Friday 29 December 2017

The Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette

Hey,

I've been kinda bad, for two reasons... I was suppose to be on a spending ban, which I admit lasted all of two minutes. Hey, if you cant treat yourself when you're sick, when can you! (Let's just pretend that Dr's prescribe retail therapy..) Not only that, but the spending ban fail was caused by this palette in particular. I've actually had it for a few months now, I purchased it back when the prelaunch was announced in September. But as it's so utterly insanely gorgeous and as I had kinda given up on makeup for a few months as steroids reek havoc with your skin. It's been sat in its also equally stunning gift box (bar the odd necessary photoshoot of course!), until I finally bit the bullet and ruined its pristine perfection.
I haven't really tried much from Charlotte Tilbury, I've wanted to for years. But I always put off the purchase in favour of something usually from Illamasqua for example. Just as in my eyes, Charlotte Tilbury is such a luxurious brand, a treat brand like Chanel or Dior.
I totally blame the packaging, it's just so awe worthy in it's rose gold signature Charlotte Tilbury style, that I always just think her products are way too pretty to actually use. They feel heavy and scream luxury when you pick them up, as the packaging is so weighty. I love the art deco theme of this palette especially. As Charlotte said herself; it was really difficult to produce due to the moulds needed to create the embossed casing, however Charlotte was so committed to the idea that she had envisioned, it was getting made exactly how she wanted no matter how many times everyone else said no.

Plus dont even get me started on the gift boxes... I would really recommend going for a gift wrapped option, even if it is a treat for yourself. The gift boxes arrive so beautifully wrapped and they're really good quality sturdy boxes, that can be kept on display and used as very stunning storage.
Ok well enough fan girling and onto the actual palette...

It's the largest eyeshadow palette Charlotte has released to date, it contains twelve shadows, in a variation of matte and shimmer finishes. The concept behind it is that it'll give you all the shades you need to give you four different eye looks for four different occasions. Of course you can mix and match however you please as well though.

The first of the four looks in the palette is the Day Eye, A trio of cool taupe tones, to give you a natural but defined eye look for everyday wear. The trio's are split into Prime, Enhance and Smoke.So unfortunately the shades themselves don't actually have names, but it's been designed this way to make the application process quick and easy. Prime the whole lid with the matte cream. Which I have to say is the most disappointing shade in the whole palette, it really doesn't carry much pigmentation at all, which is a real shame as its the only let down to the whole palette. You can then enhance the eye with the glittery taupe shade by popping that in the centre of the lid and finish it off with the matte brown smoke shade on the outer corner and crease.

The Desk Eye is the warmer toned trio of the four. Personally I think this is my favourite. In this one the prime shade is a shimmer, a light champagne. Followed by the most gorgeous warm peachy matte. Finally finished off with the rich brown tones of the smoke shade.
 Both the Date Eye and the Disco Eye sets are cooler tones again. The Date Eye is more on the pinky chocolate side. Starting with the baby pink shimmer, as well as a chocolate brown with a pink shimmer running through it and then theres the only matte in this trio; a cool dark brown matte.

Disco Eye is where things start to get dramatic. Starting with a pretty golden shimmer, which is lovely as an inner corner highlight or just as your base shade. Followed up with the most stunning olive green shimmer to enhance the eye look. Then you can smoke it out using the apparently matte black shade, however I do think there's an ever so slight shimmer running through it.

I'm so used to just reaching for my Illamasqua shadows all the time, that I forget to use other things. However I'm now kicking myself for not reaching for this sooner, as the pigmentation of these shadows has blown me away. The matte shades especially blend out beautifully and take hardly any effort at all. You really don't need a lot, but you can build the shades up to really intensify the look. The glitter/shimmer shades are more subtle, they're not jam packed full of glitter, but they do catch the light beautifully and are almost creamy in consistency.
I created a really soft warm eye look using the Desk Eye trio. (Excuse the brows, they need rescuing asap!) I did prep my eye with my trusty MAC Painterly Paint Pot, so that does boost the pigmentation a little bit. I applied the warm matte peachy brown to my crease, then the darker brown to the outer corner and ever so slightly through the crease. I finished it off with the shimmering champagne over the kid and inner corner. As well as a coat of Illamasqua Masquara in Gain and a slick go Powersurge Pencil from MAC in the waterline.
One of the best bits about ordering from Charlotte Tilbury too is how generous they are with samples. You get to pick two from a whole array of cosmetics and skincare and then it seems to be that when you spend so much, goodies such as Scent of a Dream and K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick samples are added to your basket too, win!

