Brand Focus: Nyx

Nyx is a brand that I'm currently loving. I recently added the Highlight and Contour Pro Palette to my collection and it is FAB. It reminded me how much I love the other things I have from Nyx, so I thought I would share.

The High Definition Blush I have is in the Shade Rose Gold. It's such a lovely muted peachy/brown blush shade with a slight hint of golden shimmer. It's definitely build able and also blends really nicely into the skin. I also really like the packaging, with the cute bow for the clasp!

I have the Hot Singles Eyeshadow in Showgirl, which has the same cute packaging as the blush! It's quite a coppery shade, and it's definitely a crease shade for me rather than an 'all over the lid' one. It's a shimmery shadow, it's a really pigmented one, so a little goes a long way. 

The two Soft Matte Lip Cream's I have are in the shades Cannes and Buenos Aires. They are such a nice texture; really light and fluffy. These dry matte and really do have great staying power. My favourite of the two is Cannes,which is the brown toned shade. I find this one is much more pigmented and suits my skin tone more than the other. Another bonus is that they have a really nice scent; like vanilla pudding! They're such a bargain for £5.50 each.

Left- Buenos Aires, Right- Cannes.

The Highlight and Contour Palette is definitely the best contour palette I own. The yellow toned powder is really good for putting on top of concealer and keeping that put. I love how there are four bronzer shades, there's something for every skin tone! I really love using the first three for contouring as the last one is just a bit too dark for me! The colours are very buttery and blend really well. A really good price at £18 for all 8 shades.

L-R All 4 of the bottom contour shades from the Highlight and Contour Palette, High definition blush in Rose Gold, Hot Singles Eyeshadow in Showgirl.

My Current Every Day Make Up Look

I thought I would write a post about my most worn make up look at the moment. This post is a little bit out of my comfort zone and my camera definitely didn't take the good quality photos I was hoping for so I had to swap to my iphone half way through! Be prepared for a very long post!

The first thing I do is apply small strips of masking tape along my lower lash line to help keep my eye shadow tidy, being extra careful to make the angles identical. I then apply my Urban Decay Primer Potion all over my lid to keep eye shadow in place all day.

I have been using my Stila Soul palette non stop since I got it for Christmas, it's one of my faves! Firstly I apply the shade Kitten, which is a creamy colour, all over the lid and extend it up to my brow bone. I use the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush for this.

Next I apply the shade affection all over my eyelid with a Zoeva Luxe Soft Definer Brush.

Just in the very outer corner I apply the shade character to create a wing effect, using a Zoeva Luxe Petit Crease Brush. I then blend this into my lid and crease.

I then go in with the shade essence and apply this to the very outer corner of the wing and slightly blend this into my crease to smoke things up a little.

Along my lower lash line I then apply the shade character using a Zoeva Smudger Brush.

For some reason I took the picture of my Nars eyeliner before I had even applied it! I think I was a bit eager, Anyway, I then apply my Nars Eyeliner Stylo and wing my eyeliner literally.

I remove the tape and apply a coat of my Benefit Roller Lash mascara.

After this I will apply my Max Factor Face Finity primer with my fingers, and then my Mac Studio Fix Fluid  in the shade NC15. I use my Zoeva Buffer Brush to apply this. 

Next I use my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in the shade light and apply this using my Real Techniques sponge to any blemishes and to my under eye area.

I then use my MUA Pro-Brow eyebrow kit and apply the darkest shade to my brow using the Zoeva Brow Line Brush.

I set them in place with the Maybelline Brow Drama.

I've recently discovered a new love for the Loreal Lumi Magique Highlighting Pen. IT is SUCH A GOOD HIGHLIGHTER. I apply this to my cupids bow, the centre of my nose and the middle of my forehead using the Real Techniques make up sponge.

To set this highlighter and my concealer I apply the yellow toned powder from the Nyx Highlight and Contour Pro Palette, I use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for this. 

 Next, I use my Zoeva Powder Brush to apply the third contour powder. I apply this around the top of my forehead, along the sides of my nose and around my chin area. Contouring helps me look less moon shaped like.

Lastly, for contouring I apply the toffee shade with my Zoeva Luxe Face Paint Brush to the hollows of my cheeks. 

