travelling in 2021.

ABBA The Museum

I have been dreaming of visiting the ABBA museum for years so of course, this was at the top of my list when we booked our trip to Stockholm. I must admit, this is definitely what I was looking forward to the most and it did not disappoint. The tickets cost 250SEK which is around £20/$26/€24. When you first walk in, they have a ‘Mamma Mia!: Behind the Movie Magic’ exhibition including props, costumes, original scripts, and even behind-the-scenes interviews. I loved every bit of this exhibition, and I feel as though you would appreciate it even if you are not the biggest Mamma Mia! fan. After spending way too long in the exhibition, I carried on to the rest of the museum and it just kept getting better. Not only can see for yourself the gold records, original costumes, and other bits of memorabilia but you can also dance with an ABBA hologram, test your knowledge in quizzes, and sing in a karaoke booth – who wouldn’t love that?

Metro Art Gallery

If you’re hoping to go to Stockholm but you’ll have a tighter budget, I would recommend checking out the Metro. Each stop is decorated in a different theme and has been known as “the world’s longest art gallery”. Over 90 stations have been decorated with sculptures, rock formations, mosaics, paintings, installations, engravings, and reliefs by over 150 artists. Here’s a guide to Art in the Subway to help you plan your trip.

Shopping Trip

If you’re a lover of shopping, I would recommend setting aside a day or two just to check out the shops. Whether you’re mad about top designers like Gucci or Louis Vuitton or whether you like high street shops such as H&M or Zara, there will be plenty for you. There’s no denying, Stockholm is a pretty expensive city to visit so it’s worth saving up your pennies before you go. I was mostly excited to visit Sephora as there isn’t a Sephora store in the UK and it did not disappoint. I had to really hold myself back from spending all of my money. 

Royal Palace

There is a lot of history to see in Stockholm, with the Royal Palace being open to the public. There are 5 museums surrounding the Royal Palace for you to learn all about Sweden’s royal family. Whilst at the Palace, you can watch the soldiers parade and the daily changing of the guard. If you love getting souvenirs, I would recommend checking out the souvenir shops around the Palace as they have everything you could ever want. Even if you’re not the biggest history fan, I do believe the Palace has something for everyone as you can even visit the Armoury that contains royal costumes, armour, coronation coaches, and beautiful coaches. 

Fotografiska

On our last day, we had a few hours to spare so we decided to visit the Fotografiska (photography museum) and I am really glad that we went. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first floor as I felt it was a bit too ‘artsy’ for my taste. We then went up to the next floor and my opinion completely changed. There are various exhibitions from photographers all over the world and the work is constantly changing so you can keep going back again and again. Also, they have a wonderful restaurant where the food is locally sourced and low-impact to minimise food waste. Who doesn’t love amazing art and delicious, eco-friendly food?

Trying the Local Food

You can’t go to Sweden without trying some meatballs. We went to Meatballs for the People and would 100% recommend visiting there for some high quality meatballs. I love that you can choose the meat that is used for your meatballs and they come served with potato purée, gravy, lingonberries, and picked cucumber.

Another great restaurant we went to is Bastard Burgers which is a growing street food chain. I had the Ayia Napa halloumi burger with red onion, tomato, salad, and jalapeño and honey sauce with sweet potato fries. This was honestly one of the best halloumi burgers I have ever had and I hope Bastard Burgers comes to the UK. There are loads of lovely restaurants around Stockholm, we also went out for Sushi and Italian food and the quality was just so good.

If you’ve been to Stockholm, what was your favourite thing to do? If not, what would you love to do? Let me know in the comments below.

Best Things to do in Stockholm Hello, everyone! Lately, I have been dreaming of all the places that I hope to visit. I just want to hop on a plane and explore new places.

[do-your-reseaarch]

My Isolation ASOS Wishlist

Hello, everyone! I don’t know about you but I have not been able to stop thinking about online shopping. It probably has something to do with the fact that we’re not really supposed to leave our home but I also find that it provides a good sense of escapism. I know this lockdown is difficult for so many people for many different reasons and we all have our own ways of coping with it. I seem to be…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Self-Isolation Activities

Hi, everyone. I know the world is a little bit crazy right now and the uncertainty can be quite scary. I don’t think any of us really knows what’s going to happen and how long this is going to last. I don’t want to go into too much detail about Coronavirus as I know it can be triggering to those with anxiety.

