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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All The Makeup I've Used Up This Year;-

So around this time last year I saw this post on Cosmopolitan's Snapchat story and it really caught my attention. I don't really read empties posts because people tend to chuck everything from makeup to toothpaste into them. This isn't about reviewing the products I just wanted to show all of the makeup I've used this year. The Cosmo Article showed the prices for all of the products, but I'm not too worried about the price as a lot of my makeup is drugstore so I'm purely focusing on the amount of products I've used.

I've been in a bid to downsize my collection and to get rid of non cruelty free items that I have. I also wanted to track how I much I use so I can be more informed with my future makeup purchases. So here is every makeup item I used up in 2018.

Primer - 1
I thought I was really into primer and use it quite often, but to be honest it is the first step out of the window if I'm in a hurry. Most days I'm in a hurry so a lot of the time during the week I don't bother with applying primer, which is the reason I only finished up one primer in the entire year.

The Bodyshop Instablur All In One Primer

Foundation - 3
I wear foundation every time I do my makeup, but I don't really like to wear a thick layer on my skin so I finished up three throughout the year. I tend to only have about three or four foundations in my collection at a time, so I'm pretty happy with the amount I used.

L'oReal Infallible 24-HR Matte Foundation (Not Cruelty Free), Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick, LUSH Colour Supplement 

Concealer - 4
I used a total of four concealers this year and I'm pretty happy with that number. I was in a bid to use up the concealers in the palette as only three shades matched me so I didn't want the whole palette in my collection. I will definitely never buy another concealer palette, its so unnecessary unless you're a makeup artist. I managed to finish up all three that matched and then the whole bottle from NYX.

Revolution Ultra Cover and Conceal Palette, NYD HD Photogenic Concealer

Powder - 2

I really don't love the feel of powder on my face so I haven't really loved wearing it, I only started wearing it daily in the latter part of this year so I've only finished two, I definitely think I'll use up more in the future.

I also didn't manage to use up a single blush, bronzer or highligher and I've been using the same cheek duo all year. Definitely goes to show that I don't need to be buying a tonne of coloured face products, because they take such a long time to use up.

GOSH Velvet Touch Powder, Unknown (and really old) Avon Powder (Not Cruelty Free)

Setting spray - 2
Setting spray is something I love using, but its another step that goes out of the window whenever I'm in a rush. I've only managed to use two up in the entire year, but I only buy setting sprays when I can see I'm running low on my current bottle.

Revolution Pro Fix Oil Control Fixing Spray, e.l.f. Matte Magic Mist and Setting Spray

Eyeshadow - 6
My eyeshadow collection is something I've been really trying to use up for this year in my 18 Eyeshadows in 2018 project. And even though I have bought less eyeshadow than ever this year, only three palettes (and received another four as gifts from my lovely boyfriend) in terms of individual shadows that's a metric fuck-tonne more than the measly six eyeshadows I used this year. All of the shades I used were neutral shades, but I love experimenting with different eye looks and colours so I like having a lot to play with. My eyeshadow collection is something I want to keep working my way through so I hope I can use up some more next year.

Revolution Iconic 2 (1 Shade), Smashbox Mini Trio, Mac Paintpot in Groundwork (Not Cruelty Free), Mac Quad (1 Shade) (Not Cruelty Free)

Mascara - 4
So at the end of 2017 I had a bit of a situation with Avon mascara that didn't agree with me, which ended in a pretty sore eye infection. I'm now pretty strict and I will only use a mascara for three months and then its dead to me. I used up four mascaras, which is one per quarter of the year.

Benefit They're Real Mascara (Not Cruelty Free), Barry M Showgirl Mascara (x2), Essence Lash Princess Falsh Lash Effect Mascara

Eyeliner - 1
I don't use eyeliner every day, there are some looks that benefit from it, but sometimes I don't want to take up my limited eyelid space with a black line and not beautiful eyeshadow shades. So its no surprise to me that I only finished one this entire year.

Barry M On Point Precision Eyeliner

Lip balm - 1
I have quite the large lip balm collection, its one of those things I seem to receive as gifts or in sets, so I've really been trying to get through the pots I have. This is why I'm so disappointed to say I only used one lip balm this year, this was quite a large pot but I'm hoping I can use more in the future.

B Skincare Lip Balm

Lip gloss - 1
I like lip gloss, but I don't wear it that often. I only used one this year, but I only ever have one open in my collection at a time.

Avon Clear Lip Gloss (Not Cruelty Free)

Lip liner - 2
My lip colour is something I change it up pretty much every day which is why lip products are always the hardest for me to use up. I have quite the collection of lip liners so I only finished up two lip liners this year.

Essence Lip Liner 'In The Nude', Primark Pink Lip Liner (Not Cruelty Free)

Lipstick - 2
Like I said I love changing up my lip colour so I also only finished up two lipsticks. I have quite a large collection of lipsticks of probably every shade I could ever need so I definitely don't need to be buying any more in the near future.

