Our Favourite Beauty Blogs of 2014

Just cant get over how fast the year 2014 has gone by, it feels like just yesterday we were counting down the last seconds for the start of 2014 and anticipating those all amazing fireworks. Well a year on and now we're at another new years eve, so prepare for 2015 which is hopefully a great year for everyone! 2014 has been a pretty good year which many highlights, one of them being the beginning of our blog. I love reading a good beauty blog to start off my day usually whilst I'm having my breakfast so we thought we would end the year by looking back at some of our favourite beauty blogs - ones which have stood out to us and and pretty much been an inspiration to us.

Top beauty blogs
Having just come across the concept of blogging a few years ago, there were many blogs which gave us the inspiration and motivation start our very own, particularly beauty blogs - yep we love all things beauty as you can probably tell, so here are our top beauty blogs we have been loving this year:

Viviannadoesmakeup - I am huge fan of her beauty blog as well as her youtube channel. From her beauty reviews to her weekend posts - she has it all written down on point and pretty much covered. Her sense of humour and style of writing just keeps me reading on and on - definitely a blog you should add to your bloglovin' list.

Amelia liana - Another one of my favourite youtube beauty gurus, who also happens to have a seriously amazing and beautiful blog. She knows her beauty stuff, trust me! Whenever I'm stuck on purchasing a product, this is the blog I turn to. Also her budget buys are ones you can't miss!

The sunday girl - I've only quite recently come across her blog but I instantly became hooked on to it.  I love her honest and thorough reviews and posts on amazing new releases which make you want to go out and buy every new product!

Gh0st parties - From her amazing crisp clear pictures to her amazing blog content, this blog is one to read. Not only do you get your dose of beauty posts but also home and food which I love to read for a change.

Essie button - Probably one of the most colourful blogs of the list, essie button who also is on youtube, always has a beautiful post which gets me excited every time. Firstly her blog layout itself is just so bright and fun which expresses her personality perfectly. Also her lifestyle posts keep me wanting to read more!

Couture girl - Another enjoyable blog which is never a bore to read. I love her motivation and style of writing which has me visiting her blog for a regular dose of beauty.

There are so much more which I'm sure I've missed out but the list would be never-ending! However these have been the ones which have particularly stood out to us. Be sure to leave some of your favourite blog suggestions down below as we love to discover new blog reads!

Hope you all have a happy new year x

The 'Woke-Up-Late' makeup....

There have been one too many cases where we have woken up far too late for Uni, work or for other occasions, which very often leaves us rushing out the door which just seconds to spare. Now I'm sure alot of you guys have also been in this situation and you know exactly what I'm talking about! As much as we love taking our time doing our makeup, sometimes you just gotta skip some steps and go for the easiest products - whip it on and out the house we go! So we thought we would give a quick run down on products we use for those really rushed mornings.

I don't usually wear foundation on a daily basis but if you're in a rush and you can squeeze in some time then I would suggest going for a base that glides on and blends in easily because trust me it saves a lot of time. Sometimes we like to use The body shop all-in-one BB cream as a natural base for the day time, which blends in easily and matches our skin tone perfectly. I like to use my fingers to blend in the product which gives a lovely finish.

Next on to the brows, which is a must-do step for me. I like to use the The Max Factor eyebrow pencil where I do fast strokes to create the illusion of natural hairs - no time for perfect brows when you're late! Then a quick coat of mascara, which is usually the Max Factor false lash effect mascara. I love using this on a daily basis for natural volumised lashes. Next on to the eyeliner which usually involves tightlining with The Rimmel scandal eyes eyeliner pencil. If you're a pro with liquid liner unlike me, you may have time to sneak it in if you're lucky.

Then onto some blush or bronzer to add some life to my cheeks. A very natural blush I like to use is The No7 mineral blush in soft damson, the colour gives that effortless soft look to the cheeks and really helps to liven up the complexion.

Lastly to finish it off, I always need to add a touch of colour to my lips and the one I've been using a lot lately is the Revlon balm stain in the colour crush. This is a lip crayon which is so easy to apply - almost like a highly pigmented lip balm which is in a beautiful plum colour. Seems like a lot in so little time, but its possible I promise!

Let us know your woke-up-late makeup routine...

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

The Mascara That Never Fails To Impress

Now I'm sure you all agree that mascara preference is a very personal thing and we all have that one favourite that just ticks all the boxes. For us, its got to be the Max factor false lash effect mascara, the queen of drugstore mascara's! Its actually quite scary the amount of times we've repurchased this product - Ive already lost count!

