Winter Skincare Routine

Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well. The weather keeps getting increasingly colder as the days go by and it seems like my skin is getting drier with it. As a result, I have to change my skincare routine to ensure that my skin is as moisturised as possible, so if you want to see how I do just that, keep reading!

I'm going to share some details about my skin type first, just to give you a bit of background. I have combination skin, which is oily on my forehead, on my nose, on my pores and on my chin, while the rest of my face is dry in the winter and normal in the summer. I get a lot drier in the winter, sometimes even getting dry around my pore and chin areas, too. In the summer I am super oily, especially when it's hot outside. My skin is also very problematic all year round; I have been plagued with blackheads and red angry spots for around nine years now, and sometimes skincare can make it go away temporarily but I always break out again, so I just slap on a bit of full coverage foundation and hope for the best.

MORNING

I don't like to use a lot of products in the morning, purely because I'm putting my makeup on afterwards and I don't want my face to feel too heavy, but the first thing I do in the morning after my shower is wash my face with a face soap. The one I've been loving at the moment is the Soap & Glory Face Soap and Clarity face wash (£8.00) but they have actually repackaged and changed the superfruit in it from plum to yuzu but I got the new one for Christmas and they look and smell exactly the same! The link above is for the new one.

On Saturdays, I like to use a face mask after I've washed my face. I'll follow the instructions on the packet and read for a bit while it's on, and then wash it off to reveal smooth, hydrated, clean feeling skin. The one pictured is the Manuka Honey Hydrating and Moisturising Face Mask (£3.99). The one put in the link is the cheapest I could find it online in case you want to try it out!

And obviously, I have to moisturise afterwards. I use a moisturiser in a tube in the mornings because it sinks into my skin quicker and doesn't make me all oily. My favourite moisturiser at the moment is a Soap & Glory one that I got for Christmas, it's called the Speed Plump All-Day Super Moisture Marvel (£13) and it's my new obsession! It makes my skin feel so soft afterwards and smells like chocolate orange. I use this stuff religiously!

EVENING

In the evening, the first thing I do is take off my makeup. I take off my eye and lip makeup with a makeup wipe since I find that cleansers tend to sting my eye or even blind me, and makeup wipes are a lot more eye-safe, despite them being bad for your actual skin. The Waitrose ones (79p) are my personal favourites but honestly I just use whatever I can find.

Next, I take off the rest of my makeup using a cotton pad and the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.99) which you will know if you read my November Favourites, is one of my favourite products for removing my makeup.

Every couple of days, I'll exfoliate my face to get rid of all the dead skin on my face. I love doing this because it gives me a beautifully smooth canvas to put my makeup on top of the next day. I really like the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub (£3.79) as it has ingredients in it that help get rid of comedones (blackheads) at the same time, which trust me, I need all the help with I can get.

Here comes possibly the most important part of anybody's skincare routine. Whether you're 12 or 112, male or female, you need to be using a toner every night! Toner helps to give you some extra moisture, which if you have dry skin is an absolute lifesaver. It helps to refresh your face too, which is great for in the summer too. But it's primary purpose is to reset the pH balance in your skin. The pH of your skin should be slightly acidic at 5.5, but all kinds of environmental factors can unbalance the levels such as using face wipes, or eating too many acid/alkali based foods. But toner sorts all of that out and prevents you from premature wrinkling, spots, and other horrible things. My favourite is the Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist (£2.99).

Once the skin is toned and fresh, I like to smother my skin in the Superdrug Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream (£2.99). This moisturiser is exactly what it says on the pot...intense. A little bit goes a loooooong way and it really gets under your skin and moisturises from within, leaving you with a beautiful, deep-moisturised face. I highly, highly recommend this product, especially if you have dry skin! It'll change your life.

My favourite part of my skincare routine is applying a facial oil. I LOVE The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Concentrate (£26). It is incredibly pricey but for a good reason! It does miracles to my skin, I swear to you. I wake up in the morning and my skin feels so unbelievably soft and then I look in the mirror and I'm glowing. My skin looks so radiant and beautiful and I cannot explain exactly how amazing this product is, but it is. I'm not lying or exaggerating when I say you need this in your life!

