Top 16 makeup products of 2016 featuring Too Faced, Natasha Denona, Marc Jacobs, Hourglass & more!

It's hard to believe that it's the almost the end of another year - I really think that this entire year has gone by in the blink of an eye. Instead of doing a December favourites, over the next few days, I am going to share my 2016 favourites - today is makeup, tomorrow skincare and then on Thursday, it will be my favourite blogs from the year before taking a break for Christmas. I couldn't have narrowed makeup down to a Top 10, so instead, because it is 2016, I have compiled my top 16 of the year! Some are recent to my collection but others are long-term loves so let's get started!

Review & Swatches: Hourglass Ambient Strobe Blush Palette with & fast international shipping with MyMallBox

I have become a bit of an Hourglass palette addict (see my collection here), so when I saw that they had released a new blush palette the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush Palette, I had to have it! I quickly looked at Space NK but it wasn't there so I checked Sephora and it was in stock. A while ago, MyMallBox got in touch with me to tell me about their service and asked if I would like to try it so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. 

My ultimate Christmas pamper routine featuring Omorovicza, Dr Botanicals, Essie, Pestle & Mortar and more!

Christmas is my favourite of all of the holidays and really is the most wonderful time of the year, however it can also be hectic, no matter how organised you are. Every year, I take one evening in the week before Christmas to take time out and just pamper myself to recharge my batteries and get ready for the festive season. I put my phone on silent, close the laptop and just focus on myself. Today, I am going to share with you the products that I will be using this year for my ultimate pamper night! A lot of them are luxury products, but if you can't go all out at Christmas, then when can you?

Favourite beauty discoveries of 2016 featuring Natasha Denona, Omorovicza, Milani, Korres & more!

As we approach the end of 2016, I've been thinking about my favourites products from the year and instead of bundling all of them into one (very long) post, I've decided to do three: my favourite discoveries, my favourite skincare and my favourite makeup (including products from previous years).  I've been lucky enough to receive some beautiful products from brands this year so the posts will contain some of those, but mainly products that I have bought myself and you know that I am completely honest in my opinion so my thoughts are never swayed just because a product has been sent to me. So let's get started!

A Beauty Bay haul featuring Natasha Denona & Mario Badescu

I only placed two orders on Black Friday (despite the many amazing number of sales and discounts) and last week I posted about my Anastasia Beverly Hills order (here) so today I want to show you my Beauty Bay purchases. There were lots of products that tempted me but I decided to stick to some that were on my wishlist from two brands - Natasha Denona and Mario Badescu. 

GIVEAWAY & Luxury Fragrance Christmas Gift Guide with Debenhams #foundit

One of my favourite Christmas gifts to receive is perfume because it is a real treat and not something that I would usually buy for myself as it is a bit of a splurge item and for this reason, I always buy perfume for my mother at Christmas. Today I want to share with you 3 luxury fragrances that I think would make the perfect luxurious gift this Christmas and Debenhams very kindly also sent me an extra 3 bottles so that one of my readers can win a luxury fragrance bundle so keep reading to find out how to enter!

Empties & speedy reviews #30 featuring Jo Malone, Korres, Pixi, Kerastase & more!

It's time for my monthly empties post! If you are new around here, in these posts I show you everything I've finished recently and share my thoughts on them and whether or not I would repurchase. I have a good mixture of skincare and bodycare this month and a few miscellaneous thrown in for good measure too! Let's get started!

GIVEAWAY & Christmas Gift Idea featuring CaseApp custom iPhone cases with a 20% discount code too!

Another day, another gift idea! This time, however, it isn't beauty related and I think it's a gift that would suit people from a variety of ages and both sexes and I also have a 20% discount code for you! You might remember earlier this year that I featured a CaseApp phone cover and also ran a giveaway? Well the lovely people at CaseApp contacted me again with the opportunity to try some more of their products and also the chance for one of you lovely readers to win either a custom design phone case or laptop skin of your choice so keep reading until the end for your chance to win!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Single Eyeshadow Haul

I'm sure at this stage that you have all been inundated with Black Friday haul posts, but I actually didn't go too crazy, despite the many amazing discounts. I certainly didn't need any new eyeshadows but when my lovely friend Dagmara told me about the 60% discount on Anastasia Beverly Hills single eyeshadows, I couldn't resist placing an order!  I restricted myself to only buying 8 because I didn't want to incur any customs charges (they were priced at $4.80 each) and even with the $17.95 international shipping charge, I bagged a good deal! Also, they offered a free refillable palette with every order of 8 shadows so it was a no-brainer for me! (That's my excuse anyway!)

