2013// The Round Up

So we are a week in to the new year now and I've been working on compiling a list of all my favourites from beauty to movies to share with you all! I won't go in to great detail about every product because if it's made this list, it's probably already been spoken about loads on my blog somewhere haha! Instead, I will just tell you my favourite thing about it. I have divided all my favourites in to categories to make it easier too. So, without any more rambling, let's begin....

Makeup

This was by far the hardest category to narrow down because I have tried so many amazing products this year, so it was really hard to narrow it down, but I managed to condense it to just 8 makeup items!

Bourjous Happy Light Foundation this is a fairly new discovery for me but I've worn it every day for the last month and it's the best foundation I've tried yet. Stays on all day with minimal shininess. Full coverage but not cakey- perfect!

Revlon Lip Butters amazing colour range. The perfect mix of a lipstick and moisterising lip balm, as the name would suggest, they're super soft and buttery.

Sleek Contour Kit amazing for contouring, not too orangey or ashy. Lovely highlight that doubles up as a beautiful champaign eyeshadow.

MAC Eyeshadows unbeatable quality and every single colour you could think of. You can make your own palette with 2, 4 or 15 shades which is so cool. They last all day long without any creasing, even on my oily eyelids.

MAC Lipsticks available in tonnes of colours and finishes. They're so buttery and creamy and you can eat/drink and not worry about getting lipstick everywhere.

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner I prefer this to my bobbi brown gel liner. Worn it pretty much every day since February and only used about half and it's nowhere near to drying up. Glides on the eye beautifully with ease using any brush and doesn't smudge at all. A must have!

Maybelline The Falsies a reccomendation from Tanya Burr last winter. I have repurchased this time and time again since then because I've literally used it almost everyday. Gives you length, volume, definition without clumps. Definitely the best mascara out there!

Maybelline Colour Tattoos these are incredible. I use these everyday as a base and I never get creasing. They should be a staple in anyone's makeup bag :)

Beauty UK Review

Hi guys! Now, I was always a bit of a 'makeup snob', thinking that products are only worth buying if they cost at least £15. Anything less is going to be bad quality right? WRONG! You can find some amazing makeup and other cosmetics for a fraction of the price in the drugstore, and the brand Beauty UK (available in Superdrug) just goes to show this!

You can find their website here: http://www.beautyukcosmetics.com

I tried out the lipstick in the shade Cupcake and the eyeshadow/eyeliner palette in Amazon. I was so impressed at the quality of both of these products.

To start off with, the eyeshadow and gel liner palette (RRP £3.99) is an absolute bargain. Not only does this lovely set cost less than a fiver, but the quality is amazing too. All 6 eyeshadows are soooo pigmented! And the gel liners glide on really smooth too. I was even impressed with the double ended brush for application. So there are 6 shades, a shimmery bronze, a lighter bronze/gold shade, a deep purpley brown, a glittery white, an orange/rust colour and a dark grey shade. The gel liners are black and brown. All 6 of these shades are so wearable, especially for the holiday season because they're so shimmery and warm toned. They really bring out my green eyes so I tried a look using all the colours and I love it! 

I really love the lipstick too! Again, it's very pigmented which is great. I started off by exfoliating my lips with sugar so there was no dry skin on my lips, I then lightly dabbed the lipstick all over and blended it out with my finger. I really love this colour, a pale 'barbie' pink, as it provides an alternative to the classic red lip at Christmas time. It smells slightly minty which is a nice touch and lasted really well on the lips.

Overall, I am so impressed with the products I have tried and I will definitely be picking up some more makeup from their brand in the future!

Disclaimer- I was lucky enough to receive these products from Beauty UK to review, but all the views and opinions are 100% my own.

Jess x

TAG Beauty Talk- my responses

Hi guys! I've been having a bit of a long hard night and didn't know what to post, I'm in the process of writing a huge advice article addressing lots of common, teenage problems so if you have any questions you want answered, don't hesitate to ask!:)

So a lot of you have been asking for my answers to the tag I created and I haven't actually publishedvmy answers yet! Obviously I made the questions with products in mind, so if you want to know all about the particular products that inspired this tag, them keep on reading! :)

What products have stood out to you this year?

