MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

Hey everyone! 

Today I have a review of one of my new favourite eyeshadows and the perfect fall colour.  Cranberry by MAC is an eyeshadow which is fairly blabbed about, especially in the colder months. 

My mum actually bought me this eyeshadow in duty free for me as a little present for me passing my driving test. 

The shadow is a frost finish and like most MAC shadows, very pigmented. (Just for any future reference, the only MAC finish in shadows I HATE is lustres. I have Pink Venus and it's just awful!!).  Cranberry can be described as a rich maroon colour with an iridescent sheen to it or as I like to put it - simply beautiful. 

The berry shade is always in during fall time so it's the perfect investment! The eyeshadow can be worked in to black to create a dramatic smokey eye or gentle blended with golds to create a light depth to your shadow look.  It's a very versatile colour.

Overall I really love this colour and I highly urge every single one of you to give it a try! Even pop into a MAC store to try it out if your not too sure if you'd like it. 

Thank you for reading and I'll speak to you all soon! 

Katie 

Xox

Jaffa.

Hey everyone!

Today is a little bit more of a personal post as to why I haven't blogged much this week. I apologise for not blogging much but hopefully you will all understand. 

My dog was my best friend and my only brother. I've had him since I was 4 years old and now I'm turning 18 this year so I don't remember life before Jaffa. 

Jaffa has suffered from a disease called cushings since he was about 6 years old.  Cushing’s Disease is caused by a excess of the hormone cortisol in the blood.  In the simplest of terms, a dog is slowly poisoned by cortisol when the mechanisms in his body that are meant to prevent this excess fail.  Normally, this excess is caused by pituitary tumors, adrenal gland atrophy or adrenal tumors, or veterinary interference. In Jaffa's case, he developed many non cancerous tumours over the years. If you stroked him you could feel all the lumps and bumps across his little body.  We were very lucky to have the right medication for Jaffa which unfortunately couldn't prevent the lumps or cure the disease as it is uncurable, but could prolong his life and slow down the process. On the medication, Jaffa remained healthy and happy for much longer than he would have without it. 

Unfortunately old age doesn't come itself, his age caught up with him and so did his cushings disease. Over the past few weeks, Jaffa became weak and exhausted. He could barley stand up without his legs collapsing, he couldn't make it outside by himself, he lost control of his bladder, and he stopped eating. The suffering was unbearable for me and my family to watch so we made the extremely tough decision to put him to sleep before things would become any worse for him.  

We made an appointment for the vet to come to the house on Friday 4th October at 2.30 to give Jaffa a gentle injection to end his suffering. The night before I was worried we were doing the wrong thing, but then Jaffa took a funny turn, completely collapsed and starting foaming from his mouth and shaking. Watching him go through that was tough enough and settled my mind that giving him the injection was the kindest thing to do. 

Jaffa passed yesterday at 2.30pm while my dad held him in his arms. It was completely heartbreaking for us all and I can't help but cry my eyes out writing this. Although it is extremely tough for us, I'd rather we all suffer than him. 

In order to make this post not entirely depressing, I wanted to share some of fondest memories with Jaffa. 

When me and my dad used to fight (not seriously just messing around) Jaffa used to stand in front of me protecting me and growl and snap at my dad.  It was the cutest thing ever knowing I had someone who would protect me if I was ever to come to harm. 

Jaffa used to constantly follow me around the house. It sounds like a silly little thing but if I stood up, he stood up. If I walked to the kitchen, he wouldn't be far behind. If I went upstairs, he would sit at the bottom until I came down again. 

He used to always sit on my feet. Sounds weird again but he would always do it. Not sure why. I'm constantly cold so there's a theory in my family he was trying to keep me cozy. One day he even lay right across he back of my legs, and my mum tried to snap a picture just as he sat up. 

Every Christmas, Jaffa used to unwrap presents. For real. He would nuzzle his nose into gifts, paw at them until he could pull them out. This Christmas is going to be so hard without him. 

His live for every human food. Literally he would eat everything and anything. From lollys, to ice cream, to curry, to his absolute favourite kit kats, he was a lover of food.  And just for the record, I don't believe for one single second that chocolate is bad for dogs unless that is all they eat. Jaffa loved a bit of chocolate every now and then and still lived to 14. 

There are some other memories which I shall kindly keep to myself.  It's breaking my heart to know he's gone but I know he's a lot more peaceful in heaven.  