Affordable luxury with Korres Christmas Gift Sets

I know that a lot of people don't like to start their Christmas shopping until December actually begins, so over the coming week, I am going to share some gift ideas with you and will link to where they can be bought online so that you can do your shopping from the comfort of your sofa if you'd prefer! Today, I am starting with gift sets from a brand that is fast becoming one of my favourites: Korres. 

Christmas party makeup & nails edit featuring Dior, Burberry, Velour Lashes, Charlotte Tilbury, MAC & more!

Now that is officially December, the festivities can begin! I'm no party animal due to my ill-health but I can always find an excuse to up the glam factor with my makeup and there's no better time to do that than at Christmas! Today, I want to share with you the products that I will be reaching for most often over the coming weeks in terms of makeup and nail polish. I haven't listed everything I will use as some products stay the same (brow products, concealer, mascara, primer etc) but these are ones that have been rotated into my top drawer to use more often.

November favourites featuring Tangle Teezer, John Frieda, Oskia, Janina, Essie & more!

So it's the end of another month and it is hard to believe that there are only a few weeks left in the year - I cannot believe how quickly 2016 has flown by! November is always an exciting month because I try to get the bulk of my Christmas shopping and prep done so that I can enjoy the build up and pace myself (#sickgirlproblems) in the run up to the big day! This month I have quite a variety of favourites - mainly makeup & haircare and surprisingly, for me, only one skincare product! It's a long one, so let's get started....

REVIEW: Tatcha Bestsellers Set

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a big lover of Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, which I first encountered around this time last year. It gives life to my skin by blurring and softening the visibility of fine lines and pores and generally makes my skin look like it has had an instagram filter applied. Naturally, I wanted to try some more products from the brand but they are unavailable to buy in stores in Ireland. When I was in the U.S. in June, the Sephora that I was in only had two products stocked (one being the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, which I repurchased) so I was unable to buy the products that I wanted to try. When my friend was in the U.S. last month, she offered to bring back some products for me (post here) so I asked her to get the Tatcha Bestsellers Set, as it would give me the chance to try a few products without breaking the bank and taking up too much space in my friend's case. There are 4 products in the set and I want to share my thoughts on them with you today.

The palette of dreams: Anastasia Beverly Hills The Master Palette by Mario & swatches

I feel a little bad sharing my thoughts on this palette with you today because I know that it isn't currently available but I am hoping that Anastasia Beverly Hills will re-release it. I think that it's crazy to only release a limited number of a product that was obviously going to be a best seller and the fact that it wasn't sold on U.K. sites only added to the frustration! I am, of course, talking about The Master Palette by Mario from Anastasia Beverly Hills, which is a collaboration between Kim Kardashian-West's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic and Anastasia Beverly Hills. I was very lucky that my friend was able to snap one of these up when she was in the U.S. last month.

The Autumn/Winter Glow Edit Part Two: Make-up featuring Natasha Denona, BECCA, Anastasia Beverly Hills & more!

Last week, I shared with you my favourite skincare products to achieve glowing skin in Autumn/Winter (here) but sometimes we all need some extra help because no matter how much water we drink or how well we take care of our skin, it can look dull. I find that if I don't get enough sleep or am just generally very run down, it shows in my face, so today I want to share with you some of the products that I reach for to add some life and glow to my skin!

Christmas gift idea #1 Benecos Sea Buckthorn and Orange Christmas Gift Set & discount code

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some Christmas gift ideas with you and, where possible, will also share a discount code so that you can buy the product if you like it! You may have seen my Benecos introductory post (with Charlotte Tilbury dupe) a few weeks ago (here) and I was so impressed by the quality of those products that when they offered to send me one of their Christmas Gift Sets, I jumped at the chance to try it. Benecos is an organic, cruelty free brand with a range of skincare, bodycare and makeup products at very affordable prices. This Sea Buckthorn and Orange Christmas Gift Set is priced at only £10.95 and I have a 15% discount code to share with you so it would be perfect for most KK Christmas budgets.

