TAG: Confessions Of A Beauty Blogger

Source: missbeccabeauty.blogspot.co.uk

As I'm trying to get back into the blogging habits after taking an incredibly long time off, I've found this TAG from Sinead from Dreaming Again and felt this would be a great tag to get the ball rolling again! 

Here we go!

1. How many hours a week do you spend writing / editing posts?

A little awkward seeing as this is my second blog post today after going a-wall for over a month! This question is a little tricky to answer seeing as I'm now so busy all the time with uni and just commitments I have - I would love to have more time though to just chill for a whole day and whack out all the blogs I've been dying to do! Get me on a beach with some sun and sand please!! 

2. Are you a spender or saver?

A saver I think - it's funny I say that because if you let me in boots, in no way am I a saver - but I like to think I'm pretty cautious with my money! But I'm defiantly one of those people that doesn't care and just splurges on things I know that I really like and will get a lot of use out of - especially make-up products!

3. When is it easier for you to blog? 

In the evening for sure, with all my uni work going on right now, there is in no way a minute in the day where I feel I can sit down and blog what I'm feeling or want to talk about! I wish I could though, so so much :( 

4. What makes writing behind a computer comfortable for you? 

I've always liked writing, I firstly wanted to be a journalist and now blog because it's such a big interest for me. I just like being in the comforts of my house and being able to blog what I want, when I want. 


5. What is your worst make up / hair habit? 

I'm actually such a lazy person when it comes to my hair and make up habits. I only take my make up off at night with a make up wipe and don't cleanse, and I only occasionally put on moisturiser and a toner when I feel I can be bothered! As for my hair, it's pretty much always natural, which is half straight with really annoying flicky bits at the front. My hair doesn't really like heat too much and I don't want to damage it, so that's my excuse for being lazy in that department. As for my make up habits, I have no excuses *hangs head in shame*

6. What is one quote you wish the world lived by? 

Offt, so many - I change my phone background every now and again to a new quote that I absolutely love and live by for inspiration to get by. My current background quote says:
'Life is too short to worry about stupid things. Have Fun. Fall in Love. Regret Nothing. And don't let people bring you down' 

7. How long do you spend getting ready every day? 

I pretty much get up an hour before I need to be somewhere, this hour includes actually getting out of bed, to getting ready, having breakfast, teeth and make-up - the whole shabang. It can take me up to half an hour, but I can easily do my make up in 3 minutes and be out the door! Pretty good quality to have if I'm honest seeing as it's a little more time to chill in bed! Plus if someone was to ever challenge me to a 3 minute make-up challenge, I'm sure to whip their butts!!

8. Who's your favourite blogger?

Seeing as I haven't been reading many blogs, it's hard to say - must admit though, I will forever love Sprinkle Of Glitter, I read her posts every time I need a pick me up. She's just perfect. 

9. Who is a blogger that you think deserves more subscribers than they have?

Meeeeeee! LOLJK. It's really hard to say, I do think Sinead does if I'm honest. 

10. What is one thing you are excited about in the upcoming year?
Hopefully passing my second year of photography *fingers, toes and everything else crossed*

11. What is you most awkward blogging moment?

Getting no views, but I'm too afraid to advertise my blog so I expect it if Im honest! ahah!
 
12. How long does it take you to prepare a post?

It really just depends on what type of post I'm thinking of writing - My 'Im back' post only took me 20 minutes, purely because I was slamming on my keys trying to get everything I had to say (which was a lot) all at once - Other posts though such as my 'What's in my everyday make up bag' literally took me like 2/3 days with taking the images, writing about them in detail and making it perfect! 

13. Are you wearing trousers right now or jogging pants / PJ bottoms?

PJ Bottoms! I'm late night blogging!

14. What are you most proud of in life?

Doing well in school and getting A*'s in A-level has always been a pretty good achievement thing for me. 5 best out of like 250 kids! WAHOO 

There we go! Another tag in the bag :) Hope you enjoyed! If you liked this blog and want to do it yourself, go ahead! Make sure you tag or let me know you've done it so I can read your opinions as well! :D

Nicole
xxx

I'm back!

