MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2019

OMG, where has the time gone? Most importantly, why am I still sat here with a box of chocolates on my lap like I haven't just become a little pig in a blanket? 

I honestly have felt like 2018 has just flown by in a blink of an eye and that's probably due to many reasons. I had quite a hectic year in 2018, between changing 2 jobs in the space of 8 months, losing people and friends I never thought I'd lose, gaining new friends, meeting an amazing bunch of people I'd never thought I'd meet and just generally living and getting through every day life. 

This time last year, I had a vision in mind as to what I would have liked to accomplish by the end of 2018 and I'm not afraid to admit, at this stage, I don't feel I have accomplished any of the things I'd have liked. However, is it worth me sitting here dwelling on it? Nope. 

I've really learnt that sometimes, no matter how much you try to plan and imagine things going a certain way, no matter how much you try to control everything; sometimes it just isn't meant to be and this is OK. Before, I really would have felt demoralised but finally, if there is one thing that I learnt in 2018, is that everything will come in ITS OWN TIME!. 

Just because I've paid for almost 8 months of gym membership without going doesn't mean I should give up now and that I'm forever going to feel like "a pig in a blanket". Just because, I have not achieved some of my goals, does not mean that I should give up on them.

Faith. Have it and you shall get to where you need. 

So, I usually set myself 10 'Goals' or if you want, we can call them, 'Resolutions' for the new year. However, this year I am going to half that number and try to stick to it...

Here is my list of my TOP 5 RESOLUTIONS FOR 2019: 

❤️ GYM 

I'm going to use the word Gym but what I actually mean is just try to be more active all round. Whether I go for more walks, do some light exercise at home or actually make use of my gym membership. Whatever it be, I will try to be more active. I'm determined to feel good about myself again! 

❤️ LEARN TO COOK 

Now some of you will probably be thinking, girl you've been to uni, you've lived abroad for a year and you cant cook? 
To answer that question, I feel like I can cook food for myself but if I had to host a dinner party, I wouldn't be confident that people would like my food. I'd love to be able to learn to make tasty food that my friends and family could enjoy. 
I see so many scrumptious looking meals all over social media, magazines, blogs etc. and I would just love to actually be able to learn to cook even 5 fancy-er meals which also look presentable... You wait, one day you'll see me wearing a white chéf hat ;)

❤️ BECOME MORE ORGANISED 

Again, if anyone that knows me is reading this right now, they'll probably be thinking, really Marianna? 'You ALREADY are organised!' I'd personally say this is half true. I can be, very organised, however at times, I can also be really disorganised and totally unprepared for things. I'd like to actually be able to take more control of my life in 2019 and aim to be more organised with everything that I do, rather than just certain aspects of my life. This will also mean that I will be needing to create a schedule for my social media as I would like to make my posts more consistent across all of my active social platforms. In a matter of fact, if you guys have any days in particular where you are more likely to sit and read blogs or even, sit and catch-up on you Instagram feed, do comment down below :) 

❤️ IMPROVE PHOTOGRAPHY 

I can really appreciate pretty pictures, so why shouldn't I be able to take pretty pictures and share them with others? Photography has become so important in the bloggers world and one thing I'd really love to be able to do is learn to create beautiful flat-lays. Perfect flat-lays really catch my eye whenever I am looking through Instagram. As well as flat-lays, I would also love to be able to learn more about my camera, different functions and hopefully along the way, be able to find my style. 

❤️ BE HAPPY 

As cliché as this may sound, in 2019, I would like to be happier all-round. I have learnt that happiness is found from within. As I said earlier, 2018 wasn't the best year in terms of fulfilling the things which I thought would make me 'happy'. However now that it has come to an end, I cannot truly say that I am unhappy as a result of the things that I did not accomplish. In a matter of fact, I feel happier now compared to how I felt this time last year. That's because I have the best family, friends and boyfriend, who are always around me, loving, supporting and motivating me to always do my best. These are the things that make me happy and as long as I have these things around me, I will always strive to be the best version of me. 

So, we have come to the end of my 2019 resolutions and I really hope that you have enjoyed reading this. I'd like to wish you an amazing new year and I hope that it will be the best year you have ever had :)

Comment down below and let me know what your new year's resolutions are! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

Instantly Soft Lips with Bali Balm

Hey Beautyholicgirls,

Now, I don't know about you but I've noticed that as soon as the weather has gotten a little colder, my lips have started to get dry and chapped. Ergh. Usually, I am the worst person when it comes to dry lips because I end up biting them and trying to rub the skin away. 

In the past, I tried several lip balms and Vaselines which certainly helped but did not give me those smooth kissable lips in an instant. It would usually take a couple of days for my lips to become smooth and to top it off, in order to achieve this, I had to ensure that I kept reapplying them throughout the day. Of course, if you know me, I am the laziest person when it comes to reapplying anything on my skin; the minute my lips would begin to get better, I would forget to reapply my Vaseline and before I knew it , I was in one of those cycles where my lips would get worse and worse to the point where they start to bleed. 

After years of searching, I feel like I have finally found the perfect 'lip-rescue' for me and I want to share it with you all.