I've tried lots of eye products in the past because I'm very wrinkly around my eye area despite only being eighteen years old, and when I received The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate (£20) for Christmas I was so excited. It's basically the same as the face concentrate, only for your eyes and it's incredible. I'm starting to see a difference already! I'd definitely recommend it.

Elvis was complaining that Meg and Bonbon had already been featured on my blog and he hadn't, so he sneaked into a picture! Last but not least I apply a hand cream, as usually the washing up and having a shower has dried out my hands by this time of night. My ultimate favourite hand cream is the Soap & Glory Hand Food (£5.50). Take good care of your hands!!!! Your hands are the most important part of your body and show the first signs of aging, so if you want to keep them nice for as long as possible, look after them :)

.....Aaaand that concludes today's blog post! Sorry it was so long!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I'll speak to you all again on Sunday!

Lots of love,

- Kat x

Battle of the Liquid Lipsticks!

Hey guys! I hope you're all having a great year so far. Liquid lipsticks are getting increasingly popular, and pretty much every brand has released their take on the popular liquid-to-matte formula. I love them because they're easy to apply neatly, you don't necessarily need a lipliner with them and they stay pretty much all day. They're perfect for going to work or to a gig where you need your makeup to last as long as humanly possible, and you can wear a dark lip without being worried that it's smudged or bled or that you look like you've just dunked your mouth into a blueberry pie. In this blog post, I'm going to be showing you all the different liquid lipstick formulas I own as well as telling you which ones I love the most. Most of these are drugstore or equivalently priced, but some of them are high end!

The first liquid lipstick I ever purchased was an MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer. I used it every single day for about six months and ended up having to purchase a new one. These are foolproof - they stay on pretty much all day, come in a variety of different colours including nudes, reds, neons, dark colours and crazy colours too! I currently have seven in my collection but I definitely have to pick up some more. If you'd like to see a lip swatch blog post of all my MUA liquid lipsticks, let me know! 

Rate out of 10: 8
Shades I Own: Tranquility, Kooky, Moxie, Potency, Harmony, Halcyon, Dash
Price: £3 each

The first NYX product I ever owned was the Liquid Suede in "Vintage" I was so excited to wear it as the colour was beautiful but I have to say I was disappointed with the formula. I don't think these are marketed as liquid-to-matte which is fine by me but they are so incredibly drying. I only have one but it smudges all the time and doesn't last long at all. I think I've only worn it once or twice and I don't think I will again.

Rate out of 10: 3
Shades I Own: Vintage
Price: £6.50 each 

However, a NYX liquid lipstick I can get behind are the Lingeries! I love these, and I have three of them. I love all the browns and the mauves and the nudes in this range and I can't wait to buy some more. These can get pretty dry unfortunately but they don't flake off so I don't really mind too much. The colours are so beautiful that you have to overlook it! I can't wait to get some more of these.

Rate out of 10: 8
Shades I Own: Teddy, Exotic, Bedtime Flirt
Price: £6.50 each

Primark also do great liquid lipsticks! The one I have is the shade "Pink In Excess" which is the furthest colour from pink I've ever seen - it's a really grungey grey-toned nude which I am OBSESSED with. I love a good grungey lip and for the money this is so good. It only set me back £3! I love this lipstick and it's really comfortable too - I definitely recommend giving it a bash!

Rate out of 10: 7
Shades I Own: Pink In Excess
Price: £3 each

Sleek are growing massively all around the world after Jaclyn Hill and NikkieTutorials talked about their Solstice highlighting palette. I love their highlighting palette and decided to pick up one of their Matte Me Lip Creams and I love it! The formula reminds me of the MUA one, although the Sleek ones are a little bit patchy. I have the shade "Shabby Chic" which is a stunning mauvey colour and I love it! I definitely want to pick up some more.

Rate out of 10: 7
Shades I Own: Shabby Chic
Price: £4.99 each

When I went to France in August, I went to Sephora and I picked up one of their Cream Lip Stains, which sounds like something along the lines of Benefit's BeneTint, but is actually a liquid lipstick. I got the shade "05 Infinite Rose" and I am itching to get back to France so I can pick up some more shades as this is the most moisturising liquid lipstick I have ever tried. It honestly feels like I'm wearing nothing on my lips! The colour of this is so unique and I have fallen in love.