I have had to keep myself isolated for 6 days so far as I started displaying symptoms of…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Hello, everyone. It has been a little while since I last posted and I really want to start posting more. I can’t believe it is March already! I am so excited to see where this year goes.

For the past couple of years, I have been thinking about getting a tattoo. I knew I wanted something travel-related and had a rough idea in my head of what I wanted. I can be quite indecisive and I often doubt my choices so I knew I would have to be really sure of a tattoo idea to go ahead with it. It’s not like a piercing that you can remove if you change your mind. Anyway, at the start of the year, I decided to pluck up the courage to book my first ever tattoo and I thought I would share my experience.

I started by searching for local tattoo artists and asking people I know for recommendations. I ended up messaging Factotum – a body modification studio based in Norwich – who said that they had availability on 29th February. I thought it would be perfect to get a tattoo on 29th February as we only have that day every 4 years. I sent off my tattoo ideas and was quoted £50-£70 and told that it would take about an hour. If you’re in Norwich, I’d definitely check out Factotum as their shop is super cool and they do piercings as well as tattoos.

The morning before my tattoo, I was so nervous – mostly because I am terrible with pain but also because I didn’t know the exact design of what I was getting. I didn’t know what to expect during the appointment and was terrified that I would end up hating the design. My boyfriend, David came with me which I am extremely grateful for. I don’t think I would have coped well on my own.

My appointment was with Nelson (click here to check out his insta) and I cannot say a single negative thing about the whole experience. When I first met him, I told him that this was my first tattoo so he made sure that he talked through everything he was doing in detail and did everything that he could to make sure that I was comfortable. The original design was drawn in sharpie so that I could make sure I was happy with the placement and the style of it. Nelson explained that he would be drawing “freehand” which means that he wouldn’t be using a stencil. Honestly, I think what I am most impressed with is the fact that he managed to draw a perfectly round circle.

Now we get to the actual tattoo. I was very nervous at this point and Nelson did a great job of explaining what it will feel like and giving me tips to make it hurt less. He started with a small line so I knew what it was like before going straight in on the main design. The sound of the tattoo needles is so loud that I think it makes the situation seem worse than it is. Honestly, once Nelson started the tattoo, it didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it would. If I had to describe the sensation, I would say that it feels like a hot scratch. I know that the feeling will be different if you get a bigger tattoo or if you get one in a different place. The actual tattoo only took about 25 minutes and the time went so quickly.

Once the tattoo was finished, I was able to look at it in the mirror and I was absolutely in love with it. I could not stop smiling and was so pleased with how it turned out. The detail is incredible and I am obsessed with the little plane. I was expecting my arm to hurt more afterwards but it was actually fine. My arm was a bit sore and red but it has gone down a lot even after only 3 days. Because it is quite a small tattoo, it should only take about a week to heal but I’m making sure I look after it properly. I cannot stop showing off my tattoo, I don’t think it could have turned out any better and I am so pleased that I pushed myself to do this.

Once Nelson had finished my tattoo, he shared some aftercare tips with me which I have included down below in case anyone is thinking of getting a tattoo:

Clean your tattoo around 5 times a day

Make sure you moisturise

Use unscented soap and moisturiser to avoid irritation

Do not rub your tattoo, pat it instead

Wrap your tattoo in cling film for the first night so you don’t get ink on your bed sheets

Do not scratch your tattoo

So that’s my experience of getting a tattoo. Do you have any tattoos? Let me know how many you have down below. If anyone has any questions about the process of getting a tattoo, feel free to ask.

  Getting a Tattoo Hello, everyone. It has been a little while since I last posted and I really want to start posting more.

[do-your-reseaarch]

My 2020 Goals

Hello, everyone! I’m not usually one to make New Years’ Resolutions, however, I do like to set myself goals for the year ahead. These goals may change throughout the year but these are the main ones that I hope to achieve in 2020.

Worry less

I do have a terrible habit of overthinking and worrying about anything and everything. I know it’s not good and in most cases, I can’t change the situation.…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Dealing With a Breakup

Here are some tips on how to deal with a breakup

Hello, everyone!

