Wishlist #1

Wishlist #1 by joseymaypage 

L Occitane Almond Shower Oil Too Faced Born This Way Foundation Laura Mercier Translucent Face Powder Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Going into the New Year, there are some things I have my eye on that - if a miracle comes along - I'll be able to purchase at least one of these things before the end of January. 

I've been running out of my LOccitane Almond Shower Oil and I'm starting to panic because I don't have the £18 to repurchase it, but this is an ultimate life saver for me! I have really dry skin and after not using this for a while, I realised it was really good at hydrating my skin, keeping it less irritated throughout the day - definitely need this again!

My two makeup lusts right now are the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder. I have seen so many people using these and it's just making me crave them! I don't have an under eye setting power either, so I've really wanted to invest in a really good one, seeing as concealer is my best friend right now and I need something to help keep it locked in place. 

I wanted to include some non beauty items on my wishlist, and Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov is high up on there on the list of books I want to read. I watched the 1997 film recently and I really want to try out the book, seeing as I have a little crush on the classics right now. And finally I have to include the Sims 4 - I haven't played the Sims on a computer since I was about 8, and playing it on my phone has made me want the real thing. I want it so much that I'm watching the entire series of Dan and Phil Play Sims 4 and I never want it to end!!

Are there any things on your January Wishlist?

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Maybelline Colour Tattoos Go Nude

I'm a bit late in writing this post, seeing as I found these gems back in the summer, but I was ecstatic that Maybelline added two nude shades to their Colour Tattoo Range.After months of people asking, they finally granted us these beautiful shades: Creme de Nude, and Creme de Rose. I was looking at MAC's paint pots in Painterly and Soft Ocre, but when you suddenly find yourself on a much lower budget it's great to find amazing alternatives!

My personal favourite is Creme de Rose, because I've been wearing a lot of mauve shades recently, and the formula of these is so good, never a crease and my makeup lasts so long! Colour Tattoo's retail for around £4.99, so I highly recommend picking up as many that take your fancy! I already own Creamy Beige and On and On Bronze, so these were a great addition to my collection, I'm already getting so much use out of them!

Have you tried these yet? 

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AFFORDABLE WINTER LIPSTICKS

Settling into university has meant I've put off blogging for a while, mostly because of photography and location reasons. I hate how I go on and off with blogging because I really enjoy it, but sometimes I have to take a step back and prioritise my time. I've got loads of posts planned so hopefully I'll be able to fit blogging into my life again!

I'm back today with my new season appropriate lipsticks; I know it's a little late to still say autumn, seeing as the weather in England has dropped to the point every student is crying about having to turn the heating on, or they'll probably get pneumonia. However I still think these lipsticks are wearable for this time of year - holiday parties surely haven't started yet so my red lipstick is still packed away. 

The first is MAC's Smoked Purple, a really deep purple, so dark it's almost black. I really like the matte formulas from MAC, it makes this lipstick so much more intense. The other two are both Rimmel, I think their Kate Moss collection is one of the best low end lipstick collections available. My one is the shade 48 which is a true dark brown, just sheer enough that it's not too dramatic on the lips. And lastly we have 220 Heather Shimmer which is a great every day sheer nude colour, perfect for any makeup look. 

So there you have it! The season appropriate lipsticks that are now on constant rotation in my routine. Do you have a favourite lipstick this season?

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Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3

Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3 - £4

I've been crushing on rose toned palettes for so long now, but was giving up on finding one within my budget. I always tend to gravitate towards high end eyeshadows just because I feel like they're better quality and they really work for me in general, and the only low end eyeshadow palettes that really have any hype are the Maybelline Nude palettes and the reviews on them are extremely mixed. In my local Superdrug they don't stock Makeup Revolution, so I never knew how affordable their makeup is, and my jaw dropped when I saw this little beauty!

I have been using this nearly every day since I got it - I love the matte mauve colours and the shimmer shades in this are to die for. I can create so many different looks with this it's actually insane, and I feel like all the colours really suit me and really compliment my eye colour. I've heard that it's a great dupe for the Naked 3 palette and even though I don't own that palette I can see the resemblance, and it's actually put me off buying the Naked 3, especially since the first two were such a disappoint to me. 

Have you tried any Makeup Revolution Palettes? Let me know!

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Current Favourites

When I find something that I love, I use it until it's time to buy something new, but seeing as I rarely do 'favourite' posts I thought I'd just share some things I've been loving recently. 

