May Favourites

Saturday, May 31, 2014

It's that time of the month again where I round up my beauty favourites of the month, and also the time of the month where I say that this month has passed to quickly. Did I say "month" enough in that sentence? Month. Anyway, I have a few favourites this month from new brow products to a new foundation obsession and even a new brush. 

My first favourite of the month has to be my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I mentioned this in last week's "This Week" post and said that I used to have a love-hate relationship with this product (mainly hate). After shopping my stash last week, I found this again and tried to work with it using a light hand and BAM, my brows were full and defined. Amazing.

Another favourite of mine this month is the L'Oreal True Match foundation. Being a really pale - pretty much white - skinned girl, it's hard to find drugstore foundations that cater to my skin tone. It's everything I love in a good foundation - not cakey, lightweight, full coverage and not too expensive! I've also been loving the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it, which makes my skin look flawless. These brushes are also really easy to clean and keep the shape really nicely, which makes brush-washing less of a chore!

This month I've been loving to use the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Elusive as a cream blush. I find this shade a bit too doll-like on my pale skin for my lips but dabbed onto the cheeks and blended with the RT Buffing Brush makes a really nice, natural cheek colour. You should know me by now - never using a product the way it's intended to be used!



Best of the Reds

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Way back before I started this blog, I'd never be seen dead wearing a bold lip for two reasons. A) Because I never bought a bold lipstick and B) Because every time I went to put on of my mum's on, it looked ridiculous. Now that I've learned a lot more about makeup, I've acquired quite the collection of red lipsticks, ranging from matte to super glossy.


One of my favourite lipsticks is the Kate Moss 107 - pictured the second from the top in the image. I've worn this so much that it practically lives in my pocket and is a gorgeous, really deep/almost purple red. It's also so cheap and easy to find in any drugstore. You can't go wrong with this one.


Another favourite of mine is the Rimmel Apocalips in Across The Universe. This is a lip lacquer, meaning it has a glossier effect and is quite tricky to apply. Once you get used to the consistency, this can be popped on in a matter of seconds and looks like you've put so much effort in - always a good thing!


The last three of my picks are lip crayons, a new-found love for me. I have the Revlon Colorbursts in Audacious and Provocateur. Audacious is an orange toned matte balm, whereas Provocateur is much glossier and more of a true red. Both have amazing staying power, are cheap as chips and smell delicious. I also have Bourjois' lip crayon in Red Sunrise. I don't wear this one as much as the others and it is so similar to Revlon's Provocateur but is the first red I ever bought and although I never wear it, I can't bring myself to throw it out... Did someone mention makeup hoarder?

Healthy Living

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll probably have noticed me raving on about my new favourite thing - Blogilates. I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to you that I am another teenage girl that is completely self-conscious and determined to lose weight. I've had this problem for around two years now and I'd never had the strength to be able to stick to healthy living and clean eating until now. I'm so determined to lose weight and without finding Blogilates, I'd never be so determined and focused as I am. Everything from the healthy recipes to butt workouts (let's face it, everyone wouldn't mind a bigger bum) on Cassey's channel make it so fun to eat and live healthily.

So, this morning, as focused as ever, I finally cooked for myself and made poached eggs on toast. I'm a sucker for sugary things and don't want to go into this all guns blazing, so I had a glass of pure orange juice to go along with it. It was actually one of the nicest breakfasts I've had in months, even with no bacon, sausage or white bread. Amazing.

For the last part of this post, I need your help. Would you like to see some healthy recipes on the blog? (Don't worry, I'm sure they'll taste nice and won't be too expensive to make!). Or even some workout routines of mine? Let me know in the comments!


This Week #12

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Wow, what a week. This week I somehow managed to fit in 9 exams in 5 days. Crazy. At least I only have a new left now and they're not to be sat until a few weeks time. You know what that means? Blogging time! I feel like I've neglected my blog lately because all of the posts have been scheduled and not put up on the day they were written. It feels good to be back in the swing of things for another week, get things scheduled and back to exams in a week's time!

Nails of the Week: My nails this week have been a plain Jane shade - Grey by Barry M. Barry M are actually one of my favourite nail brands because the formulas are amazing (no chips in sight!), the shade range is huuuge and they only cost a few pounds. I've been loving neutral nails at the moment because they go with all outfits - you don't have the dilemma where you go out wearing a yellow dress, forgetting you have illuminous pink nail polish on!

