November Favourites

Excuse the excitement that I’m sending down the key board as I type this, but November Favourites can only mean one thing… the month of my birthday and Christmas is just around the corner. BIGGEST WOOP. This weekend I’m bringing all of my friends back to the Island to congregate for a big old school style birthday house party and then next week BLOGMAS BEGINS. That’s right, I’m not only doing vlogmas videos this year, but also blogging every day of December about all things fabulous and festive. But enough hogging of November’s limelight, I have actually found some real crackers (woops, there I go again) during this past month…

Bourjois Smoky Stories in ‘Over-Rose’: Part of Bourjois’ AW drop, this is drugstore palette perfection that’s caused me to ditch the Naked and get all rosy. You apply these shades in order of light to dark as a base, contour and definer with a dusting of glitter over the top- it looks super pretty and is the perfect way of bringing sparkle to the day job!

Benefit Majorette: When I opened my beautifully packaged peachy pink cream blush I had no idea it would become the only thing I allow my cheeks to wear. But in these dull, pale skinned winter months this is the perfect pick me up that blends like a dream adding much needed dewyness and smells of pomegranate in the best possible way. I may have found the one you guys.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: I finally gave in to the hype on what is perhaps the most overhyped toner of all time and I’m actually so glad I did! I’ve been going through a bit of a bad patch in the skin department and this has been sorting it right out. A few quick spritzes between my morning/night cleansing and moisturising smooths pesky bumps, calms any outbreaks and brightens everything up. It also smells like a zesty cocktail I very much want to eat.

Bourjois Megaliner: November was the month I finally found the holy grail liner for cat flicks. This baby does have a slightly tricky angled felt tip applicator, but once you’ve got to grips with it you’ll find it comes out ultra black and DOES NOT BUDGE. Never in the history of my makeup wearing have I found a liner that doesn’t leave my big old flicks in a smudgy/flaky mess by the end of the day. Until now of course- I highly recommend that this is tomorrow’s pay day purchase.

Paco Robanne Lady Million: It’s not often that a fragrance makes it’s way in to my favourites, but as you’ll be looking for things to pop on Santa’s list I thought I’d include the one I’ve been loving lately. Paco Robanne Lady Million is a new addition that I’ve been enjoying very much indeed. It has that whole girly/grown up balance just right with a delicious orange/honey based scent and the packaging is dreamyyyy as. 

What are your November Favourites?

My Top 5 Foundations

When I first got into makeup sparkly lipglosses and neon eyeshadow were the things that got me going, but today? Give me bottles of foundation to play with and we are well away! More boring perhaps, but I’ll never tire in my quest to find that holy grail all beautifying base. I actually think I’ve got close to it in my latest foundation lineup which features everything from light, matte, dewy, drugstore, heavy, high end, pink and yellow- just call it your complexion perfecting pick ‘n’ mix. Enjoy ladies.

New Look Haul & Giveaway

Fluffy Cardigan // Houndstooth Blazer // Leather Shorts // Denim Midi Skirt // Boyfriend Tee //  Fine Knit Top

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Look has to be one of my very favourite shops. I've loved it ever since those funky 915 days and it's still my go to place for fast fashion, hence why I'm so excited to bring you this haul and giveaway! Since starting my new job I've been stocking up on lots of staples for A/W, largely of the monochrome variety apparently... The cosy cardi and leather shorts are my two absolute favourite finds because they go with so much and are perfect for textured layering. I also think the houndstooth boyfriend blazer is gorgeous and the perfect piece for chucking over ripped jeans and a cami. New Look have far more fun festive pieces at the moment too, so whatever you're after I highly recommend entering my giveaway to win a £60 voucher so you can have some nice new treats! You can enter via the rafflecopter form above (make sure to complete all the entries so you have the best chance of winning) and I'll be announcing the winner through my Instagram on Monday 8th December. Good luck!

The Face #1

laura mercier foundation primer // rimmel nude lasting finish foundation 'ivory' & 'soft beige' // collection lasting perfection concealer '02' // Maybelline dream lumi touch concealer '01' // rimmel stay matte powder 'sandstorm' // bourjois chocolate bronzer '51' // benefit majorette // benefit brow zings 'light' // benefit gimme brow 'light' // bourjois megaliner // bourjois volume clubbing mascara // mac 'lady danger' 

What's on your face today?

The Big Makeup Haul

Sooo a few bits of makeup may have fallen into my online/physical beauty baskets and through the letter box in the last month. There are just so many amazing new releases at the moment, both drugstore and highend are really bringing it for A/W! You can watch my latest video to get the full low down on everything, but the new stand outs have to be the Mega Liner and Smoky Stories palettes both from Bourjois. The palettes are ridiculously pretty with a gorgeous glitter centre and the liner has actually made it to holy grail status already- it's pigmented, easy to use and DOES NOT BUDGE. EVER. Pretty revolutionary stuff for fellow cat flick lovers. I'm also really loving the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and Benefit's new cream blush, Majorette, for keeping my base fresh and perky through these dull skinned winter months. After steering away from gels for a while I appear to be going through a bit of a nail polish phase with Nails Inc and Essie topping my tip list with those fabulous festive glitters. My plans for tonight actually revolve around glittering up my nails, online Christmas shopping and I'm A Celeb watching. Lovely Jubbly.

What makeup haulin' have you done lately?   

The Cara Brow

When it comes to the brow-volution that's taken place over the past few years there's only one lady to be held responsible- Miss Cara Delevingne. Potentially even more infamous than a certain someone's booty, her full bushy brows are a trademark that lots of girls, including myself, aspire to. I was lucky to be quite naturally blessed in the brow department but they still need some help to reach Delevingne heights. So without further ado I'd like to welcome you to my three step wow brow, Cara style-

1. Start by taking Benefit Brow Zings, or any wax and powder dupe for that matter, on an angled brow brush. I use the light version with a bareMinerals brush, mixing both the wax and powder together before popping it through each brow. This is great for filling in any sparse areas and giving them some nice definition.

