bourjois rouge edition velvet matte liquid lipsticks

Say Bonjour to my new favourite French beauty products! These new liquid lipsticks are like lipgloss that dries to a velvet finish, very matte but not drying on the lips like typical matte liquids, more velvety, with a satin like finish. These are the most long lasting lipsticks I've tried, lasting right through dinner, brushing my teeth and a good 6 hours after that. I am amazed! The colours are really pigmented too, as you can see, but I do wish Bourjois had gone a bit more out-there with their shades, putting in a purple or more nudes, or a popping on-trend orange. Whine over, I really do love these. The one's pictured above are Peach Club, Hot Pepper and Frambourjois. Peach Club is a lovely subtle peach but still bright, for those who are a little shy when it comes to bright lips. Hot Pepper is a bright bright orange-red which is right up my street, my favourite of the bunch, and Frambourjois is a nice reddy-pink with I thought was a little more wearable than the other pink offering, Pink Pong. I can see me collecting the other shades very soon, although annoyingly I can only find 6 of the 8 shades on sale anywhere! What's with that?

If you try one thing in the next few weeks, make it these.

At £8.99 they aren't the cheapest lip offering on the high street but are quite unique and amazing quality. You can also pick them up on 3 for 2 at Boots at the moment, or Superdrug Buy One Get One Half Price. Find them here, or here.

Love,

Charlotte xxx

the budget contour : sleek face contour kit

It seems to have been budget-central here at GAB lately, after chasing cult products and visiting Mac way too much lately I've turned my hand to a bit of bargain hunting. You've already heard about my love for new budget brand Makeup Revolution here, but I also had my first dip into Sleek products last week in a little Superdrug haul. One product that has been raved about a lot is the Sleek Face Form Palette, but it was out of stock and I'm not a big blush girl, so I went for the smaller contouring palette, at £6.49. I'm a big big fan of contouring, in fact I rarely leave the house without a little help shaping and sculpting my face. But finding a budget bronzer which is grey-toned enough to leave you looking sculpted and not selectively tangoed isn't the easiest task. Enter Sleek. 

It comes with two powders, one for sculpting under the cheekbone to create a natural shadow, and a highlighter to brighter the tops of the cheeks. The sculpting powder is a lovely grey toned brown, although this one is light and rather dark for a 'light' shade so I'm not sure super-pale beauties would have much luck with this. I'm semi-pale and its works just right for me. It's not too dark however that you can go awfully wrong, just keep a light hand in mind. It's also shimmer free creating a natural look. The highlighter is really beautiful and rather shimmery natural shade -don't be using this to contour your nose- but adds a gorgeous sheen which can be blended to a subtle finish or built up for more dramatic looks. 

I was also pleasantly surprised at the packaging- compact, smooth, and dare I say sleek? It reminds me of Nars packaging quite a lot. If I was picky I wish the highlighter was a tad smaller and sculpt powder a little bit, but for £6.49 who can complain? If you're into blushers I'd recommend picking up the full Face Form palette as at £10 its a steal too! I can see this becoming a handbag staple, much easier to carry than a bronzer and highlighter....

Buy it here.

Have you tried any Sleek products? Do you love this contour palette as much as me? I would love some recommendations to try out more from the brand!

Love Charlotte xxx

a new obsession

Say hello to the new brand on the street, Makeup Revolution. It only came out of the beauty woodwork last week but if you haven't heard about it yet, where on earth have you been?!

The main product the bblogging world has raved about is this, the Iconic 3 palette, a stellar dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 3. And I have to jump right on the bandwagon and tell you how amazing this is. Looking at the pictures above it is easy to see just how much of a dupe this is - colour for colour. And the colours really are pretty much the same, as you can see. You can't even tell the difference between the shimmers, and the mattes are only very very slightly different. The Makeup Revolution swatches are on the left above. The quality of course isn't quite the buttery formula of UD, but it's still really really good for an brand, never mind the £4 price tag! I also don't think the packaging is bag for such a budget brand. I'm totally in love with this product and can't wait for more from the brand, after trying this out on my eyes and seeing how well it performed I went straight back to Superdrug and ordered a whole lot more products. Seen as I already own all the Naked's, I've passed this on to my younger sister to stop her borrowing mine all the time. If you were thinking of picking up any of the Nakeds, I'd seriously consider purchasing these instead. You could have all three palettes for £12, a third of the price of just one from Urban Decay!

