I'm back!

Hi all! I just realised I haven't written a post since March... how time flies! If you read a lot of blogs (like me!) you will have seen this a lot recently, I  finished my A-level exams on Monday and from Easter to now I've been working so hard to get into my top university. Hopefully I've done enough, no thanks to AQA changing the question style/layout of half my exams (cheers!).
My laptop also keeps crashing, for some reason it absolutely hates loading bloglovin' and at the moment is just down right refusing! That's why you don't buy a cheap laptop folks!
Basically the last few months have been very stressful, but I have got my blogging mojo back and I will have my blog up and running shortly with a new post hopefully later today. Yay to three months off for summer!
Anyone else been in this situation recently? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear how you coped haha!
Hazel x

Benefit Vs. Seventeen

I love Benefit products, the packaging is always so cute and I have never had anything disappointing from them. Sadly, my purse does not share my love and I really can't afford to constantly buy Benefit make-up on a student budget! I also love Seventeen, it was one of the first brands I ever bought make up from and it is such good value, but up until a few months ago I had been neglecting it. Recently, I have noticed Seventeen have bought out a lot of products that appear rivals to some of  Benefit's top products so here are my comparisons:

Highlighters: Benefit high beam vs. Seventeen skin wow! 3 way highlighter

Price: Benefit £19.50 Seventeen £5.99

Packaging: Benefit's high beam is in a much better package in my opinion, the little brush is good for targeting specific areas and the product looks generally cuter. Seventeen's offering is in a more standard tube, however as you can see after a few uses the product is already smeared round the top and using the pump I often get too much out. 

Product: Colour wise these are very similar, with seventeen's only a smidgen pinker. Both have a shimmery look that transfers well onto the face as a highlighter, and both are simple to apply and give a lovely natural glow. I don't really agree with the '3 way' claim of the Seventeen highlighter (primer, highlighter or mixed in with foundation to give an all over glow) - it was way too much when I tried it as a primer, plus it didn't really help my make-up application, and I prefer targeted highlighting rather than all over mixed into foundation so I would only use this the one way, but nonetheless it is a very good product for the fraction of the price. Both last a decent amount of time; as long as my foundation lasts so a good 6+ hours.

Overall: As both products are very similar I have to say the Seventeen one wins purely due to price.

Primers: Benefit's the Porefessional vs. Seventeen flawless poreless primer

Price: Benefit £24.50 Seventeen £5.99

Packaging: Once again the Benefit product has much better packaging, a simple no-fuss tube so you can squeeze out a small amount. The Seventeen product (besides being blimmin' hard to photograph - hello reflection!) is a nice shape and pretty but much harder to get out and takes quite a while to get enough as it kind of melts onto the fingers. Plus I never understand packaging like this where there is no mirror!

Product: I don't know why I have either of these to be honest, I have no particularly visible pores and have never really worried about the appearance of my pores so beats me why I have two products for that! As just a normal primer the Porefessional is fab, it helps with make-up application and makes my skin feel so soft! The Flawless Poreless primer appeared to mix into my foundation or rub off when I applied foundation over it, and make those lovely little sort of rolls where everything rubs off and becomes a mess (please tell me I'm not the only one! Do they have a technical name?). Not impressed! 

Overall: Benefit is definitely the winner of this one, it may be expensive but the tiny tube has lasted me ages so a full size one would last months and after all it is a cult product!

Concealers: Seventeen Phwoarr Paint  vs. Benefit boi-ing industrial-strength concealer

Price: Benefit £17.50 Seventeen £5.49

Packaging: Firstly, this may seem a little unfair as my boi-ing is a trial size, and not the prettiest. Going on the full size version which comes in a cute little pot with a screw off lid the packaging for this is nice as is expected with Benefit products. The Seventeen product has a similar circular pot but with a hinge lid which I prefer as I am always losing things and not putting lids on properly, so I won't be likely to put this in my bag open and get it covered in fluff and wrappers (never happened before of course...). Also the dinky little mirror is useful on the go.

