REVIEW: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Soft & Gentle

Hey!

Now I know it's not Summer anymore but we all love to have that sunkissed glow on our skin right? I know I love my skin to have a bit of a glow to it all year round, just so I look healthy more than anything.

I've tried my far share of highlighters including brands such as Sleek, MUA, Soap & Glory and while I was impressed by those highlighters, none of them were as good as my MSF Soft & Gentle.

This gives just the right amount of glow whilst also adding a tiny tiny bit of colour to the face making you look sunkissed. There's enough product in there to last forever as well. I've had it just over 2 months and the domed pan hasn't even begun to flatten out yet, which considering I use it most days is really good in my opinion.

The price wasn't something I was too happy about at first as I thought "hmm, £22 for a highlighter, am I stupid?" Then when I bought it I knew it was the right decision as I will get my £22 worth out of it. Definitely get enough product and good enough quality for your money, go MAC!

I really love this product and once again MAC haven't disappointed me, which I knew they wouldn't! Another thing I love about MAC is that it's cruelty free beauty, which I'm a huge fan of as it's hard to find brands that don't text on animals these days!

Have you tried this product? Let me know your thoughts!

Alicia x
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My Skincare Routine

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I've never been confident enough with my skin or my skincare routine to do a blog post about it, until now!

Daily I cleanse twice, use my skin perfection cream, moisturiser and then primer/spot zapper depending on day or night and I really feel like this has improved my skin. Yes I get the odd blemish and spot but no skin care regime is perfect and neither is anyone's skin but this what has been working for me recently!

I've listed below the things I use on my skin and in what order, in brackets are whether I use them in the day or in the night, if they're not labelled then I use them day & night :)

1. Garnier Pure Exfo-brush Face Wash

First, I'll use a face wipe to remove *most* of my make up then I'll soak my face and go over with this. Since my skin is so oily I always try and get face washes and exfoilators that are suited for my skin type as I don't want to throw my skins pH off balance and irritate it!

2. L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Water

After I've cleansed my face I'll remove any remaining make up with this micellar water which is probably my favourite make up removed of all time, in conjunction with this, this micellar water always works as a toner for the skin which just makes it even better!

3. L'Oreal Skin Perfection Serum

As a person with quite large pores, I need something to close them up as much as possible, or shrink them. This is what this serum is aimed to do as well as evening out skin tone, which I think it does and it really helps make my skin glow and look healthier!

. Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream (Day)

Even though this moisturiser is called "moisture rich" I tend to use it more in the day rather than the night as I feel it really helps give my skin what it needs and helps it stay hydrated. I do have oily skin but I've found if i starve my skin of moisture then it has the reverse affect and my skin will create more oil to keep it hydrated, which I hate because then my make up just slides of so this is really important to me!

Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Moisturiser (Night)

During the night i do steps 1-3 and then go on with this moisturiser, even though this is supposed to "wake up your skin" I find it's more moisturising than my skin can cope with in the day so it's perfect for the night and again, it's oil free!

L'Occitane Immortalle Precious Cream (Night - eye cream)

This is quite a heavy moisturiser so I like to put it under my eyes are that's the only part of my face that get s little dry and tight. Also I wouldn't want to cake my eyes in moisturiser during the day in case they soaked it all up and looked puffy/swollen so using this at night really works well for me.

Avon Clear Skin Clear Emergency Instant Spot Treatment (Night)

No word of a lie, this stuff is amazing and it only costs 99p from Avon (which you can buy online, until recently I thought you had to have the catalogue!) I put it on a spot, over all my skincare routine, go to bed and when I wake up it's a mere red dot, no nasty dead cells in sight! I would thoroughly recommend this and will do a full review shortly.

So this is my skin care routine, nothing to fancy but it works brilliantly for me! What do you use on your skin? Let me know!

Alicia x
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My Top 5 Autumn Lip Colours

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Arr' ya ready kids? (lol Spongebob)

No girl needs an excuse to wear lipstick, but it's always good to have your favourite colour picks for each season! I've decided to choose 5 of my favourites across highstreet and high end brans price ranging from £3-£15 so everyone can afford! 

