3 Looks 1 Palette, Just My Luck;-

I've been super eager to do another looks post so I decided I would create 3 looks with my Colourpop Just My Luck palette. I usually do 5 looks, but I thought given that this is only a 9 pan palette with all greens, so I felt like the looks would get a little repetitive.
I've changed the layout a little and listed the shades used for each look, if you preferred the write up I did in my other posts please let me know!

This is the first Eyeshadow palette from Colourpop that I've ever tried and I'm pretty impressed, especially for the price. I really love the range of monochromatic 9 pan palettes and I've already picked up the blue one as well! I think that each of the palettes are streamlined to include the best shades that fit the colour theme. I also think that you can find a palette that speaks to you or a colour that your collection is lacking, which is great and different to a lot of palettes on the market.
All of the shadows perform really well for the price, I haven't had any major issue with fallout. The shadows are pigmented and really easy to blend. But there are a couple of shades that don't perform as well as the rest. Mary Jane, the yellowey-green shade is pretty flaky and hard to build up, I think this works a lot of better when applied wet for a better impact. The shade Chances Are, the light mint shade works really well as a transition, but is a lot harder to apply as an opaque lid colour. As you'll see from the third look I did manage to do it, but it took a lot of work and the right brushes!

 Look 1

Crease - Act Natural
Inner, outer lid and lower lash line - Mo Bamba
Centre of lid - Big Banks

Also used - Liquid liner and highlighter on the inner corner

Look 2

Outer corner and lower lashline - Charmed

Lid - Olive U

Inner corner - Mary Jane

Also used - Brown pencil liner

 Look 3

Lid - Chances Are
Crease - Kiss My Hass
Outer corner and lower lash line - Mo Bamba

Please let me know what you think of the looks!

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All of the Makeup I've Bought Since January;-

I had absolutely every intention of doing a Monthly Makeup Buys post every couple of months, but I've been a bit crap. I'm really trying to be better at posting regularly but I'm not doing a very good job! I also haven't bought that much makeup at all this year, I have been trying my best to only buy replacements and things that are different to what I already own. So this is everything I've bought, the majority of these were birthday gifts to myself, but there is one thing I recently picked up that I haven't dug into yet. So here's everything.

The first and most exciting things are my new eyeshadow palettes! Can you believe that these are the only palettes I've bought this year. I've been really good at not lusting after palettes by learning to love and experimenting with what I have. I picked up all three of these because I actually don't think I have anything similar in my collection already.

Revolution Forever Flawless Constellation Palette

The first palette I picked up is the Constellation palette from Revolution. I was really drawn to this palette because of the theme, it has a gorgeous galaxy print on the packaging and the inside reminds me of the whole galaxy nail trend. I really love Revolution but I feel like they do release a lot of similar products and I feel like this is different and has a proper colour story. The shades are very bright and 80s and they look a little mismatched in terms of order of the shades, but that helps to think of different colour combos that I wouldn't try if they weren't all together like this. I told myself I wouldn't buy anymore Revolution eyeshadow palettes, not because I don't love them but because I haven't tried a lot of different formulas and I wanted to experiment a little more, but this one was just too beautiful to say no to. I've only played with this a few times because I've been having a little bit of a love-in with the other palette I picked up. When I have used this I've found that the shades are super bright and I think Revolution have improved the formula of their shimmers as these are a lot more metallic than in other palettes. I really want to do another 5 Looks 1 Palette using this soon! I also really love that Revolution have started to print the shade names on the palette so I don't have to keep the annoying plastic sheet to know what shades I'm using.

Colourpop Just My Luck Palette
The second palette I bought is from Colourpop, I've never tried a palette from Colourpop or any of their pressed shadows. They've been doing this little 9 pan monochromatic palettes for a while and I've had my eye out for one I like. I think when you've got quite the collection of palettes its good to hone in on shades you might be missing and be able to pick up a palette with solely these shades. I've been absolutely loving greens this year since I picked up my Morphe 35M palette, so I decided I wanted to expand my small collection of green eyeshadows and pick this up. This cost just $12.00 and I'm super impressed with the formula especially for the price. I don't want to talk about this too much because I should have a 3 Looks 1 Palette up using this palette soon!

Colourpop Blue Moon Palette
My most recent purchase is the Blue Moon palette. I haven't had a chance to delve into this one yet, but I'm really eager to. I feel like my choice when it comes to blue eyeshadows is very limited, I have a few shimmers and the majority are royal blue so its not enough to make varied blue looks. I've been on the market for more blue shades for quite a while, but I haven't really fallen in love with any of the other blue palettes on the market. The Jeffree Star palette has way too many nuetrals that I don't need and a lot of other palettes are more teal than blue, whereas this palette is full of true blues with lots of different tones. I can't wait to dig into this one and I'll be sure to do a full review.

Colourpop Glitterally Obsessed in Eternal Sunshine
During summer I will find pretty much any excuse to put glitter all over my face and it can be super messy and removal is an absolute pain in the arse, read about my super fun experience with peel off glitter glue here. So I loved the thought of Colourpop Glittery Obsessed as they're a gel consistency with glitter suspended in them, you don't need a glitter glue, you just swipe them on your face and you're pretty much good to go. I managed to talk myself out of them until I saw Laura Neuzeth's swatch video and I instantly wanted to put glitter on my eyelids, but that's definitely not something I want to do with a loose glitter. I decided to pick mine up in the shade Eternal Sunshine, which I think is a total dupe of the Lemonhead Spacepaste in Houdini which has been worn by a tonne of celebrities (but I am absolutely not spending $22.00 on a bloody glitter). It some lights you can barely detect it but when you face the light it is UV light blue. I've worn this out quite a bit all over my lids especially when I'm getting ready in a rush but its so much quicker than eyeshadow. I also love wearing this on top of a duochrome blue highlighter on my cheeks, but it definitely does rub off when you wear it on your face. But the glitter primer from NYX really helps it stick. Removing this is also a doddle I just do it in the same way I remove my makeup and there's no mess!

