Wishlist #5

1/2/3/4/5

See you soon!

Celebrity Inspired: Aria from PLL

Aria Montgomery Inspired!

I was super inspired by Aria's makeup from season one and two of Pretty Little Liars, it's smokey, yet so easy to wear everyday. I started by making sure I had a pretty dewy yet flawless base, for this I used the L'Oreal Nude Magique foundation and the Mac Select Cover-up concealer. Then I used my favourite bronzer to add some colour to my cheeks, Aria's blush in most scenes are peachy and understated so for this I used Natural Collection's Peach Melba. The drama is in the eyes, so for this I started by adding a base (Mac's Painterly) and then adding dark purple and brown eye shadow to the top and bottom lash line, making sure I blended it out to keep it soft, and then I  added a little bit of black eyeliner to the bottom to deepen the look. Of course I finished by adding mascara and some eye brows ( more arched to match Aria.) Lastly for her lips I used Topshop's Pillow Talk and rubbed it in to create the perfect muted pink lip that Aria wears. I also loosely curled my hair and wore it on a side parting to emulate her relaxed hair style too. 

See you soon!

A serious case of an 'Identity Crisis'..

Hello!

You haven't heard from me since June earlier this year, oh my gosh. 

My explanation is..

1. Lots of life changes

2. Starting University (oh my!)

3. Not knowing which direction I wanted this blog to go in.

  

I feel like there are so many beauty blogs, who seem to repeat the same kind of posts again and again, and I'm not only passionate about makeup and skincare, I have many other interests and passions. So therefore I have decided to rename this blog Charming lines, so that I can talk about anything that pops into my head, albeit book reviews, makeup posts or advice from things I have experienced! I am glad to say I am back, and feeling super positive about blogging again and having a small piece of the internet to express myself in :) 

If you have any requests for posts, please do let me know!

See you soon

June Favourites ☼

This month it was harder to pick favourites as I didn't wear makeup as often as I normally do, hence the skincare items included. 

The first favourite is skincare related and is the new Skin Perfection Micellar solution from L'Oreal, I have been using this frequently this month to remove my makeup before cleansing, and have been enjoying it, it ensures I removed everything from my skin. 

Next is the Botanics Rosewater Toning spritz, I love this for when my skin is feeling dehydrated and hot, it cools the surface whilst still acting as a toner, I also see a difference in blemishes when I use this. 

If you read my battle of the bases you will also know that I love the L'Oreal True Match foundation, and since purchasing it I have been wearing it every time I wear makeup. It just gives me a fresh perfect base which looks nice in warmer weather.

I will not say much for the next favourite, but I have been wearing the E.L.F Lip balm in Mellow Melon nearly every day too! 

My new lash combo which I have been loving this month is layering the Rocket Volum' Express mascara from Maybelline with the Fibre Lashxtend from Model-Co, it creates extreme length and volume which lasts all day long.  

Lastly my E.L.F Jumbo eye crayon in Turkish Coffee has been perfect for creating messy, smudgey brown smokey eyes which I have been loving with lots of mascara and a very fresh complexion, it may be my summer favourite!

What are your June favourites?

Products of the week #2

My first favourite of the week is the Dream Fresh BB cream from Maybelline; this is a lovely sheer coverage BB cream which gives my skin a healthy glow, which has been perfect for this 'warmer' weather we are having. Next is the E.L.F Tone Correcting powder which I have mentioned a few times, It is just the best at mattifying my face and keeping everything in place for a much longer time. Another face product I have recently fallen back in love with is the MAC Studio Finish concealer which I have been using to cover red and angry blemishes, It is the best for that. And then for lips my go-to combo of the week has been the Chanel lipstick in Seduisante 91 and the E.L.F Conditioning lip balm in Mellow Melon, it's a beautiful pink lip which looks fresh for this time of year!

What have you been loving this week?

Quick Review: E.L.F face products

Face: 

You can see which ones I love the most.. 

Top left is the E.L.F warm bronzer which has featured in numerous face's of the day and favourites, it is perfect for just adding warmth to the face without looking orange. Next is the tone correcting powder; this obviously does not correct everything on your face, but it is a lovely powder which mattifies the skin whilst adding a tiny bit of coverage. The three blushes at the bottom are also nice; left- Tickled Pink, middle- Berry Merry and right- Peachy Keen, the only problem I have with these are that they are quite dusty but they make up for it by giving a lovely light colour to the skin which is pretty for everyday. 

These are some extra products- a mixture of face and eyes, which I also have.
The E.L.F HD blush is a newer product and I have the colour Diva; this product is amazing it is incredibly pigmented and a tiny bit goes a long way, It is a liquid but turns to a powder finish on the skin. Next to that is the concealer in Ivory- this is very pink toned so I use this as an under-eye corrector before concealer- it works nicely as it is creamy enough to blend out. 