First up is newcomer MAC Soft and Gentle, my first ever high end highlighter. This product is amazing at giving you that beautiful glow and honestly I just apply this all over my face - it is summer, I can get away with it! I love to apply it with a brush that I picked up on Amazon a few years ago, I feel like its perfectly designed to apply any powder on the face be that blush, bronzer or highlight. I actually really enjoy using it to set my concealer too. 

I've really been into MAC Soar lip pencil recently, I feel like if I apply it lightly it's an amazing nude on me and is great for making my lips look a little fuller on days I want more of a natural look. I feel like I'm going through it so fast though - I don't ever want to run out of it!

I purchased the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation a little while ago and to be honest, I'm not loving it, but something that makes it so easy and amazing to wear is the Monu Illuminating Primer. I got this in a subscription box a few months back - not sure which one, I had a little obsession - and I didn't like it at all until I wore it under this foundation. No longer do I get dry patches and oxidation. Running out of this one though, will be on the market for a new one - any recommendations on any good hydrating primers?

I picked up the Honey Bronzer from the Body Shop this summer and this is such an easy bronzer to wear; it's great for minimal makeup and for when you're in a rush. I've been working a few early morning shifts recently; 5am is never good to me, but this bronzer makes me look more alive and is so easy to apply. 

I know the sun kinda came and went, but the sun is still appearing randomly and it warrants me wearing my new favourite sunglasses from River Island. I've always wanted cat eye sunglasses because I think they really suit my face shape, but I was a little nervous to wear them just because they were never a mainstream style to wear, and I felt like it was a little bold for me...but regardless I purchased my first pair and I am in love! 

I don't have a picture to show because I can't quite get the hang of photographing a mug...but the last thing I have been loving is coffee. Any coffee at all to be honest I am just loving coffee. As I previously said I've been working a lot of early morning shifts and coffee has been my absolute best friend. Starting to feel a little addicted though, I have at least two coffees a day!

Well that's all my recent favourites, do you have anything you've been loving recently? Let me know, maybe I'll try something new! 

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HIGHLIGHTER WISHLIST

HIGHLIGHTER WISHLIST by joseymaypage 

Becca X Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Champagne Pop

Honestly I'd love to purchase Moonstone over Champagne Pop but this product is so exciting! I'm all for supporting youtubers and bloggers and I'd love to get my hands on this, it just seems right!

The Balm Mary Lou Manizer

This is probably the most attainable product for me in terms of price, but I've heard nothing but good things about this. The pigmentation, the wear and the price are just all pluses and I feel like my makeup collection needs this.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

This is just a must have in everyone's makeup kit - I feel like Bobbi Brown is a really luxurious brand; I feel like it's a really sophisticated brand and I would love to own this because it's a cult product and it's Bobbi Brown you know? Like, I have to.  

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette 

This is just everything. Everyone I have heard talk about this is completely in love and I think it'll transform the way I do my makeup. However this is extremely expensive so I'll most probably never purchase this. But a girl can dream right? 

What is on your highlighter wishlist?

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PAYDAY HAUL

I picked up a few beauty bits this payday, based on things I needed and things I wanted to try. I say that purely as a justification, seeing as I really needed none of these things, but I am quite excited to try all them!

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

I have seen great reviews on this one and I tried a sample of it a little while back and I really liked it, so I'm excited to try the real thing. I got the small pot seeing as it was my first purchase and honestly where I am trying to make my money last, this was a very naughty purchase!

Sensodyne True White Toothpaste
Now this is a very expensive toothpaste, and I know there's plenty of great toothpastes at much lower prices, but I have such a problem with sensitivity and every toothpaste I use doesn't really get rid of stains and it seriously looks like I don't brush my teeth(!) so I decided to pick this one up on an offer in boots, and I really hope it does the trick or that was just money down the drain!

Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo
I really don't know why I bought this, dry shampoo does absolutely nothing for me, but I only wash my hair once a week out of convenience and it's so much healthier for my hair, but I find that a day or two before I wash it, it does start to get clumpy from the oils, so I thought I'd pick this up and see if it works - probably won't. Why did I buy this??

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner
This is just a repurchase, after I lost the lid of my last one whilst I was experimenting one night, and by the morning it had completely dried up. I really like this eyeliner; my favourite is the L'Oreal Perfect Slim So Couture, but I can't find it anywhere and I'm starting to think it's been discontinued? So I tried the regular Perfect Slim but I find it so hard to use, the nib is so dry and it drags on my skin, making my eyeliner really dodgy looking(!) but this eyeliner is so easy to work with that I think it's become my new favourite! 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

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#eyebrowsonfleek

I have been way ahead of the eyebrow game - so much so that I've been making eyebrow contact before eye contact for about 6 years now...but lets be real I haven't had strong eyebrows for very long at all.

