15 Things I Feel Grateful For Right Now

To continue the positive trend going on over here on ASD at the moment, I thought I'd write a list of 20 things I'm grateful for right now. At the moment the sun is shining in my garden, I'm eating a tortilla pizza, and life is good.

1. My Feelunique order just arrived, and the highlight I bought is just the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
2. I went running (I know, ew) and ended up meeting this adorable little greyhound. I like to think that when you force yourself off the couch to go exercise, life gives you rewards.
3. The wall paper I used for this photo is hella cute. Thanks B&Q.
4. That when I had a tough few days last week, my Mum was there for me like she always is.
5. It's stir fry for dinner. Enough said really.
6. My cat just came to visit me of his own accord, and gave me some genuine love (if you consider sitting on your feet and not letting you move a form of love.)
7. I got five essays written in the past five days, which I would say is pretty impressive for a gal that loves binge watching Gossip Girl.
8. I'm 18 in NINE DAYS (and lots of alcohol just arrived at the house for my party. YAY.)
9. That the risk I took on Bourjois Healthy Mix has paid off because its exactly the right shade for my skin.
10. The lovely family Easter meal that put everything into perspective.
11. My newly found skill to make the creamiest and fluffiest scrambled eggs (uni diet sorted.)
12. Planning my next European adventure with Harry - if you're interested, we're thinking Paris and Milan!
13. Choosing my uni accommodation; super scary but at the same time, crazy exciting.
14. The Galaxy Golden Eggs Easter egg that is about five feet away from me right now.
15. That I have such wonderful readers who leave me nice comments and make me feel included in this community - kudos to you guys for being the best ever.

What do you feel grateful for right now?

Blogging, Confidence, and Where to Find it

 

Hoppy Easter! (Puns galore, I'm here all night folks.)

This was such a spontaneous post, but I do think confidence is something that we need to talk about more often. The blogging world can be kicked down for its photoshopped images and the unrealistic instagram themes, but for me, I feel like it's helped me leaps and bounds. When I took this photo two days ago I was still rejoicing in the fact that I, the girl who has pretty much hid behind a mask of make up since the age of fourteen, had gone to college this week sans foundation. For some people that's nothing, but to me that's a big step - so I grabbed my camera, didn't bother to put any sort of make up on, and voila! My first no make up photo featured on my blog, and a confidence post to go with it. Because three years ago, the thought of a no make up day would have seemed like the worst idea in the world.

When I first started blogging, I was sixteen (I mean, that was only a year and a half ago but lets go with it), and I desperately lacked confidence. Once upon a time I was seriously anxious and my confidence was basically on the floor; nowadays I would say it's much more balanced, and even though my confidence can take a hit now and again, its generally a lot better than it used to be. This isn't going to be an essay style post in response to the criticism that social media has taken; I understand that media is a homewrecker if you let it be. I think, especially when you're young like me, becoming part of a blogger community, is - even though it can be a struggle in parts - the most healing process you can find for confidence. Here we are, a group of completely varied ages, and I think as you get older (and away from the cattiness of High School and College), no one cares if you aren't the skinniest Minnie on the block, and no one gives a crap about the under eye bags you have from last night. In general, bloggers are so much more accepting and non-judgemental than the peers you have when you are young, so as a result I think instead of social media tearing young girls down, it has the opportunity to build them up.

I'm ridiculously glad that I'm a blogger for many reasons than just this one - but I guess I just wanted to write a little thank you post to every other blogger that's left a comment, read a post, or replied to me on a twitter chat. Feeling included in a mature and accepting community has done wonders for my confidence, and I think it will continue to do so for quite some time. We're all beautiful, no matter what size we are, or any 'flaws' we feel like we have to hide. Thankyou for helping me to realise this - you really are a bunch of gems.

(P.S. I'm not saying goodbye to face make-up, I think its wonderful! But recognising that I don't need to wear it, is going to make getting ready a lot more fun.)