Product: Both of these concealers are to banish under-eye dark circles but I also use them on blemishes when I'm feeling lazy. The paler shade of boi-ing almost completely removes my under-eye dark circles, however I use a concealer brush to apply this and always get a thick layer as it is so thick I find it almost impossible to blend. And a thick layer equals creasing - not good! It is however very good on blemishes and will cover pretty much everything. The Phwoarr paint is much creamier in texture and easier to blend, but still only lasts a few hours under the eye without creasing. It is good on blemishes too but doesn't camouflage quite so well.

Overall: I like both of these but Seventeen just wins this one due to it's lighter texture and price.

So as you can see, in my opinion some Seventeen products are better than much their much pricier counterparts, and though Benefit have some seemingly unbeatable holy grail worthy items (They're Real, The Porefessional) I am definitely going to try more Seventeen products in future!

Which is your favourite brand? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment,

Hazel x

My favourite pink lipsticks

I love a pink lipstick for spring/summer, they brighten up any outfit and make my complexion look much healthier. They also look great with a tan! These are the ones I have been loving lately;

Stila Lip Glaze in 03 Joy - here

This is from last years 'all is bright' lip glaze set which I bought on sale, this colour is unfortunately not sold separately anymore but by looking at the website I would guess it is very much like raspberry or fruit punch, the perfect cool toned bubblegum pink. These are in no way cheap but this tube has lasted loads of applications already and it is still over half full. The built in brush means it is really easy to put on when out, and I love the vanilla-y taste!

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in 075 Lollipop -here

Yes, I am obsessed with Revlon, especially the lip butters. They feel so nice and moisturising on and the colour range is great. This is such a lovely hot pink which looks great on anyone, and it just screams summer!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 028 Cherry Blossom - here

This looks red in the tube but translates into a slightly deeper hot pink which is again a lovely spring/summer colour. This is less moisturising than the lip butter but lasts longer on the lips, so I go for this one if I have less chance to reapply.

Mua Lipstick in Shade 3 - here
This is amazing value, just £1 for almost the exact same colour as the previous two. I hardly wear these anymore due to the non existent staying power so unless I'm just popping out for an hour or so I need something that lasts longer. They are great to see if you suit a certain shade before buying a more expensive lipstick though.

Stila after glow lip colour in Festive Fuscia - here

Firstly I have no idea why this is not in the top picture, absolute mystery where it went! I got this at christmas on sale but now they are back to full price. £12. I love the giant crayon style lip products, they are really good to apply quickly and look more inconspicuous on the go than a normal lipstick somehow. These are meant to glow in UV light I think and why you would want that is honestly a mystery to me but anyway in daytime I love this. It feels light and silky on the lips. If I had more money I would just buy everything on the Stila website!

L-R: Stila lip glaze in Joy, Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop, Revlon Lipstick in Cherry Blossom, Mua Lipstick in Shade 3, Stila lip colour in Festive Fuscia

What lip products are you loving lately? Please leave a comment! Thank you for reading,

Hazel x

The Body Shop Hair Chalks review

Hi all! Last week I just happened to pop into my local Body Shop to have a look at the make-up and as soon as I stepped through the door my eyes were on these, I had seen these swatched by bloggers online and waited very impatiently for them to be launched! I love to colour my hair and experiment, but it can be hard to find dye that works on brown/dark hair, especially dyed dark like mine (I am naturally blonde). They look great on my mum's blonde hair and work fantastically on my hair, better than any semi permanent bright coloured dye I have tried.

Yes I got overexcited and swatched these on my hair a good few times before photographing!

 The colours are called 'Tickle me Pink' and 'Falling for Blue'. They are really easy to use, the packet (below) suggests that with a towel around your shoulders you put the pot on top of your hair with your thumb underneath and pull it down, then brush and seal with hairspray.

