Cream & Powder High Street Shadows - What Do You Prefer?

I've always been a bit scared of eyeshadow, as whenever I've tried it in the past I could never get it to blend right and it always looked awful on me! Recently, I have been getting a bit better at it, but I have been noticing in recent years how cream shadows are shining in the beauty world. Be it shadow sticks, cream shadows or shadow paints, they seem to be turning into the top choice for the everyday girl who wants something that is easy and looks great in one sweep. 

So, are powder shadows becoming an outdated product on the high street?

My Top Picks: Sleek i-Divine Eye Shadow Palette in Storm and the Rimmel Glam'eyes Quad Eye Shadow in Smokey Brun

There are pros and cons for both formulas of shadow. For example, with powders you can be much more precise and build up colour very easily; but sometimes it's difficult to find good quality shadows in the high street, so it can get quite pricey and choosing which colours will look right with your outfit, or getting the right look from them can be a bit complicated. 

My Top Picks: The Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Sticks in Bulletproof Beige (very well used!) & Bad Bronze, the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, and the Topshop Crayon in Mink I think? I found this in the sale for £1(!!!) so I don't think they sell this one anymore, but many other brands do things similar to this, such as Avon.

On the other hand, cream shadows are super easy to use as all you need is your fingers to blend the edges and you're done. Also you can get some really good quality cream shadows at the high street so they can be a much cheaper option, but it's more difficult to get the precise look from a cream shadow, and the colours are tougher to build up to make  super smokey eye like you can with powder shadows. 

Personally, I think powder and cream shadows make the perfect duo when teamed together. I love the precision of powders, and the simpleness of creams which create a super long lasting and pretty eye look when used in conjunction.

So what do you think? Are you crazy for cream shadows or sticking with classic powders?

Underrated Products #1 - Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

Hello! This post is going to be the first of many, as I plan to have 1 review a month of products that I feel are underrated! It may end up being 2 per month, or maybe none if I can't find one. 

This is a product I rarely hear people in the online beauty community talking about, so I think it is definitely underrated.  The Maybelline New York Colossal Volum' Express Mascara in 100% Black.

As you can see in the photo, the wand of this mascara is a fibre one so it deposits the perfect amount of product on to the lashes. It is also a good size, as I don't find it's so big that I end up with mascara all over my eyelids, but it isn't too small that it takes ages to apply. I have quite naturally thick lashes, so in an everyday mascara I look for length, not too much volume and no clumps, and this does the job perfectly.

In this photo I have one coat of the mascara on my right eye. You can see how it has elongated my lashes, and added some volume too. One of my favourite things about this mascara is that it adds length and volume, but keeps my eyelashes separated and natural looking at the same time. 

In this one I have added a second coat. It doesn't do much to the volume, but it makes them extra black and adds a little more length. This mascara is really a one coat wonder, so the second coat doesn't look like much. What I like to do if I want some drama, is use this as the first coat to separate, and then use a volumising mascara on top. The current one i'm using is the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara.

In this one it's on both eyes. 

All in all, I really like this mascara. It has been a staple in my collection since I was about 15, so that must mean it's good! It does what I want it to do, but if you're after something to give you incredible volume, then this one probably isn't for you. I have just purchased the Maybelline The Rocket mascara, so we'll see how that compares as I know that one is raved about. 

Any mascara recommendations for me? I love trying out new products.

Lot's of love,

Hayley.

x

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Hello, and yes, today i am going to be "reviewing" a book! Probably in a really poor and unprofessional way, but I really want to share it with you guys. 

I really like the cover of mine!

Firstly, i'll tell you the summary of the book.

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself."

Ooooh, intriguing right? So, i'll start on my opinions. 

This book is of the Young Adult genre, it's set in a dystopian world (that means "An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror." Thanks dictionary!), and it's a novel. All things I tend to really enjoy, and this book was no exception.

This book had me hooked from about chapter 3, I would say, which is pretty much a record for me! I really enjoyed the way that the author, Veronica Roth, structured the book so that the chapters were quite short making every one end on some kind of cliff hanger. 

I found the main character Tris to be very likeable, so I always wanted her to be the best at everything. Also, this made me very much hate all of her enemies. That and they were easy to hate. (Peter, I am looking at you.)

And Four (or should I say, PHWOAR! my my when did i get so witty) is one of my favourite things about the entire book. I don't think I have ever fancied a character from a book as much as Four, and I just really want one for myself! I'm going to blame Veronica Roth for my future disappointment in the male gender, I think.