Rave of the Week: I think this has to be my Anastasia Brow Wiz. I hated this thing to begin with because I felt like I had to press on my brows really hard for the colour to pick up. However, I tried it again last week after shopping my stash, I used a light hand and although it took a while to get the hang of, my brows looked naturally full and defined. It's so much more natural looking than using powder and I've completely fallen in love with it.



Shopping My Stash

Friday, May 23, 2014

I'm a typical beauty blogger in the sense that my makeup stash is overflowing. I have things in my collection that I bought for years, and have not worn since the orange-face-white-neck phase passed. It's very therapeutic going through makeup that reminds you of a specific point in your life and it feels strange to have a trip through memory lane. Well, this intro was a little deeper than I was expecting but anyway, here's what I found when I shopped my stash!

The L'Oreal Superliner used to be my favourite liner to create a gorgeous wing. Now, almost a year later, I like to think that I'm much better at eyeliner (and blogging for that fact) than I was back when I reviewed it here. I tried this again and although it's a little dried up, it's still amazing to create a gorgeous cat eye. I also found the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold - another that I had fallen in love with an then forgotten about. I've been using this more recently as a shimmery base to put eyeshadows on and it's still as amazing as it was last year.

I also found the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. This was a surprise for me because when I bought this, I loved it. However, it slowly made it's way to the back of the makeup drawers and when I pulled it back out again, I didn't understand what made me love it so much. Perhaps it's because now I prefer subtle, cream highlighters but this, I really didn't get along with, despite how gorgeous it looks in the pan.

Sleek blushes were my favourite blushes back in the day and I was surprised that I still had one lurking at the back of my collection. This one is in Rose Gold and is an amazing dupe for NARS' Orgasm blush. The packaging is still difficult to open but the pigmentation and colour is still as gorgeous as ever.

The real gem I found throughout this little shopping trip is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I only bought this a few months ago and at the time, I completely despised it and really couldn't understand the hype. Now, I'm in love. I won't babble on too much as I feel I already have in previous posts but this is defined, natural brows in a stick.


A Drugstore True Match

Wednesday, May 21, 2014
l'oreal true match in rose ivory
Fellow pale skinned girls - listen up. After almost a year of looking for a perfect high coverage, pale drugstore foundation, I think I've finally found one. L'Oreal's True Match is one that I hear Lauren Curtis talking about all the time in her videos, and for £10 for a drugstore foundation, I gave it a whirl. Now when we're talking pale, I mean really pale (MAC NW10) so I can practically go into any store and pick up the lightest shade.

This is now probably one of my favourite foundations and I find it very similar to MAC's Studio Fix, just £10 cheaper. It is surprisingly lightweight for the amount of coverage it gives and is amazingly easy to blend. Even though the consistency is fairly watery/liquid-y, it lasts long periods of time without powder. Another major bonus for me is the pump - it really aggravates me when foundations don't come with a pump (NARS, I'm talking to you). This stuff is really amazing.

Jo Malone French Lime Blossom

Monday, May 19, 2014
french lime blossom
I'm a sucker for Jo Malone fragrances. Everything from the scents, to the customer service and even down to the gift wrapping is completely luxurious and heavenly. I have two fragrances now, with my favourite being this one - French Lime Blossom. I'm terrible at describing scents but if you can, pop into a Jo Malone in Selfridges and give this a sniff (or maybe don't - you'll probably leave £50 in the shop). It's a really light, clean and fresh smelling fragrance and as with all Jo Malone perfumes, I can guarantee you'll get a compliment on the way you smell. For me, they're completely worth the high price tag... Everyone deserves a bit of luxury every now and then!

Weekend Reading

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Ahh, the bliss of an exam break! It feels good to finally sit down, relax (for a few hours) and take a break from revision. I've learned that relaxation is so important - whether that be taking a bath, reading a book or blogging. I like to do a combination of the three and I've been loving a few links over the Internet from the past few days.


- Steller app. Photography lovers, you need to download this app! There's a link to the demo here. (You can also follow me - username is elisedopson!)

- This article on doing what you love.
 On not being perfect.
- The amazing man making photos from skiing. Crazy talented.
- The Fault in Our Stars has been on my bookshelf this month and I am loving it!
- Clothesencounters' Closet Staples
- Laughing my head off at this  - The 28 Awkward Stages of a School Disco.

H&M Home

Tuesday, May 13, 2014
pillow - basket - candle - jar - tray - throw

I just don't know what it is with me and interiors lately. I'm just obsessed to the point where I shop for bits to put in my bathroom more than I do bits to put in my wardrobe. H&M Home is one of my all-time favourite home wear/furnishing places and is has traditional pieces with a modern twist. Of course, I had to conjure up a monochrome themed wishlist because that, I am also obsessed with. There's even a few bits that I've picked up for re-decorating my room. H&M is on top form for me at the moment - I can't get enough!