Available here, with free delivery over £10.

new brush storage!

Say hello to the newest addition to my ever-expanding brush storage. Perfectly matching my muji and other acrylic storage I already use, including far too many ebay lipstick stands, this baby is perfect for organising my brushes into different sections while keeping them all in one place. No more lugging around five different pots or trying to find the right brush amongst a million. 

Here I've gone for base brushes on the left, all powder/blush/bronzer types in the middle and eye brushes on the right. It's really helped me in the mornings as I can move through them stage by stage. Plus, there's so much more room in there for new brushes, how convenient. Queue new wishlist of brushes I need to fill those empty spaces. 

I picked this up at TK Maxx for £5.99, what a bargain. There was plenty of different shapes and sizes on offer, I suggest you get to the nearest store fast as I can see these flying off the shelves!

Love Charlotte

xxx

Lustlist #7 Out of my reach

You might call it greedy. You might call it plain stupid. I call it having aspirations. 

Whatever it is, the lustlist is definitely way out of my reach right now. 

Micheal Kors Bag / £170 / I will have this eventually. I now have a mug in my room that I'm collecting spare change and the odd fiver in. Every little helps. 

Nars Matte Multiples/ £30 / So gorgeous but so pricey at thirty quid for such a small product. I know they're really pigmented and will perform so well, but without swatching I can't quite convince myself to buy just yet. 

Models Own Polishes / £5 / Okay so this one is possible. After the success of Models Own Polish for Tans last week my love for Models Own has very much been rekindled. Now I just want more and more.

Nars Contour Blushes/ £30 / I can't really have a matte multiple and this now can I? They essentially will do the same job, so I think it's another wait until I can see them in person and I might just have to get one, or both.

Illamasqua Gel Liner / £18.50 / I'm on the hunt for a new holy grail dramatic liner. Every time I come home I borrow this from my Mum, it's so easy to use with an angled brush, dries really quick and stays put all day. It's love.

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner / £17.50 / This is the gel liner alternative if I decide to try something new, every bblogger and their dog has raved about it so maybe I should go for that instead. Suggestions please. 

Kate Spade Phone Case / £30 / I spied this in the store at Westfield's in London and fell in love. The only problems are the price, the fact I already own far too many cases including a Marc Jacobs one, and the fact that Kate Spade is so difficult to get your mitts on. Actually that last one is probably a good thing. The bags are gorge too.

I think I'll be lusting after these beauties for a while yet...

Charlotte xx

beautiful london

As you'll probably know last week I took a little weekend trip to London to visit my best friend, and we had a perfect few days exploring, drinking Prosecco, eating amazing foods (see this post) and most importantly shopping!

It seems in the last six months I've been turned into the typical blogger, and ended up getting on the train with a shopping list as long as my arm of things you can only get in London, or not many places. Of course I picked up a few more accessible things on my trip too.

My first stop was Selfridges. I managed to make it from Kings Cross to Hammersmith via the Selfridges Beauty Hall in just over an hour, woman on a mission, so much that a lady actually said to me 'You seem to know what you've come for'. I did. I picked up a copy of Allure Magazine, something I've been dying to read for ageeees now. I mean, a magazine only about beauty, hello! I also picked up some Muji drawers, pictured above, which I have been playing with and rearanging ever since.

Next stop was Inglot, a store I've been dreaming about since first hearing about it. I'm a sucker for a pallette, so being able to walk around and put pretty much any combination of products together was like heaven to me. I picked up a gorgeous matte blush and three brown-grey shades of shadow, as well as fluffy applicator brush which reminded me of my beloved Mac 239. At £27.50, the pallette was much cheaper than Mac's similar offering and just as impressive quality, if not more. I can't wait to try more of their products next time I'm down there, I especially liked the look of the eye pigments. 

Then we headed to Kiko, another pro brand that is only available in London, but one I've heard really good things about. Unlike Inglot I had no idea what I wanted in here, but after a long chat with the really helpful assistant and picking up about a hundred different things, I walked away with a really glossy gel-effect top coat, which I really am loving, and a super-long eye pencil in a creamy dark brown which stays put once applied. Love it!

