Autumn OOTD

Hello blogging world! It's been a while! I've been quite distracted since moving back to the UK so haven't really had much time for blogging or YTing.. I'm still trying to figure out a schedule for all things Blogger and YT so hopefully at some point I'll be back on track with everything as I do miss doing this on a more regular basis. I've actually started a fitness channel as I didn't want to start posting too many fitness/diet related things on my regular YT channel. It's called FemFitDiary if you're interested! I'm also on Instagram with the same name.

So today's OOTD is a casual and comfy autumn look with a ZARA cardigan I showed in the last haul video I did.

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Cardigan - ZARA

Top - Marks & Spencer

Leggings - Asda

Boots - Jones
Coat - ZARA
Bag - Primark
Scarf - Primark

I did this a couple of weeks ago so it's actually too cold to wear an outfit like this one right now! So thumbs up for winter warmer OOTDs in upcoming posts! Hehe

Estée Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara

I've never really tried out high end mascaras as I've always felt quite satisfied with what the high street has to offer and I've always thought that high end mascaras were a bit too pricey for me to give them a go. However high street brand mascaras have been slightly creeping up in price over the past few years and after trying this particular high end mascara I have definitely been convinced that splashing out on one this good won't cause me to feel that much guilt! As you can see in the photo the Estée Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara I have is a sample/travel sized one. It came with one of those bonus gift deals that loads of high end brands have going on every once in a while, so I probably would never have tried this mascara if it hadn't been for the deal due to what I previously explained.

It has a standard long slim brush - nothing fancy (not that it needs to be) and it has a slightly wet consistency, not too wet though. It smooths on effortlessly on to each lash and does not clump. It gives lovely long and fluttery looking lashes while maintaining a natural look. After testing it out this became one of my go to mascaras as I fell in love with it straight away. The best thing I love about this mascara is that it is incredibly easy to remove. No rubbing and scrubbing trying to get even any slight residue off. It will come off even just using water! Despite this, it has excellent staying power. It definitely is a zero-smudge mascara as its name suggests. I can wear this mascara from morning to night (yep night, not evening!) and there will be no sign of panda eyes or flaking at all! I stopped using it so much as I don't want it to run out before I can get my hands on another one. Hopefully I'll be able to get it at duty free when I return to the UK. 

I'm so glad I've found a mascara like this. I used to only like using water proof mascaras as you never know what can happen while you're wearing mascara and you don't want any accidents, but I've gone off them as they're just a pain to remove. This is one of my niggles with Benefit's They're Real! It's great and all, but it's too difficult to remove. There are of course other non water resistant or water proof mascaras on the market but I've never come across one that can be removed so easily but does not smudge at all during use. If you know of one let me know! 

Face of The Night - Orange & Purple Eyes!

My first FOTN post! The Mr and I went out for drinks some weeks ago when I rocked this FOTN, I hadn't posted it earlier as I've been pretty strapped for time lately. Better late than never I say though! I thought I'd experiment a bit with my lovely FASH palette so I chose to do a look using orange and purple.

Eyes

All eyeshadows from my FASH palette

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

Brows filled in with MUA's individual eyeshadow in shade 19

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

Helen E black eyeliner in waterline

Face

Me Me Me Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base

Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation in 85 Soap Stone

Bobbi Brown Eye Shimmer Brick (Sunshine) as highlighter

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium under eyes

Sleek Blush in Sahara

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 330

Lips

Estée Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in 301 Crystal Baby

My T-Zone is quite shiny as I took the pictures after getting home rather than before. Though it does come off a bit shinier than reality due to the flash. Also it shows the performance of the foundation and powder after long hours. The Maybelline Fit Me powder is definitely a very gentle and light powder that doesn't really control shine in anyway at all so if you prefer powders that help to control shine don't go for this one. As for the Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation (which is oil free), I find that this also does not control shine in any way, neither does it leave a matte finish. If I apply too much it can cause my skin to get oilier. So again do not go for this if you like mattifying foundations. I personally quite like this foundation and would recommend it. Click here if you would like to see my video review of it.

I definitely enjoyed the finished result of this look and will probably do it again. What colour combinations have you experimented with?

Lipstick of The Day | Barry M Lip Paint in 153

Gotta love pink lipsticks right? Barry M's Lip Paint in 153 is a gorgeous girly pink with a sublte hint of coral, perfect for many occasions! This is the first Barry M lipstick I've tried and I've been enjoying it very much, first off I love the packaging. I think the matte black looks great and the simple smart packaging reflects quality for a high street lipstick, unlike some other high street lipstick packaging. I don't know about you but a lot of the time packaging definitely affects whether I'm inclined to buy something or not.

As you can see from the swatches the lipstick isn't strongly pigmented, it's moderately sheer on the first coat but it is buildable. This lipstick glides on really nicely and leaves my lips feeling moisturised, I've seen a few posts saying the lipstick was drying but I didn't feel this at all. Unfortunately these test pictures don't really show the colour to it's full vibrancy, they certaintly don't show off the subtle hint of coral I mentioned! Ahh well..

