New favourite nail combo

I'm definitely rather late to the party when it comes to the Barry M matte collection. As popular as they were when they first came out, I wasn't overly keen on the colour range.  It wasn't until I was browsing in Boots (dangerous I know...!) that I spotted Vanilla and I instantly wondered why I'd overlooked it for so long.  Vanilla is a light grey colour, with a slight lilac undertone, which is more obvious depending on the lighting.  I used two coats which left a nice opaque finish, although I did find it a little harder to apply; matte colours seem to make the slightest smudge way more obvious.  I'm typically rather lazy and impatient when it comes to doing my nails; due to work I only tend to have nail varnish on for a day or two before I have to take it off again, so I tend to ignore the odd smudge if it's not a special occasion.  

 

As much as I liked the colour, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little too plain looking. In order to jazz things up a little, I decided to add an accent nail. I'd never done an accent nail before, and to be honest I'm not a big fan of one nail being a completely different colour to the other four. I just think it looks a bit odd. I opted for another Barry M polish, Duchess which is a pale gold glitter, with a similar pinkish/lilac undertone which works really well with the Vanilla polish. It's subtle enough not to be totally obvious, yet the difference in texture really helps the glitter stand out.  I really like the overall look, and think it'll go really well with an outfit I have in mind for a wedding next month.

What are your current favourite nail combos?

Handbag Makeup

I've never been one for carrying that much make up around with me on a day to day basis. For the longest time, it was simply my lipstick of choice.  These days I do tend to carry slightly more around with me, although if I'm honest I don't touch up my make up all that much while I'm out and about, but I guess it's good to know I have a few essentials handy in case I do need them.

I've mentioned this concealer and powder many times before, and pretty much every blogger has raved about one, or both, of these.  The Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder is one of the best powders I've used, and is the only one that doesn't go cakey on me.  Similarly, Collection's Lasting Perfection is my all time favourite concealer.  I don't feel the need to carry foundation around with me, these two are all I need to cope with any blemishes that may appear during the day.  I also carry my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray which is great for refreshing the skin, and giving an instant pick me up.  As you can see, I have a number of lip products; I tend to just throw in whatever I'm wearing that day and don't take them back out again so there's always a bit of a collection in there.  I'm loving Benetint by Benefit at the moment.  I use it mainly as a lip stain, so don't really need to apply it to my lips again, but I may use it on my cheeks if my blusher starts to fade.  This miniature bottle is perfect for carrying around and I really wish you could buy them separately.  I also have a Revlon Lip Butter  (Berry Smoothie) and a L'Oreal Rouge Caresse (Aphrodite Scarlet) as well as a Maybelline Baby Lips (Cherry Velvet) which I like to layer over the Benetint.  Lastly for make up is an Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Bourbon which I use mainly on my lower lash line. Apart from my Real Techniques Powder Brush, the only other thing I carry is my Travalo which at the moment contains my current favourite perfume; Viva La Juicy, La Fleur.  It's much easier and safer than carrying around a full size perfume bottle and I keep meaning to get a couple more for all my different perfumes.

I used to just have all these bits floating around the bottom of my bag, until I came across this little makeup bag while having a bit of a clear out.  It was one I got free from Clinique when I bought some skincare items a couple of years ago.  It's the perfect size for throwing in my handbag and keeps all my little bits and bobs in one place.  I absolutely love the colours and the print, and it's a wipe-clean too so there's no need to worry about getting make-up marks all over it! 

What makeup do you tend to carry around with you?

Top Five: Benefit

Benefit is basically what started my make-up obsession.  The first ever high-end product I bought was a liquid foundation called "Non-Fiction" many moons ago, and it has long since been discontinuted.  I was pretty obsessed with Benefit for a while; for a time it was all I'd wear on my face.  And while I've since branched out and tried (and quite often preferred) other brands, I still find myself getting excited about new products (I personally can't wait for Gimme Brow to hit the UK!) and going back to old favourites.  I've tried many a Benefit product over the years, but if I had to whittle it down to five favourites, this is what I'd choose.