I then set this all in place with my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and my Real Techniques Powder Brush.

After this I apply my Mac lipstick in the shade Twig. I sometimes use the Twig lipliner as well if I have time.

Finally, I apply the Mac Soft and Gentle Highlighter with the Zoeva Face Shape Brush.

I hope you guys like this sort of post :)

My Favourite Beauty Tools

Beauty tools, we all use them. They make life that little bit easier and some do pretty cool things!
I didn't want to include all my favourite brushes as I'm doing a post on my everyday make up routine soon which will include them all in!

I really enjoy using my Olay Regenerist 3 point cleansing system. It makes exfoliating so much easier. It also removes dirt, make up and really works cleanser/face wash into your skin. The brush has 2 speed settings and spare heads can be purchased when needed. If your looking for a budget version of the Clarisonic brush I would definitely recommend this one. After using it my skin feels fresh and smooth, a must to include in your facial routine!

Dry brushing is something that has only recently come into my life. I read about it a while ago on a blog and thought the reasons for dry brushing sounded pretty worth while and so I invested in one. I bought this one from Superdrug here for £4.99! Dry brushing helps to unclog pores and get rid of any toxins in the skin. The idea is to always brush in circular motions and towards your heart. Some of the benefits of this include exfoliating and removing dead skin, stimulating your lymphatic system and blood flow which aids the removal of toxins, and it helping to reduce cellulite. What's really handy about it is the fact that the head can be removed so that its easier to brush the parts of your body that you can reach. I sometimes get tiny little bumps on my back and since using this brush they have completely gone!

I find brush cleaning such a chore. It used to take me ages to try and work my Mac brush cleanser through all 30 of my brushes. But since I've been using a brush cleaner tool and shampoo it's been so much quicker to do! Firstly, the Mac brush cleanser is pants and secondly, this tool helps to really work the shampoo into the brush and lather it up. I would really recommend one of these to help speed the process up!

My favourite tool for applying foundation and concealer at the moment is the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge. It makes foundation look so natural and flawless. I prefer using the sponge wet as it gives such a dewy foundation look. The flat side and pointed side also really help with getting to awkward places on the face. I really like using the pointed end for dabbing concealer over blemishes, it blends the concealer on top so well!

I recently invested in a Jade Facial Roller. I've done a lot of reading on them and they are supposed to support blood flow and lymph system drainage which is supposed to help expel toxins from your skin. It has the same sort of effects as the dry brush but on the face. The roller helps to tone facial muscles and help eliminate puffy areas. The smaller end of my roller is great for aiding in getting rid of my under eye circles. You use it by applying a tiny bit of pressure and rolling from the inside of your face towards the outside on clean skin. It's really important to use it on clean skin as you are just rolling any existing dirt around your face!

My last favourite beauty tool is the Scholl Electronic Pedicure Foot File. It might seem like an odd one but I really like to have smooth feet! Being a student nurse, not being allowed to have nail varnish and having constantly dry hands means I like to make up for this and have nice feet! The file is really good at buffing away any hard skin and leaving you with soft lovely skin. I got this file in a set with other Scholl foot products and was impressed by them all, would definitely recommend Scholl foot products!

Top 10 under £10

As a student I love finding good quality and cheap makeup products,they don't break the bank and some can give the exact same look as a higher end product. For my mid week post this week I thought I would share with you my top 10 makeup products that are under £10.

I love my lip products so Its only natural I have 3 to share with you! You've probably heard me talk about the Kate Moss 107 lipstick in many of my other posts so I won't go into detail! It's my favourite red lipstick, it had super pigmentation, the colour really suits my skin tone, and its only £5.49!

My next lipstick is a nude lippy. Its the Max factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in the shade Rosewood and it's £7.99. I have to admit, i only originally bought this because of Rosewood being the town in PLL sad I know right  and I really love that show! It turned out to be a lovely rose toned nude with a hint of shimmer. It's really moisturising and has really good pigmentation. I also find this colour goes with any make up look and looks great on top of Mac's 'Brave' lip liner!

My last lip product is a Primark lip liner that has turned out to be one of my faves. It's in the shade 09. I mostly just wear this by itself and it looks like a great matte lipstick on! It's quite similar to the Mac Brave lip liner but its slightly more brown toned. It's not too drying and blends really nicely. For £1 this is a serious bargain!

