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Posted on 4th May 2016

Everyday Makeup Essentials

Hello lovelies! In this post I will be showing you all my favourite everyday makeup essentials. As suggested by the name this is the make up I wear on a daily basis, meaning that it is good value for money, long lasting, and meant for a natural look.

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I will be posting these items in the order in which I use them, and writing a short overview on how I use them and why I keep returning for more when I run out.

  1. Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer

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I have only recently started using this primer and I am so happy with it, especially considering that it is only £5! It does exactly what it says on the label: it lasts all day and ensures that the rest of my makeup stays in place. I choose to use primer everyday because it ensures that my skin looks smooth and it therefore allows my foundation to do it’s job and to make my skin look flawless! I was previously using Benefit’s POREfessional primer balm, which admittedly I much prefer as I feel like this is slightly more effective – but at a whopping £24.50 I couldn’t justify buying this again when I ran out last month, I am just too poor 🙁

 

2. Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

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As you can see, this concealer is running very low and I am definitely due to buy some more, which scares me a little as it’s £17.50 EEK but it DOES go a long way, if that’s any reassurance. I got the shade 01 Light because I’m looking a bit pale nowadays (definitely in need of a holiday). I use this product for my under eyes to hide my scary dark circles, and it works better than any other product I’ve ever bought for this purpose.

 

3. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation

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I use this item when I am breaking out (a daily essential for me at the moment because my skin has been a total nightmare… Bloody University). This might seem a bit strange but I only use this product as a light concealer. It’s not too heavy duty and therefore doesn’t just add another layer to my already inflamed spots, which is very important.

 

4. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hour Foundation with Comfort Serum

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I have always used Rimmel London for foundation – something which I am tempted to come away from in an attempt to be more animal cruelty conscious. So if you have any recommendations for animal friendly foundations which don’t cost the world and still provide great coverage, I’m all ears! Having said that, this foundation is absolutely great! It lasts all day long, even when I’m sitting at the library and touching my face constantly, oops.

 

5. Benefit Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine Mattifier

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This powder is awesome! I realise that this is a tester, don’t worry! This was one of the many goodies which Katie won for us in an Instagram competition, as well as a years supply of Krispy Kreme doughnuts … MmmmMMmmmMmm. This powder has a handy mini-brush inside, which is great for dabbing on problem shine areas. I have combination skin so I only ever use this on my T-Zone, and it stops me from getting ridiculously shiny by the end of the day. Unfortunately I’m running low on this one too so I’ll have to invest in some more very soon!

 

6. Eylure Brow Pencil 

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I have never thought to use this brand before, simply because I have never come across it. But one day before going to the gym with Dan my Anastasia Beverly Hills brow whiz pencil broke AHHHHH so we had to make an emergency trip to Tesco (yes I am that bratty). I’m really picky when it comes to brow pencil because I find that most blonde pencils come out looking quite ginger/brown. Knowing this, I asked one of the lovely assistants at the beauty counter which she would recommend, and this was what she came up with! Due to my emergency I was ready to pay any price, but this was amazing at only £5.45. SOLD! & amazingly, this is almost as good quality as ABH. I will definitely be buying this when money is tight.

 

7. Rimmel London Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner 

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This product is an absolute GODSEND. I have done a thorough review and how-to on this product here – this will provide you with the tools on how to wing your eyeliner like me!

 

8. Benefit BADgal Waterproof Mascara

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Another cheeky little item from the Benefit win (thank youuu Katie!). I used to always use Rimmel once again for mascara but this has totally converted me. When this runs out, which will unfortunately be fairly soon, I’m going to give the Benefit Roller Lash mascara a go because I have heard MANY good things!

 

9. Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub

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I love this product ever so much. It makes my lips feel so soft and sumptuous and totally primes me for any lipsticks which I want to wear. It also helps that this lip scrub tastes AMAZING. I used to have the cola flavoured one and tried this one on a whim, but in fact I much prefer this one. Yummyyyy.

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These are a few of my faaaaavourite things. I hope you enjoyed reading this and that I’ve given you a few new beauty products to try out!

Do you have any questions about my morning routine? Have anything to say about the products I use? Can you recommend me some of the great products you reach for? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think – I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 29th April 2016

Colour Run Lincoln 2016: Why I’m Glad I Tried Something New

Hey everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great week despite the freak British weather. We’ve had rain, sun, snow and sleet… What is going on?!