Colourpop Blur Lux Lipstick in Sphynx
I've been loving using the lipsticks I already have for a blotted lip look, so I was really excited to try a product that it is meant to be used in that way. These are comfortable but matte, they apply sheer so you can build it up in the middle for a no-fuss blotted lip. The shade Sphynx is a light pink that is really nice for summer. I think blotted lips are really good for making your lips look more muted with a bright eye look and great for work because they're subtle, long wearing and wear away nicely throughout the day. I can definitely see myself picking up a few more shades from this line eventually.

Linda Hallberg Fantastick Multi-use Lipstick in Goldstone
I used to love this shade from Max Factor that was called Rosewood, it was a sheer glossy pink that was another great everyday lippy. But seeing as that wasn't cruelty free I couldn't repurchase it and I've been quietly looking for something to replace it for a while. This isn't an exact dupe as this is quite a bit glossier, but it does give a very similar effect. Its a sheer, glossy pink and an easy shade to wear because it lets a little of your natural lip colour come through. Because its glossy it does wear off pretty quickly, but it wears off nicely and I don't mind reapplying.

Colourpop BFF Mascara

Another thing that I picked up (but forgot to photograph, doh!) is the BFF Mascara. I only picked this up because I was about to run out of the mascara I was using when I was made my Colourpop order. I'm pretty impressed with this, its super black, and it lengthens and volumizes my lashes pretty well. Since the weather has got a little warmer I have found this to smudge a little underneath my eye, but I do get this with a lot of mascaras during summer (I know I should probably use a waterproof one, but I honestly cba with the aggro of removing it). Overall its not my most favourite mascara I've ever used, but I did order another tube when I ordered the Blue Moon palette and I'm still enjoying it.

Not strictly makeup, but I also wanted to include a couple of things I've bought from Revolution's skincare line. I've really enjoyed everything I've tried so far and I think the whole line is really well priced, so its another yes from me, Revolution!

Revolution CBD Oil
I decided to pick up another face oil from Revolution's skincare, this time the CBD infused one. This works about the same as any face oil, which is really well but there's nothing that makes this any better than ones I've used previously. However, there is a bit of a smell with this one that is like a mixture between butter and shoe polish. I'll definitely use this up because it works, but I can't see myself repurchasing again.

Revolution Skin Lightweight Hydrating Gel-Cream

Another thing I picked up is this moisturiser from Revolution's skin care line, this is a super weird consistency as it feels like a cream, but when you blend it in it kind of feels like water. This does a pretty good job as a daily moisturiser, but if you have dry skin it doesn't provide a deep level of moisture. This does work well for me so I can see myself repurchasing this.

Have you tried anything new lately?

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Revolution 'Conceal & Define' Foundation, is it Worth the Hype?

Revolution's Conceal & Define Concealer has taken the world by storm this and I am completely in love with it, its my favourite concealer by a landslide! So when I heard they were bringing out a foundation I knew I had to get my hands on it. I featured his in a haul and gave my first impressions back in November so I've been trying this out for about three months now so I thought it was about time I gave you my thoughts.

This foundation is available from Revolution's website, Beauty Bay or Superdrug and costs just £9.00, which I think is a really good price for a foundation.
This was released in 24 shades initially, but Revolution have now added even more shades, they now have a total of 50 shades, its honestly pretty refreshing that a brand have listened to the customers' requests. I also think that 50 shades is really impressive, especially for a drugstore brand. The foundation shades match the concealer, I have the concealer in C1 so I've picked up the foundation in F1. I think that's pretty handy, if you know your shade in one product you'll be able to find it in the other and this runs across all of Revolutions different foundations and concealers. The concealer in C1 is a hair lighter than the foundation, but I imagine this is so you can highlight your undereyes a little with it.
The bottle has a doefoot applicator which I personally really like because I feel like it gives me a lot of control over how much product I put on my face and I can apply the product directly to my face without having to pump it onto the back of my hand or pour it out of a tube. I've never used a foundation with a doefoot applicator before so I had a bit of trouble the first time I used this because I really didn't know how much to apply. I ended up applying too much and I had a really hard time blending it in, the foundation just sat on top of my skin. I've learned from my mistake there, and I begin with a thin layer which usually gives me a medium coverage and you can apply layers of foundation on top with no problem blending so you can really build this product up to give yourself the coverage that you want out of this foundation.
I did have a few teething problems when I first started using this foundation I was finding that the foundation settled in some areas like on my forehead where I have fine lines, between my brows and either side of my nose. It made these areas look dry to a point of looking crepey. This is not something I've really had with other foundations, but I tried to spend a little extra time blending in these areas it doesn't happen anymore. This is just a foundation that requires a little more care when it comes to blending.
This is definitely a more lightweight feeling foundation which I love. The finish is demi-matte, its matte but not so matte it looks dry or flat which is my perfect finish. I find that because its demi-matte and not heavy feeling that it gives you a skin-like look and feel, which again is something I really love! I've had no problems with it clinging to any patches of dry skin. It also drys down and isn't tacky feeling on the skin which means you don't have to use a tonne of powder to set it.
My favourite thing about this foundation has to be the lasting power. I have combination skin and it gets really oily throughout the day, usually when I start getting oily its game over for my foundation and the look of it completely deteriorates. This foundation definitely lets through oil and if I wanted to keep my face looking matte I would need to re-powder my face once or twice throughout the day. But the difference with this foundation is once I get oily this doesn't break down, like at all. I can wear this for a full day and my foundation looks virtually the same as when I put it on. Its an absolute game changer for me which is why I named this foundation I named this as my favourite foundation in my 2018 Favourites and I'm continuing to love this in 2019. Right now if I were to finish up this bottle I would be running out to pick up another.

Have you tried this foundation or any Revolution's foundations, let me know in the comments.

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5 Looks 1 Palette - Morphe 35M 'Boss Mood';-

Ever since I posted my 5 Looks 1 Palette with the Revolution x Emily Noel palette I've been super eager to do another one and when I picked up the Morphe 35M palette I knew I had to do my next post with it. This palette has one of the most unique colour stories of any palette I own and there are so many different looks you can create with this, so I thought I would share my thoughts on this and show you five looks.

