The Fab Five - Red Lips

I've been really into lip products for the longest time and there's nothing more classic than a nice red lip. There's that many options available these days that it can get a little over whelming, so I've rounded up a list of my top red-lip-picks for you in the hopes it makes the search a little easier.

1. I would probably say my go-to red lip for an evening out would be the the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade "Dragon Girl". I've loved the Velvet Matte range from Nars for a while now and I've had a few different reds from the line that I've loved but I think Dragon Girl just suits my complexion the best. It's a bright, slightly blue-based red that's almost bordering between a red and pink and it's a powdery matte finish that's super long wearing. The one downside is that, with it being so powdery, it will cling to dry patches on your lips and it's not the most comfortable option.

2. For the vampy lip lovers, I'm mad for "Rock Steady". It's one of the cream finish lipsticks from Urban Decay's VICE Lipstick launch and it's a gorgeous, slightly blue-based, dark red. If you apply this full whack it's very much a statement lip but if you apply it sheerly (maybe mixed in with a little lip balm) it has a lot of purple in it. A stunning multi-tasker and it's super comfortable with the bold, creamy finish. The only thing I would say is it can get a little messy if you aren't careful, the creamy finish can move a little and with the colour being so bold it's very noticeable.

3. A more day-time appropriate option would be M.A.C Lustre Lipstick in the shade "Lady Bug". I've had this one for ages and I always go back to it. It's a lovely, bright, true red but with it being the lustre finish, it's nicely sheer and glossy (which I think makes it a more wearable red). With it being a glossy finish it does require some touching up throughout the wear but it's very comfortable to wear.

4. My affordable option will come as no surprise: the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in the shade "Hot Pepper". It's a matte, bright, orangey red. This one can require a little building up on the lips as it can apply a tad sheer on the first application but once you've got it in place it's not going anywhere. Again, with it being matte it's not very forgiving on dry patches but it's not as powdery as the Nars option.

5. And finally? I absolutely love my Chanel Rouge Allure in "97 0 Incandescente". It's actually very similar in shade to the Bourjoir option, a bright, orangey red but this one is a lovely opaque creamy finish. I think the creamy finish makes it appropriate during the day but it's a lovely option for evening wear too, very comfortable but might require a couple of touch ups.

Why I've Been Gone (Again... Oops?)

Where have I been I can maybe hear you asking, or maybe not, I'm not so good at this posting regularly thing these days. That said, for those who may be interested in my ever present list of excuses, let me get you up to speed, because there's been some pretty big developments.

To kick things off, I changed jobs (long overdue). I'd been working on a team full of amazing people doing a job I absolutely despised and it was crushing my happiness and my creativity in one fail swoop. I'm still office based but I have a lot more room for free thinking and there's a lot more room for progression with the new company and I've been feeling much better for it. All in all it's been a really worth while switch and if there's any job-haters out there I can't stress to you enough how much a change in the employment arena can be a game changer for your happiness.

I also moved out of my parents house. My partner and I made the decision to move in together, fell in love with the first place we viewed and were handed a set of keys two weeks later, so naturally there was some supermarket-sweep-esque home-ware shopping during the settling in process. Since then I've been making slow progress acclimatising to maintaining a home (all you working women with 3 kids, a blossoming social life and immaculate homes, I salute you), and I'm finally in a place where I can start to try to make time for blogging again.

Of course, now I have my own(ish) home I'm excited to share a little more of my world with you guys and I'm (hopefully) going to be able to start posting again (semi)-regularly.

My Updated Cleanser Collection - Part One - Makeup Removers

I think we all know by now that I'm a bit of a skincare fanatic so, when it came to going through my cleanser collection, I figured it was going to be a bit of a monster post. I've decided to break down my collection into two separate posts to make it a tiny bit more manageable. Round one? Cleansers that I primarily use for makeup removal.

There's one product in this category that I need not linger on: the Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil. If you haven't heard me hap on about this before it's a beautiful, affordable oil cleanser that removes makeup effectively without stripping the skin of any moisture and the citrus scent is heavenly. My one gripe with this product is the non-pump based packaging but the formula is lovely.

The newest addition to my cleansing wardrobe is Sonya Dakars Eye Wash. I'm fairly certain this is one of the products that came in the Caroline Hirons' Cleansing Box that I picked up from Cult Beauty because it isn't something I'd normally pick out for myself and, if I'm honest with myself, I find this one a bit of a faff to use. I'm a double cleanser anyway and so a separate eye makeup removal stage for me seems unnecessary. The cleanser is good quality and removes makeup effectively, it's just not something I personally reach for all the time.

Recently I've really been enjoying the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. It's taken me way too long to get around to trying this but it's a really effective makeup remover. If you like your skincare to be a sensory experience you may want to steer clear of this one because it's completely unscented, but for this reason it will be amazing for people with especially sensitive skins. It's not the most exciting cleanser I've ever used but it gets the job done really well.