Firstly, I think I should apologise for not posting for over a month, although I'm sure not many people read this blog, this was meant to be my way of 'escaping' the real world and doing what I enjoyed every once in a while. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case for me recently and I felt I needed to take some time out to sort myself out, things have been pretty hectic lately, but now I'm really going to try and hop back on the blogging band wagon!

So, I'm still at university, studying Photography, but my recently discovered passion for make up artistry has grown so much and now I find myself looking at tutorials, practicing looks, following MUA's on instagram or rummaging through my kit thinking what else I can build to it all the time, it's pretty distracting but it's something I finally feel really passionate about and something I know I want to pursue in the future.

Recently, I've been helping out my friend Charlie Pope on his photographic shoots, doing make up on myself and other models, and I cannot begin to describe how happy it makes me, seeing the final images and knowing you were behind the make up for it is just so worthwhile. Here are some images from the shoots:

(MUA done by myself, Images produced by Charlie Hummerstone-Pope)

Being on a photography course, I feel so guilty all the time that I'm always in front of the camera, whether this be being the model for the shoot, or doing the make-up for it! I hate to say it, but I just feel more comfortable there - actually having the camera in my hands and having the option to do so much in the studio scares me more than it thrills me! Give me a load of Real Technique brushes and an eye-pallette and I feel a lot more comfortable! (No seriously, please give me more Real Technique brushes) haha!

Despite my forced passion for photography right now, I'm determined to persevere through at get this done, I've never been that person to give up - I'm far too stubborn - so tomorrow is finally my time in the studio! Nervous doesn't even cover how I'm feeling but it needs to be done!

Anyway that should be enough for a little catch up!

Nicole
xxx

The Autumn Tag!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog :) 

My lovely friend Sinead (who's blog's linked here) tagged anyone who visited her page to take part in 'The Autumn Tag'. Since I'm currently sitting around in my uni room waiting for a phone call, I figured why not! Let's do it :) 

Favourite thing about Autumn?

There are honestly so many things I love about Autumn. I like all the colours that are associated with Autumn? I don't know if that sounds weird but I love all the orangey/reddy tones from the leaves and things. I think you can experiment a lot more with your outfits and make up! Another big reason for me loving Autumn is because I can drink as many hot chocolates with whipped creme and marshmallows as I possibly can! Whilst wrapped up warm in my beautiful Jack Wills coat, scarf and hat :)   (rambling on again, sorry)

Favourite drink?

Hot chocolate, hot chocolate, hot chocolate! I'm not the biggest fan of the Starbucks hot chocolates, but their latte's are pretty nice! Costa is the best place to go for a sweet hot chocolate treat!

Favourite scent/candle?

I'm all for fresh scents when it comes to candles! However when it gets round to Autumn, I pull more towards the spicy scents... one that I love is spiced apple. Yummy! 

Best Lipstick?

The three lipsticks I ALWAYS go to are: MAC 'Captive' and Kate Moss' lipsticks in '107' and '08'. 08 is more of a deep pink/brown colour which is great for a more neutral look, whereas 107 and Captive are deep shades of purple (Captive) and red (107). I use these when I'm going for more of a dramative vampy look, which I actually really like during autumn.

Go to moisturiser?

I really like the Olay moisturiser, my skin loves it!

Go to colours for the eyes?

For eyes, I like to go either super neutral or super dramatic. For the neutral look I would go with something like Maybelline's colour tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' with a darker brown through the crease and the outer corner for definition! I think a brown smokey eye in autumn is so so lovely. For more of a dramatic look, I would so go to colours would be burgundy and red toned shadows would look AMAZING.

Favourite music singer/band to listen to?

For Autumn there isn't really any specific people/bands I listen to, just whatever's good or in the charts I guess.

Favourite outfit to wear?

For me, its all about the skinny jeans/leggings, with little ankle boots, a big jumper, scarf and hat! I literally love the big and comfy look!

Autumn treat?

Again, all the hot chocolates I seen to consume, or if its not hot chocolates, it's a latte from Starbucks.

Favourite place to be?

I depends on how I feel. Some nights I love going for walks, walking through the leaves and everything always looks so pretty and makes you feel good with the right company. However I can never say no to a snuggle night in, all comfy with oversized cardigans and obviously... hot chocolate!

