Current Favourites

I decided it was probably a little late to do a May favourites now we're well into June so I'm going to talk about my current favourites instead. I have included several beauty favourites as well as some random ones I've been loving too.

Beauty
The Soap & Glory Lid Stuff quad in What's Nude (£10) has been my go-to for a neutral eye this month. I love the combination of shades, they all work so well together. Sometimes I use the shades individually though, like Aubersheen all over the lid and blended up into the crease or Pink T just to make my eyes look a little more polished. I just can't get enough of Soap & Glory Solar Powder (£11) at the moment (I won't go into detail because I raved about it enough in my last post) but it really is my dream bronzer and until I find a better one, I can be fairly sure I won't be turning to anything else. I have been particularly enjoying Solar Powder with my Real Techniques Duo Fibre Contour Brush (part of a £23.99 set) as it applies just the right amount for a natural look. It's also great with blusher and concealer. Seventeen Doll'd Up mascara (£6.29) really is my all-time favourite mascara. It gives me just the right amount of length, volume and definition. I've tried many different ones but I always end up coming back to this one. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) is an absolute holy grail among beauty lovers and although I don't rate it as a concealer (it creases really badly on me and looks very cakey) I find it's great for applying over a vein I have on my eyelid, so I have a better canvas for applying eyeshadow. Finally for skincare Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.19) removes my makeup with ease.

Random
Firstly, apologies for the photo I could not find a great way of photographing these items together. Stripy Tops have always been a staple in my wardrobe, but I've found myself increasingly reaching for them recently because they're just so easy to wear and great for days when I have exams and can't really be bothered to make an effort with my outfit. I just throw one on with some jeans and I'm away. They really help to pull an outfit together. Some of my favourites are from Oasis and Asos but you can find them everywhere. This watch from Swatch was a gift at Christmas and think it is a great one for the summer months as it's nice and bright, however the white colouring means it also goes with most outfits. For music, I've been listening to an old favourite X&Y by Coldplay. Some of my favourite songs are Swallowed in the Sea, Square One and, of course, Fix You (which I'm sure many of you are familiar with). 

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Lily :)x

Soap & Glory Powders - Review

So my first exam is on Monday and I thought what better way to procrastinate than to write a new blog post!

The first thing that drew me to Soap & Glory makeup was definitely the packaging - it's just so bold and instantly recognisable. I've ended up with quite a good amount of their products and for good reason! They might be one of the more expensive high-street brands out there but from what I've tried so far I can say that their products are definitely worth it. I am a particular fan of their powders so I decided to do a review on the ones in my collection :)

One Heck of a Blot has become an absolute staple in my makeup bag. I love that it is translucent so doesn't appear cakey on the skin at all. It comes with a a mirror and a little sponge but I prefer to use my Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face Brush as this just gives a light dusting of powder on the skin. Although it doesn't keep me matte all day (what does?!) it definitely does the job until about lunch time when I can easily re-apply it. It's great for under-eye concealer too as it helps prevent creasing and somehow makes the concealer less visible which I really like. I've been using it regularly for a few months now but from looking at the pan you would think I'd had it for about a week! At £12 it's not the cheapest but the packaging is great and it seems as though it will last me forever - you definitely get your money's worth with this one.

I initially decided to purchase Kick Ass Instant Retouch Powder (£12) because of how much I loved the Kick Ass Concealer but I was quite disappointed with it initially. For me it really depends on whereabouts on my face I use it. When used on my nose it leaves a yellow-ish cast and doesn't really control my oil at all, however this is not it's intended purpose so I shouldn't really complain. It is designed as almost like a blurring primer in powder form - when used on the pores around my nose it works really well, disguising them instantly. The packaging is the same as One Heck of a Blot and it also comes with a sponge. I occasionally use this combined with One Heck of a Blot - the two work really well together. Overall I would say this is great if you have normal or dry skin and it does live up to its claims for me, but I don't think I would buy it again just because oil control is a priority for me with powder.

I'm sure many of you have heard this raved about - and rightly so! Before I discovered this I was not a bronzer person at all. The only ones I'd tried were MUA, and although I absolutely love their lipsticks and eye shadow palettes, their bronzers (or at least the ones I tried) are not the best unfortunately. Solar Powder (£11) is just the perfect all-around bronzer. The left shade (matte) can easily be used for a gentle contour, or built up to be more intense. The right shade is great for giving your skin a nice glow (S&G's claim for this to be 'the greatest glow on earth' may well be true!). When used together, both shades give your skin beautiful warmth and make you look naturally sun-kissed which I love. The packaging is very satisfying to open and close (weird I know..) with its magnet, although I'm slightly concerned about the fact that it's cardboard because I'm quite clumsy... This is definitely my favourite of these powders and I think you should all go out and buy it if you haven't already! (This has been out of stock for a good few weeks on Boots now, I really hope they're not discontinuing it :( )

Lastly, Glow All Out (£11). This was one the first highlighters I bought and has remained a firm favourite since then. The packaging is the same as Solar Powder, with the cardboard and magnetic closure. It has a lovely pinky tone to it which disappears once blended in to give a gorgeous, subtle sheen. There is no visible glitter in it and it's really pigmented so a dream to work with. Definitely a one to try if you're into highlighting.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free to comment with any suggestions or if you'd like to see more in-depth reviews of any of the products mentioned.

Lily :)x