The Autumn/Winter Glow Edit Part One: Skincare featuring Oskia, Korres, Estée Lauder, Omorovicza & more!

Healthy, glowing skin is something that I think we all aspire to - I'm not talking about a dewy finish, just radiant, glowing skin, which can be quite difficult to achieve in Autumn/Winter. Today, I want to share the products that I use in my skincare routine to achieve that sought after glow and later this week, I will share my favourite glow-giving makeup products because sometimes my skin needs that extra help! Some of the products were sent to me and have been previously reviewed but most I bought myself - opinion on all of them is completely honest. I am on long term antibiotics, which has really affected my hair, nails and, most definitely, my skin so I work really hard at trying to combat dryness, dullness and fatigued skin. I also have an open fire and the central heating sucks the moisture out of my skin. If you suffer with the same issues, I hope that you will find some inspiration here today!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Get Christmas Party ready with the Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette & Razor Sharp Liquid Liner!

Regular readers will know that I am an eyeshadow palette addict, so you can imagine my delight when the Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette popped through my letter box, not only that but I also received 3 Urban Decay 'Razor Sharp Water-Resistant Longwear' liquid eyeliners in the shades Retrograde, Bump and Revolver. What's even better is that I also received a palette and 3 liquid liners to give away to one of you lovely readers! Thank you, Debenhams! Today, I want to share my thoughts on the palette and liners with you, how I think they will work perfectly for the Christmas party season and then I will tell you how you can win these goodies for yourself!

Empties & speedy reviews #29 featuring Jo Malone, Sunday Riley, Oskia, Omorovicza & more!

If you're a regular reader, you know the drill but if you're new to these parts then let me explain - I show what products I have finished using in the last month & do a speedy review and then tell you whether I would repurchase! As always, I have a lot of skincare products! Let's get started.

My thoughts on Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Allison & Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick in Lolita

I know that liquid lipsticks are very much having their moment this year but I am not the biggest fan of them and have only tried a small number of brands because, like my skin and hair, my lips are dry so they don't always suit me. That being said, I really loved the colour of the new liquid lipstick from Anastasia Beverly Hills in the shade Allison, which is part of their Holiday Kiss Collection so I thought I would give it a go and today I want to share my thoughts on it with you and compare it with Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Lolita.

Some recent purchases featuring Anastasia Beverly Hills, Lorac, Tatcha & more!

You may have noticed a lack of haul posts here on the blog recently (especially compared to last year!) but the truth is there was nothing new that really excited me last month. Also, I have quite a large collection of makeup at this stage so I don't want to buy products if they don't really grab my attention. That being said, when my best friend went to the U.S. recently, she kindly offered to pick up a few things for me so I stuck to products that are unavailable to buy this side if the Atlantic! I also picked up some more Essie gel nail polishes because I love how long-lasting they are. Let's get started!

REVIEW: Dr. Botanicals Super Concentrate Radiance Boosting Serum & Advanced 8-Hour Overnight Renewal Cream

Dr Botanicals is a brand that I have seen featured on a lot of my favourite blogs over the last few months so when they got in touch and offered to send me some products to try, I jumped at the chance. They are a London based brand who are cruelty free and use only natural ingredients - no parabens here! I was kindly sent their Super Concentrate Radiance Boosting Serum and Advanced 8-Hour Overnight Renewal Cream and today I want to share my thoughts with you on both of these products. For reference, I have dry, sensitive skin and am always on the lookout for products that will plump my skin and add radiance.

Introducing Benecos - a Natural Beauty Company with an affordable dupe for Charlotte Tilbury The Rock Chick palette

Organic beauty is on the rise, both is terms of skincare and makeup and whilst we all want to use the best products for our skin, organic beauty can often be pretty expensive. Benecos natural beauty is a brand that is cruelty free, uses 100% organic ingredients and has a huge range of products at very affordable prices. I was lucky enough to be sent some products from the range and I think one of them is a pretty affordable alternative to a Charlotte Tilbury product! 

