NYX haul

When an email telling me NYX was hitting my local Boots landed in my inbox, I almost did an excited wee. For months I've been lusting over Instagram feeds and blogs waiting for this very moment.

The stand itself was a dream. Rows and rows full to burst with products begging to be bought. I swatched so much my hand looked like a contender for the Turner prize. Half an hour and a very bored boyfriend later, I'd whittled it down to just six products... I still want it all.

Perhaps my most eagerly anticipated purchase was the Lip Lingerie liquid lipstick. I bought two fairly 'everyday' shades; Lace Detail (a pinky 'your-lips-but-better shade) and Corset (a grey/brown toned beige nude). 

The HD concealer pops up on every 'My Top Five.. ' concealer post I've ever read so my hand was practically forced. Right?! I got this in the shade Fair to highlight my under eyes however I think this product has such a full coverage that I won't need to conceal beforehand! 

As we get into warmer weather I like to switch the dark smoky eyes for a contoured and defined look. It's so hard to find a completely matte shadow from an affordable range so imagine my delight when I found an entire matte range. Better still, I found my perfect contour shade - Get Naked. 

Highlight that could blind someone? Hello NYX Illuminator in Ritualistic. The highlighter looks pearly in the pan but when applied it's leaves a  beautiful champagne toned glow.

Finally, something to keep my beautifully blended eyeshadows in place in our ridiculously hot English summer (optimistic, I know), the Proof It waterproof eye primer. I hope this can battle the oil slick that seems to occur in warmer weather!

Even though I only completed my first purchase around 48 hours ago I'm so impressed I'm scouring reviews to create a shopping list for my next visit! I'd love to read some recommendations if you have any...

Taupe Lip Dreams

In the spirit of Valentines day, I'm sharing my new love, this Maybelline 24hr Superstay Lip Colour in Soft Taupe (615).

I wanted a darker neutral - something to give me that 90's-esque lip. I picked this up in the expectation that it would give me my desired effect along with the promise of being super long-lasting... I was not disappointed.

So, the way this works is you apply the colour first, just like a lipgloss. Leave it to dry for a couple of minutes then swipe the balm over the top to moisturise.

I really like the colour. It's like a dark beige that's almost slightly grey in some lights. I think it's perfect for a very monotone look with a taupe eye.

Let's talk about staying power. For want of a better analogy, this sticks like shit and truly does last for 24 hours. I would however top up every few hours, just to keep it looking fresh.

There's lots of pretty colours in the range, and I'm definitely going back for more! 

Happy Valentines! 

LOC Champagne Problems

Opening my Birchbox with a slightly pessimistic attitude this month, I wasn't exactly expecting much if I'm totally honest. I feel like me and the B-box have had a poor run the past couple months but lo and behold, I was wrong...

This little ray of sunshine is LOC One & Done shadow stick in Champagne Problems. I am loving this product! It's a beautiful, creamy shadow stick, so blendable and pigmented. It's so pretty I even forgot about the Spectrum brush for a hot minute, but that's a story for another post...

Pick these up for £8 in the Birchbox store!

Contouring for a square face...

We can't all be blessed with delicate, elfin features of the supermodel kind but thanks to the rise of contouring we can make our face shape more flattering.

I have a square face - wide forehead in line with my jaw which I feel can make me look slightly masculine. Typical contouring patterns can leave me looking a little unbalanced but through copious amount of trial and error I think I've got it nailed!

Highlighting 
This look is very contour based so highlight is really to a minimum here.
  -  A thin line from half way down the forehead to just after the bridge of the nose.
  - Two lines just above the the eyebrows.
  - A triangle on the chin.
  - An upside down triangle under each eye.
  - A dot on the cupids bow.

Contour 
To bring the edges of the face in you ned to shade the wider parts of your face.
  - Around the corners of the forehead.
  - Across the base of the nose.
  - A line down each cheekbone.
  - A small curved line on each side of the jaw.

When blended and set move on to the glow....

Glow
Pop a shimmer on the following areas to further highlight...
  - On the very tip of the nose.
  - On the tops of the cheekbones.
  - Above the arch of the eyebrow.

These tips should slenderise the face and accentuate the nose, as well as heightening the cheekbones and brow bone!

A Dark Berry Lip

This pretty little lippy is Va Va Violet from Revlon. Perfect for when your make up needs that hit of vamp.

This product has a beautiful formula, giving you a semi-matte, berry-plum pout. Pair with a smoked out golden eye for the perfect combo!

DIY glitter frames

If you want to add colour to a room without commitment try these DIY frames. These Pinterest-worthy babies are incredibly easy to do and very cheap! 

All you will need are plain frames (with or without a mount is your preference), wallpaper samples and scissors.

Cut the wallpaper sample so that it fits behind the mount. Place the wallpaper in the frame and clip together. When you feel like a change just unclip and put new wallpaper in! 

Try marble or printed quotes for an Instagram ready feel!