I have to say nothing from Morphe has appealed to me in a long time. When I first got into makeup I really wanted one of their huge palettes, but the more makeup I own the more I want something unique and I think for a long time Morphe has recycled ideas and colour stories. But this is something completely unique in my opinion, especially for a budget friendly brand like Morphe. The unique colour palette makes me think of Halloween and witches, which might be better suited for fall, but honestly its my vibe all year round. I feel like Morphe could of thought of an amazing witchy name for the palette that isn't 'Boss Mood' which I kind of hate, but I suppose that doesn't really matter.

I wanted this when I first saw it, but it took me a while to pick this up. I talked myself out of this for months and months because I felt there were too many neutral shades and shades I could dupe within my collection. But after picking this up I notice there are actually only 6 true brown shades and the others that I thought were brown are actually deeper greens, I do still think that they could have included just two of these as there isn't that much variation between them. And the truth is aside from the greens I probably could have duped a lot of the shades, but there are so many colour combinations I would have never thought of if I hadn't seen them together in this palette and all of the shades have these amazing undertones that means that even the combinations I wasn't sure of blend beautifully together.

The formula of the matte shades isn't the most pigmented, they go on a little sheer and you have to build them up to get the desired intensity, this is a formula I like because it gives you a lot of control over the shadows. The shimmery shades I had a little difficulty working with, which I was surprised about as so many people rave about Morphe shimmers. A couple of the shades like the lightest shade and the shimmery browns are this gorgeous, metallic and almost reflective, super easy to work with and pack a lot of punch. However, some of the other shades are packed full of chunky pieces of glitter, which isn't bad in itself, but I've had a lot of trouble with glitter fall out both when I apply the shades and throughout the day. I picked up a glitter glue (which I reviewed here) which has helped massively with that, but I also think applying the shades with your finger or applying them wet helps too. Once you get the shades on your eye they are beautiful and really impactful it just takes a little bit of work to get there.

There are also a couple of shades I kind of wish were in the palette and I've reached for to pair with the shades, being a yellow which works really well as a transition for the yellow-y greens. A true gold as there is a yellow-y gold, but I think you could create even more looks with a gold shade. I also think you would benefit from a lighter matte purple to use as a transition in purple looks, I created a look with the purples in this palette and used a paler purple for my New Year's Eve makeup. I also would like another shade to highlight my inner corners as I feel there's only one in this palette and I got a little bored of it. I would take out two of the matte browns and the darker shades for these colours if I could.

Overall though, I'm glad that Morphe had 20% off for Black Friday so I finally picked this up (I hauled everything I picked up here). I feel like this palette has really helped me to experiment with different colour combinations like the ones below...

When I first got into makeup all I wore was browns and I feel like I've branched out a lot since then, I still wear browns, but I rarely get excited about them. However, I was super excited to use the shade 'Hawt Stuff' which is a medium shimmery brown. Its warm to the point that its almost bronze, super sparkly and goes on really opaque. It swatched so beautifully and I knew it would make a really effortless smokey eye. I began this look with 'Play it Cool', which is a matte, warm brown and I blended this through my crease. I then took 'Talk Dirty' which is a matte, dark, warm brown and I used this to darken my outer corner. I then used 'Hawt Stuff' all over the lid and along my lower lash line. I finished it off by using 'Light of The Party' the shimmery champagne on my inner corner.

As I went more neutral on the eyes I paired the look with a metallic deep red lip.

My next look is a red and purple combo. I definitely wouldn't have thought to use these colours together if it weren't for this palette, but its a look I've been obsessed with and I've worn quite a few times! Its definitely not a subtle look, but I absolutely love it.

First I went in with the shade 'Sweet Beets' which is a deep pink shade, I used a fluffy brush and used this as a transition. I blended this pretty high, just below my browbone. Next I took 'Grape Expectations' the deep, shimmery purple shade. I took this and applied it to my outer corner and blended it through the crease. I then took the shade 'Color Persona' which is a pink-toned shimmery red shade. I applied this on the inner part of my lid. Finally I used 'Daredevil' a shimmery grape shade and I used this to blend the darker purple into the red. I also used 'Grape Expectations' on the outer part of my lower lash line and blended it into 'Colour Persona'.

I topped the look off with a pink highlighter in my inner corner and applied liquid eyeliner. I paired it with pretty subtle lip and face makeup.

The main thing that drew me to this palette was definitely the greens because they're completely different from any I own. They all have this kind of pukey/snot undertone, which sounds gross, but I still really love them. For this look I basically used as many of these shades as I could. I began this look with the shade 'Stroke of Luck' this is a very yellow-toned light green matte, I blended this throughout my crease. Next I took the shade 'Express Yo Self' which is darker yellow-green shade, I blended this into my outer corner. For the first shimmer shade I took 'Stand Out' which is a shimmery dark khaki shade and I used this on the outer part of my lid. I then took 'Popstar' which is a real yellow gold, I used this on the inner third of my lid. Then I used 'Bold Moves' a light sparkly green and I applied this to the centre of my lid and blended it into the other two shades. On my lower lash line I used 'Stroke of Luck' and 'Express Yo Self' on the outer part and 'Popstar' on the inner part. I finished it off with 'Light of The Party' the shimmery champagne on my inner corner.

I thought this look was great without liner so I just used mascara and paired it with a browney-nude lip. 

I definitely wanted to play with the greens in this palette as much as I could so I created another look using more of the matte shades. I really like this look because I think it really brings out the green in my eyes. I began my look once again with 'Play it Cool' the matte brown as a transition, the makes a lovely neutral transition shade and I have used this with quite a few looks. I then took the shade 'Express Yo'Self' which is a dark matte khaki green and I used this to darken up the outer corner and on my lower lash line. I then took 'Stroke of Luck' all over my lid. To finish off I also took 'Bold Moves' which is the lightest shimmery green and I used this to add a little shimmer to my inner corner.

I deepened up my upper lash line with a brown pencil and paired this look with a glossy, warm brown shade on my lips.