Rate out of 10: 9
Shades I Own: Infinite Rose
Price: €11,95 each

Collection, one of my favourite drugstore brands in the whole world, also released some liquid lipsticks called the Velvet Kiss lipsticks! I have two of these and I love them. They're not as dry as, say, the NYX ones, and actually feel really moisturising. I'm a big fan!

Rate out of 10: 8
Shades I Own: Cotton Candy, Caramel
Price: £2.99 each

And finally, the last liquid lipstick formula I own is the Ciate Liquid Velvet. I only have a mini of the shade "Swoon" but it is AMAZING. This is my favourite liquid lipstick formula ever and it's so comfortable. The shade is actually very similar to MUA's "Tranquility" but the formula is so different. The Ciate one is pretty thick, while the MUA one is quite liquidy and personally I prefer my liquid lipsticks to be thicker as I feel like they are more pigmented and opaque that way. These are expensive but in my opinion totally worth it, and they sell them for a lot cheaper at TK Maxx. I highly, highly, highly recommend these!

Rate out of 10: 10
Shades I Own: Swoon
Price: £17 each

And that concludes today's blog post! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll speak to you again on Thursday.

Lots of love,

- Kat

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Wear Test + Review

Hey guys! As promised, I'm finally getting round to doing a review on the MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation. I know I said way back in November that it was coming but I want to do a review on a different foundation every month and I'd already reviewed the L'Oreal Infallible Matte. Anyway, if you want to see how I felt about this foundation and whether or not I think it's worth the money, you're in the right place!

I got this foundation as a birthday present from my grandma as it's not something I would usually buy. It retails for £22, and this is everywhere including Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis as well as the MAC Cosmetics website. I was matched instore to the shade "NC10", which is very pale but with golden undertones, like me. One thing that did irritate me was that you have to buy the pump separately, which adds another £4.50 onto your bill. However, if you were to repurchase the foundation you wouldn't need to buy the pump again, but still. You totally don't have to, but my grandma did which I am very grateful for as it makes life a whole lot easier for me.

It claims to last up to 8 hours and offers broad UVA/UVB protection with an SPF of 15. It also claims to refine skin, provide oil control and be sweat and humidity resistant. It is oil-free and suitable for all skin types, and is apparently non-acnegenic too! This is the full description from the MAC website:

‟A modern foundation that combines a natural matte finish and medium to full buildable coverage with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15/PA++ protection. Applies, builds and blends easily and evenly. Comfortable and long-wearing, it helps minimise the appearance of pores and imperfections, giving skin a smoother, more flawless look and finish.”

In other words, a flawless full coverage foundation. Let's see if it does anything it claims to do!

ON APPLICATION

On initial application I can tell that it is the teeniest bit too pale for me (words I never thought I'd say!!!) but I'd rather it be too pale than too dark as you can warm up your skin with bronzer or whatever. It's thicker than my Revlon ColourStay foundation possibly the thickest foundation I own but it looks beautiful once blended into the skin. It's matte and has incredible coverage; the fullest coverage foundation I've ever used! I did have to go in with a little bit more on my breakouts (my right cheek and my chin) and it still didn't cover it up completely but they were very angry, red breakouts so I wasn't expecting miracles! My skin looks fantastic though if you forget about the spots, and so far I'm very impressed!

2PM

It's been on for 4 and a half hours. The foundation feels the tiniest bit tacky around my pores and chin but still looks matte and intact. It seems to match my skin perfectly now but I don't know if it' because of the light or because it's oxidised or whether it adapts to your skin tone throughout the day.

8PM

It's been on for 11 hours. It's coming off around my forehead and chin and it's sinking into my frown lines. It's very sticky, and I look a bit shiny too. It's sinking into my smile lines and caking around my lip. It definitely doesn't look as good as it did this morning! However, it claims to last 8 hours and I've had it on longer than that, so it's fine.

THE VERDICT

I loooooove this foundation! It makes my skin look so flawless and does everything it claims to do. I think you can get a little bit more than 8 hours' wear out of this foundation, maybe 9 or 10. It's not great if you're going to be out all day or for gigs but it's perfect if you're doing a shift at work or you're off to school and want to look nice. I'm interested to see how it looks when my breakouts have healed too. Overall I love this foundation and I can't wait to wear it some more!

