JULY FAVOURITES / 2017

Happy first monthly favourites blog post of 2017. Stress and anxiety was a key theme these last few months, specifically because I had the awful and utterly victimising examinations that I was essentially forced to partake. However, I have discovered amazing new music, a few twisted new television series and of course new beauty products that have found a nice spot in my collection. And yes, this is quite a long post, but I could not resist sharing my obsessions with you, plus this is really everything I have been in love with since the start of the year. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Anti - Fatigue Foundation in 'Vanilla': I have never been a huge fan of foundation, purely because I do not enjoy the feeling left on my skin. However, I recently was gifted this foundation from Bourjois, and it came at the perfect time because as much as I love winter, my skin does not. From dry skin to break outs appearing left, right and centre, this foundation has enhanced my confidence. This foundation has medium coverage that is build-able. It gives my skin a slight glow and makes me look radiant - I believe this is because it contains a vitamin mix that hydrates the skin. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a foundation that does not feel like foundation.

Too Faced Sweethearts Bronzer: I love bronzed skin, especially because it transforms my face and makes me look somewhat alive. This baked luminous bronzer is a duo with a highlight and bronzer shade which makes the skin appear a lot healthier when you swirl your brush in its beautiful heart glory. It is a very lovely, smooth formula that is not patchy or dirty looking. This product contains little specks of gold shimmer which makes you look like a beach goddess and shines in the sunlight. 

NYX liquid lipstick in 'Sandstorm': I love the look of matte lips but for some odd curse that I am unfortunate to have, they always look dry on me and draw out every line on my lips! However, this one is not as drying as the others. The formula glides on like a dream and seals comfortably on the lips. It is very opaque and does not flake off throughout the day. I have a few of these shades but this pretty nude has to be my favourite.

LUSH Enchanting Eye Cream: I have been loving this eye cream! It smoothes and brightens the under eye area so you can appear a lot healthier. The under eye area is very delicate so it is always nice to use a natural product, like this one, that contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. It is never too late to start using an eye cream, no matter how old or young you are - it really makes a difference!

LUSH Mask of Magnanimity: As previously mentioned above, stress levels were pretty high these last few months and as a result, my skin did not appreciate it. Evidently, stress can cause weird hormonal changes and thus result in breakouts which absolutely suck. Luckily, as recommended from Mark Ferris, I tried out this new mask from LUSH and I love it. It is a little underwhelming at first because it draws out every impurity in your skin, however, you will begin to notice your skin clearing up after a few times of using this mask. It not only relieves acne/blemishes, but exfoliates the skin. Essentially, this mask with leave you with clean, clear, soft and hydrating skin.

Music
The Night We Met by Lord Huron
Slow Hands by Niall Horan
Bad Liar by Selena Gomez
Mama by Jonas Blue and William Singe
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye and Kimbra
Kiwi by Harry Styles

Television Shows & Movies

Stranger Things: I am incredibly late on this bandwagon but I am obsessed with this series.  I cannot really describe it without giving away too much. It is set in 1983 and is about a twelve year old boy who goes missing, leading to an investigation where the boys friends, family and police discover an experimental lab with supernatural forces. The cast is so talented, particularly Millie Bobby Brown. I cannot wait for season two!

Riverdale: This show is insane but I adore it. It is set in a small town, Riverdale, that is filled with every day people but as the show progresses, the darkness becomes prominent and we get to see the characters for who they are after the murder of Jason Blossom. This series is based off of Archie Comics so there is a lot of twisted drama and unusual romances. This show is quite difficult to describe but trust me when I say that you will be addicted - I have gotten all my friends watching it! 

The Intern: Hilarious and bittersweet. I loved this film! It is about an elder, Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) who applies for a senior internship for a fashion company, founded by Jules Ostin (played by Anne Hathaway). Basically, we see this beautiful friendship grow between Ben and Jules that made me shed a few tears. Just go and watch it now. 

The Devil Wears Prada: Another hilarious, dramatic but an old classic film with the amazing Anne Hathaway. I have actually never seen this movie before for some strange reason. If you did not already know, it is about a girl called Andrea who lands a job for a fashion magazine, run by the one and only Miranda Priestly (played by legend Meryl Streep). We get to see the struggles Andrea goes through because of all the hustling demands and expectations she is given from Miranda. It is a really fun film if you love a bit of drama and comedy. 