My final look is one that I wish I took a better photo of. This pairs some of the orange shades with some of the purples, another pairing I never would have thought of without this palette. I used the more aubergine purples as they had a little more red in them which I thought blended nicely with the oranges. I feel like orange and purple are super halloween-y colours, which is why I think I love them paired together in this look. I used this colour combo a few times, but always on evenings out which meant the bests photos are ones above that are taken very late in the day under my harsh bathroom lights.

For this look I began with the shade 'Fired Up' which is a bright matte orange I used this on the inner part of my crease. I then took 'Power Slayer' which is a deep aubergine matte shade and I took this into the outer part of my crease and blended it into the orange. I then went in with 'Indi-Glow Kween' which is a shimmery aubergine and I blended this onto the outer part of my lid. I then took to the inner and middle part of my lid with 'Bright Eyes' this is a super firey and shimmery orange. I blended the lid shades together with 'Grape Expectations' the bright purple shades. On my lower lash line I used 'Power Slayer' on the outer part and blended it into 'Fired Up' on the inner part. For my last shadow I used 'Light of the Party' as an inner corner highlight.

To complete this look I used a thin line of liquid eyeliner and as this look is pretty bright I paired it with a glossy pale pink shade.

If you want to see any more of my looks (I know I did another look with this palette) I post a lot of #FOTD posts over on my Instagram.

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Monthly Makeup Buys - January 2019;-

I posted my last Monthly Makeup Buys in December, but they were actually all Black Friday buys. I didn't buy a single makeup item throughout December and I've also been pretty good during January. This year I definitely want to try a few more higher end things, so I'm trying to save a bit of money before I splash out. I still thought it would be fun to share my opinions on the few things I have picked up.

I made one order this month, which was from NYX. I feel like I hear a lot of good things about NYX products. I've only tried a couple of lips products, but I really like them. I definitely want to try more from NYX.

NYX Glitter Primer
The thing I really wanted from NYX was their glitter primer. I've been finding that when I use my Colourpop Supershock Shadows and some of the shimmery shades from my Morphe 35M palette I get glitter fall out when I apply the shadows and even more falls down onto my face throughout the day and I was hoping this would help with this. The primer is a paste that has a little shimmer to it that you can blend onto your lid similarly to a primer. I tend to apply it over any crease or transition shades before applying this and it doesn't affect the look of the shades beneath. It leaves your lid tacky so any glittery shades will stick to it with less fall out. When I use this I also have less glitter fall out during the day and it makes shimmery shades more impactful and stand out more. I do still get some glitter fall out throughout the day with really shimmery shades, but it is minimal compared with not using this. This is also not something I'd use every single day because most weekdays I'm looking to simplify my routine, but I have been using this whenever I want my eyeshadow to stand out more or I have more time to perfect my look. I'm really glad I picked this up and I've really been enjoying the effect.

NYX Worth The Hype Mascara
When I ordered the glitter primer I knew that I was getting to the end of the bottle of mascara I was using, so I thought I'd pick up the highest rated mascara that NYX had. I've literally never heard of it, but it has 4.4 out of 5 stars. This is super black and lasts all day. I usually look for something that gives length and volume, this is kind of lacking in the volume department. But it makes my lashes look super long and seperated giving a look of fluttery lashes and I'm surprised by how much I like this. I don't think its my favourite mascara of all time, but I think if I was ordering from NYX again and needed a mascara I might pick it up again.

What are your favourite products from NYX?

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Revisiting my September Purchases;-

I've said it before and I'll say it again, first impressions mean nothing which is why I find it helpful to take a look at things I bought a few months ago and share my up-to-date thoughts. Back in September I picked up a few new bits from Revolution along with a mascara and of course an eyeshadow palette, you can view my first impressions here. Since we're in 2019 I thought I'd let you know if my thoughts have changed.

Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in shade C1
First up is the Revolution Conceal and Define, I freaking love this stuff! I've nearly finished up my tube of this and I still think its great. Its high coverage, it does a really good job to cover up and brighten my undereyes. Its not enough coverage to cover blemishes, but I tend to prefer a pot concealer for that anyway. Its really easy to blend and doesn't cake up. I use this every day and its my favourite concealer that I've tried so far, I featured this in my 2018 Favourites post. I'll definitely be buying this again when my bottle runs out!


Revolution Baking Oil
My first ever face oil! Honestly I think this revolutionised my skincare routine. Since I started using a face oil my skin has looked softer and more plump and I rarely suffer from dry patches anymore! I mostly use oils at night because my skin is on the oily side, but I have also used this under matte foundations and it stops it from clinging to any dryness and from looking flat on the skin. I finished this bottle a couple of months ago and I'm using another oil from Revolution's skincare line and if I'm honest it does exactly the same as this, but if you want an oil that works on a budget this is only £6.00 and I recommend giving it a try.

Revolution Renaissance Flick
This is another product that ended up in my 2018 Favourites post. This eyeliner is super black, doesn't smudge or flake away. The nib is really thin so you can make a precise line. I think the curved shape of the pen is makes it really easy to hold, which is what sets this aside from other eyeliners in my opinion. I don't use liquid liner every time I do my makeup, but I've had this open for months now and it hasn't dried out at all!

Barry M Showtime Mascara
This was the second time I'd bought this mascara, but I can't see myself buying it again. I liked this at the time mostly because it's cruelty free and cheap. But since then I've tried much better and in comparison this one is pretty crap. It's black and makes my lashes a little longer and thicker, but not a lot. If you're looking for a good mascara on a budget try the ones from Essence, NYX or Revolution because they're all better than this. I would give this one a miss because its really nothing to write home about.

BH Cosmetics Take Me Back To Brazil 35 Color Pressed Pigment Palette
If you're looking for a rainbow palette, this one is so good. The shades are super bright, there are a lot more mattes than shimmers, but they perform really well and are really pigmented. I will say that you do get a lot of fall out, so its definitely best to do your eyes before your face with this palette.
During the summer I used this a bunch and did loads of really bright looks. I don't tend to use quite as bright colours during the colder months, but I have been reaching for some of the shades to use as transitions. I did a purple smokey eye on New Year's Eve and the lightest purple shade worked really well to blend out the look. I've also used the greens and the yellow will other looks.
There are two duo chrome white shades and a black, but I haven't used them at all so these shades I could live without, but I do love the rest of the shades. I know I'll be reaching for this loads when its warmer and I'd really love to do a 5 Looks 1 Palette post with this in the summer.