The Instant Eye Palette is £60 at Charlotte Tilbury, or you can also join the waitlist at Cult Beauty too.

Eloise x
Share:

Friday 22 December 2017

Lush Christmas 2017: Part Two

Hey,

This is part two of my bumper overall of all the Lush Christmas collection of 2017. If you missed it, Part One is HERE, it sums up all the bath goodies. Bath bombs, bubble bars, oils and melts galore...

Part Two is everything else in the range, such as the shower gels, soaps, body care and some really exciting bits and bobs when it comes to their makeup range...
Lush have really come up with some innovative products this year. Including a whole solid range, most of the liquefied products that usually come in tubs and bottles have a solid alternative. This is to cut out excess packaging, which they're proving really isn't needed if you prefer the formulation of the solids. As I do admit the solid shower gels do still baffle me a bit though, haha. I'll link to both versions of the products that have a traditional and solid version.
Shower Gel and Jellies...
The shower gel I wish they did all year round is Twilight - £9.95 (SOLID - £9.75). It's soothing lavender scent is a god send when it comes to helping me sleep. It's always limited edition at Christmas time, but this one is a must have if you want a calming wash before bed or even add a bit into your bath to make lots of lavender scented bubbles.

My new favourite this year is Berry Berry Christmas - £11.95 (SOLID - £11.75). I actually have the solid version of this and although you might just think a solid shower gel is basically just a soap, they really are different. This has a thicker consistency when wet and really does lather up like a shower gel would. It's a really lovely fruity scent with its base of cranberries, blueberry and orange.

The favourite of many from last year is back, Bubbly - £9.95 (SOLID - £9.75). This bubbly alcohol inspired shower gel is sweet but has a fruity kick, if you love oranges then you have to get a sniff off this.

Another new one to the group this year is Santa's Christmas - £10.95 (SOLID - £9.75). This one again is slightly different as it's actually one of their body creams, so its formula is thicker and keeps the skin moisturised for longer compared to the usual gels. Santa's Christmas smells of cola, but is also filled with spices, its like everything about Santa in a bottle.

Of course it wouldn't be a Lush Christmas without Snow Fairy and Rose Jam Shower Gels. They are back again this year but I've reviewed them HERE. They have solid versions too, Rose Jam is £10.15 and Snow Fairy is a solid bargain at £8.25.

Both Santa's Belly Shower Jelly and the Snowman have returned too and are also HERE.
Soaps...
I have to say Golden Pear - £6.50 is one magnificent looking soap, its absolutely coated in golden glitter. So if you're not a fan of the sparkles, I would steer clear as it does get a teeny bit messy. However it's worth it for its delectable fruity pear scent and soothing aloe vera. You can even run it under the bath tap and make lots of bubbles for the bath too.

Saucy Snowcake - £5.40 is the beloved Snowcake reimagined with a fruity twist. Snowcake is a much loved Christmas favourite for Lush, for it's moisturising properties and soothing formulation. This year its got a berry top, with lots of cranberries and even some cashews for a bit of a scrub.

Shooting Stars - £4.95 will wake you up in no time, it's so zingy, jam packed with lemon and lime. It's basically like a refresher in soap form.

Then there is Christmas Rocker - £4.50, another one to wake you up just maybe a teeny bit more subtly. As this time its made with apricot, mandarin and tangerine, it's literally a fruit salad in the shape of a rocking horse.

To add to the ever growing Snow Fairy family this year there is the Snow Fairy Cold Pressed Soap - £5.95. The cold pressed soaps are made differently to the usual Lush Soap, as its not heated up and pure into a mould, so it retains all of its oils. This one has a dusting of glitter to finish it off and the ever so popular sweet sweet candy scent.

Why is it that the Butterbear range is always way too cute to use. I feel so bad at the thought of ripping off a piece of the Butterbear Wash Card - £2, that I cant bear to use him! However these wee guys are so handy when it comes to travelling, just pack a little sheet for a couple of days and rip a bit off when needed. No more bulky shower gels and you get to smell like cocobutter!