Oh the Places We Will Go || European Cities

 

If you asked me what sort of holiday-er I am, I'd definitely tell you I'm a city break kind of girl. I love settling somewhere for a few days and then coming back to reality with millions of stories to tell. Don't get me wrong, I love a lie on the beach with a cocktail or two, but whilst I'm young and adventurous, city breaks are the calling. Ideally, I'd like to start having a couple of European breaks a year - of course a whistle-stop tour would be wonderful, but I think for me, it would be easy to forget a city in the hustle and bustle of moving on to the next one.

I think the travel bug has really hit me since I went to Amsterdam; I've never been on holiday without significant 'adults' (I say it like I'm not practically an adult, and Harry already is *gulp*) and I can't wait to embark on so many more trips like it. I'm obviously terrified to move out in September, but with it sparks a desire within me to basically, just go wherever the heck I want. In light of that - voila! You have this travel post. All the European cities I've been to so far, and those that are at the top of my list.

Where I've Been:

London - This one is pretty obvious, since it's the capital of my own country. I love the organised chaos of London; so different from the reality of coming from a small town.

Edinburgh - I actually wanted to go to University in this city so badly after I visited, but for different reasons it just didn't seem like the right Uni. If I ever want to go away for a spontaneous weekend, I immediately think of Edinburgh (plus, Mary's Milk is the BEST hot chocolate shop you'll ever find.)

Florence - I don't remember much about Florence, other than it was boiling hot, and I kept seeing statues of naked men. I was ten though, so I guess I can let myself off for that one.

Pisa - Again, my ten year old self didn't appreciate this city as much as she probably should have done. I remember my ice cream falling off its cone (underrated tragedy), and taking the obligatory photo where it looks like you're pushing over the tower of Pisa. Italy is definitely somewhere I need to explore more, now that I'm a lot older and instead of wishing for a holiday by the pool, I want European adventures.

Barcelona - The Sagrada Familia is just the most beautiful building I've ever seen - you can't even believe how intricate it is until you've witnessed it in person. I absolutely loved this city; although if you want to avoid terribly sweaty and sticky train journeys, I wouldn't visit in the peak of Summer.

Paris - Isn't Paris just the most magical city you've ever seen? This is my favourite place I've ever been to; I love everything about it! The macarons, the chic style, the Eiffel Tower - it's literally blogger heaven and I want to go back armed with my camera and a million blog post ideas.

Krakow - I travelled to Poland last year on a philosophy trip to see the holocaust concentration camps, which was equal parts shocking and upsetting. I was so unexpectedly surprised however, at how lovely the atmosphere was in the city of Krakow; so much more peaceful than the crowded streets of London or Barcelona. (Heads up; Krakow has a Sephora, which is always an added bonus.)

Amsterdam - My most recent and special trip, Amsterdam will always have a home in my heart. I did a post all about my first holiday with Harry to the city, which you can take a look at here.

Places I'd Love To Visit:

Milan - This is next on my list to go to with Harry, as it has aspects of both our personalities nestled within the city; fashion, and football. As I've already said, Italy is a place I need to go back to and appreciate, and there's no better place to start than the city of fashion.

Budapest - *George Ezra starts to play* I have no idea what this city consists of to be honest, there's just something about it that makes me want to travel there. Have any of you been here, and if so, what did you think?!

Prague - I'm actually going to this city in Summer, along with Vienna and Berlin, so I'm pretty darn excited about it. Obviously, I've never been to this second set of places before so I don't have a lot to say, but I know that there's a beautiful castle to visit in Prague (and also another Sephora), so I think I'll be set.

Berlin - It's going to be so amazing to visit where the Berlin wall stood, and from looking online I feel like the city of Berlin has such an indie vibe to it. Again, I don't know a lot, but when I visit I'll definitely be doing a follow up blogpost all about it!

Santorini - Please just take me there now. Santorini looks like paradise, and I've promised myself that one day I'm going to visit this Greek island and leave my cares behind. All those white buildings look so gorgeous; the perfect chillax holiday to fit in between hectic trips.

Stockholm - Doesn't everyone want to say they've been to Sweden? We've had a group of Swedish students visit our college for two years now, and when they describe their home it sounds so picturesque.