On to eye products- Firstly is the Jumbo eye-shadow stick in Turkish Coffee, this is a dupe for the NYX jumbo eye-shadow pencils and is a lovely pigmented pencil that doesn't need sharpening because it twists up! Another product that has been seen in a lot of my posts is the single eye-shadow in pebble- I use it for my eyebrows/defining my crease and is a lovely pigmented cool tone brown. And lastly is the HD under-eye setting powder- this is a shimmery translucent powder to set concealer  it works pretty well but I do not like the glitter particles because it just makes you look sparkly. 

Any products I should try?

Quick Review: E.L.F lip products

Lips:

I am a big fan of the E.L.F lip products as they are all highly pigmented and do what they say on the tin (or in this case tube.) The Lipstick in Captivating is a lovely orange coral and is creamy and has great lasting power. The two conditioning lip balms in Peaceful Pink (right) and Mellow Melon (left) are my favourite elf products  they are pigmented, conditioning and last for a long time. Also the hyper shine gloss in Flirt is a gorgeous pink that provides an impressive glossy finish however is a tad sticky, and lastly the liquid lipstick in Strawberry (which is actually the colour of strawberries) which is a sheer glossy lipstick that functions as a lipstick and lip gloss!

Any other lip products I should try from E.L.F?

Empties #3

I'll keep it brief as there are so many!

1// Max-factor Eye Brightening mascara for 'Blue Eyes'- This is my all time favourite mascara however I did not repurchase it as I wanted to try other mascaras. 

2// Collection perfection concealer in Fair- Of course I repurchased this, I think this is in every empties post..

3// Sanctuary Spa Bath Float- These minis come in Christmas sets in Boots, and I am finally getting through them! This one was nice for creating big bubbles but are only good for a few baths. 

4// Botanics Mattifying Gel- This was great when I was oilier last year, however I am now much dryer so this was not cutting in. But I still finished it all up (it took forever) I would recommend this as it is pretty inexpensive and is a lovely matte texture for oily skin. 

5// Venus Pro-skin razor- I have to toss this as it has got so disgusting, but I did repurchase this because it gives you the closest shave.

6// Soap and Glory Scrub 'em and leave em'- this scrub has lasted me since Christmas and is lovely to scrub away any dead skin before self-tanning. 

7// Herbal Essence Herbally ever after Conditioner- I disliked this. It made my hair incredibly greasy, and I have very dry hair, I would not buy this product again.

8// Botanics Cleansing Foam Wash- This is a lovely face wash, although as it is only a foam it is not very strong and therefore did not prevent the occasional breakout. But for my sensitive patches it did wonders to calm them down. 

9// Nail polish remover from Superdrug- This is my go-to nail polish remover, because it's cheap and works a charm, I did repurchase this. 

Finished any products you would recommend recently?

Recent book purchases

The first book I picked up was book fourteen from one of my favourite book series', The Morganville Vampires. It sounds childish, but surprisingly it is an amazing take on vampires living among humans and the realistic implications (not at all twilight-y!)  I have all of the books so far and am excited to read the next installment- something else I appreciate with this series is that 1. all the books cost the same amount (I hate it when authors periodically increases the price) and 2. that all the covers and design are consistent, so they look lovely on your bookshelf!

The second book I picked up was on a whim really, I liked the colours of the cover and the blurb sounded interesting. It's called The Hit by Melvin Burgess, it is supposedly about a new drug that gives you best week of your life at the cost of death at the end of it. I liked the sound of it and it was only £7.99 so I gave it a try. 

The last book I purchased was one that was recommended to me by a few people both in real life and online. It is Matched by Ally Condle, again set in a distopian world where your partners are chosen for you and your entire life is controlled by the government. I love books like this, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed the Hunger Games, the Maze Runner and Divergent series'.

Products of the week #1

My first stand out product of the week is the Sleek Brow Kit; I forgot I had this for a long while until the beginning of the week. I used if and feel back in love with it, it offers a powder and a cream alternative- making brows just that bit easier. Next is surprisingly the e.l.f HD Under-eye powder, it is a translucent powder with shimmer in it that sets and brightens the under-eye. 

If you read my Battle of the bases post, then you already know my next favourite is the L'Oreal true match foundation. It is so simple and dewy on the skin while still offering a nice coverage. The last makeup product which is stand- out this week is the Rocket Volum' express mascara from Maybelline, it is a very wet formula but it builds up nicely on lashes. 

The last product is OPI's Nail Envy, I did a whole blog-post on this a while ago, and lately have put it to the test yet again. I had acrylics for the last few months and once they were removed my nails have been incredibly brittle and weak, lets hope Nail Envy can fix them fast!

What are your weekly stand-out products?

Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara- £6.99 

I do not enjoy doing bad reviews because they are filled with negative energy, but this product was no good. The first problem was the brush is HUGE and very hard to control, so mascara ended up all over my eyelid- first mistake. Then you need a million layers to make sure your lashes are not grey, and finally after making them look somewhat okay, it smudges all over your under-eye area!

Story time-
I was at college- must have been wearing my makeup for 2 hours max- and one of my best-friends mentioned that I looked really tired. I thought nothing of it and went to the bathroom where I saw the complete panda eyes staring back at me! It had smudged so bad I looked as if I had been punched in both eyes..

Anyway, I love Rimmel makeup products usually  but this was a let down. I think the Lycra flex formula is too wet and does not dry on the lashes therefore causing major smudging. (I don't even have oily eyes!) Therefore I would suggest steering clear of this mascara unless you have already tried it and loved it!

Battle of the bases #1

These 'battle of the bases' posts will consider the pros and cons of each product and deduct which is better and for which reason, the first battle is between Revlon Colorstay (my old faithful) and L'Oreal True Match (a new love.) 

REVLON COLORSTAY: (BUFF)

PROMISES?

1. Full coverage foundation for oily/combination skin 

2.SPF 6

3. 24 Hr long wear

4. Lightweight feel

PROS:

1. Long wearing

2. Full coverage 

3. Perfect colour 

CONS:

1. Heavy on the skin 

2. No pump 

3. Hefty price tag of £12.49 (for a drugstore product?!)

L'OREAL TRUE MATCH: (GOLDEN IVORY)

PROMISES:

1. Super-blendable

2. Perfect colour

3. SPF 17

4. Without caking

 PROS:

1. Lightweight feel 

2. good, build-able coverage

3. Has a pump 

4. Good colour 

CONS:

1. Can feel greasy over time- needs powder

And the winner is..

L'Oreal True Match!

Even though my Revlon is my old favorite and I will always have a bottle in my stash, it is just too much coverage and heaviness for everyday (especially with summer on the way.) 

I much prefer the lightweight feel of the true match, and I personally do not mind powdering!

So there you go, the first battle of the bases, have you tried either of these?

A tropical rose!

I have been away from the blog lately, due to my exams and work. But I am back and I return with a different name and look!

A tropical rose will have the same posts as before, but I feel like the name suits my style more and the colours and feel are more summery!

Hope you enjoy reading my upcoming posts :)

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5 Current Loves ☮

1// My first favourite is the Botanics BB cream. I am in love with this! It's a BB cream and has a lightweight formula, but it still manages to offer such great coverage that I can wear on an everyday basis. 

2// Also a Botanics product; the Skin Relief Serum. I have had this product once before and LOVED it, so when I saw it again I picked it up. It does relieve my skin from irritation as it has been very sensitive and dry lately, and it works amazingly under moisturiser. 

3// Elf bronzer in warm has been my go-to bronzer for a while now. It is a lovely warm tone that looks great with fresh makeup in the spring/summer. Also the £3.50 price tag helps too! 

4// The Sleek Pout Polish in Powder Pink, this is a tinted lip conditioner similar to something MAC came out with a while ago. It is also a bright pink colour that actually looks very pigmented and fresh on the lips. This is good too as it has SPF and it is a balm, but has the pigment of a lipstick!

5// Lastly is my new Revlon Lip Butter in Sorbet. Again I have been loving pink shades for spring and this is my new favourite as I love the lip butters formula and how easy they are. 

As you can tell I have been loving lightweight simple makeup with lots of fresh pinks and warm tones, perfect for spring!

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Products I wont be repurchasing #1

1// No7 Colour calming primer: Now this primer is bright green, to counteract any redness in your skin, HOWEVER, it is bright green and makes you look ashy no matter how much you apply. I use it on my very red days, but it such hard work I probably will not be repurchasing. 

2// Rimmel Colour Mousse: I have had this in my collection for too long, and I never ever use it. I honestly do not understand the product, it's a wet mousse that makes your eyelids feel wet? Anyway, I have used it, and the staying power once it's set is intense, but I probably will not repurchase. 

3// Collection Cream Puff lip cream: This product has a strange texture, it's almost velvet. It lasts a super long time, but along with the off pink colour and the drying texture, I don't think I will pick up another one. 

4// Nars lipgloss in Turkish Delight: This again is an oldie in my collection, and to be honest I never wear it. The colour is stunning, a lovely milky pink, but on me it looks very strange! I just cannot get it to look right, so I do not think I will buy it again. (Especially as it's not cheap!) 

5// Lastly the Barry M lip gloss: This is something that I was looking forward to trying as I love the nude version of this lip-gloss, but again this colour just looks strange on me, and also it has a much slicker formula so it has poor longevity. 

I know this is a negative Nancy post, but it's good to keep things balanced!

Wishlist #4 (SpaceNK edition)

1// Laura Mercier Silk creme foundation 

2// Laura Mercier Mineral powder foundation 

3// Stila convertible colour 

4// Aesop hand balm 

5// Ren radiance renewal mask 

Most used brushes ♥

1// A stippling brush from Superdrug, this brush is used for blush/highlighter and is so old! I am in need of a new one, any recommendations?

2// Real Techniques blush brush, this I use for my bronzer. It's so soft, and makes the whole process really easy. 

3// Real Techniques buffing brush. I use this for my base products and it's amazing! It works really well for blending product in quickly.

4// Real Techniques contour brush, I use this for my concealer, it fits around the eye area really well. 

5// A no name brand spooly? brush, I use this to brush out my brows and keep them neat.

6// A Spoilt Rotten angled eyebrow brush, I use this to fill in my eyebrows with powder. 

First impressions: Botanics BB cream

Yesterday I picked up the BB cream from Botanics as I am currently looking for a more light weight alternative to my Revlon colour-stay. This product was only £6 (on sale from £9) so in my opinion rather reasonable. 

I put this on today for a test run, and so far I am actually very impressed. It surprisingly gave a good coverage (in the picture I only have under-eye concealer), and is very lightweight feeling without any tacky residue like most BB creams. 

The colour is light, and indeed is a perfect match for my skin tone, but it is very light, so pick a colour carefully. In real life you cannot see the makeup on my skin , it's practically invisible. 

I would most definitely recommend this product to anyone searching for a more lightweight easy foundation that is nice for 'good skin' days!

April favourites ☼

1// Soap & Glory Mist you madly; I have been trying to use up my products these days, so instead of my usual perfumes I have been reaching for this. It is only a body spray so has to be re-applied throughout the day. But I have been getting compliments on it's flora scent and I have been loving it for the spring time, it's something a bit lighter. 

2//Elf eye-shadow in Pebble; I have been using this for my eyebrows, as I have ginger hair which is warm toned, I prefer to use cool-toned colours to keep my face not look muddy from warm colours. This is another product I am trying to make use of, and I have been enjoying it!

3//Elf Warm Bronzer; Again I have been using this up (i have even hit pan!) but I have been loving this for my bronzer/contour lately, it's warm and brings a lovely glow to my face which is lovely in the spring-time. It looks shimmery, but this doesn't translate onto the skin, making it much easier to use. 

4//MAC Paint-pot in Bare Study; This is my least used paint-pot  but the last few weeks I have been loving it on my eyes with just mascara. It looks fresh and youthful, and I would recommend it highly!

5//Burts Bees lip-balm and hand salve; I love the lip-balm, it is so balmy which sounds silly, but it leaves a nice layer on the lips that keep the nourished for a long time. Also the hand salve is lovely for my cuticles as they have been dry lately. 

6//Botanics Shine Away moisturiser; I have been getting a little oily lately due to the change in the weather so I changed from my thicker moisturises to a more matte one. This is very good at mattifying the skin and leaving an almost velvet finish which keeps shine at bay whilst still moisturising the skin. 

First impressions: MUA Undress your skin shimmer highlighter

A few weeks back I tried the MUA undress your skin foundation and I actually liked it quite a lot for 'no makeup days'. So when I saw this bad boy in Superdrug I wanted to give it a go. 

It has that MAC powder vibe about it with the swirls, and was only £3. On first impressions it is quite lovely, however when swatched it left much to be desired. It is incredibly pink toned and quite chalky, I wore it for a few days dusted on my cheekbones and it did look nice and did the job, but it didn't have the wow factor for me. 

So in conclusion I would recommend this if you are looking for a pink toned shimmer highlighter that is affordable and nice for everyday wear, however it definitely is not a wow product that I would say run out for. 

(PS the packaging is actually quite nice too!)

Nails of the day #2

I picked this colour up yesterday from Boots, Sinful Colors 24/7. This colour is awesome! It's literally highlighter pink, and neon, it's perfect for a pop of colour in spring. Unfortunately as I expected the finish is matte, so I had to use a top coat to achieve a shiny finish, but that's okay. 

For only £1.99 I love this colour, definitely recommend this for spring/summer!

Mini drugstore haul #1

1// Sinful colors: 24/7 and Island Coral.

I found these in boots for only £1.99, and these shades are perfect for spring a neon and a peach. I am excited to wear them!

2// Real Techniques blush brush.

My favourite brush for bronzer and blush died yesterday when I was washing them, so I ran out today to replace it. I know the great quality of real techniques so I picked this one up for £9.99 and am looking forward to trying it. 

3// Botanics, Cleansing foam wash.

If you saw my empties post, I finished my face wash and needed to replace it. I decided to use something different and went for this one from Botanics. It seems simple and easy and I will do a review shortly on the results.