The Grown Up Way To Wear Glitter!

Hello friends! Today we're talking glitters, all that glitters and shimmers and glistens and shines! Every girl loves a bit of glitter do they not? If you are a 90's baby like me, you'll probably remember glitter being an essential part of your day to day look when you were about 8. Remember glitter jelly shoes, glitter hair mascara, glitter lip gloss, glitter nail varnish (only), bad glitter t-shirt transfers.. the list goes on. If it wasn't glitter it was diamantes, but we'll just not go there. So after reviewing some very bad fashion choices in my youthful days I've decided that I'm not quite ready to let go of glitter just yet, which led me on to thinking, 'how can I incorporate glitter into my every day make up routine and still get away with it?'. So low and behold here is the grown up way to wear glitter. Enjoy!

FACE:The face is a tricky thing to apply glitter to without looking like a complete loon, however it is doable and is actually an excellent manner of lighting up the face and looking more radiant.
For example we have this. Rimmel London's Wake me up foundation. This is my summer foundation in the shade "200 soft beige" which is the next shade up to my winter choice of this. As you can see it claims to have an 'anti-fatigue effect + radiant glow'. Now this 'radiant glow' is brought by squillions of teeny tiny shimmer particles that reflect light to brighten up the face, thus bringing the anti-fatigue effect, clever really. Don't worry though, the shimmer is so small that it really isn't visible unless you're looking at it from about a 5cm distance, which hopefully strangers don't get that close to you. This foundation is pretty wonderful as, while containing all this shimmer, it doesn't actually set shiny. It leaves your skin looking flawless and airbrushed whilst staying matte but giving that beautiful boost.  Also, it's cheap as chips!!

Sticking with Wake me up, there is also the Instant radiance shimmer touch, in '004 shimmering sand'. If you've been with this blog a while you'll know I picked up this obvious tester product in poundland and did expect to use it as a highlight however it is just far too dark in colour to pass as that, but it works as a perfect bronzer. It contains the same stuff as the foundation meaning it works in the same way of illuminating the face without leaving it looking glittery, but the colour of this is just gorgeous and for £1 you just can't go wrong can you?

Also in the bronzer department is the Bourjois paris' bronzing powder, 'filled with glints of sunshine'. This isn't quite as shimmery as the aforementioned rimmel tester however it is ideal for if you're wanting just a touch of glow to your face. I love this on days where I'm not looking my absolute best as it does warm the face beautifully and it is just such a joyful product to use. It is so pigmented and the shimmer is a beautiful contrasting colour to the bronzer. It applies so slickly and doesn't look mucky as some bronzers do, so it's just ideal. Also as I've mentioned before (as has every other blogger in existence probably) it smells super strongly of chocolate which is just a girls heaven really isn't it? Honestly this is quite expensive but it's a real treat when it comes down to the formulation, the lasting power and the radiance it gives, again without making you look glittered up. Also, it smells good enough to eat, so what's not to love?

Along the lines of bronzer, there is also highlight to consider. I have posted about both these products previously but have since had a proper chance to use them and get to know the best way to apply these.
First is Collection's blush in '04 trouble', which is a gorgeous baby pink colour with peach undertones so the initial look of it just gorgeous, however this blush is really quite sheer (but buildable) and packed full of shimmer making it a wonderful highlight. I apply this to the tops of my cheekbones, down the front of my nose and adding just a touch to my forehead. This really makes the face glow and adds such a look of health, it's simply gorgeous. I find I get best results when I apply this with a large fluffy brush as it gives such a natural look. Collection have exceeded themselves once again!

Secondly is Technic's highlights. I bought this on a whim as technic aren't really one of my top make up brand choices, however this highlight is exquisite! Disregarding the awful splitting cheap brush it holds as an applicator, the actual product is a dream. You barely need any of this to achieve a gorgeous radiant face and can really make your features look much more youthful and defined by applying this to the high point of your face. This is more of a pearl than a glitter but it really does the same trick of being glam but not childish, and the price of this was excellent!

