Back row: Charlotte Tilbury ~ Glastonberry, Kate Moss x Rimmel ~ 30, Charlotte Tilbury ~ Bond Girl

Front Row: L’Oreal Reds Collection ~ Eva, L’Oreal Reds Collection ~ Liya, Revlon Ultra HD ~ Poppy

If I’m not wearing nude lipstick then I’m either wearing a striking red or a deep berry, I’m far from a pink kinda gal. There’s just something very classic about a red lip which I can’t stay away from and something very effortlessly cool about a berry. A few weeks ago I collected all of my favourite nude lipsticks into post which can be seen here. Today I thought I would do the same thing, but this time with my favourite reds and berries.

Charlotte Tilbury ~ Glastonberry | As the name would suggest this beaut from Charlotte Tilbury is a deep-plum, berry shade. The lipstick itself is from Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution line making it super comfortable to wear despite being a matte and I love the play on words and a nod to Glastonbury.

Kate Moss x Rimmel ~ 30 | Similar in shade to Glastonberry with a slight red hue, however it isn’t matte. I don’t think I need to talk about how much I love the Kate Moss x Rimmel lipstick formula’s anymore than I already have in the past. They’re dreamy. I think that just about sums it up.

Charlotte Tilbury ~ Bond Girl | Another favourite from the Matte Revolution line. This shade is a great sophisticated berry if you don’t want to go all out grunge nor go for a red.

L’Oreal ~ Eva’s Red | This red shade is great for anyone with a warm skin tone like me. It’s a slightly muted, more terracotta red shade which compliments a warm skin tone rather than washing them out like some reds can.

L’Oreal ~ Liya’s Red | Another great red for warm skin tones but brighter than Eva’s Red. The formula of these lipsticks can become a bit drying over time but the staying power is fantastic considering the price tag.

Revlon Ultra HD ~ Poppy | What I like to call my ‘summer red’. Personally, I don’t like to wear this shade on its own because I find the formula to be a bit slippy, which with a bright colour causes a bit of a mess. However, I love it for adding more pout to my matte red lipsticks previously mentioned by adding a small amount to the middle of my lips.

What’re your favourite statement lipsticks?

~ Jade xx

The L’Oreal True Match Foundation recently had a face lift with a reformulation and new packaging. I’ve been on a bit of a foundation binge recently and this is my current favourite  offering from the high-street. Years ago I tried the original formulation of this foundation but it didn’t agree with my oily skin however the reformulation is another story. 

The colour match for this foundation is one of the best I’ve ever had for any foundation - I wear shade 1W - and the formula is ultra blend-able with a gel-like texture. Coverage is medium, but it can be sheered out with a makeup sponge or built up with two layers without looking cake-y. My favourite thing about this foundation is the finish. It’s luminous without being overly dewy, so it still lasts all day but doesn’t attract to my already oily skin. I do still have to power once or twice throughout the day but that isn't unusual for me and if you have normal/dry skin you wouldn't need to touch up at all. My only problem with the reformulation is that it oxidises slightly however if you got a shade lighter than you would need it wouldn’t be a problem. 

What foundations are you currently loving?

~ Jade xx

Nanette Lepore   source                                  Fendi   source

Jean-Pierre Braganza   source                              Nicholas K   source

Liner is a makeup trend which never goes away. Whether its bold and graphic or smudged and smoky it will never go anywhere, it's a makeup staple. Statement liner is this seasons trend when it comes to eyes, both the classic black liner and a more fun coloured liner took over the SS15 shows.

Over at Fendi a very spring take on liner can be seen with a thick line of pastel blue being worn with clean skin. This is a trend I’ll be taking up this summer as I tend to shy away from wearing a lot of colour so to still look like I’m enjoying the sun, pastel liners will be making their way into my makeup bag - Sleek Dip It Liner comes in a pastel green shade which I’ll be picking up to try this season. Coloured liner was also seen at Nanette Lepore with Maybelline in charge of the show opting for a 60s style graphic in white, lots of bottom lashes were also a trend adding to the 60s Twiggy vibe - NYX' White Liquid Liner would be perfect to create this look.

Jean-Pierre Braganza and Nicholas K took a more traditional approach to statement liner during their shows. At Jean-Pierre Braganza my favourite eyeliner trend is seen at their spring/summer show of the graphic cat eye. To vamp it up and give the trend a new lease of life though, a contrasting sparkle was added to the middle of the liner - my favourite liquid liner to achieve this look is the L’Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim. Likewise at Nicholas K graphic liner was awash on the catwalk this time though making an impact on the bottom lash line as an upside-down cat eye - my favourite kohl liner to create this look is the Rimmel Scandeleyes Kohl Kajal Waterproof. 

