On Korean Beauty | Too Cool For School (Samples!)

My sister recently sent me these samples of the Korean brand Too Cool For School and I am excited to try them out! I'm not going to lie; we aren't 100% sure what some of it is for! The brand aims to bring you beauty that breaks the rules, and all of the packaging is so cool (hence the name probably!)

The backs of them have really funny application uses and explains why they have the names that they have. It is all so different from what we can easily get in the UK so I am very happy with them!

Most of what I have here is from their Rules of Skincare. There is a Pore Minimising Serum, a Replenish Aqua Soft Peeling and a Replenish Hydra Essential Toner and Serum (all of which are coming soon)

They have the Dinoplatz Cinema City CC cream.

There is the Juan George Llong collection for men (also coming soon). 

And then we have the tiny little pouches which I am the most excited about!

The McGirly collection uses secrets of rice wine to create cleansers. 

The Morocco Ghassoul aims to clear pores all in an ecoefficient way. 

But the most exciting: Sleeping Packs. I have Pumpkin and Fresh Gore. I don't know what these will do but I cannot wait to try them! I can only assume you apply them at night, and have good results in the morning!

The whole brand is very new and not easily available, so keep your eyes peeled!

What makes you too cool for school?

xoxo

On No7 | Beautiful Blossom Free Gift

It is that time of year again where Boots give out their No7 £3 off make up and £5 off skincare vouchers, 3 for 2 offers are on, and to make it even better, when you buy two products you get their Beautiful Blossom Gift box free! 

No7 is a brand that I can't really fault; their products are genereally pretty affordable (especially with the aforementioned vouchers!) and are always great quality. And when you're getting some of them free? You might as well!

The set includes their Airbrush Away Primer, a mini eyeshadow from their Cappucino collection, their Dramatic Lift mascara and the best part: a voucher to get a free lipstick. One which you receive after they test your skin to check the colour and then tell you which shades suit your skin tone the best. And their lipsticks are so good. 

I am yet to try the other products yet, but when I have tried their eyeshadows in the past they have not disappointed. Nor have their mascaras. My hopes are high for the primer! (I'm hoping it will sit beautifully under their Beautifully Matte Light foundation). 

So if you're a fan of No7, now is the time to stock up!

What would you buy?

xoxo

On Blush

Happy Hump Day everyone! You may remember that I mentioned having given into temptation in a Sunday post and buying these two beauties. For some background: it was the week of my last exam. I'd been working all day in a Starbucks adjoined to a Sainsburys (Cookie Dough frappe if anyone was wondering). I was waiting for Boyf to finish cycling so that I could go home and really sort of reached the end of my tether. 

I needed something to power through! 

So I sneakily ordered these as soon as I got home... As I always say, there is a fine line between need and want. In my defense, FeelUnique had good deals going on.

I have had my eye on the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes for a long time and am yet to have seen a bad review about one of them. I kept seeing them crop up in people's favourites posts and realised that the time was right! When I went to order a lot of the shades were actually out of stock which made choosing a lot easier as all of the shades are beautiful! 

I eventually went with Gentle which really compliments my skin tone. It is actually not that disimilar in shade to Nars' Orgasm, but with a slightly more coral undetone. It also has a slight shimmer to it, which once blended onto the skin just helps to give you a really natural glow. This colour is perfect for just dabbing a little onto your cheeks to make you look really fresh and healthy. I am yet to deepen the colour... maybe with a tan!?

I then had to (yes had to...) get the oversize Nars Orgasm blush, which I have already mentioned so many times. And it is Limited Edition. And my standard version does have a fair dent in it. 

...

This one is maybe about twice the size of the standard version, and on the bottom of the mirror says #whatmakesyoublush. The packaging is also different and it comes with a plastic cover with the same photo on which I thought was a really nice touch. The mirror is a really decent size, and for any beauty lovers I just think this is a really nice but not completely extravagant purchase!

What have you bought that you probably shouldn't have?!

xoxo

On Sundays

After going out to dinner last night and falling asleep to the final of Masterchef, I did not take my make up off properly, meaning that I now have smudged and smeared lipstick over my wrists where I've wiped it off in the night. Please tell me I'm not alone in having done this? I know I won't be alone in saying that revision is  just not getting better, so here are a few things to help you have a relaxing start to Sunday whether you're revising or not!

It was the Met Gala on Monday; I mentioned my sort-of-underwhelmed state about the fashion. My sister agreed! What were your thoughts?

