Sunday Share #2

Having a day off on a Sunday is quite a rarity for me, especially having to work in travel retail, so I really have enjoyed making the most of today before being back at work tomorrow. This week, I've had a really time as I got to spend it with some loved ones enjoying a few days away. So here is what I've been up to this week...

Happy Thoughts...

1: Family Time Last weekend, I travelled back to Leeds to spend some time in my home town at my parents house. It was so lovely to spend some time with the family in a place that makes me incredibly happy. Although I do this quite often, it's something that always makes me feel content.

2: Holidays In 22 days time, Olly and I will be flying off to Madrid for four days. European City breaks are something that we both love and try to do as much as possible. Although I have been to Spain quite a lot over the years, Madrid is a new destination for us both. So, I have obviously been shopping much more than I actually need to and have tons of new things.

3: Making Changes This isn't a hugely important change but I have had a quite a big change in th hair department. After having long dark hair for a number of years, I now have a choppy mid length balayage, which I am absolutely in love with. It feels so refreshing to have a fresh hair do, and makes me put more effort in when styling it.

This Weeks Loves...

Following on from my effort to read more, I have just finished reading The Island by Victoria Hislop. If you haven't read this, I really can't recommend it enough. It's such a sad tale that is beautifully written, and really does make you use all of your senses thanks to the fabulous descriptions. I can't wait to pick up the next one in the series.

A little ashamedly I have been indulging in quite a bit of reality TV, mainly Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Say Yes To The Dress. I'm becoming slightly obsessed with both, and will probably need an intervention sometime soon. 

How has your week been?

Makeup Revolution All About Cream Blush Palette

I'm aware that I've been featuring a ton of Makeup Revolution products as of recently but I can't stop buying things from their website, oopsie. This offering from my latest haul is one that I wasn't so sure about when it arrived but now that I have had a chance to use it properly, oh my am I in love!

Blush palettes are perfect for me as I am travelling a lot, due to living away from both mine and my fiancés family so taking numerous blushes for different occasions is just unrealistic and a pain. These palettes are sturdy, house a full size mirror and have plenty of shade variation in them so there really is nothing more that you could ask from them. I especially love the inclusion of the full size mirror because trying to find a decent mirror when you are staying away from home can be a nightmare. The struggle is real.

Usually I am more a fan of powder blusher as I find it easier to blend and much more forgiving should I go a little overboard. I was worried about looking a little clown like when I saw these shades, but they really are so flattering. There some extremely subtle coral/nude tones, bright bubblegum pinks, and deep rose/red shades, so something for everyone is in this palette. The bonus too is that they can be used on the lips which is something that I have enjoyed doing with the brighter shades.

The formula of these is just lovely. In the past I have found that some cream blushes can be a little greasy or bone dry, making them sit poorly on the skin and be a nightmare to blend. That isn't the case with these though as they are beautifully creamy and pigmented, a little goes a long way and they last well all day. They also work really well with a powder blusher over the top , should you want a more intense look. 

I now have all of the blush/bronze palettes from Makeup Revolution and I have not been disappointed by a single one of them. They are definitely some of my most used items in my collection and a £6 they won't break the bank.

You can purchase them here from their website.

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The Sunday Share #1

For the past few months now I have been thinking about starting a Sunday post, and here it finally is. I have seen quite a few bloggers who do this, and I think that it is a lovely way to reflect on your week and appreciate all the little things that have made us all happy...

Happy Thoughts...

1: Weddings If you have been reading my little blog for a while now you will know that my fiancé Olly and I are in the middle of planning our wedding. This week things seem to have taken a giant leap in the right direction with appointments with supplier confirmed, and all the little details coming together nicely.

2: Active Lifestyle Getting fit is something that I have been wanting to do for such a long time now, but nerves and lack of willpower got in my way. Well now I have decided that enough is enough and with no more excuses I have finally got back in the gym and got a diet and exercise plan in place.

3: Sunshine and Friends The sunny weather that we have been having has been just lovely. I have spent a couple of evenings this week having a good catch up with friends with a glass of wine, enjoying the beautiful weather.

This Weeks Loves...

I've been trying to make an effort to read more, which is something that I fell out of love with after entering the world of full time work. This week I've been reading The Cuckoo's Calling which I have been loving so far, its quite gripping which is something I love in a book. I've heard that this is been made into a TV show but I'm not 100% sure that this is true. If it is true then I really hope that they do the book justice.

I've also been obsessed with reading travel blogs and tourist information sites. Olly and I have booked a little break away to Madrid at the end of next month, and as neither of us have been before we have both been doing tons of research. We think that we have found out about all of things that we wan to do but if you have any other recommendations then we would love to hear them. I am absolutely obsessed with Spain and their culture, so this trip is something that I am extremely excited about.

I have really enjoyed writing this very first Sunday Share, and look forward to writing some more :)

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Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 2 Palette

A couple of weeks ago I posted my April Favourites, and included in that post was the Iconic Pro 2 Palette from Makeup Revolution. I realised after that post went up that I hadn't actually dedicated a post to this beautiful palette, so here it is.