Lip products aside i'll move onto eye products. My favourite mascara in the world is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara and it's only £7.99. The only mascara I have to compare this to is the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, however, this one gives a bit more volume. I love the plastic wand's shape and find that both sides really do work differently. It's really lengthening and defining and I have yet to find one that beats this!

One of my favourite eye shadows is the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in the shade 05. I mentioned it in a post here. It's a gorgeous rose gold shade with shimmer. I usually use shadow sticks for quickness when I'm in a rush and the Kiko shadow sticks are always the ones I go to! They are lovely and creamy and blend so well. They also don't crease after a long time period! There has been a huge hype around the By Terry Ombre Blackstar Shadow Sticks but I don't have one to compare this too as I can't justify spending £27.50 on a single eyeshadow! But from all the reviews I've read I reckon this would be a pretty good dupe for them at £6.90.

One of my stalple brow products is the Maybelline Brow Drama which is a brow mascara. I use this when I'm on placement, getting up at 5.30am just to add some structure to my brows. I find that this is good for keeping brows in place and as the mascara is tinted brown, it adds definition. It's £4.99 and is a good dupe for the Benefit Speed Brow.

Now onto facial products, one of my faves is the Soap and Glory Peach Party Blusher. This is my summer go to blush. It's a lovely highlighting subtle peach blush. It has really great staying power and gives you the right amount of glow without overdoing it. I much prefer the subtle blushes to more pigmented ones as I find they are much easier to work with and you can build them up instead of applying too much and frantically trying to blend it all in! This one is £10.

My favourite concealer would have to be the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. It does everything I would want from a concealer. Its medium to high coverage, really blendable, hides my dark circles and covers any imperfections pretty well! I don't find with this one that it creases under my eyes after a long day either! A really good product for £5.49.

A Palette I swear by is the Revolution Protection Palette. It's for concealing and contouring. It contains 3 concealers, a face powder, a bronzer, blusher and a highlighter. I find this kit is so handy for travelling and on the go make up. Each product in the palette is so blendable and the pigmentation is amazing. I have the palette in the medium-dark shade as I like my contour on the darker side and I find this palette really works well for my skin tone. The concealers don't crease, the powder keeps me matte, the highlighter is creamy and the blush is a gorgeous everyday shade. I really can't praise this palette enough, and its only £6!

My last favourite product that is under £10 is the Bourjois Poudre De Riz De Java. This is £9.99 and its an illuminating powder as opposed to a matte one. It's such a lovely face powder that adds just a little something extra. Its got a slight shimmer to it. However, this powder doesn't make you look like a disco ball at all, it adds a lovely healthy glow to the skin. I find this one is really long lasting and even though its illuminating I find it still keeps my oily t-zone at bay.

L-R: Primark Lipliner in no.09, Max Factor Lipstick in Rosewood, Rimmel Kate moss in 107, Kiko eyeshadow stick in no.05, Bourjois Powder, Soap and Glory blush in Peach Party.

New Skincare Tries

I really want to put more effort into my skin care routine this year and find products that suit my skin type more and work really well for me. I've been trialing some new skin care products since Christmas and I thought I would share with you  what I thought of them. 

I purchased the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel as before I was using the same product but the lotion version. In 2015 my skin type changed dramatically from dry to combination/oily so the lotion just wasn't working for me anymore! A friend recommended that I should try the gel version, and since I have done I haven't looked back! It's really moisturising, sinks in so quick (unlike the lotion), and doesn't make me oily throughout the day. It also makes such a good makeup base!

The Origins GinZing eye cream has been appearing on my Instagram timeline for years and I thought it was about time I invested in a really good eye cream. It is specifically for de-puffing and brightening the under eye area. I suffer with really bad dark circles so this is exactly what I was looking for from an eye cream. The product is a slightly pink colour with a hint of shimmer. This is great for no make up days as the shimmer acts as a sort of concealer for the dark circles. You only need a really small amount so I can see this little pot lasting a long time, and I also don't think £20 is bad for such a good eye cream!