Have you ever travelled to these cities, and where do you most want to travel?

Coconut Lane + A Discount*

 

Hi Guys!

I was so over the moon when Coconut Lane emailed me to see if I wanted to work with the brand - I've seen so many amazing bloggers collab with the people at CL and honestly, I did a squeal when I looked in my inbox. They're such a cute little online shop where you can purchase unique gifts, room décor, jewellery and a whole bunch of other items. I would highly suggest that you go and take a look around, if you're stuck for what to buy someone then you're bound to find something fun for them to receive. 

 

Now of course, I couldn't recommend a brand to you without going online and purchasing a couple of things myself to review (love a good excuse to buy, don't you?) I picked up two items which stuck out to me to minute I scrolled past them, and I'm so impressed with the quality and the delivery time.



 

Firstly I bought one of the wall décor items, an A4 poster that comes with a white frame (optional) that goes perfectly with the theme of my room. Okay, there were SO MANY phrases to choose from it took me about half an hour to actually make a decision. In the end I was stuck between 'Stay focused and extra sparkly' and 'Messy bun, get stuff done', but since I'm all about the sass and the sparkle I decided to go for the first option, and it's taken pride of place over my bed where my faded Taylor Swift Fearless poster used to hang. I love that the frame hangs straight onto the wall - no DIY needed!

 

If you love funny quotes like these then definitely take a look online to see what you can find. If you don't need a poster, then you could always pick up a greeting card, trim it and put it in a frame (they're much smaller and would look adorable.) Heads up: they have a Blair Waldorf greetings card, its literally dabomb.com. 

 

 

The other item I chose was this dainty little Crown Ring, which is so delicate and beautiful - it looks like the quality of my Pandora rings! I had a hard time picking from the jewellery section, but this one just jumped out, and it looks so lovely that I'm glad I purchased.

 

If you are interested in picking up any items that I mentioned, or anything else on the website, then since I happen to be a #coconutqueen (lol), you can get 20% off with my code 'asmalldistraction20'. Tweet me @alittleblogger3 if you decide to go on a little spree!

 

Have you ever bought cute gifts like these?

 

Happy shopping!



TooFaced Wishlist

TooFaced is one of those brands where I wish for everything in the collection. At the moment I only actually own one of their products (the boudoir eyes palette - see my review here), but since my 18th is coming up, I've compiled a wishlist of all the things that I hope to purchase sometime soon/ever.

Chocolate Bar Palette
I'm going to be straight out honest with you guys here, this wouldn't be on the list if KathleenLights didn't rave about it so much in her videos. I purchased the Makeup Revolution dupe a while back, but I do want to try this out and compare. Plus, I've heard it smells like chocolate, and that can never be a bad thing! In particular the khaki green shade and the baby pink have me putting this right at the top of my list; literally two of my favourite eye shadow shades.

Melted Lipsticks
I want these in my lip product collection SO bad, I need need need them. I love the consistency of liquid lipsticks and I like highly pigmented colour, and from what I've heard, these products deliver both those things. Yeah it might be a hefty price tag, but have you seen the packaging?! The shades Ruby and Nude are going straight into my basket when I get the chance (they've actually been in my basket a couple of times already, but I wimped out because $$$.) Has anyone tried these, and are they all that I'm hoping for?

Lip Insurance Primer
Okay. I may be oblivious, but I don't feel like you see lip primers around very often. My lips get dry with lipstick and I lose colour easily, so a primer is something that I genuinely need in my collection, and TooFaced is such a well trusted brand that I might as well start at the top. A product that makes lipstick long lasting and non-drying is an absolute banger in my opinion.

Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
I feel like I'm constantly mentioning this lately, but my Laguna has hit pan (RIP) and although I've been putting it off for a heck of a long time, I do need to invest in a good quality bronzer. Bronzers are one of the products that I do feel like you get what you pay for; I wasn't that impressed with some cheaper brands that I tried, but my NARS one is the best bronzer I've come across. I've had my eye on the TooFaced bronzers for a good six months now because pretty packaging all the way, and its a tad bit cheaper than heading back to repurchase NARS when I'm already pretty low on cash (don't even remind me how much I spent today paying off my summer holiday.) There are three shades to this bronzer, but since I'm a pale bean, I think the lightest shade will be enough for my skin tone.

