My Naked Palette is one of my most well loved products. A selection of everyday shades that could also be turned into much smokier nightwear with amazing quality and pigmentation. However, I am also aware that for a lot of people the Naked Palette is slightly out of their price range, and so we look to the other palette in the photo. 

w7's In The Buff Palette in Lightly Toasted is pretty much a shade by shade copy for a fraction of the price. The quality of the shades is not as good as the Naked, but still very good for the price, especially with the Toasted, Smog and Hustle dupes. The Naked Palette as a whole has more of a creamy, shimmery finish while the w7 does verge on glittery for a few shades, especially the Creep and Gunmetal shades. However, Lightly Toasted still has a lot of pigmentation in most of its shades and is long lasting and creamy.

Something I do love about this palette is the Half Baked dupe. The Half Baked shade in the actual palette brings me out with an allergic reaction and my eyelid swells up (yeah, it's not fun). However, the w7's shade is pretty much exactly the same shade and I have had no reaction as of yet! 

Lightly Toasted Palette's quality, while not at the same level as the Naked, lives up to the expectations I had when I purchased it and more. While w7 is a US brand, I managed to pick this up by complete surprise in B&M Bargains of all places for something ridiculous like £4. So if you are around somewhere that sells these and you want to give the Naked Palette a go but you don't want to fork out, here's your option!

Thanks for reading!

Shannon

X

With summer comes heat, and with heat comes sweat and the inevitable smudging and melting of make up. Bearing this in mind, I decided to expand my matte lipstick collection by picking up three shades of the MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer online to give a try. The shades I got are Criminal, Reckless and Serene (left to right). 

Reckless and Criminal really impressed me. Both were highly pigmented and incredible colours. While slightly sticky at first application, they quickly dried and mattified, and after this you could hardly feel them on. They are slightly drying due to how matte the finish actually is. They do not transfer at all and keep their opacity for several hours, even after eating, drinking and sweating. 

However, with Serene I had some issues. While it applied similarly to the other two, I found after a few seconds of it being matte the product almost seemed to peel off my lips from the centre. It gave a much streakier finish and also did not have the same opacity as the other two lacquers. Due to the picture being slightly off on the website, I found the colour to not match me at all and instead make me look ill or an odd colour. However, on application I'm really not sure who this would suit...

All in all for £3 each, the quality of Reckless and Criminal was unexpected and far surpasses what I actually was expecting. Definitely a recommendation for those two, and maybe stay away from Serene.

Shannon

X

This week in England has been ridiculously hot. As someone who burns through windows and passes out in 20 degrees heat, I have found it hard to function. A positive of this heat however is that I've dug back into my old stash of more waterproof/sweat resistant products as well as buying a few new ones! 

The first products I have found is the Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoos. I have talked about these before, both on my blog and on my youtube channel. I stopped using them in favour for my Stila Palette, but with the recent heat I didn't want to spend ages putting make up on just for it to fall off my face later on. The 24 hour tattoos stay on your lids until you choose to take them off with makeup remover and are practically heatproof. Thank God. They are also very pigmented and easy to blend, especially with each other as I have found. The two colours I have been loving are Metallic Pomegranate and On and On Bronze, and mixed together on the lid create a really nice rusty bronze finish that may not be too summer appropriate but still looks very flattering. 

The next favourite I have been loving this week is the Benefit Watts Up highlighter. I use a matte blush a lot of the time as I love the colours I have, so this adds a healthy glow to my skin and helps me feel more summery. It comes out a champagne colour and is very easy to blend into the skin. I apply onto the cheekbones and occasionally down the bridge of my nose if I feel I'm looking particularly dull and it really brightens my complexion. 

My final beauty favourite of the week is a new purchase, the MUA  velvet lip lacquer in Criminal. It goes on really well, and although slightly sticky to begin with, it mattifies quickly and you can barely feel it on your lips. I bought a few different shades, so expect a full review later this week! I feel this colour is extremely summery however and as I have very few bright pinks, it really adds to my collection. 

My last love of the week is Parks and Recreation. Pretty much everyone knows about this show, but if you are late to the party all I can say is watch it! I rarely laugh out loud at TV/film and this has me almost crying with laughter almost every episode. I have slightly fallen in love with Ben Wyatt and April Ludgate and truly love the show and the realism of the plot and the comedy. It is set in a fictional town of Pawnee and describes the journey of Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, through her career in local government and personal life. A real must see!

So these have been my loves for this week, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!

Shannon 

X

This week has not been a huge make up or fashion week and I have stuck to what I know I love mainly. However, I have been through my stash and found two things I forgot I owned, and now have fallen in love with again; the Loreal Colour Riche nail polish in 851 Nouvelle Vague, which I'm sure I talked about in one of my first blog posts, and a E. Funkhouser blush in Nouveau Chic. The nail polish is a pale lavender shade and one that I love for summer. It does take two or three coats to become opaque due to the paleness of it, but does last at least three days without chipping, which for me is a record. The packaging is also nice and small, making it great for travel to top up on if needed. 

 The blush is a pink toned blush, with high pigmentation. It is very finely milled and easy to blend and adds a pop of colour without making you look sweaty. It's an incredibly flattering shade and again one I love for summer as it warms up the complexion. 

When Daredevil was released on Netflix, I was in the midst of exam revision and so didn't let myself even look at the trailer for the show. However, now that exams are over, I binge watched the entire season in less than 24 hours and have fallen completely and utterly in love. As a self confessed Marvel fangirl whilst also loving darker, more gritty character and plot developments, this was right up my street and I really enjoyed it. I fell in love with Matt Murdock and the complexity his character was given through both the writing and the acting and Charlie Cox can be commended for the talent he brought to the role. I am beyond excited for series two and my only disappointment is that it won't come sooner!

A music favourite of mine for the last few weeks, but this week in particular has been Flatsound. I found him through listening to other spoken word artists and have fallen in love with his acoustic/lo-fi sound and his words. Favourites of mine include 'i exist i exist i exist', 'you had a panic attack in my bathroom' and 'saturday dec 14 2013'. While some of his words really expose raw nerves and cut a little too close to home for me, his music makes me feel calm and really helps with writing and just thinking for a little while. His music has introduced me to a whole new genre that I have fallen in love with and now want to explore it much further. 

his music; https://soundcloud.com/flatsound

That's all for this week's favourites! Next week's should be interesting as I'm off to Ireland, so I'll see what it offers me.

Thanks for reading.

Shannon.

X

I am a lipstick addict.
My family have noticed, my friends stage interventions to stop me from buying more, but my collection is unashamedly still growing strong. However, there are few in my collection I wear on a regular basis and fewer that are my absolute go to for travel or day to day wear. 


The first of these lipstick is the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy. This is a recent purchase, picking it up in the Duty Free on the way back from Berlin, and I have fallen in love. It gives a sheer colour pay off but it still adds a little something to your lips, making it an ideal your lips but better shade. It is also incredibly easy to apply due to its creaminess, making it an ideal daywear lipstick as touch ups are incredibly easy. 

The next is Velvet Teddy by Mac. There isn't much I can say about this that hasn't been said already, only that if I want something a bit more sophisticated than Boy, but still neutral, this is the ideal choice. It's extremely long lasting due to the matte finish and compliments my skin tone nicely, leaving it again a great choice for day to day wear. 

The final one in my trio is again Mac, in the shade Sin. I am a sucker for dark gothic lips, even in the summertime, and this fulfills all my goth lip needs. It's a matte finish which I find essential for dark lips, and so long lasting it can be worn throughout meals and still look okay after. The only issue I find with this is that I can't wear it every day due to it being drying to my lips, but for going out and nighttime wear, I love it a lot and find it hard to beat!

I hope you enjoyed my post on my favourite lipsticks and maybe one of them caught your eye to pick up! 

Shannon

X

Before I say anything about the product, can we just admire how defined my jawbone looks? If only that were real life.

Anyway...

I bought this product on recommendation of Zoella in her November favourites due to the fact it looked incredibly similar to the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets that I do love so much and also the fact it looked an incredible colour on her lips. This is in the shade 005 Parisian Passion and I thought it would be an incredible A/W shade.

Honestly, I am incredibly disappointed by this product. I have applied this a grand total of three times, and two times out of the three I have wiped it off not half an hour into wearing it due to how uncomfortable it felt. The colour pay off is not incredible, it is quite sheer unless built up a lot and is nowhere near as dark as I expected. However, the main issue with this product is the formula. It is much more of a gloss than a lacquer/liquid lipstick which I am not a fan of, especially with a bold lip. I like my darker colours to be matte in order to pack a much harder punch. It is very sticky, which is another pet peeve of mine, and does not stay put. It smudges everywhere even when applying, meaning that your lips look a mess from the beginning. I don't know if it's the formula or doe foot applicator which makes applying it so hard, but I found it difficult to apply it and get clean lines. It also came off quite patchy which is an absolute no. 

All in all, despite my expectations, this product has made me incredibly disappointed. I don't know if this formula is due to the shade, but I am not particularly keen to spend another £8 on a product I dislike this much. I'll stick to my Bourjois thank you!

xx

I'm not being funny but where the hell is 2014 going? October flew by so fast, but as another month passes, another favourite is here!

FTN beanie; I've been wearing this a lot recently as it goes with pretty much everything I wear as I only wear monochrome, and adds a bit of colour and warmth to my outfit. This link will take you straight to it;
http://www.findthenomads.com/collections/products/products/script-beanie-burgundy

Revlon BB Cream in Light; In rushes for college in the morning, foundation isn't always an option, and this is where this BB cream comes in. It's a really quick lightweight option that I can just throw on and go in comparison to my Sheer Glow which takes a lot of blending. It is slightly too dark for me but I can pull it off if I blend it into my neck well, and this doesn't take much time at all so I feel it's worth it!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude; I love this eyeliner for again, rushed college mornings where I seem to lose time and end up having none. It makes my eyes look bigger and makes me look awake when really I'm falling asleep. 

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Damsel; This comes with the In The Light Palette and I love it. For days when black is too harsh or I'm too scared/tired to attempt to use my Maybelline gel pen, this is a great alternative. It's ridiculously pigmented and creamy, and very easy to use, and once it is on it does not budge at all. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in 011 Bluffing; I feel like the theme of running late is popping up a lot in this post, and I won't lie, it happens a lot. This is my eyeshadow of choice when I'm late because it is such an easy thing to apply. It is very easy to blend as it is a creamy texture, but isn't crazy pigmented meaning it can be applied a bit hap-hazardly and you won't be able to tell. It gives off a bronze shimmery texture that looks like you spent time and effort on your eyeshadow as it gives a small amount of definition and is all round a great product.

Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara; When I first used this product I was not impressed as I found it just made my lashes blacker and did not add anything to them. However, after about a week I came back to it and found it much better. It really grips the lashes and coats each individual one and gives them both length and volume. I really love this mascara now, and my first impression definitely wasn't right!

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Audrey; I don't have any lipsticks like this colour, and I think that says a lot already. It's warm toned which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable usually as my teeth usually look yellow-er, but this lipstick doesn't which is a huge plus. It is very pigmented and goes on creamily but has good staying power and lasts a very long time. Because of how pigmented it is, it's not a good idea to put it on in a rush but I love it anyways. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Vintage Pink; This colour is great for days when you don't want a bright lip but you don't want a nude, and is super hydrating. The formula is really creamy and goes on so easily. The staying power isn't great but it's understandable due to the creaminess, but reapplying isn't a hassle as it's easy to apply. 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11; This is a really nice nude colour as it has coral tones to it and gives your lips a bit of colour without giving them too much. It's very creamy but not moisturising or drying. The staying power again isn't great and you have to apply it very frequently but it's my go to college lipstick if I can't find one I like, and so I just reapply it whenever I have the chance. 

Too Faced Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow; This is like a highlighter and a blusher in one and I love it. It has three different strips to it and mixed together gives a really healthy looking colour while still being natural. It is great for the colder months as it gives you the look of going outdoors and being in the cold while still making you look healthy and glowy like you do in summer. It does smell disgusting though, just a word of warning. 

I love Urban Decay and I love Pulp Fiction, so when I found out that this collection was a thing that was happening, I got incredibly excited. Unfortunately this is the only product I picked up due to money, but my god it was a good choice. 

Let's talk packaging shall we? I love it a lot. It is cardboard but feels durable. It isn't as easy to just throw in your make up bag as the Naked Basics palette but isn't as big as the normal Naked palettes. I love the reflectiveness of the black as it gives it a slightly edgier feel than just the regular matte black they could have opted for. I also like the use of the red font and the quotes on the front and back as it just adds a little something to the palette. I love the monologue anyway, and now to have it written on my make up just makes me feel a little bad ass. Only me? Yes? Damn okay. 

This palette has a very neutral array of shadows, and all compliment each other nicely. The quality of the shadows are what you expect from UD, creamy, buttery, easy to blend and great pigmentation. They are great for a natural smoky eye and can also be used for day or night. I love the touch of the shimmery black shade Furious which can be used as an eyeliner dupe if you're either looking to experiment or are just scared of eyeliner some mornings (me included!). Anger is also shimmery and is great for an inner eye corner highlight. It really widens my eyes and makes me look alive which is great for any early morning starts. The other three are matte which I prefer to shimmer. This means that there is no shimmer overload if you accidentally put a little bit too much on, a problem I found with the Naked Palette and ended up with discoball eyeballs. Not flattering. 

For £17.50 I found this to be a real steal, especially compared to normal UD prices, and I know I will be using this for a long time to come. In the meantime, if anyone wants to send me the lipstick from this collection in the post, that would be just grand! (Kidding.)

(Kind of.) 

Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107
Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Nude-ist
Ghost Eclipse Sample
L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder
Real Techniques Contour Brush (used to blend concealer)
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair
Zoeva Powder Brush 
Hair Grips
Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in BronzeBeam
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude
Body Shop Hemp Lip Conditioner
Zoeva Silk Finish Brush
Zoeva Petit Crease Brush
Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze
Zoeva Soft Definer Brush
Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush
Bourjois Blusher in Golden Rose
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
Soap and Glory Hand Food
Revlon Matte Lip Crayon in Audacious
Cherry Carmex
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Neurofen 

Urban Decay Naked Palette; This variety of shades is amazing for a neutral yet slightly smoky eye. For a girl who avoids shimmer like the plague, you'd think this palette was a no go for me and yet I love it so much and have really found a love for shimmer that I didn't know existed inside me. 
That came out a lot more dramatic than planned.

Tangle Teezer; I've been doing a lot of swimming and au natural hair this summer and both of these require a good brush that gets rid of tangles easily. So of course the Tangle Teezer would be my go to brush and it has not let me down in the slightest!

Lancome Gentle Softening Cleansing Fluid; I have a strong love for everything about this product except the price. It removes make up easily and feels soft on the face as it is more of a cream than a liquid. It is definitely gentle, meaning I can use it on my eye make up without fearing for my eyesight if it gets into my eyes. I also love how easily it removes gel liner (spoiler alert!) It also smells good which for a facial product is always great. 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer and Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush; These two are a bronzing dream. I feared the bronzer may be too dark for my almost deathly pale skin tone but instead it works so well and gives my skin a nice matte bronzed finish without looking muddy or orange. It also has great lasting power, and for someone who spends most of the day sat with their chin in their hand that is a huge bonus as it doesn't rub off. The angled brush makes it a lot easier to apply the product evenly, and also blends it into my skin well. 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia; I never thought I'd see the day when I put a foundation on my face and it was the same shade as my skin. This product is honestly amazing as it gives a glow without looking shiny and so makes me look more awake. It also matches my skin tone. Did I say that already? 

L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder; In the hotter parts of summer I opted out of foundation and instead just wore this and my trusty Lasting Perfection Concealer. I found this product to be so nice on my skin as it gives a good amount of coverage as it is a BB powder, without looking cakey. It also gives such a velvet finish to the skin that is so nice to look at, but also to touch. As you can tell by the fact I hit pan hard, I really do like this powder a lot. 

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner; I love this eyeliner so much. I've not had the heart to spend £18.50 on the Benefit They're Real Liner, but I've had this since before the Benefit one came out and I've loved it a lot. It's really black and stays put all day, even in extreme heat. Miscellar water has trouble getting it off, hence why I've loved my Lancome product so much. I find the nib really helps with getting a line along my lash line even and has really helped with getting my cat eye equal on both sides. If you're looking for a dupe of the They're Real then look no further. 

Ghost Eclipse sample; This perfume is perfect for summer, so of course I'm gutted I managed to get a sample just as Autumn started rolling in. The smell of this is very fruity and isn't overwhelming while still strong. There is a lot in this sample bottle, and it has a roller ball as well meaning that it applies however much you need and there's no danger of you spilling the product everywhere. I need to get my hands on a full sized bottle!

I would like to start out by apologising for how rubbish I've been with posting recently! I don't have access to a proper camera, which is always a great thing for a blogger, so taking photos has been a nightmare. Because of this, please forgive the photo quality as I have had to resort to my iPhone in order to get this up today. I also have my driving theory coming up soon so my highway code has been engrained into my mind after hours of just staring. It's safe to say I am not going to pass...

ANYWAY! I have decided to start a new series called Most Worn, where I talk about my most used product of choice. As you can tell by the title, today's is lipstick. 

The packaging of the product alone shows how much I have loved this lipstick. Topshop lipsticks are widely regarded as high quality in the beauty world, and rightly so. I only own two, but both are favourites of mine. Beatnik is a your lips but better shade, and as a result, can be worn with any sort of look. It is my go to shade if I have no idea what look I am after and I feel it adds just a little something. It is quite glossy but not overpowering, with no or little glitter. It's extremely creamy to apply which feels nice on the lips but means the lasting time isn't great, which means reapplying throughout the day is a necessity. I also find the packaging annoying as when you first buy the product it looks really pretty as the white gives off a clean effect which for some reason I like a lot, but because it is white it means that it gets dirty. Quickly. It also chips easily which means if you just throw it in your bag with keys and coins lying around, chipping is unavoidable.

I do love this lipstick a lot despite the lasting power and tatty packaging, and when I go back to college it is definitely replacing my colours as my staple again. 

In my personal opinion, Autumn (Fall) is the best month of the year. It is usually not too cold but not too hot, although in England we are prone to the freak October heatwave. I don't celebrate Halloween because it's my dad's birthday, and yet Autumn/Winter is still the better half of the year, and here's why!

Photo Credit

Layering 
Autumn/Winter Colours; Tartan scarves, dark lipstick, monochrome
Cozy; It becomes acceptable to wear UGGS and leggings in order to be warm
Ankle boots
Colour of the dying leaves
Hot chocolate
Warm baths
Hats and scarves
Oversized jumpers
That natural flush you get that looks like really well done blusher 
STARBUCKS TOFFEE NUT LATTES 
Markets






(whispers) Christmas


That's right. I'm excited for Christmas already.



I'm whispering, therefore I can't get told off for being too early...


But yeah, these are some of the things I am excited for in the coming months!

This week I've been hitting up Cumbria, and don't worry I'm sure a blog post will come soon about it! However, for the moment I thought I'd show you the couple of things I (mostly) bought while I was up there.

I've been eyeing up the Gelly nail polishes for ages as I don't own any, and with a buy one get one half price deal on in Boots at the moment, I thought now was as good a time as any! The colour on the left is 427 Sugar Apple and the one on the right is 411 Kiwi. I own similar colours to Sugar Apple but no greens so Kiwi is a great addition. 

                                      

The next thing I bought was a Rimmel Apocalips lip lacquer in 501 Stellar. I love this colour as it is so bright and makes me feel much more summery and also because I'm very pale, I think this colour suits me well. I love the Apocalips brand as a whole and think both the formula and colour range is great, and I find it a bit sad that this is only my second one. After my holiday I'm definitely going to have to purchase a lot more!

I am so late to the bandwagon with this one it's kind of embarrassing. I have wanted a TangleTeezer for ages but I just haven't got round to buying one. I was looking for the orange one but it wasn't in stock in Boots so I picked this one up instead. I hope it lives up to its name as I'm actually quite excited to use it (sad I know).

This is definitely a haul of things I've wanted for a long time. I first saw these mugs literally like, two years ago in Urban Outfitters, and point blank refused to spend something ridiculous like £20 on a mug. However, I really loved it and still do now, so when I saw this in Sports Direct for £5 I nearly wee-ed with excitement (I didn't, but I was excited). For someone who enjoys photography and drinking coffee and hot chocolate, this makes me exceptionally happy. 



























These may be the comfiest trousers ever. I could honestly live in them. They're from Fat Face, and are pricey for trousers, I won't lie, but those sort of prices are expected from Fat Face and those sort of shops. These are the best pants for travelling and hot weather as they're made of a thin material without being see through and are loose so they don't cling     to you and make you uncomfortable. Tigers are also my favourite animal, so that's always       an added bonus. 

 

This was actually my boyfriend's purchase for me, and honestly it may be my favourite thing I brought back with me. If you're American you won't understand my excitement, but in England these are so hard to find and so expensive if you do find them, so this was a real treat for me. They may be my favourite biscuits ever, and I could live on them. And pizza. So thank you dear boyf for the present!