It's Vogue's Centenary year! I've started off my weekend reading through their gorgeous special edition with Kate Middleton on the cover. I have loved Vogue for many many years and my wardrobes are topped with my multiple stacks of them! 

This Princeton professor made a CV of all his failings (I feel mean saying that!). He listed all the academic placements that he did not get to show his pupils that not getting something isn't always a bad thing. 

Whilst trying to finish reading through my (36 page!!!) dissertation, my motivation started to wane. I bought this pouch/clutch as a treat to myself to power through. It's hand-made, limited edition, and I got one of the last two in stock! Not to mention it's beautiful!
(p.s. see it here too!)

Feel Unique has 15% off Benefit! (And other deals too!)

I recently bought these sandals and am already loving them!

Nyx is doing so well right now. Their Lip Lingerie range and their Soft Mattes have been my go-to lip products for months!

Labour's Sadiq Khan is sworn as London's new Mayor.

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

On Beauty - Rosie for Autograph Collection

(You would not even believe the focusing struggle I had with these.
Alas, all I can do is apologise. I tired)

The Rosie for Autograph Beauty Collection did have a fair bit of hype. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's collection of underwear, pyjamas (and the dressing gowns, oh the dressing gowns) is already established very much in its own right as probably one of the best known and best designed collaborations of any that out there on the high street. As a model, RHW knows her stuff. She knows what works and what looks good.
Her beauty collection is no different.

I got the eyeshadow palette (£18) in Copper Gold Rush (I also got this palette for one of my best friends Emily who loved the colours on first look). The palette has a matte nude colour, a shimmer berry maroon, a shimmer gold-tinged nude and a shimmery dark smouldering brown. The paler colours blend in so well with the darker colours and they can be worn by themselves as well. You can really pack the lighter colours on and then need a tiny amount of the darker ones. They blend beautifully and are really pigmented. The shimmer is probably what would be described as glitter for grown ups; it looks beautiful but without that really heavy glitter look. 

I also got the cream eyeshadow stick (£12.50) in Feline Fox. Wow. The pigment of all of these [after swatching them all, the swatches were on my hand all day], is incredible. The swatch shown is with one quick sweep. That is it. These are incredibly creamy and blend well. They last all day and do not budge. And all of the colours are beautiful. They remind me of the Kiko versions but are just that bit more glamorous.

I don't think that I really need to mention the packaging. It's Rose Gold. It's made beautifully. Enough, honestly said. 

You can get these and the rest of the collection online and in stores now; and I would advise you at least swatch everything!

xoxo

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

 Who can say that using anything by Elizabeth Arden doesn't make them feel sophisticated? Just saying the name alone makes me feel a little bit more like I have my life together. 

Like Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish set, Bioderma, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is one of those products that everyone raves about and never has a bad word to say about. And I, my friends, am no different. This stuff is amazing.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not really sure exactly what it is. I'm going to go with it's something along the lines of Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream... But it does work wonders, or should that be magic?

The first time I used it, I read the back that just says 'Apply liberally as often as necessary'; and I did. All over my face. It was, to say the least, not the best idea. I eventually learnt and honed in on where this stuff really works.

I am currently in that stage where I'm not ill, I don't have a cold, yet am having to blow my nose all the time. It's as if I am on a one-woman-mission to rid the world of all of its tissues. Anyway, we have all been here and know just how sore this makes our rosy noses. But not anymore my friends! Whack a dab of this on your nose at night, and the next morning it's asif a tissue never touched it. 

I also have a horrendous habit of picking the skin on my thumb; don't judge, we all have bad habits. And again, Eight Hour Cream on it and it's almost as good as new. (Except for lacking a bit of thumbprint...) 

And of course, it's probably the best, if not at least one of the best, lip balms that there is on this planet. (Rememebr when everyone kicked off at Tanya Burr for wearing it in the no-make up Children In Need campaign? That's how good we're talking here).  

Not to mention that that 7ml has lasted me the entirety of my time at university. And I'm a fourth year now. And it will see me out to graduation. And beyond. A little (and I mean little) really does go a long way with this stuff.

There is no reason why I wouldn't recommend this skin protectant cream, and you can get it here.

What are your thoughts?

xoxo

Kiko | Moon Dust Face Powder - Cosmic Starlets

I think that this is one of the most beautiful face powders I have ever seen. Kiko recently opened in my home town (!!) and when I first saw this I instantly fell in love with it.

It is one of Kiko's Illuminating face powders from their Cosmis Starlet range. The packaging of all of these products is also gorgeous; even the boxes feel lovely! The powder is set in a gorgeous octagonal red box and has a decent sized mirror inside. The powder is then surrounded by silver which just offsets the powder itself beautifully.

