A bargain beauty: ColourPop I Think I Love You Palette

I'm aware that I have been featuring a lot of high end palettes on the blog recently that are well outside the budget of most sane people (in my defence, they were gifts!), but I'm certainly not averse to using more budget-friendly products! I love a bargain as much as the next person and one budget brand that so many people have been raving about for the last 18-24 months, is ColourPop. It seems to be a brand that is like Pringles - once you pop, you just can't stop! Nobody seems to be able to place an order without placing a subsequent one as soon as there is another new release (quite a frequent occurrence!) My beautiful friend, Leanne, is one of those people and for Christmas, she kindly gifted me a palette that I'd had my eye on since its release - I Think I Love You palette, which I'm going to share my thoughts on with you today!

The best products for tacking dull and textured skin & a Cult Beauty Discount Code!

Yesterday I told you that I have dry and irritated/reactive skin but guess what? They aren't my only skin concerns! My skin is also prone to being dull (something that can happen no matter what your skin type, but is particularly prevalent among those of us with dry skin) and I also have some texture issues (is there anybody without texture issues? If you've ever had spots, sun damage, visible pores then chances are you know what I'm talking about!). Today, I want to talk you through the products that I find very effective in tackling these issues. Again, I want to remind you about my 15% discount code: CBXBLYM valid until midnight on the 23rd Feb and to keep reading until the end for details on the giveaway!

The products I find most effective for tackling dry and irritated skin & Cult Beauty Discount Code!

I regularly post about my skincare favourites and skincare routine and will quite often get comments along the lines of 'you must have amazing skin' - the reality is that I don't! Because I have a chronic illness, my skin has suffered due to the illness itself but also the very harsh and strong meds that I take to combat it. I also have a problem with my stomach, which means that I have problems absorbing certain nutrients - those alongside central heating and the environmental factors that we all experience, means that I have skin issues that I need to work hard to combat - or need my products to work hard for me! Today I have teamed up with Cult Beauty to talk you through the products that I find most effective for tackling dry and irritated or reactive skin and tomorrow I will share the products that I find best for treating dullness and texture issues. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Cult Beauty, the one stop shop for all of the latest brand releases in all areas of beauty - I feel like I check the new section daily because they are always adding new brands that previously weren't easy for us to get our hands on on this side of the Atlantic - Kate Somerville being the latest - a brand I am really looking forward to exploring! I recommend signing up to the newsletter so you don't miss any new releases/sales or discount codes. I also have a 15% discount code CBXBLYM valid until midnight on the 23rd of Feb (with some brand exclusions but most of the products mentioned here today are not on the exclusion list but it's not just for skincare, it can be used on anything on site - see the end of the post for details on the exclusions ) and details of a competition so keep reading until the end for those! Also, make sure you are following Cult Beauty on Instagram because it's like a community on there and you can get great advice from their skincare experts, but also from fellow Cult Beauty customers, plus they regularly have amazing giveaways!

The perfect Brow Duo from Charlotte Tilbury

I have tried so many Charlotte Tilbury makeup products and loved them all, but for some reason I hadn't tried any of her brow products until I received them for Christmas. Brows are my least favourite part of doing my makeup so anything that will make them easier to do will always be welcome in my life!

Acid Toners featuring Pixi, Tarte and January Labs

Acid toners are something that have been a regular part of my skincare routine for around 4 years now and, thanks to Caroline Hirons, most people use them regularly. I know that the word acid scares some people, but it shouldn't! That Samantha acid peel scene from Sex & The City has a lot to answer for! I have dry and sensitive skin and I can use acids so I thought that I would share three that I have in my collection with you today.

Spring Lip Picks from Givenchy with World Duty Free

Despite the freezing temperatures and intermittent snow, we have had some really beautiful sunny days. That combined with hearing the birds in the morning and the slight stretch in the evenings, has me excited for Spring and a change in season means a change in makeup for me! Today I want to share two fabulous lipsticks that will definitely be in my Spring rotation. Both are from the Givenchy Interdit range, which is a luxury brand but, thankfully, there are savings to be made by buying these in World Duty Free! On the high street, these lipsticks retail at £24, but in World Duty Free, there is a saving of £4.05 to be made, reducing them to £19.95.