October favourites featuring Korres, Omorovicza, Dr Botanicals and more!

Happy Halloween everybody! I say that with great enthusiasm but I'm not actually a fan of this holiday - probably because I never got into it as a child as we never went trick or treating because we lived in a rural area without any neighbours! We always had a party in our house but, for me, it always just signified that the countdown to Christmas had really begun - still does! The end of the month can mean only one thing - it's favourites time! To be honest, I've been really ill this month (the thing with Lyme Disease is that the illness is very debilitating but the treatment, on the whole, makes you feel so much worse and it can really be a struggle) so I haven't worn an awful lot of makeup and focused on taking care of my skin more than anything and that is reflected in my favourites.

Oils to combat autumn/winter dry face/hair/nails featuring Korres, Fresh, Omorovicza & more!

I don't know about you, but once we turn the central heating back on, my skin, hair and body dry up! To combat being totally lizard-like, I love to use oils and today I'm sharing my favourites for face/hair/body and I would love to hear your favourites and recommendations too!

The face mask edit featuring Oskia, REN, Omorovicza, GLAMGLOW & more!

As a sell-professed skincare addict, there is little that I enjoy more than having a pamper evening and applying a face mask (or 3!) and do so at least twice weekly. My skin always looks and feels better afterwards and depending on what my skin needs I may multi-mask (apply different masks on different areas of the skin according to its needs) or go for the ultimate pamper - a triple threat facial (clay mask, exfoliating mask and finish with a moisturising mask). Today, I want to share with you my current mask collection and I have broken them down into five categories: clay, exfoliating, firming, moisturising and sheet. If you are on the hunt for a new face mask, you are bound to find something suitable here! For reference, I have dry skin but sometimes have congestion on my chin and the occasional hormonal breakout along my jawline. My skin is also sensitive. Let's get started!

Omorovicza Christmas Introductory Set - one for the wishlist!

I know that some people think that it's sacrilege to talk about Christmas in October but it's never too early in my book. especially when it involves great value gift sets. Throw skincare into the mix and I could talk all day! Today I am bringing to you a gift set from one of my favourite skincare brands - Omorovicza, which they kindly sent to me. Regular readers will know that I have raved about them many times on the blog and so many of you say that you would love to try the products but are unsure if you should take the plunge and order some, given that they are quite expensive so this will be the ideal starter kit for you. 

Initial Thoughts on Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light

I'm sure at this stage that you are all aware of the latest palette offering from Hourglass: the Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light. As soon as this was available to pre-order on Space NK, I couldn't get my card out quick enough! It was dispatched on Friday last & reached me on Monday, which is pretty good considering I'm in Ireland and it was sent from the U.K.. Given that I have only had this palette for such a short time, this is very much a first impressions post. Last year, I skipped the Ambient Lighting Edit and it haunted me for months after because it kept popping up on blogs and instagram (I eventually received it for my birthday because it was re-released over the summer!) so I didn't not want to take that chance again this year because I assume that this palette will also be a sell out! Although I bought this without hesitation, I don't recommend that everyone does that because it is expensive (£69), but if you do want it, then now is the time to buy because Space.NK currently have £15 off purchases over £60 if you use the code EXPLORE30 at the checkout. This is not sponsored but I wanted to share because it will help take the sting out of the price.

Clinique Bonus Time with Debenhams is back and it's a goodie!

I love a good Gift With Purchase and I have to say that Clinique always do the best GWPs because they give a mixture of both skincare and make-up, which I love because I get to try some products from both categories! Coming to Debenhams this Thursday (October 6th) until October 22nd, is a fantastic gift with purchase and I want to share all of the details with you today.

September favourites featuring Omorovicza, Natasha Denona, This Works, Smashbox & more!

Here we are at the end of another month - September has been a mixed bag for me. It began with a really lovely sun holiday with my husband and boy, did I lap up that sun! I find that it really helps with my bone pain so I love long days in the sun (with lots of high factor SPF, of course!). I've been experiencing a lot more neurological symptoms with my condition this month and I also have a trapped nerve in my shoulder, which is causing me a lot of pain and the combination of the two means that I don't have full power in my right arm, so my Consultant changed some of my medication and I have been having physiotherapy. Fingers crossed that the combination of these two factors will help to relieve some of my symptoms and pain soon! Today I want to share my favourites from this month - some skincare, makeup, food & more!

