Charlotte Tilbury Haul and Review

(I may have also purchased a sneaky Nars product during my CT haul)

Charlotte Tilbury is my favourite makeup brand and has been for quite a while now. So as soon as I got some birthday money I headed straight to Selfridges to try out some of her new products. Charlotte Tilbury has recently launched her Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow collection and her limited edition Norman Parkinson collection. When I was at the counter I picked up two cream eyeshadows and a cream blush and lipstick from the Norman Parkinson collection. 

Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadows 

I decided to pick up two shades from the Eyes to Mesmerise collection, Norma Jean and Marie Antoinette. I went for these two because they were the two I had my eyes on as soon as the collection came out. 

Norma Jean is a pretty shimmery champagne shade named after Marilyn Monroe before she was famous. It's a great product to make you look glamorous with minimal effort. This shade really opens up the eyes and can be worn both night and day depending on how much you apply. 

The second shade I picked up was Marie Antoinette named after the famous Queen of France. Charlotte Tilbury describes it as an "antique oyster gold hue". It's hard to fully describe the taupe/bronze shade but that's what I love about it, it's so unique. It's also perfect for a day or a night time look depending on how you apply it. 

The formula is quite watery but that means that it is easily blendable once applied, which means you have more time to work with it. I prefer this formula to Charlotte Tilburys eyeshadow pencils that dry quite quickly and are hard to blend out. The watery consistency also looks really pretty on the eyes. It dries well and relatively quickly while still keeping that sheer effect. The colour lasts a really long time too with minimal creasing or sliding. They also come in gorgeous packaging, like all Charlotte Tilbury products. I can't wait to try some more shades. 

Norman Parkinson Matte Revolution Lipstick

The Matte Revolution Lipsticks are also a new edition to the Charlotte Tilbury collection, and I have wanted to try some for a while, but I had to go for the limited edition Norman Parkinson one as soon as I saw it. Charlotte has released two shades for the Norman Parkinson collection, Miss Kensington and 1975 Red. I went for 1975 Red because it is the perfect orange red lipstick shade. 

It's one of those colours that is bold but can work on almost anyone. It's fun, flirty and summery but with an air of sophistication. The texture is matte but still hydrating and it lasts for such a long time on the lips. It looks great with a clear lipgloss over the top too. It's perfect for a bold lip look on a summer night out paired with a bronzey glow. I also like to wear it in a more muted way for the day time, applying only a small amount and blending it out. It's been my favourite lip look of the summer. 

Norman Parkinson Colour of Youth

This is possibly the prettiest product I have ever purchased, from the light pink box to the gold packaging with Norman Parkinson's beautiful wife Wenda on the front. Even the cream blush itself looks so pretty I didn't want to ruin it by touching it. If you want to splash out on a pricey but worthy product then I'd recommend this beauty before it's gone. 

The colour is a soft rosy pink that leaves a natural, glowy, fresh effect on the skin. It is the perfect everyday cream blush that can also be used as a hydrating lip colour. It's luxurious in every way, including the formula which contains Hyaluronic acid to keep the skin moisturised and youthful. Apply a small amount with the fingertips or a stippling brush to create a dreamy flush. 

Have you tried any of Charlotte Tilbury's new collections? 

Haul #5: London

Last week I went to London to apply for a Visa to study in America from August for a year. My appointment at the US Embassy was at 11:00 and lasted only 2 hours and now I'm officially going to America! I booked my return train a lot later in the day though, which gave me a chance to go on a huge beauty haul (which may have not been the best idea for my bank account!).

Space NK

My first stop was Space NK just off Oxford Street. There was one product I really wanted from there and it was the By Terry Ombre Blackstar. I hadn't quite decided what shade to get but as soon as I tested Misty Rock on the back of my hand I fell in love. It's a gorgeous shimmery taupe purple shade that is great for a day or nighttime look. At first I was reluctant to buy an eyeshadow stick for £28 but I'm glad I did. The texture is really creamy and a little goes a long way. It's also a really easy product to use and you could just simply swipe your lid with this to get a great eye makeup look, perfect for when on holiday or travelling. I'm so happy that I listened to beauty bloggers like Tanya Burr and Vivianna Does Makeup because they are so right about this product! 