This is a little different to what I usually post, however, I have been trying to branch out a bit and write more life-related posts as that is the kind of thing that I like to read. Those of you who know me will know that last year I came out of a 4-year relationship. I thought I would share some tips and advice for anyone going through a similar situation.

Just over a year ago…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Hello, everyone!

Somehow it is September and it already feels like Winter is coming. Is anyone else absolutely buzzing for gingerbread lattes to come back? Autumn is definitely my favourite time of year and I always feel a lot more motivated, does anyone else gets this? Anyway, Autumn isn’t quite here yet and I thought I would share some of my favourites from August with you.

Last month I was in London for my birthday so I made sure to visit Carnaby Street as there are so many cool stores. I went into Too Faced and I found the Gingerbread Spice palette. I desperately wanted this palette at Christmas time but they had completely sold out everywhere so of course, I bought it. I have never tried any Too Faced palettes before so I was super excited to try it out and I have used it pretty much every day since I bought it. My favourite shades are probably Spice is Nice and Spiked Eggnog.

I can be quite fussy when it comes to jewellery but at the moment I am obsessed with big statement earrings. My favourite places to shop for earrings are Lisa Angel and Lovisa. I prefer to wear rose gold/copper jewellery over silver and plain gold but you can get so many different styles/prints. I would hate to think how much money I have spent on earrings over the past few months, but my excuse is that I have two ear piercings so I get through earrings a lot quicker. These two earrings are probably my favourite at the moment.

  If you read my most recent post, you’ll know that it was recently my birthday. I went to London with my boyfriend, David and we decided to get properly dressed up. For the occasion, I bought this gorgeous dress from ASOS. I am absolutely obsessed with this dress and I am already trying to find excuses to wear it again. It has long sleeves and quite a low neckline so it does show a bit of cleavage, but without it being too much. The material feels really high quality and it just makes me feel good wearing it. I love the print, it is so bright and vibrant – yet I haven’t really seen many other dresses in the same print. You could wear this dress on a night out or to a wedding, or just about any special occasion.

As a treat for passing my driving test, I bought myself these orange Vans. They were £35 down from £65 so it would have rude to not buy them. These shoes have a cushioned lining so they are so unbelievably comfortable to wear, it is almost like walking on a cloud. I love that these are a bit different from regular Old Skool Vans and I absolutely adore the colour. I never have trouble pairing these shoes with an outfit and I find that they stand out a lot more due to the vibrant colour. These won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I am a big fan.

I am not quite bold enough for the Pat Butcher-style leopard print but I have recently started wearing a lot more animal print. I prefer a more subtle print but nevertheless, I am a huge fan. I particularly love this zebra print shirt I recently bought from Nasty Gal. It is quite different as it is cropped but it also has a very wide neckline (I always wear a vest top underneath) and big bellowed sleeves. I love wearing this with ripped grey jeans and a chunky belt. Secondly, I love this gorgeous subtle leopard print shirt from Topshop. It feels so silky to wear but it is surprisingly warm so you can even wear it in the winter. I find it so comfortable and easy to style. I don’t think they sell this shirt anymore as I bought it a while ago, however, they do sell the same style of shirt but in a variety of different prints so I’d recommend having a look in Topshop.

  What are some of your current favourites?

August Favourites Hello, everyone! Somehow it is September and it already feels like Winter is coming. Is anyone else absolutely buzzing for gingerbread lattes to come back?

[do-your-reseaarch]

Helloooo,

It has been quite some time since I last posted. I have been wanting to post for ages but either couldn’t find the time or couldn’t find the motivation. I recently turned 23 so thought new year, new me… if that counts mid-year?

If anyone is interested, I had a cracking birthday. David took me to London and we watched the All-Star Les Miserables concert which was 10/10 would watch again. We also went to Junkyard Golf which is basically crazy golf at a cocktail bar – would highly recommend as it is a lot of fun. We decided to get all dressed up so I thought I would share a little tutorial for the makeup look I decided to go with. I honestly had the best weekend. I can’t believe it was 3 weeks ago now and I also can’t quite believe that it is now September – that makes me feel a bit sick.