This post is a bit different from my usual, but I just HAD to write about my amazing experience at the colour run last weekend! In this post I will be showing you millions of photos and going through what you can expect from a colour run, and why you should take a big step out of your comfort zone and give it a try!

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When we booked our tickets for the Colour Run, I didn’t really know what to expect; but one thing which we could all agree on was that we would take part for fun, and probably not run the entire thing. After all, I hadn’t run competitively before and I was concerned about injuring myself. Although 5k probably isn’t very far to most people; I absolutely LOATHE running, purely because I’ve never been very good at it. I always try to stay in shape and healthy because of my PCOS in order to keep on top of my weight, you can find more information on this condition on my previous posts, here and here.

If I’m honest, we totally forgot about the Colour Run up until the week before: I blame this on dissertation stress! So naturally we hadn’t trained AT ALL. The closest thing I did to training was that I managed staying on the bike at the gym for 30 minutes; a new personal best for me. But I didn’t do this with The Colour Run in mind admittedly. But regardless of our lack of preparation, the day finally came and we were all really excited to get messy!

Selfie Pre-Run WingitwithJade.com With the purchase of our tickets we received a really nice Colour Run t-shirt and our own running number to wear on the day as modelled on the morning by myself – before being absolutely covered in paint! But thankfully I did manage to get all the paint out and it is like new – so I have a lovely souvenir to remember the day by!

Pssst. I’m wearing my coppery eye shadow look from my Makeup Revolution Flawless Palette!

On the day of the event, we were really worried about the weather as it was forecast to rain randomly throughout the day  and the wind was incredibly cold.

But luckily, although the sun was popping in and out throughout the day, it was warm enough to just take a light jacket and to wear shorts! – I really didn’t want to have to wear my nice gym trousers.

 

Group Selfie Pre-Run WingitwithJade.com

We arrived an hour or so before the event so that we could buy paint and soak up the atmosphere before getting messy!

The only issue I had with The Colour Run was quite a doozy – no locker rooms or bag holding areas were made available. Obviously we wanted to bring our phones, jackets, drinks, and money at a bare minimum. Considering that they were encouraging us to purchase more paint, you’d think that there would be facilities made available for us to store our possessions safely and out of harms way – but apparently not. So we were forced to strap our boyfriend’s up with backpacks. They weren’t all too happy with that, I’ll just say that much. But our argument stood – a handbag would be much harder to run with than a backpack (CURSE YOU WOMEN’S FASHION).

We were waiting for quite a while before the paint party kicked off, but that was because we arrived so early! It was quite chilly but they had a live DJ who kicked off the party and kept us in good spirits.

Crowd Shot Paint Colour Party WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

I can’t quite recall what kicked off the paint party. One minute we were all standing there anticipating the unknown, and the next the air was filled with colours! The atmosphere during the paint party was electric – I completely lost myself to the music and to the wonderful people.

I’m not going to lie, We thoroughly enjoyed covering each other in paint – and other people of course! We were forever catching each other off guard and getting each other’s face – at one point I managed to get it right in Kayne’s ear… Oops! Sorry Kayne! It was so therapeutic after my recent University stresses to just forget about everything and throw my cares to the wind, alongside powdered paint!

The DJs went through a warm up with us, which was pretty hilarious but I probably should have focused on that a bit more than on the paint in hindsight – my legs have been in utter agony all week! Lessons have been learned about the importance of a thorough warm up. 5k really did seem like much less in my mind.

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Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

Aaaand we’re off!! We began at a leisurely pace and remained as a four… for about two minutes until Kayne and Dan decided to go it alone, as we were running far too slowly for them! This wasn’t a problem until me and Katie realised that they had gone running off with our bloody drinks! Ah well, we soldiered on!

Dan Kayne and a Paint Cloud WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

Hahaaa! These photos taken by the professional photographers are amazing. I have had a right chuckle looking through these and seeing how Dan and Kayne got on after abandoning us!

Dan and Kayne getting covered WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

Hahaaaa! You can see these guys got Dan right in the face here. These paint-throwing check points were dotted out throughout the entire 5k course which was wonderful. It really kept you running! They were all shouting motivational things like “you can do it!” and “keep running!” which was fantastic and most definitely needed – especially on the final lap.

