House of Glamdolls Spirit Doll Palette from Freedom Makeup | Review

House of Glamdolls Spirit Doll Palette from Freedom Makeup* £8.00 

For me one of the reasons why I love makeup so much is that it allows me to get creative and express myself though different looks. Theres nothing more exciting when you have a new palette that comes with plenty of shades for you to play around with. As I love palettes so much I seem to have built up quite the collection over the past few years, but all of them are your standard eyeshadow palettes. So you can only imagine how excited I was when I received one of the new House Of Glamdolls Palette from Freedom the other day as it's an all purpose palette. 

When I say all purpose, I mean you can pretty much create your whole makeup look using this palette; It has everything, with the exception of foundation, concealer and mascara which is just amazing. It has your brows, eyes, cheeks and lips covered which is something that I've never come across before in a makeup palette. The palette comes with four brow shades, three highlights, ten eyeshadows, two blushes and four lipsticks, so it really has you covered!

Other than being blown away by how many products come in one palette, I have to say I absolutely adore the packaging and was instantly sold on the way this palette looks. There are four different palettes to choose from in the House of Glamdolls to choose from, each one a different themed. I received the 'Spirit' one which I'm so pleased as its a very 'me' palette, which means I'll get a lot more use out of it. I've had a look at the other three palettes and for those of you who love to be a bit more creative and daring with your makeup I would really recommend checking out the Fairy Doll palette as its really bright and colourful.

Starting with the four brow shades that you get, you'll be pleased to see that there is a colour to suit everyones eyebrows! I tend to use darker shades for my brows, but the great thing about these powders is that they could also be easily used for eyeshadows; Especially for adding a bit of warmth and depth to your crease. 

The highlight shades are really pretty; I just love highlights that have a golden shimmery tone to them and the largest one in this palette has that gorgeous champagne glow. The other two would also be great for the inner corners of your eye and for underneath your brow bone. 

With the eyeshadows, you get a great selection, especially if you include the ones that you can also use for your brows. As this is the Spirit Doll palette, a lot of the shades are really earthy and natural looking, which again I love. Theres a few warm browns, some deep purple hues and a lovely olive green shade. All of these colours are really wearable and look great if you have brown eyes; Especially the purple shades. Most of the shades are quite shimmery but at the same time are not too glittery. 

The two blush shades are again really pretty and would be perfect for those of you who do have fairer skin. You get a really light pink and a gorgeous peach toned coral, however they are very light. As I tan a lot I tend to wear blushers that are a little bit deeper and richer in colour, but these are buildable and like I said are so pretty once on. 

For me the only thing that lets this palette down slightly is the lipsticks. Whilst its great having lipsticks included in a palette, I find cream and powder based products sat next to each other don't usually work as the powder always gets in the cream ones, which is really annoying. This aside, it is a really nice touch having the lip products in there. I would describe these lipsticks more of a tinted lip balm and than full on lipsticks as you don't get a full wash of colour. But again this is the 'Spirit' palette, so you can create a really natural makeup look. 

Overall I love this palette so much and for £8.00 I think its excellent value for money, you really can't go wrong. The actual eyeshadows and powders are great. They all have a really nice buttery finish, have great pigmentation and are really bendable which is just want you want! 

I think these would make such a lovely stocking filler, especially for those ladies that love playing around with makeup. I also love how it comes with a huge mirror, which is great for the actual application. If you're looking to add this House of Glamdolls palette to your collection for any of the others be sure to take a look at the Freedom website here.

Do you like the look of this palette? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of Love

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Pregnancy Update - Week 18-23

Hi guys, so this post is well overdue. Since announcing my little bump of joy a few weeks ago I had intended to get so many more pregnancy related posts up. But if I'm completely honest I am finding pregnancy so hard and throughout this whole journey have not realised just how tired that I'm going to be! Before when my mummy friends were going through pregnancy and they told me that they were tired, I just thought it was a normal tiredness. Now through I can totally understand what this pregnancy tiredness is all about and it's just so hard, especially trying to work full time too. 

Apart from being overly tired though, everything has been so great and since I announced my pregnancy I am now full swing into my second trimester and I have to say that I've actually really enjoyed this stage of pregnancy. Its been a time where I've felt a lot more like me. As tired as I've been I've found that when I have been active I've had so much focus and drive which has been lovely. Unfortunately these moments have been at work and not when I actually want all that motivation to type up blog posts or tidy up my home! 

One thing that has been really exciting since I last spoke to you guys is that we found out the sex of little baby sparkle and it really was such a turning point in my pregnancy; It just made everything feel more real. I will be doing a gender reveal post very soon - My birthday is coming up soon so I think I will announce it then as a little celebration. Even though James and I know what we're having, we are still struggling with baby names, who would have thought there would be so much pressure in choosing a name. We have a few favourites, but not one that we've decided on yet.

