Bonfire Night. Most definitely my favourite day of the year. I love how the local community comes together to celebrate something together. Fireworks are magical. They are pretty and beautiful. They represent the start of winter and new beginnings. It’s always freezing cold and I am always the one gathering everyone together half an hour before the start to get the front row seats. After watching the fireworks, it is a family ritual to end off the evening with hot dogs, toffee apples and a hot chocolate.
Do you enjoy bonfire night? What’s your favourite day of the year?
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On Thursday, I attended the Urban Decay event which was held in Debenhams, Eldon Square. Now after over two years of blogging on this corner of the internet and about four years of blogging in total, it’s fair to say that I have had my fair share of events, however, this was like no other. There was about 70 bloggers who all signed up in which a good amount out of that 70 actually turned up. Hello to a lot of new northern blogger faces, where have you all come from?!
The event itself was ran by ELLEfluence, a platform that has been designed to connect influencers like myself with brands such as Urban Decay. This platform is not set to officially launch until January 2017 but I think Laura, from Elle Blonde, has done such a great job with this one.
I met up with my lovely blogger friend, Alice from Alice’s Wonder Emporium and Holly from Bisous, Holly Olivia. It’s safe to say we were all out of our comfort zones when we saw all the new faces as we strolled up the escalators to where the event was being held.
We were greeted by Laura Pearman, who was photographing the event. There was also glasses of bubbly and Lindt chocolate balls on offer before sitting down for the masterclass. The masterclass was going to demonstrate how to re-create a day time eye look on the model, Emma who was lovely, and then how to transform it into an evening look. Personally, I think this was a brilliant idea as this is ideal for festive parties after work.
The day time look was created using the Full Spectrum Palette, Ultimate Basic Palette, All Nighter Foundation and some of their new brushes. Michael explained to us that the new brushes have synthetic bristles which are actually made from recycled plastic bottles.
The shades that were used from the Full Spectrum Palette included: Warning, Seize and Jones. As the shades were being applied to the model, the palette was being passed around for us to have a look at it. As soon as I saw the Spectrum palette, I knew that I had to buy it. The shades are so unique and different.
I felt as though I was watching a YouTube tutorial live. Michael shown us the difference when applying eyeshadow with primer and without primer and believe me I was shocked to see the difference of how pigmented it really was. I have never been the one to apply eyeshadow primer but it made all the colours pop and look a lot more vibrant whereas with no primer it made them look faint and a bit muted.
The other product that was passed around was the All Nighter Foundation. I have heard so many mixed reviews about this foundation so I haven’t committed to buying it yet but it is on my wish list. One claim I heard was that the foundation oxidises on the skin, however, Michael explained that it just adapts to your skin once you have put it on. I think I definitely want a sample before I commit to buying the full bottle to see how it sets on my skin and what the final finish looks like but it is a full coverage foundation which I definitely like. The packaging is air tight which means that the product is pushed up, allowing you to see how much of the product is left. No more cutting tops off bottles in order to get the remainder of the foundation onto the back of your hand.
I also managed to test the Naked Skin Colour Correcting Fluids which come in four different shades: yellow to conceal purple hued dark circles and brightening, green to cover any redness such as blemishes, pink disguises dark circles on fair tones, peach to conceal dark circles and deep discolouration on dark tones and lavender to balance out sallowness and neutralise skin with a yellow undertone. I can imagine the peach would be best for my skin and especially disguising my dark circles that never seem to go away.
The evening look was demonstrated by Nisha and Kelly. Firstly, I found it amazing how they turned such a subtle day look into a lovely evening treat to go and party the night away. Although I am not one for partying myself, I love creating makeup looks with plenty of glitter and this is what it consists of. As with Michael and Sophie, the girls talked us through each application step and why they were using the products. One skill I did learn is to use a black eye liner in the waterline and then blend it out with a brown eye liner on your lower lash line to smoke it out. The final look is so beautiful and dramatic.
During the demos, the makeup artists explained why they were applying the product in a certain way, information about the products and how to use them. I thought this was really helpful and I felt as though I came away from the event learning something new (and lusting over so many of their products). They also answered questions throughout the demonstrations which was really helpful too.
The event was originally meant to be held at Gusto on the Quayside but it was changed to Debenhams for us shopaholics to buy products at the end of the event. Food was provided by Rub Smokehouse however I found that they didn’t even include anything vegetarian. I know that it was changed last minute but they could have offered something without meat just to be on the safe side.
