My September Favourites!

As September is coming to an end I thought it would be a great idea to show you guys a few of the beauty bits I have been loving this month! 

Makeup:

MAC
Well Dressed

I have been wearing this almost everyday this month it is a real staple in my makeup bag. I prefer this in the slightly colder months as it doesn't contain any shimmer. This is a beautifully natural baby pink blush that gives you that 'out in the snow' flush to your cheeks. The perfect thing about this blush is that it is incredibly subtle but also very buildable so it is perfect for a natural or bold cheek. This looks particularly flattering on paler complexions and goes very well with an autumnal bold lip.

My Favourite Hair Oils

During the past few years there has been a huge rise in the hair oil trend. While in the past, hair oils have been thought to create a greasy and heavy look to the hair, they have come a long way. We now have lighter, multi faceted oils for the hair that can multitask as both a leave-in conditioner, a styling product, a frizz tamer, a shine spray, a heat protectant, it can pro long your colour and it can protect your hair from damage such as split ends. To be honest, I don't know how I ever survived without a hair oil during my teens!

There are so many different versions out there, from the ever famous argan oil to macadamia, coconut, avocado, olive, sweet almond and so many more. I LOVE using virgin coconut oil on damp hair and leaving it on for a few hours as a deep treatment or mixing olive oil with honey to create a deep treatment (comment below if you would like a blog post on my favourite deep treatments for hair). However, here are the styling oils that I swear by on an everyday basis:

(Just for the record, I have frizzy, coloured, processed, dry and damaged hair as I previously rocked the blonde look and had it bleached and highlighted on a regular basis! I know...its weird paying for someone to damage your hair, but I loved being blonde...RIP my beautiful blonde locks. My hair is also quite porous and so I can apply quite a lot of product and it almost never feels heavy on my hair.)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks

They say that when you first try on your wedding dress, you just know instantly that its the one. This is the closest comparison I can think of about trying on these lipsticks! I'm completely in love, to the point where I might even purchase these over my beloved MAC and YSL lippies. These are truly one of a kind and amazing. I want them all. Now. On my face.

L'Oréal Collection Privée Lipsticks

As you may have guessed by now, I am a complete lipstick junkie! So when L'Oréal launched their new limited edition range of lippies I just couldn't resist them, especially as they involve two of my favourite celebs, Eva Longoria and Cheryl Cole. These lipsticks are tailor made nudes to suit six celebrity L'Oréal spokespersons: Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Freida Pinto, Doutzen Kroes, Cherl Cole and Lida. All these celebs are different ethnicities and ages so the idea is that there will be a shade for everyone. Whilst I swatched each lipstick in my local Boots store, the two that I decided to purchase were Eva's and Cheryl's, the others were either too dark for my pale complexion or the finish was too frosty.    

Maybelline Browdrama Sculpting Brow Mascara

I have been so impressed by Maybelline this year having discovered their amazing gel eyeliners, mascaras, baby lips and now this...the first affordable drugstore eyebrow mascara in the UK! For years I have watched beauty gurus pull out their Maybelline clear mascara or Anastasia clear brow gel to set their brows in place for the day. With neither of these options available in the UK the only affordable option seemed to be MUA's clear mascara and that was it. This was a clear niche in the UK drugstore market and Maybelline are the first to jump on this opportunity, thank goodness somebody did! It seems I am not the only one who felt relieved to finally have an affordable and readily available brow gel as this has already sold out on the Boots website and there were only three left on the shelf in my local Boots store. At only £4.99 you can't really go wrong with giving this a good trial run!

My first week of beauty blogging!

Hey guys!!

Just a short blog post to say welcome to all my new followers and thank you for all of your overwhelming support with my beauty blog during its first week! I began this last weekend and have since gone on to write seven reviews, it's fair to say I've been a tad over excited. Im going to blog at least four times a week so keep your eyes peeled for new upcoming reviews. If you have any products that you would like to see a review on please leave me a comment and I would be very happy to do that for you! Or, if you have any beauty products that you are loving at the moment please comment so I can try them too. I am also considering posting videos and makeup tutorials on my new YouTube channel which I will provide once I have begun! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, I'm off to London and when I arrive home next week I will be posting a blog on what makeup and beauty products I took away with me for a long weekend!

Joanna
XoXo

Maybelline Baby Lips have arrived in the UK!!!