Better Than Sex Mascara
Why am I so English? Why did I cringe? Anyway, Taylor (Swift) uses this, so without even reading any reviews I knew that this was something I wanted to try out. After making that initial discovery I've seen this plastered all over every corner of the blogosphere, and although it seems a bit of a steep price to pay for a mascara, I think that once you get to £12 in Boots on a mascara, you might as well take the plunge. From what I've heard this is a brilliant mascara, so with that and the fact that the packaging is pink, I've set my expectations high. Again, if anyone has tried this before, do leave a comment and tell me what you thought!

Born This Way Foundation
I'm not a high end foundation girl, and I can't see myself ever fully moving into that zone. I'm quite happy with Rimmel, but these past few months curiosity has got the better of me. If a ton of beauty bloggers are paying £20+ for foundation, then there must be something amazing going on behind the scenes. I've done my research, and a lot of people say that this is a good high end foundation to dive in with; plus, that frosted glass bottle is all kinds of beautiful, and the shade range seems fantastic!

Phewf. Whittled it down to six before I convinced myself to buy the whole TooFaced section of the Debenhams website. Have you tried any of these products, and which items are on your wishlist from this brand?

(P.S. Have you been on the actual TooFaced website? That is the website of dreams aesthetics wise!)

The Best Nudes in the Business

 

(Firstly, get your minds out of the gutter, we're talking lip products.)

 

As anyone that knows me in the slightest will agree, when it comes to glosses, lipsticks and stains, its all about the nudes. I've forayed into the land of brights in the past, enough to know that aside from the occasional red lip, I feel much happier whipping out a nude (oh the multiple meanings in this post I can't bear it.) I think my skin tone suits a brown or a nude pink much more than a bubblegum shade, and one of the main reasons I reach for neutrals is that if you're going out for dinner, there's less chance of smudging and subsequent paranoia. Over the last few years I've bought a TON of these lip colours, so I've compiled a list of eight favourites in my collection.

 

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 'Abu Dhabi' - This is my absolute go-to. I love lip creams because they're the easiest product to apply, and this burnt brown nude is a shade that if you adore nude colours, you need in your collection. I'm not kidding.

 

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 'London' - To be honest, you could just pick one of the brown nude lip creams and be good to go if you're on a budget or ban. If you however, are a collector like me, then you'll definitely be able to notice the difference between the two. This isn't as bold, and is softer and more of a nude nude than a brown nude. LOVE.

 

• MAC Lipstick in 'Yash' - This is actually my most recent MAC purchase, and its probably the most everyday wearable shade I own. It's a really pretty nude, slightly to the brown end of the scale (obviously), and it's a colour I think would suit a lot of skin tones. Good one for a core collection, if you're just starting out with MAC.

 

• MAC Lipstick in 'Spirit' - Hands down the best of the bunch. I wear this to every important occasion and it never disappoints; a beautiful brown nude, but I won't harp on since I mention this in a ridiculous amount of posts!

 

 

• Bellapierre Lipstick in 'Cat Walk' - I received this in a Glossybox way back when, and its probably the pinkiest nude in my collection (omg just had a throwback to that old cartoon called 'Pinky and Perky' - anyone else? No? Ok.) I have to say that sometimes I do mix this with a lip cream to make the colour slightly more nude, but if you're a fan of pink nudes then this is the one for you. I haven't heard much about this brand, but the formula of the lipstick is so gorgeous and creamy - it looks amazing under a clear gloss as well.

 

• Kiko Milano Lipstick in 601 'Nude Rose' - This is another recent buy, and one that I wear a lot to college because the colour is so natural. I talked about this one a few weeks back in this post.