After the masterclass, we were all allowed to collect our goodie bags and have a browse around the makeup counters. Of course, after much deliberation, I decided to pick up the Full Spectrum palette with no regrets. I can’t wait to start using it properly and create a couple of looks from it. Let me know if anyone would be interested in featuring some on my blog. The goodie bag included: an original eyeshadow primer potion, naked skin samples (which aren’t actually my shade), a Debenhams beauty reward card which I already have, an information booklet about the brand including their top 10 products and a sample of their revolution lipgloss in the shade Scandal which is a bright, hot pink shade.
Overall, I really enjoyed the masterclass from the event. I learnt a lot of skills which I am going to take forward when applying makeup. I was left lusting over many Urban Decay items and really enjoyed seeing how much the North East blogger community has grown in size. I was slightly disappointed by the food that was on offer as I believe that, even though it was organised last minute, they could have at least had one vegetarian dish available. I have seen many people talk about Urban Decay events before and I have attended many other events in the North East where the goodie bags was a bit more full filling than the one I received but I suppose it wasn’t the highlight of the event. Finally, I think Laura has given ELLEfluence I brilliant start and I can’t wait to see what is in store for next year.
Have you tried any of the new Urban Decay products? What’s your thoughts?
♥
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If you have been a fellow reader of my blog for a while then you will probably know how much of a shower gel addict I am. So when I spotted Original Source’s new scents on the shelves in Boots, I just couldn’t help myself. Original Source are a lovely brand and definitely suited for those on a budget. All of their products are cruelty free and most are suitable for vegans too. They have four new scents but I managed to restrain my addiction and only bought two: Green Banana And Bamboo Milk and Lime And Coconut Milk. They both smell incredible however my favourite is definitely the green banana scent. It smells like those foam banana sweets that you also find in the pick ‘n’ mix bags. They are shower milks rather than a gel, so in comparison to the usual formulation I find that they are really softening and moisturising on the skin which is brilliant during the colder months. I’ll definitely be adding these to my list of favourites!
Have you managed to try the new scents by Original Source? What’s your favourite?
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This blog post is coming to you rather late, I’m sorry but I do work full time and therefore I miss packages and can’t take photos when I get home because it’s dark but hopefully I will sort something out that will work for the both of us.
Anyway, moving on to the topic of today: YOU Beauty Box ft. Soil Association. To celebrate Organic Beauty Week, which was actually 19-25 September, YOU Beauty collaborated with Soil Association who is the UK’s leading membership charity that campaigns for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. They are also the UK’s leading certification body of food, farming, beauty and textiles. Any financial returns are put back into the charity and its wider work to increase awareness of organic and bring real change. It’s been a long time since I have received a beauty box through the door, however, this one exceeded my expectations with seven new brands to try such as Neal’s Yard Remedies, Skin & Tonic and many more.
NatraCare Cleansing Make-up Removal Wipes– After a rather tiring day at work, I was rather excited to see these as I first opened the box. I received 5 wipes so I thought I might as well try one to take my makeup off and they didn’t disappoint. They are infused with almond, apricot and chamomile oils which is brilliant when you are needing something to take your makeup off late at night. The wipes themselves were extremely soft on my skin and took all of my makeup off. I know most people double cleanse when using a wipe but you could get away with just using one of these wipes as it managed to remove everything. This was including waterproof mascara and eyeliner!
Botanicals Radiance Facial Serum (30ml)– This was the next product that I came across when having a sneak peak within the box whilst watching Eastenders. When I opened the product, I was a bit anxious about using it because of the application but after dotting two or three drops on the back of my hand and massaging it into my skin it worked lovely. The serum is not greasy at all which is something I have found has put me off using serums in the past. The potassium promotes healthier and younger looking skin whilst the avocado helps to reduce the signs of premature ageing. I feel like this product was designed for the older women however it did make my skin look a lot healthier and nourished the following couple of days after using it.
Terre Verdi GoodOils Cleansing Oil (30ml)– I have been on a look out for a cruelty free and vegan friendly cleansing oil ever since I ran out of my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil so you can only imagine how happy I was to see this one appearing out of the black tissue paper like a glistening star. In the past, cleansing oils are extremely good at removing every speck of dirt and makeup that is left on your skin and I have my fingers and toes crossed that this one is going to be just the same.