MAC RiRi Woo £15

This is a matte finish lipstick that completes any outfit for a night out and is a perfect classic red with a blue undertone which will suit any skin tone! The only thing about it is you need to moisturise well before use because, being winter, your lips will get dry!

MAC Candy Yum-Yum £15

This is a bright pink lipstick, it's matte so therefore quite drying again but the colour pay off and the wear of it definitely compensates for that. I love wearing it on dull days to brighten up my face & my mood.

Barry M Black Cherry £3.99

Every girl needs that dark berry colour when autumn/fall creeps up on it, they're like staple colours for this season! My favourite pick is this Barry M one and even though it is matte, it's still quite moisturising but again, I'd make sure to extra moisturise the night before if you planned on wearing it!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in shade 20 £5.49

This range of lipsticks, omg this range! The packaging is sleep and the wear/pigmentation is insane for the price. You definitely don't need to buy high end to get good quality but hey, we all like to have those high end pieces. This is a bright fuchsia that is very moisturising on the lips and as you can tell, i'm very into my deep colours & my pinks! 

MUA One Direction Lipstick in Harry - Be Mine - £3

Obv bought this cause it's One Direction & Harry Styles but saying that the colour is actually perfect for this season, which was a very lucky coincidence. Being a shallow 1D fan I bought it for the name and to my surprise I've used this near enough every day! Now the last of this lipstick isn't amazing, i'd say 1/2 tops but for the price you really can't argue!

So this is my top 5 picks of lipsticks this Autumn that I'll probably wear to death! What're your picks? Let me know!

Alicia x
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LIFE: University life made easier with BT

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As many of you may know, I'm a student in Liverpool John Moores University and while there I was lucky enough to live in halls and get the wi-fi for free but some of my friends, who live in student flats and houses have to pay for it themselves.

WE all know ti can be a hassle, having to pay bills every month and buy food and pay rent whilst ALSO affording alcohol (necessary) can be a bit of a juggling mission on a student budget and that's where BT have stepped in to help!

They are offering 9 months subscription, ultimate entertainment packages to be won, 2 different options: 38 MB for £20 a month or 16MB for £16 a month which is a really good deal for students on a budget.

Coming from a family who are BT customers I can happily tell you about the great deals that come with this package. As well as unlimited connection and fibre optic broadband you get unlimited weekend calls to landlines, BT sport online and also BT Smart Talk app access/BT Wi-Fi hotspot access.

As you can see from the three pictures at the top of the page (these are BT Smart Talk and BT Wi-fi apps on my iPhone) you can get these apps FREE from the app store and they basically give you access to wi-fi wherever there is a hotspot (the app pin points where your nearest hotspots are) and the Smart Talk app saves you money when calling 0800, 0845 number from you mobile whilst also making calls abroad (from within the UK) whithout it costing roaming charges AND making calls without having to top up your pay as you go credit!

I use these apps quite often being a student I often need to phone banks and Student finance so using this app makes it cheaper for me to call them & I always use up my wifi when I'm away at uni cause the wi-fi in my halls is crapola so having BT wifi saves me!

If you would like to know more about this offer then visit the BT Student Website

*This post have been written in association with BT, all views and opinions are my own & 100% true and honest.

Alicia x
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REVIEW: Maybelline BrowDrama Brow Sculpting Gel in Medium Brown

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This product is one that was an absolute god send to me. I'd been looking for a high street tinted brow gel for a while when I stumbled upon this and I'm so glad I did.

To me, eyebrows are my most hated yet most loved part of my face, if they go wrong, I'm in a bad mood but if they go right, the rest of my make up just falls into place and the brows really frame your face so getting them right is really important, for me anyways!

This product sets my brows as well and for a long time without them looking shiny, they look as natural as ever! As you can kind of see from the consistency of the swatch on my hand, yes its brow gel not poop, it's a tinted gel not just a brown liquid to put on your brows which I think is really important and adds to the natural look it leaves your brow hairs with.