Dan and Kayne running WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

I’m really proud of Dan and Kayne! Even with their backpacks, they pushed on and ran the entire thing!!! Unfortunately, my will power is not quite as strong as that and I’ll admit to slowing down to a walking pace a few times.

Katie and Me running WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

I absolutely love this photo of Katie and me, and Dan has snuck into the background as well. This must have been right at the beginning when we were all together – the fact that we’re still smiling gives that away!

Katie and Me getting covered WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

Eeeeesh! They got Katie right in the mouth! I tried to hide myself away from the paint and failed terribly – the only way to run is forward.

Katie and me getting covered  WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinish.com

As I’ve said previously, Katie and I didn’t take the race too seriously and just saw it as a bit of fun. Having said that, we’re both fairly competitive and like to push ourselves so I know that we wanted to try our very best if nothing else.

Dan at the Finish Line Derp  WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

HAHAHA!! The photos of us sprinting to the finish line are HILARIOUS! Dan hasn’t heard the end of it. I’m sorry Dan and I love you but… HAHAHA

Me at the finish line derp WingitwithJade.com

Photos for this event can be found at http://photofinishuk.com

Okay, I’ll stop taking the mickey out of Dan now… this is pretty horrific. But I’m very proud of myself for sprinting to the finish and my goofy face has a good reason behind it! Dan was standing at the finishing line cheering me on and this was me being very happy to see him and the to see the end of the 5k so… Yeah it’s still awful!

Dan and Kayne finished the race in roughly 30 minutes – which is amazing considering their backpacks and their lack of training for it. Katie and I finished in 40 minutes, which is equally impressive given our laid back attitude!

I’m so glad I took part in The Student Colour Run. It was so much fun – even more so than I had imagined – and was a fantastic way to rid ourselves of the academic years stress. It also showed me my potential and what I can do when I put my mind to it. I had no intention of being able to jog or run even half of the race, and the fact that I did has pushed me and reminded me of my level of fitness.

Katie and Me Post Run WingitwithJade.com

Even if you’re not very athletic… In fact, ESPECIALLY if you’re not very athletic, this kind of race is DEFINITELY for you!! It was so chilled out and relaxed on the day and I would have felt more than comfortable to walk the entire distance – there was no pressure to run or to be competitive which was great! Some people were even going it in jeans!

Dan and Me Post Run WingitwithJade.com

At the end of it all, the Student Colour Run was an absolutely fantastic experience and me and Dan are already talking about planning our next one. Just because I am very competitive with myself, I will be planning to beat 40 minutes next time – but if you’re simply focused on finishing – that’s totally cool as well!

You can find out more information about the Student Colour Run here – don’t forget: it’s not exclusively just for students, anyone can join! And there is another site for the big Colour Run, which includes more areas, you can find that here.

Have you tried something new recently which you would like to share? Have you ever been to a Colour Run or have done something like this? Are you interested in fitness and are not sure if this is for you? Please leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 27th April 2016

Kylie Jenner Lip Kit of Kylie Cosmetics: Koko K

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Ahem, Hey beautiful people! Sorry –  I had to get that excitement out of the way! I literally can’t believe I managed to get a Koko K lip kit on my first attempt.

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I will set the scene for you: Me and Katie were in the library stressing about our dissertations in the final stages. We knew that the lip kits were going on sale at 9pm UK time. So we got to the library at 8pm, cracked open the red bull and opened 3 different browsers on 3 different devices. We were fully prepared for the best and worst outcomes. 9pm hit and we refreshed and refreshed and NOTHING? Oh wait… That wasn’t the home page… WE’RE IN! I have never seen Katie click buttons so frantically in my life. She added our purchases to her basket and we were placed into the queue.

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ONTO MY DEVICE.

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We repeated these steps on my laptop and for some reason it went through almost immediately (?!) So Katie read out her card details (we shared postage and I paid half via PayPal – a great way to cut down on shipping costs!) whilst I took my turn frantically typing away. We were sweating.. It was so intense.

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After waiting for what seemed like a century… WE DID IT! We went to the confirmation screen and no joke: we screamed, jumped up and started dancing and flashing each other (our standard response to exciting news). Thankfully, we were in a private room in the library… 

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Fast forward 5 weeks, to Friday morning, and the fateful day had come… It arrived! I shouted up to Katie having put the box outside her room and she fell out of bed running for it (not an uncommon event in our house).

