Beauty Products Worth The Hype

Whilst I am not usually one to jump on a bandwagon when it comes to certain trends, there are some products that, having been mentioned constantly by beauty bloggers and vloggers, I become way to curious to try and I end up giving into the hype to see what all the fuss is about. In some cases this ends in disappointment as it turns out some products are just not for me, however the majority of the time results with me triumphantly wondering where this product has been all my life so, without further ado, here are the products that I believe are worth the hype...

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation & Creamy Radiant Concealer
I have raved about both of these products a good few times on the blog recently as for me it is the perfect complexion duo. The foundation is extremely light, yet buildable, providing a good deal of coverage without looking or feeling too heavy or cakey, whilst the concealer manages to cover up any blemishes or imperfections flawlessly as well as brightening the under eye area. Since purchasing them they have become firm staples in my makeup bag and I would even go so far as to give them holy grail status as I cannot imagine my makeup routine without them. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette
Despite having owned this palette for a long while now and purchasing many new palettes since, this is the one that I consistently come back to. In my opinion it is probably one of the biggest fail safe palettes on the market as there is such a range of shadows, all of which are extremely smooth, buttery and pigmented, to create a wide variety of looks.  

Jo Malone Cologne
In my opinion I don't think you can go wrong with Jo Malone fragrance as there are so many to choose from and definitely something for everyone, with a huge range of sweet and fruity mists to slightly warmer and heavier scents. I would have to say they are also probably one of the longest lasting fragrances on the market as there have been a number of times, after having applied it at the start of the day, that I still catch whiffs of it around 11 o'clock at night. Although they are on the pricier side, I definitely do think they are worth forking out a little extra for as they are such a unique and high quality collection of fragrances. 

MAC Lipsticks
Beauty bloggers and MAC lipsticks seem to go hand in hand, with most makeup collections featuring a huge stash of the famous black bullets, and having finally tried them this year it is not hard to understand why. Available in so many different shades and finishes, they are exceptionally pigmented yet feel comfortable on the lips, as well as lasting a pretty decent amount of time, which is one of the main things I am after in a lip product. Whilst they are slightly expensive and there may be cheaper alternatives from the drugstore, you really can't go wrong with a MAC lipstick and they are definitely worth the hype.  

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed- Champagne Pop
If I had to pick the biggest blogger enabled purchase I have made it would definitely be this highlighter as, ever since it's release, I have read and watched so many rave reviews hailing it one of the best highlighters ever! Described as an apricot-gold highlighter, it is honestly one of the smoothest and softest powders I have tried, as well as being one of the most pigmented yet, despite this, it isn't too over the top, instead giving a pretty, subtle shimmer to the tops of cheekbones. 

MAC Brushes
When it comes to makeup brushes I am usually all about the cheaper offerings from brands such as Real Techniques as they do just as good a job as more higher end products at a fraction of the price. However, like the lipsticks, there are certain MAC brushes that I feel are worth the slight splurge as they seem to make applying makeup that little bit easier and are probably the most affordable that are available on the higher end market. Whilst they are all great, there are two standouts for me- the 217 and 239. 217 is perfect for applying shadows into the crease as it blends like a dream, whereas the 239 is better suited for packing on any shadow all over the lid. The two go hand in hand for creating any eye makeup look and are, without a doubt, worth the hype. 

Have you tried any of these products? Do you think they are worth the hype? 

Megan 

Tenerife Photo Diary

A couple of weeks ago I jetted off to Tenerife with my family for a much needed break in the sun and so, after finally going through/editing them, I thought I would share some of my favourite photos from the trip. We stayed in Puerto de la Cruz, which is one of the major cities in the north of the island and is apparently a lot greener and generally more relaxing and peaceful than the southern parts of the island. 