EYES: The eyes are much easier to apply glitter to obviously, but maybe not so easy when you think about the day time as appose to a night look. However if you find the right products that contain glitter you can actually benefit your whole eye look by making the eyes look bigger and brighter! Obviously, I couldn't write about every single glitter eye shadow I have in this blog as we'd be here for days so here are my favourite neutral 'day suitable' eye products.

First up are two of the Color 24hr tattoo eye shadows in '35 - on and on bronze' and '05 - eternal gold' by Maybelline New York. These shadows are outstanding and so gosh darn beautiful. 35 is pretty much my go to daily eye colour which I apply just a sweep of over the eyelid up to the crease. It is such a gorgeous metallic brown that really accentuates the size of my eye. Personally darker colours make my eyes appear larger and one's with a shimmer or glitter in them like these two add a 3D effect to the eye meaning that 05 works wonders for me as well. 05 is a really pretty yellow/gold colour that is light enough to be worn in the day. If it were like a pure gold colour I would probably leave it for the night time but wearing this with a slick of liquid eyeliner in a winged fashion looks insanely gorgeous. These products are amazing for their formula as well. They are both gel/cream eye shadows meaning they apply so so so easily and are super easy to blend out. They are both extremely pigmented and last literally ALL day with no need to touch up! A perfect buy!
Also as a side note, these two colours look amazing on a night out together as a smoky eye. I like to put 05 in the inner corners of my eyelids and just below the brow bone, before adding 35 to the rest of my eyelid adding more for a darker look towards my outer eye whilst blending it out really well above the crease. As long as you make sure there are no harsh lines, this creates the perfect smoky eye!


 Along the same colour scheme as the Maybelline shadows is this outstanding eye shadow quad by W7. This is quite possibly my most used eye shadow pallet for every day use. The colours in this are so beautiful and versatile. I adore the champagne colour as it is so perfect for the day time, especially around this time of year as it is still very neutral despite being so glittery and gorgeous. This is my most used colour of the pallet, and coming in second is the dark brown. Now, you can see in the picture how much glitter is in these shadows and I can honestly say that that is the look you get when applying them. They are all just SO pigmented it's unreal. Unfortunately they don't blend together very well, however I find that when using an eye shadow primer like rimmel's exaggerate undercover eye shadow primer it does act as a very useful aid to blending these. Although these are real glitzy they're really not too over the top for the day time. They brighten up the whites of the eyes so nicely giving the effect that you're a lot more awake than you maybe are.

Finally for the eyes is this mascara by Loreal paris. This is the volume million lashes diamantissime mascara in black. This has been featured in the 'spend £15 get this free gift' at Christmas for at the very least two years running now. In terms of it being a mascara it's pretty average. It doesn't actually build too much volume but it does make the lashes appear longer, has no clumps and it holds fairly well. However in terms of today's focus, GLITTER, it is soooo pretty. It contains tiny flecks of shimmer which aren't very visible until the light hits your lashes but when that happens you suddenly have these gorgeous twinkling eye lashes. I loved this mascara for months at one point until I figured I wanted more volume and curl, however this is always nice to just fall back on every once in a while especially if you're aiming to incorporate glitter into your make up routine. A slight word of warning though, if like me you are easily distracted then this is going to bug you! When you wear this you'll hit light the wrong way and all of a sudden you'll be looking up at your lashes watching them glisten, whilst looking like a complete head case! Oh well, at least you'll look like a pretty head case!

LIPS: Lipsticks can be a great way to add some sparkle in to your look and some of my favourite every day lipsticks have shimmer in them.

 These are the Loreal paris lipsticks in 'plum passion' and 'ferric fuchsia'. These lipsticks smell insane, and yes I had to open up on that point. Even if you don't want to buy any of these, just go smell one! They're fantastic lipsticks thought, they're creamy, massively pigmented, long lasting and beautiful colours. The plum one is gorgeous around the winter months as a dark lip is always best worn in the winter, whilst the red can be worn all year round I believe. Red lips are classic. Now these colours add such dimension to your lips making them appear fuller than they may already be. And the glitter in them is almost invisible to the naked eye, yet it's there, and it is absolutely stunning.