Three new lipstick additions featuring Kat Von D and Charlotte Tilbury

I was browsing the Charlotte Tilbury website last week (forever adding to my wishlist), when I noticed that she had a new lipstick release. Being a massive fan of her lipsticks (everything from packaging to formulation), I knew that I had to buy her latest release The Queen, which she created in homage to Queen Elizabeth II (the longest reigning British monarch).

Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette & brush Giveaway!

I have a very exciting post today! Last week, I was very kindly gifted some amazing Kat Von D products to celebrate the arrival of Kat Von D beauty to Debenhams and because I already own the Shade & Light Contour Kit & brush, I decided to do a giveaway! This is a truly beautiful palette - my favourite contour palette by far and the brush makes contouring and highlighting so easy. I just know that whoever wins this will love it!

Entering is easy and the rules are pretty straightforward! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

1. You must follow Beautylymin on Bloglovin.

2. You must follow Beautylymin on Twitter.

3. You must follow Beautylymin on Instagram.

4. You must tweet the giveaway message.

Steps 1-4 are mandatory, if you don't follow them, your entry will be void. If you follow and then unfollow, your entry will be deleted.

You can earn extra entries by following (a) Beautylymin on Pinterest, (b) save this post on Bloglovin, (c) leave a genuine/relevant comment on any other blog post and (d) leave a comment below telling me which Kat Von D product you are most excited to try.

This giveaway is open for one month, ending on October 26th. It is open worldwide. The prize can not be substituted or exchanged. The winner will be chosen via random.org and will receive an email from me. If the winner does not reply within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen, If you are under 16 years of age, you will need the permission of your parent or guardian as you will have to disclose your address to me. I cannot be held responsible for anything that gets lost in the post and I am not responsible for any customs charges/fees imposed, however I will mark the parcel as a gift.

Best of luck!

Thanks for reading!

Follow Beauylymin on Bloglovin, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates!

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REVIEW: PMD Personal Microdermabrasion

As a skincare fanatic, I love to try lots of products and treatments but because I have a debilitating illness, I don't always get the opportunity to go to beauty salons to have treatments, which is frustrating and disappointing in equal measure. I know that there are lots of people who don't have the time to go to salons too so I'm not alone in that regard, this is why at home beauty treatments and devices are really exciting. I have wanted to have microdermabrasion done for years but in my local salon, each treatment costs €70 and I know that I wouldn't be able to stop at just one treatment! You can imagine my delight, therefore, when I was offered the opportunity to try the PMD Personal Microdermabrasion, which  promises to give the same results but in the comfort of your own home!

20 love at first use products featuring Natasha Denona, BECCA, Omorovicza, Sarah Chapman, Clarins, Essie, Xen Tan & more!

Love at first sight - does it exist? I'm not so sure, lust - yes, but love usually requires a little more than an aesthetic attraction. We've all made this mistake, whether in terms of the chocolate in the box that looked so appealing but ended up being a dud, the good looking man in the bar who was actually a twat or the beautifully packaged make-up product that made your eyes water or caused a breakout! Sometimes though, the magic is in the first taste, kiss or use and that's it - you've fallen hook, line and sinker! Today, I'm discussing the products that had me at first use - there are no slow burners here, just 20 products that I loved as soon as I applied them. I have a mixture of skincare, makeup and general beauty products to share with you, so let's get started!

REVIEW: Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Foundation

I haven't used a stick foundation in years (hands up if you used Max Factor Panstik foundation back in the day?!), in fact I think the last time I used one was back in my college days when I fell in love with one from The Body Shop, which was sadly discontinued. I loved the convenience of being able to pop it in my bag for top-ups throughout the day, but also how quick and easy it was to do my make-up in the mornings. Since then, I've moved on to dewy and much lighter bases but with stick foundations making a comeback, I want to try one again (well if I'm honest, I wanted to try three - Make Up Forever HD Stick Foundation, Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation and this one) so I decided to give the Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick foundation a try. I bought it from Roses Beauty Store, where it is priced at £28, but it is priced at $25 in Sephora or on the Anastasia site. There are 28 shades to choose from and I went for Beige, which is a little too light for me at the moment but when my tan fades, it should work well for me. 

