NYX // Lip Liners

I've been feeling a strong surge to upgrade my lip liner game as of late. Unfortunately for me, I find most brands of lipsticks incredibly drying on my lips, yes even moisturising ones. Because of this, lip liner is a must for over all lip protection staying power.

I recently purchased the NYX lip liners as I'd seen great reviews by fellow bloggers, in the hopes that my lipstick would last longer and I'm not really all about the bleeding lip life. The two normal pencil shades I picked were in the colours Nude Suede Shoes and Dark Soul. I really wanted a nude colour as pinky/beigey shades have been my staples lately and I feel my berry shades will look even better with extra precision. I also picked up a retractable liner in the shade Ruby Red - again precision is key for my darker shades.

Initially, I was very impressed with how well the shades matched their packaging - there's nothing worse than a red looking less ruby and more like that jumper you have to wear at Christmas because a family member knitted it for you. After a few trial and errors with using one shade in particular, bet you can't guess which one, I can safely say I'm extremely happy with the pigmentation of the pencils and can create a great base for my lipstick to sit on top.

L - R: Nude Suede Shoe/Dark Soul/Ruby

As well as the pigmentation, the longevity of the pencils on my lips means I can get a good few hours of colour before it starts to fade away - with a lack of bleeding I may add!

The biggest criticism I have is that the retractable liner does have a slight fluffier texture over the creaminess of the pencils, and doesn't glide on as well as the others. This is probably to give it a matte finish, but for me I find it a bit too fiddly to work with. Knowing this now, I'd probably go ahead and buy the red pencil over the mechanical one and at £5.50 per liner, you really can't go wrong!

Victoria

Eye Makeup Review | Born Pretty

It's safe to say, I have a key element into changing my eye makeup looking from night to day - GLITTER. I may be slightly early on this one, but since autumn is now full speed ahead all I can dream of is the sparkle that I associate with the winter. The twinkle coming from the frost on the ground, to the amazing shimmering display you see in shop windows which are displaying Christmas products ridiculously early. But more importantly than all this, the glitter filled make up and outfits which you now have an excuse to wear on a night out. Yes, I do find the thought of being a real life Tinkerbelle extremely satisfying.

Now I was recently sent some eye makeup products from the lovely ladies at Born Pretty Store which has definitely started to build my excitement for the next few months.

The items were sent from Hong Kong and as I have never been there myself or had any products shipped from there before, I was in awe at the adorable packaging of the shadow and liner. It's definitely a lot more appealing compared to what you can find in your local Poundland, that's for sure.

I bought the products based on my eye colour. Browns and neutral colours I find suit me best, so when I came across these I felt they were perfect whilst adding my sought after shimmer. I decided to play around with the products and managed to create this look.

The shadow is very well pigmented and the white liner compliments the colours well, but the glitter does tend to run out of the palette quickly.

Whilst I do find the products a treat, if you are thinking about ordering I do recommend 
you do this whilst remembering that the items are being shipped from Hong Kong and so may take slightly longer to get to you.

The prices are already amazing, but I have included this discount code VIDH10 for an even better deal.
Please let me know if you have purchased anything and more importantly, what you think!

Again, a massive thank you to the ladies at Born Pretty Store.

Victoria ♥

Haul | The Body Shop

For quite a few years now, the internet has been a buzz with The Body Shop products. I myself, as a 19 year old, hadn't bought anything from there until recently. I know I know, I'm ashamed of myself too. It wasn't a "I'm too cool for this hype" however, unlike my insistent decision to not watch Frozen unless I'm forced, then my hipster side really does come out (but that's another story). 

Until recently, I'd just never been bothered to actually buy anything from there. It sounds bad, but it's only been in the last few years that I've upped my skincare and I had no idea how many people raved about their products. Don't get me wrong, I've had Body Shop gifts from friends in the past, but I never felt compelled to go in there myself. What is this madness you ask? Well, years of "Oh look, The Body Shop - maybe I can go buy a new body!" from my mum and grandma EVERY SINGLE TIME we've walked passed, may have contributed towards this. Anyway, with the help of a cheeky 15% off sale, I recently bit the bullet and ordered some of their most popular skincare products. So I thought I'd give my unbiased opinion with this little haul.

Tea Tree Face Mask

I'll start off with the Tea Tree Face Mask. This was one of the products I was most intrigued about due to the major skin benefits that come from tea tree. Before now, I've mainly used shampoos containing tea tree, on my hair, not my face, because it's great for unclogging build up and making my scalp feel refreshed.The thing I liked most about the the face mask is that it didn't dry out my skin unlike some masks that I've used before. I found that my skin was left feeling soft, refreshed and really revitalised. The labeling of the product advises that it used regularly to keep spots at bay and I've found that just by using it twice a week, my skin truly does look a lot smoother. If your skin is slightly on the sensitive side, the mask may feel a bit too intense so I recommend a thin layer instead of the heavy usage it suggests.
Price: £10

Aloe Soothing Night Cream

I really do love a good nighttime moisturiser. Who doesn't love a product that you can just shove on your skin and gets to work while you sleep. Aloe is well known for it's soothing attributes and great for treating problems such as sunburn, perfect for the hot summer weather (or lack of it if you're living in Northern England). I'll be honest, I haven't really seen much of a difference whilst using this night cream. I suppose I'd probably get the best results if my skin was slightly on the drier side/faced the effects of the weather. I was hoping that that the aloe properties would have a cooling effect, but I'm really yet to see the benefits of using the cream.

Price: £12

Tea Tree Oil

This was another tea tree product which had me interested. Before using the oil, I'd heard many people gush about it's ability to tackle blemishes and reduce all around redness. I'm not too sure why it's called an oil, as the consistency is very runny and is best to be used on a cotton bud which is dabbed on the problem area. That being said, I have noticed a significant reduction in the redness of blemishes and it does shrink them quite a bit. Again however, the product is quite strong and will probably be a bit harsh on sensitive skin. I also have used other spot targeting creams which have done an overall better job in completely getting rid of them.
Price: £7

Vitamin E Body Butter
Who could hate on a good old body butter? Well not me, although the idea of smearing butter on your body is quite grotesque. Thankfully, no butter is used in the actual product. Again, following the healthy skin theme I wanted to try this particular moisturiser, as it contains vitamin E which is used in sun creams as it helps soak up all the goodness which prevents it from drying out. I tend to find that shaving my legs, especially in winter, can leave my skin slightly irritated and can make them slightly dry. Using the butter on my legs does after showering really does leave them smooth as a dolphin. It's a pity it can't give me the swimming power of one. But, I will say I haven't noticed a major difference when compared to other moisturisers I've used in the past, other than that I do think it lasts a bit longer on the skin.

Price: £13

Vitamin E Eye Cream

Price: £11
Yep, more vitamin E. Hurray for vitamins! Any eye cream which suggests it can hydrate, soften and reduce puffiness of the eye area gets a thumbs up from me. The pointed shape of the tube means the cream goes on like a dream. I do find the formula hydrating and the skin under my eyes is left feeling velvety soft. Other than that though, I haven't really noticed a massive difference in the appearance of my under eyes, and I'm still yet to find a cream that really has a wow-factor for me. (Recommendations are always welcome).

Many of the products featured in this most were on the 'best sellers' part of the site. I've got to be honest, although I find one or two items a brilliant addition to my skincare routine, a lot of what I've purchased hasn't really blown me away. (Alright ya Debbie Downer). If anyone has any products from the Body Shop that you think I'd be a fool not to try, then please do leave a comment letting me know!

Victoria ♥