I am terrible at plucking my eyebrows, like I suck so badly at it that I get weird patches and I don't understand why? I only pluck from the bottom, not the middle? So I started to get my eyebrows threaded which I love, but I was threading them so frequently that my eyebrows were getting thinner and thinner and thinner; so I'm back to failing at plucking them WHICH MEANS that I need to really heavily draw them on - literally drawing a new shape.

I've used some good products over the years, and I've varied from eyeshadow, wax and pencil and I've found the easiest way for me to fill in my eyebrows is to use a wax or a 'pomade' as it were, but I felt like my Sleek brow kit just faded off of me during the day, and sometimes it just wasn't pigmented enough to create a new shape, so I decided to take the plunge and purchase the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (wow what a mouthful). I couldn't quite get the hang of this at first, but the thing that just made me think it was amazing was that I literally had it on for 12 hours and it still looked exactly the same. I bought the brush to go with this, and I think it was such a wise investment because I have nothing like this at all - the angled brush is so thin that its amazing at getting a crisp line and it's quite hard to go wrong with it. I can see that my eyebrow skills are going to be taken to the next level with this product - well, after I get the hang of it of course.

Have any of you tried the Dipbrow Pomade? Next on my list is the Anastasia Brow Wiz - is it worth the purchase?

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FIRST MAC PURCHASES

I have only ventured into MAC just to have a look around and see if there was anything I could bring myself to purchase, and once I saw that the lip liner in 'Soar' was a blogger favourite, I decided to go and find it - which ended up being an eBay purchase, not one at MAC. SOOOOOO I finally decided to venture in on pay day and actually leave with something. 

I'd been looking up the perfect brown nudes from MAC but nothing was really helping me, so I spent quite a while picking out shades and ones that I decided on was a dark brown nude and a lighter one (it actually surprised me that I'd picked Velvet Teddy as one of my perfect nude shades) and they only had the darker one in stock, which ended up being Spirit. This is my all time favourite lipstick shade, it suits me so well and I can tell I will be buying this over and over again. 

I've stated before that I've always wanted Groundwork paint pot by MAC, and I finally decided to pick it up and I LOVE THIS, it's an amazing base for eye shadow and it lasts all day!

Any recommendations for what I should buy next?

Thanks for reading!

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REVIEW: Honey & Oat Scrub Mask

This winter really took it out on my skin. It completely dried up and broke out every few days, and I really needed a clarifying product to cleanse my skin, but I didn't want something that was going to draw every bit of moisture out of my skin. I came across the Honey and Oat 3-1 Scrub Mask from The Body Shop and I've found it's actually helped with my breakouts and the overall appearance to my skin the past few months.

I feel this is so hydrating; my skin feels fresh and and its honestly glowing after every use. Its extremely cleansing and smoothing and even though it's not an immediate result I can really see the difference after using it after a while. I know that every time I have a period of dry skin I can use this to refresh and revitalise my skin. It has become a must have in my skin care regimen and I will always go back to this.

The one thing that I really love about this product is that it has tons of mask inside! I've had this for around two months now and I've used it once a week and there is still so much to use. However I hope it keeps for a while because I don't have dry skin all year round- in fact, in the summer my skin gets so oily its unreal - so I might have to save this for next winter. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for watching!

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HOLY GRAIL PRODUCTS: TOO FACED CHOCOLATE BAR PALETTE

It's only been recently that I got into eye shadow on a daily basis, but I'm still quite afraid to be really bold and adventurous with my looks, so I like to just stick to neutral colours. I always thought that the original Urban Decay Naked palette would be the best purchase for me, as I love neutral eye looks and everyone always goes on about it, but I just couldn't get on with the shimmery shades, I just couldn't make them work together and the fallout was insane. 

The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette retails for £39 on the Debenhams website and is made with 100% natural cocoa powder, giving it it's iconic chocolate scent. The shades are amazingly pigmented and even though they are all neutral shades, the palette is very versatile. It's an amazing day to night palette. Besides the Original Naked Basics, this is the best palette I have ever used. There's two very large highlight shades, one matte and the other shimmery and there are a lot more mattes than the Naked palette which is what sold me.

 My favourite shades are Hazelnut, Marzipan, Salted Caramel, Creme Brulee and Milk Chocolate (pictured above). I also really love Candied Violet, I just forgot to swatch that one. 