The first time we used this mascara, it became clear why a lot of people are head-over heels over this product - it is seriously amazing stuff. As you can tell the brush does look quite chunky at first but trust me on this one, it works. I find the brush is perfect for really reaching down to the roots of all the lashes to give that 'fuller' effect. This mascara adds tonnes of volume to my lashes, wish is exactly what I need seeing as they are rather sparse. The best part is that it still leaves my them looking so natural and effortless, rather than spidery clumpy lashes, which is definitely and no-no.

We both absolutely love using this product on a daily basis - I like to apply one or two coats to give a very natural everyday look, although if I'm after a more dramatic look I like to apply a few more coats and I find this mascara really buildable to give thicker and more volumised lashes. So if you're after an affordable drugstore mascara, then I would definitely recommend this one!

£10.99 (available at Boots)

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadows...

It was one of those days at drugstore and these eyeshadows caught my eye straight away. We've always been on the hunt for a good cream eyeshadow but never seem to pick one up, its always the safer powder option we go for, but now I thought it was time to go out the comfort zone a little bit and try something different.

Bronze

Copper

Whats unique about these cream eyeshade is the texture -weird but brilliant. Its definitely different to the usual cream eyeshadows on the market, with an almost mousse like consistency. The product is so light to touch which makes it so easy to swipe and blend on to the lids. You could literally wear one of these shades on it's own, giving you that put-in-alot-of-effort eyeshadow look. Also whats great about these eyeshadows is that you can easily layer it up depending on the amount of pigmentation you're after. Sometimes I like to just dab a little on the centre of the lids to just add that touch of shimmer, making the eyes look brighter.

Impressed already? Then the colours will probably impress more, because there are stunning shades to choose from, all giving a metallic finish. We picked up the shades copper and bronze which are very wearable for anyone. Now they are super shimmery so I tend not to use it for a daily basis, but for a evening out or special occasions, these bad boys are definitely ones to reach out for.

£7.99 (available at Boots)

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

a

Products We've Been Wearing This Autumn

Its clear that Winter has made its entrance and its officially time to bid Autumn farewell. (Sad times)... Autumn is the season where you can really experiment and go all out with beautiful bold, dark colours. Its what makes Autumn that extra bit special and one of the reasons why its my favourite time of the year. We thought we would dedicate this post to reminisce a few of our favourite beauty products we had been reaching out for the most, throughout the Autumn season.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation -  We have been reaching for this foundation ALOT this Autumn. There was a period of time where I sort of stopped using it or forgotten about it, but recently I have fallen back in love with this foundation and its had me wondering why I neglected it so much. I find this so moisturising and not drying on the skin, which is perfect for the colder months. Also the dewy finish it gives, really gives that illuminating effect which helps brighten up the complexion especially on this days where the weather can often make your skin look pretty dull.

Givenchy Blush -  This product has been a recent discovery and the colour of this blush is just perfection! I love the fact that it has four shades which your can mix together to give a beautiful colour or even use individually. The colours are very purply/pinky toned which are perfect for Autumn.

Body Shop Honey Bronzer-  Now this bronzer is beautiful inside and out, from packing to the actual product. This has been so handy for the Autumn season, to give more life and dimension to our makeup. It is the perfect shade for us and it applies great on to the skin. We mentioned this product in one of our previous posts all about bronzers, so you can read more about it here.

Barry M Lipstick-  Now this lipstick shade has got Autumn written all over it! (not literally off course) The colour did seem quite scary at first, however once we actually used it on our lips, we were instantly converted. It appears more maroon with a hint of purple which is not normally what I would go for, but for some reason this lipstick has won me over. The formula is vey matt and lasts pretty long. Although I find it a little drying on my lips at times, therefore I like to use a lip balm underneath before applying it.

So those are pretty much the main products that have stood out for us during Autumn, but now that we have come on to Winter, I'm sure we'll have some new favourites for this season! 

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Our 'Go To' Concealer

Shopping for the right concealer can often be a pretty hard task if you ask me as there are so many formulas to look out for and the right colour match is essential, especially for under the eyes as they can sometimes end up looking grey and ashy.

Having tried several drugstore concealers, we've seemed to have stuck by and always come back to the trusty Garnier 2 in 1 tinted eye roll on. This concealer is just faultless in our eyes, hence why we can't get enough of it.