Selfridges
Selfridges is one of my favourite shops, ever, especially the London one because it's so huge! I had a few hours to kill but ended up spending nearly all my time there. The beauty department is just to die for! I ended up buying products from three counters in Selfridges, as well as getting a quick Pinkberry as a break from all the shopping.

Charlotte Tilbury

The first counter I purchased from was Charlotte Tilbury. I found it so difficult to limit myself to what I bought. I spent so long testing out the products on my hand, asking the friendly staff on their suggestions and having them try some products out on me. Eventually, after much deliberation and re-testing (I'm the worst decision maker ever!), I finally decided on a K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect and a Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner in Bedroom Black. I already have the Lipstick colour in So Marilyn and I love it but it's such a true bold red that I don't get a chance to wear very often therefore I wanted a more of an everyday shade and Bitch Perfect is that perfect shade! I'm so glad I chose this shade as it's just a classic pinky nude that lasts a while, smells delicious and has a great texture to it. I find myself reaching for it all the time for an everyday look. I also decided to go for the Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner because I've not bought a pencil eyeliner in ages and all the women at the counter recommended it to me. This is such a great eyeliner. It lasts a ridiculously long time without smudging yet it glides on so easily. It's a great one for the waterline too. The black is very bold though so I try to use it more for the evening when I'm going out. 

MAC

My next stop was MAC. I had a slightly clearer idea of what I wanted from there but still spent some time trying to narrow down my options. One thing I definitely knew I wanted was a 4 eyeshadow palette so that I can travel without taking all of my MAC eyeshadows in my 15 palette with me. I also knew I wanted one last eyeshadow to fill my 15 palette. I originally wanted Mulch but when I tested a few shades on my hand I finally decided on Twinks and the lady at the counter said this colour would bring the blue out in my eyes more. It's a beautiful bronze/brown shade with a hint of plum. I also bought a new lipstick as I haven't bought a MAC lipstick in about 3 years (such a long time!). I went with the colour Craving in the end because I'd done some research beforehand. It's a beautiful warm plum colour with a creamy finish and smooth texture. It's also a great shade to wear as a slightly bolder lip look in the day or a nice deep shade for an evening. I haven't got much use out of it yet but I can't wait to try it out more!

Chanel

Finally my last purchase of the day was at the Chanel counter. Last year I'd heard loads about the Summer Collection and luckily I reserved products at John Lewis so they didn't sell out (I ended up choosing some products that sold out immediately). However this year I'd not heard much hype about the collection so decided to ask at the counter when the 2014 collection would be released. I spoke to the nicest woman who told me that they had the products a week early and not many people knew (so if you want any of the collection they should be out everywhere now!) Because they had the products there I decided to buy one thing from the collection and that was the Illusion D'ombre in New Moon. This is such a gorgeous bronze colour and it's so glittery, I'm almost too scared to wear it. The formula is also so creamy and it glides on so easily, I'm looking forward to using it a lot more in the future.

I'm so happy with all my London Haul purchases and I went home on the train feeling both happy but also with sore feet and a sore bank account! I have decided to go on a makeup ban for at least a month now because I bought so much in this haul, let's see how long I can last!

May Favourites

It's my turn to do the favourites this month. I always struggle to pick my top choices because I usually love the same things every month and feel like I'm repeating myself. Also May hasn't been the best month for trying out new products and finding new favourites as I've had courswork to hand in and exams for Uni. However I have managed to choose some products that I haven't talked about that much before or I've recently bought and loved. Here are my favourites from the month of May.

