What I Got For Christmas

Hello,

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I had a great Christmas, but unfortunately my mum (who loves Christmas) was struck with the flu so was bed bound from boxing day. Although my mum was ill, we still made the most of Christmas and ate far too much and watched cheesy christmas films that we all secretly love!

I was a lucky girl this year as i received some really gorgeous and thoughtful presents so i thought i would share them with you as a few of them are beauty related. Just a little disclaimer before i start this post properly - In no way am i 'bragging' about what i received, i love reading these posts at Christmas to see what other people received so thought i'd share mine too.

Beauty, Skincare & Haircare
Every Christmas i put a few requests to Mrs Claus (my mumma) for some beauty bits. This year she did very well and i discovered the following under the tree. Urban Decay Naked Palette 3 - I already have editions 1 & 2 of this palette and when i saw the rose gold tinted swatches of the third edition i knew it had to be mine. I also received a Real Techniques Brush Set (Sam's Favourites), i was deliberating between sets but thought this set has a mixture of the brushes i would use the most - i'm so excited to use the buffing brush! The next skincare product i received i totally forgot i'd asked for, its the Origins Morning to Midnight Giftset. I've always been intrigued by Origins and have wanted to try some of their products for a long time so this set seems perfect. It has a collection of some of Origin's most popular products which i've been dying to try and it comes in a cute box which i will probably use for storing them in. Next i opened another of my requested presents which is Morrocon Oil, i've been yearning after this for ages and i am really excited to see how my hair reacts to it. My lovely twin sister gifted me with a Tangle Teezer (she must see me tugging at my hair) which i know will be such a helpful present as my hair is very prone to tangles. I received a few bits of make up in my Christmas Stocking too, a Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer which i'm looking forward to trying as i've never actually used a primer before! In my stocking i also found one of my favourite eye liners - Rimmel Glam Eyes - definitely give it a whirl if you haven't yet. Before Christmas i was saying to my mum how i haven't got a compact brush for work so this little and quite old school compact brush will come in very handy - plus it has a mirror. To top the beauty category off, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without an obligatory Soap & Glory product would it?! I was kindly given the S&G Clean On Me by my brother and sister in law - gotta love a bit of S&G!

My main present and one that i was most excited for this year was an electric toothbrush (can you tell i'm getting old?!). I've used a manual toothbrush and though it was time i moved into the 21st Century with my toothbrush tools. This toothbrush has a number of heads which have different functions (advanced whitening, flossing etc) and has a timer on too. I'm actually really excited to use this and see if i notice a difference.

Bags & Pyjamas
My sister got me this cute satchel bag (i think its from ASOS) which i absolutely adore, its just the right size to fit day to day items in. I haven't got a bag like this as all my bags are on the larger size so this is perfect! Next up is this little make up bag from Topshop, i'll be using this as my work make up bag as currently all my make up items are looming in the bottom of my bag, ew! Every Christmas i get at least one pair of new pyjamas and this year i got two - one of which is in the wash, so not pictured. The one pictured is from my brother and sister in law, its from the brand Iris & Edie which i've never heard of before. However, the pyjamas are super soft and feel like really nice quality. Coincidentally both my new pairs of pyjamas are in tartan which feels aptly festive at the moment.

Other Items
I also received a few stocking filler type bits. I absolutely live in fluffy socks so another 3 pairs of these will keep my feet toast through winter. I also received some normal socks with a slight festive theme running through them, who doesn't love Christmas socks?! I also received a studded skinny belt which i will get lots of use out of and i can throw my old Primark ones out too! One present that satisfied my inner organisational freak was this cute memo sticky pad which will sit nicely on my desk at work.

I have tried not to use the beauty products as i need to photograph them first (#beautybloggerproblems) so i'm planning on spending tomorrow getting snap happy, then i can finally use the beauty that is the Naked 3 pallete!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and having a nose at my presents! Leave me a link to your 'What I Got For Christmas' posts below as i love reading them. :)

Felicity xo

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow | On and On Bronze

Hello,

As winter is drawing in, the 7am wake up calls for work mean that its dark outside which in turn makes me want to snuggle up in my duvet, i've juggled my make up routine around so that i can get an extra fifteen minutes in bed - this means opting for products which take near enough zero effort to apply and can be applied using your fingers. One product which has been introduced to my make up bag is the widely talked blogged about Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. Yes, i know everyone and their dog has been waffling on about this, but rightly so as it is pretty good stuff!