One thing that I do hate about this is that the shadow names aren't written on the actual palette, its on a separate piece of plastic which you would throw away unless you want the faff of having there every time you want to use it. 

I would recommended this palette to anyone, it has become my holy grail and it's my go to on a daily basis. In my opinion, anyone who is a lover of makeup, neutral or not should own this palette, it's a great addition to anyone's makeup kit. 

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REVIEW: The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

I've been eyeing up setting sprays for as long as they've been used in YouTube makeup tutorials but I've always cringed at the price tag, so I set out to find an alternative that wouldn't hurt my bank account. I've always loved the body shop products, I always use at least one in my shower routine, so I thought I'd comb through all of their skincare ranges to see if I would be able to find something.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist retails for £8.50 for 100ml and it claims to be a quick skin pick me up and excellent for setting makeup. The Vitamin E range is really good in my opinion, I know my mum loved their moisture cream and I use their eye cream nearly every night so I thought this wouldn't be a bad option.

 First impressions on this product was that it was quite good at refreshing my skin when it fells quite tight and dry, and the rose scent is really lovely. As for setting makeup, I haven't actually used this over my makeup but I have used it under and I think it does make a difference to how my makeup looks overall. It brightens up my skin when its looking a little dull, and it helps my foundation and powder from looking less cakey and a little more skin like. 

From reading other reviews, people have stated it's great for enhancing pigments, just like Mac Fix+, and I think it does do a good job of that even though I haven't wet my brushes with this, I've just noticed a difference even when I'm not using an eye primer. 

If you want to try out a face mist/setting spray but don't want to shell out on high end, definitely try this out. It isn't yet a staple in my routine but I do like it on days I have quite dry and dull skin. Also try out the Vitamin E range too, I think it works quite well and it's of my favourite ranges from The Body Shop. 

Let me know how this works for you! 

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Style and Beauty Wishlist

Style and Beauty Wishlist by joseymaypage 

Missguided Striped Knitted Cropped Jumper, AllSaints Yuno Tee, Oasis Drape Blazer, Tarte Amazonian Clay 24 Hour Foundation, MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser, Zoeva 103 Defined Buffer, Zoeva 129 Luxe Fan

I've never had a style, I love all different styles so my wardrobe is just everywhere; I tend to buy things that don't go with everything else and I'm forever de-cluttering and chucking things I don't wear. But recently I've fallen in love with minimalism. I love minimalist everything - from interior to fashion, and I've finally decided to stick with it. I feel like its very basic so every piece I buy can be worn with anything but it's also very simple and I don't have to plan outfits or struggle to style anything; I can just throw some bits together and no matter what, it'll look good. 

I think the key to building a minimalist wardrobe is to start with basic pieces. Now, can you believe I do not own one single black t-shirt, black blazer or a striped jumper? I'm not quite sure how I've missed those items whilst shopping. I don't even own a black coat - wow. But after a little look I've found some items that I am now lusting after, and already finding space for in my wardrobe. 

Another thing I do not own is a pair of black jeans (ignoring those Topshop black Leigh jeans, because they're awful and I hate them), because I only started to delve into denim last year and I love blue denim much more than black, but they are an absolute staple and I need them in my life. 

A few beauty items I have been watching lately have been the Tarte Amazonian Clay 24 Hour Foundation (wow that's a mouthful), because I am in love with full coverage foundations to cover my awful spot scars and the patchy redness I have no matter what the weather. I've decided to re-purchase Maybelline's Dark Circle Eraser after forgetting how amazing it was, but finding the shade Light is so hard and I'm waiting for it to come back in stock! 

Of course, in the age of overdrawn lips and nude lip liners, I had to make a sneaky addition of MAC's Soar. This is talked about all over the internet and I've been lingering around the MAC counter waiting for it to come into stock. We can't forget the age of highlighters either, as everyone wants to get the much coveted contoured look, but I just feel like no brush I own is ever good at applying it, so I think a fan brush is the best way to go. 

And lastly, I really want another brush to apply my foundation since losing my retractable bronzing brush from Real Techniques, so I've been browsing the Zoeva website, as I find their prices are similar to Real Techniques and the quality is amazing.

Have you been lusting after anything recently? 

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Scents with The Body Shop

The Body Shop have some iconic scents, the most famous being White Musk - I think everyone is familiar with it or has been at least once in their lives. It's a really nostalgic scent to me and it really reminds me of family, so I don't tend to wear it too often, but The Body Shop do offer a lot of amazing scents that are really affordable too.