And that concludes today's blog post! I'm sorry for talking about something more expensive today but I had it and I wanted to review it. Next month though I'll be talking about an extremely affordable foundation.....so stay tuned!

Buy MAC's Studio Fix Fluid here
Buy the pump here

Lots of love,

- Kat x

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Winter Beauty Essentials

 Hey guys! I hope you're all having a lovely day.

The weather has been getting so cold lately, and it almost feels like it happened overnight. The trees are bare, puddles are freezing over and everybody seems to be getting sick. Winter is definitely here! I'll be honest, I'm not a massive fan of winter. I can't bear being cold and I also have the immune system of a newborn baby, so it seems like every time I step outside during the winter months I end up catching something. But one thing I do enjoy about winter is the makeup trends, so I thought I share with you my favourite makeup for winter. So if you're interested, keep on reading!

I love my warm tones and my cranberry colours but let's face it, winter is all about the cool tones. One of my favourite cool-toned palettes is the Makeup Revolution Iconic Smokey palette, which is a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Smoky. I'm gonna get real honest here, this never makes it out of my drawer during the warmer months apart from maybe to use the grey shade or the pearly pink foiled shade. What I do love about this palette though is the fact that you can either create a nice, natural, everyday look or a glam going-out look (even though my "everyday" looks are most people's clubbing looks). I think this palette is extremely versatile, even if there are shades in the palette I still haven't touched to this day.

Another palette I love is the W7 In The Buff palette. I believe W7 have changed it's name to "Colour Me Buff" now although I don't know why! This palette is another stunning cool-toned palette, and it's also a dupe for another Urban Decay palette; the Naked 2. I love it's taupey neutral shades and I think they are so flattering for all skin tones.  

I associate winter with Christmas and I associate Christmas with gold glitter so obviously I had to feature the Collection Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Liner in "Funk"! It's a beautiful champagney-gold coloured glitter liner, and it's so easy to apply. You can use it to create a glitter wing or you can just swipe some on your lid to create a pretty, glittery smokey eye look. It's so easy and it means you don't have to faff around with fallout or glitter glue!

As you guys know, I love lipstick! I love cool-toned colours over winter, and some of my favourites are the NYX Lip Lingerie in "Teddy" the MAC Matte Lipstick in "Mehr" and the MUA Lipstick in "Shade 1". Teddy is a dark cool-toned brown that makes any makeup look dramatic and also makes warm eyeshadow looks a little more grungey. I love the lip lingeries as they are so comfortable and come in the most beautiful colours, and at £6.50 each they really cannot be beaten! Mehr is described on the MAC website as a "blue-toned pink" and is sooooo gorgeous. I'm obsessed! It's actually my first ever MAC lipstick and it is so comfortable and long-lasting on the lips. If you've not tried the MAC matte formula I really recommend doing so! And MUA's Shade 1 is for those of you who are balling on a budget or just love bargain beauty buys like me. It's a stunning deep red with a berry undertone, and actually the perfect red for my complexion and I guess the way I like to do my makeup. It's the perfect Christmas lip for me!

And of course, we have to talk about highlighter!!! The MUA Undress Your Skin highlighter in "Iridescent Gold" costs £3 and can be bought in all SuperDrug stores. I am absolutely obsessed with this highlighter right now because it's a stunning pale gold shade, perfect for pale princesses like me! It's not as intense as my Sleek Solstice Palette but that really is the most intense highlighter on the market, let's be honest. This is perfect for Christmas because I feel like Christmas is the season for a pretty, golden highlight and it's the only gold highlighter I've found that is pale enough for me!

Anyway, that's all from me today! I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and I'll speak to you all on Boxing Day, where I'll be doing a super exciting review...

Lots of love (and merry Christmas!!!),

- Kat x

PS: If you're interested in the handmade Christmas presents in these photos, just click here to have one made to order!

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November Favourites

Hey guys! I hope you've all had an amazing week :) I can't believe it's December already! Christmas is right around the corner and I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet...