La La Land: If you have not seen this movie, you are missing out on a beautiful, musical fantasy with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. This is my absolute favourite movie at the moment. It is about a jazz fanatic and an aspiring actress who fall in love but experience a lot of difficulty through building their futures. It is not only an epic love story but also is filled with singing and dancing that will warm your heart.

Beauty and The Beast (2017): This was hands down the highlight of my year thus far. It is an incredible film full of sweet singing, romance and talking dishes. There is nothing that warms my heart more than reliving a Disney childhood classic. I loved every second of it, particularly enjoyed the face of Luke Evans and presence of Dan Stevens behind the beast. 

13 Reasons Why: This show is so important and made me feel so many emotions. Without giving too much away, the show is essentially about a girl, Hannah Baker who is bullied and is heavily impacted by it as she commits suicide. She records thirteen tapes of the reasons explaining why she did it and who were the individuals that influenced her do so. It is very touching and so real and honest. 

Bates Motel: I just started watching this and I am so obsessed. It is about a lady called Norma Bates who buys a motel with her highly attached son Norman. Their close relationship lead Norman to a twisted state. - A little complex to explain but it is a very dark and disturbingly brilliant show that for anyone oddly interested in the psychotic life of a serial killer, you will enjoy it. 

I hope you have had an amazing first half of twenty-seventeen, if not, it will get better! just keep pushing through.

Love always,
Sara xo 

Cutting People Out & Moving On

Over the last few days, I have realised that I have dealt with the absolute worst when it comes to friendships. I feel like when I cut someone out of my life and find someone new, it is becomes a repetitive cycle of dealing with the same emotions over and over again. Sometimes I feel like I am the problem because I cannot comprehend why I keep experiencing this. 

One of the most difficult things I have experienced is thinking that you are someones friend but it turns out their not. You start to notice that you were punching bag, a shoulder to cry on and eventually thrown to the side. It sucks and I have dealt with this over the last five years of my life - even longer. It is evident that friends come in and out of your life and it is not always guaranteed that you will have the same friends throughout each stage of your lifespan. However, when you experience a fault in your relationships, at the time it can feel like the utmost horrendous thing that can ever happen to you. You think about it all the time, how you are all alone and you will never be happy again. But then people come into your life when you least expect it and make you feel something again. If you are unlucky, you could experience the same thing that happened with your previous friendship all over again and feel like you are back on that cycle. Welcome to the story of my life. 

Your own happiness is critical. Your emotions are primarily determined by the people who you are around which is why you should not dwell on those you make you unhappy. This leads us to the question I have been struggling with for most of my adolescent years, "how do I cut someone out of my life?" This question is something I ask myself on the regular basis because people always say, "if someone is making you unhappy then remove them from your life." They make it sound so easy but it is not. What makes it so hard is that when you see someone five days a week for many years, you cannot avoid them because their energy floats around and you are reminded about how awful they made you feel. 

From what I have learnt and experienced, in order to remove someone from your life, it is best to cut ties by deleting them from your social media accounts, removing their phone number and deleting old photos (even if you look cute). You will often go through a withdrawal stage where you reminisce on all the memories you shared and this is completely normal. It is important at this stage that you let yourself be upset, whilst still remembering why you had to cut them out in the first place. - This is called self reflection and is something that I do in order to make sense of the thoughts in my mind. In order to move on, it is important that you look at that relationship as a chapter in your life that is finally coming to an end so you can progress and make new memories. Be sure to surround yourself with positive people that make you feel good about yourself and support you. - I struggled with this for a very long time and often these types of special people show up when you least expect it. In the mean time, please focus and take care of yourself. It is so crucial that you let yourself recover. After all, we are humans and broken hearts need time to heal.

We are all growing up, figuring out who we are and where we belong. It is hard to disband from previous connections we share with someone. You always need to remember that time heals everything. 

Love Always,
Sara xo.

Favourite Highlighters

There is nothing better than feeling confident. What makes me feel this way is when I wear highlight on my cheekbones, whether it is blinding or subtle. I believe highlight truly completes any makeup look. These are five of my absolute favourite highlighting products.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in 'Gleam': Moment of appreciation for my dearest friend for introducing this into my life. This glow kit is a staple highlight for me - particularly the bottom right shade, 'Crushed Pearl', a beautiful, metallic champagne that gives a blinding highlight. Every time I use this highlight, I receive so many compliments on how illuminating my skin looks. All the shades in this palette are silky smooth and look lovely on the skin.

