Christmas Haul

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas! I was so lucky this year and I got some amazing presents from all my family and friends. I won't show all my presents, not in a spoilt way, in a 'I don't want to bore you with 100 pairs of socks and pyjamas' way haha :P

I have spent all morning reading and watching other people's Christmas hauls, I just love seeing what people have got!

I feel so fortunate this year and I got some amazing makeup products I've been wanting for ages. Here are some of the MAC and Smashbox things I got.

MAC Mineralize skin finish soft and gentle// satin lipstick rebel// eyeshadow duo double feature 1// eyeshaow duo double feature 6// eyeshadow quad woodwinked and all that glitters// 

Smashbox jet set waterproof gel eyeliner deep purple

I got 2 Babyliss hair irons, the Wave Envy crimping wand and the Babyliss Boutique Soft Waves curling iron. I used the soft waves curler on Christmas Day and I really love it! I did my whole hair in about 7-8 minutes, which is pretty impressive because I have quite long, thick hair :) it's a really thick

barrel so the curls are loose and soft looking- really effortless! I haven't tried out the wave envy iron yet, but I might do a tutorial with some of the new hair products I got in the new year!

As some of you may know, I am a HUGE One Direction fan and my family know this, as you might be able to see from my lovely collection of 1D merchandise haha! I also got tickets to see them in May with my friend Alice from T4intedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

I ran out of all my perfumes this year, so I was so pleased when I got a large selection of perfumes for Christmas! My favourite perfume range is the Fantasy line by Britney Spears, I got a large bottle of the original and a bottle of her Midnight Fantasy too! I also got this lovely set from Estée Lauder of 4 of their best selling perfumes, it includes Modern Muse, Sensuous Nude, Pleasure and Beautiful. They all smell completely different, so I will always have a choice of scent when I go out! My personal favourite is sensuous nude which is a lovely every day scent. 

 

My grandma bought be the Estée Lauder set last year, and all I can say is that it's just as good this year! The whole set comes in a classy navy pebbled bag with a matching gold purse. The whole set has a gold themed packaging. The 2 palettes contain eyeshadows and blushes. My favourite product from the set is probably the Sumptous Extreme mascara, my one from last year has just about dried up so I was so happy I got a new one this year! The brush is so thick and bristly so gives a lengthened and voluminous look.

Here are a few more cosmetic bits and bobs I got! My friend got me 6 Benefit ultra plush lip glosses which I adore! All the shades are so wearable and they last so long. I got yet another Body Shop body butter in Honeymania and it smells so sweet and rich. This moiterizer is unbeatable for the price of £13 as there are so many scents to choose from and they keep your skin soft for days on end! I got some Urban Fudge hair products; my favourite hair styling brand! My mum got me the Iced Coconut Cocktail Hairspray which keeps any hair style in place all day without making it crunchy, which is the worst! Plus it smells all fruity and coconutty :) I got another bottle of my favourite Sea Salt Texturizing Spray too, as per reccomendation of my role model, Lou Teasdale. My favourite range from Body Shop is Chocomania and I got a body wash which smells like melted chocolate mm!

2 of my favourite presents were some high end skin care products. I love my Origins zero oil cleanser so I was thrilled when I got the Origins Out of Trouble mask which I'm so excited to try out because my skin really starts playing up when I'm eating so many chocolates :P I finally got the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo that I saw on Tanya Burr's blog months ago and I'm so pleased I have finally got my hands on it. I tried it out last night and my skin feels so soft and nourished.

When it comes to scented products, I love anything sweet and rich smelling, so I was so lucky to get all of these body shop products. I am going to be smelling like a walking talking chocolate bar haha! I love my box sets and this year I got the complete collection of Gossip Girl. I know what I will be doing this holiday ;)

What did you guys get for Christmas this year?

Jess x

A Guide To Black Liner

When it comes to winter, one of my favorite makeup looks it black liner and lots of it! From the sophisticated flick to a smudged grunge look- I just love it. Depending on what look you're going for, it can be really hard to find the perfect product, so here is a run down of my favorite types of eyeliners.

(From left to right)

barry m liquid eyeliner// mac liquid eyeliner// Estée Lauder pencil liner// miss sporty wax crayon// barry m pencil liner// topshop kohl dust liner// maybelline gel liner// bobbi brown gel liner

For a thick, retro black eye I would recommend a liquid liner, because although they may be wet upon application, they quickly set to leave an opaque, precise line. I have found that the application of most liquid liners is the same- a pointy nip that is attached to the inside of the lid. It may take sometime to master using these, but practise makes perfect and you can achieve a really neat, thin line with these, or turn the brush on it's side to create a 60's inspired flick.

I would suggest trying MAC liquid liner for a long lasting product that doesn't crease, or for a drugstore alternative give the Barry M liquid liner a go!

For a smokey, smuged look I think pencils or waxy crayons are the way to go. Depending on the consistency of the liner, they can be quite a pain to apply to the top lid as they are dry so can drag along the lid but I find by using your index finger to pull out your eyelid slightly, they apply much easier. They are perfect for using in your tight line or water line for a touch of definition, or use them along your lash line and then blend them out for a smokey look.

I like the Estée Lauder pencil liner for a really intense black look because it's really creamy so glides on easily and is so pigmented! The Miss Sporty Waxy Crayon is perfect for people who like maintainer free makeup or are just starting out with eyeliner because it applied really easily and can give a lovely, simple liner look. Another product I have always been a fan of is the Barry M Pencil Liner because I find that they last all day without creasing and they come in so many shades other than black if you want to experiment with colour during the holiday season.

For a thick, grungey liner definitely try out the Topshop Kohl Dust Liner. I have never seen a liner like this before. In theory, it's just blackish grey dust that is densely packed in to a tube with a thick, spongey but tapered tip. The product itself can be extremely messy so I would suggest holding a bit of tissue under your eye before application. This liner gives a very thick slightly sparkly intense look but I think it is perfect for a party because it is so effortless!

For the perfect cat eye I always use my favourite type of eyeliner; gel! The best thing about gel liner is the fact that the look can be changed by simply using a different brush. They are a gel like texture (obviously) upon application and quickly set on your eye. You can achieve a simple, thin line for definition or can be build up for a more intense, bold line. The best thing about gel liner is they create a perfect flick and don't smudge or crease all day.

My favourite gel liners are the Maybelline Studio Effect Gel Liner and the Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. They are both great products because they don't crease on my extremely oily eyelids. The maybelline liner is slightly more liquid in texture, whereas the Bobbi Brown one is more dry so needs a bit more pressure upon application.

I really hoped this helped if you were struggling to decide which eyeliner is right for you! Feel free to ask any questions below.

Jess x

Makeup of the day

I'm still not feeling 100% better so today I decided to wear some of my favourite makeup to make myself feel better.... Am I the only one who does this?!

-benefit hello flawless foundation believe in my ivory

-benefit benetint

-bourjois delice de poudre 52

-rimmel wake me up concealer ivory

-maybelline 24hr colour tattoo on and on bronze

-mua eyeshadow pallette undress me too

-maybelline studio gel eyeliner black

-estée lauder sumptuous extreme mascara black

-revlon colour burst just bitten kissable balm stain honey (that's a bit of a mouthful)

-essie nail polish chinchilly