This post is gonna be long. I've bought so much makeup (and received - it was my 18th birthday this month!) and I've been loving so much makeup that by the time I finish writing this post it'll be time to write up my December favourites. But without any further ado, let's jump right into it!

L'OREAL INFALLIBLE MATTE FOUNDATION

If you read my review on this foundation you will know that I loved this, and if you follow me on Instagram you'll have seen that I've been wearing this non-stop. I love how lightweight yet flawless yet natural it looks on my face and it's the perfect everyday foundation. And it's so affordable too! This is definitely a new holy grail of mine and I will be racing to Superdrug to buy this again the day I run out of it.

Price: £7.99 | Buy it here

PRIMARK CONTOUR & GLOW PALETTE

Watch every single makeup snob turn their nose up at me for even suggesting that a Primark beauty item might be good enough to make it onto a favourites post! I personally am the last person to be snobby about makeup; I love a cheap product. This palette is so surprisingly good quality, in fact, the formula of the bronzer kinda reminds me of the Benefit Hoola bronzer, which is one of my favourites. The highlighter is one of those soft, everyday, "glowing from within" type highlighters and I love it. Primark isn't messing around, guys!

Price: £3.50 | Buy it here

NYX HD CONCEALER

NYX lip products are some of my favourites ever so I decided to branch out and try their face products and all I can say is: WOW! This concealer is so good; it just melts into the skin when you blend it out and it lasts forever once set. It has fantastic coverage too! I got it in the shade "Porcelain" which is a little too yellow for me but once blended out and set it looks the same colour as my foundation anyway. I'm obsessed with this concealer and it's definitely one of my ride or die products now!

Price: £5.50 | Buy it here

THE BODY SHOP DROPS OF YOUTH CONCENTRATE

If you read my blog post about what I got for my birthday you'll know that I got a mini version of this product in a Glossybox and I love it. I use it before I go to bed after I tone and moisturise and when I wake up my skin is still looking so beautiful and radiant. My skin is so dry around this time of year but this adds so much extra moisture and makes my skin feel beautifully soft. I am absolutely obsessed!

Price: £25.00 | Buy it here

BENEFIT GIMME BROW

I'm late to the whole Gimme Brow hype but I totally get why it's so popular! I love how full and thick it makes my brows look in seconds, and I even changed my brow routine because of this product. I just swipe a bit of this on and tidy it up with my Freedom Brow Pomade. I got the shade "3" in a Benefit gift set I got for my birthday and I'm obsessed. I was never that into brow mascaras before but I love the way this coats my brow hairs and makes them look darker than they are, as I have very fair brow hairs. This doesn't set your brows in place but it definitely gives them an extra edge and I'm in love!

Price: £18.50 | Buy it here

GARNIER MICELLAR WATER

I saw that the Garnier Micellar Water was on offer in Asda a few weeks ago so I thought I'd pick it up as I know it's a lot of people's favourite way to remove makeup. I have to say, it's mine too! I start off by taking off my lipstick and eye makeup with a makeup wipe and then I take everything else off with some of this on a cotton pad. I love the way my makeup just glides off my skin when I use this and it's so easy to use. I'm almost out so I'll definitely be picking up another bottle soon!

Price: £3.29 | Buy it here

CIATE TRIPLE SHOT MASCARA

I got this mascara for my birthday and I am obsessed! It has a really tiny wand which makes it great for the lower lashes but it's really good for the top ones too and gives loads of volume. It is quite a pricey mascara, I won't lie, but it is really good and if you're into your high-end mascaras then I'd definitely recommend giving it a bash! Will I repurchase this? Probably not, as I love my Essence mascaras and they're only £3 each but I've been using this to death this month as I really like it!

Price: £19:50 | Buy it here

And that concludes my November favourites! I hope everybody has a great December and I'll see you all again in my next blog post :)

Lots of love,

- Kat

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What I Got For My 18th Birthday!

Hey guys! How've you all been this week? Sorry I've been a bit MIA but this week's been kinda hectic. As you may or may not know I turned 18 on Thursday and I got so many amazing things from my family. It was the best birthday I've ever had and I am so grateful for the amount of time, effort and money that went into making sure I had an incredible 18th. I thought I'd show you what I got as I love reading/watching birthday and Christmas hauls, but if you don't like it maybe stop reading now. As everyone says in these kind of hauls, I am not bragging by any means! I'm not trying to make people feel bad or whatever, I just wanted to share everything with you all!

