Orange Blush

I'll admit I'm not particularly bold about my makeup choices, and blush is the last place I'd typically be adventurous. I usually just stick to my Well Dressed, thank you very much. However, for some reason, when I saw Sleek's Life's A Peach I was drawn to it. And boy am I glad that I grabbed it. In the pan it's quite a bright orange which is rather intimidating. On the skin it's a gorgeous glowy peach, it's matte so it looks natural, and is quite sheer. It can also be built up quite well if you want a stronger orange look.

You can find Sleek Life's A Peach on the Sleek website for $6.99 or in Superdrug for £4.49.

Do you own any Sleek blushes? Which is your favourite?
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Halloween

So I'm ridiculously excited for Halloween as per usual, but I decided this year I wanted to wear a quite comfortable costume. I was a flapper last year which was fun but I was dealing with high heels and sequins and it was a pain in the but my the end of the night. Also, I was freezing. So this year I decided let's go crazy with the makeup. I practiced this weekend and settled on the half skeleton look! I did this pretty quickly just for practice but on the night I want to go all out a la Lady Gaga Born This Way slash Rick Genest.

If this is something you want to recreate, I promise it's super easy. All I did was map out the lines with a black gel liner, filled them in, and went over with a matte black eyeshadow. I then took a small detail brush and added shadows on my brow bone, teeth, etc. Honestly, find a picture you like and copy it! It's so easy. I'm planning on just wearing a black leather jacket, tshirt, and black jeans!

I've also been roped in to doing everyone else's makeup so I've got sugar skulls and vampires to create, what are you being for Halloween?
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The Lorac Pro Palette

 I caved. I walked into to Ulta to browse and I was drawn to it. Generally I control myself and walk away but this time I was weak. And I'm oh so glad I was because the Lorac PRO Palette is literal perfection. It has 16 shadows, 8 of which are matte, 8 shimmer. They are the smoothest, most buttery texture I have ever felt in an eyeshadow. I already own the PRO to go palette and the texture is one of the reasons I love it so much. The shadows are incredibly pigmented as well, especially the shimmery shades. The swatches below are mostly one swipe up and down, with no primer. Insanity right?

Top Row, sequenced with palette (note that both Cream and Light Pink are very similar to my skin tone so they don't show up as well)

Bottom Row, sequenced with palette

I know the bottom picture looks a bit funny but I wanted to show you the gorgeous sheen on these in the sun. Overall I'm over-the-moon with this palette. Did I need it personally? Probably not because I have too many eyeshadows to ever use up. BUT, I do love it and I've not used anything else since buying it.

It's also worth mentioning that if you have both the first and second Naked palettes, it's probably overkill to buy this one as well. I do have them all, and a lot of the shades are similar. The only difference is in texture, I think UD's shadows are beautiful but Lorac's are slightly superior. I will say that if you're debating between Naked and this, I would go with the PRO, it's too gorgeous to pass up.

The Pro Palette is $42 and can be bought at Ulta. LORAC is unfortunately only available in the US right now, so if you know anyone over here, get them to ship it to you ASAP!

Do you own anything from Lorac? I really want to try their liquid liner!

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The Autumn Eyeshadow Edit

My eyeshadows don't tend to change TOO much from season to season, so I thought I would show you the ones I've been reaching for a lot lately and just call it an Autumn Edit. Okay? Okay. I love my bronzes, and I kick it up a notch during the colder months by wearing darker bronzes all over my lid in a smokey eye.

So starting at the bottom (right next to the makeup bag) is the ever famous Mac Mulch. Easily one of my favourite shadows ever. It's like the perfect combination of bronze and milk chocolate and looks gorgeous blended over the lid, like most MAC shadows it's beautiful quality. Next up is a MUA Pearl Shadow in Chamoisee. For £1 I don't really see how you could possibly go wrong with these gorgeous shadows, they're on par with MAC in terms of quality. Despite how it looks in the pan it's super metallic on the eye and is slightly taupe (aka my favourite colour ever). It is actually quite close to Urban Decay Suspect, which is one of my all time favourite shades, but slightly darker so they pair perfectly.

The big square pan is my beloved Inglot Pearl 423. Inglot shadows are probably the best quality I've ever used, they're not too expensive, and you get SO much bang for your buck. Like .09oz worth. I wish they had cute names, but 423 is a beautiful plummy rusty toned brown. I actually bought this on accident, but I'm so happy I did. Something about it makes my green eyes look out of this world. Too Faced Push Up is an oldie but a goodie. It's a gold toned brown and is beautifully buttery. I'm pretty sure you can only get this is the Natural Eyes palette, which is a bummer so if you find a dupe let me know! I talk about the NARS Kalahari Duo ALL THE TIME. I can't help it though it's so gorgeous it almost hurts. I've reviewed it here so I'll let you read that but the shades are a beautiful bronze and milky chocolate. Lastly is Maybelline's Bad To The Bronze Colour Tattoo, which is the perfect bronzy lazy day solution.