Only recently has the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm come into my life. I purchased a sample size for  £10 to see if I would like it before I bought the full size one. The full size version is quite pricey at £38! I'm really liking it though. Which I hoped I wouldn't! When rubbing the balm into my face it turns into a smooth oil. I rubbed this into my eye area to remove my eye make up and I can safely say it didn't irritate my eyes at all and it removed every bit of my mascara! It also has a really nice relaxing scent to it which I always like from a product I use before I go to bed!

Lastly, I've been trying out the Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil. This is the first facial oil that I have tried. I was quite worried about using a facial oil as my skin is quite oily anyway and didn't want to risk breaking out! I've heard a lot of people who have oily skin have been using oils and it hasn't broken them out so I thought it was time to be brave! I've been using a few drops of this onto my skin after my evening cleanse and tone. I haven't been putting it onto my forehead as that's where I use my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo at night time but it hasn't caused me to have any spots and I'm noticing a huge difference in how soft my skin feels in the morning and how moisturised it looks! I now want to breach out of my comfort zone and try some different oils!

L-R Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Origins GinZing Eye Cream, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel.

Current Wishlist

1. Jeans- Topshop

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Palette- Beauty Bay

3. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream- Feel Unique

4. Metallic Mini Skirt- Missguided

5. Nike Women's Janoski's- Schuh

6. Kurt Geiger Carvela Bag- Kurt Geiger

Favourite Products of 2015

I have discovered some amazing products in 2015 and I thought I would share them with you. Most of these haven't been new releases in 2015 but one's that I have found and really liked!

My absolute holy grail foundation in 2015 has been the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, the shade Ivory matches my skin tone exactly, and I've really struggled with finding foundation shades this year that exactly match my skin tone! This foundation helps keep my oily T-Zone at bay while still looking lovely and dewy. 

Lipsticks I have been loving are the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in the shade Temeraire and a Mac matte finish one in Velvet Teddy. I spoke about the Chanel one in this post so I won't say much about it but it is such a hydrating while really pigmented lipstick! I definitely need more of these in my life! Mac's Velvet Teddy has had a huge hype around it this year and I can definitely see why. It's such a staple shade that goes with any make up look and it's such a lasting lipstick!

My favourite brushes in 2015 have been the Real Techniques Bold Metals brush in 300 and the Zoeva Rose Gold Vol.2 Edition buffer brush. The bold metals brush is my favourite for contouring as it really gets in the crease with it's tapered end, and it is lovely and soft. The buffer brush has been my favourite for applying foundation. It creates such a flawless base and blends really nicely and doesn't make my foundation look cakey or streaky. Also, how pretty are these two brushes?! (Heart eye emoji).

By far my most used eyelashes have been the Eylure Definition 123 lashes. They add volume and length without looking too overboard. I only wear fake eyelashes when I go on nights out  to make that little bit more effort, so I like them to be a a little something more than natural and these have been the most loved! These ones aren't too long either so I didn't have to have the hassle of trimming them!

My go to blusher in 2015 has been the Milani blush in the shade Luminoso. I'm not really into strongly pigmented blushes as they really don't suit my skin tone and make me look like a bit of a clown. Luminoso adds a tiny bit of peachy colour while adding some serious glow. You don't need to add any highlighter with this blush as it does it all for you, and the packaging is beautiful!

I only discovered The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer a few months ago but it has been the only one I have used since! It's such a creamy and really blendable highlighter. The colour is so natural and gives a lovely glow. A little goes a long way with this product too, so it's well worth the money!

I have been looking for a trusty lip balm all year as once my lips hit the point of being too dry and they crack it takes me so long to stop them from being sore! However, I finally found the one! The Nuxe Reve De Miel balm. This is my first product from Nuxe and it did not disappoint. It will literally stay on my lips all day! This is such an intensely hydrating balm with a minimal lovely scent.

My favourite single eyeshadow for 2015 has been the Kiko Water Shadow in the shade 228. I wrote about it in this post so I won't go on about it! However, it is so pigmented whether used with a dry brush or a wet brush, and is such a lovely shade for creating a purple smokey eye.

Moving onto skincare and bath products, I have been loving the Lush Ocean Salt Body and Face Scrub. It smells divine and is such good value for money! This scrub really feels like it is doing something and is slightly more on the harsh side, but I prefer them like that! It contains lovely oils which are really moisturising so I feel like I don't even need to use a moisturiser after using this! However, I probably wouldn't use this on my face due to the high oil content!