My parents got me almost the entire VelvetGh0st collection which I'm so happy about because I love everything in the range. The colours and designs are just so me and obviously I love the cat theme running through it (if you didn't know, cats are my favourite animals). 

I got the duvet cover set (I got it in double) which is lilac, white with little black details. It has black piping round the outside and little tiny cats! I put it on my bed this morning and I am so excited to go to sleep tonight.

I also got two cushions, and they're both so soft. The first one is a cat-shaped cushion which is black on one side and white on the other (which is fitting since my cat, Elvis, is black and white). The other one is a really pretty soft pink with pompoms round the edge. I also got the matching throw which I am obsessed with as I think it might be one of the softest things I've ever felt. The softness of the material is definitely a recurring theme in this range! I also received the purple cat travel cushion which is gonna be so handy when we go on long journeys as I always try to sleep in the car but resting my head on the window isn't comfy and I keep bashing it, so I'm very excited to put this to the test!

The sleepwear is also gorgeous too. I got the pyjamas which are long-sleeved and have legging trousers and the top says "The Time Is Meow". They're so comfortable and I can't wait to wear them more often! I've also been living in the fluffy socks which, again, are super soft and have cats on them. I think I'll probably pick up another pair too as I've been wearing them so often that I can't see them lasting til the new year. I also got the cat-shaped eye mask which I'm very excited about as I don't have curtains in my room as the one window I have is a rooflight and if I want to lie in on a Saturday or something, by 9am or so the light is streaming in, I wake up, and I get a massive headache. This eye mask will prevent me from getting that and I can sleep in even longer! I thought it was such a thoughtful present as I'm always moaning about it. But my favourite part of the sleepwear range is the dressing gown. It's white, soft, and has a cat face and cat ears on the hood! Whenever I'm at home I live in my dressing gown and one with a cat-shaped hood is so fitting for me! Elvis has actually taken quite a liking to it too but I haven't let him cuddle me when I'm wearing it in case he moults all over it. It's so clean and white and I don't wanna ruin it!

I know there are 3 cups in the range but I only got one, which is the plastic cup with the lid and the straw. It's clear with purple, black and gold spots on, and it says "Meow" on it in black with a little gold cat. The lid is gold and the straw is purple. My sister bought this for me after she heard me say that I wanted a cup like this for my bedside table as I always wake up in the middle of the night gasping for water. I thought a cup like that would be handy as it has a straw and a lid and I wouldn't spill water all over myself (trust me, it's happened) which I thought was so lovely of her! 

I also got a couple of pieces from the stationery range. I got the big A4 notebook which is purple with gold details, and has lined lilac paper inside. I love a good notebook so I was so happy with this! I also got a set of pencils which I love. I also got the fluffy purple pen which I am obsessed with as it's just so cute! I'm gonna put it in a pot on my desk and maybe feature it in the background of some of my blog photos.

Speaking of blog photos, I got a few more things to feature in the background of them. I got the set of 15 LED fairy lights which are like little cotton balls that light up. They're so pretty and I've been wanting fairy lights for my room for the longest time! I also got a little chalkboard in the shape of a cat with LED lights round the edge which I thought was adorable. It even came with 3 different colours of chalk!

Now we've finished with the VelvetGh0st collection, let's jump into clothes! From my parents I got a jumper from New Look. It's kind of a natural colour, which would go with absolutely any pair of jeans. It's kind of thin so you'd have to wear a top under it but it's not scratchy like some jumpers, it's incredibly soft. My mum got it in a medium for me as the sleeves are meant to come up a little small, and I like the fact that it's a little bit baggy as it's snuggly. I don't think you can ever have enough jumpers! These are selling out fast on the New Look website, so if you want one, pick it up as soon as possible!

My grandma bought me a skirt from New Look when we went shopping on my birthday. It's black with flowers embroidered on it and it's beautiful. It's definitely a special occasion skirt and I'll probably wear it out to dinner or or on Christmas day or something.