I've opted for their fragrance mists and I've really been into these recently, as they are really easy to just throw in your bag and freshen up during the day. I picked up the Madagascan Vanilla Flower a little while ago and it's already one of my favourite scents. It's a very floral scent but has subtle hints of fruit; I love vanilla scents, so if you don't I would avoid this, but it's really fresh and feminine and I just love it. 

I have a few Body Shop fragrance mists now and I never regret purchasing them as they are so cheap and such good quality, I would really recommend them all, especially if you're like me and less willing to pay for expensive perfumes; these would be perfect! 

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January Wishlist

January Wishlist by joseymaypage 

AllSaints Walkon Sweater AllSaints Metal Skirt Gold Stacking Ring Smashbox Colour Correcting Primer Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation Redken Anti Snap

Financially my new years resolution is to invest. Stop buying lots of cheap things, but rather buy a few things even if they are more pricey. I've heard so many good things about high end makeup and haircare that I've built up a wishlist of things I'm desperate to try. The Smashbox primer has been on my list of things to get for ages now and I think it's time I purchased it. Things like Estee Lauder Double Wear and Redken Anti Snap have come recommended by bloggers so many times that I just have to see for myself how good they are.

I'm really into neutral colours and simple, elegant pieces lately and I've made it a resolution to buy more neutral basics and the first place I could think of was AllSaints. Now, I don't have to pay for many expenses right now, so I want to take as much advantage of that as possible and buy some expensive pieces that I can keep from years to come - that will tide me over when I do have to pay for expenses. The skirt is just a must have for me - I NEED THIS! The jumper is more for inspiration and I've bookmarked so many jumpers like this I can't wait to actually pick one up.

And the final thing on my wishlist is the Canon 600D which I feel like it's time to invest in as I really need a decent camera, and after looking at reviews I've decided on the 600D because apparently it's great for DSLR beginners, and it's more within my budget. This is a purchase I cannot wait to make - I just can't explain how excited I am for payday.

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REVIEW: Laura Mercier Silk Creme

I've always loved foundation - I remember being so adamant that I wanted a foundation for my 11th birthday as I really wanted to get into makeup and start a collection. I think the first one that I got was Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse which was the very beginning of my makeup collection. I obviously don't have it anymore, and I've tried out many drugstore foundations before finding my favourites, but recently I wanted to start delving into the world of high end foundations. 

I've seen so many girls talk about Mac Studio Fix but I'm never sold because I've heard that the foundation really breaks you out. However I really need a high coverage base because I do have a lot of blemishes, spot scars and uneven skin tone. After watching and reading reviews I decided to take the plunge and buy Laura Mercier's Silk Creme Foundation (which you can purchase here) as it was number one on my list. 

First impressions on this was wow, it's covered everything. I will say now that this foundation is very high coverage; it covered my spot scars and uneven skin tone so well without looking cakey which is a dream. It doesn't cover my redness that well however, like throughout the day I can see my redness is coming through, but I love how this foundation doesn't go patchy or streaky. I have the shade Beige Ivory and I think it's the perfect shade for me although it doesn't have a vast range of shades which is the only downside. I am very impressed with this and it has become my go to base for an every day look, and I think I will repurchase this. 

I always feel like packaging isn't very important as long as the product is good but I adore the packaging for this. It' so sleek and elegant and I love the simplicity of it. It doesn't try to be fancy and nor does it try to be over the top. Simple packaging is my favourite! 

There are another two that are on my list to try, so I think I will wait before buying this again, but I really love it and I don't think I will hesitate to purchase it. I want to try the Tarte Amazonian Clay 24 Hour Foundation and Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation because I've heard so many good things about those two and I'm feeling so much better about buying more expensive foundations as they are so worth it. 

Do you have a favourite high end foundation?

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New Year, New Nails

A new years resolution is to stop getting acrylics because I can literally feel how bad my nails are underneath, but I couldn't resist a full set for the holiday season! New Year is the only time I feel like you can get away with glitter everything and you can't forget nails. I've really gotten into purple toned greys (is that even a thing)? and this colour is so beautiful I'm obsessed. I got this colour done at the salon but I know it's OPI so I'm hunting for it at the moment, I think it's my favourite nail shade of all time now!

The glitter is actually an Essie topcoat in Summit of Style and this is what makes them the perfect holiday nails - definitely worth investing in. I think Essie's range is so good and I think I'm going to explore them a little more. 

Have a great New Year and I'll see you in 2015!!

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