 I tend to only colour the tips so I simply put the ends of my hair on my palm and rub the chalk on, then scrunch a little rather than brushing to make sure it is distributed and there is no excess, then simply wash my hands as the chalks can be a little messy. I think with products like this it is good to just play around a bit and find a good method for you. Sealed with hairspray these stay vibrant for 2-3 hours then fade a little by the 6 hour mark but a dull colour lasts a whole day/until the next wash which I think is very impressive for a non permanent product, let alone a chalk! (How technology has moved on; these sure last better than the spray on aerosol ones (remember those?!) and the gel ones I used to use sometimes as a kid when I wanted to attempt to recreate an Avril Lavigne style pink streak!)

So anyway here are the pink and blue swatches on my hair (please ignore how frizzy it looks!). You can see how vibrant they look, I think like the packet suggests the blue works best on darker hair but they are both lovely colours, especially for spring/summer:

And here they are mixed together to make purple, here I did pink layered over blue to get a cool toned purple (but if you do blue over pink the purple actually is marginally different and looks actually warmer toned):

 And altogether:

Overall I think these are a really nice, fun product that allow people to easily experiment with their hair and I would definitely going to your nearest store to try them out. The three colours you can get look really nice alone or together so there are loads of looks you can create with these too. I kinda hope they bring out an autumn range with reds, oranges or maybe deep purples which is very wishful thinking I know!

Have you tried these? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment below,

Hazel x

My favourite berry lipsticks

Topshop lip bullet - here

I will admit, I have no idea what this colour was called, it is no longer sold on the website though. I bought this on a whim in Topshop because I liked the colour, with no real thoughts on whether or not it would suit me. In short, not. I am waaaaay too pale and no where near daring enough for this! However I do love this blended with a paler colour such as a bright pink to make a lovely pink berry colour, or with a nude to lighten it up. The formula is good - soft and easy to apply and the bullet is like a crayon - lipstick hybrid as it has a fairly precise application and a twist up tube. I definitely want to invest in a few more of these in different colours.

Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in 755 Firefly - here

I only began wearing lipstick around 18 months ago, before that I was a tinted moisturiser/gloss kinda girl. I got this around a year ago and at the time thought it a really scary bright colour haha, really it is a berry toned dark pink which can be put on quite sheer or layered for a more opaque look with a satin finish. I love this for an everyday autumn/winter/spring look (basically all the time).

The Body Shop Lip Liner in 04 Mauve Berry - here

(I know this is not technically a lipstick but I thought I'd include it anyway as it is related). I bought this from a Body Shop outlet store, whilst they had a christmas sale/50 percent off offer on and using my 'love your body' card, making it an impressive £3.20ish instead of £8 - bargain! The crayon is fairly hard but not more so than others I have tested. It was perfect as I had never owned a lip liner before and had no idea if I would use it, but I found I do and I really need to get more. It looks very red on the swatches but is actually a pink toned berry which goes very well with firefly if I want to add some extra staying power. 

L-R: Topshop lip bullet, Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in Firefly, The Body Shop Lip Liner in Mauve Berry (natural lighting).

Rose&co. Sugared Violet hand cream

Hi all! Today I just have a short post for you about a hand cream I have been loving lately: Rose&co's Patisserie de Bain Sugared Violet hand cream. This smells absolutely gorgeous, like Parma Violets which I used to love when I was a kid. It is a pale lilac colour and thick, and a nice everyday moisturiser without being too greasy or heavy, so it is perfect unless you have very dry hands. 

There are more products in the 'Patisserie de Bain' range, such as lemon bon-bon and strawberry shortcake, I want to try them all! They also sell things like candles and soap, I really want to try the sugared violet lip balm, it would be like constantly eating Parma Violets (mmm...). 

You can find it here priced at £5, but I got mine from an independent gift/card shop for only £3.50, so I unknowingly picked up a bargain!