How far along? 23 Weeks & 3 days 

Movement? There has been so much movement over the last couple of weeks which has been so exciting. Even James felt a little kick the other night which was just so special. This little one definitely comes alive at night time, especially after I've eaten or when I'm trying to get to sleep. It really is the best feeling ever though. 

Food cravings? My biggest one has been Marmite on toast. I've always been on the hate side of Marmite and now I love the stuff, I pretty much have it every day. The craziest thing is that that was my mums craving when she had me, how amazing is that?

Sleep? My sleeping pattern has been so hit and miss which is something that does really effect me day to day. Like I said baby likes to move and wriggle around at night time and this stops me from sleeping. And then there are those nights where I'm constantly getting up to go to the toilet. It's like I have a really bad few nights of sleep, then will just sleep non stop. 

One thing that I have been finding is that I tense my legs up so bad in my sleep that I get really bad cramps in my calves. They're so painful that I'm almost in tears and they ache loads the next day. I don't understand why this happens at all.

Gender? I just want to share with the world what baby sparkle is, but all will be revealed very soon I promise. 

Symptoms? The tiredness is still really getting to me, although its a completely different tiredness to what I experienced in the first trimester, when I was literally sleeping all the time. I feel a lot more physically tried now and am starting to notice the strain pregnancy is having on my body. My job requires me to stand all day on my feet, which I don't think helps with the tiredness. 

Stretch Marks? No sign of any yet, which is great. I use Johnson's Baby Oil every night and so far I think it's helping. 

Belly button in or out? It's still on for the time being, but it looks as though its about to pop out at any moment. 

Looking forward to? James and I have just ordered our pram this week as it was on offer and I cannot wait for it to arrive. Its like a really early Christmas present. 

Let me know your guesses as to what gender little baby sparkle is going to be in the comments below? Also let me know how your pregnancy is going?

Lots of Love

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Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette || Review

When it comes to makeup, it feels like the world has become contoured obsessed and I can completely see why. I literally have no cheekbones so I love anything that will help sculpt the features on my face. And it goes without saying that contouring and highlighting go hand in hand, who could pass by on a bit of highlight? Certainly not me!

When it comes to contouring and highlighting I have to say that I've always stuck with what I know. By this I mean I've only used powder based products to sculpt and highlight. I had seen cream based products around, but as someone who has always had oily skin I've always been a bit afraid to add anything creamy on to my skin. However I learnt that this was not the case and never to assume that something won't suit your skin type without trying it first. I'll say now cream contour is suitable for everyone!

I was really lucky enough to get my hands on the Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette, which I must admit did scare me at first. But after soon realising that the cream to powder products didn't cause my makeup or face to slip and slide, I've soon become obsessed with this new way of contouring and this palette has become a favourite of mine.

The Ultra Cream Contour Palette is just amazing; Not only does it come in a large palette with full size mirror (which is perfect for doing your makeup in) it also comes with eight different shades that are perfect for getting your contour and highlight on point. I think theres a really great range of shades in the palette, ones which will suit everyone. I must admit I don't use all the shades as I prefer some to others, but I have tried them all and all work perfectly.

The four bronzing shades at the bottom are great for adding some definition to your face and really enhance your cheekbones which I love! I find the bottom left one is my go to shade, its a really warm brown that blends out so beautifully. The top row is where all the magic happens with your highlighting. I really love how theres also a yellow toned shade which I love using under my eyes.

I really enjoy using this palette, although I will be the first to hold my hands up and says that a bit of practice and technique is required when it comes to cream contouring. By no means have I mastered it yet, but I'm really starting to get the hang of it now and am loving the results. One thing that has really helped me apply these cream products are the Makeup Revolution Ultra Sculpt & Blend Kit (review here), it really comes with everything you need to get your cream contour perfect.

The biggest question you may be asking yourself now is why choose to cream contour over powder? I thought the exact same, but the reason why I'm loving my cream contour is that it gives me a much more natural finish and I find that my skin looks so much brighter and healthier too. I honestly can't see me swathing back to my normal contour routine anytime soon!

If your wanting to give cream contouring ago, I can't recommend this palette enough - You can pick it up from the Makeup Revolution website here. I would love to know what your favourite way to contour is? Also if you have any tips for me on cream contouring then please share them in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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Secrets To Creating Big Bouncy Curls With Matrix Hair

As a girl who has long hair, I can tell you that good hair days can be one of those things that are few and far between. As a beauty blogger who loves experimenting with new hair products, I'm always on the look out for new holy grail hair products and style secrets that can give me more of those good hair days. If your like me and always make it your mission to have amazing hair than keep reading as a few weeks ago I had the chance to discover the best hair secrets thanks to Matrix Hair.