The city itself is extremely pretty and very authentically canarian with winding cobbled streets lined with traditional restaurants, bars and boutiques, making it the perfect place for casually wandering and exploring. It was also a surprisingly instagrammable place, and I found I was constantly snapping away on my phone for the perfect insta-worthy shot! If you are after a pretty, authentic and relaxing vacation it is definitely worth a visit!

Have you visited Tenerife?

Megan

 

 

July Favourites

Happy August! It's the start of a new month which means that it is time for my monthly round-up of everything that I have been loving over the past few weeks. I haven't really discovered anything new beauty-wise this month, but there are products that are recent rediscoveries and have been staples for me throughout July, as well as the book that had me gripped for most of the month and my new fitness fave that has made me be able to run up the stairs without losing my breath...

Mac Eyeshadows - Woodwinked and Satin Taupe
Whilst I normally switch up my eye makeup look quite regularly I have found that over the past month I have been reaching for one of these two Mac shadows pretty much every day, as I think they are perfect for a simple sweep of colour on the lids, especially in summer. I've been loving wearing Woodwinked in the day as it's such a beautiful, warm bronzy-gold shade and looks great worn with just loads of mascara, whereas Satin Taupe, which is a medium taupe brown with silver shimmer, has been my go to for the evening as, when worn with black eyeliner, it gives a pretty, slightly smokier look without being too heavy - perfect for summer!

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
This has long been my favourite lip balm yet I had actually gone without it for months as it was always out of stock in my local Boots. However I finally managed to get my hands on one a couple of weeks ago and since then it has once again become a staple part of both my skincare and makeup routines. As it contains Beeswax and Vitamin E it really conditions and soothes dry lips, whilst the final hint of peppermint gives a refreshing tingle to the skin. It is definitely one of my holy grail 'can't live without' products.

Lee Stafford 'For hair that never grows past a certain length' Treatment
After having a huge portion of my hair chopped off last Christmas time I soon decided to try and grow it out healthier and stronger. 7 months later and it has now reached a sort of awkward growing out length so, after reading a number of rave reviews, I decided to purchase this mask to try and speed up the growing process. Now, I haven't been using it long enough to notice a huge difference in the length of my hair yet but the reason I have included it in my monthly favourites is that I have definitely noticed an improvement in the health of my hair. The mask is extremely conditioning and moisturising which leaves my hair feeling super soft and silky after every wash, as well as feeling a lot stronger and I will definitely continue using it consistently to hopefully grow my hair longer. 

The Body Shop Mango Body Mist
During the summer months I tend to favour a slightly lighter scent than my perfumes offer, which are all fairly strong and "heavier", and so I have been reaching for this Mango body mist on a daily basis. It is the perfect summer scent- sweet, fresh and fruity, to give a light mist of mango that lasts pretty much all day. 

Blogilates
Every summer I always set a goal to start working out a bit more and become slightly fitter, yet this is probably the first year that I have actually managed to stick to this thanks, in part, to Blogilates. I stumbled across this Youtube Channel whilst searching for a quick cardio routine and it has now become my favourite way to workout as there is such a mixture of exercises- long and short, easy to more difficult, and cardio and toning. I also love the fact that Cassey is such an upbeat and motivating trainer, which makes it very difficult not to have fun and enjoy the workout. My favourite is definitely the 8 minute fat burn cardio and since incorporating it into my day I have noticed that I am fitter and healthier, which makes me extremely happy!

Life of Pi
This has been on my to-read list for ages and so when I spotted it in a second hand bookshop at the beginning of the month I knew I would have to pick it up. It tells the story of Pi, a 16 year old boy, who survives a tragic shipwreck and months in a lifeboat at sea with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. It is such a harrowing novel, yet the storytelling and vivid images created allow you to truly get sucked in as a reader, so much so that there were times that I actually felt like I was there on the lifeboat myself. Yann Martel's descriptions really gave an insight into Pi's physical, emotional and mental state at all times and, whilst it is a traumatic and slightly horrific book at times, it really was a wonderful novel which I would recommend to anyone.  

What have been your favourite products recently?

Megan