Have you tried anything from the Patisserie de Bain range? Please let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading,

Hazel x

My favourite red lipsticks

Hi all! I know it's nearly spring but I believe year round nothing makes a statement better than a red lip, especially at night. I love the classic LBD and red lip combination, it is classy yet sexy - perfect! And here are my current favourites;

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Chilli (853) - here

As I previously mentioned in my January favourites, I love this lipstick. It is crimson with a subtle golden sparkle in it which makes it much more wearable than a plain red lipstick, and the formula is fantastic. It has to be reapplied every 4 to 6 hours which is fairly standard and decent for the price. Also I think the packaging looks far more luxurious than the price would suggest. 

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in  Red Velvet (40) - here

These beauties have been all over the blogging world and rightly so, I love them. This was definitely a 'the blogger made me buy it' purchase, I saw so many people raving about these I had to try them out. I love how moisturising they feel and the range of colours is brilliant. I find these tend to last less than 4 hours but I reapply more often than that anyway, I treat them more like a tinted lip balm, though they are packed full of pigmentation. This is a lovely maroon red that would be universally flattering.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Passionate Red - here

I picked this up on a 3 for 2 offer as I liked the colour and thought I might as well. I didn't really expect great things but I was very wrong. This is such a gorgeous colour (my favourite of the bunch) it is basically a deeper, more intensely pigmented version of the chilli lipstick with the same golden shimmer which for some reason just wouldn't photograph (grrr). The formula is very soft and creamy though I do find this harder to apply than the normal lipsticks as it can go on a bit thickly and has a tendency to look messy if rushed, thought I think this error is on my part not the formulation of the product. 

Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate (110) - here 

This post is not sponsored by Max Factor I promise, I just love their lipsticks. This is again a gorgeous shimmery red, very much like the others just a tad darker and more crimson. I have a love hate relationship with these lipsticks, I have seen so many people rave about them but I'm not convinced. I think they are very much practice makes perfect, and I am keeping at it for the time being. Firstly, I don't have the most patience and after applying these not being able to move your mouth for a good minute until they dry into a stain is not fun. So many times I have just started talking etc, and had to start over as the colour goes patchy. I find these make my lips feel very dry and tight, though this is mostly eased when the accompanying balm is applied over the top. The first time you apply this it is a very strange feeling. The main positive about these is they do last for a long time, easily doing a whole day without needing to be reapplied, despite how much you eat or drink. My main problem with these however is that on my bottom lip the colour flakes/ disappears off the back part of it, so when I talk you can see both the lipstick and my natural lip colour like a very dodgy ombre effect lip attempt!

So you might ask - why is this included in your favourite red lipsticks? Well I love the colour and I think someone better at applying it would have a much better experience, as after all they are very popular: I love this formula in nude colours. Mainly though I do still wear this just for shorter time periods and I am still trying to improve my technique. I'll get there one day.

L-R: Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Chilli, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in  Red Velvet, Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Passionate Red, Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate. Taken with natural lighting.

What are your favourite red lipsticks? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment,
Hazel x

Liebster Award

Hi all! A few days ago I was nominated by Cliona from Cliona Hill for the Liebster Award, thank you so much Cliona for nominating me! I have also been nominated by DaisyBlue and StrandOnBeauty so please check them out too!

If you haven't heard of this before, here are the rules:
1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you.
3. You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.
4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

Cliona's questions
1. If you could own all the clothes in a celebrity's wardrobe, whose would it be?
This is a hard one. I would love to look through Kendall Jenner's wardrobe, she has some amazing stuff and is the same age as me. I also love Alexa Chung's look, she is the best at putting an outfit together which is effortlessly perfect. If I had to choose just one, Alexa Chung.

2. How would you describe your everyday style?
Seeing as I am normally at college, I tend to dress casually in boots, skinny jeans, jumpers and my beloved furry Topshop parka ( I need it in this weather!). I always leave my hair down and curly.

3. What 3 beauty products could you not live without?
Firstly, definitely mascara. I need it to make my eyes stand out and I feel more confident with it on. Secondly I think it would have to be my moisturisers/serums as I have dry skin (I am currently loving The Body Shop's vitamin e range, especially the overnight serum-in-oil and night cream). Third, concealer as it helps me feel more confident about my skin and I always have dark circles. 