Autumn lip options featuring MUD, MAC, Nars & Urban Decay

Like most people, I like to change up my make-up seasonally. I won't lie, I am lamenting the end of summer but because berry tones are associated with Autumn, it makes the transition a little easier! Today I want to share with you the lipsticks that I will be reaching for most this season and guess what? There isn't a nude lipstick in sight! 

Empties & speedy reviews #27 featuring Bath & Body Works, Gatineau, Stila, Benefit & more!

I have a good mixture of empties this month - skincare, bodycare, haircare, make-up and a few miscellaneous products! As a beauty junkie, I really have far too many products so I am really back on my mission to use up lots of the products that are cluttering up my shelves and drawers - I used to be quite strict but over the last year, I've let that slip! #beautyaddictproblems Let's get started!

Recent purchases #30 featuring MakeUp Geek, Jo Malone, MAC, Natasha Denona, Essie & more!

It's great to be back! We had a really lovely week in Tenerife - the sun really helps with my bone pain and we did nothing but relax, read, sunbathe, eat and enjoy each others company. I'm now 12 months into my treatment so we're hoping that the next time we go on holiday it will be to celebrate remission when my treatment ends! I bought a few beauty products in Duty Free last week and I had placed a few orders before leaving and the parcels were waiting for me when I got back so I've bundled them all together for today's post, so let's get started!

Holiday make-up: the beach holiday edition featuring Stila, Urban Decay, Make Up Forever, Charlotte Tilbury, Too Faced & more!

For my birthday last month, my husband very kindly surprised me with a holiday to Tenerife and we leave this afternoon! I am really looking forward to a week of sunbathing, relaxing, reading and eating! Today I am sharing with you the makeup that I am bringing with me for the week. As usual, I probably have too many lip options but I've tried to be good with everything else!

August favourites featuring Milani, By Terry, Make Up Forever, Omorovicza, bloggers and more!

Wowsers, how is it the end of August already?! It feels like summer flew by in the blink of an eye and next thing we'll be talking about Christmas! I've had a lovely month with my birthday, my niece's birthday and our wedding anniversary and I have had lots of new products to play with because I received so many lovely pressies! It was difficult to narrow down, but here are my favourite products from August and I've included some bloggers too. I read lots of blogs regularly and the ones mentioned in previous favourites posts are still ones that I read every time they publish a post, but I like to mention more regularly. I should really add a Blogroll section to the top of my blog so that I can link them all at some point. Anyway, let's get on with it!

Are Natasha Denona products worth the hype/price?

I first heard of Natasha Denona late last year when I saw Tati & Jaclyn Hill talk about her eyeshadow palettes in their videos and I thought that the palettes looked beautiful and sounded amazing but wondered how on earth the price could be justified (€239 here). I then started to notice Natasha Denona products crop up on some of my favourite blogs and on pinterest and her signature glowy look had me hooked. I almost placed an order on several occasions but the customs charges were always high and I never quite got around to it. When Beauty Bay announced earlier this summer that they would be stocking Natasha Denona products, I knew that I would succumb and place an order! Beauty Bay have really upped their game this year and stock some amazing brands now and their shipping has improved, thankfully! I'm not sponsored by them - I bought all of these products myself but just wanted to let you know where I purchased them in case anything catches your eye.

REVIEW: Vichy Double Glow Peel Mask - a dupe for Oskia Renaissance Mask?

We all know by now that I'm a skincare fanatic but it can be an expensive obsession so I like to keep my eye out for products in the mid-price range that might replace at least some of the more expensive products in my regime. When I read about Vichy's latest mask releases, the one that grabbed my attention immediately was the Double Glow Peel Mask. It is aimed at skin that lacks radiance and uses volcanic rock and AHAs to refine and renew the skin. I am obsessed with Oskia Renaissance Mask and hoped it might be a dupe for that at around 1/3 of the price. 