  Finally is the Bourjois 3D effect lip gloss in 'rouge democratic'. I got this in the Christmas free gift this year and I have fallen for this so damn hard. I wear this most over the top of the ferric fuchsia lipstick shown above as the two colours work perfectly together and they make the lips look so full, glossy and perfect. However this is also gorgeous alone as a more sheer red lip gloss. This gloss is not sticky, lasts for an absolute age and it smells and tastes like refreshers! It also contains those perfect little shimmer bits I've been raving about this blog post! So you can't lose with it really can you!

Hopefully this post has inspired you to add a little bit of glitter in to your life to brighten up your days when they weather can't do that for you. (If you're from where I'm from anyway, cheers England).

Now for a little life update! I am currently in the process of moving out of my parents house. So things with this blog are going to get a little unpredictable I'm afraid. I have no idea what I am going to do about internet access in my new place yet. Do I get a dongle? Do I pay for broadband? How expensive is broadband? Who do I contact about broadband? There are so many questions I don't have a clue about right now. Hopefully I wont be out of action for too long though and if it appears to end up that way I will just post here at my parents sneakily for a while. But whatever you think, there is no way I am quitting this blog now. It's just starting to open up some doors for me. Expect collaborations, tutorials, special guests and the such! It's going to get exciting (for me anyway). So until next time sweets!
Much love, G x

Love Lips.. The pink edition.

Hello lovelies!! I have decided to start a mini series here on my blog called "Love Lips". (As you may have guessed from the blog title? ha!). Essentially, I love lipstick and I have FAR too many of them. I needed a justifiable reason as to having so many, so I though 'hey, I will start a mini series reviewing pretty much all of them'. That way I'm hoping some of you reading this will be inspired.
Today's Love Lips post is sub named "The pink edition", can you guess why? Yes all the lipsticks featured in this post are pink! Dur. I will be showing both winter suitable colours and ones perfect for the lead up to summer! Also, expect a secret or two ;) Enjoy!!

The Lights:
First up is Collection's Cream Puff moisturising lip cream in the shade "fairycake 3". I love these lip creams. They are so silky smooth and softening but the colour pay off is fantastic. They can appear quite sheer to begin with but when built up they create the most beautiful strong colours. Fairycake is my ideal pink and to be honest borders on the side of a nude lip look. This is perfect for winter as some days I don't want a strong lip, just something natural and flattering. This lip colour is the perfectly cliché 'your lips but better' colour, and to top it all off there is the price. Along with the amazing colour is the equally amazing matte finish which is gorgeous and ideal for work or school (if you're allowed to wear make up of course). Unfortunately I can't remember exactly how much they are but they are 100% less that £5 which you just cannot miss out on! If you want a lip look that creates the illusion of effort, when really it took five seconds to do, this is definitely a product you will love. I know I do!



Secondly is Rimmel London's lasting finish 1000 kisses transferproof lip tint + balm. These lip stains are SO old now but in my opinion they're just a born classic. This is in the shade '100 endless blossom' which as you can see from the swatch below is a very sheer rose. The swatch actually consists of a fair few swipes of the product as to get a really good colour pay off you do need to build it up, which I do by applying the stain, then the balm, and then repeating both steps once or twice until I'm happy with the finished look. I adore this colour especially in the spring time as it's so fresh and pretty, and it goes with any eye look you want to create. I do tend to reach for this more with a black/grey smokey eye as it gives the face a touch more femininity, illuminating the face whilst drawing no attention away from the eyes. The technicality to this product is fantastic as well. I have a few lip stains and I very much prefer ones with a balm as I feel that stains can be a bit dehydrating thus the balm revives the lips whilst adding secure protection against transfer. The balm on the 1000 kisses stain is perfect for me too as it is unscented which I love, so overall this is just another excellent Rimmel product.