4. What blogs do you love to read?
Loads, haha. My favourites I have been reading for ages are Chloe's Way, Couture Girl, Bird's Words, The Sunday Girl, Dizzy Brunette, and Em Talks, but on my Bloglovin' feed I read many many more amazing blogs (I may be a little too obsessed).

5. What are your favourite things to do to relax?
I love to read books (I am currently reading Wuthering Heights, amazing book) and magazines like Glamour, Company, Cosmopolitan etc. (Depending on the free gifts contents) and although this makes me sound middle aged I love to read the Guardian Saturday magazine (my mum buys the paper) with a cup of coffee and some chocolates. I also read blogs/generally browse the internet and watch random TV series. I am very sad to have finished watching Sex and the City. 

6. What is your favourite social networking site?
Definitely Twitter. I deleted Facebook a while ago as I was fed up with certain people on it. I have a personal twitter and a more recently set up blog twitter. It's a really nice way to connect with other bloggers.

7. What is your favourite skincare brand?
I like The Body Shop's skincare, it is really good for the price and they always have offers on so you often don't even pay full price.I also love Soap and Glory for facemasks and moisturisers (and all their body products).

8. If you could visit anywhere in the world for free, where would you go?
I would love to visit New Zealand, but I'm such a wimp on aeroplanes. I would also love to go to Italy again (very adventurous I know) because it is gorgeous but usually too expensive. Ultimately, if offered a free holiday I would definitely go on a huge shopping spree and sightseeing tour in New York, go and see where Sex and the City and Friends were set. and buy lots of American beauty products.

9. What shade of lipstick or nail polish do you wear the most?
Lipstick I usually wear nudish/pink shades for daytime and a darkish red for going out, like my beloved Max Factor Chilli lipstick I featured in my January favourites. I also love a good berry shade for winter. On my nails I am loving matte black and dark red, but I love pastels come summer

10. Your favourite candle scent?
My Bomb Cosmetics Espresso candle is definitely my current favourite, it smells so gorgeously of coffee beans.

11. Why did you decide to start a blog?
 I have been reading blogs for ages and I have wanted to have my own for ages, but never got round to it, I was stupidly worried what people might think. It's a good place for my beauty ramblings my friends and family are probably sick to death of!

Phew! I really enjoyed answering those questions though I got a bit rambly haha, it is lovely that the blogging community is so supportive with things like this, I have only had my blog a few weeks and I already have over 50 bloglovin' followers so thank you so much everyone.

I nominate:
Gemma
Sherley
Caroline
Catherine
Stephanie
Emma
Johanna
Cynthia
Paige
Lothwen
The Retail Therapist

My Questions:
1. What is your favourite shop?
2. If you had to choose between lipstick and mascara, which would you pick?
3. Do you prefer to dress casually or dress up?
4. What is your beauty bad habit?
5. What is your favourite perfume?
6. What is your earliest beauty-related memory?
7. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
8. Do you prefer winter or summer beauty and fashion?
9. Is there anything you would love to do but haven't yet? (i.e I would love to go to London Fashion Week one day)
10. Would you prefer to go out or have a quiet night in?
11. What is your favourite beauty or clothing brand?

Please tell me if you have done one of these, I love reading people's answers!

Hazel x

Huge Boots haul

Hi all! So I went to Boots at the weekend and, of course, I came out with much more than I intended (Only went for shampoo and conditioner). Boots is definitely my favourite beauty shop,especially the huge one near where I live- it's like a time warp going in there. So yes, here is all the unnecessary (but totally worth it) stuff I picked up:

Ojon damage reverse restorative hair treatment
I got this tiny pot of the Ojon treatment after getting fed up of my hair feeling dry and damaged. As I am trying to grow it I feel I need to be extra kind to it. I wasn't expecting to be this kind, at £18 for 50ml I am expecting something really special. I tried this the night I got home, I will do a full review once I have used it a few more times. First impressions though I love the smell, the girl in Boots got me to smell it before I bought it as it is really a love or hate smell, with most online reviews saying hate. If I had to describe it, it is a kind of burnt/smoky nutty salted caramel, I found it smelt more smoky when I applied it but after washing out I couldn't smell a thing. I used 1 and a half teaspoons on the lengths and ends of my long, thick curly hair so for most a teaspoon would suffice. Putting on a treatment before shampooing is something I need to get used to though.

