The Perfect Red Lip

Whoever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend clearly didn’t own a red lipstick. One thing that can transform you from day to night, casual to glam and simple to exciting in one swipe is a red lip.

When it comes to a red lip there’s a few things that are an absolute necessity: it needs to be moisturising, it needs to have good lasting power, it mustn’t bleed and more importantly – it must be bold.

It’s a bold statement to make when wearing a red lip and luckily, Bourjois have nailed it to a T.

The Rouge Edition lipstick* is a must have lipstick of every girl’s make up bag and with 18 shades to choose from, there’s something for everyone.

I have shade 13 and the staying power is amazing. They claim it leaves the lips with a glossy finish and feeling smooth and hydrated for up to 10 hours – I can’t vouch for 10 hours but I certainly got a good five or six hours worth of wear before I needed a top up. Personally, I think that’s amazing and I didn’t even need to apply a balm or liner underneath.

The packaging is stylish and sleek and I love the colour is shown in the clear casing at the bottom – I hate those colour dot stickers as they’re not accurate enough when it comes to seeing the colour.

At £8.99 from Boots you can’t go wrong really and I’ll definitely be picking up a few more colours to add to my collection!

What’s your go-to red lip colour?

Benefit They're Real Trio

I first heard about Benefit's new release on Instagram long before it was announced what it actually was, but I was already excited! With promises to revolutionise the way you do you make up I couldn't wait to find it what it was and how long go before I could get my hands on it.

Released to stores in June, I patiently (not) waited but after begrudging paying almost £20 for an eyeliner I waited to grab a bargain in the beloved duty free.

Last month when I went on holiday, there it was in the stand waiting for me! I'm not sure if this is an airport exclusive as it was labelled as a 'travel set' but for £28.50 you could get both the infamous They're Real Mascara and the hyped They're Real Push Up Liner. Also, for an extra £12 or something there was the They're Real Remover that was dubbed as a 'must' for when it comes to removing to stubborn liner and mascara.

I've been trying this duo out for a good six weeks now and I have to say, unlike every other review you've read, it's not the most positive.

First we'll start with the eyeliner. The eyeliner itself is amazing: it's solid black and it doesn't budge. What more could you want?

When the campaign was announced the Benefit professionals said you could apply this with one hand, on public transport no matter how bumpy it is and I even heard that it could be applied while doing a one-handed push up - I'm definitely not believing that final one.

Perhaps I don't have the knack to it but I've tried countless ways and I can't seem to get the line as perfect as it was hyped up to be. It seems to drag along the lash line and it's quite difficult to get it smooth so I've been using a stamping sort-of technique!

Although I'll continue to use it, I don't think I'll be purchasing another one when it's finished. After the years put into producing the perfect accuflex tip and a liquid-gel formula, I regret to say that I'm not as impressed as everyone else.

That's not to mention that I didn't love the other products though. I've previously used Benefit's Bad Gal Lash Mascara, it's good with a VERY fat brush, perhaps too fat so I was hoping I'd prefer this one and I have to say, I love it. I'm a fully They're Real convert when it comes to mascara now!

I have nothing else to say other than the fact it is absolutely amazing, it grips the lash from root to tip and leaves you with solid black, full lashes. Also, even after a month and a half, the mascara is still very 'wet', do you know what I mean? I have loads of trouble with mascaras drying out after a couple of weeks, but with this one it's all go go go!

Finally of the Benefit trio is the They're Real Remover. Released alongside the Push Up Liner, Benefit realised that their mascara was too good and it just wasn't budging with any ordinary make up remover!

Although I slated the eyeliner, I have to admit that one day at work I was changing a barrel of Fosters (I work on a bar if you hadn't guessed!) and it popped in my face leaving me soaked in beer. My make up was a gonner and my hair was left smelling erm, lovely (questionable!) - apart from my eye make up! Even after a good soaking, the mascara and eyeliner was still fully intact!

I suppose that's one good thing: if you job means you might get a little wet sometimes then I'd recommend They're Real for some staying power when it comes to your make up!

What do you think of the They're Real collection?

Cheeky Boots Haul

Typical, eh? I went into Boots looking for a new blusher and walked out with a bag full of goodies and my purse feeling significantly lighter.

I'll admit I was slightly hating myself for spending so much money and put myself on a swift, strict spending ban. But who can be unhappy with lots of new 'toys' to play with?

Not me, that's for sure. I could barely wait to get home to try out all my new buys.

I'm that person that easily gets sucked in by offers, vouchers and promotions - hence why I went in looking for a blusher and came out with pretty much one of everything.

So, first up is Bourjois. Oh, spend £12 and get a free blusher you say? Well I wanted the blusher in the first place, I might aswell buy something else and get the blusher for free! Does your mind work like that, or is it just me?

Healthy Mix Foundation | Bronzing Powder | Little Round Pot Blush

I'll do a full review on all the products once I've given them the full whirl, but first impressions - this foundation is more than I could ever want and need in a foundation! As a BB cream girl, foundation scares me a little bit for a day-to-day basis and I prefer something a little lighter on my skin so it still has room to breathe. Now though, I've seen the light and I've been brought into a whole new world. Foundations are my new thing, and I want (read: need) more.

Cleansing Balm | Dry Skin Rescue | BB Cream

Normally, I would describe my skin as pretty normal but recently I've been suffering from dry patches that no matter what I use, I can't seem to shift. So after consulting a lovely woman at the No7 counter, she pointed me in the direction of their Beautiful Skin range that caters for every skin type. I used to use the cleansing balm from the Normal to Dry range and there is definitely a difference between the two.

This whole range worked wonders on my face and within a matter of days, my skin was back to it's usual self and the dry patches were gone. A full review will be coming on these products shortly, but the way the woman re-did my make up in store gave me such a glow I couldn't not purchase everything she used.

Good job they usually have a 3 for 2 offer on skin care is all I can say!

High Shine Lip Crayon | Instant Radiance Concealer

Just as I was about to pay up and leave, I spotted a sign offering a free box of goodies if you buy two make up items. Well, after running out of my last beloved No7 concealer stick I should probably replace it, right? Turns out, the whole range has had a revamp and I chose a creamy concealer instead which has plenty of similarities to my all time favourite concealer and highlighter, YSL Touche E'clat!

Then it came to choosing a second item, a tough one - however, summer is coming up and this coral lip crayon is exactly what I needed! Gorgeous.

And here it is, last but not least the little freebie I got. I've not given this much of a test out yet but I'll tell you that the lip crayon, along with the coral one, is quickly becoming a favourite of mine!

Just a little haul for you all to take a look into the newest products in my make up bag. Full reviews of each thing I got will follow shortly after I've given them the proper testings. It's safe to say, No7 is definitely a firm favourite in my skin care at the moment!

Pastel Fingers

Candy colours are back and better than ever. Dressing up your fingers with the pretty colours couldn't be more lovely!

There's so much to choose from with sweet shades of purples, pinks, blues and plenty more. Take a look at my favourite picks!

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Although it's verging impossible to choose a favourite out of the selection I absolutely love Maybelline Forever Strong in Mint for Life. And look closely, how similar are the MUA Natural Days and Essie's East Hampton College?! With a price of £1 for MUA and £7.99 for Essie it means there's a nail polish out there for everyone no matter how much their budget can stretch too.

The Barry M Nail Polish in Peach would look gorgeous on tanned skin but I can see the Essie Go Ginza working great on pale skin.

Dip into summer with these pretty colours. It might not feel summery outside but at least you can look down at your nails and smile because you've got a damn good mani!