October Favourites

I love reading about what people have been enjoying using each month so thought I'd start writing my own favourites posts. If this is something you'd like me to keep writing every month then let me know :)

1. A newish love of mine, the Nuxe Eau Demaquillante Micellaire is a cleansing water that is lovely and soft on the skin yet melt makeup away on contact with the skin. The beautiful soft scent is nice and relaxing and the cleanser removes everything effortlessly. I've found myself reaching for this every day, morning and night.
2. A palette that I keep coming and going with, the MUA Undress Me palette I bought a few months ago to see how good a dupe it is for the Urban Decay Naked palette. This month I've found myself reaching for it quite a few times, especially for the more golden tones which I've loved wearing with bright red lips for a warm, autumn look.
3. Everyone knows I love the Ginvera BB cream and as the weather is getting colder I've found that where my skin is getting drier this has been perfect for giving good coverage as well as keeping my skin health and hydrated. Definitely one of my favourite beauty products of all time.
4. A newish product to my kit, the No7 Match Made concealer has been a real staple product for me since purchasing. I use it every day without fail to balance out excess redness, hide dark circles and provide a nice even base for my foundation. I have a full review of this coming up later this week complete with before and after shot (eek!) so keep an eye out.
5. I had wanted Watts Up for so long I can't remember so when I got made a supervisor I bought it as a little present to myself and oh goodness I love it. Another product I reach for daily! The soft golden glow looks beautiful in the autumn sunshine when worn along the cheek bones and on the brow bone. Looking forward to getting lots of use from it in the summer too :)

Those are my most reached for beauty bits this month. What have you found yourself enjoying most during October?

Annie xx

Annie in London- Day 1

Aloha!
I'm writing this from a super comfy hotel bed in Marylebone so ima keep things pretty short and sweet but as part of my #blogyoursocksoffseptember I thought I'd show you a little of what I've been up to today :)
Most of the day was spent wandering around Covent Garden looking at the markets and shops. I was excited to finally set foot in muji and pick up a few pieces and then got way over excited to find Cyber candy and spend too much there :p
We then carried on to Knightsbridge on a pilgrimage to Harvey Nichols because my beloved Ginvera bb cream ran out and needed replacing and of course it would have been rude to not look around the whole shop and harrods as well ;p
I'll show you my buys properly when I'm home and have a computer but for now heres a little collage of photos from today.
Annie xx

Reaching for Recently

Oh my goodness it's been hot here! Living in the south west we've been getting the hottest of hot weather and boy it makes makeup choices tricky. I'm really not used to having my makeup slide off my face in the UK but some products just haven't been able to hack it!
With a little experimentation though I've found these products to all be fab, even in the heat and beating sun.

Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream- Foundation has been the biggest problem in the heat because most have just made my skin feel clogged or have just slid off but the Ginvera BB cream has held its own. I've been using it because of the good coverage, SPF 30 (definitely essential right now) and because, being from Singapore, the formula is able to stand up to heat and humidity.
MAC Coppertone Blusher- I use this as a bronzer rather than a blush and just use  little to contour cheeks and add definition but the colour is gorgeous in the sun and I find MAC powders are the best for being long lasting but weightless on the skin.
MAC Lightscapade Skin Finish- This is a product that I've loved since purchasing but as someone whos a little hooked on highlighters, it can tend to be a little neglected. In the same way as Coppertone, the powder feels weightless on the skin but sits beautifully and lasts for hours. I use this around the outer corners of my eyes, along cheek bones and down the centre of my nose to highlight...and it also helps keep my foundation on!
MAC Painterly Paint Pot- Always a staple product for me. I've found that more than ever I've been needing something to keep eyeshadow sat in place and MAC paint pots are simply unbeatable, especially Painterly as it also evens out colour and conceals dark circles.
Lush Strong Lipstick- The whole Lush Emotional Brilliance range has been really good through the heat actually. I find the colours stay in place, don't dry out and also don't spread half way across my face if I get sweaty. I've been wearing Strong a lot because the warm toned red is really pretty and on trend. The long lasting formula also really helps when you need to constantly be drinking water but don't have time to re-apply constantly :p
Lush Sophisticated Eyeshadow- Another Emotional Brilliance colour! Sophisticated is a soft, shimmery colour that is really easy to wear and I've been loving it just with a little mascara for a quick and effortless look that stays in place.
17 Lip Liner- One final staple has been a clear, slightly illuminating lip liner that stops lipstick from feathering across my face from excess heat. This one was really cheap but works just as well as others I've tried and for me, that makes it a winner!

Worn together, I think these items work really well and create a soft, fresh faced look thats easy to maintain in the heat.
One thing that I've really noticed though is that MAC seems to be an unbeatable brand in this weather, which only makes me love it more :)
Have you found your makeup routine has suffered in the sun? What products have you been reaching for most? Or have you been braving a bare faced look like I wish I was brave enough to?
Annie xx

The Lust List- Makeup Edition

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Makeup Mugshot ...Ooooh, Shiny

So, autumn is definitely here. The weather has been rubbish for days and my hat and scarf have been traveling everywhere with me so to brighten things up a bit and cheer myself up I went for bright, sparkly colours today :)

On my face I kept things pretty simple and just used Ginvera BB cream, accessorize blusher and Lush Feeling Younger skin tint as a highlighter along my cheek bones and under my brows.
On my eyes I started with a base of MAC Painterly Paint Pot to prime all over the lid, I then used a 17 plum purple shadow from the lashes up to the crease. Next I lined along the lashes with Lush Fantasy gold eyeliner. On the bottom lash line I used Catrice Made to Stay cream shadow in Lord of the Blings and I blackened the water line using my Bobbi Brown kohl liner. To finish off I applied a thick coat of my trusty  Max Factor False Lash Effect.
On my lips I used Lush lipstick in Believe and topped it off with a coat of clear Barry M gloss.