This isn't necessarily clothes but my grandma also bought me a backpack, also from New Look! I've had my eye on it for ages. It's black and it looks like leather, and it has different embroidered patches on the front. I love it so much and I was in desperate need of a new backpack anyway as my old one looks so rough right now.

I also got a pair of slipper boots which are soooo cute. I have incredibly cold feet so I love these, I've already worn them and they're so cosy and comfy.

I also got 3 pairs of socks! One pair has sausage dogs on them, another has tortoises, and another pair has "I'm a little" on one sock and a picture of a chilli on the other which made me laugh so much! I know people hate getting socks for their birthday or Christmas but I love it. You definitely cannot ever have too many pairs of socks.

From my gran I got some money and a dainty little heart necklace, and from some family friends I got a teeny purse with a glass of champagne on it and a starfish necklace. I don't normally wear necklaces but maybe I might do in the future!

And now onto the bit that I'm sure all of you have been waiting for: makeup!

My grandma and I went shopping on my birthday as I mentioned above, and she bought me some bits which I was soooo excited about trying out! First of all we went to House of Fraser and as there was a MAC counter there, I spent a lot of time swatching lipsticks and eyeshadows and things. I asked a lady if she could match my skintone, and she said I was the shade "NC10", which is the lightest warm shade. My grandma then told me she'd buy me a foundation and a lipstick if I wanted, so I chose Studio Fix Fluid as I heard it had the best coverage out of all the foundations, and a lipstick in the shade "Mehr". A review on the Studio Fix Fluid is coming very soon!

Next, we went to SuperDrug and she bought me a Makeup Revolution gift set. She got me the one with the brand new contour kit, the two brushes and the sponge. Let me know if you want a blog post comparing the new contour kit to the old one!

We also went into TK Maxx to see if we could get some high-end makeup for a low price and I was so amazed! The Guildford branch is definitely the best branch I've ever been to. They had W7 brush sets and Nars eyeshadow palettes and even Too Faced liquid lipsticks! I picked up a little Ciaté set that had a full-sized Triple Shot Mascara and a mini Liquid Velvet in the shade "Swoon". I used the mascara yesterday and I love it, and I've heard so many good things about the Liquid Velvets too!

My mum ordered me two Glossyboxes online, and both have so many great things in! The first one contained a Trifle Cosmetics lipstick in the shade "Exotic Fruits", a no-name shampoo that smells amazing, a mini version of The Body Shop Drops of Youth, a Primark mascara, a cream blush and a face exfoliator. The second box contained a pack of razors (weird, but handy), a gold face mask, a fluffy crease brush from a brand called Ruby, an eyeshadow crayon and a pillow spray (you spray it on your pillow and it helps you go to sleep!). I was so happy with both my boxes and I'm so excited to use everything! I love the Drops of Youth and the fluffy crease brush.

Then when I got home from my grandma's I got a whole hamper full of makeup which I was so excited about. I got a "Gals Just Wanna Have Fun" kit from Benefit which contains a mini Hoola bronzer, a mini They're Real Mascara, a mini Benetint, a mini Gimme Brow and three eyeshadows. I've already used the mascara and the Gimme Brow and I love them! Also in the hamper were two Benefit skincare minis: Dream Screen sunscreen and their Firm It Up eye serum. I've only used the eye serum so far and I'm undecided on it but when I've made up my mind about it I'll let you know! I also got a full-sized They're Real Mascara which I'm so excited about and haven't even opened yet because I have the mini version. I'm starting a bit of a collection of Benefit minis now!

I also got some bits from W7. I got their Brow Parlour brow grooming kit, which contains two brow powders, a brow wax, a browbone highlight, an angled brush with a spoolie on the end and a pair of tweezers. I think the kit is so cute and I can't wait to use it! I also got their Pump and Blush in the shade "Peachy" which is a pretty peach liquid blush. I also got their Extra Extra Big Bold Lashes mascara which I'm sooooo excited to use as I love their Flirty Eyes one! I also got a Tinted Kiss Lip Oil in the shade "In The Pink" which is a gorgeous colour, the perfect gloss for purple lipsticks! I'm very excited to try it out. The last thing I got from W7 was their Smokin' palette which is a dupe of the Urban Decay Naked Smokey. I'm so excited to use all of these as I love W7!