I really can’t explain my excitement on seeing that beautiful box in the post man’s hand!

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Eeeee! So pretty! <3

My only concern upon actually opening the box was… Well… How easy it was to open! This box worth collectively over £50 was held shut with a singular strip of cello tape. I literally just pulled the box and it opened for me! Although this is great for keeping the quality of the box in perfect condition etc, it’s not so great considering how easy it would be to steal and re-seal the package… Maybe something for Kylie Cosmetics to think about!

But all this was forgotten when the excitement settled in: it really is just as beautiful as you would expect, and then some! I love the beautiful post card given by Kylie!

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It’s absolutely gorgeous for starters, but it also made me feel really special! I didn’t keep this one as Katie made the order and has ordered a couple more than me – but I can’t wait to order another and pin it up on my wall.

 I had so much fun taking these photos – the packaging is just so beautiful and photogenic!

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Mmmm!! So pretty! I probably took around 50 photos in total – purely because every shot I took was better than the last! Thank you Kylie for designing packaging so aesthetically pleasing – it’s a Bloggers dream come true <3

 

But moving on to the part you’re all probably waiting for – What do I think of the lip kit?

Well, if I’m honest, I didn’t hold high hopes – even after all the wonderful things I had read and seen. I am quite cynical. Lip products which profess to be long-lasting never usually live up to their name for me and have faded horrifically by my second cup of tea in the morning! I was also worried that the colour wouldn’t suit me – that the photos online would be completely misleading and Ahhhh! I had basically run through every bad possible outcome in my mind.

I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG

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The lip liner glided on so smoothly and easily. It was my first ever time using lip liner so I was very cautious to not over-line (my biggest pet peeve because it just looks awful when not performed correctly). But this creamy textured pencil was an absolute dream! It was even easy to manoeuvre around my lip ring – a task which no lip product has managed as of yet!!! – My only question about this product iwas: what happens if/when you run out? It doesn’t look like an actual pencil  and although I feel it should be, I’ve tried and it isn’t retractable. But I have since found the answer: you can in fact sharpen it! The pencil really is deceiving in appearance but I have tried and tested it and it sharpens just fine- just make sure your sharpener isn’t blunt because then you might ruin the whole pencil.

 

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I know – I know. You’re probably sick of reading about the smell, but you’re going to have to read it one last time. THAT SMELL!!! I love it because it smells so natural and safe to apply to your lips – I kinda freak myself out at the thought of all the chemicals I am consuming when I wear lipstick, and the smell is a constant reminder. But my mind is put at ease with the lovely sweet aroma of the Kylie Jenner lipstick. It also helps my mind to know that Koko K is completely free from animal testing and is vegan friendly – Big thumbs up!

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Hands down the easiest product I’ve ever swatched – it was so soft to apply and only needed the smallest amount in order to gain even coverage (Apologies for the wiggly lip line… I was a bit excited)

Once again, this product is so easy to apply! It tackled my lip ring like it was nothing, yet again! I made the mistake of applying it quite thickly to begin with, but no biggie! I just spread the liquid across my lips and waited the very short time before having a good look – I couldn’t believe just how great it made me feel.

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Not to blow my own horn or anything, but HOW MUCH DOES THIS SUIT ME?!

All I can say is: WOW. Kylie Jenner and her company, Kylie Cosmetics, have truly lived up to their amazing quality reputation. It’s safe to say that when my purse is looking a bit podgier I am going to be investing in quite a few of these!

For the first time since I can remember, my lips felt fuller and sexier and just amazing really. The colour really complimented my eyes and skin tone – I would definitely recommend Koko K for those with a fairer complexion!

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I have just realised that the colour on my lips is an EXACT match to that on the box – Yet another thumbs up from me! No false advertising, Yay!!

I hope you guys can all see how much of a huge impact this has made on my daily make up – I was baring it with no wings that day, but the Koko K lip kit made my look seem that much more glamorous, without going overboard!

All in all, I am more than impressed with Kylie Jenner’s products and am really excited for the new things she will have to offer in the short term! Considering my only issue with my order was unsecured packaging, to which my item wasn’t even affected by, isn’t really bad going at all!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this – I definitely enjoyed writing it… & taking the photos… & trying the product … & staring at the photos…. I LOVE IT.