Of course, as Lolly the Grumpy Kitty likes to always be the centre of attention, she wouldn't let me snap my mugshot without trampling all over the keyboard. But she looks uber pretty too, even without makeup :)

What do you think of my gloomy day makeup? What sort of look do you wear when you want to add a bit of colour and cheer to a gloomy day? Doesn't Lolly look gorgeous with her ickle whiskers? =^.^=
Annie x

Ginvera BB Cream Review

Hello!
First up, fellow to all my lovely new followers. I hope you're enjoying the blog hop. I've found some great blogs through it this week!
If you aren't taking part yet then do! All you need to do is *go here*, read the rules, add your blog link to the list, and get finding some great new blogs to enjoy.

Mainly sold in South Asia, BB cream is intended to give a light coverage whilst also having skin care properties such as soothing, brightening dull skin, protecting using an SPF and some even include anti aging properties. The skin care aspect is something that seems to lack in effectiveness in the Western company offerings which is why I was excited to find out about Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream which is produced in Singapore.
I got a small sample in my June She Said Beauty box and fell in love so straight away I ordered a full sized bottle to use during summer.

What I instantly loved about this BB cream is that it does exactly what it says it will do. When applied my skin looks a lot brighter and the over all look is a lot more even and almost an airbrushed version of myself. The coverage is light/medium and is very easily buildable without using much of the product meaning that this is a long lasting cream. I've also found that it is wonderfully long wearing as well and I can easily last 12 hours without touching up.
The smell is also lovely which I believe is because of the green tea. I find the smell to be fresh and calming and once on the skin the aroma is hardly noticeable.

One thing that did intrigue me about this cream is that it claims to be suitable for all skin tones which is a pretty big claim considering the enormous array of skin shades and I'm afraid I can't vouch for everyone but I have seen good reviews from people of all sorts of ethnicities online so if that is something that would worry you, a quick google search should help. I personally find the shade to be perfect on my fair skin even though the cream looks much too dark when swatched like above.

In the photo above I'm wearing the Ginvera BB cream as a base and as you can see, around the tops of my cheeks, you can still faintly see my freckles and the scar on my forehead but other than that the cream gives beautiful, even coverage and I would say that it is perfect for a light, buildable alternative to foundation that will also keep your skin happy with you, especially in the summer as the SPF 30 will keep you protected from the harsher rays of sun. The only slight downside is the price. A 30ml tube will set you back £18, however, you would happily pay up to £10 more than this for a high end foundation that will most likely have fewer positive effects, especially on the skin care side of things so I think that this price is actually very fair, especially as the coverage is good and the amount needed per use very small.

So, what do you think? Is this a BB that you would consider buying? Have you tried it and fallen in love like I have?
Annie x

Pay Day Treats! - June

Hello,
I've been meaning to post this blog for ages now. Its been delayed lots of times because of products that I just couldn't wait to share with you.
Most of the month I try to be quite good with money and not spend too much, but when payday comes around I love to treat myself to a few bits, and I think it feels extra special for being a bit of a monthly treat... that said though, I have bought myself a few other bits since taking the photos for this last week :P But here are my payday treats.

Ginvera BB Cream £16.00- This stuff is amazing. I got a tiny sample as an extra in June's She Said Beauty box and fell in love with it straight away and knew I'd have to buy a full sized bottle. This BB cream actually has foundation quality coverage as well as boasting all the extra benefits you get from a BB cream. I have a full review of this planned for one day this week so I won't go in to too much detail but basically I love it and everyone should own a tube.

River Island Owl Bracelet/Anklet £3- This little guy has wanted to come home with me for weeks so I headed straight to River Island when I was shopping. I really like the simple look of this bracelet but I did find that it is a little large on my wrists so I wear it as an anklet. Isn't the little buho so cute?

Topshop Cream Eyeshadow tubes £2 each- I saw these in the sale in Topshop and leapt on them in a way that perhaps a koala would some eucalyptus. I love the pigmentation of Topshop's cream shadows and these are no exception. The colours I picked up were Emerald City and Amethyst and let me tell you, Amethyst may well be my new favourite eye colour. I have a review coming up of these too so keep an eye out.

Pink New Look Studded Sandals £12.50(?)- I grabbed these when New Look had their 25% off sandals sale and can't quite remember how much they cost but I had to have them in my life. I was drawn in by the colour, the studs and the fact that they don't have a toe bar which I find can feel a little restricting with proper sandal style shoes after a while. These are really comfy because they have fairly padded soles so I'll be able to wear them all day on holiday with no problems and they also look cute with jeans here in England during our not so great summer.

So thats pretty much it. I also picked up a half price bra in Boux Avenue for £9 but who wants to see my over the shoulder boulder holders in all honesty so I thought I'd spare you that sight and since then I've bought 4 pout paints in a blog sale and a No 7 lipstick using one of the infamous £5 off vouchers but I'm back to being good for now, honest :)
What did you treat yourself to this pay day? Am I the only person already eyeing up next months treats?
Annie x