What are your favourite eye shadows for the season?
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The Vanity; Updated

In my last vanity post, I had all of my everyday products in cute little bowls which was probably the most inconvenient storage solution ever, but it was adorable so I dealt. Well, I got sick of it so I walked (drove) myself on down to Marshall's to hunt for an acrylic case.

I considered ordering another MUJI case (like the one on the right) but decided I wanted something a little different. A problem I have with the 5-drawer is that it's too shallow to fit a lot of my products in. Also, when they're hidden away in drawers I tend to use them less. In steps Marshall's, where I found this beauty. It says it's called "Simply Brilliant" by DesignStyles. I can't find this line on the interwebs anywhere, but there seemed to be a lot of them in my Marshall's so keep an eye out.

Basically the bottom of it is a big, deep drawer perfect for storing things that I don't necessarily use every day, but don't fit into my MUJI drawers. On top is a typical acrylic makeup organizer with lipstick slots and different sections. Having all of my everyday products visible has definitely cut down on my getting-ready time, meaning more precious sleep for me. Like I said, I can't find these exact drawers, but there are some similar options here and here and here.

I also picked up a little acrylic letter organizer from Target for my palettes. I like this one because it also has two 'pockets' at the back instead of just being open. These are perfect for storing longer palettes such as my Naked 1 and 2. I can't find this online either, but it is DEFINITELY in store (as of 10.20) so keep an eye out for it, it's by the Nate Berkus stuff in my Target. Other than that, everything is about the same. I think I just needed a bit of a refresh and some reorganization. Now I'm inspired to get the rest of my room organized!

Also, I can now fit more makeup in my drawers, ut oh.
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The Current Staples

There are several products in my everyday routine that rarely get switched out, so here's my current makeup staples!

Rather than having to buy new foundations as I get paler (who knew that was possible?), I've found an awesome product from LUSH called a Colour Essential. This specific one is called Jackie Oats, described as a creamy ivory base for pale complexions. I currently mix this in with my favourite foundations, but you can use it on its own as well. I love knowing that I'm putting a product with good ingredients on my skin rather than a bunch of synthetic crap. I've reviewed the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer here, and it's still a holy grail. It is just THE perfect concealer for a ridiculously cheap price. I wish I had bought more! The last thing I use on my face every day is MAC's Taupe Shape blush, which was Limited Edition from the CCO so keep your eyes out, it is the perfect contour for me.

I'm pretty anal about my brows so I use Anastasia's DipBrow Pomade in Chocolate and Bobbi Brown's Espresso Eyeshadow daily. These two together give me the perfect sculpted brow to replace my sad, thin ones. As an eye primer I always find myself coming back to my dear Urban Decay Primer Potion, nothing quite compares. It was also my first high end product I ever bought with my own money so it's quite sentimental. For lashes, my recent combination has been the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara, which I have reviewed here, and Clinique's High Impact Mascara. I find that these two together create a perfect, volumized, natural looking lash. The NARS Kalahari Duo is one that I can't help but use at least one of the colours everyday, they are just so gorgeous. I've also reviewed this here.

What are your beauty staples at the moment?
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For Those Days When You Feel Shitty

So recently, there has been a lot about anxiety around these here interwebs. I just want to start off by saying that I DO NOT have anxiety as in the disorder. However, I do quite often have days where everything seems to go wrong and I feel extra nervous and overall shitty. I'm not comparing this nervousness to the terribleness of other's overwhelming anxiety, but I'm just saying that this does happen and it sucks.

So, on those days, I try to set aside some time to do things I enjoy. Reading Harry Potter, nerdily enough, is one of those things. It's what I've grown up with, my dad read us the books from a very young age, so it's really comforting to me. I also love reading blogs, watching my favourite YouTubers, and making imaginary shopping lists in my little notebook. Also, who doesn't love a little Netflix while curled up in bed? Also, being in college, I can generally choose to skip class if I want. NOW, red flag, i'm not saying to skip class willy-nilly. What I am saying is that sometimes, if I'm feeling really bad, I'll skip a day I know isn't important. Being an art major, this is pretty easy because I can make up studio time at home. DO NOT miss important lectures. I'm really strict with myself on this in general because I'm obviously spending hundreds of dollars per class (of my own money, ouch). Every now and again though, I'll give myself a day off if I'm feeling extra shitty.

Sometimes, just taking a day off and doing things that you enjoy can be really refreshing and a good reset after feeling shitty, friends. Really, life is too short, why would you not take a few days off?