Anyway, when we went out, I had a red dress and I knew I was going to wear red lipstick to match so I didn’t want to go overboard of my eye makeup. I decided to go for a matte smokey look which is probably the easiest eyeshadow look I have ever yet done yet it still looks so put together. For anyone interested click here for my dress, click here for the shoes I wore, my earrings are from Lovisa and the lipstick I’m wearing is Ruby Woo by Mac.

For this look, I decided to use the Sigma Warm Neutrals Volume 2 palette as it has a few gorgeous brown shades that go perfectly with a red lip. To start with, I used the shade Humble to set my concealer down and to stop any creasing. Then I used a flat brush to pat down the shade Henna all over my lid. Just a quick warning- this will look terrible but keep going and it will look much better when you’ve finished. Once my lid was covered, I applied the shade Toasty to blend out the corners using tiny circular motions with a fluffy blending brush. This makes the look a lot more seamless rather than having one solid line of eyeshadow. 

I also ran both Henna and Toasty under my lower lashline to finish off the look. It really is as simple as that, it probably took me 3 minutes max to do this eyeshadow. I find that these orange/brown tones really suit green and blue eyes as it makes your eyes really pop. To finish, I used the Kat Von D Go Big or Go Home mascara on my lower lashes and used the Ardell Wispies False Eyelashes (I am terrible at putting on fake lashes so please do excuse my poor attempt). This eyeshadow look can be a bit messy but you can always use a bit of concealer to tidy it up a bit. I’d also recommend using a bright highlighter in your inner corners and on your brow bone to finish it off.

Here is the final look, let me know what you think. Hope you all have a great September!

Matte Smokey Eye Tutorial Helloooo, It has been quite some time since I last posted. I have been wanting to post for ages but either couldn't find the time or couldn't find the motivation.

[do-your-reseaarch]

Hello, everyone! If any of you follow me on social media then you’ll know that I recently travelled to Copenhagen, Malmö, and Stockholm with my boyfriend, David. We spent about two and a half days in Copenhagen at the start of the trip. I loved every second of it so I thought I’d share some of the fun things that we got up to.

We are both massive foodies and Copenhagen is renowned for its high-quality food so we made sure to try lots of local restaurants. I have to admit, the food was possibly the highlight of the trip for me and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

The first restaurant we visited was an Italian restaurant called Mother and I don’t think I’ll ever eat a pizza that will live up to the pizza I had that night. We may have spent over £50 on pizza that night but it was worth every penny. We both ordered meaty pizzas and I’m not usually a huge fan of meat but my goodness was it tasty. The thing I noticed about the food in Copenhagen is that everything tasted so fresh and full of flavour so I would 100% recommend going to Copenhagen purely for the food.

If you’re like me, you’ll love the Scandinavian food markets. Honestly, you can get anything from empanadas to smørrebrød (open sandwiches), to fresh sushi. We visited Torvehallerne which I think is the biggest food market in Copenhagen and we were truly spoilt for choice. If you want to try lots of different food then I’d definitely recommend visiting Torvehallerne as you can try lots of fresh, local food.

Another highlight from this trip was when we got to make our own Magnum’s. I’m fairly certain there are other Magnum Pleasure Stores around the world so if there’s one closer to you and you’re a fan of ice cream, you have to try it out. It’s so cool, you get to choose what kind of chocolate that your ice cream is dipped in and then you can choose up to 4 different toppings, we were in ice cream heaven.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Denmark without trying some proper Danish pastries so of course, we had to go overboard and try as much as we possibly could. We went to Andersen bakery (see picture below on the right) and their homemade lemonade is 10/10, not a day goes by where I don’t think about that lemonade. Also, the coffee is on another level and anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge coffee lover. I don’t think a trip to Denmark would be complete without trying some homemade pastries. I noticed that there is a bakery chain, Lagkagehuset (see picture below on the left) and they do some amazing food and ice lattes so I would totally recommend going there.

It may seem like we spent all of our time eating, but we did do a lot of other things. We spent a decent amount of time walking around Strøget, which is the main high street in Copenhagen. The architecture is stunning, even just walking aimlessly around Copenhagen is mesmerising because it is such a beautiful place. Another fun thing we did was hiring electric scooters. My knee has been a bit dodgy lately so instead of walking back to our hotel we hired some electric scooters and although I was slightly worried about breaking my neck, it was a lot of fun. 