Definitely the maybelline colour tattoos, especially in on and on bronze! I have ridiculously oily eyelids so it's a miracle if something even lasts half the day, but these babies have all day staying power! I have also loved the origins zero oil cleanser because it takes away the excess greasiness on my skin with out over drying it, plus I got it for a discounted price at the cosmetics company outlet store :)

Which makeup items would you recommend for young girls or people who are just getting in to beauty?

The MUA undress me too palette is lovely for beginners because it has a wide variety of neutral shades both on the warm and cool end of the spectrum and is only £4 or £5- bargain! I would also reccomend my favourite concealer, the rimmel wake me up does it's job like no other, not only does it brighten up the eye area, but it covers blemishes, not stick to them which is great for someone who perhaps doesn't quite need a full coverage foundation, but needs a bit of something to hide redness!

Favourite high street and high end beauty brand?

From the drugstore, it has to be either Maybelline or Bourjois! Rimmel do some great foundations but the Maybelliene eye products can't be beaten for the price, especially the falsies mascara! And bourjois have outstanding face products, I would happily reccomend any of their foundations and I am currently loving their happy light foundation, plus they have the best bronzing products around :) for a high end brand, it has to be MAC! I just think the quality of their eyeshadows and lipsticks is unbeatable and they are definitely worth the bigger price tag.

Most disappointing product you've tried?

It would have the be the benefit they're real mascara because I just couldn't get on with it :/ it no means was it a bad product, but it just receives so much hype in the beauty community and I don't think it's worth it, especially for the price being around £20.

A beauty item you use everyday?

My body shop Chocomania body butter or soap and glory sugar crush body wash. I love really sweet smelling scents and these two together creates the perfect combination! :) the reason I didn't pick a makeup item is because I kinda pick makeup based on my mood for the day so I don't reach for the same things all the time, plus I like to try lots of new products :)

What are you essentials for winter?

A good conditioner for your hair! I use Tresemme total moisture everyday and my hair hardly ever gets frizzy or dry! Also a good makeup remover because I tend to wear more makeup in the winter so it's important you cleanse your face thoroughly afterwards, I use garnier rose cleaning lotion which brings all my makeup right off and it's a milky texture so it adds an extra bit of moisture to my skin to prevent it from becoming too dry!

Your favourite product for a dramatic, party look?

A dark, matching lip and nail! I just love berry shades right now and my favourite combination is either Topshop lipstick called up or Revlon just bitten kissable balm stain crush on my lips paired with Essie Bahama mama on my nails (and if I'm feeling extra sparkly, I have an accent nail using barry m yellow topaz)

What's on your Christmas wish list? (beauty wise....)

Well this year I have asked Santa for half of the MAC store haha! So we will just have to see what he brings me....

I hope you liked my answers :) this is such a fun tag to do because it covers many different aspects of makeup.

I tag you all to answer! Check out the #TAGbeautytalk page to find out more details :)

Jess x

TAG Beauty Talk

So I decided to create a really easy, fun tag that any beauty lover can have a good think about and answer. My friend Alice from t4inted beauty has been the first to answer it!

You can see her answers here: www.t4intedbeauty.blogspot.com

I chose 8 of the questions I would most like to know about any fellow beauty lover because I am so nosy haha!

If you would like to answer the tag questions then here they are but please make sure you leave my link in your post if you decide to!

Send me the link to your post on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TAGbeautytalk

What products have stood out to you this year?

Which makeup items would you recommend for young girls or people who are just getting in to beauty?

Favourite high street and high end beauty brand?

Most disappointing product you've tried?

A beauty item you use everyday?

What are you essentials for winter?

Your favourite product for a dramatic, party look?

What's on your Christmas wish list? (beauty wise....)

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