Beauty and Bentley

The Maybelline Master Chrome is one of those hyped up highlighters that everyone seems to love, so of course, that's had me lusting after it and finally, I spotted it in store and picked it up to try it out myself. It costs £7.99, which is very reasonable and I picked up the shade Molten Gold, I believe it currently comes in two other shades.

The packaging of this highlighter feels fairly cheap, it's simple, plastic and is already getting pretty scratched up but so long as the packing protects the product it's not really a big deal. This highlighter is a really pretty shade but I think it is a tiny bit too dark for me, I can definitely still wear it but it looks best if I have a bit of a tan, I actually wish Maybelline would release another more champagne shade.


The powder itself feels nice and soft and it applies smoothly, it's pigmented but it's not reflective in a way that gives you that 'wet look' on the skin. So many people rave about this highlighter that I was convinced I was going to love it but I must say I'm not reaching for it all that often, don't get me wrong it is nice, there's nothing actually wrong with it I just don't love it. I'm going to try and use it more and see if I can change my mind, I think I'll try out some different application techniques and use it as an eyeshadow but as it stands I don't think I'll repurchase it again in the future. I will say that this highlighter doesn't look chunky or glittery on the skin which I do appreciate especially from a drugstore brand.

I think overall this is one of those products that is good but for one reason or another, it just hasn't become a love of mines so although I don't think I'll repurchase it I would recommend it to others as it does perform well. 

I've been desperately needing to replace my previous liquid eyeliner (NYX Matte Liquid Liner) for quite some time so finally I stopped into Superdrug and picked up the e.l.f Expert Liquid Liner to try out. I haven't tried out a huge amount from e.l.f so I was intrigued by this super affordable liquid liner which has a similar design to the NYX one, which by the way is really good and I will pick up again in the future.


The Expert Liquid Liner costs just £3.00 and comes in two shades, Jet Black and Charcoal I obviously picked up the shade Jet Black. The applicator has a brush tip which I much prefer to felt tip liners which I find more difficult to work with but that's just my personal preference.

The first thing I will say about this eyeliner is it is very liquidy, I would suggest removing any excess from the brush before applying to the eye if you're not careful you can easily apply too much and it can get messy but if you're careful this will apply a beautiful winged look. The brush could have a finer, more pointed tip to give more precision but if you feel confident in your eyeliner application you shouldn't have an issue, you can still create super thin lines it just takes a steady hand and a little work. When I looked on the Superdrug website I noticed the ratings were pretty low but I must say I've not has any major issues using this eyeliner and I think for the price it does a good job.
It's pigmented and dries down to a more matte finish which I like and it lasts well throughout the day, it can slightly smudge in the inner corners of the eyes but this happens with quite a few eyeliners that I've used in the past so I don't think it's a big issue.


Overall I do like this liner, I prefer the NYX Matte Liquid Liner but this one is a good cheap alternative. I think this would be best for those who have some experience with applying liquid eyeliner if you're a beginner this may not be the best option. Would I repurchase this again in the future?.....yeah I think I would, it's not a holy grail product but it works and it's inexpensive.

Earlier this year I tried out a few bits from Essence and I was really impressed by the quality considering how affordable everything is so recently I stopped into Wilko and picked up two new items to put to the test. I got the Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer and the Brighten Up Banana Powder as I thought they would make the perfect duo to sort out my dark undereye area.

 Essence Brighten Up! Banana Powder 

This translucent powder costs £3.00 and is a soft yellow shade, 'banana' powders have been made popular by Kim Kardashian and her extreme contour routine. These kinds of powders are especially good for brightening up the skin, baking and setting the undereye but sometimes the yellow shade can show up on my fair skin and look unflattering so I really like that this powder is such a soft shade of yellow. The packaging is, as usual with Essence products, cute and simple, it doesn't feel luxe but you wouldn't expect that from a £3.00 powder but it does feel sturdy enough that I wouldn't be afraid to pop it in my handbag and take with me on the go. The powder itself feels lovely and soft, it does have a fair bit of fallout but it's not an issue so long as you remember to tap off any excess powder from your brush before applying it to the skin, I don't personally 'bake' my make-up but I think it would be pretty easy to do thanks to how soft the powder is. It blends out really nicely over the skin and I love to use this to set my concealer under my eyes.

Essence Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer 

Okay, so I just looked online to link to this concealer and I've seen that it's being discontinued which is disappointing but you can probably still pick this up in stores if you are quick! I believe it cost around £2.50 and I only recall them having one shade, 10 Nude, luckily this shade works great for me but I have noticed the Essence shade range is pretty shocking at least from what I can find in my local Wilko store. I think the name of this concealer implies that it will provide extreme coverage which it does not, don't get me wrong the coverage is good it takes care of my dark circles really well without getting cakey but I would say it is more of a medium-full coverage. I've really been enjoying this concealer and I actually prefer it to their Stay All Day Concealer that I also own so I'm disappointed that it looks like this won't be available for much longer, I will need to try and stock up soon.  

Both of these products work well together to give great results in particular for any areas of the face that need brightening. I would recommend both of them to others in the future and yet again I've been impressed with the brand and excited to try more products out in the future.

I've mentioned a few times on Instagram that I've recently moved house for the first time, at 26 years old it was time to leave the family home! Moving house, especially for the first time can be very stressful and I plan on creating a dedicated post all about moving with tips and lists of everything you need to get you started but today I wanted to talk about some of the cute homeware bits I've picked up over the last couple of weeks.