There is also Baked Alaska - HERE, from their 2014 Christmas Collection as well as a few other new ones. If you fancy something uplifting with citrus notes of orange flower and neroli, then go for Snowcloud - £5.70. Or if you're looking for something really fresh, especially if you were a fan of their Grass scent, then go for Hidden Mountain - £5.70. Christmas Citrus - £5.10 is a mood lifter, bergamot, lemon and lime to refresh the system and get you ready for the day or maybe give you a bit of a boost after a heavy Christmas Day...
Bodycare...
The last two additions to the Snow Fairy family are here to moisture your skin and add a bit of sparkle to proceedings. Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - £15.95 (SOLID - £8.25) has returned from last year and there is also a Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar - £6.95. Which is a naked concept for the dusting powders, the jar itself is made from massage bar and you poke the holes in at the top, to find a big helping of snow fairy dusting powder hidden inside. There is also a Twilight Sparkle Jar - £6.95 too, if you don't want to go for the sweet Snow Fairy scent and prefer the calming side to Twilight.

Though back to the Body Conditioners as there are a couple of new additions in the shape of Bucks Fizz Body Conditioner - £8.95 (SOLID - £8.75). Another boozy inspired treat, perfectly paired with bubbly due to their citrusy smells. Or if you prefer something a little bit softer, the So White inspired fragrance of apple and grapefruit in Once Upon a Time Body Lotion - £13.95 (SOLID - £7.95) makes you feel good enough to eat.

There is only one Roulade this year and its Candy Cane Roulade - £6.95. The peppermint treat is great if you find the soaps too drying for your skin, the roulades are fresh and really squidgy in feel compared to the soaps. As there is such a high content of body moisturiser inside compared to traditional soap.

My favourite body conditioner has to be Christingle and it has a brand new Solid Version at £9.75 too this year. It pairs perfectly with the Salt and Peppermint Bark, both of which are HERE.

The only skincare item in the range this year is Buche De Noel - HERE. Which personally isn't a favourite of mine just because I don't like the really nutty scent that it has. But apart from the smell it is a really lovely cleanser in itself.
Makeup...
Lastly and possibly the little guys I'm most excited about this year is the naked makeup range. There are five products in total, all working together to give you some very looked after and festive lips. There is the cola flavoured Santa Baby Lip Scrub - £5.75 (Traditional - £5.95), which is a solid scrub that you can use straight on your lips instead of putting your finger in a jar. As well as it's lip colour partner in crime Santa Baby Lip Tint - £6.25 (Traditional - £6.50), which unfortunately my store is sold out of so I couldn't get one to show you. But its a traditional true festive red in shade.

If you like a sweeter flavour and a deeper shade on your lips, there is also the Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub - £5.75 (Traditional - £5.95). They do all come in these handy little cardboard matchboxes too, so you can store them easily and keep them that bit fresher. Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Tint - £6.25 (Traditional - £6.50) is a deep berry, I love that you can really control the shade by applying as little or as much as you want with a lip brush. You can go for a full on purple lip to a stain or wash of colour in just a few swipes.

Lastly there is the Shades of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Lip Block - £12.50, I didn't grab this one as I just don't really need a gold lip product. However if you fancy something a little different, or you could even apply it as a lip topper on top of other shades for a bit more sparkle. These blocks are made up of three different shades, in this case different shades of silver and gold, to mix and match and completely customise your lip wardrobe.

Eloise x
Share:

Wednesday 20 December 2017

Zoella Gifting 2017: Snowella

Hey,

In a previous post the other day about Tanya Burr's Beauty and the Feast Collection, I mentioned how much I enjoy looking out every year to see what's on offer when it comes to their Christmas gifting. But I also genuinely love to look out for Zoella's Christmas offerings as well. This year it's arrived in the form of Snowella! That name just had to be done!

Zoe has actually really gone all out with this gifting range, I think its possibly the largest one she's done, with such a massive selection to choose from. Wether thats body care, fragrances or treats to make your bath a little luxurious pamper zone.
Ultimately they all share the same scent, which actually for me, has to be my favourite scent Zoe has ever done. I just love a fresh smell, something light and maybe a teeny tiny bit fruity or floral. Basically if it's subtle or refreshing, sign me up! The fragrance itself has the notes of Peony, Cranberry, Mint and Pink Pepper, it just makes me think of crisp white snowfall.
There's a couple of really large gifts in the collection. The main one being the Treasure Me Pampering Gift - £40 (NOW £30), which is also a Superdrug exclusive. It's filled to the brim with product, though quite a few are repeated throughout the other gifts which is why I don't have one to show. But inside there is...