Last on the light lip looks is something that you may well think I'm a bit cray cray for using. Yes, this is Maybelline's dream touch blush in a shade that I don't actually know the name of but is absolutely gorgeous. The dream touch blushes are extremely pigmented products which is ideal for a lip product but not so much for the cheeks. I find that when applying this as a blush I spend a good while blending this to get a lovely natural flushed look which does frustrate me a bit. However on the lips it looks just amazing. It takes no time to apply at all and can be done so using either a brush or fingers and the colour pay off you get is just sensational. This particular shade contains a gorgeous shimmer which looks so pretty on the lips and compliments the dusky rose shade. The texture is also really nice on the lips as because it is a mousse it has a silk like feel which avoids that sticky lip that some lip products create. And if you're worrying about the taste, don't. It literally has no taste so it isn't unpleasant in the slightest. If you still think I'm mental for even trying this then I really do encourage you to try it too and join me in loving this as a multi-use product.





The Brights:
Okay so moving on to the brighter pink lipsticks I want to begin with Max Factors Colour Elixir in the shade 'Vibrant pink 15'. This product is sub named as a giant pen stick, essentially meaning the packaging is like an eye liner pencil but obviously for lips. This product has been deeply neglected by me. I bought it about 8 months ago and sadly lost it for a while but after finding it a few weeks ago I have been loving it! As you can see it is the most gorgeous hot pink colour and looks outstanding with a winged eye liner look. Unfortunately I am not brave enough to wear this anywhere but my house in the middle of winter which is a real shame as it is just so beautiful. I really must start taking the bull by the horns so to speak and get over things like this. It makes me feel fantabulous while wearing it so I might as well just go for it! This lip product is extremely pigmented, the swatch is just two swipes of product and is as dark as it's going to get, but unfortunately I've found it does transfer quite easily so I would recommend using Lipcote with it to seal it on. Although it transfers strangely it doesn't actually wear off easily. I've found that wearing this can be a little messy perhaps but the colour lasts for hours, and I mean hours. Yes, it's a little on the higher priced side of drug store cosmetics but it's oh so worth it when you get a lot of product that you don't have to constantly touch up!


Next is Maybelline's colour sensational lipstick in '902 fuchsia flash', a very Barbie pink colour almost verging on being neon! But I love it anyway, I mean what girl doesn't want a bit of bright pink in their life eh? I know I do. This lipstick is so great. I love every part of it even down to the packaging. The formulation of this product is wonderful too as it is creamy, non-drying, well-lasting and highly pigmented.. yes that swatch is just ONE swipe of product. Amazing. This lipstick will last for hours meaning you need very few touch ups. One thing I am extremely picky about when it comes to lipsticks is exactly that, how many touch ups am I going to have to do in a day? When you live a busy lifestyle like me (Yes, that's why all my blog posts get done early hours of the morning! haha) then you don't want the worry of having to waste any precious minutes reapplying make up! Meaning that a lipstick like this that goes on looking super and comes off at the end of the day looking just as good, is perfect. These are really affordable lipsticks too which is great as you really are getting a lot for your money. I must get round to buying a few more of these.


Finally on the bright lip looks is the Rimmel London's Apocalips lip lacquer in the shade 'apocliptic'. I have never blogged about any of the apocalips lip products before and doing so now is making me feel like a true blogger, like a right of passage has finally begun, seeing as every other blogger in the history of blogging has reviewed these. How can you not love them though? They're so inexpensive and such an amazing amazing amazing lip product. The pigment. The wear. The scent. The taste. The cost. The look! They're just perfect in every way. This deep hot pink colour is just sensational and is absolutely awesome on a night out. Something cool about this product as well is that after immediate application it is a very glossy look but can be slightly blotted out to create a matte lip look, which doesn't make you lose and of the colour. This is a brilliant bright pink lip which looks amazing winter or summer and I personally think every girl should own at the very least one of these!