I had lot's of ideas about how I wanted our home to look in terms of decor but we are currently in a private let property so to start out we are working with the existing wallpaper and flooring, luckily I can still decorate mostly how I want to as the upstairs has wooden flooring and white/cream walls and downstairs is also very neutral with brand new grey carpets there are just a few feature walls that are papered in a print that I wouldn't have chosen myself (even though there's nothing wrong with it, it's just not what I would have chosen).

We went to one of my favourite places to buy furniture/homeware when you are on a budget.....IKEA! A trip to IKEA always feels like a fun day out and you can pick up some really amazing stuff, it's especially good to go check out the showrooms if you are lacking in decor ideas and need some inspiration. Once we are a little more settled and have some more money we are definitely planning another trip to IKEA to pick up some more items so keep an eye out for a future haul in the coming months.

The first thing I picked up was the Gladom tray table which I paid £20 for but I've just looked at the website and it's been reduced to £15 (I'm definitely picking up another one of these when I'm next in IKEA). This comes in a range of different colours but I picked up the white and it makes the perfect little side table in our living room.

Next, I got two of the Polarvide throws which are a deep grey colour with a scalloped edge and cost £3.25 each. These are a nice soft fleece fabric and I use them to cover the seat of our couches, my mum kindly gave us two couches for free when we moved which don't 100% match our colour scheme but with these little throws and a few cushions they look more cohesive with the rest of the living room. We do also have a dog and these throws help to protect the leather and give a more warm and cosy feel.

I also got these adorable cork coasters which cost £1.50 for a pack of two, I picked up two packs as they look good and are practical. There's not a whole lot more I can say about coasters but these are a great size even for large mugs and are a nice decorative addition to any coffee table.

Okay, next is a little duo that I've put together, the Fejka potted plant and Citronsyra plant pot. The plant is some sort of faux hanging ivy and costs £6, the pot is just plain white with black along the top and it fits perfectly with the plant (I thought the pot cost £2.50 according to my receipt but online it says it costs £5.50). I love this little combo, this is another item I would like to get more of on my next trip to IKEA, right now this is sitting on the tray table in the living room but that could change over the next few weeks.

Finally from IKEA, I picked up a candle, obviously, you can't go to IKEA and not buy a candle. I got the Sinnlig sweet vanilla scented candle in a glass jar for just £1.75. This candle smells delicious and is a great size for any room, this is definitely not a necessity but I think every new home needs some scented candles to give a more cosy feel.

After our trip to IKEA, we stopped into Primark to pick up a few things I needed and I wandered past their homeware section and noticed a couple of items on sale so I picked up two cushions in a khaki green colour that was reduced from £7 each down to £3. These work well in our living room with the other grey and green tones we already have going on. 

Finally, I picked up something that's not particularly glamorous but it is essential, a laundry bag, this one was also reduced from £6 down to £3 and it looks about as cute as a laundry bag can look. This does actually look good in our spare bedroom/my blogging and beauty room with the cream walls and wooden flooring. 

So, these are some of the items we have picked up recently to dress up the house a bit, they are all budget friendly and look great in our new place. 

If you have any suggestions of other places to check out for cute homeware items at a great price then leave a comment and let me know!

Hello, It's been a week or so since I last blogged as I was moving house but I'm back and today I'm talking skincare. I'm going to be reviewing the B. Nourished Advanced Serum, a Superdrug own brand product which is cruelty-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

This serum contains 30ml of product and costs £15.49 but you can often pick it up on an offer (currently they have it reduced to £7.69). The packaging is clean and simple and most of the information regarding application and ingredients are left on the box, the bottle comes with a pump which gives you easy application and keeps all those skin loving ingredients airtight and fresh for as long as possible.

Claims

Advanced Active Regime: Reduces the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks. 12-hour moisturisation. Clinically proven results

The Technology Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 – Smooth wrinkles from within, stimulating collagen where it's needed most. 

Spanish Needle (Bidens Pilosa) - A retinol-like botanical, improves radiance, texture and restores firmness in mature skin.

 Plantain (Plantago Lanceolata) stem cells - Designed to fade the effects of skin ageing. 

Hyaluronic acid - Highly effective long-lasting moisturisation. 

Niacinamide - Vitamin B3 to help brighten skin.

Review

This serum has a beautiful light texture which applies easily and sinks into the skin quickly whilst still leaving the skin feeling nourished. I have been using this morning and night before applying my regular moisturiser and my skin has been looking great, I often apply just this in the morning before my make-up as it doesn't feel heavy and I can almost instantly go in with my make-up application and it doesn't disrupt my foundation in any way.

I believe this was created for those in their 50s and 60s but I'm almost 27 years old and I'm now starting to think more about the ageing process and how I can slow things down a little so this is a great serum for me to start using, as I'm not in my 50's I can't comment too much on how it targets wrinkles and ageing but while I have been using this nourishing serum my skin has been looking and feeling youthful, I haven't felt critical about myself whilst looking in the mirror and I haven't noticed any dryness so I'm feeling positive about the effects.

I'm really loving this serum and how it makes my skin look, I think it's reasonably priced, especially considering how often you can pick it up on an offer, I will repurchase this again in the future and would recommend it to others. I'll definitely need to try out some more products from the B. range! 

Have you tried out any of the B. range, what are your favourites?