My favourite cleanser for short term traveling are the Olay Daily Facial in a Box. These are loose, dry cleansing cloths that you add water to and they foam up to remove makeup. I think these are a brilliant alternative to traditional cleansing wipes as they are all the convenience of a wipe but they don't contain any alcohol so they're not harsh on the skin. They come in boxes of 30 and as they are separate, single use cloths they take up no room at all in an overnight bag. They come in a few different textures but I like the ones that are marketed towards sensitive skins. The only thing I would mention is that, with them being a foam cleanser, I don't tend to use them for more than one night as they can get a little drying on the skin, but they don't contain SLS.

For longer traveling trips (2 nights+) I tend to pack MV Organics Pure Jojoba Oil. THis can be used for all kinds of things but I like it for makeup removal and since it's only a small 35ml container it's super convenient for traveling. With it being an oil it removes makeup quickly and isn't at all moisture zapping (are we noticing a trend yet?) and with it being just pure jojoba oil it's not heavily scented so, again, great for sensitive skins.

My least used makeup remover is the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm. I think this is a really nice cleanser, the scent is lovely but not over-powering and it removes makeup quickly. However I don't rech for it too often because I find it a little heavy for my normal/combination skin, it's full of super moisutrising ingredients and I can imagine drier skin types would love this cleanser but I tend to save it for the rare occasions where dry patches show up.

And finally? RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream. I'm not sure why I don't use this more often than I do because it's absolutely dreamy. The scent is beautiful and it's feels lovely on the skin (again, another fab makeup remover). My one complaint about this one is that it's so sensitive to temperature that you simply couldn't use it anywhere that's warm. I live in England and we're not known for our hot weather but in summer this cleanser has been known to completely liquidise in the pot in my bathroom.

2016 Beauty Discoveries

So 2016 definitely wasn't my best year for blogging, but I thought this would be a great time to mention a few products I found in 2016 that I loved, that may not have gotten the blogging attention they deserved. I obviously loved more products than just the four I'll be mentioning today but these are the new-comers to my stash that really stood out.

1. Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser. So 2016 was the year in which I was introduced to Tata Harpers products, and narrowing down a top pick from her cleansing range wasn't easy, (I also have the Purifying and Oil Cleansers and they're both FAB options too). I decided to go with the Regenerating one for a couple of reasons: firstly, it got me back into manual exfoliation. Second? It's unlike other things I have. While I love the Oil Cleanser, we all know I love a bit of Una Brennan for oil cleansing. Equally, I really enjoy the Purifying Cleanser, but it's not leaps and bounds away from the Oskia Cleansing Gel that I've been using for years. The Regenerating Cleanser is a thin cream cleanser with little sand-like grains (no plastic beads) that provide a light exfoliation during your cleanse. I use this either AM or second cleanse in PM. Bonus points for the scent.

2. Pixi Rose Oil. This is just genius. Now I will never be caught bad mouthing the MV Organics Rose+ Booster, but if there's ever going to be anything that comes close to rivalling that product, for texture, for how it leaves the skin looking and feeling, for scent, it's Pixi Rose Oil. It's mind-boggling how they've managed to make an oil that is so lovely for such a good price. It's £26. just go buy it. Your skin will thank you.

3. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. Let me go on record for saying: liquid eyeliner was once the absolute bane of my makeup existence. I found it difficult to apply, and once I did apply it I found that it never really lasted well on me, that it faded or smudged. This eyeliner pen is so user-friendly because of it's flexible felt nib and the ink inside the pen is super black, doesn't fade and it's very water resistant (and I'm a contact lens wearer so trust me I have tested that claim). It's not the cheapest liquid liner out there but it's also not half the price of the Tom Ford one, so I'd say I'm on to a winner.

4. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in "Ex-Girlfriend". So do we remember the series of posts around this time last year where I went a little loopy for the Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay collection? I did go back, I did buy the lipstick in "Ex-Girlfriend" and I have worn that shade at least once a week since. It's just such a good nude for paler people. It's nicely sheer and a little deeper than my skin-tone and has a lovely, wearably glossy finish. Goes with everything, super comfortable, thank you Urban Decay.

The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar - Round 2

Just a quick post today to remind my readers that the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar launches today!

(Photo included is last years calendar - this year's wont be delivered in time for photos sadly)

I did a range of posts on the contents of last year's calendar and I loved it. This years version is a little more expensive (£35, as opposed to last year's £25) and the same catch applies from last year (you need to spend £35 on other products in the clothing/beauty range to be able to purchase the calendar). Even with the slight price increase I still think that this is an absolute steal when you look at what you get.