Celine New Audrey Sunglasses

Luckily in the month of May we actually had a bit of sun, even if it was for a short period of time. Because it was so sunny I had a chance to break out my favourite sunglasses from Celine, named after the great Audrey Hepburn. These were somewhat of an impulse buy on my holiday to New York last July (I got slightly carried away with spending) and as soon as I saw them I had to have them. They cost quite a bit of money but I know I will get a lot of use out of them and will be in style for a long time.

Stila Eyeshadow in Golightly

I've really been enjoying using this as an every day eyeshadow throughout May. I'm really glad I decided to buy this colour from Space NK. It's a gorgeous metallic bronze/gold colour that is quite similar to Mac's Woodwinked. It has a creamy texture and is easily blendable and a little goes a long way too. I love to wear this colour either day or night. I also love the name of this eyeshadow named after Audrey Hepburn's famous character Holly Golightly in my favourite film Breakfast at Tiffany's. 

Essie Nail Varnish in California Coral

Essie is my favourite Nail Varnish brand, I love how many different colours they have on offer and they always release so many limited edition shades too. The Essie nail colour I've been paticularly loving this month is California Coral. It's a bright orange/pink coral shade that is perfect for spring to brighten up any look. I've worn it a few times now in May and it lasts a decent amount of time too before chipping and applies really easily.

Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in Dolce Vita 

This is one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes of all time, never mind just for the month of May. I don't like to use it very often because it's so gorgeous and special but I've found myself reaching for it a few times in May now. There are 4 great and unique shades in this palette and they are designed to go really well together for one great eye look. You get a Prime, Enhance, Smoke and Pop shade that all blend in together for the perfect night time eye look. 

L'oreal Colour Riche in Rouge Soprano and Molto Mauve

These new gems have been my favourite lip products for the month of May. They are £8.99 which is expensive for a drugstore product but they are very similar to YSL Vernis a Levres Glossy Stains. In fact they smell/taste a bit better than the YSL ones which can be slightly overpowering. In comparison to the YSL Glossy Stains they don't have as good staying power and there are a lot less colours than YSL. However there are some great shades to choose from. The two that I have are 301 Rouge Soprano and 500 Molto Mauve. Rouge Soprano is a gorgeous orange based red shade perfect for the spring/summer months and also I good shade for the night time and Molto Mauve is a light pink/mauve colour which is the perfect everyday pinky nude shade. I love this product and want to buy so many more shades including Nude Ballet which Kim Kardashian wore on her wedding day!

Breaking Bad

I know I'm slightly behind on this one but I finally finished Breaking Bad! I started watching it at the beginning of the Uni year in October because I studied it for a module I was doing and I was hooked for a while. Then I decided to take a break because I had been watching it so quickly and it isn't the easiest of watching so I'd usually choose something more lighthearted instead. However as dreaded revision approached I decided to pick it back up again as procrastination. The final two seasons were incredible and I am glad I waited a bit to watch them. This is such a good TV series, as I'm sure most of you have heard, and if you are thinking of watching it I would definitely recommend it.

What have been your favourites for the month of May?

Nars Hearts New York Set Review

Although this palette has actually been around for some time now (since last May), I only came across it a few months ago but discovered it was only sold in America (unfortunately, especially since I was there over summer) so I forgot about it but always secretly wanted it. Then I was looking for it again recently and came across the set on Ebay for £60. The product was actually being sold in America for $75 which works out at about £45 here so after a bit of haggling I got it down to £52, which is still good value in my eyes due to it's limited availability and it was the only one I have found that I can buy. And this set is definitely worth the money! Included in the cute little box is a palette with a Blusher in the colour Amour, a bronzer in Laguna and 4 eyeshadow shades in Biarritz, Nepal, New York and Galapagos as well as a Lipgloss in Dolce Vita and a Nail Varnish in China Town. The set is actually worth $107 and the lipgloss and nail varnish are full sized and the blusher and bronzer are actually slightly larger than the regular full size ones.