I also got some more things from The Body Shop. I love The Body Shop's shower gels and skincare but I've never tried their makeup, funnily enough, so I was really pleased to receive their Fresh Sorbet Blush in the shade "Florida Sunstar" which is a really pretty coral colour and their English Rose Eye & Cheek palette. I've used one shade from the palette so far and I'm obsessed! If you want me to do a review with swatches, let me know!

Aaaaand this completes today's blog post! If you wanna see a review on anything I mentioned please let me know! Talk to you soon, lots of love,

- Kat x

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L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation Review

Hey guys! Sorry for double posting this weekend but I was super busy Thursday and Friday (and Saturday, at that) so I ended up posting Thursday's post yesterday instead. I hope you'll forgive me!

Last time I did a foundation review it became one of my most viewed blog posts and people still read it every day, so when I picked up a new one from Superdrug on Thursday I thought I would review this one as well. I'm thinking of maybe turning this into a monthly thing...let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!

I've had my eye on the L'Oreal Infallible Matte foundation for about a year now. I have combination but problematic skin (I wouldn't say acne-prone, more blemish-prone) that is always changing and is very unpredictable. I tend to reach for matte foundations, even though I love the dewy look, as my oils always naturally come through anyway.

This foundation, which set me back £7.99, claims to be waterproof, steamproof and comfortable while keeping your oil controlled for up to 24 hours. The website also states that it doesn't have a cakey effect. On the bottle, it states that it is a medium coverage.

My beloved Revlon Colourstay that I've mentioned in every single blog post since I started this blog is a medium to full coverage foundation that makes me look flawless. However, it is a bit on the thick side and can look a bit cakey. It's very heavy for everyday wear, so I'm always looking out for a good, lightweight foundation that I can just slap on whenever. I tried to find it in the L'Oreal True Match and while I really liked the formula, the shade I picked out was an almighty disaster and I have to say I've not worn it since. Apparently, my skin is not as yellow as I thought it was! You can read all about how I got on with it here. This time, I decided not to mess around and I picked up the lightest shade, "Porcelain".

You can see in the swatches above that it is a lot more pink-toned than my L'Oreal True Match and Revlon Colourstay. They're both yellow-toned foundations but the Revlon is more neutral to olive, whilst the True Match is, well, Marge Simpson's ideal shade. However, I found that the pink tones didn't look too bad on me! The foundation doesn't match me perfectly but looks alright, definitely not as bad as the True Match disaster.

I would have to agree that the coverage is a medium coverage. It looks great on my skin and blends out flawlessly. I did have to go in with another layer on my chin and on the right side of my face where I've had a bit of a breakout recently, but it's 100% buildable and after that layer it looked beautiful. It dried down to a powder-matte finish which I really liked, and it wasn't tacky in the slightest. If you wanna skip powder you totally can, but I always set my foundation...just in case.

It feels very lightweight on the skin, I don't feel like I'm wearing any foundation which is great! Concealer blends out beautifully over the top; on Friday I used the NYX HD Concealer and yesterday I used the last of my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. I did use a primer both times but the foundation doesn't seem to sink into my pores and it definitely controls my oil. It doesn't dry out my skin either and glides off at the end of the night with ease. It doesn't look cakey at all, and the best thing about it is that my oils don't even come through til about 12 hours later, but you can't see it at all (it just feels tacky, and it doesn't transfer). I think I've found my new everyday foundation!

I'm gonna wear this foundation a lot more in the future but watch this space...I have a feeling it might pop up in my November favourites but I don't want to jinx it! I am so impressed with this foundation and based off how I feel about it right now, I'd definitely repurchase. It's a lot cheaper than my Revlon and while it doesn't have the flawless, airbrushed finish that one has it's still great (and £5 cheaper). I think I'm gonna save my Colourstay for special occasions or when I want to look my absolute best. I'm so in love with this foundation and I really, really, really recommend trying it out! I wanna try the primer in that range now...

And that's all for today's blog post! I'm not too sure what's gonna happen about Thursday's post next week as it's actually my 18th birthday but I'll try my best to get something up!

Speak to you next week! Lots of love,

- Kat x

Buy the foundation here!
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