*DRUM ROLL PLEASE* 

Bali Balm *

This lip-balm has been a complete cult product for me over the past month. Here are a few reasons why: 

❤️ Vegan: The packaging and the ingredients in this balm are all 100% vegan. I feel that at this point in time, companies no longer have the excuse to get away with testing on animals. It is possible to obtain a good quality product that is also vegan.

❤️ Scent: The Bali-Balms come in 4 different scents, Bergamot & Grapefruit, Cinnamon & Burnt Orange, Lemon & Black pepper and Sandalwood & Ginger. I personally have the Bergamot & Grapefruit and I absolutely love this scent. I find that it's not too over powering and it just smells gorgeous and soothing. 

❤️ The Packaging: I absolutely love the packaging of this lip balm. It is so minimalistic, yet the dark orange internal part of the box adds a touch of luxury.

❤️ "Kiss the Planet Pledge": This is a campaign started by Bali Balm to support eco-friendly, sustainable and cruelty free practices in the production, packaging and usage of their lip balms. The pledge is a commitment to use only natural and recyclable products and processed that do as little harm to the ecosystems and the environment as possible... I don't think I need to add anything else as the pledge speaks for itself. 

❤️ Suitable for Him & Her: It's not just ladies who suffer from dry lips. Men should also be able to find products that work so I think it's great that this balm is suitable for everyone...Also, with Christmas coming up, I think they would make an excellent stocking filler for the men in your lives and that's an added bonus! ;).

❤️ Instant Results: For me, this is the most important point. The Bali Balm ACTUALLY works the second I apply it. Not only this, my lips feel moisturised for the whole day without any need to reapply it. I simply apply it in the mornings when I do my makeup and then go over it with my favourite lippy. 

The Bali Balms are available for purchase directly through the Bali Balm website. Retailing for £20, I admit that they are a bit pricier than your everyday drugstore lip balms. However, for me, the results are worth the price tag.

I would definitely recommend Bali Balm to anyone who suffers from chapped lips in the colder months. Plus, I don't know about you but I would always be happy to spend a few extra pounds for a product that is ethically produced and most importantly, does what it states on the packaging. 

Let me know if you have enjoyed this review and tell me what products you enjoy using to rescue your lips in winter. 

❤️

   Love, ML x

*PR: Products in this post were sent to me complimentary. However all photos and opinions are my own and I do not earn any commissions from sales.

SKINKISSED - VITAMIN C SERUM REVIEW

Hello Beautyholics,

I hope you are well!

Today, I am going to blog about something that you may have already come across on Instagram, the Skin Kissed Vitamin C serum.

I was contacted by SkinKissed last month and I was asked if I would be interested in testing their Vitamin C serum. After looking into the brand and serum, I thought I would give it a whirl.

Personally, I have come across quite a few reviews of this serum and so far, I am yet to read a negative post...

The product claims to: 

Nourish, enhance and leave your skin glowing. It contains 4 ingredients: Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid, collagen & rose oil.

The instructions for use are to use it twice a day, morning and night after washing your face. It also claims that it can be used under your foundation and it is also supposed to help combat acne.

I suffer from enlarged pores and quite dull skin and I often find that when I wake up in the morning my skin doesn't look as plump as I would like it to be - which often then leads me to piling on makeup and covering my face with foundation. Yep, I know, this is probably also another reason why my skin doesn't look its best! However, you get it - its a vicious cycle!

I'm not usually someone who uses many serums, mostly because I try to keep my skincare to the minimal basics. However, when I received the bottle I was really excited to try it out.

It came in this small black bottle with gold writing across it. Very simple and plain... but you know me, I LOVE simple things, especially when it comes to skincare. However, I found this serum really easy to use because I only needed a few drops and I used it instead of my moisturiser at night time. I did also use it under my makeup in the day time.

The thing that I was the most impressed with, was that it comes with a pump which allows you to measure how much product you use, ensuring that there is no wasted product.

I'm one of those people who dislikes wasting things, regardless of what it is - probably also why I'm a chubba, because I always make sure none of the food on my plate gets wasted ;) (haha). Anyway, I find that one of the many downfalls with most products is that they are not designed to prevent product wastage. So I was glad to see that this serum was not part of the wastage gang.

I decided to test this serum out for a whole 28 days before giving you guys a review as I wanted it to be honest. So now that the full 28 day are up here is what I found:

Pros

❤️ Barely any scent - this is great because I used this before going to bed at night and I did not want anything highly fragrant
❤️ Skin felt softer after application
❤️ Plumper skin - I found that when I got out of bed in the morning my skin looked brighter and all round healthier
❤️ It did not break me out
❤️ Absorbs right into the skin enabling you to apply makeup over it without it slipping off
❤️ Not tested on animals - I think nowadays, given the modern advancements, there is no excuse for companies to test products on animals. I'm all for brands who care about the planet and do not test on animals!

Cons

❤️ Retails at £29.99 for a 20ml bottle -  I think that they could do with giving more product for the price. However, they do great offers if you purchase more than 1 bottle...so if you can get yourself a bestie to also try the product you can save a little - I mean, this is also what besties are for right? ;)

So, my overall opinion is that it is certainly a GREAT product which I would urge you all to try out. It did really help my skin look plumper and I actually saw a reduction in blackheads - particularly around my nose and forehead. So for this reason I would rate it a solid 9/10!