A final little secret:
I'm unsure on whether I have spoken about this lipstick in a post before or not, but this is Collection's 'Tallulah' lipstick of their Deluxe edition which is the most beautiful rose pink colour. Now for months I've had this and had no idea that the colour you see on the bottom of the packaging is actually product. I have read blogs about the Deluxe lipsticks and have seen no mention of this. But the other day I dropped it out of my handbag by accident and it all fell to bits. (nitially I did think I had broken it but when putting it back together I saw that the bottom part does in fact contain a gloss. In the swatch below the first stripe is the lipstick alone, the second stripe is the gloss alone and the third stripe is the two combined. Now I hope you agree that these are all absolutely beautiful outcomes of colour and shine which look fantastic on the lip as I think! And personally for £3 I think a product within a product is an absolute bargain. Collection have outstood themselves yet again! An old school friend of mine Rebecca did actually tell me earlier that the MUA lipsticks have this little trick too, so keep your eyes out for those and think of her when you go out and buy them all, the little gem! ;) Honestly though I think that the Deluxe edition Collection have brought out is just fantastic, there are some gorgeous colours in there one of which I'm dying to get my hands on. But for now, this gorgeous every day pink will do me quite enough!

I very much hope you enjoyed the first in my little Love Lips series, and I hope I have inspired you to go out and get yourself all pinked up regardless of the season! Feedback would be very much appreciated as I love hearing what people think about my blog. Feel free to leave me a comment in the box below or message me on Facebook! Also, check out my instagram. irishlouisegemma. Follow me too if you feel like it!
I should be posting the second part in this series within the next fortnight so keep your eyes peeled and let me know if there is a particular colour you would like me to post about next!
Much love, G x

Christmas beauty favourites!!

So as promised in my last post, here is my Christmas beauty favourites! All the products you'll read about below are all gifts from my wonderful friends and family. I would like to disclaim that I'm in no way trying to show off or brag about what I was given. Trust me, I feel so spoilt and privileged to receive such wonderful things from some equally wonderful people. I honestly could not ask for better people in my life right now as they make me so content with my life.
So I shall begin with the make up side of things, enjoy!

Make up:
First up I was given this Bourjois blush in the shade "48 cendre de rose brune". You may have seen this on one of my Christmas wish lists and apparently so did my Mum. I've wanted this shade blush for so long and I was inspired to want it from this Youtube video by Essie button, in which she talks about Bourjois as a brand focus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ou4ppsHpc

However finding out this blush was the first shade ever produced by the company just made me need it in a sense, I felt as though it was a piece of beauty history and I just HAD to have it and after receiving it I have just fallen so hard for it. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous, I just love the classic appearance to it, yet it still maintains that iconic pink and gold that Bourjois seem to swear by. I must have used this daily since getting it as the formulation for it is just beautiful. It is such a highly pigmented blush that contains tiny bits of shimmer in, brightening up the eyes and skin whilst looking natural and very well suited to my skin tone. What I was really happy with is that it has a really easy application over everything. It looks equally beautiful over foundation, powder, cc cream and bare skin.

 

Next up I was given this Ted Baker "Lips made for kissing" lip crayon set from one of my best friends Rachael. This was also in one of my wish lists and if you can't look at that picture and instantly see why then you must be blind! The minute I saw this I fell head over heels for it. The four lip crayons are perfect and there is a shade for any occasion. From left to right we have a beautiful reddy plum colour that is perfect for the night scene. I love a dark lip on special occasions and this is absolutely perfect. Next is what I call "Barbie pink" as it is a gorgeous girly pink colour which I feel will be a must next spring/summer time. Then we have a lighter pink which could pass as a nude colour that has just a hint of coral in it. I adore this shade and is probably my favourite of the set as it is just amazing for every day wear. I don't think there is an occasion where this isn't appropriate. And finally is a beautiful red. You know how I love my red lips from the previous post and this is just no exception to that.
These lip crayons are full of colour, last for hours and hours and feel like silk on the lip. I am so thankful to Rachael for buying this set for me as it is just the perfect gift for me and I love it to the death.

 

 Fragrance:

Now as is the general rule for Christmas, I did receive quite a few smellys. But don't get me wrong, I am not complaining in the slightest. In fact these gifts are all beautiful and extra special as they were so unexpected.