The dream cheek duo featuring Milani and Laura Geller

I received both of these products for my birthday a few weeks ago and I am ridiculously in love with them and haven't used any other blush or highlight since receiving these two beauts. The products in question are Milani Baked Blush in the shade Luminoso and Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in the shade Peach Glow. 

Speedy reviews on some recent purchases featuring Make Up Forever, Hourglass, It Cosmetics & Becca

I have four products that I want to discuss today - two of them I expected to love and the other two, I bought on a whim but didn't expect too much (Sephora minis in the aisle of doom makes it very easy to buy on a whim!). I've been pleasantly surprised by one and disappointed by another. Enough cryptic talk, let's get on with the speedy reviews!

The budget foundation that rivals luxury brands: Milani Conceal & Perfect 2 in 1 foundation & Concealer

Foundations are generally the most expensive products in my make-up collection with Armani, Estée Lauder, Nars and Charlotte Tilbury being amongst my favourites. It's not that I'm a make-up snob as such but I just never found a budget base that worked as well as my high end ones but that has now changed with this beauty! Milani is a brand that I have seen lots of American youtubers talk about but it wasn't easily accessible this side of the Atlantic but BeautyBay now stock Milani. I added this foundation to my birthday wishlist and was lucky enough to receive it and want to share my thoughts on it with you today.

Mascaras for a dramatic, voluminous false lash effect featuring Marc Jacobs, Make Up Forever, YSL & more!

I've never been one for natural, defined lashes - "go big or go home" is my motto when it comes to my lashes! I've often toyed with the idea of having lash extensions - not necessarily for length, more for volume, but I've heard some horror stories of natural lashes falling out so I've never been brave enough to actually go through with it. Instead, I depend on mascaras to give me the volume I crave and today I am sharing my five favourite mascaras for dramatic, voluminous lashes. I don't have any drugstore mascaras simply because I have yet to find one that will give me the results that high end ones do and a lot of them are priced at around €13-16, which is not exactly cheap, so I would personally prefer to spend a little more to get the results that I want, rather than spend that amount and not be fully happy. Having said that, I am yet to try Maybelline Lash Sensational and so many of my favourite bloggers rave about it so that is firmly on my "to try" list. 

The pinky-nude lipstick edit featuring Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Clinique & more!

For the longest time, I only ever wore nude lipsticks and glosses. It was only around the time that I started this blog two years ago that I began to introduce some colour into my lip collection but my heart will always lie with nudes because I just find them so easy to wear, especially on days when I just can't decide what make-up to wear! I also love how low maintenance a nude lip is. My favourite nude leans on the pink side, rather than the brown purely because that is what suits my skin tone best and I also find that they make my teeth look a little whiter. Today I am going to share 9 pinky-nude lipstick options. There are no liquid lipsticks here because I have to admit that I am not the greatest fan of anything too drying or matte on my lips so I haven't bought very many liquid lipsticks. I also haven't included any lip glosses because they deserve a whole other post! Let's get started!

Top 5 high end skincare buys featuring Omorovicza, Sarah Chapman, Oskia & more!

Last week I posted my top 5 luxury beauty/makeup products (here) so I decided to follow that up today with my top 5 luxury skincare buys. As you probably know, I am a bit of a skincare junkie and my skin is dry, (was) dehydrated, is sometimes uneven in tone, has some visible pores across the cheek area and is sometimes congested on my chin and along my jaw line - I really paint a pretty picture, don't I? Therefore, I look for products that will hydrate, moisturise, refine pores, improve texture and generally make my skin look radiant and plump - I don't ask for much! I had a difficult time choosing my top 5 products because I have a lot of skincare products that I use regularly but these are the ones that I know I can rely on to give the best results and actually make a difference to how my skin looks and feels. I have also slightly cheated by adding one product that deserves an honourable mention! 

Beauty birthday gifts featuring Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, Armani, Huda Beauty & more!

If you follow me on instagram (here), you will no doubt have noticed that it was my birthday on Monday and that I was lucky enough to receive lots of lovely gifts. My absolute favourite pressie was from my nephew and niece who baked some cupcakes for me and made cards - so thoughtful and sweet - the effort that went into those was better than any other present could ever be! Today, I am going to share some of the beauty goodies that I was lucky enough to receive, some of which have been on my wishlist for quite a while!