And there is 'The Autumn Tag' I really hope you enjoyed it! If you're still reading this (thank you if you are) then I tag you to do this tag as well! Leave me a comment letting me know you've done so, so I can check it out! Have an amazing autumn, and make the most of it! I love this season it just goes so fast :(  anyway, enough rambling! Bye!

Nicole

xxx

Mini Boots Haul

So yesturday I moved back to university to get prepared for the start of my second year. Although I've been commuting back and forth from Farnham to London, it actually feels strange knowing that I will be back and staying here for another year, and that soon I'm going to start having to do projects again and get back into that almost 'school like' routine! 

With the weather in the UK currently being all rubbish and me moving into my second year house for good, I decided to pop down to Boots to purchase a few bits and bobs to cheer me up! It may not be all that interesting but I thought I may as well do a mini haul for you!

I have this problem that is as soon as I walk into Boots, even though I may not have gone in for any form of make-up, I ALWAYS find myself walking up and down the make up aisles, swatching every brand's lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow on my hand - and today was no exception. I went in today with 3 items in mind: 1. Make-up remover wipes. 2. Dry Shampoo 3. Concealer (yey and excuse to go to the make-up section without being judged by my friends). I did a pretty good job at limiting myself today, BUT, I did end up having two unexpected items ' accidentally falling' into my basket. teheeeee!

The make-up remover wipes are from Boot's essentials range. They currently have a '3 for £3' offer on so I quickly scooped them up. For being Boot's essentials range, I actually really like these wipes, if I'm honest, if I had a bit more money that I could willingly spend, I would opt more towards the 'Simple' face remover wipes, just because they smell so nice, are so refreshing in your face and contain so much moisture that I'll never find myself rubbing my face really hard because I feel my make-up isn't coming off. I got the Boots wipes in the cucumber scent and in fragrance free, both of which contain Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, which is really good for your skin and keeping it hydrated. All the wipes are targeted for all skin types and are dermatologically tested, so if you're perhaps a student and are looking for some cheap and cheerful wipes I would recommend these :)  



The next item I brought was the 'Batiste' Dry Shampoo. I LOVE this stuff and can honestly say I have gone through bottles and bottles and bottles! I picked up the fruity and cheeky cherry scent this time to have a change from the floral and fruity blush bottle I've just used up! If you don't know what dry shampoo is, it's every girls (and maybe some guys) dream come true! When you're feeling a little bit lazy or when you're hair is just looking a little bit greasy or limp in between washes, this stuff is great to revitalise the hair and remove any of the grease that your hair may have. Another good thing about this product would be that you don't even have to use it for when you're hair is looking greasy, you can also use it to give your hair a quick boost whenever it's needed, whether it be before meeting friends, going to work or maybe a lecture at school or uni! My hair for example is super fine, but pretty long, which is a pain as it never really has that much volume or texture. What I tend to do is when I've just washed my hair, I'll give my hair a little spritz into the roots, massage through and voila! it's full of body! Seriously girls this is a must have in your bedroom, it comes in handy so much, you can even buy mini ones to keep in your handbag whenever your hair needs a little pick me up. 

If you read my 'What's In My Everyday Make-Up Bag?' blog (if not you can read it here ) you may have noticed that I use the 'Collection, Lasting Perfection' concealer in shade 2 which is 'light'. Weeeeeeeeeell, I made a re-purchase. I love this stuff, I've gone through bottles of it and it's just super great. I won't keep going on about this product but if you do want to read up more on it, check out my blog post linked above and you can read all about it, and other really cool products. 

Now we come to the products that weren't on my list to buy, but had to come home with me.... 3 words... Maybelline Baby Lips. 

I feel like I've been wanted to get my hands on these products for months after seeing Tanya Burr and Zoe from Zoella talking about them, and now they have finally launched in the UK. Funny story (not really) but as soon as I walked into Boots and saw the advertisement for the baby lips, I literally said to the girls 'You can leave me now, I'll be here for a while', they knew what I was on about as well, seeing as I'm that friend who simply cannot walk into Boots without walking out with any form of make up or swatches... it's literally impossible for me! 