At parts, this book did get a bit gushy when Tris talks about boys and things like that, but I guess it a kind of 'coming of age' time for her and it doesn't go smushy for a long time, so I can get over that. Also, I found myself always wanting to know more about the world they were in, I mean is Chicago the only city that's left in the world? But I may find more out in the next two books in the series ,which are Insurgent and Allegiant (exciting!)

Personally, I do kind of  think that this book may have jumped on the Hunger Games band wagon. But I am probably going to think that with every single YA Dystopian novel, just because I absolutely love that series and it has a big place in my heart for getting me back into reading. So if Katniss and Tris got into a fight, I would be backing Katniss all the way.

This book was action packed, funny in parts, romantic and very easy to read, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Young Adult genre, and I will probably be trying to force all of my friends into reading it in the next couple of months, so that must mean it's good.  So go to your local bookstore and give the first chapter a read, get it on your e-reader, or if you trust me that much (which you should) you can buy it from here. (FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY GUYS!)

Also, it's coming out in movie form on the 21st of March in the US, so if you're going to read it, do it before the movie comes out!

wooooooah..

Lot's of love,

Hayley

x

I'm On Bloglovin'!

This is just a little post to tell you all that i am on Bloglovin'! 

If you don't already know what Bloglovin' is, it is a website which makes it super simple and easy to see new posts from the blogs you love. It updates your homepage whenever someone you're following makes a new post, so it would be great if you could follow me so you can keep up to date with what i'm posting. Hopefully, there will be a new post every Tuesday from here on out, maybe even one later on in the week too if I have something interesting to tell you about!

Do you have a blog? Let me know as i love finding a new blog to read!

Lots of love,

Hayley.

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My Top 5 of 2013!

I know this is very late and i'm sorry! But I figured this post was better late than never, as I want to write it so i can look back on it next year, as well as sharing it with you. This is going to be a post dedicated to my top 5 favourite beauty products of the entire year of 2013! And i'm telling you, they are gooduns.

Let's start with the least fun but very useful L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution. What a name! Basically, this stuff is incredible. It is a cleansing micellar water which is perfect for taking off make up. I use it if I have any heavy make up on, especially around my eye area, as it takes it off in a couple of sweeps and feels just like water. No stinging, no irritation, just clean skin. I also use it in the morning, just to get rid of any excess oil or grime that's built up on my face overnight. This has been a fantastic find for me, as I have used it almost every day for about 8 months, and this is only my second bottle!

Next up is my favourite face base of the year, the Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation. I don't really think I need to say much about this, it's just fab. It gives a medium coverage but it is buildable, it gives a slight glow but definitely doesn't look oily, and it smells AMAZING! I have tried the serum version of this, I would say that one gives a lighter coverage and I prefer the feel and look of the normal healthy mix formula.This foundation has been a revelation for me this year and I don't think I will ever be able to be without it again!

Something which kind of coincides with the foundation, is my favourite brush to apply it with. This is the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Again, need I say more? But I will anyway. This brush blends foundation seamlessly, and makes it look natural but perfect at the same time. I seriously wish they sold this brush separately as I would probably own two or three of them by now!

For eyeshadow this year I have been loving my MUA Undressed Palette. This thing is the biggest bargain ever! You get 12 shadows, a couple of mattes and some beautiful shimmery shades, all very pigmented and a great texture for £4. £4! I would recommend this to anybody who is on a budget who wants some fabulously long lasting and very pretty eyeshadows. You can use these to create a very natural everyday look, or use the darker shades to get a fab smoky eye (i've even used it on my eyebrows when in desperate times too!). I seriously love this thing, and I have heard it is a good dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette too. For that price, you seriously can't go wrong. 

And last of all (but definitely not least) is the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. These are fabulous for someone who loves to wear bright lipstick but is maybe a bit frightened to do so everyday. They apply at first quite sheer but you can build them up to an intense glossy lip. These are so hydrating and easy to apply, and in 2014 I am probably going to end up buying a lot more of these. The colours I have here are Macaroon, Candy Apple, Sweet Tart and Creme Brûlée. I would say of the four my favourite is Candy Apple. I used to have Tutti Frutti and that was my ultimate love but I lost it! It's so sad, so that will definitely be repurchased in the spring, and I also have my eye on Juicy Papaya. 

So those are my top 5 favourites of 2013! Do you have any favourites this year? I would love to hear any recommendations!

My next post is going to be slightly (very) different, so watch out any book lovers!

Lots of love,

Hayley.