The consistency of this concealer is light weight yet still provides reasonable amount of coverage. For those who are after more heavy duty coverage, then I probably wouldn't recommend this particular one as it provides more light to medium coverage. However it may be a good option to use it alongside another concealer for that extra bit of concealing.

I personally love the amount of coverage this concealer provides and find it perfect for use on an everyday basis, giving a natural light finish which is so easy to blend in with the fingers or a brush.

The metal roller ball applicator is so convenient and soothing under the eyes, it makes applying concealer almost comforting in a way - weird I know, but you gotta try it to believe it! Also it contains caffeine which is an added bonus, to help reduce puffy eye bags and awaken tired eyes, especially on those really early mornings when your eyes are fighting to stay open. 

All in all this product gives beautiful seamless results which is perfect for use on a daily basis.

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Top 3 Face Brushes...

We have been away from the blog for quite a while, which is all due to to starting university, new jobs which definitely makes life a whole lot busier but we're back with a new post so hope you enjoy it.

Now I'm sure a lot of you will agree that you can never own too many makeup brushes, even though you may own ten different brushes for the face alone, you just seem to want more! We simply believe the key to good makeup is the brushes, so they are definitely a necessity in this case. For todays post we thought we would narrow it down to just three brushes, (yes just three, I know) which was hard to pick but we somehow managed to sit down and decide on our all around favourite face brushes. So if you're on the lookout for a good brush to add to your collection, one of these just might make the cut.

Elizabeth arden cheek brush
Of all the brushes, this is definitely one of prettiest looking ones, so yes it will look very nice sitting on top of that vanity, however looks aside, lets move onto the more important side of things. I can honestly say this is probably the softest brush we own, this is perfect for applying blusher onto the cheeks as it always seems to distribute the right amount of product but most of the time I like to use it to powder all over my face as it is so soft and fluffy, which feels almost very comforting and soothing on the skin - I could pretty much sit their swirling this brush around my face simply because it is just so soft!

Real techniques buffing brush
How could we not include a real techniques brush to the ranks, it just wouldn't be possible. This is a very multi-tasking brush, the ones which do the 'base-cheeks-powder' type of brush. As you can probably tell from the foundation stains, we love to use this to apply our base as it gives such a lovely effortless finish. There really is no hassle with this brush, as its so easy to buff foundation on to the skin.

Sedona lace FB-03 brush
This brush is definitely the most unique looking of them all, with its tulip shape which we find to be perfect to achieve those perfectly sculpted cheekbones. I love contouring with this brush as the shape of the bristles just makes it so much easier, as it fits perfectly in the hollows of the cheeks to create a beautiful naturally contoured look.

So these are our top three face brushes all rounded up! Tell us what some of your favourite brushes are!

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Beautiful Eyeshadow Monos From L'Oreal

L'Oreal have seriously impressed us with their latest colour riche mono eyeshadows and I'm sure a lot of you will agree. The formula of these eyeshadows is so unique as its almost like a pigment in pressed powder form. At first thought you may think, oh gosh, its going to involve a lot of fallout, but  surprisingly they had no fall out what so ever. They had stay put throughout the whole day and they are super pigmented.

What we loved the most about these is the texture, as they are so creamy and easy to apply. Using fingers is a great option as the colour appears really nice and intense on the lids, however using a brush also works fine to give a more softer less intense eye look. Also what I love is the packaging as its very compact which is handy for travelling.

The colour we picked up was Nude 205 which is a beautiful metallic gold shade. This looks so pretty all over the lids or sometimes we like to use it as a highlighter in the inner corner of the eyes to brighten up the look. Overall these eyeshadows have clearly won us over as they are highly pigmented, budge-proof, with a dreamy formula - what more do you need? We definitely need to pick up more of the other beautiful shades!

These eyeshadows are only £5.49 at Boots.

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Graduation Day!

This week I thought I would take over the blog as it was my graduation day this week, which was a memorable day for me and we thought we would share some memories with you guys. I am a little nervous about this post as we don't usually share much of our personal life on the blog, but hopefully you guys enjoy reading this post!

It was so nice seeing all my friends in their classic gowns and caps, finally graduating from university. It made realise that I made it, three years of university done and now time to go into the world of work.

Fortunately for us the weather was lovely and not the usual gloomy weather like it had been the past few days, which made the photos turn out pretty good. My outfit was very simple and monochrome which I felt went nicely with my gown. Although the hats were pretty uncomfortable, and the gown was almost sliding off my shoulder every second, I managed to get across the stage successfully without tripping, phew! Overall  it turned out to be a very nice day which was shared with family and friends!