How about you, have you tried any Vitamin C serums before? Let me know what you have tried and how you have got on!

❤️

   Love, ML x

New Look Bargain - £2 Foundation

Hello my Beautyholics,

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having!

Today, I want to blog about a recent purchase which I thought was totally worth sharing with you all.

Last week I was browsing through New Look and stumbled across their makeup section as they had a HUGE sale on. I mean, there was items, cheaper than chips which I thought was really, really good! I don't know about you, but I am one of those people who really struggles to find a good bargain when browsing through sales - probably because I get annoyed half way through and just give up!

Anyway, I had some time to spare so I actually stopped to look through things properly and I noticed they had put some foundations on sale for as cheap as £2. I checked their original price and they were usually going for £4.99 (still pretty cheap). However, since I rarely find foundations as inexpensive as that, I thought I would give them a shot. I have actually not been wearing much foundation lately, mostly because I have got a bit of a tan and have particularly been enjoying using the HDBrows Sun Stick, which I blogged about last week (just popping the link for it here "High Definition Beauty must haves - Sun, Sculp & Glow Sticks".

At the moment, all of my foundations are a bit light for me as I am trying to hold onto my sun-tan for as long as possible and I have not really wanted to go out and splash dollars on a darker foundation which I probably wont get through.

So anyway, I decided to give this foundation a go and I picked up a slightly darker shade in "Natural Tan". It comes in this really basic black tube - reminds me a little of the MAC foundations and for the price, I feel like its quite a generous size.

The foundation comes out in really small amounts, which is great because you don't waste any of it. I was super impressed with how the colour matches my skin and it is a very light formula. It is also very buildable, however in the photo below I had only applied a very small amount.

I applied it in the morning with the rest of my makeup and it stayed on all day. It's perfect to even out your skin tone and to just add a touch of glow to your skin whilst still looking makeup free! Out of 10, I would definitely rate this foundation a solid 8/10.

I'd love to hear how you guys have found New Look makeup and whether anyone else has tried their foundations?

Let me know in the comments!

 ❤️

 Love, ML x

HIGH DEFINITION BEAUTY MUST HAVES - SUN, SCULPT & GLOW STICKS

Hey Beautyholics,

It's been a while!

I have been dying to share this review with you but for those of you who follow me on Instagram, you will know that I have been away on holiday (FYI, Holiday blog post is totally pending!), so I was unable to blog about these earlier.

I was recently contacted by High Definition Beauty and was asked if I wanted to test out their new Sculpt, Glow and Sun sticks and review my opinion on them. Of course, if you know me you know that I am OBSESSED with being tanned - I swear, the saying is real, Life is so much better when you're tanned! So of course, I instantly accepted to give these sticks a whirl.

If you have never heard of High Definition Beauty, they are an award-winning luxury British beauty brand. They started off as eyebrow specialists in 2008 and also go by the name HDBrows, however, since 2014 they have branched out into make-up and now offer beauty essentials for eyes, lips, face and brows.

When the sticks first arrived, I was really impressed by the sleek packaging and sizes that these products came in. I love anything Black, so I found their all-black packaging perfect! 

I received two Sculpt sticks - in cool and warm tones, a Sun-Stick and two Glow sticks. I was absolutely in awe when I opened them because of how beautiful the highlighter shades were.

The Glow sticks I received came in a Champagne and a Rose Gold, respectively swatched in the image below. The Champagne is a gorgeous gold shimmery highlighter, whilst the Rose Gold is more of a subtle shimmer. What I particularly loved about these sticks, is that they are highly pigmented and suitable for all skin tones. They are also very buildable, so you can create both subtle and full glam diva looks.

The Sculpt sticks came in two different shades. A cool shade (first swatch) and a warm (second swatch). Without a suntan, I found that the cool shade suited me more as looked less orange once applied over my foundation. Whilst the warm shade is recommended for those with darker and more yellow undertones.

Finally, the 'Pièce de résistance' from this review is the Sun-Stick. GURRRLLL! You do not need to lay on the beach soaking up the rays for a tanned look. If like me, you love to look tanned, you just need to add this Sun Stick to your beauty bag (bottom swatch).

I have been using it every day since coming back from my holiday and I have not needed to wear any foundation.
Despite me spending the whole day at work and then coming home and sitting out in the sun sweating, it stays matte on the skin and I find that it stays put on my face for the whole day. I apply it just like you would apply any cream contour stick and then use a soft brush or beauty blender to blend it in.

During the past week, I have also started to apply a thin layer all over my face just to add that extra bit of colour to my complexion and since I have started to do this, I have received lots of compliments and people asking me if I had been out sunbathing - My response: "Yes, of course I have" ;)

I can absolutely see myself using these stick for the next couple of months as they've really become indispensable items in my every day beauty bag and I will probably purchase them once they run out.

These sticks, can be purchased directly on the High Definition Beauty website - click here. If you check them out during this month, they currently have 30% off all of their Sun, Sculpt and Glow Sticks, so you'll be sure to get yourselves a really good saving.

Below is a cheeky selfie (hope you don't mind), that I took of me wearing my favourite Duo - Sun Stick and Champagne Highlighter.

Oh, I really do wish I could be tanned forever!

I'd be also interested in knowing whether anyone else has tried these sticks before and how many of you would be willing to give them a shot?

