chloé eau de parfum

Firstly, you may notice that my blog has had a little make over, it's not a huge change but I spent hours getting to grips with html sorting all of the tiniest details out. I finally feel like I can officially call myself a blogger again! Anyhow, back to the perfume. I've loved this scent for years but only just got round to having my very own bottle, it's the most beautiful powdery fragrance with just a slight sweetness which makes for the perfect daytime scent. It smells so light and fresh yet delicate, almost like the scent of parma violets. Isn't the bottle just adorable too? You absolutely must have a try of this if you are a fan of powdery scents, it's currently pipped my stella mccartney perfume to the post in becoming my new signature scent.

CHLOE EAU DE PARFUM 50ML - £49.30

bourjois colour boost lip crayons

Although I'm a complete lipstick addict and own pretty much ever shade known to man I've only just got round to trying out these crayon form creations that are the latest trend in the beauty world. I'm definitely a sucker for pretty packaging and I love the twist-up design on these and I've found that it's pretty impossible to accidentally smush the product when you are putting the lid back on too. If you aren't such a fan of bulky packaging then these probably won't be your best friends as they have a little less product in (2.75g) than Mac lipsticks (3g) but take up double the amount of space up in your make up bag. That being said, they apply like a dream onto the lips. Think the hydration and smoothness of a balm but with high quality pigment of a lipstick. I've found that you can blot the product into the lips to create a more matte look or build it up to create a more glossy finish, after application the product leaves a stain on the lips which lasts a good couple of hours. They are perfect to reapply throughout the day as they won't dry out your lips and end up feeling cakey as continued use of some lipsticks can tend to do, all in all the perfect option for a bright daytime lippie.

BOURJOIS COLOUR BOOST LIP CRAYON - £7.99

bright blue tipped nails

Painting the tips of my nails with a bright shade and using a nude colour for the rest of the nail is my favourite way to wear nail polish, though I usually have to wait until my nails are super long for it to look best. Black is a great colour to use too as it looks so unusual but I love the burst of colour using this vivid blue colour too. It's a super easy look to create and is much more resistant to chipping than when painting the whole nail with colour!

 RIMMEL NAIL NURSE | BARRY M BLUE GRAPE GELLY NAIL PAINT | BARRY M NUDE NAIL PAINT

acrylic nail polish display

I have a ridiculous amount of nail polishes that I've collected over the years and had them all hidden away in my Ikea Alex drawer unit up until I invested in this genius little acrylic stand a couple of days ago. I was debating between different sizes for quite a while and figured that I didn't want one that was too bulky but also wanted to be able to fit most of my polishes on it too, so decided on the three shelf unit. Mine arrived within days and I'm really pleased with the overall look of it, it definitely doesn't look cheap at all, especially filled with lots of glittery polishes! Lots of different shaped bottles all fit in perfectly, it's by far the best way to keep your polishes organised without having to dig around in a drawer or end up losing the one you wear most. 

ACRYLIC NAIL POLISH DISPLAY - £8.49 

jo malone wild fig and cassis candle

For Christmas I was a very lucky girl and received my first ever Jo Malone candle in the scent 'Wild Fig & Cassis' to match the cologne that I already own. It's a beautifully fresh, uplifting scent with an element of woody musk which creates the perfect fragrance for a candle. I was a little worried at first that the scent may be too strong but thankfully it doesn't overwhelm my room and is delicate yet noticeable. This version is perfect for a crisp Winter morning or a fresh Spring afternoon, I also have my eye firmly set on the Pomegranate Noir candle to use in the evening. They may be pricey but with a burning time of 45 hours they are well worth considering as a special treat.

JO MALONE WILD FIG AND CASSIS CANDLE - £39

favourite products of 2013

I've discovered lots of great beauty products yet again last year but I've decided to include only the very best of the best in this post that I've been using for at least a few months throughout the year. This post is ridiculously long but I promise every single product is worth having a read about.

MAKE UP:

DJV BEAUTENIZER FIBERWIG MASCARA - £18: This mascara has fibers built in to give your lashes a real boost in thickness and length, it also ensures that your lashes look full all day long. It takes a little while longer to apply but gives incredible false lash looking results. 

SHU UEMURA EYELASH CURLER - £20: I've been using these constantly for most of the year and find they give my lashes the perfect gentle curl that makes mascara look a million times better.

NARS COPACABANA MULTIPLE - £30: I've loved this for years and years, it's my staple highlighter and the only product in my make up collection which I simply can't live without. It gives the skin such a beautiful glow that makes your complexion look radiant even after a late night.