The two shades I got were 'Cherry Me' which is a deep pinky shade, like a cherry! and the other is 'Pink Punch' which is a really nice baby pink colour. I haven't opened them yet so I can't really say much else about them other than they're £2.99 which I think is a pretty good price (especially with the buy 1 get 1 half price offer on in Boots right now) and they have a, what I feel is almost limited variety of shades, but who knows they may bring in more shades! *fingers crossed*  If you would like a review of the baby lips when I open them, then leave a comment below! I'm expecting a moisturising lip balm that will give off a subtle tint of colour, I'm pretty sure Maybelline wont disappoint but who knows! (I doubt)



And there is my Boots Haul. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Sorry it was so short, but being a student I feel like I have to cut back a little... only a little though! If you guys have tried out the Baby Lips or any other products I've mentioned in this blog then leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

See you soon!
Nicole 
xxx

Tumblr YouTube Challenge

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the lack of blogging, I'll be honest with you, when I last updated my blog, which was my 'What's in My Everyday Make-Up Bag' seen here , I felt a little defeated with the response it got... which was absolutely nothing! I know that I haven't got many followers, in fact I have 3 (hey to you 3, thank you for following me!) so I knew I wasn't going to get an overwhelming response, but for all the time and effort I put into that post and for the response it got, I felt it would be best for me to take a break and think about what I want to do with myself and this blog. I've now decided that I'm going to try and blog at least 2 times a week, I don't do much during the weekdays but work weekends so these blogs may be posted on say Monday and Thursday (but don't hold me to it) They may also be a little over the place seeing as I'm not actually too sure what to write about, so I'm just going to do anything, write about how I'm feeling, new products I've tried, a tutorial... anything, and today is going to be one of those 'anything' days.

Today, I signed into my Tumblr account for the first time in weeks and whilst searching, stumbled across a YouTube Challenge, so I though being the YouTube fanatic I am, I may as well give it a whizz. You may not be into YouTube, and for that you may not enjoy this post and I'm sorry, but if you do like it, please give me a follow and I will most certainly follow you back :)

Right, enough rambling here we go.. (also instead of doing this in days, I'm just going to do it all at once)

1. Favorite boy YouTuber: Tyler Oakley - I find myself on a down day always searching through Tyler's videos, he is so upbeat with life and energetic and it really does cheer me up, especially his crazy laugh! I have this theory, that if myself and Mr Oakley were BFF's, I would NEVER have a dull moment in my life.... if only eh! 

2. Favourite girl YouTuber: Zoe Sugg/Zoella - This was a toughie to answer, honestly there are so many girls on YouTube I look up to and admire but, I would say my favourite is Zoe. She beautiful, she's funny, she's energetic and she comes out with some brilliant one liners every now and again. 

3. Favourite video: I HAVE TOO MANY. For a YouTube addict this is hard to answer, it depends on my mood. All of Tyler Oakley's 'Auguest' videos would be in my top favourite videos, but one I find myself watching over and over and over is this..... (WARNING: have a box of tissues next to you, things may get emotional) 

CTFxC Wedding 

4. Couple you ship/would ship: The most common ship going around now on YouTube is Zalfie. Seeing as they are actually an item now, which is amazing, I'm going to say..... *went blank for half hour* .... 'Myler' (Marcus Butler/Tyler Oakley) ... they're brilliant and hilarious together, seriously, check out their fan fiction video on YouTube.

5. YouTuber that always makes you laugh: Shanna Malcom - That girl is CRAZZZZZYYYY. Her 'Troof or dare' series.... hilarious. 

6. Favourite bromance: Shane Dawson and Joey Graceffa. They are always together, always making sexual jokes, always touching and playing. Basically they're hilarious and so cute together, although some people may really not see it that way (they do get very weird sometimes) 

7. The first YouTuber you ever watched: I honestly don't remember, when I first started YouTube, it was nothing like it is now, we didn't have people like Louise, Joey, Zoe, Joe, Alfie & co, vlogging and uploading all the time. I used to always watch people like MysteryGuitarMan, Mac (from HelloImMac) CTFxC. I would say they were the first set of YouTubers I watched first. 