❤️

   Love, ML x

Disclaimer: Products in this post were sent to me complimentary. However all photos and opinions are my own and I do not earn any commissions from sales.

What I got in the Influenster UK Rimmel London Voxbox

Hello Beautyholicgirls,

I hope that you are all doing great.

I am back with an exciting post today. I was kindly sent the InfluensterUK voxbox last month and it contained some really cool products which I was so excited about sharing with you all.

As many of us here in the UK know, the new episodes of Love Island were aired on ITV at the begginning of this month. To commemorate this amazing time for us all, Rimmel London UK have teamed up with InfluensterUK and sent some very lucky bloggers the following products:
3x Wonder-Swipe Eyeliners, Scandal Eyes WOW Mascara and some festival worthy, ultra-glamorous instant tattoos!

Now let's just say that when I opened the box and saw those tattoos I was MEGA excited. I literally had not used instant tattoos in years and they really blasted me back to the 90's.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will probably know that I am one of the plainest people on this planet when it comes to makeup. This is mostly because I really enjoy nude colours and as much as I wear foundation, eyeshadow, contour and the whole shebang every single day, I do still like to keep it very neutral. For this reason, when I saw the colours I had received in this box, my instant thoughts were: "Wow, they're erm, a bit extravagant".

Nonetheless, I was open to trying these out and to seeing whether a plain Jane like myself could rock some bold coloured eyeliners.

Before doing these looks, I did have a look on Instagram and I had seem some really awesome makeup looks that other bloggers had created with these liners. However, I am in no way an expert when it comes to makeup; so I decided to keep things simple and just try them out the way I would usually wear eyeliner.

As you can see out of the three colours I was sent, the grey one on the left was quite dark and very close to the black eyeliner that I would normally wear. So I chose to take the plunge and try out a look with the purple and gold eyeliners.

In the past, I had read that purple really complements brown eyes; as someone who likes her neutral colours, I was always afraid to believe that. However, I must say that when I applied this purple eyeliner, I really could see how much more the colour of my eyes stood out. In addition, I absolutely loved using the eyeliner because I found it very easy to work with and also very buildable. I also used the gold liner just to add a tiny pop of highlight in the inner corners of my eyes.

I found that the consistency of the gold liner was slightly runnier compared to the other two shades and as a result the glitter smudged a lot more easily. Despite this, when you compare it to other glitter products I would still rate it a solid 8/10 for product consistency and pigment.

The next product that I was initially really excited to try out was the Scandal eyes WOW Mascara. If you know me, or have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that mascara is my holy grail beauty item. I could give up all makeup but could never give up mascara! So of course, when I saw a spanking new mascara, in the prettiest shade of lilac packaging, I was in awe!

I absolutely love, fibre bristles on mascara wands. I swear by them and it is for that reason that I have always been able to have long and defined lashes. Many women, swear by plastic bristles, however, I find that they clump your lashes and just generally make more mess than anything. So when I opened this mascara to reveal the wand, I was disappointed to find that despite all the pretty packaging, the wand came with plastic bristles :(

I still decided to give it a shot and not to let my past experiences dictate how I would feel about it. However, after trying it out every day for a week, I still cannot say that I am in love with it. Whilst it is A LOT better than previous plastic wand mascara brushes that I have tried in the past, it is still not a product that I would repurchase. I found the bristles too thick and they ended up really clumping my lashes together. If you have tried this, do let me know how you have got on with it!

Last but not least, the final and most exciting item in this box was the instant tattoos. As already mentioned, I was mega excited to try these as they are the sort of thing that I used to be crazy about when I was a little girl. There was so many to choose from and I can't really say that there are any that I did not like. I pretty much love all of the tattoo designs that were included.

I have always toyed with the idea of getting a real tattoo and I always said that if ever I would get a tattoo I would get it on my wrist. So I decided to try out the design in the image below.

I absolutely loved how glam these tattoos turned out to be. The design transferred so easily and whilst I was so scared to peel off the bottom layer in case it had not properly transferred, it all properly adhered to my skin really well.

I would also like to add, that despite me sweating in the gym and showering twice a day, this tattoo did not budge for a whole 5 days! A definite MUST have for this summer festival and beach holidays! ;).

On the whole, I was super happy with the products I received in this month's InfluesterUK voxbox. Apologies if this blog post has been a rather long one...but yano, it had been a while after all!

Let me know your thoughts and also whether you have also tried any of these products.I'd love to hear your opinions.

❤️

   Love, ML x

Disclaimer: Products in this post were sent to me complimentary. However all photos and opinions are my own. 

Marc Jacobs Matte Highliner Gel Review

Hello Beautyholics,

Who would have thought that colour pop eyeliners would come back in fashion?

If you're like me, you probably stay away from colours when it comes to eye make-up. I like to keep things very basic and a black winged liner usually does the job.

However, last month I was very fortunate to have received a parcel from InfluensterUK, containing not one, but two complimentary samples of Marc Jacobs Highliners. I was really not expecting to receive the parcel so you could imagine my face when I opened the parcel *Screams of Excitement*.

I received a dark brown shade called 'Earthquake' and a pastel blue shade called 'Déja Blue'.