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My 2018 Favourites (All Cruelty Free);-

This post is definitely a little late but this year has definitely not been one of many Favourite's posts, I did a lot of panning and trying to finish up products but my most used is not actually a reflection of the ones I've loved most, so I really wanted to gather up everything I've loved most this year to share with you.
I wasn't sure whether to just include just things I bought this year, but in all honestly I don't think I've bought enough to share favourites in the majority of categories and there are also some things I've been loving and using that are not cruelty free. I don't want to use my blog to promote those items and brands that test on animals so I've left these out and hopefully by the end of next year I'll have some cruelty free alternatives to share with you.

Face
Primer - Bodyshop Instablur All In One Primer
My favourite primer for this year and probably the last four or five years is this one from the Bodyshop. Its a silicone primer that files pores, mattifies and prolongs the wear of my makeup. This does pretty much everything I need from a primer. I'm currently testing out a Barry M Primer stick and I really don't like it as much as this one!

Foundation - Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation
I keep meaning to review this foundation in full, but I still haven't gotten around to it. I didn't pick up this Revolution foundation until later in the year, but I still love it more than any of the others in my collection. This has buildable coverage, but isn't thick on the skin. It has a demi-matte finish making it look really natural on the skin  and its really long lasting. Add in the fact that there is a pretty extensive shade selection and its under £10.00 makes this is my favourite foundation that I've tried so far. If you haven't tried this and you're on the hunt for a new foundation I would definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Concealer - Revoltuion Conceal  Define Concealer
The matching concealer to my favourite foundation is also my favourite. This is a little thicker than most liquid concealers, but this packs a punch when it comes to coverage. There's a reason everybody has raved about this all year. It doesn't feel heavy on under the eyes and its easy to blend and does a great job to brighten the undereye area and conceal blemishes.

Powder - Bake & Finish Powder
Another Revolution hit is this loose powder. This mattifies the skin without looking in any way cakey because the powder is really finely milled. The pot is also huge so I'm glad I love it as its going to take me ages to refill it. I even prefer this over my Charlotte Tilbury Powder. My only gripe is that I wish the cap was larger to make it easier to dip my brush or sponge into!

Highlighter - MUA Undress Your Skin Hihglighter Powder
An oldy but a goody that I rediscovered in my collection this year is this MUA highlight. I've had this for flipping ages, but I fell in love with a pinky highlight this year so this is perfect. It has a beautiful pink sheen and is perfect for pale skin. It can really be built up for a really reflective look. If you still have this in your collection I would definitely recommend that you dig it out and start using it again.

Setting Spray - I <3 Revolution Fixing Spray Green Tea Scent
I've never really had a favourite fixing spray because I think most of them do the same, but I usually use the Revolution ones as they're really good for only £5.00. This one is in the scent green tea, but it just smells really fresh. The sprayer on this one is better than any other and gives a really even layer of product. Of course, it also helps to keep my makeup on for longer so I'll definitely be picking this one up over any other when I finish this bottle.

I actually don't have a favourite bronzer, blush or highlight for the year as a lot of these products in my collection that I reach for often aren't cruelty free. I've picked up a couple of cruelty free highlighters lately, but I haven't played with them enough to add them to my yearly favourites. Hopefully I'll be able to test out some cruelty free alternatives in 2019.

Eyes
Eyeshadow Primer - Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer
Another product that has been a long-standing favourite is my Smashbox eyeshadow primer. This stuff is a peachy colour so it helps to conceal veins on my lids. This keeps my eyeshadow on literally until I actually remove it. I've tested this at work, on night's out, at festivals and it is life-proof. My only issues with this is that it sometimes goes a little funny where my primer meets my foundation and its kinda pricey. I'm hoping to test a couple of other primers out this year, but at the moment my heart belongs to Smashbox.

Mascara - Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect
My favourite mascara of the year has to be the Essence Lash Princess. This stuff is fantastic, its super black lengthening and volumizing and so, so cheap! If you're passing your local Wilko don't overlook this because its so good.
An honourable mascara mention is the Revolution Mascara, also a really good affordable mascara, its a little more volumizing than the Essence one, but less lengthening. If you prefer long seperated lashes choose the Essence, but if you want thicker lashes the Revolution one is for you.

Eyeliner - Revolution Renaissance Flick
I don't actually wear eyeliner every day, but this one has been a stand out for me this year. I freaking love this stuff, the tip is super thin so you can create a precise line, its really black never flakes or smudges. The thing I love most about this is the shape, because its rounded it fits really nicely in my hand making my hand as steady as possible. I'm not saying it means I never fuck up my eyeliner, but it definitely helps.

Eyeshadow Palette - Revolution Iconic Division
Picking my favourite eyeshadow palette of the year was really tricky! I tend to buy a palette, be obsessed with it for a couple months and then move on to another. I've also been working on using up some eyeshadows in my 18 Eyeshadows in 2018 project, but I picked eyeshadows that I wasn't showing a lot of love to and I don't know if I'd have used them half as much if they weren't in my project.
One palette I bought this year is the Iconic Division, I bought this in Spring and absolutely loved it, then I actually went back to it in Autumn because the colour story is perfect for it. Not only did I go back to this palette but a lot of the shadows have now become staples. The orange is this palette is my absolute favourite, I have an entire orange palette but I'm debating decluttering it because this is the orange I reach for most. I also love the warm brown in this palette and I've used it so many times! I think the colour story is equally colourful and neutral and suitable for everyday. I will say that the shimmery shades are not my favourite and the mattes do require some building up, but overall I love this palette and its a staple in my collection.

Lips
Lipstick - Revolution x Soph Lipstick in Cake
My favourite lipstick this year is this Revolution and SophDoesNails Collab. This is the perfect browny-nude shade that is amazing for offsetting a colourful eye look. This a satin formula that moisturises the lips without being glossy, my favourite formula. Good choice Soph!