The Liner Low-Down

Saturday, May 10, 2014

You should know me by now - anything to do with eye liner I am all over like a rash. If there's one thing that I'm so proud of that I've done over the past few weeks is conquer winged liner. I think the newest addition to my liner stash is probably the main reason for this, and it really is too good not to share. I've found that different liners can make completely different effects and some are easier to others. Here's the liner low-down.

FELT-TIP LINERS   Probably one of my favourite eyeliners of all time is the Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner. The nib is the perfect size to create a variety of thickness lines, graphic liner and unlike many other felt-tip liners, it has lasted me around 6 months and doesn't show any signs of drying up. The nib on this is perfect for creating a gorgeous feline winged liner and I use this almost everyday and love it more & more every time. Amazing.

GEL LINERS    I've found that gel liners are good for beginners in makeup. When I was first starting out, I bought a little pot of black gel liner and it made my shaky hands be able to make something that looked decent on my eyelids. I love this one from Bobbi Brown. Yes, the price is really extortionate but for the longevity and the wear it gives, I'm happy to spend every penny.

PENCIL LINERS   Again, pencil liners are great for beginners with makeup. I bought this one from Rimmel but definitely prefer MAC pencil liners. I've found pencil liners to be one of the most natural looking, especially when you just use a tiny bit and smudge it out to give a messier, un-done effect.

SHADOW LINERS   I'd have never have thought about using an eyes hadow as an eyeliner up until a few months ago, but it's one of the simplest liners you could ever attempt. Simply smudge a little bit of black liner (I use Carbon by MAC) at the root of your lashes, blend out and it looks gorgeous. This is great for if you're trying to attempt 'no-makeup makeup' and it just makes your lashes look that slight bit fuller without looking too over-done.

Exams, Designing and Meenie

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

If you're checking back here and you've not been for a few days, you may notice that somethings are different. If you have, however, checked back since, you'll have realised what's changed... My blog design! I was feeling very uninspired and lost my blogging mojo, so a completely new re-design is just what I needed. You may have noticed in the past that blog designs are nothing new to me - I change them almost on a monthly basis because I get bored too quick, but I think this one's here to stay.

This is slightly off-topic but I need some sort of reassurance. Meenie has been going outside on her own for the past few days and I am completely terrified. I feel like she's been my little best-friend/partner-in-crime over the past 6 months and I am so scared of her going out and not coming back. Please tell me I'm not the only kitten owner that is completely terrified?!

Another reason why I wanted to do a little update is to tell you that unfortunately, I won't be posting as much as I'd like to over the next few weeks - exams are to blame. My exams start next week and I am pooping myself (not literally) to say the least. The only thing getting me through the next few weeks is that I know that the only test/exam I'll be planning to take after GCSE's is my driving test! Argh!! I'm trying my best to put up some pre-written posts whilst I'm away but if you wonder why I'm a bit late replying to comments, that's why. Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely May (unlike me!) and enjoy the last of Spring!

The Basics

Monday, May 05, 2014
After watching Anna's YouTube video on her capsule wardrobe, it inspired me to  make my own wardrobe more versatile. The only way I could think of doing this was to make sure I got all of the bases intact. Plus, a big wardrobe clear-out that produced 10 bin bags in 4 hours gave me a lot of inspiration! Here's just a quick list of the ultimate 'basics'.

//Plain t-shirts/vest tops. There's really nowhere you can go wrong with a few black and white (or coloured, if you prefer!) basic t-shirts. They go under and see through blouses, can be worn just with shorts when it's hot and you can pick them up for about £2. I've found that the best places to shop for these are H&M and good old Primark.
//Stripes. OK, this is probably one of my favourites out of all basics. I love how although you're still wearing monochrome, you can zhush it up a bit with a t-shirt, costing as must as £8.
//Jeans. I noticed that in my wardrobe clear-out, I had so many jeans in different cuts, styles and sizes. To me, that's the best way to do it - they go with everything and are so comfortable. My favourites? Topshop's Joni jeans.
//Leggings. Love them or hate them, they're good to throw on when you have nothing else to wear.
//Trainers. One of my favourite all-time looks is when you wear complete basics. A white vest top with a pair of jeans and white Converse. It looks so fresh yet is so cheap and easy to wear!