New York Palette

I love the eyeshadow colours in this palette. Biarritz is great for a highlighting shade for underneath the eyebrow or as an all over the lid base colour. Nepal is a gorgeous light neutral shimmery colour that is great for an everyday eyeshadow shade. New York is a beautiful and unique plum brown colour that I can't get enough of. Galapagos is a dark brown shimmery colour. The four colours work so well together when applied too. Although New York seems quite intimidating in the palette for a neutral eyeshadow lover like me, it looks amazing when applied and is a lot less scary than it seems. I also love the fact that you get slightly larger than full sized blusher and bronzer in this palette. The blush colour is Amour which is a pretty pink shade, perfect for spring and summer and it can be used subtly or can be built up for a bolder look. I'm so happy that this palette came with Laguna in it as well. Laguna is the cult Nars bronzer that every girl should try and now I finally have it. Overall I love this palette and I can tell I will get a lot of use out of it. I think this palette was really worth the money. Most similar palettes are sold for £45 but with this one you also got a full sized lipgloss and nail varnish for only £7 more, which would usually cost £14.50 and £18.50. 

Nail Varnish in China Town

I was pleasantly surprised by this Nail Varnish when I first tried it. I'd never tried a Nars Nail Varnish before and I'd never really heard anyone talk about them or review them before so trying one had never really crossed my mind but now I'm so glad I did. I love the dark red colour of the varnish and it lasts for a long time without chipping. The only downside I would say about this Nail Varnish is that if you were to buy it separately it would cost £14.50 which is almost double my favourite brand of Nail Varnish, Essie. Luckily though I got it in this set so didn't have to spend too much.

Lip Gloss in Dolce Vita

I actually really love this lip gloss too. I have never tried a Nars lip gloss before so this was my first and I was so impressed. The colour is a great dusty-rose pink shade that is close to the natural shade of my lips but better. I imagine if I had gone to the Nars counter just for a lip gloss I probably would have bought this one. The formula isn't too sticky and a little goes a long way. The only issue I have with this lip gloss is the scent is like plastic and although it isn't overpowering or unbearable, it would be so much more appealing with a nicer taste/scent to it. 

I'm so happy with my impulse purchase. If you are in America or going there soon the set is still available on the Nars website so get it while you can!

May Wishlist

It's time for the Monthly Wishlist and Favourites again! (see Jess' April Favourites here). There is no real theme to my Wishlist this month with a mixture of products, some of which I've wanted for ages and some I've only just discovered and want to try out. Here is my Wishlist for the month of May.

Ombre Blackstar By Terry - £28

On a recent trip to Space NK and after reading and watching Vivianna Does Makeup's blog and YouTube videos, I came across these eye shadow sticks from By Terry. After seeing more raving reviews I really want to try this product. I love a good eyeshadow stick, my favourite being my limited edition Chanel stylo in Moon River. I love the shades available but I think the one I'd like to try the most is Bronze Moon.

MAC Eye shadow and Palette - £20 & £10 

Now I've almost completed my MAC palette with only one eye shadow left to fill, I want a new palette as mine is the really old one with no see through plastic on top and it's covered in powder and eye shadow. I prefer the newer design so much more. I really want a small palette too, perfect for when I'm travelling and only need a few shades instead of carrying around my 15 slot palette. Also if I'm buying a new palette I might as well complete it so I want a new eye shadow too but I can't decide what my last one should be, any suggestions?

YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain - £25

I love YSL makeup, it seems so luxurious and I love all of the products I have tried from them so far. One thing I paticularly love about YSL is their lip products. I recently bought a Lipstick in a beautiful berry/rose colour that I can't get enough of. Also a while ago I bought one of their famous lip stains from the rebel nudes collection (a review is coming soon!). I had completely forgotten about it until I came across it in my collection recently and I forgot how much I like it. The colour lasts a long time and I love the formula. Now I want to try one in a new colour and luckily YSL has so many great shades to choose from.

L'oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche - £8.99

After reading Vivianna Does Makeup's blog I came across a video on these L'oreal lip stains that are supposed to be very similar to the YSL ones but for a fraction of the cost. I'd like to try one of these out and compare it to the YSL ones. There a less colours available compared to the YSL ones but I like the shades that are available. I'm tempted to go for a bold one like a bright red shade called Rouge Soprano. 