Liquid Lipstick - NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken
My favourite liquid lipstick has to the NYX Liquid Suede. These are of course matte, but not at all drying on the lips. It lasts a really long time on the lips, so I also sometimes use this as a base for a glossy nude to prolong the wear. Soft Spoken is a warm, true brown, its again a shade that is subtle enough to offset a colourful eye, but also eye-catching.

Lip Liner - Essence Lip Liner in Soft Berry
My favourite lip liner of this year is my Essence lip liners, these are cheap and cruelty free. They apply really smooth with a matte finish to prolong the wear of your lip colour. I have these in a bunch of colours and I love them all. I think my favourite shade is the nude, but I've currently used it up and don't have it in my collection. My second favourite is this one in Soft Berry, which is a dark berry colour. It goes perfect with Autumnal berry shades and I also love using it underneath lighter lipsticks to darken up the colour.

Revolution Skin Target Under Eye Serum
I don't talk to much about skincare, but I have used a few stand-out products this year that I wanted to share. The first is from Revolution's skincare line, the under eye serum. This stuff feels like water so sinks into the skin really quickly without any residue. It works to moisturise the under eye area and actually works to brighten the undereye area and reduce puffiness. This is the first under eye treatment I've used that I actually notice the effects of.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser and Serum
My favourite moisturiser of the year has to be this one from Superdrug because I've been through two bottles of this. I actually don't think this works wonders or will change and improve your skin in crazy ways, but I think this is great for everyday use and is great under makeup. I've definitely tried more pricey moisturisers that do exactly the same. I did a whole review of Superdrug skincare and you can read it here.

A skincare honourable mention has to go out to the Revolution Baking Oil. I had never tried any face oils before this year and it has massively changed my skin. I have combination skin, it gets oily but I can also suffer from dry patches. I mostly use a facial oil at night so that it doesn't make my makeup look oily throughout the day. Since starting to use one I have had literally no problems with dry skin at all and the texture of my skin just seems better than ever. I have used this a few times under more matte foundations and it completely stops it from clinging to any dry patches, but I do need to powder more around my T-zone. I've used the bottle I had of Revolution Baking Oil and I've moved onto another one from Revolution's skincare line, which I think pretty much does the same. A facial of some kind have definitely become a huge staple in my skincare routine.

I hope you had a great 2018 and I wish you an even better 2019!

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Monthly Makeup Buys - What I Bought during Black Friday;-

I decided I wanted to start this little series because I don't buy tonnes of makeup (atleast not in comparison with my-2015-self) and I wanted them to be quick little first impressions of what I've picked up... and then Black Friday happened and suddenly this has turned into one monstrous haul. So I definitely recommend grabbing a hot drink to relax while you read this.

I'm not big into sales if I'm honest, if I love something enough I'm usually happy to pay full price. I used to love a sale, but I'd pick up so much stuff I didn't even like or want just because it was cheap, I've definitely learned a lesson the hard way. This black Friday was a little different, there are a lot of things that have been on my wishlist for a really long time and I've been wanting to branch out and try more brands for quite a while. I need to try some more new things outside of my usual comfort (sorry Revolution, I still love you) and I thought while there were a lot of deals on it would be the perfect time to do this.
I like to do these monthly makeup buy posts once I've tried everything out, which is why they are always super late (a whole month after Black Friday, whoops!) but because I bought so much there are a few things I have only tried once or twice and a couple I haven't tried at all so I will definitely be doing some follow up reviews on some of the products.

First up is my first and very large order from Colourpop. I've been wanting to try some things from Colourpop for a long time, they seem like a very interesting and different brand and every time I've had a nose on their website I've fallen in love with quite a lot of things. They had a 30% off deal and free worldwide shipping over $50.00 so naturally I bought a bit of everything! I will say that it only took 6 days to get here from LA during Black Friday, which is amazing and took the same amount of time as my Beauty Bay order which came from the UK. It also came in an adorable box with this cute little postcard. Colourpop also now add tax charges onto any UK order, so you don't get any sneaky Customs Charge letters.

Colourpop Supershock Shadows in 'I Like You', 'Ripple', 'Sugar' & 'Special Delivery'
The thing I've wanted to try from Colourpop for the longest time is their supershock shadows because they seem really different to anything I own and I have seen a lot of people create really beautiful looks with these. They have a lot of pretty neutral, shimmery shades that I knew I'd get a lot of looks with, but the bright colours stole the show were the brights as I was instantly feeling inspired to pair these with shadows I already own. These have the oddest texture, they feel almost whipped or moussey, not quite cream. These pack a punch in terms of pigment and I've had no problem with creasing, whereas cream shades have a tendency to crease really badly on my lids. I will say that these are super glittery, they have chunky glitter rather than sheen. The shades I picked are all the 'Ultra Glitter' formula so it makes sense. They look beautiful on the eye, but by the evening I find some of the glitter has dropped down onto my face, I think these might benefit from a glitter glue so I think I'll pick one up and test this theory soon.

Colourpop Supershock Cheek in Showtime
Another thing I was eager to try were the Supershock Cheek highlighters as I've heard a lot of people rave about these. I expected this to be the same formula as the shadows, but this is a lot more creamy, it feels cold and wet to the touch, but again seems more moussey than other cream highlighters I've tried. I spent a long time scouring the website for the shade I wanted as a lot of the shades seemed too dark for my ghostly complexion, but its really good for anybody with darker skin. Showtime is a white shade with pink sheen and glitter. Again this is pretty glittery so if you don't like that, this probably isn't for you. I personally like it and I think this is a eye-catching and blinding highlight that I'm loving so far.

Colourpop No Filter Complexion Sheer Matte Pressed Powder in Fair
The first thing I haven't tried yet is this pressed powder from Colourpop as I'm trying to finish up my Charlotte Tilbury powder before I open this. I bought this in the lightest shade and its a pretty good match from swatching this. I don't really love my Charlotte Tilbury powder at $9.00 (around £7.11) this is a fraction of the price and I'm really excited to try it.