Do you have any questions about Koko K? Have you tried it and have a different opinion to myself? Have you had any issues with Kylie Cosmetics which you would like to share? Are you as excited as me about this fantastic brand? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 25th April 2016

Makeup Revolution Flawless Palette Review

Hey guys! I have been so excited to share this review with you lovely people for a very very long time. After losing my eye shadow virginity with the Sleek Makeup Au Naturel Palette, as I have spoken about here, I decided to branch out and become a little bit more adventurous with my shades – cue the Makeup Revolution Flawless Palette!!!

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Mmmm, what a beautiful rose gold!

Since buying this palette I left it untouched for over two weeks in order to wait for a chance to take photos, and then waited a further week to give myself a chance to edit my photos and put this post all together… PHEW. So what the heck am I rambling on for? Here goes my review!

 

I am thoroughly obsessed with these copper eye shadow looks which I have seen so much of recently – so off I went to Superdrug in search for some beautiful shades. The first section I went to was Makeup Revolution – they are just SO reliable in terms of quality and price & as money’s tight for me at the moment, I knew that this was where I’d get the best value for my money.

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What an amazing variety of colour! And all for the amazing price of £8!!!

I was so sold when I flipped the palette over to see these shades – all the copper tones I could desire, plus some beautiful extras! I’ve also been dying to try a red-ish eye look and the earthy pinks in this palette are PERFECT! Basically… Yeah I’m in love!

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The more I look at this palette, the more I fall in love! <3

As I’m sure you can see in the image, the colours do have a slight glittery effect, but this isn’t a problem for a day-time look as I will display later in my swatches.

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            Top row > Paper, Soft Glow, Buff, Highlite, Angel, Unlimited, Brew, Silver Smoke. Next row > Almost There, Uncover, Barely Pink, Lowlite, Golden Night, Gold Digger, Cheerless, Blue Stars. Next row > Smudge, Shimmer Heart, Universal, Copper Shimmer, Medal, Darkest Shimmer, Tarnish, Black Tie. Final row > Pure Chocolate, Raw, Red Night, Molton Chocolate, Burgandy Nights, Green Stars, Cafe Noir, Night.

There are so many amazing colours in this palette which can be used to make so many versatile looks! I am in love with both ‘Red Night’ and ‘Burgandy Nights’ which create a gorgeous pinky/red eye, which is really in this season!

I am also in love with the combination of: Copper Shimmer and Soft Glow which make an absolutely GORGEOUS copper pair -perfect for the summer season!

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As you can see, this copper tone also makes my eye colour really pop! I absolutely love this as a subtle but effective daytime look.

 

I’m going to provide swatches below, bear with me as I had to swatch 32 shades – which you can probably imagine took quite a time! They’re also a little rough around the edges, but I’m hoping that practice will make perfect… Maybe in time my swatches will be magazine worthy!!! 😉

 

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Silver Smoke, Brew, Unlimited, Angel, Highlite, Buff, Soft Glow, Paper (The lighter colours were really tricky to make visible on my arm for some reason – but they are great for highlighters and a base for the eyelid!)

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Blue Stars, Cheerless, Gold Digger, Golden Night, Lowlite, Barely Pink, Almost There

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Black Tie, Tarnish, Darkest Shimmer, Medal, Copper Shimmer, Universal, Shimmer Heart, Smudge

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Night, Cafe Noir, Green Stars, Burgandy Nights, Molton Chocolate, Red Night, Raw, Pure Chocolate

 

As I said earlier, although the shades look quite glittery within the palette, once applied it appears more like a natural shimmer – a totally gorgeous effect!

What I love about this palette is…. Well what is there not to love? I’m OBSESSED! There are 32 AMAZING colours available in this £8 palette!!! I honestly don’t think that there is an eye shadow shade in this palette which I won’t use. Some more than others of course but they are all gorgeous in their own way. I love that there are both nudes as well as more dramatic shades available in one palette! This means that if I were at the office all day, and planning to go out for drinks in the evening – I would have zero difficulty transitioning into a night time look, using the same palette I used in the morning. Aaaaaahhh I love it so much!

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This was honestly the best £8 I’ve spent in a while and I will be keeping my eye out for all new Makeup Revolution products in future – They’re clearly a brand to watch from what I’ve seen! If you are lacking in money and you want a versatile palette – GET THIS ONE. I cannot emphasise that enough!