Back when Makeup Revolution launched their Iconic Pro Palettes they were almost immediately added to my basket. A first I did only purchase the Iconic Pro 1, which is one of my current most used palettes, but temptation go the better of me and a couple of days later, I purchased this one too.

It has a beautiful mix of mattes and shimmers, with a lovely smooth formula that glides on the lid with ease. I've found that with a primer I can get around 8 hours wear out of these which is fantastic as I very rarely wear my makeup for longer than that anyway. 

Paper  - A yellow toned neutral shade which is lovely for all over the lid

Chase - Warm, tan shade which is lovely in the crease

Smooth - An almost plummy brown 

New-Tral - A pinky/peach shade with tons of pigmentation

One Way - A mid tone purple, which is a little drier in texture to others

New Rules - A bright navy blue shade which sadly lacks in pigmentation

Grey Day - A creamy grey which is lovely for a soft smokey eye

Sudden - A true matte black

Only - Icy Shimmery white, aka the most perfect inner corner highlight

Silk - The shimmer version of Paper, it looks lovely all over the lid

Awaken - A warm Golden tone

New Day - Bright bronze shade which is perfect for a quick wash of colour

Steal-er - A deeper bronze which looks stunning with a tan

Echo - A true and bright silver 

Ambition - An olive green with golden simmer, such a beautiful colour

Faith - A deep chocolatey brown with red/gold shimmer

All of the shades are just lovely and all have a beautiful formula except from One Way and New Rules which were much drier than the other shades. I would say that the shimmers perform a little better than the mattes but that is nothing unusual. 

If you don't already have this palette then you definitely need it. You can pick this up for the tiny price of £6.99 from both Makeup Revolution and Superdrug.

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Boots Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm

Well, that title was a bit of a mouthful wasn't it? Anyone who knows me, will be able to tell you that I am constantly moaning about how my oily skin always looks flat because of the amount of mattifying products I have to use. So, with that in mind, I'm always on the look out for something that will give my skin the glow that I crave.

When I heard about the new drugstore/highstreet dupe of MACs Strobe Cream I was intrigued. Off I trotted to Boots and left happily with new purchase. I had seen so many people praise this and I couldn't wait to get home and try it.

First things first, the packaging is ok. Not great but ok. I  opened this a few hours after getting home and a whole load oozed out of the nozzle, not a great start. I assumed this was because I had it stood up on my dresser, so I now lay it down and don't have this problem. The tube is clear so you know exactly when you're running out, which is something I welcome. Does anyone else find it irritating when you go to use and product and find that you cant get another drop out of the tube?

The texture of this was much different to what I was expecting. Due to the name I was expecting a balm like texture but this is actually a very thin in consistency, and light cream. It does apply like a dream and doesn't just sit on the skin either which I like.

I had read that this could be used in a number of ways, which pleased me because I'm sure you all know by now that I am a big fan of multi-use products. I first tried it mixed with my daily moisturiser but this created far too much product for my face that I was rubbing it in for ages. I applied this after my moisturiser and primer, which gave my skin a lovely glow and created a soft base for my foundation to go on top of. Finally, I tried mixing this with my regular foundation but much like with the moisturiser, it created far too much product to work with and thinned down my foundation which gave me less coverage. 

Overall, I think this is a nice product to have if you are a big fan of glow getting products, but I wouldn't rush out to repurchase when I've run out. 

Have you tried this? What is your favourite glow getter?

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April Favourites

I don't know about anyone else but I seemed to have loads of products to try in April. I've had plenty of products that could have made it in to my favourites this month but instead I decided to show you what I was using the most and loving at the same time.

Nip and Fab Deep Cleansing Fix.

This has been my saviour this month. I've been using this as both a cleanser and as a face mask and let me tell you it works wonderfully. It's soft and creamy texture makes it gentle yet effective on the skin, but it still removes even the toughest remains of the day. It even melts away my waterproof mascara with ease. I can definitely tell this is going to be a repurchase!

Nivea Original Moisturiser.

This oldie but a goodie is something that I keep returning to. I noticed that every foundation I tired even with a primer underneath, would go patchy and look like it was starting to flake of my face which wasn't a very attractive look. A quick layer of this underneath and I have a lovely smooth base which makes my foundation look a million times better.

VO5 Give Me Texture.

My go to hair style has currently being a case of #bighairdontcare and I've been embracing my ultra thick locks. So that it doesn't just hang by my face I've been giving it a quick spritz of this through the mid lengths which has given me a stylish bed head look. Oh and it works wonders after styling with a curling wand for that undone look.

Nars Blush in Zen.

I'd been after a really neutral blusher for a while and came across Zen whilst I was at work. To be honest I hadn't really put much thought into if it would work for my skin tone, but oh my. This is the most perfect subtle contour shade and it perfect for warming up the face. I thoroughly recommend having a nosey if you're by a Nars counter.

Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 2 Palette.

This is the only palette I have been reaching for in the past month. It is perfect for a natural day time look or a deep smokey eye. All bases are covered with this little beauty, and I've especially been loving the olive and navy shades for a twist on a classic smokey eye.

I think that there have been a nice mix of favourites this month, but there could have been so many more products! What have been your favourites this month? 

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