My initial reaction was, "WOW, I love the brown but what am I going to do with the blue"? SO, I started swatching and playing around with them. As I began swatching it, I realised just how creamy the eyeliners were, it felt like colouring in with a Crayon.

I then went on to try using it on my eyes. I must say, for someone who is used to doing their winged liner with a felt-tip pen, it was a struggle to get a neat wing with this pencil! Nonetheless, I still managed to get a 'neat-ish' line. When it came to the 'Deja Blue' shade, I was unsure about where to apply it. I had considered putting it on my water line, but I didn't think it would look appealing with my dark brown eyes. Instead, I chose to pop a little in the inner corner of my eye and just take it up a little.

I must say that, I was quite happy with how it turned out - Not bad for someone who only ever uses black liner!

I loved the durability of these, I did the make-up in the morning and by the evening the eyeliner had not smudged nor had it lost any pigmentation - 10/10 for that!

How about you, have you given these a go? I'd love to hear your reviews and how you used them! Share your comments below :)

❤️

   Love, ML x

How to maintain your summer glow ft. Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow Moisturiser review

Hey m'darls,

Hope you are all well.

I've only been back from my holiday for just over ten days but I am already experiencing major holiday blues! :(

As usual, one of the main things I love about being on holiday in the summer is catching a golden tan, I mean, who doesn't? I don't know about you, but life is so much better when you're tanned. I also love how just under five minutes, I can have all my make-up done and be ready to roll-out as I don't need to spend ages concealing, applying foundation and contouring my face to stop me looking like a mini Casper.I must say that I'm quite fortunate to be one of those people who tans quite easily, however it is such a struggle to maintain that golden glow once you are back in the rainy U.K.

This year, I was determined to find a product that would help me to prolong that natural tanned look, without needing to apply any heavy dark foundation on my face.
Whilst shopping in John Lewis, I came across the Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow moisturiser. If you know me, I love CT products so I was sold right away. This product claimed to be "summer in a bottle" with pigments that morph into your skin developing into a natural looking tan.

Verdict... It does just that!

As usual, I like to show you the difference so that you can see the results for yourselves.



As you can tell, this moisturiser really helped to even out my skin tone, whilst maintaining that natural looking glow. I absolutely love it!

If I want to look even more tanned, I simply apply some light bronzer on my cheek bones and I feel as if I have just spent the day soaking up the sun. I used this every day whilst on holiday in the evenings and I have been using it every day since being back from my holiday to try to maintain my tan as long as possible. Out of ten, I'd rate it a solid 9!

For those with oily prone skin, one thing to look out for is that this moisturiser dries up very dewy and becomes even dewier throughout the day. However, I am one of those with oil prone skin in my T-zone but I still find this product a must have go-to if I am popping out of the house for a few hours.

How about you, have you tried this product before? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

❤️

   Love, ML x

Favourite Lipstick and Lip liner combo

TADA, I'm back!

This time I'm going to cut it short with the soppy excuses as to why I've been absent (yet again!) from the blogging scene. Let's just say, I have been super busy with every day life and finally I'm slowly regaining some time to myself to focus on doing what I love.

So, to ease myself back into this whole shebang, I thought I would do a quick post on my favourite lip combo of ALL time!

As you know, when it comes to lipsticks I like to keep things simple. Nudes are and will, always remain my go-to lipstick shades. I don't know what it is about them but I just feel comfortable whenever I'm wearing a nude lipstick. I find that it easily goes with any outfit and regardless of the occasion, a nude lippy will never cease to be in fashion.

Of course, as you can probably imagine, I have tried a tonne of different brands and shades on the hunt to find the PERFECT nude...and believe me, I have tried way too many at the expense of my bank account.

Anyhoo, this time last year I thought I had found THE ONE... It came in the simple black sleek packaging, with the brand name written across the lid in silver writing. You guessed it, it was a MAC. If you've already read my post about my favourite MAC lippys you'd know how much of a sucker I am for MAC lipsticks, in particular any of their matte shades.

I find MAC lipsticks very long wearing, to the point where if I forget to reapply my lipstick after lunch at work, it doesn't matter too much because I know that there will always be a hint of colour on my lips.

With this lip combo, I had originally found the MAC lipstick in shade "Honeylove" to be my favourite nude. I then soon came across the Charlotte Tilbury lipliners and fell in love with "Iconic Nude". These two together were just what I thought to be, the perfect nude lip combo. The Charlotte Tilbury lip pencils are by far, the BEST lip pencils I have ever come across. Yes, that's it, they're even better than MAC's. No word of a lie, they stay on all day and are super easy to apply as opposed to some MAC lip pencils that require you to go over your lips a few times until you can see some colour.

However, just as I thought I had found the perfect lip combo, I came across an even better match! This time, it also came in a black sleek packaging and went by the name "Yash". As opposed to Honeylove, Yash is a lot more of what I would call a true nude lippy with brown undertones. Coupled with the Charlotte Tilbury Iconic nude lip pencil it was the Purrrfect match!

So, what can I say, for those of you girlies who really like pink and are after a nude colour lippy, I recommend trying out the Honeylove. If like me, you're really into the browns and true nudes, you've definitely got to try out Yash.