Outfit:

Top: New look

Skirt: H and M

Shoes: Clarks

Accessories:

Watch: Michael Kors

Necklace: Next

Bracelets: New look

Nails: Elizabeth Arden - Candy apple

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Drugstore Dupe: Mac Ruby Woo vs Rimmel Kate Moss Kiss Of Life

Im sure we all have those 'splash-the-cash-out' moments, where we invest in a rather overpriced beauty product which seems like a necessity in our makeup collection. Well we all need a treat now and then, hands up if you agree! However whats even better is finding an alternative which is practically identical but doesn't break the bank, that way its an all round pleaser.

So we decided to start a little series on our blog dedicated to drugstore dupes, so keep an eye out on the blog for more drugstore alternatives! Kicking it off this week is the Mac ruby woo lipstick and the Rimmel Kate moss kiss of life lipstick. Both of these lipsticks are bold bright red shades which are completely matt.

Top: Mac rubywoo  Bottom: Rimmel Kate moss kiss of life

The Mac ruby woo shade is slightly more matt than the Rimmel one, so I'm talking about super matt here! We are huge fans of matt lipsticks as they are so wearable for everyday. This gives an almost velvety texture to the lips and the staying power is pretty impressive seeing as it didn't budge even whilst stuffing ourselves at a birthday party the other day!

Now for the drugstore alternative, the Rimmel Kate moss in the kiss of life, is surprisingly more moisturising than the Mac lipstick. I did find the Mac one slightly drying at times but not this one, it applied smoothly on my lips without no fuss. It is slightly more sheeny in comparison to the Mac one but the shades are pretty much the same. Overall we were very happy indeed with this purchase as it was only £5.49 in comparison to the Mac which is £15.00.

Let us know if you've tried any of these and what you thought! :)

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Bring on the bronzers

Sadly the time has come to wave goodbye to the summer and welcome the autumn season. Not saying I dislike autumn, its actually one of my favourite times of the year. Now we all know how everyone loves a good tan in the summer and that beautiful natural summer glow, but times when the weather is not looking so great, its up to our good old bronzers to inject some colour and life into our complexion. So here are three drugstore/highstreet bronzers that we have tried and tested, which have very much impressed us so far.

Maybelline triple bronzing powder

I love how this product has two bronzing shades, a darker and lighter shade which I like to mix together sometimes to give a nice even glow. Also at times I like to use the darker shade as a contour, which i find works perfectly! The highlighter is very subtle and whilst not being one of my favourite highlighters, I find it very wearable for everyday. All-in-all I find this product to be very easy to pickup and just swirl around to give a lovely hint of colour with a little bit of added glow all in one go (that rhymed!) Very good for those days where you have just minutes to get out the door and need to complete bronzer and highlighter in one step.

The body shop honey bronzer

Now you may have seen this product before in our recent haul which you can read about here. Having used this product multiple times now, I can firmly say this is my favourite bronzer at the moment. I find it is the perfect shade for me and and it isn't too orangey or red toned. Also it is completely matt which is a bonus as we are both not a huge fan of shimmer. Packaging wise, I am completely won over by the beehive pattern and the sleek brown exterior as it feels so luxurious for a drugstore product. It also has a mirror which is very handy for travelling. There is literally nothing negative I can say about this bronzer. 

Bourjois delice de poudre bronzing powder

This bronzer is pretty popular amongst the beauty community and now with their new releases of the highlighter and shimmery bronzer, it is no doubt that more and more people will be drawn in to this product. One thing that will draw you in for sure, is the smell, which is just genius. It actually smells of chocolate! Put aside the fact that it smells almost good enough to eat, the bronzer itself looks great on the skin and again not being too orange toned, I find it works really well with my complexion. Although the body shop honey bronzer is slightly more pigmented, I still find this very subtle for everyday wear. 

Let us know any other drugstore bronzers which are your favourites as we would love to try them out for ourselves! 

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Luminous Lip Gloss

Taking on a bold lip colour has always been quite a challenge for us as it can often take some confidence to rock a full on bold red lip, but recently we've started to brave it out and whip on some pretty daring bright colours which surprisingly we are loving a lot! One particular lip product which has been been sitting in our collection for few months now but being neglected as it had literally been untouched, is finally in the spotlight.