Colourpop Ultra Blotted Lip in Soda Pop
I love pressing a lipstick into my lips for a blotted look because I think it offsets a colour eye look so I was really keen to try a product that is actually designed to wear in that way. This looks like quite a deep pink shade, but as its not completely opaque it just tints my lips a little darker and evens the colour. I really like the shade, but the finish is a little odd. This dries to almost feel like a powder on your lips and I'm not sure if I'm keen on it. I've only worn for a long period of time with a gloss over the top, so I want to have a little more of a play with this to see if I can actually stand the finish.

Colourpop & Kathleen Lights Creme Lux Lipstick in What's Your Sign?
I'm trying to finish my only nude lipstick in my Finish 9 By New Year project, I'm very close to finishing it so I knew I'd need a new one soon. I saw Kathleen Lights announcement video for this collection and remembered how good the shade looks on her and I like her videos so it was nice to show some support. The packaging for this lipstick is beautiful and the star imprints on the bullet is a lovely touch, the packaging is metal and feels luxurious especially for the small price of $7.00 (around £5.50). This shade is a true nude and suits me a lot better than my current nude. This feels soft and again luxurious on the lips. I've only used this a couple of times and I'm looking forward to using it more in the future.

Colourpop & Disney Ultra Glossy Lip in Bobbidi
I try to keep my lip gloss collection pretty small and I tend to only have one open at a time so I haven't used this one yet either. Its a peachy shade, but I'm not sure how opaque it is on the lips. I will need a new gloss soon as my current one is nearly empty and I thought the packaging of this was cute so I thought I'd give this one a whirl.

I want to do a full review of all of my Colourpop goodies when I've had a good play with them with swatches and maybe a look or two.

I headed along to the Beauty Bay website as I know they have an amazing Black Friday sale and at first I had a huge basket full, but products were going out of stock in front of my eyes and I whittled my cart down to just two items. I also took a trip to Bristol and found a massive Revolution stand in Superdrug, so of course it wouldn't be a haul by me without a couple of things.

Ofra Glow Bay, Glow Highlighter in Glazed Donut

I've been lusting after Ofra highlighters for a long time as they seemed to be praised as being the best highlighters by pretty much everybody I watch and read. I picked up mine in the shade Glazed Donut, which I believe is one of Ofra's collabs with Nikkie Tutorials, if I'm honest I don't really watch her a lot and I picked this up because a lot of people have said this is really good for pale skin. This pretty much a white base with a silver-toned sheen, so it definitely one best suited to a pale complexion. I will say that it is beautiful, its shimmery in a metallic and almost reflective way, but with literally zero glitter in it. This is hands down the most blinding highlighter I own and I can see why the Ofra highlighters are so highly praised. I don't think this shade is going to become my favourite, its pretty but as its silver I find it only pairs well with cool toned looks, so I don't think it will be my go-to particularly during the winter months when I tend to wear warm eyeshadow most of the time, but I would be so interested in picking up a more wearable shade in the future.

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Eyeshadow Primer

This is another one of the products I haven't used yet. I never really got along with drugstore eye primers before which is why I've stuck to my beloved Smashbox eyeshadow primer for years, but I've heard really good things about this one so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm currently using up the last of my current tube of my Smashbox eyeshadow primer in my Finish 9 by New Year project, so I'll start testing this once I've finished and then do a follow up review.

Revolution The Mascara Revolution

I knew I was about to run out of the tube of mascara I was using so I decided to pick up this one from Revolution seeing as I love most of the things they put out. This mascara has a huge bristle brush and the mascara is super black. I find the formula to be a little thick, but it lengthens and volumizes my lashes. It can make your lashes a little clumpy though, so if you like defined and separated lashes you probably won't love this. I've had no problem with transferring and it doesn't make my lashes really solid, like some other mascaras (Benefit's They're Real I'm looking at you). This was £8.00 and I'd definitely consider picking this up again when I've finished this tube.

Morphe 35M Boss Mood Artistry Palette

As always there's an eyeshadow palette in my haul and this one is a beauty. I don't take a lot of notice of Morphe if I'm honest, back when I first got into makeup I wanted one of their 35 pan palettes because I was just interested in accumulating products, but I feel like they quite often put out similar thing after similar thing. But I loved this palette from the moment I saw this. The greens are completely different to any others I have in my collection and I feel like the colour selection is very different and really inspiring to me. I didn't pick this up straight away because this is huge and I don't need another huge eyeshadow palette and a large portion of the shadows are brown. I own more than enough brown shadows. I would have rather this palette was smaller and cheaper and there wasn't any browns. However, every time I looked at a picture of swatches of the shades I would think up another combination to try that I wouldn't have thought of if all of these shades weren't together in one palette.

I think Morphe had a 20% off so I bit the bullet and picked this up and I'm really glad I did as it is even more beautiful in person. It screams Autumn, Halloween and witchy vibes, it may too late in the year but I love that shit all year round! This swatches beautifully and I was blown away when I first swatched it. Some of the matte shades do take a bit of work to build up and the shimmery shades work better if you apply them with your finger and blend the edges with a brush. But I've really been loving the looks I've created with this so far and I'm working on another 5 Looks 1 Palette post with this soon so watch this space.

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5 Looks 1 Palette - "The Wants";-

This palette has garnered more controversy than I think I've ever seen, it is of course the Revolution and Emily Noel Collaboration, The Emily Edit "The Wants" palette. There have been reports of mould in the shade 'laughcry' and it was given an awful review by Tati. Which lead to more controversy after further reviews surfaced bashing Tati and questioning her integrity. Since I picked this up I've been eager to review it and do a whole post with looks I've created, but it has now been removed from Revolution's website, Revolution tweeted weeks ago that it would be back after reformulation, but its still not available. I wanted to post this when the reformulation had taken place, but I still don't know when that will be and I worked really hard on this post and I want it to see the light of day. The palette is still available on the Superdrug website if you want to get your hands on it.

In my experience, I had absolutely zero mould on my palette. I don't think the palette is complete crap, or patchy like Tati's review, but seeing as a number of people have had mouldy palettes and I haven't maybe not all of these Emily Edit palette's are made equal.