Another beautiful place that we visited was Rosenborg Palace. We didn’t actually go inside but we walked around the gardens and it was nice to just sit down and take it all in. Rosenborg Castle was built in the 17th century and features Denmark’s crown jewels, coronation thrones, and cool tapestries. We also visited Amalienborg Palace which is basically the Danish Buckingham Palace. The Palace Square is truly stunning and if you’re around at 12pm, you’ll get to watch the changing of the guards.

When you think of Copenhagen, you think of the boats and colourful houses on the waterfront. Nyhavn is probably the most touristy part of Copenhagen but it is definitely worth the visit. I’ve never really seen anything like it, the houses along the waterfront are mostly restaurants, making it a fantastic location for people watching by the river. The Danish Playhouse is just around the corner too, meaning that there is always something to do.

Sorry that this post was pretty long, we had a lot of fun in Copenhagen and hopefully, this will inspire you to visit. Where is next on your travel list?

Fun Things to do in Copenhagen Hello, everyone! If any of you follow me on social media then you'll know that I recently travelled to Copenhagen, Malmö, and Stockholm with my boyfriend, David.

[do-your-reseaarch]

Morphe 35G Bronze Goals Review

Check out my review of the new Morphe 35G palette!

Hello, everyone! It seems that everyone owns a Morphe palette these days so I thought it was about time that I finally tried one out for myself. When I saw that Morphe were releasing the Morphe 35G palette, I knew I needed it in my life and ordered it as soon as it was available. I’ve been using this palette solidly for about a week now so I think I can finally share my thoughts.

To start off…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Current Beauty Faves

Check out my current Beauty Faves

So again, it has been a little while since I last posted. Today I was hit by a wave of motivation so I thought I would use that short burst of inspiration to get back into writing. I definitely want to try to get back into writing as I do miss it but it can be hard when you have a full-time job. Anyway, thought I’d share a few of my current beauty favourites as it’s been a hot minute since I last…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Valentine's Day Makeup Tutorial

Check out my Valentine's Day Makeup Tutorial!

Hello, everyone!

It’s been a little while since I have posted on here. Basically, my whole life completely turned upside down so I took some time out to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. Anyway, things are now looking up and I’m starting back at my old job so here’s to 2019. As Valentine’s Day is coming up, I thought I’d share a makeup look that’s perfect for a date night…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

November Favourites

Hello, everyone! Isn’t Christmas coming around so quickly? I cannot believe that we’re actually counting down the days until Christmas now. I have to admit, I am missing summer. November has been pretty stressful as I’m not really enjoying uni anymore and I’m kind of considering dropping out and there have been some other stressful things going on. However, there have been a few things that I…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

So it’s coming up to party season and I know I get stressed when having to decide what to wear or how to do my makeup so I thought I would share a tutorial for a Christmas Party Glam look. I wanted to do something a little bit different than the typical red and gold Christmas look so I went for more of a smokey pink glam look.

To begin, I will fill in my brows. I like to use the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in the shade Brunette. I prefer to use a brow pencil as I find it is a lot more precise and you can feel carve out a sharp brow. For the most natural looking brows, try doing little brush strokes upwards and follow the direction of your natural brow shape. To finish off my brows, I will set them in place with the NYX Brow Mascara in Chocolate. This gives a little more definition to the brow hairs and makes sure that they stay in place all day. If you find that you’ve put a little bit too much product on your brows, use a spoolie to distribute the product evenly and to get rid of excess product.

Moving onto eyes, I will prime my eyelids with the Urban Decay Primer Potion. I will also bring this up to my brows to make them more defined. For the eyeshadows, I used the Beauty Bay Origin palette as it has the most gorgeous pink shades. To set the primer, I used Base shade 5 and then ran Transition shade 5 through my crease to warm up my eyelids. For this, I used the Spectrum B04 brush. To start getting some colour on my lids, I used the Spectrum A12 brush and dipped it in Crease shade 5. Because I want this to be quite a prominent colour, I put this on my outer corners and throughout my crease. I then used a fluffy brush to blend it out slightly as it is very pigmented.  To create a bit of depth and to make this look a bit more smokey, I used a mixture of Crease shade 6 and Liner shade 5 to my outer corners and the outer edge of my crease. To make sure that all of the edges were blended out, I went back in with a fluffy brush.