2. With a normal brow you can just leave it there but the Cara needs more volume, which I've found can only really be achieved using Benefit Gimme Brow- a volumising fibre gel. Pop the spooly through both brows plumping up the hairs, taking care of any more sparse areas and making sure to spike up those inner 'tufties' that Cara wears so well.

3. By now you should have thicker, fuller more shapely brows that Cara would be proud of, but they still need to be kept in place. It might seem a bit bizarre but finish off by putting a tiny amount of clear lip product such as the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Stick at the front and ends of your brows and the hairs won't budge all day. Simples. 

Have you got any browtastic tips?

REN TO THE RESCUE

Every year around this changeover of seasons my skin seems to have a bit of a paddy. It always really misses the sun and this year it's had to get used to less sleep because of my longer commute and general London life too. I'm lucky that I've never suffered from real problem skin, but since Autumn hit it's all got a bit too bumpy and congested for my liking... cue REN coming to the rescue!

Having only tried the radiance range from REN, I decided to invest in some more skin sorting products- the Clarimatte Clarifying Toner, ClearCalm Clarifying Clay Cleanser and ClearCalm Clarity Restoring Mask. So far I've been using the cleanser in my morning routine, the toner before I go to bed and mask once/twice a week and have noticed really good, steady results so that my skin is pretty much restored to normality. Hoorah! 

The first thing I love about REN is how simple and straightforward their skincare is- it either works with cotton pads or water (no extra cloths/buffers involved) and you are told exactly what the product is and when to use it. The product I've enjoyed using the most has to be the cleanser. Most blemish fighting cleansers are harsh and strip the skin, but this lathers up to a gorgeous creamy consistency that soothes the skin, leaving it clean, calm and under control with a comforting layer of moisture. As you can imagine the mask is a bit more drying,  but actually manages to both unclog pores and stop spots in their tracks which usually you have to buy two separate masks for. It also helps to reduce the appearance of spot scarring, making this a perfect all in one mask for complexion perfection. Now onto the toner- this is unlike any toner I've used before. For a start it actually earns it's place in my night time routine by being incredibly effective at smoothing and resurfacing the skin (goodbye pesky underskin bumps!). It also lifts excess makeup that your Bioderma didn't quite see to and gives you a very satisfying skin tingling effect.

Obviously REN isn't a budget brand, but I've decided it's worth investing the money I'd usually spend on lots of drugstore items into less, higher quality skincare bits that will get everything back to tip top condition and hopefully keep it that way. I'm very impressed with my dabble into REN territory and it's safe to say all these bottles have earned a permanent place on my skincare shelf. Lucky them.

What would you recommend from the REN range? 

The Video | Autumn/Winter Get Ready With Me

This Sunday's video is an Autumn/Winter Get Ready With Me featuring the copper berry makeup and messy curls I've been loving lately. Oh, and a random adorable cat I found in the street as I filmed my outfit snippet! I'm literally loving this whole Autumn into Winter season with all the Christmas adverts and decorations everywhere. Get ready for a whole lot of festive posts and videos and Instagrams of reindeer jumpers heading your way very soon... 

October Bloglovin

Beauty, Plus Sized Fashion and Lifestyle blog! Just call me your 'One Stop Shop'- a blog based on a passion that's filled with little treats, giveaways and motivational posts.

APRIL is a 22 year-old pop singer/songwriter/producer from Kent. She writes and records all her material in her bedroom at home and produces everything from scratch, herself.

Who were you loving last month?

Shopping the Stash #3

With every season change I like to switch the makeup bag up a bit, but rather than having a mad Boots basket dash straight away it's always good to shop the stash first *pats self on back* You'd be surprised at how many gems you have hidden away under piles of long lost lip glosses and items bought when you were feeling a touch too brave and now reserve only for Halloween (looking at you black/purple lipstick I bought on a hangover) and here is what I rediscovered last week-

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Pink Gold' | I have what can only be described as an undying love for the Colour Tattoo in 'on and on bronze' so I've no idea why this one got so neglected. It's an extremely pretty cream shadow in a light rose/berry tone which will truly come into it's own now Autumn has hit. I envisage it layered with MAC cranberry in the crease on Christmas day or blended around the eye for an every day hint of plumy prettiness. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | If you've been with the Boutique since the start then you'll know how much I used to adore this, but then the likes of Mille Mac got to me and I fended off anything containing the word 'matte' with a clove of garlic and a stake. However, my new London life involves ALOT of tubes and running around and 12 hour days so I've turned back to this to keep everything on the face in place for a perfect price.

Benefit Hydra-smooth Lipstick in 'Fling Thing' | I actually got this back in the Spring (good one meg) so haven't given it much love until now. Purple toned berry shades can be hard to wear in the day but this has a very flattering pink undertone so it's a little less vampire and a lot more wearable. The moistorising, slightly glossy formula also means you can press it on for full effect or pat onto the lips for a quick blackcurrant flush. 

Have you shopped your stash lately? 

Autumn Beauty Picks

Well hello November! After an extremely fun Halloween it's time to put away the pumpkins and welcome the firework and festive period. WOOP. I'm kicking off the month with a run down of all things moisturising and berry toned from myself and the lovely Faye. She's a proper gem and we had a lot of fun and (a few too many) giggles filming this video! You can get a taster of our Autumn beauty picks in my little duvet snap, but if you want all the info then please give the video a watch and head over to our Autumn Style Picks on Faye's channel too :)

What are your beauty picks for Autumn?