8. Favourite collaboration: My bad for mentioning Tyler Oakley yet again, but honestly his 'Auguest' serious was so amazing and full of great collabs that I couldn't possibly narrow it down to just one, but I must say, one of my favourites has to be Tyler's video with Mamrie Hart which was the 'Edward Fortyhands' video - I can't explain it, so just see for yourself:

9. Pair you wish would collaborate: I would like to see SprinkleOfGlitter (Louise) and Tanya Burr collab. I think it would be pretty interesting to watch, or, me and someone (even though I haven't started YouTube, in my dreams) 

10. YouTuber you've met: ..... noone..... *goes off and cries over life* 

11. #1 YouTuber you'd want to meet: I would say CTFxC. Although I love all the british YouTubers right now, including Tyler and Joey. I would choose to meet Charles and Alli. They've got me through some pretty rough times and I just love them. I tried to meet them once in Trafalgar Square, but they never actually planned a meet up, so instead I just stood in the rain for hours waiting for nothing. 

12. The biggest directioner on YouTube: In terms of girls because I can't keep mentioning Tyler Oakley, I would say either Zoe, Tanya or Louise - but I'm going to opt for Louise (SprinkleOfGlitter) on this one :) 

13.  YouTuber you'd swap bodies with: If I was a guy, probably John from The Lean Machines or Sawyer Hartman, for a girl.... I don't actually know? Someone who is really toned... any suggestions? Ohoh maybe Ingrid from MissGlammorazzi

14.  YouTuber you best relate to: Probably, most of the girls, they've all had their stories and most of the girls suffer from anxiety and other things which is the same for me too, that's why I feel so lucky to have so many girl YouTubers who are open to speaking about their conditions and things that have happened in their lives. Sounds cheesy but if they weren't there to watch and relate with, things would be much tougher. 

15. Favourite picture of YouTubers together: I love the one of them standing ready to go to the 1D premiere. I can't actually find it online which is shocking but that one is really nice because they're so dressed up. Another one is all of them ad VidCon 2013 which again I can't find... ooops. 

16. Best in fashion: For the girls again it could be all of them so instead I'm going to say a guy, in which I would say either Jim Chapman who looks amazing in a suit, ooooooooorrrrrr, Jack and Finn, theres not much else I can say except THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL MEN

17. Best in Make-Up: I am seriously going to say Pixiwoo for this. Those girls are so talented and can do so so much! I would do anything to have a session with them, they're beautiful, talented and super sweet and energetic - love those girls... always find myself in a vortex of their videos. 

18. YouTuber that inspires me the most: So manyyyyy, this tag is too difficult. Im going to just say the exact same thing I said to question 14. 

19. YouTuber crush: I seriously LOVE Charles from CTFxC 

20. YouTuber with the best personality: I am going to say all the YouTubers, yes a boring answer you may think but honestly all the YouTuber's today have their own amazing personality and all of them make them who they are and special as well as different from one another. The reason why I watch all of their videos if because they all effect me in a certain way and that's all down to their personalities. I just love them all :) 

Anyway, there is the YouTuber Challenge. I tried not to repeat as much as I could but it was actually surprisingly difficult! I hope you enjoyed this! Please leave a comment letting me know what you think or who you would put for each number! Also please if you enjoyed this, give me a follow as well, it's really appreciated and I'll give you a follow back!

Have a great week and see you soon!

Nicole 

xxx

What's In My Everyday Make-Up Bag?

As of recently, I've started carrying round with me an 'everyday make up bag'. If you're thinking to yourself, 'how comes only recently Nicole?' (although you're probably not) I'll briefly explain.

Throughout 2013, I got into a weird habit of not carrying round a normal sized make up bag with the essentials for my everyday use, instead, being the make-up crazed person I am, I carried around with me, my HUGE make-up kit that consists of around 6 foundations, 15 mascaras, 1947394732 lipsticks and so on. I thought at the time that to carry this kit around was clever as I had many different options of how to do my make-up day to day but instead I eventually realised that it got a bit ridiculous.To cut this long story short, when I was going on holiday at the end of July (I did a blog post about my Pafos holiday here) I realised my kit pretty much weighed the entire limit of my suitcase, so I had to change my stubborn ways and build myself up a teeeennyyy tinyyyy everyday essentials make up bag. This change has actually done me the world of good and now I can finally share with you my everyday make-up products - because I actually have some! Wahoooo!