Becca Jaclyn Hill Collection Champagne Splits Shimmering Skin Perfector Mineral Blush in 'Champagne Pop - Floweredchild': Champagne Pop is a stunning soft gold highlight with sparkling reflects. It is very pigmented and can give an intense shine to the cheekbones. However, it can be applied with a light hand for a subtle glow. It also looks lovely on all skin tones and is worth the money if you are looking for a high quality, luxurious highlight. 

Sleep MakeUP Solstice Highlighting Palette: Believe me when I say that this palette is incredible! This palette comes with four highlight shades, one cream, a silky shimmer and two metallic baked powders. I am obsessed with every shade, however the metallic baked powders have to be my favourite because they are so beautifully unique and bold. If you love an intense, blinding and metallic highlight then you should get your hands on this palette. I did a full review on this palette here if you want to know more.

TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer: Surprise! another Champagne highlight. This one is the well known Mary-Lou, a buttery and slightly shimmery pearl goddess. I am not a huge fan of Cindy-Lou and Betty-Lou, purely because I do not reach for them often. However, Mary-Lou looks lovely on all skin tones and can be subtle or blinding.  

Illuminate by Ashely Tisdale Illuminating Shimmer in 'Shimmering Sand': This highlight is much more affordable compared to the rest and it is well loved in my collection. This is a silky, baked highlighting product that is perfect for those who want a natural and healthy glow. It contains specks of silver sparkles that shimmer radiantly in the sunlight. This product is a very soft champagne shade that is perfect for those with fair skin. 

It is crazy how much illuminating products bring out the confidence in me. What are your favourite highlight shades? I would love to try something new.

Love Always,

Sara xo.

Colour Pop Haul and Review

My heart sank when I was in study period and got a promotional email in my inbox saying for the first time ever that "Colour Pop has free international shipping for 24 hours only." I have always wanted to try Colour Pop but the ridiculous shipping prices puts me off. So, I was very very excited to grab a few bits to try. I wish I purchased more because I love every single product that I got. I hope they have this free shipping deal again!

First off, I just want to get past the negativity and express that I was quite disappointed in the shipping service. My order was poorly tracked + I did receive my order later than my friends who ordered days after mine. - So I was a little frustrated. It did take a little over two weeks to arrive, which was not too bad considering where it was located, however, spending all that money got me a little impatient because I wanted it right away! I also heard quite a few stories about people getting ripped off by Colour Pop or that their products were broken when they arrived. Luckily, everything was nice and packaged well in bubble wrap, so nothing was broken. 

The eye shadows were what I was most excited to try. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in the colour pay off and lasting finish. All the shades I found, needed to be packed on the eye lid to get full colour pay off. I found using my ring finger to be best. The lasting power was also a disappointment. It could barely hold a couple of hours without smudging or loosing its pigmentation. Nonetheless, they do glide on the eye lid smoothly, blend very easily and act perfectly as eye shadow bases. 

Swatches from Top to Bottom -
'Weenie'
'Arrow'
'Nillionaire'

I fell in love with this set on the website. All colours appeared to be darker in person which was unfortunate, although they are still very pretty dark berry/purple tones for Autumn/Winter. In this three pack, there is an ultra satin lip in the shade 'Notion', an ultra matte lip in the shade 'Hutch' and an ultra glossy lip in the shade 'Sookie'.The swatches came out quite patchy, particularly with the matte shade. Matte lips look beautiful but I find them to feel uncomfortable and sink into the lines on my lips. The satin finish is my favourite because it is long wearing and does not make my lips look or feel dry. The gloss is also a lovely one because it is light weight but still very pigmented.

Swatches from Left to Right -
'Sookie'
'Notion'
'Hutch'

Creme Gel Liner in 'Swerve' - I could not pass up this liner (thank you Bella Fiori). Classic black eye liners were lacking in my collection so I thought 'hey why not pick this one up'. This is incredibly pigmented and glides on the water line smoothly and opaquely in one swipe. It is super black and easy to apply. I love smoking this out on the upper lash line for a softer cat eye. I need to pick up more shades!

Lippie Stix in 'Brink Matte' - This shade is a beautiful nude with a pink undertone. It is very comfortable to wear and quick to apply because it is a crayon which makes it easy to line the lips. It is not super matte and it still has a slight sheen to it. I love it because it does not make my lips appear dry. 