Obviously it's not a necessity to have this in your make up bag, if you're lucky enough to have brows that aren't wild then you could probably skip this step. Unfortunately for me it is necessary so I do use this daily!

Tinted brow gels obviously aren't for everyone and you can get clear brow gels and I'm sure you're very much aware of but seeing as my eyebrows are basically see through, this is a life saver!!

Have you ever tried this product? It's £4.99 in Boots!

Alicia x
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REVIEW: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15

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We all hate when we look in the mirror and we have bags or black circles and it always seems like such a mission to try and cover them up without looking like you've caked on the make up.

Well not anymore! I recently found that this concealer works really well for me and my dark circles. Unfortunately, I was born with them so no matter how much sleep I get or how relaxed I am, they're there making me look like I haven't washed my eyeliner or mascara off properly *please shed a tear for me*

I heard a lot of good things about this particular concealer, including that you can use it as a liquid highlighter for under the eyes, a base for eyeshadow as well as it's primary function - concealing under eye imperfections. Another brilliant thing about this concealer is that it DOESN'T crease under the eyes or settle into fine lines like the other thicker concealers do. Before this I was using the Soap & Glory Kickass Concealer which as much as I love for blemishes, I can't say I get on with it for my under eye are it settles and creases.

The shading of MAC has always confused my I'm not going to lie, but i know that I have a pinky undertone and that I'm quite pale so going for the lightest cool shade just made sense for me as I also wanted it slightly lighter so I could use it as a highlight.

The wear of this product is brilliant and it lasts just as long as my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation which lasts a good 7-9 hours on a longggg day.

This concealer is £15.50 from Debenhams or MAC store/counters and I really do think it is worth the price tag! 

Have you tired this concealer? Let me know!

Alicia x
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REVIEW: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation in 1N2 Ecru.

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We all have that point in life when we think, why can't I find my holy grail foundation?! This happened to me at the end of the summer because all my foundations either slid off my skin, broke me out or just didn't agree with me in general. the best drugstore/high street foundation I've found so far is Max Factors 3 in 1 which is actually pretty good to me!

However it wasn't perfect so my quest continued! I posted a picture on Instagram (I can't for the life of me remember what of) and someone told me to purchase this as they "swore" by it.

So off I popped to Boots to get colour matched - you know, because it costs near on £30 - and I was matched to shade 1N2 Ecru which is a light neutral shade and is kinda similar to Ivory in the L'Oreal True Match shade range!

This foundation boasts a whopping 15 hour wear time whilst not rubbing off, transferring, slipping off the skin or settling into pores and whilst I wouldn't know about the 15 hour wear, since I was my make up off each night, it does stay for a good 9 hours but as expected it does tend to settle into my pores after around 7/8 hours which is still a phenomenal time for a foundation to last!

This foundation is possibly more suited to people with oily skin as it contains no oil, so it could possibly dry you out if you have dry skin already, but I'm sure a bit of moisturiser would sort this out!

Overall I am in LOVE with this foundation, its a perfect colour match, it does what it says, it's full coverage and it's not too heavy on the skin. What more could I want?

Have you tried this product? Let me know!

Alicia x
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WISHLIST: Court Shoes - With Clarks

All Shoes shown here are priced at £54.99 and can be bought HERE. To see these actual pairs of shoes, just click the images.

Hey!

So recently I've been applying for a few jobs, some formal and some informal and I found that I didn't really have the right shoes to attend the interviews in. I was so confused about where to look and when I did look online I could never find any that didn't make me look like I was about 90 or that would fit my style. Enter Clarks Court Shoes!

These three pairs are the ones I feel like I'd probably be most likely to wear and the ones that I could use again for different occasions such as family meals, wedding christenings or even on a night out if I 'want a hugeeeee heel!

Clarks do an amazing range of court shoes that come in all sizes and included wide fit and standard fit. They're also perfect for any occasion as they have such a variety.