I have to admit I don't watch every Emily Noel video, I do think she is a really honest beauty Youtuber and she gives really detailed and full reviews. But mine and Emily's tastes in makeup are quite different so she's not always reviewing products that I'm interested in. But I was really drawn to this palette as soon as I saw it. I then watched Emily's video announcement for this, and I absolutely loved it. This is quite clearly something that Emily has put a lot of thought and hard work into. She also gives the best review of this product and all of her comments reign true, you can really tell that this is something very personal to her and not a product she has just stuck her name on, which makes me really happy that I can also support her when buying this palette. The thing I really love about this palette is that there is a big selection of different colours, but they're also really wearable and mesh well together so I don't find it overwhelming. There isn't a single shade in here that I couldn't create a look with just using this palette. I really love colourful eyeshadow, but I'm not brave enough to wear a bright green eye to work. For me this is the perfect work palette because I don't have to stick to neutrals, but the colours aren't luminous or in your face. I think this palette is perfect for colourful eyeshadow lovers who want something softer, or for people who want to get into colour but aren't quite ready for something really bright. I feel like this palette will please a lot of people but isn't the same as every other one on the market.

The palette is a nudey pink shade with Emily's gold signature across the front, I really love the colour because I have a tonne of Revolution palettes that look very similar and this stands out. Lots of people have said it, but this is massive, I think its the same size as the large Morphe palettes but it has less shades. It also has an enormous mirror which I love, it makes it the perfect travel palette for me as even though it is really big I know I will have a mirror big enough for my entire face and I can put it wherever the lighting is best. The shade names are also printed along the palette which I absolutely love because it means I could throw out the little plastic sheet that came with this. My only gripe (and its only small) is that there is quite a bit of space between the shades and I feel like they could have made them a little closer and saved on space.

In terms of the shadows themselves these are unlike Revolution's other eyeshadows and I think Emily's review best describes them.

The shades aren't the most pigmented, but they are true to the colour in the pan. They're not patchy and are buildable so that you can get a bright and pigmented. I think it makes the shades really easy to work with and gives a really soft look. The shimmer shades aren't super metallic, but I think that goes with the soft matte shades. I've used a couple of the shimmers with a setting spray which helps them really pack a punch. I will say that there is quite a bit of fall out with most of these shades, but I find this is common with Revolution eyeshadow palettes. I find its something I can easily work around and it doesn't mean I like the shadows any less.
And here are the looks I created with the palette...

I was really eager to try the shade 'family' and the shade 'pizzazz' and I haven't seen anyone else use these together so I decided I would. I first went in with 'prayer' which is a pinky brown shade, I used this as a transition shade as I thought it would be a good shade to blend 'family' into my natural lid colour. I next went with 'pizzazz' all over the lid, this is a sort-of dusty pink shade with pink shimmer, this is super glitter and had a more subtle sheen. I then took 'family' into the crease and under the bottom lash line. I really like this shade as it a true to colour dark purple, which I'm really impressed with as I've tried other purples from Revolution (I'm looking at you Iconic Smokey) that have just been a muddy mess, but this shade isn't that. I then popped 'cupcake' which is a subtle pink shimmery shade, into the inner corner to highlight the look. I really like these shades together as I think they blend really nicely. I also used a little pencil eyeliner and a nude gloss to finish off the look.

For my second look I decided I needed to play with the dark green and the gold shade in the palette because they both look beautiful. I went straight in with 'corduroy', the beautiful dark green shade, in my crease. This applied really evenly but softly and I had to build it up to get a brighter shade. I blended the edges out with 'honestly', which is a very yellow-toned light brown. I then took 'top story', a dark gold, all over the lid, this did have a little bit of fall out. I finally took 'side hustle' which is a shimmery khaki green and I blended the edges of 'top story' and 'cordoroy' together. I also applied this all along my lower lash line. I applied a very thin line of liquid eyeliner and paired the look with a berry lip. I think this is a lovely autumnal look and I can see myself getting a lot of looks out of these shades.

For my next look I really wanted to use the shade 'belle violet', this is a shimmery lilac shade which is one of the first shades that drew me to the palette in the first place. This shade is a little sheer when used dry so I used it here with a little setting spray to make the shade a little more foiled and bright. I've only seen tutorials people using this shade with the shade 'family' so I wanted to try something a different. I took the shade 'love tons' which is a darker matte pink and I blended this through my crease and under my lower lash line. I then took the shade 'pi phi', which is a matte wine colour and I used this darked up my outer v. I used a light pink highlighter into my inner corner. I paired this look with a bright pink lip. I really like that I could create quite a bright, colourful look even with these soft shades.

This day I was wearing a new Gryffindor jumper so I wanted to match my eyeshadow to my house colours. I started this look by taking the shade 'cheer', the matte dark red shade, and I used this in my crease. I then took the shade 'laughcry' on the outer and inner parts of my lid, this is a more orange lighter red. I then mapped out the center of my lid with concealer to create a halo eye. In the center I used the shade 'top story' again. To blend 'top story' into the red I took the shade 'good vibes', which is a shimmery red shade. I then repeated the shade order of shades on my lower lash line and I applied 'top story' to my inner corner. I finished of the look with a very heavy liquid eyeliner, mostly by accident.

For my final look I decided I wanted to go for something a little lighter and show that you can create a range of different kinds of looks with this palette. I started the look by using the shade 'dues paid', this is a super warm medium brown, I used this as a transition shade. I then took the shade 'love tons' again and I used this on the outer third of my eye lid. I then used the shade 'eve rose', which is a super cool shade that looks light pink in the pan, but has gold glitter that shows through in different lights. I used 'eve rose' on the rest of my lid all the way to my inner corner. I added a little definition to my lower lash line with the shade 'capricorn' which is a shimmer dark brown. I decided that I wanted to keep this look light and rosey so I didn't use any eyeliner.

Please let me know what you think of this post, as it took a lot of effort, but I really enjoyed creating the looks. I really want to start doing more of these posts with palettes I already own. I'm not sure whether I should post a seperate review, or just list the shades I used as this post got very long, very quickly and I'd appreciate your thoughts!

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