1. Benetint

Benetint is a rose-tinted lip and cheek stain and is one of Benefit's oldest products. My lips are naturally quite pale, so I love using this under my lipstick to give an extra hint of colour, then when my lipstick wears off, I don't look like I'm at deaths door! You can also skip the lipstick, but Benetint can be quite drying so I'd recommend a bit of lip balm over the top.  It also adds a lovely flush of colour to the cheeks, but needs to be blended quite fast to stop it going streaky.  Personally I prefer Benefit's Cha Cha Tint on my cheeks.  This is just a miniature bottle I got in a gift set; my full size bottle ran out a long time ago and I never bothered to replace it.  However this sample size has made me fall back in love with it and I'm very tempted to get another full size again when this runs out.

 2. Porefessional

Primers were something I'd neglected until I got a sample of this free with Glamour magazine back in 2012.  I then managed to acquire another sample size, before finally purchasing the full size late last year.  I don't use it on an every day basis, but for special occasions or when I just want to take a bit more time to do my make up, I'll reach for this.  It really does help my foundation go on easier and helps it to last all day.  Plus you only need a small amount so I can see this tube lasting a long time.

3. Brow Zings

My eyebrows are the bane of my life.  They're so thing and sparse, and are almost invisible in photos if I don't do anything with them.  Brow Zings contains a wax which keeps your brows in place, a powder to fill in any gaps, as well as a couple of miniature brushes and tweezers which are great for on the go.  With my brows been naturally so non-existent(!) I'm always wary that brow products will make them to dark and prominent, which would just look really false on me.  However, Brow Zings keeps my brows looking natural, but noticeable, and ensures they frame my face, helping my make up to look even better. 

4. Hoola

As well as my pale lips and non-existent eyebrows, I'm also pretty fair skinned and definitely need a bit of bronzer to perk my skin up, especially in winter.  Hoola is a completely matte bronzer, which makes it brilliant for contouring; I tend to use it all over my face making a "3" shape, concentrating a little more under my cheekbones for a contoured, but subtle look.

 5. Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners

These two in particular are miniature versions from my World Famous Neutrals set.  I also have several full size ones and I absolutely love them.  They're so versatile; they can be used as a base for your powder shadows to intensify the colour and make it last longer, or can be used simply on their own for a quick and easy eye look.  The darker shades also make brilliant eyeliners.  The only downside is they dry out quite easily, so it's important to keep them as tightly closed as you possibly can.

So that's it for my Top 5. it was a hard decision as I love so many Benefit products;  They're Real, High Beam and Coralista are also firm favourites of mine.  They may be a bit gimmicky sometimes, and the prices are very much on the expensive side, but I'm sure Benefit is a brand that I'll continue to use, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.

What are your favourite Benefit products?

New Years Resolutions 2014

Image: weheartit.com

I hope everyone reading this has had a fantastic Christmas and New Year; where did 2013 go?! Yet another year and zoomed by, and here we are at the start of a new one and I hope 2014 is a happy and healthy one for all of you.  I failed miserably at sticking to the resolutions I made last year, which you can see in this post, and a lot of those still stand.  So here's my updated Resolutions list for 2014.

1. Learn to Swim

I'm fully aware how ridiculous it is that someone of my age cannot swim.  I had lessons while at primary school, but to be honest I was a bit of a wuss and never had the confidence to try all that hard.  I managed to get my 10m certificate on the very last lesson before I left school. (Well, kind of.  The fact that my feet actually touched the bottom half way along is one of my closest guarded secrets...) This spring sees a brand new leisure centre/swimming pool opening in my town and I'm determined to take full advantage of it and enrol in some adult swimming lessons.  This leads nicely on to my second resolution, which is...

2. Get Fit...ter

This is a repeat of last years.  I didn't succeed all that well in this, and I can't even remember the last time I went to Zumba.  I'm currently at my heaviest I've been in a long time, and I definitely need to shift a few pounds.  I want to cut down considerably on the amount of junk I eat, and take part in some classes that the new leisure centre will have to offer.  And once I've got the confidence, I definitely want to go swimming a couple of times a week.  The leisure centre is literally not even five minutes from where I work, so is ideal for a post-shift workout of some description. 

3. Blog Better

My aim for my blog this year is basically just to blog more consistently.  I'd like to be putting up 2 or 3 posts a week, and for me to be proud of each and every one of them.  I'd much rather stick to fewer posts, than put up 5 or 6 posts that I've rushed just for the sake of getting a post up.  I also want to interact with more bloggers out there, not only to promote my blog, but hopefully to also make new friends.  I have a lovely new blog design now and I'm determined to not let it go to waste.

Have you made any resolutions for 2014? Share them in the comments or link me to your blog post, if you've made one!

Happy New Year!