High End Products Worth The Hype

Every social media platform I see; Youtube, Blogs, Instagram etc. I am constantly being enticed by the latest hyped up make up products that I feel I just HAVE to buy. Unfortunately, not all the products live up to the expectations but these are some of the products i'm so happy that I splurged the cash on and have been worth every penny! 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette-

This eye shadow palette has been featured on possibly every Youtube channel i've ever watched and I was hesitant to buy it as I am so happy with my Naked Palettes but the second I got this home it became my favourite palette. It has 16 shades in it, two of which are highlight shades in a bigger pan, and a great mix of mattes and shimmers, warm and cool tones, neutral browns and more adventurous colours. This palette can be used to create literally any look; I've never had such a versatile palette that I can use for a soft eye during the day and a heavy look at night. The quality of the shadows is so good as well, they are all very pigmented and blend so well because they are so creamy. If someone asks me for a palette recommendation this is what i'll say every time.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer -

This is a fairly new release from Urban Decay but as soon as it came out everyone was raving about it, many claiming it had replaced their all time favourite Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. Having been using nothing but the Nars myself for a long time I really wanted to try this and although it was painful giving nearly £18 for what seems like so little product, I can definitely see why its had such good reviews. It does blend better than the Nars concealer as it has such a creamy formula and it lasts all day no problem, meaning its become my new every day favourite!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz -

ABH is renowned for their brow products and I couldn't wait to pick one up when I went to America early this year. I have the shade medium brown which is so perfect for me as its very cool toned and it blends so well meaning there's no obvious pencil lines. I am absolutely gutted mine has almost run out as it is £16 for a new one (plus delivery as its harder to get hold of here in the UK) and I'm saving the last remnants for special occasions as no products make my brows look as good as this. Nyx do a similar product which is a fairly good dupe but the Brow Whiz is my definite holy grail brow product and I couldn't recommend it enough to anyone.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation-

Where to start on this, my favourite foundation of all time. I have tried a lot of foundation but never have I found anything that comes close to comparing to Sheer Glow. The shade is a completely perfect match for my skin (Mont Blanc) and it blends so well its hard to tell that I'm wearing foundation, yet it gives me such good coverage, hiding all my redness and discolouration and it lasts on my skin all day without clinging to dry patches. Whenever anyone mentions needing new foundation I literally shout at them that their life is incomplete without Sheer Glow, I would say its in my top five all time make up products, although the £31 price tag means i can't bring myself to use it every day as much as I would love to.

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector -

This. Highlighter. Is. Amazing. Mac 'Soft and Gentle' is just blown out of the park compared to the pigment and creaminess of Champagne Pop. Its amazing for all skin colours and I would never use anything else on a night out as it gives cheekbones to SLAY. If theres one highlighter anyone ever needs in their life its this! Worth every penny and more.

Nars Laguna Bronzer -

An absolute cult classic in the beauty world and for good reason. This bronzer is just the perfect shade that it can give a cool looking contour yet at the same time it warms up your skin but never looks orange or muddy - it is literally magical and blends like a dream. It comes in a pretty large pan and I use it every day and have barely made a dent in it so for me it was a good investment and I have rarely touched another bronzer since this. Its the perfect balance of pigmented but not so pigmented that you end up with brown circles on your cheeks and have to blend for ten minutes. I am always complimented on looking healthy when I wear Laguna which says to me this is a great product and I'm so happy I bought it.

MAC Lipsticks -

For me I literally never wear anything on my lips except Mac Lipsticks. I currently own about 17 which I know a lot but I do wear them all and they're so amazing I just can't stop buying them. These lipsticks aren't too pricey compared to some other high end brands but are definitely on par with quality. They have great staying power, especially the mattes can be relied on to last through eating, and they smell heavenly. Theres such a large colour and finish selection, they have the perfect lipstick for everyone and I would definitely recommend everyone to check them out if they haven't already (and they look very pretty on top of my dressing table). My favourite shades are 'Whirl' which is quite a dark brown matte on me, as well as 'Viva Glam 2', a fairly pale pink toned matte which is great for every day neutral looks.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what high end products I love and please let me know if there's any you think I should try,

Becca x

Top 5 Tips For A Healthy Mind

Morning everyone, 

Recently I’ve been going through quite a down patch in life, letting quite a lot of things get on top of me but after a few peaceful days away from everything in the middle of nowhere, I’ve cleared my mind and feel a lot more positive about things.

I believe that just making some small changes can have a big impact on your outlook and mindset, and so I thought today I would share a few of the steps I take to refresh my thinking and work towards a healthy and peaceful mind.

• Fresh Air: Run, walk, sit, cycle, it sounds so simple but for me going outside, especially on a cold, crisp early morning, literally cleanses my head and I can physically feel the wind carrying negative thoughts away with it as it blows past. Sometimes my head can feel quite clouded and heavy, and the fresh air really helps to relieve this pressure and I go back home feeling much lighter and able to think straight. See how you feel, sometimes I will sprint for miles as fast as I can to feel the strong rush of wind and to stop me from concentrating on anything except the rhythm of my feet on the pavement. Other times I won’t feel like running, and I have the desire to get away from all the noise and distractions, so I’ll go on a long walk in deep countryside. I am a complete city-girl at heart and thrive off the buzz and hustle, but occasionally it is so clarifying to escape it all and just wander somewhere alone with the natural surroundings.

• Read a Book: Ever since I can remember I have been an avid reader, fascinated by the way certain combinations of letters on a page can transport you to a different world, connect you with these characters that don’t even exist like they are your friends. When there are things in life that are getting too stressful or I can’t stop thinking about something, I pick up a novel. Sometimes it can take me a while to get in the mood for reading but after I persevere through the first few pages, I am soon immersed into this new story, my own troubles left behind as I explore these new people and concepts in the book. When I finally put the book down (which is usually a difficult thing to test myself away from it) I feel both relaxed and distracted, and after experiencing the story I often feel like I have a fresh perspective on my own life.

• A Green Smoothie: A few weeks ago I took part in a three day juice cleanse with my friend, and although it was a bit of a struggle to stay away from chocolate, at the end of the three days I felt like a new person. I was shocked to feel that the so-called ‘cleansing’ and ‘revitalising’ genuinely did make my whole body feel cleansed and revitalised and I had so much more energy and felt a lot happier even though i’d only done it for such a short amount of time. My favourite recipe is a cup of spinach (don’t worry you can’t taste it at all), a cucumber and a green apple. Simple, tasty, and very filling.

• Clean, White Bedding: Another very simple action, something that often people do without even thinking about it. Yet I find not much compares to the feeling of bright clean sheets; climbing into the fresh bedding literally makes me feel fresh and clean and white and like I'm starting a new chapter. Sometimes when you're having dark thoughts in your head its good to fill your day with light objects to try and raise your mood.  

• Making Plans: My final tip, and perhaps the most important, is to make exciting plans for the future. Whether its something big like a summer holiday, or something as small as having your favourite food for dinner the next day, having something to look forward to is the best way to take your mind off things and acts like a goal or reward that you can work towards.

I hope reading this post can help someone to feel a bit happier by reading it because I'm definitely feeling in a much better place right now, especially since relaunching my blog. 

Becca x