And then the feel of it. Oh my. It is so smooth and soft; it just glides onto the skin and sits perfectly. It feels so lovely just to touch, let alone wear! It then has a beautiful colour; this is in Mysterious Pink. It is kind of like part Nars Orgasm and and peach and MAc Vanilla Pigment but just looks beautiful on the skin. It's a baked powder so has that extremely soft and pigmented touch, so a little goes a long way! It's available in two shades, but this one is definitely my favourite. 

Even better, it's currently 30% off so is under £10! The whole collection is also limited so grab it whilst you can! You can get it here. 

All of this range looks beautiful, but I definitly think that this is a must have from the collection; if only just to look at!

What are your thoughts?

xoxo

Current Obsession: Using Things Up

(Can you believe there is a Czech film called Empties?! This was the first thing that came up when I was perusing potential images for the top of this post; I couldn't not use it.)

Does anyone else sometimes go through this phase? Where you suddenly seem to an have an overwhelming need to try and use up every single product that you have open? Is it normal?
I think for me it began when I was roaming the States before I left. I was extremely concerned about the weight of my lugagge. When I moved out there I only had my hand lugagge and one big case; I left with an overflowing large case and a giant holdall that I had had to buy for the rest of my stuff. (I had a grand total of nearly 60kg; I had nightmares and constant anxiety about carting all of this stuff around).
Thus in attempt to lighten 'my load', I frantically tried to use up everything that I possibly could. Face wash, shower gel, shampoo, nail varnish base coats (Sorry No7, but you had gone gloopy), travel size body lotions (Thanks Ben for inevitably then squeezing out way more than I thought possible from that tube), etcetc. Although this probably all made minimal, if any difference at all, it made me feel a tiny bit more at ease.
And so since coming home it seems as if I have subconciously become obsessed with using up everything that I possibly can. I know we all find it pretty satisfying when we do in fact use up an entire concealer or finally let go of a mascara that we really should have stopped using a long time ago. But I am taking this to a whole new level, and using waaaay more of something than I need to in order to finish it quicker.

Here are then are the products that I have now used up or am in the process of!

Aromatherapy Associates - Rose Collection, Moisturiser, Cleanser, Face Mask

When trying to organise my ridiculous amount of stuff (still a work in progress), I discovered a sample size set of these. I do believe they came free from a magazine. I have since then encorporated the Renewing Rose Cleanser into my evening routine and the Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser. Am yet to try the Rose Face Mask, but so far the other products aren't too shabby. Only problem for me is that I am not fan of the rose scent. 

Micellar Cleansing Waters

Remeber when these suddenly emerged onto the scene and everyone instantly fell in love with them? Well I am still pretty much on that bandwagon. I took the Garnier one with me...and then brought the rest of it back. Only to then remember that I still have my original L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution. Awks. 

Soap&Glory Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream Marvel

The smell of this always reminds me of first year; it was an integral part of my evening routine. Then that particular Heel Genius went a bit odd and only gave out greenish water... But this always comes in the giant Soap&Glory Christmas boxes and so I always have one lurking. This summer I am really trying to use it every night and actually put it to good use. Definitely seems to be keeping my feet looking fairly decent! 

Mascaras

Why is it we always end up with way more mascaras than we are ever going to use? I finally let my Maybelline The Falsies go. Definitely a repurchase needed (when I've used all the others up!) Currently trying to force myself into using the Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara; you know the one that comes in that green leaf packaging. It's just really, meh. The brush is tiny and the mascara itself just doesn't really do anything. The love, sorry mascara, of my life, my trusty Lancome Hypnose is however on it's last legs. Not to mention Soap&Glory Thick and Fast; one of those is always lurking (see above for why). 

Moisturisers

Preface: I have enough mositurisers to last a bloody lifetime. Currently working through Hollister Crescent Bay (which is in very different packaging to the current one, but the product itself seems to improve with age), Garnier Summer body; I have both light and deep. Deep?! What was I thinking?! And a Boots Natural Collection Vanilla Body Lotion which you can no longer even still get. Don't worry though, other than the really nice smell you're not missing much with that one. 

Believe me, I could carry on here. But I will let you some time to consider the products that you're trying to use up subconsciously!

xoxo

Highlighting Like A Pro(Artist)

The above image is a self protrait by the artist Albert Durer in 1500. The level of detail which he has shown here is astonishing, but what Durer was really good at, and what he really knew how to do, was to use light. To show where the ligth source would hit the skin, and how this would highlight the face.
Within make up, we use highlighter to naturally show the 'high' points of the face; to accentuate those areas which the light would in order give ourselves more a glow in a natural kind of way. And that's exactly what painters want to do. Were an artist to paint a face without any highlight, not only would it be extremely dull, but it would also be rather unrealistic.