Do you think I said the word "shitty" enough in this post?
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Barry M Huckleberry

Say hello to my favourite nail polish. Ever. I don't know what it is about this colour but I swear it makes your nails look PERFECT. At all times. It's a gorgeous pastel sky blue, with just enough white to be sophisticated. The formula is perfection, two coats and dries quickly. Have you ever heard of a pale blue that takes two coats to achieve opacity? Cause I sure as heck don't. You all know I'm into my darks, but this one is my precious baby, I really wish I had stocked up when I was in the UK.

You can find Barry M's Huckleberry at Superdrug for £3.99.

If you can find this beauty, BUY IT. You will not regret it. What's your favourite polish at the moment?
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Gotta Glow

I'm that kind of person that loves a dewy face, but I can't stand it if my foundation isn't set. So, I love highlighters. A lot. Like I have too many but buy them all the time anyway. So today I have for you my favourite highlighters for different occasions.

For the inner corner, aka my favourite highlight ever, I ALWAYS use MAC's Nylon. It's a gorgeous pale-gold frost with so much reflect it's almost blinding. Hello always looking awake. For my brow bone I use MAC's Chamomile. This was a limited edition shade but it's similar to Blanc Type. They are both creamy matte white-beiges. It looks a lot yellower in the pan than it does on the skin. Also, I almost killed the poor guy getting him out of my palette, the glue had melted!

For face highlighters, I have a few favourites. Generally, for everyday wear I'll use either Benefit's High Beam or MAC's Hyper Real Pressed Powder in Extra Light. Extra Light is another discontinued product, but it is similar to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes in the beautiful glow that it gives your face. This one has a slight gold undertone that makes your cheekbones look radiant. High Beam is the only liquid highlighter I've ever liked. The champagne-y pink tone gives a beautiful lift to the face and adds some moisture in the winter months. Finally I have the elf All Over Colour Stick in Golden Peach. I rarely use this one myself unless I actually get tan in the summer. For deeper skintones however, it gives a gorgeous golden glow that looks much more natural than the lighter tones I've mentioned previously.

So this is how I achieve my glow, what products do you use?
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The Autumn Foundation Edit

Autumn is that time of year in which I can wear absolutely whatever foundation I want. I don't have to worry about it sweating off of my face, and my skin isn't too dry for some. This autumn, it looks like I'll be sticking to some old favourites and a new love.

I recently did a review of the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation so I'll put a link to that here, but it is my current favourite foundation. It's glowy and light and perfect, but the summer is a bitch with the whole staying power thing, so I'm excited to wear this without worry. One of my oldest favourites is MUFE's Mat Velvet +, I am preferring a more dewy look nowadays but I'll mix this baby in when I need more staying power because it is the bomb. Another tried and true is L'oreal True Match Lumi which is a gorgeous dewy-satin finish. This shade is a liiiiittle dark considering I'm as white as a sheet of paper, but I can't help but love it.

What are your picks for foundation this season? Anything I must try out, I'm in the market for a new love!
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A Little Ulta Haul

Sorry I've been a little absent on the blog so far this week, I had a huge test on Wednesday so I've spent all my free time studying. Now, it's fall break so I thought I would treat myself. All NYX, Revlon, and I believe Almay products are 40% off at Ulta right now. Plus they have the $3.50 of off $10 coupon out, so I spent $18 on all of this, which I think is a pretty good deal!

I wanted to try out the NYX matte eyeshadows, and I'm pretty excited because the new shape will fit in my MAC palette. The shades I picked up are Bare My Soul and Skinny Dip. The colours look very discoloured here because of this lighting, but I'll put some proper swatches up later in the week. Bare My Soul looks like the perfect neutral-toned crease colour which I'm excited about because mine are all rather warm. Skinny Dip is a pretty eggplant and it does have a slight sheen. I don't generally wear colourful eyeshadows, but I thought this one would look nice with green eyes. I paid $2.04 each for these.

I have a couple of matte nail polishes, but I rarely wear them matte because they chip so easily, and obviously a topcoat is going to make them glossy. So I picked up the Revlon Nail Enamel Matte Top Coat for $2.04 as well. I haven't tried it yet but I've heard good things. My flat hair could use some help so I also got the L'Oreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray. Not entirely sure how much I ended up paying for this but it is originally priced at $4.99 (L'Oreal is not included in the 40% sale).

The last thing I picked up was one of the Revlon Colour Stay Moisture Stains, this one in Passion. I did wear this beauty today and I'm in love. I paid $5.04 for this. It's one of my favourite dark red colours that I own a ton of, but I can't help it. I'm also going to do a review of this later in the week so keep an eye out!

This sale goes through October 4th, which isn't a lot of notice I know, but I just found out about it myself. Are you going to pick anything up?
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