  • 2x Sachets of Splash of Milk Bath Powder 40g
  • Winter Wonder Hand Cream 90ml
  • Snow Fresh Body Wash 250ml
  • Snow Silky Body Lotion 160ml
  • Snow Polished Body Exfoliator 100ml
  • Snow Smooth Body Butter 100ml
  • Snow Scoop Bubble Bath 400ml (Exclusive)
  • A Shower Lily 
One of the larger gifts I can show you inside however is the No Peeking Christmas Stocking - £30 (NOW £15). Which straight off the bat, the stocking itself isn't the most luxurious of quality , I'm  not going to lie. However value for money wise if you consider the sale price, I can't really complain. The design of the stocking is lovely though, it's mainly grey felt with a faux fur white trim. There's then a trio of products tucked away inside, they're all 100ml too. Snow Fresh Body Wash, is lovely by the way, the scent does linger on the skin but doesn't strip away any moisture either. There's also the Snow Polished Body Polish, Snow Silky Body Lotion and another Shower Puff.
I'm Dreaming of a Bath Filled with Bubbles - £14 (NOW £12) would be great for anyone who loves a relaxing pamper in the bath. Complete with fluffy bow headband and a pair of exfoliating gloves, the cutest mini Snow Bubbly Bubble Bath 100ml and a lightweight, fast drying body lotion; Snow Silky 100ml.

The little body care duo is SPA'rry SPA'rry Night - £11 (NOW £5). A great little secret santa gift or even just to stock up on some travel size goodies, especially the Snow Smooth Body Butter 100ml, plus a Snow Polished Body Polish 100ml to prep.

There is also a giant cracker in the range, apply named You're Cracking Xmas Cracker - £12 (NOW £10). Which has Winter Wonder Hand Cream 90ml, Snow Fresh Body Wash 100ml and Snow Silky Body Lotion 100ml hidden inside.
For more individual bathing treats there's a great wee choice. Wether you like something soothing, bubbly or a bit of fizz, there's an option for everyone.

Zoe's bubble baths are one of my favourite products she has, I've gone through so many bottles of the original, its nuts. It just creates so many bubbles with such little amount of product actually required. This year's winter option is Merry & Bright Shimmer Bubble Bath - £10 (NOW £6), which lives in the most stunning glass decanter style bottle. 

If you like a bath bomb, go for the Snow Relaxed Bath Fizzers - £8 (NOW £4). You get two big flat snowflakes inside. I wouldn't go as far to say that they're as magical as a Lush bath bomb for example, they do just kind of fizz away and leave the fragrance behind, so I do prefer to pair them with something else.

If you're not fussed about the bubble and fizz, maybe fancy a more moisturising formulation. Then I love this pack of bath milks and tea bags! Brew Me a Bath Splash of Milk Treats - £14 (NOW £7) It's just such a fun concept. Use them separately to combine a sachet of the milk powder, while running a tea bag under the tap to create a soothing milky bath. 
If you're on the hunt for a few little stocking fillers, these little guys tick that box...

Another personal favourite item of mine is Zoe's hand creams. Just as the formulation is lightweight, fast absorbing and not sticky in the slightest, all while still leaving your hands nicely moisturised. Winter Wonder Hand - £6 (NOW £3) is no exception to that, plus it's such a generous size at 90ml!

There's a little makeup bag this year, A Winter Soiree - £16 (NOW £6). It's made in the same grey felt as the stocking but has the quote "All is Bright" written across the front. It also has a mini Winter Wonder Hand inside, very adorable and a Snowella 10ml Rollerball too. 

It's not a Zoella Christmas collection without a lip balm set. Snow Balmy Lip Balm Duo - £7 (NOW £4), contains two little star tinned balms. Snow Soft is just clear and minty and then Snow Sparkle is a caramel sparkly nude. 
Then finally there is a whole array of different sizes that the fragrance itself can actually come in. As well as including lots of past and present perfumes in a couple of sets too.

If you're as obsessed with the Snowella scent this year as I am, I would recommend the Jumbo Snowella Body Spray - £14, in a limited edition 100ml size. Or you could go for the usual 45ml spray size in the Snowella Perfume and Body Lotion Gift Set - £14 (NOW £8) which again also has a 100ml Snow Silky Body Lotion.