I thought I'd post a picture below of them both to find out which one you girls like best! (They look very similar on camera ;))

I'd also love to hear what your favourite nude lipsticks are, so let me know below! :)

❤️

   Love, ML x

SEVENTEEN makeup review*

Hey lovelies,

Just before Christmas I was kindly sent out two products by SEVENTEEN and I have been meaning to blog about them ever since but have not really had the chance to get around to writing it all up...finally though it's here!

The two products were the "All out pout"* featuring 4 different shades of beautiful reds and the "Let's face it"* concealer palette. Prior to receiving these, I had not tried any SEVENTEEN makeup range so I was really excited to give them a go.

 

For anyone that knows me, you'd know that I am not very daring when it comes to lipsticks...I literally love sticking to my nudes and MAC's "Yash" is literally my every day go-to lip colour. So when I received the "All out pout"* palette in the red shades I was super excited but also kind of scared to see how I would look wearing a bold red lippy. 

 

The palette comes with 4 different shades of red, a baby pink and a sparkly gold shade -which I used to highlight and create an ombré effect on the lips.

Bearing in mind that I had never tried to create an ombré effect using lipsticks, below is the result that I got using this palette. 

 

As you can tell, the lipsticks are quite glossy (some more than others) but what I loved about them was that they were not sticky! (Literally earned extra points for this because I am really not a fan of sticky lippy's).

I started off by applying the light pink shade (on the top left) and then gradually built it up by applying the light colours to the dark ones. Once I got to the darkest shade I just applied it on the outside of my lips and then went back to add the lighter shades in the middle and slowly blending them out. Finally I added a touch of the glittery shade (bottom right) in the middle and on my cupids bow to create a highlight effect.

I don't know about you, but I loved the how it turned out and I think that it's a great palette for anyone who, like myself, isn't very daring when it comes to reds as the palette retails at £4.99 so hardly breaking the bank ;). Also, it is great because you can use the shades lipsticks on their own if you want to as well making it a great,cheap option for anyone wishing to snap out of wearing nudes all the time!

The other palette was the concealer and blush "Let's face it"* kit-now this I have tried lots of in the past, so I was really able to compare this to other concealers and blushers. What I particularly loved about this palette was that it contained two different shades of concealers, making it suitable for anyone who has either pink or yellow undertones! :)

 

My skin, has quite yellow undertones so particularly preferred the middle shade, but I also used the shade on the left around my face to cover up any imperfections. I found that the concealers are easily comparable to the Clinique Airbrush concealer in terms of texture and durability. I did find them to be quite oily- so maybe not particularly suitable for anyone with really oily skin, however, it does also come with a powder to put over the concealer which I thought really helped to make it stay on for longer.

As for the blush, I don't usually wear cream blushes because I normally find them quite hard to blend and they can feel sticky and oily on the skin, however I found that if you used a small amount of this one it really gave a nice natural "rosy" look to your cheeks and it was not too oily either! All in all I'd rate both of these palettes a 7/10 especially for the price!

What SEVENTEEN products have you tried before?

❤️

   Love, ML x

*Products received as PR samples, reviews and opinions are solely my own.

Primark PS Pro Mattifying Primer

Hello Lovelies,

I don't know where to start other than by saying that I am well aware that this blog post has been long overdue. I apologise for my absence but unfortunately a lot has gone on in my life lately which has meant that I had to put my blog aside until things settled down. However I'm finally feeling ready to get back into it all and start blogging again! :)

Today's post is about the Primark PS Pro Mattifying primer. I received this sample in the October GlossyboxUK and I must say that although I hadn't tried any of the Primark make-up range, I was quite excited to give this one a go! The product I received was in full size, which meant that I have been able to use it almost every day for the past month and really get to see what it's like on my skin.

 

So, let's begin by talking about the scent. I don't know whether I have mentioned it before but I'm usually not a fan of makeup/skincare that's really scented. However I do also think that the worst thing is slapping on a load of makeup that smells like a cocktail of chemicals mixed in together...

With it being a Primark product, I didn't really know what to expect. I went ahead to open it assuming that it would probably smell like a mix of cheap chemicals but I was completely wrong!
The primer is slightly floral scented-it's almost like a clean smell which is great because it does not linger once it has been absorbed into the skin.

I also really like the texture, it's super soft and easy to apply and I particularly love how it is non greasy! Which in turn, really helps to create a matte base for you to apply your foundation.

I have to also add that I am probably one of the best people to go to when it comes to testing the durability of a beauty product because I literally tend to leave my makeup on right until I'm about to get into bed (so so lazy!). So this has meant that I have really been able to see how long my foundation stayed on for whilst using this primer. And I must say that I was really pleased!

Although I haven't really tried many primers in the past that would enable me to compare this Primark one with, I do think that for anyone who is looking for a cheap and cheerful primer that will do it's job well-I definitely recommend giving this one a go! It retails at just £3 so you'd really not be losing out on much if you didn't like it :)

I'd like to hear what you guys thought of it if you've tried this primer before. Otherwise let me know what primers you have used and which ones are your favourites...

Thanks for reading and I hope that you've found this post helpful! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

Starting University - All you need to know

"Have I chosen the right course"?, "Will I make new friends"?, "What do I need to bring with me"?, "What if I miss home and decide it's not for me"?...