My hair mission started when I was invited to head down to a local hair salon in my town. The owner Christian was not only amazing but also happened to be one of Matrix Hair's Artistic Directors, so he so many hair secrets to share with me! 

I headed down to the Christian Wiles salon straight afterwork, as it's in town I had seen it in passing, heard great things about the salon and staff but had never actually booked a hair appointment there. I have to say I was so impressed with the place. It was so much more than your average hairdressers. Christian had a lot of style and was clearly on every bloggers wavelength as there was so much white which means everything there was so 'Instagramable' my fave!

I was treated to a consultation where I was given an overview of the new Total Results Matrix Hair products and was told what would be best suited for my hair. As my hair is long and dry, Christian thought it would be great to add some much needed hydration to my hair. We used the Moisture Me Rich Shampoo to wash my hair and followed with the Moisture Me Rich Conditioner for a deep conditioning treatment. Honestly if you've not smelt these products yet I urge you to as they literally smell so yummy and my hair felt so soft afterwards; It was just what my dry locks needed.

STYLE TIP

Ladies for those of you who have thin hair like me, it's really important to not condition your hair near the roots as it will only weigh your hair down. For lots of body, but super soft hair just massage the condition a few inches down from where your roots start. For an extra moisture boost, wrap your conditioned hair in a hot towel and leave for five minutes before rinsing. 

Once my hair had been treated to a pamper, it was time for the styling. When it comes to hairstyles having big bouncy curls is my favourite. It's a style that always makes me feel more glamorous and confident. However sometimes I find this hairstyle really hard to create due to a number of reasons

1. My hair is so long, so I find that curls drop really quickly and are weighed down.

2. I never know what the best products are to use to keep my curls looking big and bouncy.

3. My hair is thin, so I never have that much volume on top which is where I want my hair to look the fullest. 

It was great being able to talk to Christian about all my hair troubles and to pick his brain on how I can recreate my favourite hairstyle easily at home.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LAYERS 

To create volume to your hair it's really important to use a layering technique. By this I mean layering your hair prodcuts. The first thing Christian told me was that it was important to add plenty of volume to my hair before I started curling it; He used the Matrix High Amplify Foam Volumizer on my damp hair before drying it.

Once my hair was dry, Christian then used the Matrix High Amplify Wonder Boost on the root area  and repeated the process until my  hair felt dry again. This was the miracle product I swear as my hair never felt so thick! 

Once my hair had plenty of volume and bounce, he started styling it with a large barrel curling wand to create those super bouncy curls. 

CREATING THE PERFECT HOLD

I told Christian that I really struggled to keep my curls in place and he told me it was really important not to add loads of hairspray directly onto my hair, which I had always done in the past. Instead of doing that I should try spraying the Matrix High Amplify Hairspray onto the tips of my fingers and work this through my hair from roots to end. 

Not only does this give your hair plenty of hold, but also adds definition and stability to your hair and most importantly movement. So yes girls, you can actually do that sexy hair flick if you wish!

TIE UP ANY LOOSE ENDS

Once you've practiced your best hair flick a few times and are pleased to see your hairs still curly and bouncy (I did this too), Christian told me that to make my hair style look even more glam and polished I could easily clean up any fizzy fly always or loose ends by spaying some of the Matrix High Amplify Hairpray onto a clean makeup brush and gently pat them down. 

This is such a genius idea as this could be done with any hairstyle where you have flyaway hair and it sorts out the problem in an instant. Perfect!

I was so happy with the way that my hair looked afterwards. I felt so glam that I had to persuade my man to take me out to dinner after my appointment as my hair looked so good and needed showing off.

Its been a few weeks now since Christian shared his best style secrets with me and I've been putting them to good use as they really make such a massive difference when doing my hair. It's great to have more good hair days now than bad. I can't thank Christian enough.

If you happen to be in the Northampton area I definitely recommend checking out the Christian Wiles Salon (website here). I've already asked Christian to be my new hairdresser, especially as I'm going to be making some big hair changes next year (more on that another time). 

I would also recommend getting your hands on the new Matrix Total Result products as they are amazing. Not only does my hair look good, but I get so many compliments on the way my hair smells.