Another trip to Selfridges with more time to browse and I finally managed to get my hands on the Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Bag I've been lusting after for a long time. I've attempted to buy this before, but it always seem out of stock. Well now it's mine. I also like to pretend that the CT actually stands for me instead, ha!

I then headed to the less exclusive Mac, which we all know I buy from regularly, and picked up a blush in Gingerley, a beautiful matte bronzy shade that blends seamlessly with a sculpted look to add a subtle colour pop, and also the cult Soft and Gentle highlighter because I just had to try it. I also rather impulsively purchased Fix+, something I've heard mixed reviews of and just wanted to try. I wish I'd only bought the travel size now though, I'm not all that impressed, mainly because it sprays in random directions, and simply doesn't match up to Urban Decay's All Nighter which I really love. Finally, I picked up a silver palette from the Pro Store for my mum, really quite pointless as you can use the back of your hand but I know she saw them used in store and liked the idea, so I picked it up as part of a belated Mother's Day gift. It's the thought that counts eh?

My Inglot Pallete *heart eyes emoji*

And that completes my London beauty haul. I didn't do too bad I don't think, and managed to restrain myself from buying any lipsticks! Virtual pats on the back welcome. 

Have you had any hauls lately? What do you think of my purchases? Have you tried any of these products or have any recommendations for my next trip?

Love Charlotte

xxx

i think i'm in love...

Models Own Polish For Tans Range

It didn't take me long to jump on this bandwagon. This might make me a complete crazed saddo, but I actually had the release date of these saved as a reminder on my phone, I wanted them that much.

It's no secret that I'm a big friend of fake tan. I never quite feel glam enough without a bit of bronze. And I think we all know how I feel about polishes. My massive cravings for them are only getting worse. So it only made sense that I got my hands on these pronto!

The swatches really do a lot of the talking here, but I'll give a little bit of my thoughts on them too. In terms of colour, they really are bright, the photos cannot do justice to how much these glow. But I also find them really wearable compared to other brights such as Models Own Iced Neon range, mainly because they are muted, neon pastels (I still don't quite understand that), and so they don't look out of place if you're not on the beach sunning yourself. Because they are slightly pastel-y, you might want three coats for a full coverage, but I've found that two works just fine if I'm not being picky. I've also found Beach Bag and Flip Flop to be quite gloopy, but I don't know if this is just my luck or a formula issue. They aren't too gloopy to use though, just not the thin one-swipe formula that I've come to expect. It's a little more time consuming, but so worth it. They dry to a semi-matte finish, so a top coat might be needed if you don't dig the matte look. As with all Models Own polishes, they wear really good too, three days and no chips to be seen so far!

I can't wait to see how these look when I do have a bit of a summer glow, I can only imagine they will be ever more stunning. Okay, enough gushing now, I think I've made my point. I LOVE these. LOVE them I tell you. 

Models Own Polish For Tans are £5 each or currently on offer on modelsownit.co.uk at 6 for £20 mix and match, so you can pick up other goodies too ( I recommend their lip-stix if you're stuck). Ps. Have a fab weekend...

Love Charlotte

xxx

a little bite of lifestyle

see what I did with the title there?

Last week I was lucky enough to have a little weekend trip to visit one of my best friends in London and indulge in three days of shopping sprees and pretty amazing food. I've been wanting to write some more lifestyle-ish posts for quite a while but I never know what to write about, especially on the things-to-do-or-eat front as my readers are from all over, and lets face it, if you don't live there, its not all that interesting. However, London is a place a lot more people are likely to visit and if you're anything like me I love to check out popular places when I go.

If you do visit either of these two restaurants anytime, I'm pretty sure you won't be dissapointed...

DUCK AND WAFFLE, HERON TOWER

I know what you're thinking. Duck, with waffle, and maple syrup, and egg? Yuck! I'm no fancy eater. I could easily live off pizza and chips, I'm really not one for fancy eating. But this was really really good. We had some really nice garlic and chorizo breads, which was a good idea as they were very filling and the mains were quite small. I also, very bravely, tried a bag of bbq pig ears, which do sound gross but were so so nice! Next you have to have the duck and waffle. I mean if you don't, why are you there? Unless you've been before in which case okay. You've got to try it at least, and you'll probably really like it, it goes together surprisingly well! 