When i bought this product i was very dubious of the word 'Tattoo' being used in the name, quite a big claim! As an oily eye lid gal, i was keen to discover what the longevity was like. I swipe the product on with my finger at 7.00am....okay maybe 7.15am... and take my make up off at around 8.30pm ish. I use this product without any type of eyeshadow base/primer which is a rarity for me as if i was to use a powder eyeshadow i would 100% use a primer. After 12 hours of wear the Colour Tattoo hadn't creased but i found that it had lost a bit of the intensity of the colour, which isn't a big deal as there was still a nice taupe bronzy shade but it just wasn't as vibrant as when i first applied it in the morning.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow | £4.99

For a slight experiment i tried using my trusty Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer underneath as a base and then applied the Colour Tattoo and i found that the colour kept its intensity all day. So, if you are prone to oily eyelids using a primer would be beneficial but if you're not too fussed then you can skip the primer and the colour tattoo will still last quite well but will possibly lose some of the intensity in terms of colour.

On-and-On Bronze is i assume one of the most popular shades as it is a gorgeous taupe shade which will suit all skin types. The texture at first is slightly greasy but don't let that put you off as when applied they dry to a sturdy finish. As the product sets quite strongly you can also layer eyeshadows on top, i've been using the colour tattoo all over my lid and then applying a light vanilla shade on the first quarter of my eyelid to create a slight gradient smokey eye look. There is a bit of a shimmer to On-and-On Bronze but nothing too offensive.

The colour range of the Colour Tattoos is not very extensive but there are enough shades available to keep neutral girls happy, i've got my eye on Metallic Pomegranate which is a lovely pomegranate/cranberry shade - perfect for Christmas!

Have you tried the Maybelline Colour Tattoos? Let me know which shade to try next!

Felicity xo

Review // Balance Me Beauty Cleanse & Smooth Facial Balm

Hi girls,

Hope you're enjoying the long awaited weekend. I will be spending the afternoon making a fairly hefty Feel Unique order and digging out my summer clothes, as i'm going on a late holiday to Turkey next Monday, i think it goes without saying that i'm looking forward to it! ;)

I've recently added a new addition to my skincare routine, my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish has been cast aside and in its place stands the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. This is one product which has been talked about a lot recently, with rave reviews coming from many blogs.

Balance Me Beauty Cleanse & Smooth Balm | £20



The concept of this product is simple, a face balm which removes daily grime, make up and leaves your skin soft, radiant and clean. I've always been curious about balm products as i have quite oily skin, i thought this might be a big no no, but the Balance Me Beauty team promised me that it would suit my skin very well, and who am i to argue?!

The packaging of the product is nice, a glossy tube, with a girly design on the front. There is no pump with this product, which doesn't bother me too much as its not a watery/gloopy product, so there is minimal risk of mess.

I feel that this product kills two birds with one stone, it exfoliates and cleanses in one.

Exfoliation

To start with i squirt a 10p size amount of product into my hands and massage all over my face, using circular motions. When doing this you can feel the oatmeal particles gently exfoliating your skin, yet the balm/oil combination still feels soft on your skin.

Cleansing

Next up i apply a little water to my hands and massage the balm into my skin again, at this point the balm turn into more of a milky consistency, which is just right for removing all the grime and make up from your skin. Then i simply rinse a muslin cloth (supplied with the product) under warm water and wipe away the balm to reveal clean skin!



Since using this product i've definitely noticed a positive change in my skin, it feels super soft after using the balm, and i even agree that leaves your skin looking radiant and glowing.

My concerns about using an oil based balm product were also quashed as i have had no problems with it affecting my skin at all.

If i had to compare it to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, i'd say that this definitely feels more luxurious to use and leaves your skin with an added radiance, which i don't find that Cleanse and Polish does so much.


Have you tried this product yet? Let me know what you think below :)

Felicity xo

Video || August Favourites

Hello,

Firstly, i hope you've all had a nice weekend - i'm currently watching the X Factor whilst munching through a bag of Minstrels.... oops! Anyway, today i've uploaded my August Favourites video which features some hair, beauty and random favourites.

Hope you enjoy it! :)