Kate Moss for Topshop Scallop Shorts - £46

Kate Moss recently released a new collection of clothing for Topshop on the 30th of April (if you haven't heard of it already). I love the collection and most of the items have sold out online already but one piece that stood out for me, that was also reasonably priced and something I would actually wear was these Scallop Shorts. I love a good pair of shorts and these are quite a unique design and unlike any others I have. Unfortunately they've sold out in my size so I'm hoping they come back in stock soon!

Eucerin Skincare - £9.25 and £9.50

My favourite Dermalogica Moisturiser, Active Moist, is about to run out and seeming as it is quite expensive I thought I should try a cheaper alternative. One brand that I have heard that is good for skincare is Eucerin. I had a look on the Boots website and they have a category for my skin type, oily/acne prone skin. One of the products I came across was the Dermo Purifyer Adjunctive Hydrating Care SPF30 50ml. I like that this moisturiser has an SPF and is only £9.25 for 50ml. I also came across the Dermo Purifier Concentrate 30ml to help the overall condition of skin for £9.50 which I think I'll try too. 

What is on your wishlist for the month of May?

Favourite MAC Eyeshadows

As you will tell by the end of this post, pretty much all of my eyeshadows are neutrals; I love browns and golds as it think they suit me best and I also find them really wearable on an everyday basis. I always buy my MAC eyeshadow in the pans and put them in the palettes as they are then easier to use and carry around.

1. Carbon – This is an intense black which is great for creating a really smokey look or lining the eyes, it has a matt finish and the colour lasts all day. This is definitely an essential in my make-up bag and I think in Sophie’s too. 

2. Omega and Concrete – I’ve put these two together as I very rarely don’t use one without the other. Omega is a very light matt brown, MAC describe it as being a ‘soft muted beige-taupe’. I often blend it through the crease in my eyelid to create some natural looking shadows and softly run some through my eyebrows with an angled brush to form a stronger brow. I then take Concrete, which is also matt but a couple of shades darker than Omega and make the shadows stronger and the brows slightly more defined. One of my favourite looks is to use a neutral cream eyeshadow all over the lid (such as Bobbi Brown in Sandy Gold) blend Omega through the crease then blend Concrete over the top and finish with a thin line of dark brown eyeshadow along the lash line (such as MAC Brun). 

3. Print – This is a soft dark grey with shimmer and I find it perfect for created a smokey eye which isn't as intense as using black. I also like to use it on the bottom lash line to make it slightly more defined, but again, not as harsh as black. I've not used this on much recently but I am going to put it back in my make-up bag and start using it a bit more again. 

4. Retrospeck – This shade is a really sparkly glittery gold colour, MAC describe it as being a ‘beached blonde’ and I love it over the top of a neutral cream eyeshadow just to add a little sparkle to it. It also looks great right in the inner corners of the eyes and really opens the eyes up. This is my favourite eyeshadow to create a little bit of glamour and sparkle. PS - be warned, this little bugger makes your palette extremely messy!

5. Naked Lunch – I love this colour and I know Sophie does too;  the colour is a really light pink and is very shimmery- I often use it all over the eyelid then blend a small amount of Print through the crease as I think the colour complement each other perfectly. I use it for both casual and dressed up looks as I think the colour is super versatile and very buildable. 

6. Satin Taupe - Lastly is the newest kid on the block, well the newest eyeshadow to my palette. It is a dark, shimmery taupe-brown which MAC describes as a 'Taupe with Silver Shimmer' I know this is a cult favourite for many beauty bloggers- Sophie and myself included. Sophie persuaded me to buy this one and I love it so much, I think since I've bought it, it has been the eyeshadow I've been reaching for the most just for an everyday make-up look. 

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows, are any the same as mine? Also, does anyone have any recommendations - I have 5 spaces left in my 15 palette and can't decide what to get!