Now I'm not saying you need to highlight the exact areas that Durur has...applying highlighter to your fingers might not be the best option, but if you're unsure where exactly to highlight, then this is one way to think about it.

An image I used for an article in Moda, this is one of the classic tips for highlighting, and I am by no means sharing it as my own. But make sure to highlight in a triangle shape under your eyes to really highlight (that doesn't even sound like a word anymore) that area.
Down the nose, the browbone, the cheekbone, the cupid's bow and the inner corner of the eye are all the best places to highlight.
If you are still unsure whether or not to highlight an area, just think if you were painting your face, like an artist: what areas would you want to look a little more glowing?

If Durer knew how to highlight in 1500, then you can definitely know how to in 2015!

Are you a highlighting pro like Durer?

xoxo

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | An Ode to Products At Home

Not only have I spoken about this product on numerous occasions, but also, so has the rest of the entire beauty world. If you have never used this product or have never heard of it, you must have been living under a rock or something. 

This concealer, is hands down, the best drug store concealer. (It really annoys me that I have picked up the phrase 'drugstore', but the English equivalent is high street which isn't really the same thing.) Not only is it so cheap, but it is just so good. It covers a manner of sins; it claims to last 16 hours,  wouldn't quite say that but it does last a bloody long time! (i.e. all day). 

They had also recently updated the shades I do believe...so that I no longer know what shade I use as they do not still do the shade I had... but only a few days until I can go into Boots (THE EXCITEMENT) and get my hands on a new one!!!

You can get this here for £4.19 (This takes you to 'international Boots', which is what America takes me to directly and they apparently ship all over the place!)

Have you tried this before?

xoxo

Klimt Gold | Moda

Guys, guys. My new Make Up Masterpiece is live on Moda! This is the life and style magazine and website on campus, and it is really pretty amazing.
The launch party for the print issue is tomorrow night; I'm so excited to see it! I have the closing article in it, and cannot wait to see how it looks in actual print!!

If you want to read how to create the Klimt inspired make up look above, then please click here! I'm really happy with it, and looove this look!

Would you wear this golden Klimt look?

xoxo

Be a Piece of Pop Art for Halloween | Moda

Sooooo this should have gone up yesterday, however the Moda website was down and I didn't want to post something to you all that wouldn't actually work.

But here we have it! This is my article on how to recreate the Lichtenstein style inspired Halloween look above.

If you are thinking 'what on earth is Moda?'...it is the lifestyle, fashion and beauty (etc) magazine here on campus! It is student run and led and we have open discussions in which anyone with a great idea can write an article. There is online content daily, mini issues online and a print issue (which I also have an article in!) every semester. Check it all out here!

Let me know if you give this a go. Spoiler alert, it's really easy!

What do you think?

xoxo

Maybelline The Falsies

I have had this post on the back burner for quite a while...I really wanted to give this mascara a really good and proper review. We, bloggers, youtubers, everyone, alike all know that this is Tanya Burr's favourite mascara and although that is credit enough to it, I feel like when a big name blogger like Tanya expresses these kinds of views you then tend to only ever hear that that's why people love something.
Now don't get me wrong...I bought it because if Tanya Burr loves it, it's not going to be bad is it?!

I only brought to the States with me my Lancome hypnose mascara which I adore, but I felt like I needed a 'drug store' version to use for more everyday. So I thought I'd give The Falsies a go; I got them in 'Black Drama' which I think just means they are a bit blacker than the original ones.

The brush is a bristle applicator and not plastic and the wand does have a little bend to it if you really work it. At first I wasn't quite liking the way the brush works and it came across a little clumpy. However after getting used to it, and using it everyday for weeks...I do love it. It makes my lashes look much longer and they are definitely thicker and blacker.
The only issue which I have with it, which has remained despite my thinking that it would go away after I perfected my technique, is that it is a bit clumpy. On one of my eyes, my eyelashes are a bit weird and overlap in odd angles (I know; and I'm sure you're imagining this a lot worse!) So it may just be because of my eyelashes, but as long as you know how to work the clumpier looking lash, then it's fine. And it is worth the length this gives you, without being spidery!

So overall I would definitely recommend The Falsies. It reminds me of Max Factor's Falsh Lash Effect, that I loved throughout my teens, but this is most definitely better!