Or if miniatures are more your thing, because after all they are really really cute as well as being handy for your handbag. There is the All Four You Mini Perfume Gift Set - £16 (Now £10), which includes four mini bottles each 15ml in size. The scents really vary between the four, of course theres the fresh scent of Snowella, Blissful Mistful is subtly sweet, Bake My Days has a spicy kick and Gelat' Eau is fruity.

Lastly there's this great wee trio of rollerballs, again brilliant for chucking in the bag to touch up through the day. We're on a Rollerball - £9 (NOW £8) includes Snowella, Blissful Mistful and Gelat' Eau all in 10ml.

So wether you have a Zoella fan to buy for, or are just looking for a pampering treat for yourself or others. There really is a bit of everything in the Snowella gifting this Christmas.

Eloise x
Share:

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Lush Christmas 2017: Part One

Hey,

I've grown up with Lush all my life, as my Mum was a big fan of Cosmetics To Go as it was previously known. So Christmas time in my household, for me, just isn't quite the same without a Lush festive offering of such.

For the past three years I've been trying to create, what I guess is a Lush database of sorts for the Christmas products. They release new products to add to their firm festive favourites every year. So I'm hoping that over the past few years of posts, I have their mammoth 2017 collection covered. I'll link to all the previous posts that include this years line up, which will all have updated shopping links too!
In this half I'm hoping to cover the bath bombs, melts and bubble bars. As they've really gone to town with the bath treats this year. Then in Part Two, it'll be body care, shower gels, soaps and cosmetics. Plus probably a random item I'll of completely of forgotten about, oops!

There are a couple of items though, such as the Snow Fairy Fun - £6.25. That I just won't be including, as I just don't purchase it every year. As although Fun used to be a 'Fun' thing in my house, it just goes to waste now and never gets used. But I'll be sure to give anything like that a mention and a link too!
The Bath Bombs...
Of course its not a Lush Christmas without a bit of Snow Fairy. This year the range has increased dramatically in size and now includes a Snow Fairy Jelly Bomb - £4.95. So not only will you smell of candy floss, but there's the added extra that you can now bathe in a candy floss pink layer of moisturising jelly too.

On the complete other side of the smell spectrum is Christmas Sweater - £4.50, inspired by cosy and warm fair isle print christmas jumpers. This one will keep you cosy and toasty with its ingredients of clove, coriander and ginger. Plus as its so warming both scent and ingredient wise, its great for those sore achey muscles after a days Christmas shopping.

This year saw the retirement of a Lush classic, Honey Bee Bath Bomb. However fear not, as Shoot For the Stars - £4.50 is basically the Honey I washed the Kids scented favourite redesigned. This time with the added bonus of three little gold melting stars, to add even more moisture to your bathing.

If you fancy something to wake you up instead of something relaxing however. Then grab a Sherbet Dip - £3.75 based on those old retro favourite sweeties. This literally is just a giant fizzy lemon sweetie for your bath, if you've ever wanted to bathe in a DipDab nows your chance...

Finally the last new addition to the bath bomb range this year is Thundersnow - £4.50. When I smell this I'm instantly reminded of an After Eight mint, it is packed full of coco and peppermint oil after all. As well as a little bit of popping candy for an extra surprise.

Though don't worry, the returning favourites such as Butterbear, Golden Wonder, Snow Angel, Luxury Lush Pud are all back too and are HERE. As well as the punk inspired favourite Never Mind the Ballistics - HERE, too.
The Bubble Bars...
I actually thought this was a bath bomb when I first got it, so I'm really glad I checked the label before I chucked it into the bath. Christmas Cracker - £5.95 is huge! It'll definitely last a good maybe 5 baths I would say. With lemon and lime, this cracker will boost your spirits in no time and it had to have a sprinkling of popping candy inside too, just for that added effect!

Man on the Moon - £5.95 is a fairly massive bubble bar too actually, you really get a lot for your money with these ones. If you love limes you'll love this guy, he's very citrusy and leaves a golden hue to your water depending on how much you add to your bath.

My Two Front Teeth - £3.95, has a bit of a personal story added to it. As when my brother was little, he knocked out his two front teeth and for a good few years asked for them back for Christmas. So this one brings back a fair few memories. It's got such a calming scent as well due to the lavender used and it'll leave you feeling relaxed and smiley with all the soothing vanilla and neroli.