Now here we go! Enjoy!

Firstly we shall start off with the make-up bag itself. This is a very well loved 'The Body Shop' zip-lined bag. I had this bag for donkeys years and should probably invest in a new one! But for now this bag is pretty spacious and does the trick! 

The first product I'm going to mention in my make-up kit is my 'Optrex Actimist 2in1 Tired+Uncomfortable eye spray'. Recently my eyes have been feeling very dry and uncomfrotable, I go to bed quite late every night, am up on my computer a lot and every now and again have early starts, so this spray is used when I feel my eyes need a little pick me up. If I'm completly honest, I haven't noticed much difference in the ways my eyes look or feel when I use this product so I think I may have to scan the market for something different. Do any of you have tired, uncomfortable eyes? If so do you use any products that you think help? Let me know if you do!

Optrex Eye Spray

Next up is my Rimmel London 'Fix and Perfect Pro Primer' in the shade 002. I have gone through around 3 of these bad boys! I like the way it feels so light on my skin and makes my make-up stay put throughout the day. The primer claims it smoothes, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies and protects the skin. I would say this is all true, but to be honest, I think it may be time I broke away from this primer and look elsewhere for something new. Again, any recommendations? Comment below!

Rimmel Fix & Perfect

We then move onto concealers, I currently have two in my kit, these being the Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer in 'Light' and the Rimmel 'Wake me up' in 030 'Classic Beige'. I usually put my concealer on before my foundation to get slight more coversage in the places I need it most, being under my eyes, around my nose and on my chin. The Collection concealer does a really good job at covering any problem areas or darkness as I feel it has more pinky tones in it which cancel out a lot of the blue under my eyes. I tend to use the Rimmel concealer over my foundation just to brighten my skin up a little, a little dab of this concealer goes a long way - trust me! On days where I feel I would like more coverage on my under eye circles (because I really have been cursed with awful dark bags) I use various other products to make them more bearable and make me look more awake! If you would like to see these other products then perhaps I can do a 'What's In My Make-Up Kit' blog? 

Collection Concealer

Rimmel Wake Me Up

Next in line is foundation. I'm currently using L'Oreal Infallible Long-lasting Perfecting foundation. When I came back from my previous holiday I was a great deal more tanned, so at the time, this colour suited my skin tone really well. I actually claim that this foundation is actually my 'holiday foundation' as its around 1 shade darker than all the other foundations I own. I took this product on holiday with me as it has SPF 15, so its perfect for holiday and just in general everyday use to be honest for protecting your skin. The coverage is medium to full if you want to build it up, which is what I tend to do. Soon I shall be moving back to either my Nars 'Sheer Glow' foundation or my Rimmel Wake Me Up because, alas, I'm not looking as tanned as I was a few months ago.... sigh. 

L'Oreal Foundation

Three different powders live in my make-up bag. Yes, three, but they all play an important role in my everyday make-up. These powders are the Rimmel 'Natural Bronzer' in 022, 'Sun Bronze', this bronzer is perfect for a really natural sun kissed glow which doesn't come out too orange or too muddy on the skin and over your foundation!

Rimmel Natural Bronzer

Rimmel Natural Bronzer


My final powder is my saviour....Rimmel 'Stay Matte'. I cannot rave about this powder enough, I've gone through about 6! The Stay Matte range is so cheap and cheerful and really does the job at keeping my oily areas at bay, it's also great to just keep around with you in your bag or kit when you just want to put a little something over your face and not have to worry about looking too cakey or too wishy washy. You can get the stay matte powders in various shades but I get mine in 001 'Transparent', this way you can put as much as you need on and not have to worry about your make up looking all patchy and trust me, as soon as you put this powder on your face, the oil is gone! It last a pretty long time to, I would say throughout the day I re-powder my face with this product around 2 times (and I really do get oily around my t-zone) and volia! Gone!