 

First from my Brother I received the Body Shops "White musk and smoky rose" Eau de toilette in a 30ml sized bottle. This is one of my favourite scents now, I absolutely adore it. I'm no good at explaining how things smell in technical terms but this is just beautiful. It's very floral but not in a sickly sweet kind of way, in fact the musk makes it smell so sophisticated and adult. I feel as though this is more of an Autumn/Winter scent but would be perfect for a night out having a meal or something in the summer time. I love everything about this perfume, even down to the wonderful ombré packaging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I was given this Ted Baker fragrance named "Made in heaven" by my other best friend Danielle. You know you've got good friends when the Ted Baker just keeps rolling in! haha! No but seriously this is an outstanding gift and I feel so lucky to own this. Unlike the previous scent this is super sweet and girly but not in an overpowering manner at all. It's very fruity making it ideal for Spring/Summer  and I have a feeling come that time of year I wont be able to put it down. I absolutely love this fragrance and I can't thank Danielle enough for it as it is so 'me'.

 

The final scent I received was from one of my Aunties and was this Charlie Enchant gift set. I've never smelt the Enchant scent of the Charlie range before but it's absolutely gorgeous. Apparently it contains "a captivating blend of wild apple. honeysuckle and coconut". Thankfully the coconut isn't strong enough to smell alone as I detest the smell of coconut. Again like the previous scent this is a very girly perfume as it is very sweet, however this one is a floral kind of sweet and I think when applying this I will have to be careful as it could be overpowering. But without dousing myself in it, it should smell amazingly fresh.
I also like how you get a body spray with it as I've found that the body spray isn't quite as strong and will make a nice touch up throughout the day if kept in my handbag. Overall I love this set!

 

 

Bath & Shower:I did receive a few bath and shower items this year but just one set stood out as sheer genius. And that was this set that my Grandma gave me. It is this BNatural sleep time set that contains a hand creams, a pillow spray, a bath milk and a body balm. And each and every one of these smells of lavender! Now, this is extra special for me as when I was very little and tiny, if I was having trouble nodding off my other Grandma would put a few drops of Lavender oil on my pillow, and if I burn myself even to this day I apply lavender oil to the wound to help soothe and heal it. So the scent of lavender is one of those memory triggers that instantly puts a smile on my face. Now the only one of these I've had chance to use yet is the hand cream which has left my hands feeling very silky soft and smelling wonderfully nostalgic. Hopefully this will actually aid with my sleeping as well as I often get bouts of insomnia and so a helping hand would be fantastic. I just wish I still lived in Hull where the rest of my non-immediate family live so I could walk up the road to my Grandma's house and thank her for these in person as it was just a lovely gift and really did brighten up my day a little.

 

 

So that's it for my Christmas beauty favourites 2013. I can't thank everyone who even bothered to buy me a gift, regardless of what it was, enough as they have all left me feeling so thought of and lucky. Thanks to these people I have left 2013 and walked in to 2014 feeling so much better about myself than I have in a very long time. I finally feel as though I have all the support I could ever ask for wrapped up in just a few close friends and my family. And I very much hope that they know I would be as supporting and loving to each and every one of them as they are me.
So, that's it now, 2013 is gone for good and I can't tell you just how excited I am for the forthcoming year and all the changes I'm hoping to achieve. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year surrounded by those you love. Cherish every second of it guys! I know I do!

Much love, G x



 

 

 

 



 

 

December Favourites!!

Well hello there 2014, where the hell did you spring from? It honestly does not feel right that a whole year has passed in what feels like the space of about 6 months. I'm beginning to wonder how time goes just so terribly fast. Hopefully I'll run in to Doctor Who or something soon and he can whisk me away on some magical adventure where time is completely controllable. (Inner nerd popping out there, apologies). Although December flew by I really did have an amazing last month of 2013 and there was so much to love that could fit in to this post, but unfortunately I can't type forever, and I'm sure you'd get fed up of reading after a while. So enough rambling, let's progress...




Firstly I have to put this at the very top of the favourites list just for the sheer excitement this has brought me. I finally left the android world an wormed my way into Apple. Yes, I upgraded my contract and got myself an iPhone 4s. Gone are the days when my picture quality is just awful and my storage space seems to want to hurt my soul. Now instead I have a wonderful very well capable phone that does everything I could ask of it. I can't grumble with it at all, however I am having difficulty finding pretty cases for it. Darn you iPhone 5!!