 

• Kate Moss Rimmel London in 43 - When the Kate Moss range expanded to nude shades I was over the moon, since I love the consistency of the other lipsticks that Kate brought out for Rimmel. This one is the brown nude shade of the ones that I have - I also purchased a pink nude when the collection was released, but I hardly used it and when my Mum loved wearing it the other night I decided to just gift it to her, so I don't have that one to show to you.

 

• Revlon Lipstick in 'Blushed' - You can't have a nude collection without a shimmery or metallic nude! I personally love the Revlon lipsticks, they're my favourite at the drugstore and I think the packaging is so chic and expensive looking. This colour is a shimmery nude, and looks amazing with neutral eyes. Definitely go check out Revlon's array of colours - they have loads of nudes and are of seriously good quality. 

 

If you have any lipsticks that you think would compliment these ones, then please comment and tell me, I'm a sucker for nude lippies! What's your favourite in your collection?



Caving in to the Hype

 

 

Happy Wednesday Guys and Gals!

 

I've read a lot of posts lately (like the one over on Emmy's blog which I particularly loved - go check it out!) about Blogger Influenced purchases, and as I've been reading them, I noticed that a LOT of the products I own have been down to Blogging, and the hype surrounding them. I thought I'd do my own take on that type of post, and show you some of the products I bought due to blogger frenzy, and whether they were up to scratch.

 

NARS Laguna Bronzer

I picked this up last April with my birthday money after seeing it all over Youtube, and I have to say that the hype was justified - I absolutely love this bronzer, it's so buildable and the slight shimmer is just beautiful. It was pricey, and I do think you could find bronzers just as good for a lower price tag, but I can't see myself not repurchasing this product, as its made its way into my everyday makeup routine (I hit pan last month, sob.) The formula of this face product is unbelievable, so I can't wait to try out some other NARS products and build up my collection.

 

Kiko Lipliners

This was a recent purchase, and when I did my research before I visited the Kiko store by looking at various haul posts, I noticed that every man and his dog was mentioning the liners from Kiko. I only have one at the moment, and its a brown nude called 'Burnt Sienna' that I've been wearing non-stop. Plus, how pretty is that shade name?! For the tiny price that you pay (it was literally about £2), the long lasting, creamy finish is hella impressive, so I would consider this one a win.



 

 

MAC Lipstick in Stone

I've never really bought into the MAC lipstick trends, I just tend to go in and pick what looks nice when I swatch it (I think I might be the only MAC lipstick fanatic that still hasn't bought Velvet Teddy). However, I did see a lot of instagrams and swatches of 'Stone', this gorgeous grey brown lipstick that completely stole my heart to the point where it was all I could think about and I had to just order it. I'm not huge on a statement lip, but this is a good compromise between a nude and a dark colour, since it's definitely more out there than Yash or Spirit. What I love most about this product is that even when the colour has faded a bit, the shade is still super lovely - it even survived a meal out! I'm definitely glad that I added this one to my collection a few weeks ago.

 

Benefit Push Up Liner

You may think it's all been plain sailing so far, but this product is so bad I can't even express it properly. I'm a huge Benefit fan, I own a lot of their products and will continue to buy them for a long time, but I couldn't gel with this liquid eyeliner that I saw lots of people raving about. It was scratchy on my eyelid, and I know that eyeliners are probably the item I'm most picky about, but I couldn't even draw a straight line with this (and I do pride myself on being able to do a good ol' wing.) I've used this twice and have completely given up - the application literally hurt my eyelid, and it must be borderline tattoo strength because it wouldn't come off! I don't know whether I just got a bad one, but this product, for me, was a huge letdown. 

 

Urban Decay 'De Slick' Setting Spray

The last product I want to chat about is this setting spray from Urban Decay that I picked up due to youtube hauls (they're deadly, I'm telling you). It was my first high end purchase a couple of years back, and its so firmly in my everyday make up collection now that I'm not sure I could live without it. This sets my foundation so well - if you've heard me rave about it before then you'll know that this kept my make up from sliding off my face in Death Valley. It's officially desert-proof. Plus, I've used this consistently for over a year now, and it's still not even close to running out. Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

These are just a few of my 'Bloggers made me buy it' purchases, and I know that I'll cave in to the hype many more times in the future.