Ultra Satin Lip in 'Dopey' - Dopey is my favourite shade so far. I actually purchased two of these because I had a feeling I would love it. That feeling came true because it was featured in my 2016 December Favourites!. This shade swatched a lot darker than it looks; I was so unsure about this at first because it has a quite ashy undertone. However, the more I applied it, the more I fell in love. It is a classic mauve tone with a pink undertone. This lip product fits perfectly with a sultry eye. It is long wearing, opaque and feels comfortable on the lips.

Ultra Matte Lip in 'Teeny Tiny' - This shade is very similar to 'Dopey', although it appears much darker on the lips. It is not the most comfortable to wear because it is matte, and matte shades do not work well on my lips. However, is glides on the lips smoothly and applies evenly so if you like matte lips, you'll love this one. 

Ultra Matte Lip in 'Tule' - Is a lovely dark pink shade. It applies smoothly and evenly. Like all of these matte shades, I found it to feel uncomfortable throughout the day. It did not last well whilst I was eating/drinking. It did also flake off which was annoying. However, it is still a beautiful shade!

Swatches from Top to Bottom -

'Tule'

'Teeny Tiny'

'Dopey'

Overall, I am very pleased with Colour Pop. The products are wonderful and high quality for its low cost. I would definitely order more, maybe just not the matte lip products! One thing to keep in mind when placing an online order is that the colours appear much darker in person + I found the lip shades to apply darker when applied to the lips. 

Love always,

Sara xo

Ciate' London Chloe Morello Beauty Haul

I spent approximately two hours or so binge watching Chloe Morello make up tutorials using these products, particularly the 'Pretty, Fun and Fearless' palette which instantly persuaded me to place an order. I was super keen to grab hold of this limited edition product from the Mecca Maxima website. It was sold out everywhere in stores and was not available online, until one bright evening in mid December when it was finally available to purchase! I have never tried anything from Ciate' London, so I was so excited to welcome another amazing, cruelty free brand into my life. 

This kit includes a 15 pan eyeshadow palette; 'Pretty, Fun and Fearless', a deluxe Wonderwand mascara and Liquid Velvet lip product in the shade 'Pin Up'. Along with a beautiful, chic, navy blue make up bag that fits all the products in. 

The camera quality does not do this palette justice. I love every single one of these shades! This 15 pan palette, includes a range of mattes and shimmers from warmer to cooler tones. The eye shadow combinations are endless. I particularly love the shades 'Vacay', 'Dainty', 'Jet Setter' and 'Queen Bee'. As much as I adore the shade selection, the product itself had a slight downfall. I found the matte shades to be a little difficult to blend. - Particularly with some of the darker shades, I found that they appeared to be patchy if I put too much product on the brush. Nonetheless, once blended out (may take quite a few minutes), it looks beautiful!. Along with the mattes, I found the shimmers to be not as pigmented as I would like. They do require quite a few layers for a full shimmer on the eyelid, however, they still look beautiful, especially when caught in the light; the speckles of glitter shine and make the eyes pop. 

A mini Liquid Velvet in the shade 'Pin Up' is also included in this beauty haul. It is a pretty medium pink that looks lovely on all skin tones. It is opaque with just one swipe and has a non-sticky glossy finish. I did find it to feel a little tacky on the lips - I think this is because it is long wearing, which does not bother me. The doe-foot applicator allows an easy application as the tip enables precision when lining the lips. Overall, a lovely edition to this kit. 

A deluxe Wonderwand mascara is also a lovely edition to this kit. This mascara more-so lengthens my lashes rather than thickens them and creates volume. Also, it does take a few coats to build, which is quite annoying. My lashes are very weak, so it is hard to find a mascara that will not weigh them down. I did find this one to hold well, however, it struggled to keep its curl throughout the day. Although it does not make my lashes as dramatic as I would like them to be, it is a great mascara for everyday wear. 

I think Chloe Morello did a great job in her collaboration with Ciate' London. She created a beautiful kit with some lovely products in it to create a wide variety of make up looks. I think it is definitely worth the $70! This is unfortunately limited edition, so I am not sure where it is still available to purchase. However, keep your eyes peeled as it may magically appear on the Mecca Maxima website, like mine did.

Love always,

Sara xo