If you have any hair style secrets, then please share them in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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The Best Christmas Beauty Gift Sets 2015 || My Wishlist

Smash Boxed Art Love Colour || Nars Cool Red Lip Set || Benefit REAL Cheeky Party Kit || Mac Enchanted Eve Brush Kit || Charlotte Tilbury The Perfect Kiss || Too Faced French Kisses Melted || Bobbi Brown Greystone Eyeshadow Palette || Laura Mercier In The Glow Highlighting Trio || Benefit Get Your Party On || Too Faced Le Grand Chateau 

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about Christmas. Probably because baby sparkle is growing in my tummy and it just feels as though Christmas has gotten that magical feeling again, I can't wait for next year when I'll be popping out the mince pies for Santa again, eeep.

So with Christmas around the corner I thought I would put together a selection of what I think are the best Christmas beauty gift sets out right now. I have to say this year the selection on offer is seriously impressive and it looks as though brands have really gone all out; It was really difficult to narrow things down. However this is what I think are the best of the bunch and the ones that I would love to see in my stocking this year.

Starting with the Smashbox Art. Love. Color. Eyes gift set. A lot of you will know by now that I absolutely love Smashbox, they are by far one of my favourite makeup brands so I'm most excited about this set of their five best selling Always Sharp Eyeliners. If you've not tried these liners, you should I love them. They sharpen each time the lid closes on the pencil so you always have a lovely sharp point every time you do your makeup. Genius! You get a good range of shades in the kit, I especially love the look of the brown and purple one.... Gorgeous.

Christmas is all about the 'RED' lip, so what better way to start your Christmas than opening up the Nars Cool Red Lip set. Oh my gosh, these lip products are just gorgeous, don't you agree? They just scream everything Chirstmasy and festive to me. I'm a big fan of Nars, but am yet to try out any of their lip products so I would love LOVE to see this set Christmas morning.

Benefit have ticked all the boxes this year when it comes to their beauty gift sets, I literally want them all. I love how vibrant all the packaging is, it's so eye-catching. Out of everything I was drawn to the REAL Cheeky Party Kit which contains four of Benefits Blushers, Hoola, a mini They're Real mascara and push up liner and Mini Watt's Up Highlighter. I love so many of these products and a few have been in my wish list for some time.

Mac also have a great selection of Christmas beauty sets this year and a girl can have all the makeup in the world, but if she's not got any decent makeup brushes then whats the point right? I've never been disappointed with any of the Mac brushes that I own, so I just know the ones the come in this essentials kit will be perfect for all my basic makeup needs. I know I probably have too many brushes as it is but a girl can never have too many right? I just love the design on these brushes, once again Mac get things spot on. 

It makes me a little sad that I am yet to try anything from Charlotte Tilbury, I want everything but can't justify spending my money on anything just because for me the brand is a little bit on the pricey side of things; But if you can't splash out on Christmas when can you? Out of all the Charlotte Tilbury products, I have to say I mostly want to try out the lipsticks as they look and sound amazing. I love wearing a nude lip, so the 'The Perfect Kiss' gift set sounds perfect. Within the kit you get a lipstick, lip liner, lip gloss and lip brush all for £49.00 which I think is pretty good value. I adore the packaging of the Charlotte Tilbury products, so I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for this one.

Another favourite makeup brand of mine has to be Too Faced, their releases have me going weak at the knees over and over again. I just love everything in their Christmas gift selection this year, especially the French Kisses Melted, which contain four handbag friendly sized Melted Lipsticks...... LUSH! I love these liquid lipsticks and think they look amazing on, so having four mini ones would just be perfect. 

Out of all the beauty gift sets that I've complied together for this post, the Bobbi Brown has to win hands down for best packaging! This greystone eyeshadow palette just looks beautiful, I actually can't stop staring at it! The silvery packaging is just breathtaking and the shadows are the perfect shades. I actually really feel that I need this palette in my life and if I've not convened you I urge you guys to take a closer look and see for yourselves... OMG wow! 

This year for me my makeup has been all about that glow and I'm forever chasing it! I just seem to be obsessed with any product that will highlight my skin beautifully. So naturally I want the Laura Mercier In The Glow Highlighting Trio. The kit comes with a Radiance Baked Powder, a Bonne Mine Stick Face Colour and a Caviar Stick Eye Colour; All products that I've wanted to try from the brand. I just think this would make such a lovely christmas present for anyone who loves highlighting as much as I do 

Another Benefit gift set that I'm swooning over has to be the 'Get Your Party On' gift set as it just contains all my Benefit favourites and lets face it you can never have too many of those! The kit contains one They're Real mascara, Hoola, High Beam and Gimme Brow, all the essential products you need to get yourself party ready. I love the brightly coloured green tin that the products come in and just think this would make the perfect gift for any Benefit lover. 