If you're wanting this calendar I'd move quickly to avoid disappointment, as I'm confident that last year they'd sold out online by lunchtime. here's a link for you:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/the-ultimate-beauty-advent-calendar/p/P22488891?intid=CORP_Beautyadventcalendar_SubCategory_9129262_LP_hero_static_1_txt

People who like surprises may want to stop reading here as this is just a list of what the calendar contains:


1. Leighton Denny Expert Nails Mini Crystal Nail File

2. Look Good Feel Better Mini Powder Brush

3. Alpha-H Liquid Gold 50ml

4. Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Black 1.2g

5. Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm 30ml

6. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml

7. Shay & Blue Atropa Belladonna Natural Spray Fragrance 10ml
8. Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil 28ml

9. Ultrasun Face 30 SPF 25ml

10. Pür Correcting Primer Prep & Perfect 10ml

11. Filorga Time-Filler 15ml

12. Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E Peppermint 4.25g

13. Pixi Brow Tamer 4.5ml

14. Neal's Yard Remedies Be Lovely Hand Cream 50ml

15. Rodial Super Acid X-treme Acid Rush Peel 20ml

16. Nails Inc Gel One Coat Nail Polish - Piccadilly Court 10ml
17. Rosie for Autograph Lip glossy - Supermodel Smile

18. Rituals - The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream 70ml

19. Autograph All-in-one Nail Colour - Cranberry 11ml

20. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm 15ml

21. REN Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream 15ml

22. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® 30ml

23. Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream 5ml/0.169oz

24. Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream 15ml

25. Studio 10 Miracle Effect Priming Serum 5ml

Scent-sational Spaces

I mentioned the Next White Jasmine Reed Diffuser in a pre-hiatus favourites post and reading back over that post got me thinking about all the other space-scenting products that I love. I'm not the best at describing scents so prep yourself for some out-there wording here but I thought I'd let you in on what's been going on around here.

So Yankee Candle are a brand that I've loved for years, they were the brand that sparked my interest in candles and while I generally go for other things these days, there's still a few scents that tickle my nostrils fancies. I'll get the Christmas limited editions out of the way: Christmas Cookie is a very sweet, sugary vanilla scent that I absolutely love, it's really warming and is generally one I crack out when it's a little colder outside. I also love Candy Cane Lane which is a minty one (again, limited for Christmas) and this is a super easy scent to describe because it smells exactly like TicTac mints.

For Yankee's non-limited stuff I love all the "clean" scents: Fluffy Towels is my favourite (it smells like fabric softener) but Clean Cotton is very similar. My favourite Yankee products right now are the Ultimate Car Jars, I have a Clean Cotton Car Jar waiting for my current air freshener to die and Midsummers Night is the scent I currently have in there which basically smells like a nice men's aftershave.

Speaking of car scents that smell like mens aftershave: Rituals Patchouli Car Perfume is probably my favourite scent - I like to have this on the go at the same time as the Yankee Midsummers Night. For those who like something a little more feminine the Cherry Blossom scent is really nice as well, really subtle. I also have a couple of the Rituals Candles, The Hammam Secret is a very spa-like, subtle scent and the Sweet Sunrise is a very sweet, uplighting option.

Diptique's Tubereuse scent is one of my favourites and while I don't have it in my current line up it's one I'll go back to. The candles burn really nicely or, if you're wanting the scent to spread quickly, the Room Sprays are a great. They're definitely not one for those on a budget but they're really nice. Another scent I can't get enough of is the Laura Mercier Ambré Vanillé scent. I was absolutely gutted when they discontinued the candles and stocked up but once I run out I may have to resort to using the perfume in the range as room spray *insert crying emoji here*.

Thoughts on Schedules and Feeling Uninspired

As some of you may have noticed, I've been more than a little MIA recently, and it's not the first time this year that I've taken a break from blogging. I hate having to step away from the keyboard for any length of time but as any regular readers will also know: blogging is a hobby for me, not a job. I work full time and blogging has been an outlet for creativity for me and, lately, the creativity pool has been drying up.

When I first started getting regular readers on the blog it filled me with excitement and I knew that to keep people reading I had to create content regularly. So I made schedules and spent hours every week perfecting photographs and trying to come up with post ideas, spending small fortunes on product for posts to fill my 3-posts-a-week quota.

The truth is, that method was never going to be sustainable, and my content was suffering.

As I write this post I really want to pick up blogging again, but I know I can't go back to 2-3 posts a week. So this post is essentially my call to my readers: I'm back, I'm blogging again but there's no schedules this time. I will post as and when I have things I'm excited to talk to you about and I'll be tackling blogging from a quality over quantity perspective from now on.

I hope you understand why I'm making this decision and I hope you'll stick with me.

In the mean time, if there's anything you'd like to hear about please let me know :)