Maybelline Baby Lips have finally arrived in the UK!! I have heard so many beauty gurus from the US rave about these so when they launched last month I just had to review them. I purchased the two most pigmented shades of the range; Pink Punch and Cherry Me however there are many others including a clear option. 

(Left - Cherry Me, Right - Pink Punch)                                    

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara WATERPROOF

Until recently the idea of a waterproof mascara has never appealed to me. However, during the past summer months I have been dipping into the pool quite a bit both on holiday and at home (not an outdoor one, I live in Scotland, I'm talking a heated indoor pool but still refreshing when its warm) and so I decided to try this more affordable mascara by Maybelline. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this drugstore option because I've only ever used high end mascaras in the past but I was absolutely blown away!

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Lipsticks

I have heard so many beauty gurus rave about the YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks but I don't think these babies get enough hype. These are the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Lipsticks and I'll be honest, I much prefer this formula. I own three of these little beauties and I love love love them...and like every piece of makeup I tend to love, I save these for the most special occasions. You will never see me rocking up to the corner shop sporting one of these!

The packaging is exactly the same as the Rouge Volupté originals; gold with each shade displayed in a detailed band around the middle. They are actually quite heavy in weight (not on the lips) so I don't think they are particularly travel friendly but of course, they will look absolutely gorgeous on your makeup stand. Whilst the originals are highly opaque and creamy, this formula is very glossy and more on the sheer side so there is no need to apply a lip gloss on top. Due to this, I chose very bright colours as these tend to last much longer on the lips and appear more opaque than the nude shades. In addition to this, I do prefer a bolder lip when I go out at night! You may be able to tell by the swatches that although I describe them as sheer, they do provide a fantastic amount of colour. The darker colours provide a bit of a stain on the lips and therefore last an exceptional amount of time, around 2 hours before a further application is required while the lighter colours may need topping up more regularly. They smell very fruity and feel luxurious on the lips, very comfortable to wear. These retail for around £24 and are sold online and in numerous retailers such as Boots and Debenhams.

L'Oréal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution and Absolute Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

After a long day there is no more satisfying feeling than removing all of your makeup! For me, this use to mean racing to the face wipes and going to town on my face. Not anymore! Face wipes all have alcohol and even if they state that they do not it is only because the concentration is so low that legally they are allowed to say so. As a result, they tend to dry out your skin in the long term. Micellar waters gain their name from the addition of micelle spherical liquid crystals that are scientifically able to trap small quantities of oil. Therefore, a micellar solution acts like a magnet to draw out impurities and excess oils rather than spreading them around the face and causing pesky breakouts like face wipes do.


This year has seen a significant increase in the micellar water trend and L'Oréal have been quick to join in on the action. I could not be happier that they did as the most popular micellar water among beauty experts seems to be Bioderma which is painfully elusive in the UK (you can find it in various pharmacies but not Boots or Superdrug), not to mention very expensive at around the £30 mark. This micellar water by L'Oréal is a guilt free £3.33 for 200ml **dance of joy** and can be found in all leading pharmacies.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

There are some products that are so special I just cannot help but to rave about them. This balm cleanser by Emma Hardie is one of those products. 

I first discovered this cleanser about a year ago thanks to all of the hype it has received in the beauty industry and I truly believe that I will never stop using it. This is great for all skin types especially those who have very dry skin or are acne prone (please do not use stripping gel cleansers if you have this type of skin!). It is so hydrating and even doubles up as a soothing mask and as a rescue balm on any part of the body. This makes it perfect during the winter months as it will never give you that frustrating tight and stripped feeling. I personally have acne prone, oily skin and this has completely changed its appearance; it is brighter and my blemishes are reduced. 

If you wear a lot of makeup this will be your best friend as it removes every last speck from your face at the end of the day. I have tried many other balm cleansers that claim to do this, including the more expensive Elemis Pro-Collagen choice but none of them truly removed all of my makeup. I was always left disappointed once I swept my toner over my face and there was still foundation on my cotton pad...until I tried this. 

Whats In My Makeup Bag? September 2013!

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My Favourite Nude/Natural Lipsticks!

I seem to go through phases when it comes to lipsticks, one month I'll wear bright lips, the next I can't stand that look. This month i have been loving a nude/natural lip and I thought I would share some of my favourites in this category. Please excuse the condition of these lipsticks, some are a little worse for wear as they are very well loved (which also means that they bounce around in my handbag a lot)!

MAC
Hue
£15