A BEAUTY HAUL.

In the past week I've been on the hunt for a few little gems to add to my stash. Luckily I succeeded in my quest and I want to share my findings with you.

Lush Dream Cream £11.95 - After recently suffering with non-stop itchy skin (due to a certain shampoo and conditioner) and then coincidently seeing some rave reviews, I decided I needed to purchase this wonder in a tub. Firstly the smell is just what I'd expect from Lush e.g. BEAUTIFUL. In all seriousness it has a lovely aroma of lavender with with undertones of fresh ingredients such as cocoa butter and oat milk. 

The specialist ingredients that make up this cream are targeted for calming skin and reducing redness - basically just what I was in need of. And the results definitely match the expectations. I've seen a noticeable difference in my skin and I will continue on to make my way through the tub until it is time to purchase a new one!

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit £6.49 - Amelia Liana constantly tests my ability when it comes to not spending money, she is always recommending and reviewing the latest products from the beauty world and her words of wisdom always seem to stir me in the way of purchasing. Here's another example. 

The thing that took me by surprise, and at the same time made me want to run to my local Boots and buy it, was that it has been compared to the Anastasia Contour Kit. The outcome of this handy trio is what it says on the tin: 'chiselled cheeks'. The combination of colours, the price tag and the user-friendly consistency make this a perfect palette for all those that love beautifully contoured cheek bones.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer £5.99 - Running out of concealer and having no back up is one thing I really can't bear. Having to face the world with my acne prone skin whilst sporting some rather dark under eye circles is not my thaaaang. Luckily on this particular day I managed to scrape some out of the tube and then I headed off to Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's? I thought that there was a possibility that they may stock Collection (so that I could repurchase my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer) but I was wrong. Not knowing what plan B was, I scoured what they had to offer and came across this beauty. The only thing that I can say is that it is nearly identical to the Collection Concealer but the consistency is not as thick and I find that it lasts a lot longer on my skin. SUCCESS.  From now on I will definitely pay just under £2 extra for some even better longevity.

Co Lab Dry Shampoo in London £3.49 - This dry shampoo has been on my little list of things to get for a while as I've been subsribed to Ruth (A Model Recommends) and heard the success that this lil' product has had. Unfortunately I'm yet to actually use it but I felt the need to include it in this haul. One thing that I do know is that this particular scent smells heavenly especially considering it's a dry shampoo. From what I've heard it excels at getting rid of those greasy oils. I love Ruth and I think that I'm going to love using this dry shampoo.

Benefit Roller Lash, ELLE magazine March 2015, £4 - In the past month the blogosphere has been filled with the new release from Benefit. From what I've seen the majority of reviews have been positive. In my opinion the mascara certainly does what it claims in terms of length and holding a curl - I think this is achieved due to the unusual shape of the wand. I wouldn't go as far as some bloggers have and say that it's better than They're Real Mascara but for someone that loves length over volume this would be the perfect choice. And lets face it, the packaging is up to Benefit's usual standard.

Love Mais.

P.S. I couldn't resist the cuteness of the mini mascara sitting on the cactus... 

POLO NECKS.

Ever since high street stores started stocking polo necks I've been in on the trend and purchased a few of my own. However this one is my favourite by far. The moment I saw this beauty hanging from one of Topshop's pretty displays I knew I was going to buy it, even before heading to the changing rooms to try it on. 

The combination of mom jeans and slouchy polo necks, for me, is a match made in heaven. There's something about pairing slouchy clothes together that gives a sophisticated and masculine vibe. The bat wing effect of the jumper gives a further, less obvious, slouchy element. Perfect for a put-together yet relaxed outfit - my favourite kind of outfit. 

Possibly my favourite detail of this outfit is the length of the jeans compared to the height of the boot. As the jeans are quite loose and the boots are rather fitted, I think the boots and the sliver of skin inbetween give a much needed sharpness and structure to the outfit. As does the shopper bag.

Another sophisticated element: the neck of the jumper overlaps the rim of the coat.