Ted Baker Nude Lipstick (Not Cruelty Free), Maxfactor Lipstick 'Rosewood' (Not Cruelty Free)

In total this year I used up 29 products this year, which I think is a pretty good amount. Keeping all of my empties throughout the year has definitely taught me a lot and I will be a lot more strict with my future purchases now I've seen how much I can use in a year. If you've never done it I would definitely recommend that you keep all of the items you use over the next year so you can see for yourself!

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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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Holiday Anti Haul;-

The holidays are right around the corner I thought it was only fitting to do a Christmas-themed post! Or, more of a scrooge-themed post. I love Christmas, I love buying gifts, spending time with family and eating too much. But Christmas is a big time for mass consumerism and don't the makeup companies know it. There's limited edition gift sets and palettes, some of which are beautiful and I'm sure completely worth it, but I want to share a few of the things I think you can live without.
Usual disclaimer, I haven't tried any of these products so I can't comment on their quality. If you love any of these things, that's amazing for you, makeup is subjective so no product is going to appeal to everybody. I'm not trying to bash brands or products, I just think that I will be saving the money I could spend on these products for something I'd love more and maybe you could too.

Pur Cosmetics and The Grinch Good Enough to Steal Palette

The first thing I will not be buying is the Pur Cosmetics collaboration with the Grinch... I have seen this in more anti-hauls than hauls which says a lot really. My first gripe is with the packaging, this thing is bulky, it has pop ups and the product is in a seperate drawer that has no lid. This palette is clearly meant to be a display piece as well as makeup because this is going to be pain in the arse to store in the same way you would your other palettes. I know a lot of people are not fans of makeup purely for display, but I have no real issue with it, I picked up the Revolution Halloween highlighter purely to put on my vanity and not to use, but this doesn't go with my decor and I don't have anywhere to display this. I also think that the packaging is going to take you a long time to get in and out of so I wouldn't reach for something like this on a daily basis when I'm getting ready for work.

My next issue is the product itself, I believe there is a blush, a highlight and eyeshadows and these all look the same. The shadows are neutral with a pop of green and red which makes sense being that this is Christmas and Grinch inspired, but none of the shades look very vibrant or have a lot of depth. Looking at the shades they don't inspire me and I can see a lot of looks with this palette will look the same. The palette also contains one of those green to pink lipsticks, like the Lipstick Queen one or the Barry M one that's been around for decades. Again, I see why they did this, but I don't like it. I feel like for a lot of people these lipsticks were only good for 'clickbaity' 'OMG I'm testing green lipstick' Youtube videos and not a makeup product that people take seriously. I 

used to own a lipgloss like this and I actually wore it to death, but I think including it in this palette was purely a gimmick, especially when this palette is $42.00 (I can only find it on US websites so may not even be available in the UK) I feel like Pur could have included a high quality lipstick that people would actually wear.

My last issue with this is the premise of the Grinch, I freaking love the old(er) Grinch movie and the story to death and the whole moral of the story is how Christmas is about love and spending time with your family, not about material things... and now there is Grinch shit absolutely everywhere! It kind of defeats the point really, I know that's not Pur's fault they're just taking advantage of an opportunity. I know that Pur and Illumination are trying to promote their brands, and they're companies designed to make money, but it just rubs me up the wrong way and its another reason why I will not be buying this.

I Heart Revolution Chocolate Vault

I feel like every time I talk about Revolution I need to point out that they are my favourite brand and I definitely don't want to bash them, but they sure go hard at Christmas. Revolution have a tonne of different gift sets and calendars and I think its pretty great. If you have a makeup lover in the family it means you can get them a good quality gift set for a pretty reasonable price. I won't be buying or receiving any of the sets, but purely because I own pretty much everything I want from Revolution.

One thing I just don't get though, is this Chocolate Vault gift set. This has a whole six eyeshadow palettes from Revolution's Chocolate Bar palettes, along with two face palettes and three lip glosses all for a pretty penny of £60.00

This collection began as Revolution's dupe of the Too Faced palettes but Revolution have put their own spin on it and they now have a tonne of different variations. The collection is mostly neutral palettes with a few different pops of colour in each palette. The collection has four palettes that you can pick up separately and two 'exclusive' palettes, which from reviews I've seen they don't look particularly exciting.

I just don't get who this is for. If you're a lover of this collection of palettes, its a waste of money to pick this up to get two new palettes when you probably already own some if not all of the palettes that already exist and I think there should be the option to purchase the exclusive palettes separately. I don't own any of the Revolution Chocolate Bar Palettes, but I already have a lot of eyeshadow and I don't think these six palettes would add a great deal of variety to what I own. I also don't think this is suited for somebody just getting into makeup because its just too much! I feel like Revolution should have bought out a set with one of the Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palettes, one face palette and the glosses for a price a lot less than £60.00 and it would be perfect for the teen in your family who's just starting to experiment with makeup!