Just a few weeks ago we discovered the beauty of the Elizabeth Arden beautiful colour luminous lip gloss which is too good to ignore. Now as far as lip glosses go, I personally am not a huge fan as most can be quite sheer and pretty sticky however this particular one is more of a lip lacquer, which is wearable on its own or on top of a lipstick - either way it looks really pretty. I find it gives very good coverage without separating on the lip which I find some lip glosses tend to do and not drying which is the highlight of this product.

The colour is in 'red door red' which is a bright pinky toned red which is a very wearable shade. Seeing as this is the mini size, I think we will definitely be picking up the full size when this runs out.

What are your favourite bold lip colours to wear? We would love to know!

Where else to find us: click on the links below:

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Soft Damson

We all have that one staple item in our makeup collection which we seem to purchase over and over again, whether it be a luxury item or not, we simply can not see ourselves without it. Now this is just it, the No7 mineral perfection blusher in soft damson. Omg, this stuff is amazing and some may disagree but we really do love it!

I remember picking this up about 4 years back and every since, this has been one to sit near the top of our best blushes list (Don't worry guys this particular one isn't 4 years old we did repurchase!) Now I know not everyone is a huge fan of loose powders as they can get pretty messy, especially this particular type of packaging, but using this product for years now, it definitely has gotten easier to handle. A good technique is to sprinkle a little of the powder onto the lid and use your brush to swirl it around to pick up the product.

We like to use this especially for everyday makeup, as it is very subtle and not the in-your-face type of blush. The fact that it is a mineral powder, makes it all that more natural looking on the skin, containing very, very tiny hints of glitter, so small you can barely see, which is great for a day to day basis. This specific colour, soft damson, is a soft light pink shade which is so flattering. I find it completes my makeup look perfectly. Its definitely a product we reach for all the time and the great thing is, it lasts so long as you only need a small amount of product each time. 

Retails for £9.00 at Boots (also comes with an incredibly cute brush)

What is your staple item in your makeup collection that you can't see yourself without? Let us know in the comments, we would love to know! xx

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Mini Mac And Body Shop Haul

Yep, we did it again, another haul! We popped into town a few days ago and we simply couldn't resist picking up a few beauty bits which were simply calling out to us (not literally of course!) We didn't go completely crazy and hence why it is a 'mini' haul, so I think we deserve a good pat on the back for holding back the temptation of almost breaking the bank. First we headed to Selfridges which is one of my favourite places to shop for beauty products, and we picked up a lipstick which we're really loving at the moment. You can check out one of our other posts here on a Selfridges beauty event we attended a while back. After a long stop at selfridges, spending hours admiring all the beauty goods, we headed to the body shop and did some 'hauling' over there too! Here are few bits we picked up.

Mac retro matte lipstick- Ruby woo
This particular Mac lipstick is pretty well known I'm sure. The famous ruby woo shade is the perfect red and compliments any skin tone really well. It isn't orangey at all (as we aren't huge fan of orange toned lipsticks) but a nice deep matt red colour which is a classic beauty essential to own. I spotted this particular colour on my cousin a few weeks go and once she told me it was ruby woo, I just knew I had to have it!

Body shop all-in-one BB cream - 02
We are always on the hunt for a good BB cream which is moisturising, evens out the skin tone and doesn't break you out...I know, we're asking for almost perfection here but theres got to be one out there perfect for our skin right? One of favourites has to be the Garnier BB cream which I find pretty moisturising, however we've recently heard a lot about this body shop all in one BB cream and thought we would give it a try. The women in the shop was so nice and kindly got it matched to our skin tone which was brilliant. I can't wait to give this a trial run.

Body shop all-in-one cheek colour - Guava
Luckily for us there was a 3 for 2 offer in body shop, happy days! So that means more beauty shopping for us. As we were roaming around looking at the wonderful goodies that body shop had to offer, I randomly tested a little of this blush onto my skin and really loved the colour of it so I thought why not!

Body shop honey bronzer - 04
Now the best till last, the body shop honey bronzer. We have been itching to get our hands on this for ages ever since we've heard essiebutton raving about this! First of all lets just take a moment and appreciate the beautiful packaging and the honey comb pattern inside, I just love it! I believe there are four shades to choose from, so you can pick up one suiting your preference. Hopefully we will have a review of this product soon on the blog so keep your eyes peeled!

So thats it for our haul, we hope you guys enjoyed reading it and we would love to know what you guys liked from this haul. Let us know in the comments! xx

Where else to find us: click on the links below

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram