My Empties Part Two

Excessive beauty buying and irrational hoarding doesn't bode well for saving space. I have accumulated a large bag of empty (useless) bottles. Why? Because I just can't throw any of them away without documenting how they performed first; the joys of the blogging world eh! So let's get moving so they can finally face the bin. I'm going to make this short and sweet, mainly because I have a list longer than Miley Cyrus' tongue of products that have shed their very last drop and ain't no body got time for that.

Products that have stood out to me over the last few months include Vaseline's Spray & Go Body Moisturiser, this stuff is spot on. It dries in literally seconds and the pure cocoa butter scent is delicious. Super easy for on the go, this spray is already on my shopping list for Glastonbury essentials!

The L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover was also a much loved product, it easily removes eye make up without any fuss and gentle on sensitive eyes like mine. This product is not too dissimilar to the ol' Bioderma - yet a fraction of the price!

Rimmel's Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara treated me well for everyday eyes; a great build-able mascara with minimal clumping. I think Rimmel deserve a gold star when it comes to mascaras, I haven't found a bum eye product from them yet.

I am not that often completely disappointed with products but Dove's new dry shampoo offering really failed in my eyes. The Refresh+Care Dry Shampoo left a horrible residue in my hair which made it feel awful to touch. I'm not sure if I was doing it wrong, as everyone else seem to love this, but I was regrettably not so keen. It also didn't last half as long as everyone's standard Batiste. A big thumbs down to Dove on that one...

A 'non-beauty' product here... This Cranberry & Lime Tin Candle from Bomb Cosmetics did not live up to it's candle ancestors. I once had a marshmallow candle from bomb before, the moment I smelt it I thought I had found THE brand to provide me with the most delicious candles that actually fill the room with sweet odors. But no. This candle smelt amazing don't get me wrong, it did however, lack in the 'dispersal' department!

Well there we have it, a pit stop of my used up products, ain't you a lucky devil for reading this.

Here Comes The Summer

Over the past few days there has been a lot of dusting off of sunnies and risky sandal flaunting - all for the eagerly anticipated arrival of summer! This 'limbo' season also means we can sense a make up switch up in the near future; and today I bring to you a few tips to brighten up that face for the warmer months.

Bronzer, bronzer, bronzer - now is your true time to shine. We all like to add a little colour and definition to our frightfully pale faces when the old British weather just doesn't quite cut it. This Bourjois powder is an old fail safe, not too muddy in colour and no overpowering shimmer. This bronzer is so subtle I just take a larger powder brush and swoop it roughly around the contours of my face - basically everywhere...

Freshen up your eye look by swapping browns and taupes for rose and copper hues. The Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay is a perfect summer staple to achieve stunning eyes that look amazing in the sunshine. Also, experiment a little.... reach for an alternative eyeliner colour to spice up a simple every day look. Even a subtle navy or olive green makes a lot of difference when framing the eyes. I find the retractable liners so easy to use and no sharpening necessary wahoo!

Now to the lips... A coral/orange lip is 100% my 'go-to' when the sun puts his hat on, whether it be a solid matte lip or a sheer gloss you can't go wrong with orange (pause for thought; isn't it a tragedy that nothing rhymes with orange?) and it without a doubt looks fantastic sipping on an ice cold cocktail!

So, basically the warmer weather is just an excuse to buy more make up and not feel as guilty;

anyone else switching it up for summer?

Products Pictured (clockwise):

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer in 'luna'

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in 'hot chilli'

Miss Sporty Mini-Me Eye Liner in '040 Eucalyptus'

Avon Glimmerstick Eye Liner in 'starry night'

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in 'light/medium 51'

Yes, It's the Naked 3 Palette...

It's here, in my hands... The 3rd offering from Urban Decay. Did I need this? No of course not, but just look at it, how could you deny yourself such beauty? I currently own the Naked 2 and the Naked Basic palettes - the basic probably being my most used palette of all time. So there was no doubt is was going to fall head over heels come release day.

This edition is full of rose gold pinks and browns and looks amazingly beautiful in the pan. I can predict this will be worn on my lids almost daily when summer finally arrives. No. 3 includes 3 matte shades and 9 shimmer - spanning from a creamy champagne to muted pinks and even a rose glitter infused black.

The thing I love about the Naked palettes is that there is always such an array of shades that you can create an easy day look as well as a intense night time look. I am so excited to try these out, particularly 'trick' and 'mugshot' they make me do a little ahhhhh every time I look at them. And my gosh 'blackheart' will create the most intense smokey eye known to mankind - can someone please invite me to a posh party now?

So there we have it, Urban Decay pull another beautiful palette out of the bag and it has well and truly gone down a storm. I know so many of you are already enjoying this dreamy offering, and for the rest - I bet it's on your wishlist!

Maybelline 'The Falsies' Mascara Review

I'm very particular about my eyelashes, my 'OCD' almost always gets the better of me when applying mascara. So when it came to needing a new tube of the stuff I decided to pick up this Maybelline mascara. Having heard a lot of great things I eagerly rushed home and whacked it on...(as you do) to find I absolutely hated it! I was so disappointed with this product as I had super high hopes that I was on track for a holy grail mascara to which I would never look back.

Firstly it's not build-able, and this is a major thumbs down for me. I need to be able to work with my lashes until they succumb to my obsessive compulsive needs. I feel the mascara doesn't give much lift and dries super quick to a crusty (bleh) texture. Another thing was that I actually didn't realise that the wand was curved, this would have definitely made me think twice about buying it - do your research Alison!

I also got a lot of smudging underneath my eye with this product, ain't nobody got time for that!
I mean it's good, but not much more - I probably won't repurchase but I'm not aiming it at the bin just yet.

Perhaps The Rocket would have been a better choice!?

Soap & Glory Gloss Sticks

For me, Christmas 2013 was the year of Soap & Glory. I unwrapped ample S&G goodies and of course 'ahhhhh-ed' at the smell of every single product. Soap & Glory are one of my favourite brands, with their luxurious offerings of bath and body, and a side of humorous wit.

These Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks are described as super-light, ultra-hydrating lip crayon's and I couldn't have worded it better myself. These crayons are glossy but not at all sticky, no unfortunate hair-in-mouth disasters here! There is absolutely no hint of any tingling sensation (I'm looking at you Lip Plumping Gloss) and lashings of moisturising goodness.

This nifty gift set presents 3 colours. Covering all bases we have a nude, berry and bright shade...

'Nudist' as you may expect is a nude pink shade, perfect for every day wear. Can't go wrong.

'Fushia-Ristic' is the brightest of the bunch, but I feel it has the least colour pay off. The bright orange/pink colour adds major shine to your lips but not much else.

'Plum Jam' is a deep red and my favourite of the three. The easiest product to achieve a carefree bold lip EVER, ya'know for those days where you want to flaunt a red lip but don't have the time or energy for anything fancy.

If you are looking for highly pigmented lip laquers, these aren't the thing for you. But if you want a hint of sophisticated colour in the form of a nourishing gloss then look no further chums! Unfortunately I think this particular set was a Christmas limited edition however you can certainly still buy them separately online - with more shades too!

Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow by Maybelline

I don't think there is a single blogger out there that hasn't come across these little pots. However I have now found myself in the possession of three, so thought it was a perfect time to sing their praise.

The three editions to my maybeline trio include;

Permanent Taupe - A sophisticated shade perfect as a base for most smokey eye looks but also a great colour to compliment brown eyes.

On and on Bronze - The peoples fave! A simple bronze that is probably the easiest eye shadow ever to work with, even I can produce a fairly professional looking attempt at a smokey gold eye, in less than 3 minutes!!

Metallic Pomegranate - The red craze really came to town in 2013 and I predict it will continue throughout winter. Pomegranate is a very safe and subtle option for us scardy cats. Paired with a dark brown or charcoal shadow this ruby shade works a treat (and did so on Christmas Day!).

No doubt this collection will grow in no time, what shade next?

In Pictures: Clothes Show Live 2013

When do next years tickets go on sale?

Lip Lowdown #01 - REDS

Welcome to my little but large collection of red lipsticks. A small, but diverse array of shades that I like to smother (worst lippie applier award goes to...) my lips with from time to time.

from left to right

Natural Collection in 'Crimson' - This classic red is such a staple in anyone collection, this £1.99 bargain is a great party piece for the festive season. 

Rimmel Kate Moss in '107' - Yes, THE Rimmel lipstick everyone and their dog owns. But that is precisely the point, this deep matte red can be worn day and night and works fab on pretty much everyone! go on, join the clan...

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in 'Hot Chilli' - This is actually one of my favourite lipsticks to wear, a garish orange toned red but surprisingly easy to wear! A great summer colour, but also a awesome duo with gold Christmassy eyes.

Jemma Kidd Lip Duo in 'Boudicea' - Another T K Maxx find here, very similar to 107 but slightly deeper and less purple. With a balm on the opposite end, what more could you ask for in winter? Plus I would highly recommend this lipstick purely on its unbelievably  smooth texture!

Sleek Matte Me  in 'Rioja Red' - The matte lip everyone lusting over.... (full review here)

Bright or deep, what's your call?

The Instagram Report #01

blog central // glamour's freebie // fairy lights // cutest notepad // poundland buys // stockings // sleek matte me // autumn make up // bonfire night // christmas organisation // new bag // winter pastels

instagram: alisonruthxo