I hope you all understand why I haven't been blogging much.  I'm not really sure when I'll get back to regular blogging, probably just whenever I feel ready.  It's still very fresh right now but hopefully things will get better soon. 

Thank you for all understanding. 

Katie 

Xox 

RIP JAFFA 

Tester Tuesday - DR Renaud Raspberry Soft Cream

Hey everyone! 

Today's tester Tuesday is all about Docteur Renaud Crème Douceur Framboise (or to me and you, Raspberry Soft Cream). 

This face cream is intensely hydrating.  The thick creamy formula of this product means that it is best applied at night.  The cream makes my skin feel so soft but slightly heavy and that's why I think it's better suited to night time use. 

Secondly, this SCENT.  Oh my gosh! It smells AMAZING. If there was one reason I would purchase this product again it would be the scent.  It smells like fresh raspberries mixed with sugar. 

This tester is a really great size at 30ml worth of product.  Would I buy it? Maybe, but purely for the scent. I don't tend to use face creams much if I'm honest but if your a person who likes to indulge in a good cream, give this a go. 

I feel like today's post is really short but I'm not really sure what else to say abou a cream.  It's creamy.  The end.  (Worst review ever).  But I'm just the type of person who thinks creams are creams and all basically do the same job, unlike makeup ect. 

I hope you liked today's post even if it is short and sweet. Let me know if you've tried this one and your opinion of it in the comments. 

Katie 

Xox

Dermalogica Clear Start

Hey everyone!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on dermalogica's Clean Start Wash Off cleanser which I have been using for a good year or two.  So when dermalogica approached me on twitter and asked if I would like a sneak peak of their new line - Clean Start - how could I refuse? Now before I go any further, all opinions are completely honest, but dermalogica is a brand I 100% trust with my skin and I have for years.  I want to assure you all that I'm not being a "sell out" because I'm about to give them a good review, I just genuinely believe their products work. 

Regimen 

A.M;

-Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash

-Breakout Clearing All Over Toner

-Breakout Clearing Daytime Treatment

-Oil Clearing Matte Moisturiser SPF15

P.M;

-Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash

-Breakout Clearing All Over Toner

-Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment

Product Close Up

Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash

This foaming wash has a similar function to the wash off cleanser from the Clean Start range.  One difference I definitely noticed with all products in this range, is that they all smell less acid-y than the Clean Start.  This made me have a scan of the label for the ingredients list, and right enough, a lot more natural ingredients were used across this range. For example this foaming wash has 8 different botanicals including Tea Tree, Lavander and Camellia Sinensis.  It also has orange peel extract in it, so this product is looking more and more natural. Of course it still includes Salicylic Acid to help fight breakouts but overall this product is much more natural than previous lines. 

This product is my favourite in the line, and the one I noticed the most difference with my skin with.  If you were to buy one product alone from the range I would recommend this one.  It deeply cleanses the skin, getting rid of all excess makeup, dirt and dead skin cells. 

All Over Toner 

This toner is really unique as you spray it all over your face to control excess oil and help rid breakouts from your face.  The spraying sensation is so cooling for the skin.  However unfortunately I have super sensitive eyes, so instead of spraying this directly onto my face, I simple spray some onto a cotton pad and pat gently into my skin and it works just as well. 

Matte Moisturiser 

This moisturiser is so light on the skin it's quite hard to believe it's even there.  It's designed specifically for morning use so is perfect for applying before applying make up. The formula is non greasy and maintains an all over matte finish throughout the day. 

 

Daytime Treatment 

The daytime treatment is almost a serum consistency. It's designed to clear your skin of breakouts and prevent them returning.  It also soothes and calms the skin of any redness or irritability. 

Overnight Treatment 

Similar to the daytime treatment, the overnight treatment is also a serum constancy.  It's used to reduce congestion in your skin and reduce breakout. I definitely notice I was waking up with less breakouts when I included this is my routine. 

Cooling Masque 

I've yet to use this masque as I was planning on using it to unwind tonight while catching up with 90120. The masque is said to have a cooling sensation which I love. I don't know about you guys but I hate heating masques and much prefer cooling masques and find them much more soothing.  The masque is designed to help reduces redness and unclog pores. 

Overall 

NEW FAVOURITE. That's about all I can say. This set is just perfect for teen skin. I have spot prone, red skin and the difference I have noticed within a week of using this is unbelievable.  Even in my last post I received a few complements on my skin -which I never get- and it was a major confidence booster and showed me that I wasn't the only one noticing a difference.  My skin became clearer and brighter and I will definitely be using up the full set until there's not a drop left. 