Benefit see and be seen Sasha perfume
This was a late christmas present from my mum as she wanted me to pick out the perfume I wanted, but as it was the same time I thought I'd include it. I am rubbish at describing smells but on the Benefit website it says 'Top notes: orange flower absolute, apricot, pink freesia Middle notes: ylang ylang, tiare flower, white peony, jasmine sambac Base notes: crystal amber, liquid musk, vanilla'. Wow. It is a very pretty floral scent, it smells warm if that makes sense. I like how it is strong enough to last on the skin but not overpowering. 

Philosophy Fruitcake mix tin
I saw these philosophy goodies on my way out and just had to pop back in and buy them, I can't resist philosophy products, I have loved everything I have ever tried. This set was £12 reduced from £24 and has a mini vanilla cake mix shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath which smells sweet and vanilla-y and basically just lovely for winter evenings. There is also my favourite part of the set: Candied pecan salt scrub. This smells like a maple and pecan pastry twist you get from coffee shops/bakeries, it is just divine. The tub is small but the scrub is really tightly packed (I use a teaspoon to get it out) and feels like it will last for ages. Lastly there is the cranberry medley body lotion, that I was initially really unexcited about but I thought I would probably find a use for it. I proved myself completely wrong, it smells so nice, fresh but sweet and makes such a nice hand cream as it is thick and very moisturising.

Philosophy granny's apple pie shampoo,shower gel and bubble bath
Another last minute purchase, at £7 down from £14 I couldn't help myself. I almost always get one of these for christmas from my family (Last year mojito, year before that coconut) but this year I didn't so I felt I should treat myself to one instead. It is a huge bottle and will last for ages, it smells warm and sweet and fresh, exactly like a really good home made apple pie. As I couldn't smell these in the shop I was torn between this and sweet fluffy cupcake, in the end I decided I would be more likely to like this one, but I wish I had got both now!

Vaseline Spray and Go body moisturiser cocoa radiant
I have seen these everywhere so when I saw this on offer in Boots it just slipped into my basket... I love the idea as sometimes I just can't be bothered to moisturise, especially in the morning. First impressions of this are it smells nice, very much like any other cocoa butter scent, and it has a thin consistency, which helps it to be really light and sink in quickly. At the moment I think my skin needs too much winter tlc for this but come summer I think this will be great and I will use it everyday.

Pantene hair expert Keratin Repair masque
I got this on an impulse as I walked past, I was in need of a new conditioning masque and the claim it removes '2 years of damage in 2 minutes' sounded very good. After one use it feels and smells nice and I think it is doing good to my hair, but I feel I need to use it more first.

Pantene Prov smooth and sleek shampoo and conditioner
I always like to mix it up with shampoo and conditioner and generally get anything that smooths and prevents frizz (and has a good offer on!). I tend to jump between this, Aussie frizz miracle and John Frieda frizz-ease. These were two for £5 I think so I decided to try them. They are both good and I especially like the shampoo as it doesn't contain silicones and is light and doesn't weigh the hair down - personally this doesn't matter to me but if you have thinner hair then this would be a really good option I think.

Boots own brand shower hat
I needed a new shower hat as the elastic had gone on my old Body Shop one. This wasn't too expensive and the elastic feels really good, I can fit all my hair in which is a plus.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, please leave a comment.

Hazel x

January favourites

Hi all! January seems to have been a very long month this year - I personally can't wait for spring and a time when it is light past 5pm. I am also skint as long evenings cooped up indoors call for one thing: online shopping! (bad, very bad). Anyway, on with my January favourites...