Do you have a Makeup Revolution obsession? Have you purchased this product and have anything to say? Can you recommend me anything else to try from this amaaaaazing brand? Please comment below – I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 18th April 2016

The Body Shop Treats from the Tea Tree Range

Hello lovelies! I’d like to kick-start this week with a post about my recent gift to myself [I love myself soo much for this wise decision], my 3 little treats from The Body Shop tea tree range – the body scrub, clay mask and the foam cleanser.

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I have heard many good things about The Body Shop in the past, but for some reason I have never so much as ventured into the store, let alone considered trying their products. I think it may have something to do with their popular brand name – for some silly reason I had the idea in my head that their items would be mind-blowingly expensive, when really they’re very reasonably priced!

What finally convinced me to give them a try was a The Body Shop consultant contacting me via Twitter. Danielle  direct messaged me on Twitter asking me if I would be interested in buying from her, as she can keep me up to date with the best deals and discounts – what a bargain! Admittedly I was a little apprehensive at first because it seemed too good to be true, and I am always paranoid about online scamming/hacking etc. But Danielle understood this completely and put my mind at ease by providing her account code and information and allowing me as much time as I needed to make up my mind. By the time I had gone through the whole of The Body Shop’s website (about 50 times with a million tabs up on my browser – there were so many goodies to choose from!) the offer which Danielle was able to give me was 40% off 3 full priced items, which was perfect as I had my eye on three favourites in particular. These items were all from the tea tree range, the tea tree skin clearing foaming cleanser £5.50, the fuji green tea body scrub £15 and the skin clearing clay mask £11.

I paid Danielle via Pay Pal and the postage came to £4.25, which I found incredibly reasonable considering the quantity I was purchasing! With my discount my order came to a total of £23.15 with a total saving of £12.60 – I am incredibly frugal so I was chuffed to know how much I saved! My order arrived after only 3 working days, I was amazed! As I was ordering through a consultant I kind of expected a slight delay [I don’t know why I have these presumptions] and the packaging was so great it really brought a smile to my face.

BodyShop Parcel wingitwithjade

I love the time and care which has clearly gone into packaging this item, it truly made me feel special and valued as a customer. I absolutely LOVE the quote which is printed on the inside of the box – I am a bit weird with quotes but it gave me the kind of excitement you get when the Dominoes delivery guy ACTUALLY writes out the Harry Potter quote or draws you a picture of a unicorn.

BodyShop quote wingitwithjade

Ahhh, I just love the monochrome boldness of it!

I also really loved the fact that they had included a The Body Shop bag and sealed it nicely as this stopped my products from rolling around too much and becoming damaged, whilst keeping the beautiful aesthetic of the package appealing.

BodyShop bag wingitwithjade

Maybe I’m a bit weird but I love packaging – especially paper bags

Now I’ll run through my items and why I love them so much in order of which ones I tried first:

  1. Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser

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Admittedly I am pretty negligent of my skin usually as I lie to myself and say that I don’t have time for a proper skincare regime. After trying this product I can now confidently say that all that is about to change! What I love about this product is how easy it is to apply and remove. That may sound strange but some of them can be really slimey and get all over your hands, be tricky to cover your face with, then difficult to get off in one go. With the useful pump on this cleanser I used a small amount, probably about half the size of my palm to apply to my pre-soaked face and it was able to cover the whole surface. I did pump an extra one or two times, simply because I loved the smell and the feeling on my skin. With it being tea tree, it instantly smells so clean and refreshing, without being too harsh or overpowering. The foam absorbed into my skin instantly and I could feel it working straight away. Without causing pain or a stinging sensation, which I find some cleansing products do (I have mildly sensitive skin – probably why I’m so lazy when it comes to skincare), I was pleasantly surprised at how gentle on my skin this was! After massaging my skin for a couple of minutes I soaked my face in lukewarm water to remove the product and as I stood up straight to look in the mirror – the effect was amazing. All my pores seemed to have reduced in size by at least half and I just felt, well, cleaner! I will DEFINITELY be using this product at least once every two days in order to prevent break outs and to generally treat my skin. An absolute bonus is that the product only cost me £5.50, so I won’t be at all concerned about replenishing it when it eventually runs out!

2. Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask

Body Shop mask open eagle wingitwithjade

This was a big step for me as I have only ever tried facial masks which you get in the sachets from beauty shops *gasp*. I just felt like I would get bored of an entire tub and want a change before I reached the end and it would be left to rot. Once again, this product has proved me wrong completely. The smell of the mask was a slightly more ‘earthy’ version of the last – so very natural, yet clean and relaxing. The colour is absolutely wonderful! I love its vibrancy and how it is green (I have always wanted a green face mask like they wear in films, yet I have never really seen one). The texture of the mask is very creamy, making it SO easy to apply. I don’t even know how to put into fractions or percentages how little of the pot I needed to adequately cover my whole face. As with the last product, I could feel it working instantly so I didn’t feel the need to slap it on as I usually do with face masks, desperate to use the most of the sachet as possible. I laid on my bed for the recommended 10-15 minutes, fighting the urge to drift off to sleep – it was honestly the most therapeutic facial mask I have ever worn. And after a good half an hour (I was enjoying myself with my Cosmo magazine and lost track of time), the mask was still perfectly intact, it was like a glossy green layer had been added to my skin – no unwanted crumbling or cracking!

BodyShop tea tree clay mask Wingitwithjade

After 30 minutes with the mask on! No filter needed *sassy hair swish*

I used a warm damp flannel to remove the mask, and it came off with perfect ease – and my skin looked so calm underneath. For the rest of the day I couldn’t stop touching it. It’s usually quite bumpy and oily but when using these products it feels so balanced, smooth and soft! The clay mask is slightly more pricey at £11 but to be honest it’s way worth it in my mind. A little goes a long way, so I know that the tub will definitely last me several months if I use it roughly once a week, which I definitely will be doing! The pairing of these two products has given me such confidence with my skin and have taught me a very valuable lesson: a skincare regime really does make all the difference!

 

3. Fuji Green Tea Body Scrub

Body Shop scrub wingitwithjade

Technically, I’m not sure that this fits into the tea tree range, but due to the colour and it’s nature I have put this in with the other two as they compliment each other incredibly.

Body scrub is the one product I do tend to use regularly as I receive them in sets for Christmas and Birthdays and find them crucial when I’m self tanning and leading up to the summer period, in particular to give me more confidence when baring my legs. The fuji green tea scrub smelt absolutely gorgeous! When I opened the lid the scent hit me like a wave and I felt like I had been whisked away to a Centre Parcs spa retreat (a bit cheesy but it’s true!) I was also amazed by the vibrant green colour – it’s very aesthetically pleasing.

Body Shop scrub open wingitwithjade

Do you see what I mean? It’s so sparkly and pretty looking.

I used this item in the shower and it did everything it should have done – the beads were nice and firm and felt so nice to massage into my skin. The smell was absolutely gorgeous and relaxing too! My skin felt really nice and soft when I got out – this product is perfect for my needs and a very good purchase! Having said that, with the price being £15 I would be more reluctant to buy this regularly as it is more of a treat. I will definitely be adding this to future birthday and Christmas wish lists and potentially treating myself occasionally but purely due to the price, I don’t think I will be buying this as regularly as the other two! Having said that, I don’t regret buying this item and will definitely be using it as a little treat on my off days.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this and will check out The Body Shop site or hit up Danielle on Twitter if you would like some great offers and promotions! Do you have any items from The Body Shop which you love? Have you tried these products and have something to say about them? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 12th April 2016

Review of Sleek Au Naturel Palette

Hey guys, I hope you have all had a lovely weekend and this miserable weather isn’t bogging you down too much! I thought I would kick-start this week with my very first review; this is of my Sleek Makeup eyeshadow palette in Au Naturel; a gorgeous present which I received from my house mate and best friend Katie at Christmas!

Exterior Sleek Palette au naturel

I was a bit scared of eye shadow on coming to University because I always managed to make myself look like a train wreck whenever I wore it, but I was always envious of how amazing Katie’s looked so for Christmas I not-so-subtly hinted that I’d love an eye shadow palette and some! As always, Katie delivered and went beyond!

Exterior Sleek Palette au naturel 2

At first I struggled with matching the correct colours and with shaping my eye in order to compliment it, but with the help of Pinterest and trusty video tutorials, by January I was finally confident enough to use it every day. Practice makes perfect after all! One thing I love about this palette is the great range of colour which is available to you.

Sleek Palette au naturel with brushes2

Apologies for the used appearance of my palette – I wasn’t clever enough to take photos before I used it

There are plenty of nude colours which can be combined to make a lovely, subtle day time look – but there are also some really nice dramatic colours which I love experimenting with!