For that pop of colour on my cheeks, I use either one of two blushes. If I feel I want a dewy skined look for the day, I'll reach for my Max Factor 'Miracle Touch Creamy Blush' in the shade 14 'Soft Pink'. I apply this with gently with my fingers by dabbing it on the apples of my cheeks to achieve a really pretty, girly yet natural dewy glow. However, if I'm wanting to keep my skin nice and matte, which is most days, I'll use my trusty Revlon blush in 5107-02 'Blushing Berry'. Again this is a beautiful pinky, berry colour which comes out very sheer on the cheeks in comparison to the Max Factor creme blush which is very pigmented. A good thing about the Revlon blush is that it's pretty buildable if you wanted to get that little bit of extra colour, or you can even opt for a brighter shade! It all depends on what look your going for and what you feel comfortable wearing :) 

Next is eyes. These products change every now and again, I like to switch up my mascaras and eye lines, purely because I have way too many and feel guilty only using one. Currently in my make-up bag I have my Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama gel eyeliner in the shade 01 'Black'. This gel liner is amazing, seriously. For a drug store eyeliner, I purchased this over re-purchasing my Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner, which really did hold a special place in my heart. Not only is the Maybelline liner a fraction of the price, but it's pretty much a perfect dupe and I find it doesn't dry out as fast, which is always a bonus! I apply my liner with my Benefit hard angle brush, which will eventually be replaced by a MAC 266 when I next visit a MAC store. Another reason you should head to boots and pick up this liner is you recieve with the liner itself, a Maybelline liner brush, this is perfect for any girls starting out with gel liner, so don't worry if you haven't got any brushes just yet! They also come in a range of colours so instead of going with the classic black, you can instead opt for a more natural colour like brown, or, if you're really brave and adventurous, go for a colour like purple! All the shades are really pigmented and you wouldn't have to worry about not getting your moneys worth, especially if you compare the price and product to all the higher end retailers. 

Benefit 'Hard Angle' brush

Benefit 'Hard Angle' brush

For mascara I'm using Benefit's 'They're Real'. I'm loving this mascara right now as I'm enjoying the more laid back make-up look, which is very basic skin and just a couple of sweeps of mascara on the eyes, some lip product and thats it! Despite this mascara having mixed reviews, I really do think it makes my lashes look lengthy, fanned out and beautifully natural, maybe not so much full but thats where an added lash curler, top and bottom liner and maybe a coat of a volumizing and thickening mascara like Maybelline 'The Rocket' can come in to make your eyes look all that more dramatic :)

Last of all is lips, again, this changes depending on the look I'm going for but the two products in my bag now, are the Revlon 'Super Lustrous' in the shade 255 'Kiss Me Coral'. This lipgloss is amazing, the colour payoff is beautiful, the packaging is so high end and theres not much else I can say about this lipgloss only that its incredible and I really reccomend it! Especially in this shade! 

Revlon gloss in 'Kiss Me Coral'

'Kiss Me Coral'

'Kiss Me Coral'

I then have a lipstick which was a recent puchase from Bourjois. I don't remember the last time I brought something from Bourjois but their new 'Shine Edition' lipstick range is really something to go check out, after swatching every single colour in Boots and walking around staring at my hand for 15 minutes, I ended up purchasing the shade 23 which is a really pigmented pink which purple undertones. They're around £7-£8 which I feel is slightly on the pricey side but the colour pay off is worth it and the packaging is pretty nice to!

 

A few extra little bits I carry around with me are my brushes. For foundation, I use a Real Techniques buffing brush to buff the product all over and into my skin and neck to achieve that full flawless coverage.





For powder, I use another 'Real Techniques' brush which is the blush brush, yes, I know, not using the brush for its actual purpose, but honestly, this brush is so big I find it applies my Studio Fix or bronzer perfectly and evenly on my face!





Lastly for my blush/mattify powders, I use a Benefit angled brush, this brush fits snug onto the apples of my cheeks and can fit into all the little areas like around my nose and my chin which are the typical places I like to apply my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. 

Everyday brushes!

And there you have it. The contents of my everyday make-up bag! I really hope you enjoyed this blog post! Are there any products that I've mentioned that you have? Or now want to purchase after reading this? Please let me know in the comments below, it really means a lot!

Love,
Nicole
xxx