 I feel like Makeup Vaults have their place for brands like Urban Decay because you can actually make a saving on the palettes, or buy it as a luxury gift to really treat a special person in your life, but I don't think this is the place for it... sorry Revolution!

Ted Baker All Eyes On Ted Gift Set

Something I definitely won't be picking up is this or any of the makeup sets from Ted Baker. I think I'm right in saying that Ted Baker only sell makeup in gift sets at Christmas, that or nobody speaks about it.
The packaging of the Ted Baker sets always looks amazing so I picked up three sets a couple of years ago and trust me when I say absolutely everything was trash. All of the eye products creased, the eyeliner smudged, the brow pencil was dry, cheek products were all glitter with nothing else and the lipsticks smelled like cheap plastic. Nearly all of it went in the bin (I'm just forcing myself to finish the last nude lipstick in my Finish 9 by New Year project) and I wasted quite a bit of money on the sets, but I still found myself looking at this collection in Boots because it looks so pretty! I've learned my lesson though, so if you see any Ted Baker makeup trust me and walk straight past it.

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Finish 9 By New Year, Update 2;-

Another month has passed which means I am here with my last update before my finale for this project! I'm glad to have a couple more things out of my collection so I can enter the new year with a little less clutter, but there are some products I've definitely have realizations about, here's my progress.

 1 - Vaseline Lip Therapy Aloe Vera (Not Cruelty Free)

The same as last month I've definitely made noticeable progress in the last month. I'm definitely not going to finish this by the end of the year, but I'm glad to be making progress so I can make a dent in my rather large lip balm collection. I'll definitely continue to finish this up hopefully in the early part of next year.

2- Smashbox Eyeshadow Primer (Cruelty Free)

I'm not surprised that this product is barely showing any progress. One of the reasons I've loved this primer for so long is that a little bit does the job. Last month the product was in line with the words 'PHOTO FINISH' and I'm now up to 'SHADOW PRIMER', so its definitely moving but not very quickly. I think its a very slim chance of my finishing this before the end of my project, but a lot of air bubbles come out every time I use it, so by some miracle I may still do it. I'm not too discouraged because I do completely love this primer, but I picked up a Wet'n'Wild primer in the Black Friday sales and I really want to start trying it out.

3 - Revolution Fast Base Stick (Cruelty-Free)

I only added this foundation stick during last month's update and I've made such a huge amount of progress on this. I will say that if you want to pick a foundation in your collection to use up quickly, then pick a foundation stick as it seems to be really easy to finish. I think that there is around enough product left for another week's worth of use before its completely gone. I don't dislike this foundation, but I think that the finish of this is too dewy and it breaks down quite quickly on my skin so I'm happy to be whittling down my foundation collections to the ones I love most.

4 & 5 - Collection Contour Kit (Not Cruelty Free) 

So once again I've made progress this month, but not a lot. I wanted to finish the bottom corner of the highlight, so I have now hit my goal on this. But I haven't yet hit the bottom of the bronzer and I'm not sure if I will. I'm definitely in it for the long haul to finish this up, but I do hope to eventually. I am still liking both of the these products and I use them every day so I don't mind too much.

6 - Stila Eyeliner in Starfish (Cruelty Free) 

I still can't tell how much progress I've made on this because I can't roll it back down if I roll it up. I have used this quite a bit and I think I've had to roll it up further 2 or 3 times which is good. But this eyeliner has a lot of glitter in it and I don't like it, whether or not I finish it, it is going in the bin at the end of this year.

7 - Ted Baker Nude Lipstick (Not Cruelty Free)

I've finally done it, I finished up the last of this lipstick just this week and I'm so happy. I fucking hate this lipstick, the shade is not good for me and never has been. The only way I've managed to use it is by layering over darker colours or wearing it under a gloss. I'm glad I did use this as it did show me how I can make a product I don't like work for me, but it was a bit of a fuss. I've now picked up another nude from Colourpop that suits me much better.

8 - Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake (Not Cruelty Free)

I've made pretty good progress on this lipstick too, I think I've used about half of what is left. Most of the progress has probably been in the last week as I've been wearing cool toned eye looks, which this lipstick pairs well with. I think I should be able to finish this by the end of the year, I will definitely focusing on this one more now I've finished the Ted Baker lipstick.

9 - Essence Lip Liner in Wish Me A Rose (Cruelty Free)

So I'm definitely not going to finish this lip liner by the end of the year, I've only sharpened this once in the last month. I'm hoping now that I'm using my lip butter more often I will also be using this more too. Although I'm not going to finish this yet I want to make a little more progress because my lip liner collection is something I need to work on.

Is there anything your looking to finish by the end of the year?

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