I hope you all liked this post, and let me know if you want to try this range, released tomorrow, 29th September. You can definitely tell the difference in my skin from the pictures below.  I will speak to you all very soon and I'm proud to be able to say, CLEAR SKIN STARTS NOW. 

Katie

Xox

(No makeup)

(Makeup)

Prairie Charms

Hey everyone!! 

Firstly I want to deeply apologise about how late I am in posting this. I wanted to make sure this post was the best it could be so it is about a month late unfortunately.  Second of all, the customer service I received from Prairie Charms was really great.  They seem like such a lovely company and were kind enough to give me a discount on my order. 

Okay, how cute is this bow?? The floral print is utterly perfect and it's just completely adorable. Once spring and summer of 2014 hits us, I will be wearing this non stop. I must also note how high quality these bows are.  The material is lovely and thick so is very sturdy.  The clip is fairly larger and perfect for all hair types. 

This next bow is more fall suited with the warm purples and rich creams.  It is the same material as the other bow and has the same fascinator as the other. 

The next thing I bought was these adorable bobby pins. I love all these colours and they are just so pretty. I have a cool idea of brading my hair and flowing these down throughout the braid and I can't wait to try it out. 

  

I also bought this cute floral hair band. I usually feel like these don't sit very well in my hair and usually play around with it and decide against wearing it. Unfortunately I feel the same about this which sucks because it's adorable! If any of you have tips or styles you like to wear these types of bands with, leave them in the comments below please!!

 

Finally as a free gift, I got this cute little glitter bow.  This is not really something I would pick out for myself so I gave it to my little cousin as a surprise and she loved it!! Every time I see her she's wearing this! 

I hope you all enjoyed this little haul and I will speak to you all soon!

Katie

Xox

Tester Tuesday - Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

Hey everyone! 

Today is the second Tester Tuesday, and I have a makeup review for you guys.  It's the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara.  

This 4ml tester is perfect for the handbag or travel. I have used this tester before, but it has been my favourite mascara this past week.  It's nice and light and doesn't weigh my lashes down like some other mascaras.  

This mascara elongates my lashes without clumping them.  If you hate clumpy mascara then I urge to to try this one as it is far from clumpy.  I would also say it separates my lashes and coats them evenly. 

The wand is a typical brush rather than plastic wand. 

As you can see from the picture, I would definitely say this mascara is more suited if you want length rather than body.  I do really like this mascara for everyday wear. I would probably switch if I was wanting more dramatic lashes but for everyday, I love this mascara. 

I hope you liked this tester Tuesday review.  Let me know if you have ever tried this mascara before, and what you thought of it. 

Katie

Xox

Fall Makeup Look

Hey everyone!

Since today is the first official day of fall, I thought what better way to start off than with a makeup look?  In fall I love all the colours of the leaves and that's the kind of shades I like to stick to with my eyes (okay that sounds weird, matching my eyes to the leaves on trees but hey?).  I love the bronzes, golds, taupes, maroons and crisp reds. 

Face

To start with I applied Benefits Porefessional primer all over my face.  Then using Real Techniques Stippling Brush I blended No7's Beautifully Matte foundation into my skin and then went ahead and set it with Rimmel's Stay Matte powder. 

I then applied an ELF blush in Peachy Keen to the apples of my cheeks and blended upwards along my cheekbones.

 

Eyes 

I first primed my eyes with Smashbox's Photo Finish Eyelid Primer.  I then went on to use my Revlon Custom Eyes Palette in Naturally Glamourous. 

I used the second shade (left to right) all over my lid using my MAC 217 brush.  Then applied the middle shade in my inner corners. 

For my crease, I took my Sleek storm palette and used the top right colour which is a gorgeous berry shade and blended it in with my MAC 217. 

I then used my Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner to create a slight winged look.  (This eyeliner is on it's last leg and I'm looking for a new black liquid liner that is great and easy for winged liner, if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments). 

After that I curled my lashes and applied my favourite mascara right now, Benefits They're Real. 

Lips

For lips, I applied an all time favourite of mine, regardless of season, MAC's Creme Cup.  This lipstick is such a delicate pink and nicely evens out the slightly more dramatic eyes. 

Overall 

Overall, I'm really feeling this look.  I think it's really pretty for autumn and I'm sure I will be wearing this throughout the season.  I hope you all liked this post and let me know of any fall posts you would like to see in the comments below. 

Katie

Xox