 

Have you tried any of these products?

Youtube Channels I Will Always Watch

I have to admit that lately, I've been feeling (blog-wise), very uninspired. I did everything I thought I needed to do to achieve a blog I was happy with, but I'm learning that a marble background and a few props doesn't deliver everything to you on a silver platter. I'm happy with my content ideas and my newfound love for writing beauty, but at the moment I'm still trying to figure out new ideas for photography (hence, the stockphoto.)

I realised that although I've raved about my favourite bloggers before, I've never given an insight into what vloggers and Youtubers I watch, which is strange because I'm an absolute beauty video junkie. I often find new Youtubers and stick with them for a couple of months, but there are a solid few that I've watched for years, and would highly recommend. I also realised when drafting this that most of these are vloggers with a larger platform, but I don't actually pick channels on a follower basis, and a few of these were a heck of a lot smaller when I started watching way back when.

Beauty Channels

 

Sun Beams Jess  - I literally love Jess's style of make up, and her personal fashion style is what I aspire to be confident enough to wear. Aside from make up hauls and tutorials, I love the 'Outfits worn in a week' fast paced videos, and a lot of my fashion inspiration is taken from Jess. I find her University videos super helpful as well, so this is a varied channel with a lot of high quality content.

 



 Kathleen Lights - I've been watching Kathleen's videos for a super long time, because I love her bubbly and down to earth personality, and I know I can trust her reviews. I particularly like to watch the 'Kat Chats', which are chatty and usually pretty funny videos, but her make up tutorials are on point. If you want to drool over make up, watch her make up collection!

 

 

Siena Mirabella - Siena is my age exactly, and I think that's why I relate to a lot of her videos. I feel serious envy when I watch her videos, because her room is so pretty and blogger, but aside from that the range of videos on her channel is crazy, and she's so chill that the videos always put me in a calm mood. Plus, isn't her name the prettiest?!

 

 

Glitter A Little - Chloe's make up skills are out of this world, and if there is one channel I use to get tips on how to apply my own make up and achieve specific looks, its this one. This make up collection is another amazing one to watch (literally my favourite videos.) Chloe is another youtuber who is the same age as me, and I think that's probably why I gravitate to vloggers of this nature.

 





 



Vloggers (All of these have beauty channels, I just tend to watch their Vlogging channels more)

 

Aspyn&Parker - I think Aspyn is probably the Youtuber I've been watching for the longest, and since she and her husband (P.S watch the wedding video, its so freaking cute) Parker daily vlog, it's become part of my night time routine to watch a A&P vlog before I go to sleep. Aspyn travels everywhere it seems, so the vlogs are always interesting, and to be honest I would recommend subscribing to all her channels, she's my favourite! Also, her braids are amazing, it's so cool.

 



 

More Zoella - I feel like the Zoella channel is a bit controversial, but I do genuinely think she deserves all the success she receives, and I've watching for a good few years now. Zoe appears so lovely on camera, and I love seeing a big twenty minute vlog appear in my inbox. I personally think she has handled fame really well, and I like watching Youtubers that still seem down to earth and real after all that has happened with their channel.

 

 



Despite my subscription box being filled with videos from over fifty Youtubers, I feel like this is an accurate representation of my favourites!

 

What do you watch, and who are your favourites?

A Huge February Favourites

 

 

This past month has been such a great one in terms of trying out new products and brands, so I thought I'd collate my new favourites in a post, so I can recommend all the things I've loved throughout February. Warning: This contains more products than my average favourites post - I couldn't narrow it down!

 

• Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout - This author has been on my to-read for a long time, and I was particularly intrigued by this one, a chilling mystery if you're into that kind of thing. I've read this before actually, but I decided to pick it up again this month and fell back in love with the gripping storyline. I'm obsessed with the type of read that keeps you guessing, and this one definitely fits that category. It surrounds a mystery about two girls, who went missing for a period of time, with only one girl returning. Obviously everyone is desperate to know where the other girl went, but Sam (the girl who reappeared) has amnesia, so can't recall anything (dn dn dnnn.) You get the vibe. Dark, mysterious - basically the complete opposite of what people expect my literature taste to be.