Now on to the beauty side of things.
First up is this CC cream by Osiris Avise. I mentioned this in my collective haul and since buying it I have just been loving it immensely. Recently I've had quite clear skin so the only real coverage I've needed has been for redness which I usually have around my cheeks and on my chin. This is perfect for concealing that redness but still being sheer enough to make me feel like I'm not caking my face up with makeup, and some days it's nice just to have a break from your foundation as it gives your skin a bit of time to breath too. It is easy to apply and blends in brilliantly with your natural skin tone as it has a silk like texture, very much like a moisturiser or a primer. I bought this from B&M Bargains for about £1.99 so I am just chuffed to bits with it. When you're spending next to nothing on something that works so brilliantly who cares if you've never heard of the brand name. Saying that Osiris do an apricot face scrub that I use pretty much daily and that is equally as brilliant and affordable. You should really keep your eye out for products from them I think. I definitely will be after using this.


Next up is a product by Rimmel. You should all know by now how I love my Rimmel. This is their Exaggerate undercover shadow primer. This claims to make your eye shadow waterproof which I'm not so sure is entirely true but it is overall a very good eye primer. When I compare this to my beloved Avon primer it's just so different but by no means any worse. While my Avon one is obviously a skin tone colour this is white, but dries transparent and is of a much thinner texture. I prefer using this with powder shadows rather than cream ones as it holds powder in place much better. I can use this and not have to worry about any fall out or wear literally all day long. Also, I have found that when applying any kind of eye liner on top of this it makes it about 100% easier to take off at night which is a real help as I do like to take care removing eye makeup due to the eyes' skin being so sensitive. Overall this is just another winning product from Rimmel.

Also on the eyes this month I have been loving Avon's super extend mascara. I have found that this really elongates the lashes, holds a good curl and stays put throughout the day. The only drawback I have found with this is that it doesn't give much volume so I do like to use a thicker mascara over the top of this, such as Collection's big fake ultimate mascara. The combination of those two gives the lashes a beautiful almost false lash look, where the lashes are long, full and simply jaw dropping.

Now I have been possibly overusing the whole red lip look over the festive season this year. I'd say almost every day I have had red lipstick on and so here are my top 3 reds of December.

First up is "Rouge making of" by Bourjois's Shine edition. This gives the most perfect glossy red lip look. I love everything about this lipstick even down to the packaging. It's very sheer but also extremely buildable, so you can have a glossy lip with just a tint of red or a fully blown fire engine red lip. It is sensational.

Also from Bourjois but this time the Rouge Edition is "Rouge jet set". This isn't quite matte but it's not half as glossy as the Shine lipstick. I'd say that this is probably my most worn of the two. I can't get over the colour pay off that this lipstick gives. It is honestly the most reddest red you could ask for. I absolutely LOVE this.

And finally is Avon's ultra colour lip crayon in "Reddy for me". I prefer this more for parties and nights out and such as it has a fair bit of shimmer in it. It's not really my idea of day wear but this on a night out with a nice winged liner look is just amazing. I've found this to be probably the most festive of the three and was a definite winner on Christmas Day.

Red lipstick however terrifies me when it comes to the thought of smudging as once it's on your hands you're pretty much doomed! Which is where Lipcote comes in. I remember my Mum using this when I was little and to be completely honest I didn't even know that they made it anymore so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it in Bodycare a few weeks ago. This was not pink when I bought it however, it was clear, but the red lipstick has stained it! Ooops! This is essentially a liquid you apply over lipstick to set it and prevent wear. When using this I don't have to worry about getting messy red hands and clothes as Lipcote keeps your lipstick where you want it. It's fantastic, it really is. Once you get over the weird tingly slight burning feeling you get haha! Don't worry, it's not painful. Just brilliance!

 

 

That's it for my December favourites however I've decided to be a little bit generous. Tomorrow I will be posting my Christmas Beauty Favourites post, which will essentially be like this but all the items in it were gifts from my beautifully amazing friends and family. There will be make up. There will be bath and shower supplies. There will be fragrances. It will be gifts galore! And probably a very soppy me handing out all the love I have! So keep your eyes peeled!
Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Much love, G x