Starting university is one of the most exciting, yet most frightening times of your life. Trust me, we have all been there!
I remember the upcoming weeks before enrolling onto my course and I had about a million questions whizzing through my mind. It was a really exciting time for me because this was going to be the first time I'd be living away from home. I also particularly remember feeling nervous and scared. Nobody would be there to do my washing, nobody would be there to make sure that I was up in the mornings and above all, nobody would be there to cook my all time favourite lasagna!

I remember researching everything I could and reading many student forums to make sure that I had everything that I needed. I was so worried that I'd arrive to my halls and realise that I'd forgotten something important behind, or even worse, that I wouldn't like anyone that I was living with and that I'd be lonely for the rest of my years at uni.
Yep, it's crazy the kind of thoughts that go through your mind when you're stressing out!

Let me tell you though, none of this was important or even necessary for me to have had. What I didn't realise at the time, was that this was going to be a fresh start to my life, a new chapter. It didn't matter if I had forgotten something behind, or if I now had to learn how to cook. None of this was important because I was finally going to grow up and flourish into a better me. To this day, I wish I hadn't worried so much about these minor things because before I knew it it was all over so fast :(

So anyway, I figured that there are probably a lot of young people who are currently in the same position that I was in a few years ago. So I thought I would write a quick guide, or at least tell you about my experience and the ways to go about things in order to make these next few years the best you've ever had!

                                              -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you've chosen your course, you've got your accommodation sorted, now all that's left is making sure you pack the important things you'll need and get yourself ready for this new chapter.
By now, you should have received a guide to your freshers week, giving you all the information you need to know as well as a guide with some sort of schedule with your moving in day. Although, let;s not forget that some uni's aren't as organised as others, so if you haven't received anything, fear not! I will try to list out the things that you need to know below:

Before arrival:

1. Make a list of all the things that you need to bring with you. Some accommodations supply a lot of the trinklets and bits and bobs that you need in your social space and bedrooms. However, make sure you find out exactly what is being provided for you. Then make a list of all the ESSENTIAL things that you will need (I have done a separate post with a University Checklist). 
2. Make sure that you have printed any arrival documentation that you will need when you move in and for enrolment. This may be things such as passport, letters of acceptance, exam certificates and anything which you may have been told to bring with you. Make sure you read your emails carefully because they will often tell you about these things. 
3. Make sure you know your moving in date and the times, visit your university website, Facebook and Twitter pages, to find out whether they are posting any freshers information. I particularly remember that my university halls had a separate Facebook page where people could post their flat numbers so that others living in the same flats could comment. This was a great way to meet people before arriving! 

Moving in day: 

1. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who likes to make sure everything is packed from the day before so that on the day I don't have to think about anything other than getting myself to where I need to be. If you are also like this, or struggle to get to places on time, I advice you ensure that you have everything packed from the night before so that all you have to do is get yourself moved in. 
2. Once you arrive, make sure you follow the instructions that you were given before moving in (by this point you would have certainly received something telling you where to go)
3. Once you've moved your stuff into your room, what I advise you to do next is to leave your bedroom door open so that if you haven't already met the others living in your flat, this would be an opportunity to meet them when they arrive!

Meeting people: 

I must say that at the time, I was not the best person when it came to socialising. I was always quite shy to approach new people but this is where you really have to make the effort to conquer your fears and get talking! 

Honestly, I cannot stress this enough but the more people you will meet in freshers week, the better it will be. People will be as friendly as they're going to get during this stage, so it's best to get to know as many of them as you can. I'm not saying to over do it, but just make the effort to be yourself and show the best side of you. 

You'll soon realise that you'll naturally "click" with some people over others and before you know it, you'll have made so many new acquaintances and new friends :)

First day of lectures:

Eeeek, the "scary" day. I remember this day so clearly, I struggled to sleep the night before because I was so worried to go to class actually having to learn things that at the time, I imagined would be so hard for me to understand. But honestly, I was fine... 

All I can suggest, is firstly to make sure that you have your timetable printed. I printed mine as soon as it was available online. I even made my own version so it looked pretty and colourful up on my pin board. Then make sure that you have read all of your modules guidelines and have any books and literature printed so that you can be prepared before your lectures. If you can get into the habit of doing this early on, believe me, you'll ACE uni! 

Then make sure that you have any equipment that you may need, depending on your course/module this would vary. 

Finally...

Enjoy yourself. These next few years are going to change you so much. You are going to learn not only a lot about the course that you will be studying but also about yourself. You'll grow up as a person and you'll finally be able to see what you are capable of. Make sure you take lots of pictures, keep a diary and just make it a time to remember!

I wish all of those starting uni in September all the best and don't hesitate to get into contact or comment down below if I've not answered any questions!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you've found this post helpful! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

My perfect summer foundation mix

Should I wear foundation or should I let my skin breathe? I swear, I find myself contemplating this question every single morning before doing my make up. But I'm guessing that I'm not the only one to do this though, right?
Back a few years ago, I used to be one who would steer clear from foundation particularly during the summer and I'd just allow my skin to breathe and tan. However, I don't know why, but this year I've gotten so much more into make up that I can't seem to be able to go out not wearing anything at all!