When I was little and I needed school shoes, even though my feet would grow about an inch a day or something stupid, my Mum would ALWAYS take me to Clarks because she knew that the quality of their shoes really was worth the price and I still think the same thing today.

Have you got any court shoes in mind? What do you think of my picks? Let me know!

*This post has been written in association with Clarks, however my opinions and views are 100% honest and true.

Alicia x
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September favourites

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Just a warning this post is picture heavy as you've probably guessed, but yeah just thought I'd give you a heads up.

Now I missed August favourites just because i was so busy with moving to university and life in general just got in the way. I back on track now and I have A LOT of favourites this month! Prepare yourselves.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Face Cream

I bought this on a whim after seeing it on Nicole Guerriero's YouTube window and it really has done wonders to clear up imprections on my skin.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer

I wont this in a blog competition which you can read the full post on >here.< When I first put this on my face it does feel rather oily but it really does work so that's why I love it!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation in ECRU

I went to Boots to get a colour match with this foundation as I knew I wanted it but didn't know my shade. I was eventually matched to the shade Ecru, by Lauren who was the counter girl in the Liverpool Boots, and I couldn't be happier with it! It's an amazing foundation and I will definitely repurchase.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15

I'd heard fab things about this concealer so obvsiouly I had to try it. I love it for highlighting the under eye area or to use as a shadow base.

Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in Light

Nothing had been heard about this blush before I purchased it but I'm glad I did because it creates a really natural colour and flush to the cheeks which for winter i think is perfect for creating the pinched cheek look!

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle

I'd heard so much about this and so I decided to just take the plunge as soon as I had the money and I'm so glad I did. It leaves the perfect shimmer and glow to wherever you place it on your face which is such a flattering feature to have.

Sleek MakeUP Contour Blush and Highlight Palette

Again this was another hyped product and I was actually after the highlight and contour palette but now they only sell the trio which was fine by me but the blush doesn't really suit me. The contour is the perfect tan colour for 'chizzlng' out the cheek bones and the highlight matches it perfectly so I'm really please with this purchase.

MAC Veluxe Eyeshadow in Woodwinked

It was so daunting walking into the eyeshadow section of MAC considering it was my first time, I was on my own and I had no idea what I actually wanted, all I knew is I an eyeshadow and I wanted it to be something I could wear daily or vamp up for the night and this is what I got! Its a shimmery bronze colour that is pferect for day or night and wear really well! 

Barbara Daly Even Smoother Eyeshadow Base

When I first saw this I instantly thought of MAC paint pots. This is like a light concealer that is primarily used as an eyeshadow base. I've done a full review >here.<

Rimmel Monoshadow

I never really venture into Rimmel stands for the eyeshadow but my little sister gave me this and I really have gotten a lot of use from it. It's so pigmented and so long wearing that for the price (i think around £3.99) they're amazing!

L'Oreal Color Riche Disco Smoking Eyeshadow Palette

I love love love this, obviously as it's in my favourites. I recently did a full review if you'd like to read it >here.< It's so wearable and so affordable that you can't really say no!

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me

I love all the Baby Lips that I have but just thought I'd picture one to get the point across. I've reviewed them >here<

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Candy Yum Yum

Every blogger and their mother has this lipstick and rightly so because it's beautiful. I definitely feel like a barbie when I wear it but it never ever goes unnoticed! I've reviewed it >here.<

Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

Other than my Maybelline Gel Liner this is my holy grail, it's my baby and I love it. It's so black and goes on to easily that i practically does the cat flick for you. It's only £2.99 and it lasts ages so I'd definitely recommend it and you can read my review >here.<

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Gel in Medium Brown

I haven't yet reviewed this and I don't know why because I love it. I was using Collections clear mascara to set my brows before I found this and Now I will never go back. It has a special wand to watch the shape of your brows and the gel is tinted to match your brow colour. It helps keep my brows set all day so no strays are wandering off from their path!