Stila smudge pots gel eyeliner in Jade
I apologise that this post may seem a little Stila and eye product heavy but I can never resist a January sale, and Stila had a good one. These are back on the website for £13 but I picked mine up for just under £4, a saving of £9 - not too shabby! I did a thick line on the swatches so you can see what a gorgeous colour it is - a proper olive green, with fantastic staying power: it always manages a hectic 7+ hour day (even if I don't). If I had the money I would buy this in all the colours.

MUA gel eyeliner brush E4

Until recently this had been kicking around in my make-up bag forgotten - not any more! It is perfect for gel eyeliner and also very cheap for a decent quality brush, I have not yet experienced any shedding and it must be over a year old. The lid also means the bust doesn't go really stiff or need washing every time (I am way too lazy for that). I like MUA for cheap make-up and have a huge collection of their lipsticks, as well as a few other brushes.

Stila smudge stick waterproof eyeliner in Stargazer
I got a set of five of these in the sale for around £6.50 which makes them just over £1 each! Though none of the colours I have are sold separately anymore on the website this looks very similar to Stingray. It is slightly sparkly but can be worn in a thin line in daytime and look nice and really like most black eyeliners but with a bit of a kick. These last very well even when exercising. The only thing I don't like about these is the packaging does let them down slightly as at first I thought they were all broken as I had to twist for ages to get any product.

Stila sparkle waterproof eyeliner in Sequins
When my beloved one of these in 'Starry' ran out I got myself down to boots sharpish to get another - and picked this up by mistake. This is slightly darker as it is black rather than dark grey but I honestly can't really tell the difference on the eyes. I tend to wear this now for going out as it is comparably a lot sparklier than Stargazer and at £14 it is kind of a special product I can't really afford to replace if I run out (and there is less than a third left). It also has great staying power and creates a lovely smooth line.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Chilli
These are my favourite lipsticks of all time; soft, moisturising, gorgeous colours, change from £10 - what more could you want? This is a gorgeous darkish red with gold running through it that makes it much more flattering than a normal red. With my fair complexion I can't really pull off bright red, but being slightly darker this is still vibrant yet very flattering. I also have 'Firefly' which is a lovely everyday berry-ish pink which is somehow almost neutral.

Benefit high beam highlighter
Yes this is a tiny pot- I got it in a set for christmas which had miniatures of this, posie tint, hoola, they're real and the porefessional. This is one thing I was itching to try but always scared I would buy and not use, so a sample was perfect. I love it! I put some on my cheekbones, cupids bow and a teeny bit on my forehead and down my nose. It gives a lovely natural glow where light would naturally hit and really brightens up the complexion. I love how it does not contain glitter like many others so looks much more natural.

Balmi Lip balm in Coconut

I got this when buying things in the boots sale as it had £2 off making it a very affordable £2.99, however I would happily pay £4.99 for it. It is lovely and moisturising and almost slightly oily when first put on (which is a good thing, honestly!) and has a lovely coconut taste without being overpowering. My only gripe is the lid is useless so it is really only good for home use as in my bag I am sure it would just fall off.

Moroccanoil Treatment

I am sure this needs no introduction as I have seen it everywhere on the internet. Around 5 months ago I caved and bought a 25ml bottle from feel unique, and I am so glad. I am trying to grow my very thick curly hair and it gets very dry, but this really helps to add moisture and keep the ends looking nice and not dry. It helps prevent breakage so helps hair to grow. My hair has grown about 2 inches since having this which for me is a lot for 5 months.I also love the smell - kind of a grannyish(!?) rose-ish floral scent but in a good way, although I know a lot of people are not keen.

Barry M Matte Nail Paint Black

Barry M do some of my favourite nail varnishes and I love this for winter. Cheap, opaque after 2 coats and it stays on for a good few days but does lose its matte-ness after around 3 days so I tend to redo it then.

Body Shop coconut body mist

I think Body Shop are so underrated, especially their perfumes. This is £7.50 for 100ml which lasts ages, and they often have 35-40 percent off and other discounts which mean these are often under £5. I love most of the scents but especially coconut, brazil nut and pink grapefruit. They may seem summery but I think they are lovely year-round. 