The prices aren't cheap but aren't crazy either, I got all this and a glass of wine and payed £33. But what you really pay for here is the view. From my seat I was almost sat next to the top of the gherkin, with amazing views of the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf too. Plus the glass lift that takes you up is pretty fun. Although it's not the most budget friendly, I really really recommend duck and waffle, even if it's just for a drink in the highest restaurant in Britain!

HOMESLICE, COVENT GARDEN

For something more mainstream, here's a place that was right up my street. Homeslice, in the gorgeous Neals Yard just off Covent Garden. They only do 20" pizzas, you can buy slices, but at £20 for that huge huge piece of yumminess it's not that expensive really, especially seen as you have to share. You can also pick half and half toppings, here we went for salami on one side and spicy peppers and cheeses on the other. The prosecco on tap here was also really yummy, especially sat outside in the sun. I think this is a really nice place to stop midday for a late lunch or just a snack slice if you're peckish. 

That's my two foodie picks if you're visiting London anytime soon, or are lucky enough to live there. Expect a London haul post soon all about the other fun I had walking off my food babies (mostly in Selfridges). 

Did you enjoy this post? Would you like to see more lifestyle? As always I'd love to see your comments and really appreciate a follow on bloglovin if you enjoy what you read.

Love Charlotte

xxx

haulin, haulin : treating myself in mac

I seem to have been shopping like crazy lately! With the passing of some major uni deadlines and trips to both London and Amsterdam in the last week it's been treat-time every day and in too big quantities. Hauls = happy me, but not so happy purse!

My first haul was in MAC, ahh the joys! I've always liked MAC but it is rather expensive and so I don't get to splurge beyond a lipstick very often. However, all my amazing friends bought me a makeover and vouchers to spend at the counter in Harvey Nichols in Leeds, and boy did I enjoy it. 

Firstly I was after a foundation, something I've never tried from Mac but everyone raves about. As their offerings are usually quite heavy, and this was a treat buy, I wanted a base for special occasions and nights out so I went for the full coverage studio fix, in both NC30 and NC15  (the lighter one for during the day). Overall I'm really impressed, it really does cover all but it's actually not as heavy as I expected, and it really stays put too. The colour range is what stands out most, these really match my normal skintone and tanned version perfectly, plus the finish is a really nice matte that lasts as well. A big thumbs up for studio fix!

Next I created myself a new quad. Although Mac shadows don't come close to urban decay offerings for me, I do love the wide range of colours and finishes they offer, plus I was looking for some new matte browns. These three, omega, mystery and charcoal brown (from lightest to darkest), were just what I wanted. The pink shade, yoghurt, was one that I would never usually go for but was used during my makeover as part of a smoky eye and I've been hooked ever since. These quads don't come in cheap at £46, but seen as I had vouchers it didn't hurt so much. Not sure I'd use my own pennies at that price though. 

Finally I picked up the much hyped Mineralise Skinfinish in Stereo Rose, a big blogger favourite. A lot of people have been dissapointed in this latest release of it, and I'm a bit on the fence to be honest. The product in general I absolutely love, and at first gave amazing pigmentation and a shimmery pink/coral colour that would suit most. I find it works best as a blush/higlights used sparingly on the uppermost parts of the cheekbones, rather than the apples. If using a contour and bronzer, it really ties the whole look together and makes it more natural. However, as other have expressed, depending on the amount of gold running through it (the line parts), you can get an amazing or a little dissapointing result. At first I loved it, now I'm a little deflated. I'm hoping with a bit more usage the gold tones will return. Fingers crossed. I think this is a case of luck as each compact is slightly different, I'd advise to check in store before you buy. 

And that was my first Mac haul....

More posts coming very soon on my huge shopping sprees in London and also a little lifestyle on what I got up to.

If you liked my post please let me know by commenting or following on bloglovin, it means the world...

As always, I love to hear from you....

Love Charlotte

xxx