You can get Maybelline (Volum' Express) The Falsies at Walgreens here for $7.79 or at Boots here for £7.99.

Are you a Falsies fan?

(Falsies has started to sound so weird after writing this!)

xoxo

Avon Mega Effects Felt Tip Liner

So firstly, I know you will have questions about the last photo...I'll get there!

This eyeliner is amazing. After my wonderfwonderfulwonderful Eyeko Skinny Felt Tip Liner ran out (still mourning :( ) I had ordered the Avon Mega Effects (it calls itself a liquid eyeliner, but I can assure you, it's a felt tip. So that's what I'm calling it) eyeliner way before I moved out over here so had slightly forgotten about it. Until it came and Mother shipped it over to me; and am I glad she did!

At first glance it does really resemble some sort of board marker in miniature form. And it did take me a couple of days to get to grips with the pen-like shape of the...brush? It's not really a brush, but I hope you get what I'm saying here. As you can see, you can use it to do both thin and thick lines; the thin lines take a little mastering, but once you have the technique (angle it appropriately) it's so easy to use! I mean don't get me wrong, it hasn't yet taken over from my love of the Eyeko Skinny...but it's pretty darn close!
If anyone recalls my frat selfie, you may have noticed that my cat-flick game was on top form that day. It was all thanks to this bad boy!

Now for the last photo...the relating article for this is to come! However I have used it here to just demonstrate how strong this eye liner is. It's what I used to not only do my eyes in that photo, but also the face lines and lips!

You can get this eye liner online here for currently only £3.50 (normally £6.50!) (Note: you have been forewarned that the Avon websites are some of the worst I have ever used and will frustrate you to no end!)

What do you think of this eye liner?

xoxo

Current Face

So first things first...just a couple of apologies. I am sorry that I have not been blogging very frequently of late. As you know I have moved to America and classes have now started (one week down already!) and so I have suddenly become very busy again along with generally just trying to balance everything. I haven't yet quite got into my rhythm/routine but I'm working on it!

Secondly...sorry for the bad picture quality. I tried. I failed. But yes that is the top of my fridge. 

Thirdly...for all those of you out there who were loving my The
SundayTimes Magazine Beauty posts, I am very sorry to say that I left the second half of the article back home. In England. Sooo I am afraid that piece is going on the back burner for a while...probably until at least Christmas. I am eternally sorry. :(

Anyway...

So for the past two weeks it has been bloody hot here, so my make up has changed up a little bit! I've been wearing a much lighter base; either the Garnier BB cream for oily to combination skin and really blending that in with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, or a lot of the time I've just been wearing the Maxfactor Mastertouch Under Eye Concealer in fair and blending that in with a Real Techniques Foundation Brush.

I've then been using my MUA Undressed palette, and either one or two of these and just blending them over my eyes with a Mac 217. Then I've been doing my standard cat eye with the amazing Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner Felt Tip. To finish off the eys I've then been slathering the lashes in Lancome Hypnose mascara. 

For the rest of the face, I have been finishing my skin off with the Becca Fine Pressed Powder in Wheat with a Real Techniques Powder Brush. I dust this all over my face for a great oil free finish! I then use the Real Techniques Blush Brush to highlight my cheeks and the areas of my face which naturally tan with The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in I think medium... I have then been topping that off with either a Clinique blusher in Iced Lotus or a new addition, a Wet'n'Wild blusher in Mellow Wine for a bit of a warmer look. 

For lips I have been switching between my M&S Tea Rose lipstick which really is a 'your lips but better' look, or a Maybelline Color Whisper in Coral Ambition; another great American addition!

As you can see I've kept it pretty simply lately and haven't really been too heavy with any products due to the heat! As it seems to be rapidly cooling down here (it's been 30 degrees lately but is soon dropping to 14!) I'm sure I'll be updating you with my Autumn look.

What's your current face looking like?

xoxo

A Day in The Life #5 | Sports Ball 2014!

Sports Ball at Warwick is one of the biggest events of the year; the tickets sell out in stupid amounts of time, but it is one of the best nights of the whole university year. I didn't go in my first year, however I am so glad I went this year!
Here are just a few photos from the event (the main bit being at the Birmingham Hilton; [I'm so fancaayyy, you already know! Just kidding...]

And of course... my food! We had lamb and then lemon torte

Dress - Missguided

Face - Garnier BB Cream, UD Naked 3, Eyeko Skinny, Lancome Hypnose, Tanya Burr Lipgloss 'Aurora'