My favourite skincare product has definitely been the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. This has been a life saver for me this year. Towards the start of the year my skin was going through such a bad time and this product completely cleared it up! This product not only has helped prevent breakouts it has also had a huge impact on reducing redness and imperfections. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this product but for me it's turned into one of my holy grail products which I use every day.

Lastly, my favourite perfume in 2015 has been Lancome's La Vie Est Belle. It is hands down the nicest perfume in the world. It's quite an intense scent that is fruity and floral, with top notes of bergamot and orange. I find it really hard to find perfumes that last all day like men's cologne's, but this one is a winner. A couple of sprays really do last all day and the scent is very strong so you don't need more than a few sprays!

L-R: The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer, Milani's Luminoso, Kiko's 228, Mac's Velvet Teddy, Chanel's Temeraire.

Goals for 2016

So 2016 is finally here and this year I'm going to push myself even further than I did in 2015.

Here are a few goals i'm going to set myself:

• Try to have a healthier lifestyle, I'm not the most unhealthy of people but there are still changes I can make to my diet and I definitely need to exercise more!
• Improve my nursing knowledge greatly. Seeing as next year I will be a qualified nurse I need to vastly improve my knowledge so I can be as knowledgeable as I can be.
• Set up a blog post schedule and put more effort into my blog- I've already purchased a new blog template that I am waiting for Pipdig to install!
• Become more confident and don't worry as much- I'm not the most confident of people and i'm always looking for ways to try and improve this!
• Get my health conditions under control
• Stop being the queen of moaning. Instead of moaning I need to remove whatever it is I'm going to moan about from my life, nobody likes a moaner!

What I got for Christmas

Before I start I am in no way bragging about what I received for Christmas. I am very grateful for everything I received this year, and I wanted to show you guys because I love reading posts like this and having a nosy at what other people got for Christmas!

In a nutshell this is everything. I have some amazing family and friends who I am lucky to have and always buy me lovely things. I've categorised everything from here so you can see better.

Makeup 

Most of this is from my lovely friends! The Mac lipstick shades are in 'Twig' and 'Fusion Pink', and the Stila palette is in 'Soul'. I'm so excited to try all this out!

Books and DVD's

Disney DVD's are  my absolute fave and one day I WILL own the whole collection! I've already read 'The Grown Up'by Gillian Flyn, and I would definitely recommend it!

Smellies

My Nan bought me a top up of Katy Perry's 'Killer Queen' which I have loved for ages! I got some fancy shower gels, and oh my god I cannot explain how good the Original Source Strawberry & Pink Peppercorn shower gel smells! I'm excited to try the goodies in the Montagne &Jennesse basket as I never knew they did other products apart from face masks!

Clothes

My mum always buys me a lovely Lipsy top for Christmas, and she has such good taste when it comes to them! This one is a lovely off the shoulder peplum top. She also got me the lovely white H&M top with bell sleeves. The bunny slippers are AMAZING, so cute. Socks are an absolute must! Lastly, my friend Louise bought me my first pair of VS underwear, and they are so pretty!

Jewellery & Watches

My main present off my boyfriend was a Michael Kors watch, totally didn't see that one coming! This picture really doesn't do it justice but it is so beautiful. I received an everyday watch from my little brothers, pretty bracelets from my mum and also a carousel pandora charm,and pretty studs from my friends!

Homeware Bits

My friend Meg made me a hot chocolate kit, complete with mini shot glasses containing hot chocolate, crumbled shortbread, mini marshmallows and chocolate pieces. It also came with an 'A' mug and a candy cane, by far the cutest present I received, so thanks Meg! She also bought me the 'A' pillow and the bunny cotton ball dispenser,absolutely killed it! I received some candles (you can never have enough) and the Bomb Cosmetics Cotton Clouds candle is the best thing I have smelt in my life! My friends also bought me a lovely 'A' plaque and a cute heart trinket box.

Miscellaneous

So I'm all set for making cocktails now thanks to my mum, haha! Girls when are you coming round? My mum also got me the touch speaker which is so good! My main present was my iphone and I am loving the new features, it looks so beautiful in rose gold!

Also, happy new year everyone!