Will you be behind the liner trend this spring/summer?

~ Jade xx

“Ultra-melting fluid emulsion, perfectly glides and fuses on the skin – no cakey or dull effect, 24HR Mattifying action, absorbing mineral micro sponges help to absorb excess oil”

My favourite high street foundation has long been the L’Oreal Infallible - review here - and I have been through countless bottles of the stuff. Recently however L’Oreal have released the baby sister of my favourite foundation, a marketed matte version. The L’Oreal Infallible 24HR-Matte promises to stay matte all day without giving a dull and lifeless look to the face. I’ve been testing it out for the past few weeks and it has fast become my go-to foundation. 

Recently I’ve been trying out a couple of new foundations from the high street. One new release and one that’s been around for a while. My thoughts on the new release will be coming soon but for now I have my thoughts on the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum to share with you all. 

“Fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin’s radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours”

I have tried the original Healthy Mix in the past - although it has since been re-formulated - but have never tried the serum version. When I picked this up I was looking for something with a bit more of a ‘glow’ but without being too dewy. Although I have oily skin I often find that more matte foundations can make my skin look very dull and flat, however too dewy of a foundation makes me look like a grease ball within five minutes.

As the festive party season is upon us I thought I’d share with you all my beauty essentials 

for this time of year that will see you through any festive occasion from a 

Christmas meal to a New Years party.

FACE

At every event this party season there’s going to be pictures taken so to prevent yourself looking overly shiny never go without powder - I’m forever in love with the Rimmel Stay Matte - even if you usually would skip it as you may look great in person but the camera will pick up any shine and multiply it by ten. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little highlighter to still have a healthy glow - I’m currently loving the Topshop highlighter, review here. You also want a good concealer as the same with shine the camera will pick up any blemish even if its only small. For this I love the Collection lasting perfection concealer but I don’t need to go into detail as everyone and their mother knows about it by now.

EYES

For eyes I’m still loving my Stila in the light palette - review here - as you can create subtle, natural looks perfect for a low key affair but you can also create serious glamour which would fit perfectly for a New Years bash. I’ve also been loving the Maybelline master drama chromatic pencil in vibrant gold for a hint of gold sparkle under the eyes. If you’re going for winged liner this season then you have to get your hands on the L’Oreal super liner perfect slim, I’ve never used a product that makes winged liner so easy and I’ve repurchased this countless times.

I often post my favourite products in ‘current favourites’ posts however I’ve never mentioned those products which may not be the most exciting or new to the world but are so good that I’ve had to repurchase them, some of them not just once but time-and-time again. So, I compiled a list of some of the products that I’ve repurchased over the years, some of them I’ve mentioned before, others I haven’t and some are necessities which you may not traditionally think of as being favourite products but you repurchase them anyway.

L’oreal Infallible foundation | This is a product which I have spoken about before and written its own post on - which can be viewed here - it’s an all round great foundation that I’m currently on my third bottle of.

Revlon Colorstay concealer | Again this is a product that I’ve written its own post on - which can be seen here - but this is my favourite concealer which I don’t think I’ll be leaving behind anytime soon. As soon as I ran out of this I had to go and buy a new one, and to my annoyance Boots was sold out.

Rimmel Stay Matte powder | I’ve used this product for years and so have lost count of how many times I’ve actually repurchased it. I’ve differed before but this is a product that I always go back to.

Boots Botanics Shine Away Moisturiser | This product has featured in a previous ‘current favourites’ post - which can be seen here - and after using it all up I had to buy another right away. I’ve tried many moisturisers in the past that are all directed at oily skin that all promise to give shine control but none have ever followed through until I came across this baby. 

Batiste dry hair shampoo | For the days when you can’t be bothered to wash your hair or your between washes but your roots are looking a little greasy dry shampoo is always the answer. Batiste is a dry shampoo I’ve been using for years and although I’ve tried others none quite eradicate oil like Batiste does.

Bio-oil | One of those master oils which vanishes hyper pigmentation, scars and marks but also adds moisture to the driest skin. I’ve gone through a few bottles of this and it’s great. I love a good multipurpose a product and I’ve even used this on the ends of my hair when things are looking a bit dry but I don’t have a hair oil on hand.