If your a fan of the Plum Rain Shower Gel that Lush have, then you need Plum Snow - £5.95 in your stash. It shares the exact same fruity scent, however now you can have Plum bubbles in your bath as well as in your shower.

Both of the reusable bubble bars are back this year too, Magic of Christmas and Magic Wand. As well as the return of Christmas Eve - £3.95, although it's had a slight makeover this year, it's still the exact same scent of calming jasmine. Then Candy Mountain has also rejoined the crew too - HERE.
Bath Melts, Bubbleroons and Oils....
The classic Star Bright Star Light Melt - £4.25 has made a return. If you want something to really give your skin a good moisturise, then this is the one. Although you may be a tad sparkly afterwards, but I mean if being covered head to toe in glitter isn't acceptable at Christmas then when is it?!

TREE-D Bath Oil - £4.50 is brand new this year and almost too cute to break up and use. You could chuck the whole lot in for a really luxurious bath. But I would say you can probably get four baths out of this one. It really softens the skin due to the amount of coco butter in it, but its also great for hydration due to the almond oils too.

Finally the last little guy for this half of the range is The Snowman Bubbleroon - £4.25. Another one that I feel super guilty about crushing up and shoving in the bath, why do they have to make them so darn cute! Plus he's the best of both worlds, lots of bubbles but lots of moisture too.

I hope this is helpful when it comes to deciding what to add to the Lush stash at this time of year, as well Lush can be a bit overwhelming at Christmas time. There is just so much going on! Look out for Part Two popping up in the next day or two as well...

Eloise x
Share:

Monday 18 December 2017

Tanya Burr: Beauty and The Feast

Hey,

Every year when christmas rolls around in the beauty industry, I get excited for the release of Tanya Burr's annual festive collection. It's always a great little mix of products either from the permanent line up, usually in brand new exclusive shades or a selection of new exclusive formulations and products.

For this years gifting range, the theme is Beauty and The Feast. Including lots of sweet treats. inspired by the traditional sweet chocolatey delight of Christmas, even down to that iconic chocolate coin.
Part of the collection is two makeup palettes, they're kind of more like makeup kits housed in little books. Unfortunately I don't have either to show, but they are made up of a selection eyeshadows, lip products, blushers and highlighters. One is the Jingle and Mingle Night Palette - HERE, with three cool toned shadow shades; Latte Love, Chocolate Drop and Frosted Violet. A pigment pot in Sugar Ice, nude lip gloss in French Fancy, bronzer in Toffee Crunch and finally a pencil liner in Santa's Boots.

The day palette is called A Season to Sparkle - HERE. This version again has a shadow trio in Vanilla Pod, Sparkly Bauble and Toasted Coconut. Cream Shadow in Champagne Party, Liquid Illuminator and a Lip Gloss in Sweet Sundae.

There is also A Little Pick Me Up Makeup Bag - HERE, with mini mirror and Sprinkle of Sugar, baby pink lipgloss. Plus a mini palette named Glow Du Coco - HERE, a bronzing duo; Toffee Crunch bronzer and Frosted highlighter, teamed with mini golden lipgloss, all resembling a chocolate bar. 
Beauty and the Feast Makeup Box - £50 (NOW £30)
The main attraction of the whole gifting collection is this amazing hat box stuffed full of brand new treats. It includes...
  • 2x Matte Lipsticks
  • 2x Cream Shadow Sticks
  • Too Tempting Eyeshadow Palette
  • Sweet Cheeks Face Palette
  • Liquid Illuminator 
Plus there's also a little voucher to redeem 1/3rd off on the permanent line of cosmetics in Superdrug, as I believe this set is a Superdrug exclusive. 
I think out of the whole range this is my personal favourite, just due to the sheer amount of exclusives tucked away inside. Both of the lipsticks are future releases for Tanya, so you can grab them here first before they officially launch in 2018! They're both gorgeous wintery shades, a festive deep wine; named Winter. Then also a warm nude called Belgian Truffle. I wouldn't say they're the most pigmented lipsticks ever, when compared to their liquid counterparts, but they are still comfortable to wear and not too drying either.