MAC 217 Eyeshadow Brush

I heard that your life changes when you buy this brush but I never realised to what extent. I feel like I look at pictures of my eye shadow before and its one big unblended mess and now enter the 217 my shadow is perfect! If you have the chance to try this brush TRY IT.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I always wanted the beauty blender but never could commit myself to pay £16 near enough for a foundation sponge even if they are the be all and end all. I don't know why but i can spend £18 on a brush but I'm uncomfortable with spending £15 on a sponge...So I jumped at the chance of buying a £6 sponge AND from Real Techniques so I knew it would be up to scratch. This blends my make up brilliantly and you can read my full review >here.<

None Beauty Favourites

Song: Drake - Just hold on We're Going home

Food: To be honest I've not been a massive foody this month but I think my favourite has been Egg Noodles in Hoisin and Springe onion Sauce

Drink: Alpro Soya - Chocolate Soya Milk

Clothing: My disco pants have made a firm reappearance!

TV Show: The Walking Dead.

Ok, so that was my September favourites! I know there was a lot but that's because I forgot August haha so it's like a 2 in 1.

I feel like I needed to do a long post anyway since I've been absent but again, I do have a life other than blogging and sometimes it does get in the way.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know your favourites :)

Alicia x
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REVIEW: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

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For as long as I've known about them I've really wanted a beauty blender but something within me, I think it's the poor student, just won't let me spend £15 on a make up sponge...

I've tried some of the dupes such as the cosmopolitan ones and the models own but I've never really got on with them as I find they retain too much water if I try and make them damp, even when I've squeezed then within an inch of their life, and they basically just wash my make up off as I'm trying to apply it or they just soak up too much if my foundation which again is a no no. 

That's where this beauty comes in - enter the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, the sponge to end all sponges (except the beauty blender because as I said - I'm too tight with money.)

This sponge has a variety of shapes and sides to apply different products in different ways for a better application. There's a flat side to blend foundation and also anrounded side of a more light coverage foundation application. Then there the point which can be use to blend foundation in those harder to reach areas such as the inner corners if the nose and the eyes. The pointed end can also be used to flawlessly blend concealer, which I actually use it for and it works a dream.

This is definitely a multiuser of a product and worth the £5.99 price tag! Where as the beauty blender is £15 over doube the price.

This sponge can be used wet or dry depending how you prefer your application and so on and can be washed in warm water (then air dried) which I think is really good considering the last time I washed my foundation sponge (not this brand or model may I add) it crumbled and I was left shocked and confused! 

The coverage the sponge provides is very variable but I usually go for a fuller cover which you can definitely achieve with this.

Overall I think this sponge is another great product from Real Techniques but hey, we all expected it to be anyway!

Have you tried this sponge? Let me know! 

Alicia x
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REVIEW: L'Oreal Color Riche Disco smoking Eyeshadow Palette

I

Hey!

First of I'd just like to apologise for the lack if posts as of late, I've been having to sort of a lot of things out over the last week and make a lot of life changing (literally) decisions. 

However I am now hoping that I'll be firmly back on the blogging wagon and I'm so appreciative of those who have stayed with me over this time!

Moving swiftly on! I bought this palette a while ago and I must say I am in love with it! The colours are so bold and definitely for those who want to experiment or those who want to try something new.

I was definitely on the trying something new band wagon as all my eyeshadow a were neutral bronzes and earth toned colours so this yellow pink purple and black definitely called up my collection.

As you can see the eyeshadow comes in a quad and you can get many like this, for £7.19 in Boots, in different colours. I chose this one as I said because I wanted something new and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

The colour pigmentation from these colours are brilliant and they really blend so so well together or with other brands of eyeshadow.

I love using this palette for any occasion, I tend to use the purple, pink and black for night time maybe sometimes with a pop of yellow under the eye/on the inner corner or I use the yellow all over the kid with MACs woodwinked in the outer V and crease. It's a very workable palette.

I use this on a near enough every day basis and I have done for the last month or two and it's not even showing signs of hitting pan so I'm really pleased! If you have the chance to buy this or another palette from the range I would definitely recommend it!

Have you tried this product? Let me know! 

Alicia x
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