Toni & Guy Glamour drops | My favourite hair oil. Perfect if you have frizzy hair or if things are looking a bit dry, also great to smooth down anything that keeps sticking up. Its also not heavy so it won’t weigh down your hair.

What are your repurchased products? 

~ Jade xx

L’Oreal recently re-packaged and re-formulated their longtime running Infallible foundation so, I decided to pick it up to try after the disappointment of the Maybelline foundation I was wearing at the time (review here).

“High coverage, long-wear foundation that hides the appearance of fatigue and blemishes. Now with Hydrating Hyaluron Complex the 24H non-stop formula stays on and feels fresh from day to night.”

I have oily and spot prone skin so I like my base to last all day without a large amount of shine and this foundation is pretty good at both. The formula is almost gel like which firstly means it's easy to blend into the skin - I’ve been using the Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki brush - and doesn’t sink into pores - win! - but also lasts a full day without moving around too much - even without using a primer, which never happens for me. 

It has a satin finish which I like as I normally go for matte foundations, due to my oily skin, however they then leave my face looking dull and dry, whereas because this foundation has a satin finish without being too dewy, my skin still looks healthy but not oily. This foundation also doesn’t cling to any dry patches or melt away on oily patches so it's good for most skin types too. Coverage is very nice too, it covers nearly everything but is still lightweight and doesn’t look heavy.

I also really like the packaging of the infallible foundation as the glass bottle looks nice and doesn't feel cheap unlike some high street foundations can - although the glass bottle can be a pain if travelling - and the pump gives the right amount for a light layer, this foundation is also easily buildable if you want a fuller coverage.

It doesn’t contain any SPF which can be a good or bad thing. It’s good for use during nighttime or when there's flash photography as there won't be any flashback however, it does mean that you’d need to apply a face SPF when wearing it during the day - especially in the summer.

The colour range is a little disappointing as there is only eight shades and they’re all fairly light. However, they do have yellow undertones opposed to pink which I much prefer as yellow skin undertones are more natural on the skin and tend to match the majority of people more. Also, I’ve found that the foundation oxidises slightly, it’s not overly noticeable but the colour does darken slightly throughout the day so it would be better to go a shade lighter if you’re between shades. 

The foundation is also scented which may be a problem for those with sensitive skin - though I haven’t had a problem - and for a high street foundation the price may be seen as a little high at £9.99 (though L’Oreal is currently on offer in Boots).

Have you tried any new foundations recently?

~ Jade xx

Happy new year everyone! For the first post of the year I thought I'd do another instalment of 'my current favourites' - previous posts can be seen here and here - of the few new favourites I've discovered over the past couple of months.

Firstly, the Jo Malone fragrance in Amber & Lavender*. I don’t think I’ve ever used a perfume that smells so good or lasts so long. This beauty was waiting for me under the christmas tree this year - thank you Santa - and I haven’t stopped wearing it since. The 30ml bottle is £37 and the much larger 100ml bottle is £78, expensive but so worth it.

I’ve had a love hate relationship with this Super Liner eyeliner from L’oreal since I bought it around sixth months ago. However, I’ve discovered it makes it really easy to do my everyday winged liner and it doesn’t smudge. I originally didn’t like it because I didn’t feel as though it was black enough and when you used it the fluid ran out quickly, but if you shake it well before use it’s absolutely fine. The super liner also doesn’t break the bank - a definite bonus.

I’m a fan of the Maybelline colour tattoos so when Bourjois came out with their own cream like eyeshadow formulas - Colour Edition 24hr - I was intrigued. At first I was apprehensive for they’re a cream to powder formulation however they last a really long time - not quite the twenty four hours like stated, though. Colour pay-off is pretty great to, I have the colour Petale de Glace which is like a lighter version of ‘satin taupe’ by MAC. I’m not overly impressed with the rest of the colours however and I feel that the colour range is what really lets this collection down. 

After using Lucy’s Sleek Face Form palette a few times and falling in love I decided I had to get my own. Lucy’s review of this beautiful palette can be seen here.

I’m a big fan of volumised hair and am no stranger to backcomb. However, backcombing my already damaged hair with a comb isn’t the best thing for it. Enter the L’oreal studio line volume super sizing spray. This stuff is basically backcomb in a bottle. You spray it at the roots of the hair and scrunch until the desired amount of volume has been achieved. It doesn’t make your hair feel sticky at the roots like others I have tried and its very affordable - but word to the wise, don’t use this if there’s a possibility of being rained on as water mixed with stuff creates a paste and its not easy to get out.

What are your current favourites?

~ Jade xx