• Naked Basics Palette - I received this for my 17th birthday, and I've got to be honest, I haven't utilised it as much as I expected that I would. However, this month I've been using the chocolate brown shade for my brows before I use my brow pencil, and I love the colour combination, so it's slowly making its way into my everyday make up routine.

• Baylis and Harding Valentines Candle - I did a whole post on these candles here, but throughout the month I've considered them a staple scent in my room, so it makes sense that these pear and magnolia candles would find themselves in the favourites.

• Dove 'Go Fresh' deodorant in Pomegranate and Verbana - Oh gosh this smells amazing. I don't think I've ever talked about deodorant on my blog before, but we all use it so it makes sense to recommend a good one! I took a travel mini of this to Amsterdam and it impressed me a lot; long lasting and no white marks is a winner in my eyes.

 

• Tarte 'Lights Camera Flashes' Mascara - I got this in September in my #NWmeet goody bag, and when I first used it I seriously wasn't impressed. Flash forward five months and I tested in out again, and have used it everyday since! Some mascaras I find need to dry out a bit to become less clumpy - is that just me? If you want volume and length a plenty, this mascara is your new best friend. I hear its quite pricey, but I do think that if you're willing to be persistent in trialling it, you'll see beneficial results.

• Benefit 'Total Moisture' Facial Cream - I needed a new moisturiser to apply before my primer, and my Benefit advent calendar delivered it straight to me. For years I used a No7 product to moisturise, but now I've used this I'm not sure I could ever go back. For such a tiny amount of product the differences are huge - my skin feels so much softer its unreal. This also has a lovely fresh smell, which is obviously important.

• Benefit Posietint - Another Benefit product creeping into my most-used products of February. With some Christmas money I bought a set of Benefit lip products (I wrote about them in this post), and even though the Benebalm is a crowd fave, I personally prefer Posietint, which gives such a pretty shade on my lips, keeps them moisturised, and leaves them looking super shiny. I'll always be down for products that are anti-drying, and tinted balms are definitely within that bracket of beauty. This is an expensive product (around £15 I think), but the few pounds you pay extra you get back in product quality. 10/10.

• Loreal Paris 'Infallible Mega Gloss' in the shade 110 I got the Power - Ever since they discontinued the Loreal Glam Shine Reflection glosses (the first make up product I ever asked for), I've been grieving. They were the best non-sticky glosses I'd ever sourced, so to see Loreal bring out another, similar range warmed my heart during February. These aren't new, I think I'm just new to the party, and I've made up for lost time by purchasing a good few shades. My favourite and most wearable shade is this nude colour, which smells amazing and looks effortlessly natural. The applicator for these glosses is incredible, and you can often find them on 3 for 2 in Boots or Superdrug, making them even more of a steal! 

• Make Up Revolution Goddess of Love Highlighter - This month I discovered Make Up Revolution, which has impressed me no end, and I've found a couple of favourites in their range. I was desperate to try one of their 'hearts' collection of bronzers, blushers and highlighters, since they're known to be a good dupe for the TooFaced collection of a similar theme. The packaging is girly and cute, and the highlighter I chose is a golden champagne shade that goes perfectly with Nars Laguna - the pigmentation on this product is crazy. Like whoa.

• Make Up Revolution Eye Foil in 'Rose Gold' - Gimme all of the shades please. This beauty of  a product cost me £1 which is such a reasonable price, and is basically a creamy, highly pigmented sparkly eye shadow that you mix with primer to create a liquid that dries slightly to complete an eye look and make it look polished and professional. I want to purchase every single colour, as this product is possibly my product of the month (if you gave me this without telling me the brand, I would assume MAC, I'm not even kidding). Literal gold.                                        

 

Sorry for the huge post, I ramble way too much when I'm talking about the best in beauty. What have you been loving this month?

 

Have you tried any of these products?