I have a hard time because I'm somebody who loves to tan, so when I do, it then means I need to find something to perfect my complexion whilst allowing me to show off the tan! When this happened, I would usually opt for a tinted moisturiser and a bit of bronzer on my cheeks as I felt this allowed me to look more tanned. However, one thing I have really disliked about this throughout the years, was the shine on my face at the end of the day. As well as, the way in which the tinted moisturiser would oxidise on my skin leaving me with a slight tangoed complexion (Obvs not the look I'd be going for!).

As summer came around the corner, I found myself wondering whether I should go out and purchase a new tinted moisturiser which would not do this...
So, I decided to give the NARS Moisturiser a go but I was soon disappointed to find that if I wore this on its own, by the end of the day it would have gone patchy and of course...Orange. This is so annoying because whilst I'd want to have that extra glow on my skin and look a bit more bronzed, Orange is far from the colour I want to be rocking on my complexion. At the same time though, I don't really want to wear my foundation on it's own because not only is it too heavy for summer, but it's also a bit on the pale side, masking away the bit of tan that I've managed to get on those two hot British days!

So instead, what I have been doing is mixing my foundation in with the tinted moisturiser and I've been achieving the perfect colour that matches my skin! :) I know it's pretty basic, but honestly, I never thought to do this before in all of those years! It's great because as well as achieving the perfect shade, it has also allowed my skin to look glowy. I have managed to find the right balance between the mattifying Charlotte Tilbury foundation and the super dewy NARS moisturiser- perfect for summer!

Below is a swatch of the shades as well as the finish I would achieve with and without mixing in the colours:

(Top: Charlotte Tilbury #shade: 3. Middle: Nars Tinted Moisturiser #shade: St. Moritz. Bottom: Mixture of both)

As you can see from the pictures, the foundation on it's own is just a tad bit pale for the time being and it's also a bit too "cakey". On the other hand. the moisturiser on it's own is so greasy looking and well, Orange. So the combination of the two make a perfect finish which I have been LOVING all summer long. It's also great because, if I tan some more, all I have to do is just add a bit more of the moisturiser to the mix. Whilst as the tan will begin to fade, I will slowly reduce the amount of moisturiser that I add, ensuring that I will always have the perfect shade! :)

Have you guys tried this before? Let me know what your favourite summer foundation routines are!

❤️

   Love, ML x

What to bring to University

Hello lovelies,

I figured that during the next upcoming month there will be lots of you getting ready to embark on the next chapter of your lives...University. 

Having been through it all before and I realise how stressful this time may be for you. Getting everything together and ensuring that you are well prepared before the big "Moving in day" is something that we've all dreaded doing before. I still remember buying a whole pack of notepads and filling them up with things that I felt I needed to bring with me to university. I remember spending hours on websites and student forums reading up on lists telling you what you need to bring to uni. However, I thought I'd try to save you all some time and give you a list of items that you will most probably need. 

Be aware though, that some of these things may vary depending on the accommodation that you will be staying in. So be sure to check what your accommodation will be providing you with before you go off and buy everything you see below! 

I have split it all up into sections to make it a little bit easier for you to read. But I hope that you'll find it helpful! 

Bedroom

🔸Duvets

🔸Duvet sheets

🔸Pillows and pillow cases 

🔸Under blanket /mattress protector (some uni's may already provide this)

🔸Laundry basket 

🔸Room decorations- picture frames, fairy lights, posters, candles, cushions

🔸Alarm clock (although you can probably use your phones now a days)

🔸Rubbish bin

🔸Door wedge 

🔸Warm blanket to throw on your bed

🔸Hot water bottle 

Kitchen

🔸Saucepans/ frying pan/wok 

🔸Crockery (forks/spoons/knifes) x4 of each

🔸 Washing up liquid 

🔸 Sponge for the dishes

🔸 Glasses min x2 

🔸 Mugs x2 

🔸 Drying cloth

🔸 Surface cloth

Toiletries

🔸 Hand, body wash shampoos, conditioner, moisturiser etc 

🔸 Shower puff

🔸 Toothbrush and toothpaste

🔸 Your skin care items 

🔸 Make-up remover

🔸 Bath towels/ hand towels/ face towels (x2)

🔸 Hair dryer 

🔸 Hair brushes / straighteners/ curling tongs 

🔸 Girly bits (tampons/sanitary towels) etc

🔸 Retainers/contact lenses etc 

🔸 Plasters

🔸 Tweezers

🔸 Nail clippers

🔸 Pain killers and antiseptic creams

University essentials

Bare minimum to begin with -wait for the sales to come on!!

🔸 Folders and filing envelopes 

🔸 A4 pads and notebooks to take notes 

🔸 Diary/ planner

🔸 Pencil case

🔸 Pens and pencils

🔸 Ruler

🔸 Highlighters

🔸 sellotape 

🔸 Post-it notes

🔸 Calculator

🔸 Reading list (most universities will provide you with one in advance)

🔸 Tippex

🔸 Blue Tack

🔸 Stapler and staples

🔸 Language dictionaries (if you're studying languages)

Other

🔸 Cleaning products for kitchen and bathrooms (bleach/ Mr muscle/ wet wipes etc)

This is a list of the products that I had brought with my to university and I found that I had everything I needed to get through living alone at uni! 

I hope that if you haven't already completed a list, you will be able to go by this post and be ready for the next chapter of your life. 

Thanks for reading!

❤️

   Love, ML x