Last on my Christmas beauty wishlist is another favourite of mine; It's the Too Faced Le Grand Chateau. Now this has to be the dreamiest gift on my wishlist I just can't get over how amazing it is. This year I have been obsessed with Two Faced eyeshadow palettes and the Le Grand Chateau contains not one, not two, but three eyeshadow palettes; You also get two blushers, a bronzer and some Better Than Sex mascara all for £35.00 which is just amazing value for money. I can't get over how pretty this gift set is, it really is perfect. Huge thumbs up from me Too Faced.

So there we have it, my completed beauty gift set guide for this Christmas. Like I said it was so hard to narrow things down to just these few; I know I would be more than happy to receive any of these come Christmas morning. 

I would love to know what's made it onto your Christmas wishlist this year, if you've done a post similar to this leave your link down below, I would love to check it out.

Lots of Love

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Lime Crime Velvetines Faded and Wicked || My New Favourite Lip Products

Lime Crime Velvetines Faded & Wicked £13.29 each

For the longest of time, no exaggeration here I promise you! I have wanted to get my little beauty mitts on some Lime Crime lip products and guys that moment has finally happened. From the minute I saw my favourite beauty gurus wearing lip products that came wrapped up in gorgeous packaging I was obsessed; I just knew they were going to be something that I loved whenever I got the actual chance to try them out.

Now if I had an endless amount of spending money then I probably would have bought everything there and then on the Lime Crime website. Unfortunately thats the kind of things dreams are made of and I had to limit myself to just two things when placing my order, I really can't afford to go wild now, especially with baby sparkle on its way. As matte lipsticks have to be my favourite kind of finish  I decided to pick up two of the Lime Crime Valentines in the shades Faded and Wicked. Faded is one of these really pretty nude shades, but it has a slight hint of purple running through it which makes it really different to any other nude shade I own. Wicked on the other hand is one of my favourite lipstick shades, it's a deep vampy red, making it perfect for this time of year. Both shades look amazing on.

First of all let me start with packaging. OMG these are just gorgeous, I really love the design of these liquid lipsticks; From the frosted clear tube to the metallic red lids with its pretty pink roses scattered across it, they're just super cute and really girly. It's the kind of packaging that make you feel really special applying these in public, if you know what I mean.

As for the actual product, again I'm in love. Like I said, I love lipsticks that have a matte finish so the Velvetines are right up my street. When I first apply them they actually feel really wet and glossy but within a matter of seconds the product dries out and turns into this gorgeous velvet matte finish which literally lasts all day; There're even food and drink proof which is perfect. The actual formula very much reminds me of the Boujois Rouge Edition Velvets (review here) so if you're a fan of those lipsticks then you'll love these too.

Now that these two Velvetines have become my go too lipsticks I really want to add some more to my collection. I was so tempted to pick up the shade Cashmere, which everyone seems to rave about but was worried it wouldn't suit me with its grey tones to it. But I've decided this has to be my next Lime Crime purchase.

Have you bought anything from Lime Crime? Let me know what I should add to my basket next time I go shopping on the Lime Crime website.

Lots of Love

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My Rose Gold Obsession || New Wooden Watch from Jord

Maple & Rose Gold Watch* Jord Wood Watches

When it comes to accessories I think theres one in particular that every girl (and guy) needs and theres no better arm candy other than a timeless classic watch on your wrist. A watch is not only practical but looks great layered with bracelets and can complete any outfit. I have to admit my watch collection is very small, probably because I have expensive taste and they're usually items that take me a lot of saving but are worth every penny. 

Recently I've added a new watch into my ever small but growing watch collection and it's so beautiful that I just wanted to share with you all how great it looks on and how well it compliments my favourite Ted Baker bag. Right now chunky watches are my favourite and this one is feminine and classy all at the same time. My new watch is a wooden watch from Jord and I just love everything about it. Wooden watches seem to be in right now and I can see why; I just think it looks really authentic and really adds a touch of elegance to my wrist. 

Jord have an amazing selection of wooden watches for women and men and as I have a rose gold obsession it was only right that I picked the one that had the rose gold face. I think the face is so pretty and really girly, which really suits me. The actual wood has been made from Maple, which is such a pretty light brown shade and compliments the rose gold beautifully. The Maple also feels really hard wearing, which means I can wear my watch everyday. 

I think a Jord Wooden watch would make the perfect present, especially with Christmas coming up. There are so many to choose from on the Jord website (here). I know I would love finding a watch all wrapped up under the tree on Christmas morning. 

What are your thoughts on my new wooden watch? Let me know what your favourite Jord watch is in the comments below.

Lots of Love

Wood Watches For Women