Two to try from green brand Tropic

Over the past few years, there has been a definite shift towards green beauty - we all want to know exactly what is in the products that we are putting on our face and body and if they can be as natural as possible AND work well, then what's not to love? A brand that I was introduced to at the beginning of the year is Tropic, which is a completely Cruelty-Free and Vegan brand, founded by Australian Susie Ma who partnered with Lord Alan Sugar to launch the brand. I was kindly sent two products to try and I want to share my thoughts on them with you today!

REVIEW & swatches: Too Faced Chocolate Gold Palette

If you read my Too Faced Brand Focus post, you will know that I am a huge fan of the formula of the eyeshadows from the brand. The original Chocolate Bar palette is one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes ever due to the shade selection, the texture of the shadows and, well, the fact that it smells of chocolate doesn't hurt! I was delighted to find the new Chocolate Gold palette under the tree at Christmas and I want to share my thoughts on it with you today!

A stunning new lip colour from Charlotte Tilbury: Opium Noir

Have you read my Charlotte Tilbury Brand Focus post? If  you did, you will know that I am huge fan of her lipsticks - everything from the packaging to the formula, to the shade selection just speaks to me! I had 11 in my collection and was recently kindly sent Opium Noir, which was previously only available in the Film Noir Nights Makeup Kit. 

Benefit Bad Gal BANG mascara

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you will know that Benefit released a new mascara last week (did you catch all of the Maldives photos and vlogs?! - side note, but do brands honestly think that taking a group of girls away to an exotic location, will make you want to buy their product more? I'm genuinely curious about the thinking behind it! It's not a dig at the bloggers involved because who would say no to an exotic holiday!) - BADgal Bang. I've had mixed experiences with Benefit mascaras previously (loved Roller Lash but They're Real did nothing for my lashes) so I was intrigued as to how this new release would work for me. I was kindly sent one to try and I want to share my thoughts with you today!

REVIEW: Pat McGrath Labs Mothership II Sublime Palette

If you read my 'What I Got For Christmas' post, then you will know that I was lucky enough to receive four eyeshadow palettes! I reviewed Natasha Denona Lila Palette here and today I want to share my thoughts with you on the other pricey palette I received: Pat McGrath LABS Mothership II Eyeshadow Palette Sublime (what a ridiculously long name!).

Missguided Babe Power - the one that surprised me!

When you think of Missguided, you think of clothes, shoes and accessories, right? Yes, well me too until recently when I was kindly sent a bottle of their perfume, named Babe Power. If, like me, you are not really into using the terms Babe, Slay, GirlBoss (it's the terms, rather than the sentiment that I'm not into) etc, you may think that this perfume is not for you but you really need to overlook that, because this is a beautiful fragrance!

Every day is a good hair day with American English Haircare

American English is a brand that is rapidly gaining momentum in the beauty world due to the efficacy of the products and the fact that they are all vegan and cruelty free. The founders have vast experience in the haircare and styling industry in both America and England (hence the brand name) and came together to create a range of products that fill a gap in the market - everything is ethically sourced, natural and effective. I was kindly sent four products from the range and have been using them for over a month so I am ready to share my thoughts on them with you today!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Blush

Which brand has the most beautiful packaging, in your opinion? For me, it has to be Charlotte Tilbury! I adore the art deco style and, of course, the rose gold, but it's also the little details - the little star that graces the mirror or the eyeshadow quads and the interior cases of the blushes. Thankfully, Charlotte Tilbury products combine both style and substance, which makes me a big fan and every time there is a new release, I always want to get my hands on it! Just before Christmas, she released Filmstar Bronze and Blush, which I was very happy to find under the tree! I was also very kindly sent this palette so because I now have two, I decided that I would do a giveaway because I figured that any beauty addict would love to get their hands on this. Keep reading to the end for details on how to enter.

Brilliant, affordable body moisturisers from Mixa

Mixa is a brand that I was unaware of until I read Alessandra Steinherr recommend it but then I tried some products and fell in love (post here).  I use high end products on my face but 99% of the time, the products I use on my body are from budget brands and they never let me down. I moisturise my body daily and have done for over 20 years so I like products that absorb quickly but are also effective and Mixa products tick both of those boxes.