Product Punch-up: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation vs. Serum

I thought I'd give a bit of a comparison review today. I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation regularly for the past couple of years and really love it, but I'm running out of it and they only had the serum version at my local Boots so I thought I'd give it a whirl! 

Anyway, let's get into it...

Feel: Neither foundations feel heavy on the skin, but the serum feels like pretty much nothing on the skin, which if you're anything like me is awesome!

Coverage: Now coverage is a difficult thing to judge as everyone has different preferences. The foundation has higher coverage, but still on the medium spectrum, whereas the serum has a lighter coverage, more similar to what I'd expect from a tinted moisturiser for example.

Finish: Both are fairly naturally dewy (dewy not shiny!), however I prefer the serum as it looks more natural... and I'm definitely a natural girl at heart

Application: Now hear is where the serum really wins for me, it applies like a dream and is really easy to blend. 

Smell: Both have very fruity smells, however the foundation smells slightly more tropical and the serum smells more like forest fruits.

I think if I had to pick which I'd take to a desert island I'd definitely pick the serum, just because it's gorgeously natural!

Have you tried either? Both?

#NOTD Natural Days by MUA, and my life right now!

If I had to post a picture of my life right now... this would be it!

Revision, revision, and exams... It's Dutch that I'm revising above!

To me times like these call for natural, no fuss nails... the kind that you can chip a little bit and it's not super obvious! So enter MUA Natural Days! I love this colour because it's girly and natural and isn't likely to clash with anything I wear (hint: leggings and a hoody, hey I'm revising!)

If you fancy reading about MUA nail polishes in general, and they really are amazing, then I'm leaving a little link here. 

Until next time,

I wish I'd seen this when I was younger...

Hey guys!

I thought I'd write an off-the-cuff slightly deeper post. I was watching youtube videos whilst doing a bunch of boring filing work, and stumbled across this awesome youtuber called justkissmyfrog.

All her videos are brilliant, (click on her name above to check her channel out!) but this one really struck me. I wish I'd seen this at the age of about 13, when I went through a period of really questioning my looks, and asking the typical girl question, "Am I pretty?".

This video I've linked below is possibly the most honest, sensible video on beauty I've ever seen... I'll leave you to watch it!

And if the video below isn't working, click here to be linked to it on youtube!

It's incredible how much sense this makes, right?

Now go subscribe to her!

#NOTD: Rimmel London Precious Stones - 001 Diamond Dust

You know that feeling when you put on sparkly nail polish and instantly feel glamourous? Yeah, this is it! Which is kind of rich coming from a girl sat with her hair up, no makeup on and in Christmas pyjamas... (they're still acceptable, right?!)

Either way, today's nails are Diamond Dust, from Rimmel London's Precious Stones Collection. I love this polish because it's not a bold colour, but the sparkle makes and impact. It's also great that it doesn't need a coloured base coat like so many other polishes, it's a complete look by itself.

Are you a fan of glittery nail polish too? Please say you are!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Review

Never, ever did I think I would've bought a Naked palette. Being a student, I've always waited and opted for the cheaper dupes that are always bound to hit the shelves of the high street soon after. However the other day I remembered I had loads of money on gift cards left over, and thought I would treat myself!

I'm really happy I bought it now, because it's full of lovely pink-toned eyeshadows that make me feel very toasty, warm and christmassy. I love the warmth these shadows add to my makeup, perfect when it's cold outside, and I want to feel all snuggled up inside. I'll spare you the swatches (they've been clogging up my bloglovin' feed for weeks now!), but it contains 3 matte shades, one of which makes a nice highlight and two that are great for the crease of the eye, and also 9 shadows of varying amount of shimmer and sparkle. Everywhere I've read about it, it's been described as "perfect for green eyes", however it's definitely not one for my fellow brown-eyed girls to overlook, as I think it's equally flattering on brown-eyes. 

My favourite shadow out of them all has to be Blackheart. Blackheart is a nearly but not quite black shadow, with tons of shimmery pink glitter. It's probably the least everyday appropriate shadow, but I've been wearing it anyway along my upper lash line, instead of eyeliner. I love using shadow instead of eyeliner anyway, but it's definitely a gorgeous bit of warmth that you could use when doing a more cool-toned eye look.

These eyeshadows do create lots of fallout (and I mean a lot!), but I just do my face makeup after when using them, so it's not a huge problem for me.

Alongside the eyeshadows, there is also a double ended brush. One side has your average flat eyeshadow brush, which although nice, I would've preferred another style as everyone and the cat's mother seems to have one. But on the other side there's a really nice, slightly flat but fluffy blending brush which is perfect for applying eyeshadows to my eye sockets. Also with this comes 7 days worth of 4 different Urban Decay Primers, fantastic if you're like me and stick with the original but fancy trying the others out!

All in all, it's a great palette and really nice as a treat! Without those gift cards would I have bought it? Not sure... Am I glad I bought it and getting good use out of it? Definitely.

What do you think? Are you ready to splurge, or are you waiting for dupes?

A Bit of a Lifey Update!

Hey Guys!

In exactly one week I'll be going "t'up North" (as everyone keeps calling it) and off to Uni! I'm ridiculously excited and anxious at the same time. It's strange to think that I'll be leaving behind my amazing family and friends, but then again I'm so excited for all the new people who will inevitably make their way into my life.

I'm now starting to pack. It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I suck at packing, but it's just as I've started to pack things (the essentials of course... shoes and makeup!), that I've realised just how bad I am at it, and how much stuff I use regularly and "need"... (you need how many body butters?!) I'm really struggling to cut things down a bit for the sake of boot space!

In terms of my room decor, I have so much still to get! I have my bedding, but I'm still on the hunt for cushions, throws and fairy lights to make it a bit more homely. The tricky thing is that my room will be painted one of four colours; royal blue, forest green, bright red or mustard yellow. All definite favourites of mine of course... I'm torn between sticking with neutrals, or waiting till I see my room before buying things. Then of course there's the problem of choosing photos to print. In some ways I wish I had a film camera, that way I wouldn't be able to take so many photos that I now have to choose from!

Anyway, that's a bit about what's going on with me! My head is in a million places right now with so much to plan and do, so many goodbyes to say and hellos to prepare for...

Wish me luck (or just come pack for me!)

P.S. Is it wrong to be excited about being able to wear a scarf again?

MUA Dusk till Dawn Eyeshadow Palette Review

I'm slightly obsessed with my MUA undressed palette.

Since I got it back in September I've used it so much that it looks very much worse for wear...

Anyway, I thought I'd pick up another MUA palette to try and give my original some competition. I ended up getting the "Dusk till Dawn" palette (after a long time deliberating, my boyfriend has the patience of a saint!) because of it's diverse range of colours. It's got a lovely mix lighter shades for me to wear on a more daily basis, and deeper and brighter shades so I can change things up a bit. 

I wonder if I'll ever get the hang of swatch photos!

As usual with MUA eyeshadows, the pigmentation is really good, and the colours look great in real life and not just in the pan. Colours such as purples, teals and silvers are all very flattering on brown eyes, so if you're a brown eyed girl like me, I'd recommend it.

Will it replace my undressed palette? Probably not. Am I glad I bought it?
Definitely!