MAYBELLINE GEL EYELINER - £6.39: For the first half of 2013 I was in love with the Collection liquid liner but found it too drying on my lids so invested in this gel version from Maybelline and haven't looked back since. It isn't quite as jet black as a liquid liner but applies so much more smoother and I usually just use a dark black shadow on top to give a more intense colour.

BOBBI BROWN LONG-WEAR FOUNDATION - £30: This is the best foundation I have ever tried, it looks so natural that it doesn't look like you are wearing anything on your skin yet covers imperfections and gives the skin a radiant glow. I will put a full review up soon but I've already gone through two bottles and have converted other people to using it too.

CHANEL ROUGE NOIR NAIL COLOUR - £18: If I had to pick just one nail colour to wear for the rest of my life it would be this by miles. Enough said.

HD BROWS PALETTE - £18: It's always hard to find brow products for brunettes which have an ash tone rather than a warm golden colour which is why I love this palette so much, and because the powder lasts all day once on the brows.

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

HAIR PRODUCTS:

TANGLE TEEZER AQUA SPLASH - £11: I have the worst knotty hair and this makes brushing through it a hell of a lot easier than using a regular brush, plus it looks pretty too.

MOP PEAR DETANGLER - £10.95: This smells beautiful, like peardrops, and makes hair so much easier to manage after coming out of the shower. I've had this bottle for well over a year and it's still more than half full so is great value for money.

KLORANE OAT MILK DRY SHAMPOO - £6: Whenever I used to think 'dry shampoo' the first brand I'd go to was always Batiste but thankfully I've found a much better alternative which doesn't leave my hair feeling chalky and dry. The Klorane dry shampoo feels gentle and nourishing, you can barely feel the product in your hair but it definitely does it's job.

MACADAMIA HEALING OIL TREATMENT - £24.45: This is the best hair oil that I've tried out thus far, it's perfect for the ends of my hair which are dry and damaged whilst sealing split ends.

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

SKINCARE:

KIEHL'S LIP BALM #1 - £9.50: This is a great no-nonsense lip balm that actually works. It's a lot more nourishing than anything else that I've ever tried and really treats dry and damaged lips, I find that if I apply this at night I will wake up to soft and hydrated lips.

SISLEY EXPRESS FLOWER GEL - £69.75: With it being Winter my skin has been looking rather zombie like lately and if I've had a particularly late night followed by an early morning this is my skin's saviour. 

STELLA MCCARTNEY STELLA PERFUME - £32: I've been using this perfume non-stop throughout the whole year and am pretty sure that it has now become my signature scent. It's just the perfect balance between musky and woody yet is wearable for both daytime and evening.

SOAP AND GLORY THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER - £10.50: The most yummy smelling and hydrating body butter that I've tried, an oldie but a goodie.

DHC DEEP CLEANSING OIL - £18: Using oil to cleanse my skin and remove make up was new to my skincare routine last year, I've now found out that using an oil based cleanser rather than cream is much more nourishing to my dry skin and is actually the easiest way to remove make up too.

MAC FIX+ - £14.50: A great product for both refreshing the skin and setting make up, if you struggle with cakey looking foundation then you absolutely need this in your life.

REN GLYCOLACTIC RADIANCE RENEWAL MASK - £30: This has been my favourite skincare discovery of 2013 by far, if I've ever got something special planned for a particular day I will use this the night before and wake up to even looking glowy skin. I always notice that my foundation goes on so much better which must be down to the fact it buffs away dead skin cells so well. 

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

real techniques duo-fiber collection

My love from Real Techniques brushes has been growing at a rapid pace as of late, they have such a luxury feel but are set at just the right price-point meaning it's easy to quickly build up a collection of great brushes. The duo-fiber versions are perfect to gently buff powders into the skin with, I much prefer using these over regular powder brushes as I find they give a much more natural finish and don't cake the skin in product. The eye brush does a great job at blending harsh lines if you are creating a smokey eye, the contour brush allows you to create a chiseled cheekbone effect without the fear of applying too much product and finally the face brush which is ideal for a adding a sweep of face powder. I also find the contour brush really good for applying highlighter too as it ensures you don't end up looking like a glittery disco ball. If you are a fan of gently blended and soft looking make up (who isn't?) these are well worth adding to your brush collection.

REAL TECHNIQUES DUO-FIBER COLLECTION - £23.99