L-R: Stila eyeliner in Stargazer, Stila eyeliner in Sequins, Stila Jade smudge pot, Max Factor lipstick in Chilli, Benefit high beam swatched, and blended.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please comment below, and tell me if you have done a January favourites I will go and check it out!

Hazel x

My everyday make-up

Hi everyone! This is my first ever blog post - how exciting!

I thought I would start off with my everyday essentials, the products I can't leave the house without. This is basically what I wear everyday for college and the make-up I put on if I'm in a rush.

Foundation: Rimmel Wake me up foundation in shade 100 Ivory

I have been using this foundation for a few months now and I love how easy it is to apply, as well as the colour being spot on. I have pale, slightly pink toned skin and I find most foundations to be way too yellow toned. It gives the face a lovely dewy look and looks very natural. It also covers redness and has SPF 15 which is a bonus. My only slight problem with it is I find it very slightly too glittery in direct sunlight or harsh lighting, but a fine dust of powder removes this (I like the translucent Rimmel stay matte powder).  

Under eye concealer: Collection lasting perfection concealer in shade 1 Fair

I have seen this product get rave reviews on many other blogs so I bought into the hype and I'm so glad I did! As well as budget friendly, I find this really does cover up dark circles and lasts all day. It claims to last 16 hours and though I have never put this to the test I imagine it would. I bought the lightest shade which appears very pale but when blended out under foundation I find it looks very natural.

Spot concealer: Benefit boi-ing concealer in shades 1 and 2

I got this sample size in a Benefit gift set for christmas, and so far I am very impressed. I use shade 1 mostly to cover up spots and small patches of redness under foundation, but I find a mixture of both shades is good for last minute touch ups over foundation as my foundation colour is somewhere between the two. When this runs out I will definitely treat myself to a full size shade 1.

Eyeliner: Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl waterproof eyeliner in Black

I got this when sale shopping from the 'Crazy Sexy Kohl' gift set which was half price from Boots and contained 3 shadows and 5 eyeliners. These can also be bought individually in brown and black and unlike mine have a sharpener in the lid which is very handy. It is very soft and comparable in texture to an Urban Decay eyeliner, for a fraction of the price! Once on  they do smudge a little after a few hours but the colour does not fade. For day-to-day wear I think nothing can compete with a classic thin line of black eyeliner.

Mascara: Benefit they're real mascara

Another blogger favourite I have been using this for around six months now and it is definitely my favourite ever mascara. It volumises, curls, lengthens, lasts all day... it pretty much does everything! The only downside is removing it, which requires patience (which quite frankly I often lack) and a good waterproof eye make up remover. It is also quite expensive but a tube lasts for a good few months and I think it more than justifies the price. 

Lip balm: Maybelline Baby lips in Cherry Me

This product seems to be everywhere at the moment! Maybelline are certainly going from strength to strength. I suffer from very dry lips in the winter and often I want a wash of colour without wearing lipstick that clings to the dry patches and makes then look worse. This gives a nice pink colour on the lips and hydrates them nicely. It is not the most moisturising lip balm ever but I love the cherry taste and it is every so easy to re-apply every couple of hours.

Blusher: Bourjois Little Round Pot blusher in 41 Healthy Mix

I have had this for ages but only recently re-discovered it hiding on my dressing table. It is a lovely matte coral colour that on my face blends out to a really light wash of colour. I also really strangely love the smell of these, I can't really describe it - a light kind of flowery, talcum powdery smell. I find the small brushes that come with these fairly useless and much prefer a larger circular brush. The small mirror is good for touch ups on the go.

L-R: Rimmel Wake me up foundation, Collection lasting perfection concealer, Benefit boi-ing concealer in shades 1,  Benefit boi-ing concealer in shade 2, Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl, Maybelline Baby lips, Bourjois blusher. (Taken in natural lighting)

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment.
Hazel x