Due to the pretty buildable colour I like to use this lipstick when I want something bright and happy but I don't want anything too out there or 'look at me' type lipstick. I definitely want to try out other Barry M lipsticks as I loved this one. Do you have any Barry M lipsticks? If so which is your fav?

Video | How to Get Gorgeous Glowing Skin Naturally!

My latest video is about something I'm sure many if not all women want; Healthy glowing skin without the help of make-up! This is very achievable if we listen to our body and treat it well. I'm at a point where I'm very pleased with the condition and appearance of my skin and I know that the way it is now is a result of tweaking some lifestyle choices / routines and skin care habits amongst other things. Check out my video below to see my top tips for getting healthy glowing skin naturally!

Quote of The Day

I'm quite a spiritual person and I've decided to integrate that a bit into my blog to bring about an air of love and happiness! Throughout the past few years I've definitely grown a lot more spiritually, due to the situations I've faced and had to deal with. So as not to ramble I'll just give one main example which is the fact that I had to move away from the UK unexpectedly and not necessarily by choice. I've been living outside the UK for almost four years now and since before and during this time I've learned so much about myself and life due to all the difficulties I've been faced with during these years and of course it's always an on going process. One thing that I've changed which I think is a very beneficial thing is that I no longer watch the news, of course it's important to know what's going  in the world but frankly all news networks mostly do is just encourage us it feel negative emotions like fear and sadness. I've read a few spiritual books which mentioned this and that's where I first got the idea of just not watching the news anymore and I haven't looked back! Every time I happen to hear the news, or go on news websites it's always doom and gloom.. why can't the main focus be positive things that make us feel good about life?! I do remember I once saw an item about a really helpful and cheerful supermarket worker, it was so lovely to watch that! I think the worker's name was Nigel but I can't find the video on YouTube! So annoying I really want to share it with you! Anyway I thought I'd start of this subject on my blog with a Paulo Coelho quote from The Alchemist, a must read!

I think fear prevents us from doing so many things in life, and a lot of the time it's even 'silly' things that get put to the side because we're scared of people's opinions or failing or because of whatever else. It also causes us to behave in regretful ways. This is such a dense subject that affects so many aspects of life! If we let go of fear we open a door that leads to so many possibilities! What is one fear you faced and overcame be it tiny or big?

Wish List #3

1. MUA 12 Shade Pretty Pastel Palette

2. ZARA strappy sandals

3. Golddigga stripped maxi dress

4. e.l.f. Jumbo Lipgloss Stick

5. Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Intensive Charcoal Scrub

6. Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit

7. Michael Kors Jet Set Small Travel Tote

This Wish List edition isn't as expensive as my last one though there are still a couple of pricy items! But I say we all deserve a bit of a treat now and then, eh? Hehe! I've been loving pastel looks lately so I've been browsing images on Google from time to time for lots of inspiration. I had seen the MUA 12 Shade Pretty Pastel Palette the times that I bought other MUA products but didn't really have any interest in buying it, so I regret that now! I think I'll wait until I get back to London as I'm not sure I want to try the online shop, I haven't tried international online shopping since I've been living in Brazil so I'm a bit apprehensive about it. However, the ZARA sandals would probably convince me buy online overseas if I could get my hands on them! I've seen them in quite a few blogs and YouTube OOTDs and just fell in lurrrve. We have a ZARA here though due to the fact it's winter in Brazil when it's summer in the UK, there is no summer collection being sold here at the moment  of course.

I love maxi dresses, I think they're so beautiful and versatile for the spring and summer months. I've been wanting a striped maxi dress for a while and this Golddigga one is just how I want it; horizontal stripes and in a racer back style. 

I've got a Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain and really like it, it's moisturising and gives a a gentle sheen and subtle colour to the lips, perfect for on the go! The e.l.f. Jumbo Lipgloss Sticks are a cheaper alternative so I'm curious to try them out. The colours on the website look quite pretty though there is one shade that looks like it's got some shimmer in it so I'm not sure I'd like to try that one.

Any skin care products that are focused on natural ingredients automatically get my attention! Aaand I especially like Garnier skin care products, so I'm most likey going to want to try any new Garnier skin care product hehe. Before I came across the Garnier  Skin Naturals Pure Active Intensive Charcoal Scrub, I actually wanted to make an active charcoal home made face mask at some point due to the numerous benefits. Active charcoal is great for drawing out toxins and helping to purify the skin. It also has many benefits when taken internally. I assume that this Garnier scrub doesn't have a high percentage of active charcoal in the ingredients as that is usually the case with skin care and hair care products that have natural ingredients in them, but I'm still really itching to try it.

I currently use MUA's individual eyeshadow in 19 to fill in my eyebrows but it's a temporary solution as I don't really like the shade for me, I find it too warm. I wanted to try Sleek's brow kit but they never had the dark version whenever I checked a Sleek stand. Anyway, this Bobbi Brown brow kit is a bit pricey at £35 but I really want to try it! I love the gel liner set I got last time I was on a long haul flight and whenever I get a good impression from a product I don't ever think twice about trying out another product from the same brand. I do actually use my Bobbi Brown gel liner (in sepia) to fill in my brows sometimes, the colour is perfect and long lasting.