It’s not Christmas without lots of glitter and sparkles so to finish this look, I used the Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Smouldering Satin and I put this all over my lid. After I finished my base makeup, I went back in with the dark purple and pink colours to blend underneath my lower lash line as I felt this completed the look. I also used the No7 Stay Perfect Liquid Eyeliner, the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara on my lower lashes, and the Eylure Extra Volume 101 lashes to complete the look. So what do you think of this eye look? It’s probably one of my favourite looks for a special occasion.

Now that my eyes are done, I will move onto my base. I’ve moisturised using my favourite Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser and I will prime using the Mac Fix+ in Pinklite. I find that using a priming spray makes my skin look really glowy and flawless. As I want full coverage, I’ll use the YSL All Hours foundation in BR20 and blend this in using a dampblending sponge (I usually use the Real Techniques one). To make my skin extra flawless, I will use the Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in C3 to really brighten my under eyes and cover any blemishes. Finally, I’ll set this all in place with the Maybelline Master Fix Loose Powder.

My skin is all covered so now I want to bring it to life. I’ll start by using the contour shades Literally and Warrior from the Imogenation Highlight to the Moon palette to give me a sharp jawline and cheekbones. I want a really glowy look so I’ll use the Milani Baked Bronzer in the shade Glow all over my face to make me look more bronzed and shimmery. If you want to make your cheekbones extra sharp, you can use a wet sponge and dip it into loose powder. Put the powder just underneath your cheekbones. If you leave the powder there for a few minutes, when you wipe it away, it will brighten up underneath your cheekbones to make them look sharp AF.

I love Christmas because it gives you an excuse to dip your whole face in glitter and highligher. I want my highlighter to almost blind people so I’ll start with using the L’Oreal Glow Mon Amour highlighter drops as this is so beautifully bright and then I will top it with the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter. You don’t have to wear two different highlighters, but I like to use a liquid and powder highlighter to make it really bright and long-lasting. To finish off my face, I’ll use the Cindy-Lou Manizer blusher for a bit of colour to my cheeks. Lastly, I’ll give a quick spritz of the MAC fix+ again just to set things in place.

All that’s left to do is the lips, I would traditionally go for a bright red lip but as I went kind of heavy on my eyes, I thought a nude lip would go really well with it. One of my favourite nudes is the Maybelline Colour Sensational in the shade 930. It’s such a stunning colour and feels so creamy to apply but of course, you could use any nude lipstick for this and that it.

Let me know what you thought of this look. Have you got any Christmas parties coming up?

Check out my full glam tutorial for Christmas parties! So it's coming up to party season and I know I get stressed when having to decide what to wear or how to do my makeup so I thought I would share a tutorial for a Christmas Party Glam look.

[do-your-reseaarch]

Christmas Gift Guide for HER 2018

Here's my 2018 Gift Guide for HER!

Hello, everyone! Last week I shared a Beauty Gift Guide and said that I will be posting a Christmas gift guide every week up until Christmas so today I have a gift guide for all the women in your life. These gifts should work for your mum, grandmother, sister, daughter, girlfriend, or even friend.

Jewellery always goes down well at Christmas time and it always seems like such a thoughtful gift.…

View On WordPress

[do-your-reseaarch]

Hi, everyone! I was clearing out my makeup drawer the other day and realised that I have quite a lot of different makeup palettes. I have thrown a few away or given them to friends but I still have a lot left over so I thought I’d share the ones that I have chosen to keep. I love a good makeup palette and I definitely cannot resist buying new ones.

So I’ll start with the most recent palette that I bought. Beauty Bay have got 30% off for Black Friday so I couldn’t resist buying another one of their Colour Theory palettes. I already have Origin and I absolutely love it so I decided to buy Evolve this time. Beauty Bay’s Colour Theory palettes have 42 different shades and they are set out in an almost colour-by-numbers layout, check out my review of the Origin palette for more info. Considering these palettes are only £25 each, the shadows are so pigmented and blend so easily. I love both of these palettes so much and would recommend them to everyone as they are perfect for an eyeshadow novice or a qualified MUA. In terms of shadow shades, the Origin palette features a selection of warm and neutral shades, whereas the Evolve palette features softer neutrals and icy pops of colour.