My love for combinations like this is only made stronger the more I wear them. Mixing and matching different elements to make something more individual is one thing I enjoy experimenting with.

Jumper - Topshop

Mom jeans - Topshop

Boots - Public Desire

Coat - Topshop (Sold Out from the sale)

Shopper Bag - Zara

What's your favourite outfit?

(Beautiful photography by my lil' Sister) Love Mais.

JANUARY FAVOURITES.

My first favourites! January has been a month of getting back into daily life as December had us tailing off and relaxing wherever possible. Now I'm back into the swing of things and homework is back to taking over my life...here are some things that have seen me through the gloomy month we call January.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation - A recommendation from the beautiful Amelia Liana. As the name would suggest it's a 'True Match' to my skin tone and it almost acts as a more attractive layer of skin. It's a medium to full coverage foundation that blends seamlessly over pores and imperfections. For days when I don't feel the need to wear a full coverage base, I personally like to combine it with my Maybelline BB cream as they have nearly the identical shade and texture.

MAC Soft & Gentle Highlighter - This luxurious item was one of the few make-up bits that I popped on my Christmas wish list. After seeing it being featured in endless amounts of YouTube tutorials I decided I needed to get my hands on it. It's a cult classic and there's a definite reason for that: besides it's dreamy packaging (which closes with a very satisfying noise thanks to the new magnetic clasp), it gives an intense sheen to the face with iridescent undertones of gold and silver shimmer whilst sometimes portraying a subtle highlighter in certain lights. It's easy to apply and the intensity at which you want it can be achieved as it's very blendable. I apply it along my cheek bones with a duo-fibre brush.

Cassio Classic Silver Watch - Before Christmas I'd been wanting a watch for a while. Not being a fan of mainstream accessories meant Michael Kors watches were out of the question. I'd seen a few Cassio watches on various Instagram accounts and ever since then my love for them grew. Silver jewellery is all I wear so I knew that if I was going to purchase one it'd have to be silver. Androgynous vibes are present when wearing this watch which personally I think gives it a uniqueness. Surprisingly it was a lot cheaper than I expected and even then watchshop.com had an offer on. It looks as though it's just come out of a 90's fashion show which, in my opinion, make it even more attractive.

The next 3 products are all swatched on my hand in the picture above.

Tanya Burr lip gloss in Berry Picking - Being a huge fan of Tanya Burr naturally means I've got a few on her lip glosses. This particular one is only available on  Feel Unique as it is from the second range that she launched. Even though I've never been into glosses, I kind of love this one with all my heart! It's SO pigmented and the colour itself is a beautiful combination of a medium purple/pink with flecks of rose gold loveliness (the middle swatch on my hand)!

Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner in East End Snob - Once again Amelia Liana is the reason I've purchased a make-up item... There is so much to say about this little twist up tube of happiness: to start of with the colour is a perfect everyday pinky nude (the first swatch on my hand) which I wear on it's own most of the time but occasionally it is worn as a base for a lipstick. Secondly it's a dupe for a quite expensive Charlotte Tilbury lip liner in Pillow Talk however this version is only £3.99!  And to top it all off it makes my lips look somewhat similar to Kylie Jenner's. MIRACLE! 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold - Never before has a product been so easy to apply. Sweep it across the lids and you're finished! Or use it as a primer for your eye shadows. The colour resembles a metallic, dusky pink and the formula only enhances this colour (the third swatch on my hand). Perfect for a quick yet effective eye look. 

Real Techniques Angled Shadow Brush - Nic's Picks - Due to the angles fibres, this brush fits perfectly inbetween my eye socket and my eye lid making blending very quick and simple. Although I am yet to try the extremely popular MAC 217 brush, I have heard how incredible it is for blending and it sounds very similar to this. Unfortunately this brush does come in a set of 5, however this brush is a good enough reason to get all 5. Besides, who doesn't want more Real Techniques brushes?

I hope you had a January full of favourites.

Love Mais.