For the face, there is the Sweet Cheeks Palette. It's home to a bronzer, blusher and highlighter trio. The bronzer in Toffee Crunch adds warmth and a glow to the skin, however if you're as pale as me, it does come across a tad golden. The blusher; Coco Blush is a pretty perky coral shimmer and the highlighter is a cool pink in comparison. However if you do prefer a warmer tone to your highlight, there is the liquid Illuminator too, which can be mixed with moisturiser and foundation for a golden glow.
The Too Tempting Eyeshadow Palette lives up to it's name, all of he shades inside are just Too Tempting. It may only include six colours, but I think the shades included are a good mix to create a number of different looks. There is a matte cream; Creme De La Creme, a toasted neutral pink; Gold Star, which also has a shimmer running through it. Then there's the ever so handy warm matte brown; Hazelnut Coco. Cookies and Cream; a shimmering pink. A festive cranberry shimmer; Christmas Mocha. Then maybe my personal favourite of the palette, Chocolate Coin, a smoky burnt taupe, I want to say that it almost has a green tinge to it too. 

I do have to say though, that although the pigmentation of the shimmer shades is fantastic and they're wonderful and creamy. The matte duo, especially Creme De Le Creme, just doesn't pack that much of a pigmented punch.

Finally in this box there are two Cream Shadow Sticks. Which as far as i'm aware, Tanya has never actually done before. Both are really creamy and glide onto the skin no problem, then once set they stay in place. Sweet Sugar; a champagne, is lovely for an inner corner highlight to really brighten the eye. Then Melt My Heart; the warm bronze, would make a stunning grungy smoky eye base. 
There are lots of little great gifts, that would make fabulous stocking fillers from the range.

Every Year I love Tanya's polish sets. The Tanya Burr Cosmetics polishes are some of the best I've tried from the drugstore. They last well, don't chip quickly and require very few coats to get a very nice finish. This set includes two shades on a double sided polish, a dark berry and a rose gold glitter topper. As well as coming with a handy nail file too. There is a more subtle french manicure style version too, available HERE

Lucky Penny - £5 (NOW £2)
Possibly the cutest edition, is this peppermint flavoured creamy pink tinged lip balm. Housed in a tin to resemble a traditional giant chocolate coin. I have to admit as someone who cant currently eat chocolate, I would be over the moon with this as a dairy free chocolate coin replacement in my stocking. 

Sweet Lip Creams - £9 (NOW £7)
Also for the lips is a mini matte liquid lipstick duo. These handy miniatures are great to throw into your handbag or party clutch. Both shades are quite bold but equally as festive. There is Santa's Little Helper, a true pink toned red and a purple berry in the form of Blackberry Fudge. The formulation of these is great for the price, comfortable and I don't find them to go patchy as they eventually wear away.

Velvet Vanille Eau De Toilette - £18 (NOW £10)
Tanya's debut fragrance, Velvet Vanille. There's something that reminds me of the 1920's about the bottle, it's chunky and really heavy with its big metal lid. It feel's a lot more luxurious than it's actual price tag. The scent itself, although alludes to being really quite sweet, is sweet but not overpowering in the slightest. I personally cant stomach sweet fragrances, I have a headache in no time. However Velvet Vanilla, has a warmth to it. There's almost a note when it's first sprayed that reminds me of key lime pie strangely enough. It's like a little kick of citrus that fades away into a comforting warmth of vanilla thats far from sickly sweet. 

*WARNING: ADVENT CALENDER CONTENTS SPOILERS AHEAD*
I love a beauty calendar, again as I cant have chocolate or sweets. Tanya's calendar is a great beauty treat without getting too expensive. As really some beauty advents are just extortionate in price. This one may only be twelve days, so I open it every other day or you could open it on the twelve days of Christmas. I haven't opened all the doors just yet, so I cant say what's behind them all. But so far there's been a varied selection of nail polish, pigment, a mirror, glitter liners and lip gloss.
(Swatches: Left to Right - Winter, Belgian Truffle, Pink Champagne, Coco Blush, Toffee Crunch, Chocolate Coin, Christmas Mocha, Cookies and Cream, Hazelnut Coco, Gold Star, Creme De La Creme, Sweet Sugar, Melt My Heart, Blackberry Fudge, Santa's Little Helper and Liquid Illuminator.)
I have to say, if you pick up one thing from this christmas range. Grab that advent calendar, £8 for twelve full size makeup products! Well eleven and a lovely little mirror, its a bargain! Also I'm hoping to get a blog post up every day this week, almost as like my mini version of blogmas this year haha. Hopefully I'm not too late with the festivities, December has just flown by! 

Eloise x
Share:
Blog Design Created by pipdig