I think pretty much everybody owns the original Naked palette from Urban Decay and I’m so sad that they’re discontinuing it as I feel like it’s such a perfect first eyeshadow palette. The Naked palette isn’t something I reach for daily but every now and then I’ll go back to it and feel a sense of nostalgia. My favourite shades in this palette are Sin and half baked as they are the most gorgeous shimmers. If you haven’t tried the Naked palette yet, I’d try and get it before there aren’t any left. The shades in this palette are cooler toned but it has the most stunning golden browns and pinks. I would recommend spraying your brush with setting spray to get the most out of the shimmers.

Also from Urban Decay, I have the Naked Heat palette and again, I don’t tend to use that daily. The packaging is definitely more durable and travel-friendly than the original Naked palette and there is a larger mirror too. The colours in this palette are a lot warmer, there are loads of reds and browns which is what I usually go for in an eyeshadow palette. I really want to try the Naked Cherry palette but I also really don’t need another eyeshadow palette.

Earlier this year I bought the Makeup Revolution Re-loaded Newtrals 2 Palette for £4 (currently £2.80 on Beauty Bay) and I was kind of mad because it is so similar to the Naked Heat palette but for a fraction of the price. In this palette, you get 15 shades with a mixture of gorgeous burnt oranges, reds, and browns, in a variety of mattes and shimmers. Considering the price, these shadows are so pigmented and very blendable. In all honesty, I do usually choose this palette over the Naked palette.

My last eyeshadow palette is the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume III and I think I got it half price in TK Maxx. This palette only has one matte shade and the rest are shimmers but these shimmers are like no shimmers that I’ve tried before. You don’t need any setting spray or eyeshadow primer, they are so pigmented and so beautiful. I know that it’s a bit harder to get Tarte over here in the UK but if you can get access to Tarte then I would 100% try this palette as it is so stunning.

I recently mentioned The Manizer Sisters palette in my favourite highlighters post (currently down to £12 at Debenhams). This palette is by The Balm and includes a highlighter, bronzer, and blusher. I love that this palette is the perfect size for travelling and it is such good quality yet it’s pretty affordable. The Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter is one of my favourite highlighters and probably always will be. I’ve had this for a couple of years now which is probably kind of gross but it’s still going strong and I’ve only just hit pan on the blush.

A palette that I forgot I had is the Soph X Revolution highlighter palette. I’m glad I cleared out my makeup drawer because I had completely forgotten about this but it’s so nice. I’m definitely going to make more of an effort to use different makeup rather than using the same products every day. Anyway, this palette comes with 8 different shades that will suit all different skin tones. I really like that this palette includes pressed and baked highlighters so it will definitely have something for everyone. I kind of just like to mix my brush in all of the shades and hope for the best. If you’re looking for an affordable highlighter, definitely check out Revolution.

I’m nearly at the end. My next palette is the Blushin’ Babes palette by Benefit. This palette is only around £29.50 but it’s worth £97 which is crazy. In this palette, you get 4 blushers (Rockateur, CORALista, Dandelion, and Sugarbomb), the Hoola bronzer, Watt’s Up highlighter, They’re Real! mascara, and a They’re Real! eyeliner. If I’m travelling, I will pretty much always take this with me because the packaging is so sturdy and it has so much in it. Would recommend this palette if you want to try some of Benefit’s products but you’re not sure where to begin.

Last but not least, I’ve got the Imogenation X Revolution Highlight to the Moon palette. Check out my review if you want more info. Basically, this palette includes three powders, three contour shades, and four highlighters. I use this palette pretty much every single day and it is so gorgeous, I can’t believe it’s only £10. I love that this palette will suit pretty much every skin tone and that all of the individual products are such high quality but so affordable.

  What’s your favourite palette?

Here's My Makeup Palette Collection Hi, everyone! I was clearing out my makeup drawer the other day and realised that I have quite a lot of different makeup palettes.