Skin & Tonic Rose Mist (20ml)– I have never really been the one to research into mists but when I spritzed this one onto my face, it immediately hydrated my skin. The rose scented goodness also made me feel calm and cool when I was anxious the other night. You can even use it over your make-up as a setting spray but I haven’t tried that yet.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm (15g) – Neal’s Yard Remedies is a brand that I have heard many times within the beauty blogosphere but never had the chance to try until now. A product that has multi-purposes is one that is right up my street so I am rather excited to try this one. You can use it as an exfoliating cleanser, an intense moisture boost, a facial mask (highly recommend if your planning a pamper night with your favourite girls), a lip balm to prevent dryness and chapping and a nourishing nail balm. The scent compared to the Botanicals Serum is a lot stronger but also smells quite refreshing and relaxing. I have used the product as a lip balm as the mornings have been a lot colder and I can honestly say that this product has kept dry lips obey. I have also tried the product as an overnight moisturiser and it works wonders. My skin felt really nourished and moisturised the following morning.
Odylique Organic Eye Liner (full size) – I have tried mineral foundations, blushers, bronzers and powders before but never a mineral eye-liner. Not going to lie but the sharpness of the pencil scared me slightly however the pencil glides on the eye effortlessly. It’s made with organic jojoba and shea butter for a smooth texture which is why it feels so light on the eye. The eye liner is extremely pigmented which I am definitely excited about, however, you can easily smudge it out to create a smokey eye. When using the eye liner, I found that you can build it up to how you want your make up to look which is something I haven’t experienced from similar products before.
Kiki Health Samples– The final couple of samples that I received were Super Food supplements which sound so lovely. On each card, it includes a suggested recipe and a little information about the benefits of that Super Food. I can imagine these would be rather useful when I am wanting a bit of a health kick.
The box itself is worth £75+ and considering that you are receiving mostly full size items I think it’s definitely worth the money. You can buy the box here however they are limited edition. If you are interested, you can sign up to YOU Beauty Box from £6.95 with free postage and packaging for members which I think is extremely affordable. The best thing is that you get to pick the products that you receive instead of receiving a group of products that you may just stash in your ‘to blog’ drawer.
Have you managed to get your hands on the limited edition Soil Association box? Have you tried any of these products? I would love to know!
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Hands up if you have oily skin! I do and to be honest I am sick of searching around for pressing powders that claim they matte your face when really they don’t. I was on the search again when my beloved Body Shop’s Bronzing Powder ran out the other day. I wanted something that was light and that I could apply without foundation but will still give me some kind of coverage. Of course, I jumped at the chance when an email landed in my inbox asking if I wanted to review Living Nature’s Luminous Pressed Powder.
Living Nature is a natural skincare and cosmetics brand based in New Zealand. They have a lovely range of products that use the nourishing, purifying and skin-healing benefits from New Zealand’s native plants. They even conduct ongoing independent testing so there is no cruelty to animals involved when using their products which is brilliant in itself. They are cruelty free certified because they use only natural ingredients, preservatives and fragrances with no harmful chemicals or toxins. Another positive that Living Nature has against other brands is that all their packaging is 100% recyclable and free from dioxin and elemental chlorine which is found in most makeup products.
So firstly, the packaging looks elegant and classy. As you open the pressed powder, you are greeted with a sponge and a compact mirror which is super handy for travelling and throwing in your handbag last minute. I usually apply my powder with a brush therefore I would probably have no use for the sponge, however, it is really handy to have for those nights out where you don’t want to take loads of makeup with you or to touch up on the go.
The powder itself is a really light consistency that gives my skin a lovely glow with or without foundation. I’ve mostly been using it as a setting powder over my foundation and concealer and I have found that it keeps it all in place even after being out the house for 10+ hours on work days. I have also used it by itself and although it is only subtle, it does brighten my skin tone but the coverage isn’t enough on it’s own for me personally. If you prefer products that are rather light on the skin then I highly recommend you trying this one out.
Overall, I really like it. I have obviously used The Body Shop’s Bronzing Powder but this is completely different. It’s a lovely addition to my collection for the new season. The powder comes in three shades: Light, Medium and Deep. I chose the colour Medium which was a perfect match for my olive skin.
Have you tried anything from Living Nature before? Have you tried the Luminous Pressed Powder before? Let me know your favourite setting powders.
♥
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