My last wish list had the LV Neverfull bag, this MK one is a bit more affordable! I just might take the plunge and splash out on this gorgeous bag one day hehe, I've seen a few people with it and it's just so lovely! It's the perfect 'throw-everything-in-there' bag as it goes with pretty much anything you wear for being neutral.

So that's it for this Wish List edition! Have you tried anything on my list? What are you currently lusting over?

Nails of The Week

I haven't done a nails of the week post in a while so I thought it was about time to get one up! This week I wore this gorgeous blue colour by Cora called Cancun. I'd say the colour is a bit more 'electric' than it appears in the photos. I love blue colours so this nail varnish caught my eye as soon as I noticed it while I was browsing nail polish in my local beauty supply shop. Cora is one of the cheap drugstore nail polish brands here in Brazil, a dupe I found for this colour is Barry M's Cyan Blue.

 

I started to wear glittery metallic shades on my ring finger whenever I chose a creamy shade for the rest of my nails but I thought this time I'd leave that detail out. This may be my favourite blue of the moment! Do you have a favourite blue nail polish?

Review | e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

 

 

This is the first eyeshadow primer I've ever bought and may just be the last just because it is AWESOME. I had heard good things about this primer before I purchased it so I bought it with no second thoughts. I had it in my stash for some time before I actually used it as I wasn't used to using eyeshadow primer before I started to experiment more with make-up and just kept forgetting to use it. The first time I used it was on New Year's, which was the perfect test as my dramatic eye make-up would have to last for hours.

e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer has a light, creamy texture and blends nicely onto the skin. The finish is completely sheer. There is no gloopy or sticky feel on application, it feels quite soft and silky in fact. When I used this on New Year's I applied my makeup at around 9pm and got home at around 5am and my eyes looked exactly like they did when I had first applied my makeup! I have oily skin and my eyelids are no exception to that, my eyeshadow creases and gets shiny after some time and the e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer even managed to keep that under control! Furthermore, you only need a tiny bit of product and you are good to go! One of my best budged buys, highly recommended! Have you tried e.l.f.'s Mineral Eyeshadow Primer? What's your favourite eyeshadow primer?

Review | Clarins Super Restorative Foundation -Teint Lift Eclat Spf 15

Don't you just hate it when you buy a product without realizing what it actually is? Well I do and that's what happened when I bought this foundation. I didn't realise it was and anti-aging foundation (despite the words 'True Lift' in the name, duuuh!), I wouldn't have purchased it if I had realized. However it was on sale for more than half off so I didn't really give that much attention to details as I wanted to take advantage of the mega bargain! This foundation retails at  £35 at Boots so it's quite pricey without that nice discount! I've never been interested in anti-aging foundations as due to my oily skin I've always found them to be best suited to dry skin types. Having said that, my error was a blessing in disguise as I looove this foundation. It is amazing, it gives a beautifully fresh and natural finish to the skin without being too dewy (no shimmer by the way). It has great medium to high coverage so you can apply just a little bit on those days you're feeling good about your skin but still want a 'lift'. Despite the great coverage this foundation is not heavy or cakey, it is wonderfully light! It gives the skin a supple, hydrated and healthy looking finish.

The packaging is great as it's a pump bottle, so fuss free. Even better is that it's the type of pump that pushes the product up as it gets used like the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation bottle. Only thing is that you can't see how much product is left as the bottle is white but that doesn't really bother me too much.

This foundation has a nice light creamy consistency and it blends nicely.

I noticed as I was testing out the shades that the odd numbered shades were warmer / neutral toned and the even numbered shades were cooler toned. I ended up choosing shade 9 Café Glacé / Capuccino as it was the darkest available where I bought the foundation, I would have preferred a slightly darker shade though. I'm a MAC NC44, I think I would say that shade 9 would be comparable to NC42. I would prefer for the shade to be a bit yellower, but that is my personal preference. The only foundation I've so far tried to date that I've found to be yellow enough for me is MAC's Studio Fix, but it made my skin bumpy so can't use it =(.

This foundation instructs you to apply it with your fingers which I believe is the best way as I've tried using brushes and they don't give the same natural finish as when applying with my fingers. A little goes a long way!This foundation lasts well and doesn't make my skin that much more oily than when I don't use it. I do have to blot at some point but that's just the way with oily skin! I would not recommend it to people with oily skin that prefer foundations that help with oil control as this is definitely a dewy foundation. It has SPF so that's a plus for those who like foundations with SPF.

Conclusion? One of the best 'mistake' purchases I've ever made! I love looove this foundation, it's pretty expensive but I like it so much I might be tempted to splash out when my bottle finishes! My experience with this has got me interested in trying out other Clarins products. I know how popular the Beauty Flash Balm is so I'm thinking of giving that a go too. What is/are your favourite Clarins product/s?