Sleek Palette au naturel - colour names

As you can see above, Cappuccino and Honeycomb are my most used shades – for my daytime look I usually use Honeycomb on my lid and Cappuccino on my crease line. The colour is really pigmented so a little goes a long way! Although these colours appear quite neutral, it really makes my eyes pop, without going overboard.

Sleek Palette au naturel with brushes

The glittery shades have to be my favourite to experiment with. I have made some really nice dramatic looks out of Conker, Moss, Mineral Earth and Taupe. When paired with my winged eye liner, a tutorial for which I have here, I find that these shades are amazing for a night out. Next I think I will have a play with Regal – I have seen some absolutely gorgeous red smokey eyes out there at the moment and although this seems a bit adventurous for me, I am ready to take the plunge!

Sleek Palette au naturel swatches2

Downwards from top left: Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe. Downwards from top right: Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir.

As you can hopefully see in this swatch, one side of the palette is gorgeously subtle – perfect for a nude look, whilst the other is dramatic and bold – and one which I love to experiment with!

I am so happy with this palette, and as a beginner with eye shadow I found it has everything I could possibly want. It allows me to master both a nude and a more dramatic look. I love the colours and that it has a combination of matted and glittery shades.

I was really impressed with this product, so much so that I have since had a look online out of curiosity to see how much this set Katie back – and to eye up future purchases of my own. I couldn’t believe that this product only costs £7.99!! It’s incredible! If you are ever desperate for new eye shadows but you’re tight for cash, I would highly recommend you check out Sleek’s I-Divine range.

Sleek Palette au naturel with brushes3

Alternatively, you can buy Sleek products from Superdrug, and if they don’t have the product you’re looking for? You can order it into Superdrug for free! No postage costs for you!

Do you have any Sleek products which you would like to recommend? Or any beautiful eye shadow palettes that I should try next? Please comment below – I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts.

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Posted on 31st March 2016

How I Wing It: My Liquid Eye Liner Tutorial

Hey guys! I thought I would take this opportunity to write about something which I am frequently asked and praised about: my liquid eye liner.

At this point I think it’s important to admit… I definitely have an addiction to my wings. I have been practising and perfecting my technique over five years… FIVE YEARS – and it has been my every day make up for this amount of time. Here are a few photos to mark my progression:

January 2011

January 2011 – the wings are born! Very Winehouse-esque

October 2012

October 2012 – these wings definitely makes me cringe!

July 2013

July 2013 – a post gym sweaty photo: apparently I only wanted my eye liner to cover half my eye [?!]

June 2014

June 2014 – MUCH better! This was a very good wing day, my brows on the other hand… EEK.

March 2016

March 2016 – We’re up to date!! I’m sure there will still be both good and bad days but I think we can all agree that I have come a long way!

In the past five years I have tried many different types of liquid eye liner but there has only been ONE which I have always been able to rely on, and that is Rimmel London Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner in 100% black

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Rimmel London Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner in 100% black

The applicator brush on this eye liner is sturdy enough to confidently glide across my eyelid without it flinging all over the place – an issue which I have encountered with many other liquid eye liners.

Another major plus is that this eye liner is SO long lasting – I have never had a smudge or fade issue with this product. A massive thumbs up from me!

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Rimmel London Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner in 100% black

 

 

So here is my brief step-by-step guide on how I actually apply my winged eye liner:

STEP ONE – Glide the liner across the lash line, making as straight and smooth a line as possible

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You can make this line as thick or as thin as you like. For me, it totally depends on my mood and how dramatic a look I’m going for.

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You can already see such a huge effect on the eye and how it notches up your day time look to make it THAT much more dramatic.

 

STEP TWO – Create the basis of your wing by making a line from the outer lid to the corner of your eye

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I find it helpful to angle the eye liner by following the line on the bottom lid.

 

STEP THREE – Fill in your wing. I try to make this joining as smooth as possible in order to create a more ‘natural look’

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Once again, you can adjust these instructions to make your wing as thick or as thin as you prefer.

 

THE FINAL PRODUCT:

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I hope this tutorial was as fun to read as it was to make! If you have any more questions or tips I’d love to hear from you, so please comment below.

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts. Links are posted in the sidebar.

Jade x

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