Sunday, 15 January 2017

My Top 10 Beauty Products From 2016

I thought I'd share my favourite beauty products from the last year. If you follow my blog or follow me on Instagram (@__nicoleashleigh) then you may have heard me rave about them already! Now in no particular order...

1. Micellar Water

Now Micellar Water changed my life (slight exaggeration) but it is amazing! I used to use make up wipes to remove any make up & then (if I could be bothered) I would use a foam cleanser but micellar water now does all that work for me! Pop some on a cotton pad and it removes everything including water proof mascara. My skin feels great afterwards, doesn't feel tight or irritated, just fresh!




2. L'Oreal Pure Clay Masks £8

These are great and became quite famous for "multi-masking" where you use a combination of all the masks to suit each problem area on your skin. You have the choice of three: detox, purity & glow. My favourite has to be the detox mask. I aim to use that once a week and definitely feel it has helped in clearing my skin. They go on offer a lot so keep an eye out! My only negative about these masks is that I find them quite highly perfumed which bothers my nose a bit but it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.

On offer just now at Boots for £6.



3. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer £22.50

Now I have heard good & bad reviews about this concealer but I have to say - I love it! It is a higher end concealer priced at £22.50 (can get it a bit cheaper on some sites). I find it blends very well even over my Bare Minerals powder foundation (I use a beauty blender); it has great coverage and lasts all day without creasing. I think the only downfall has to be the expensive price tag.. but a concealer this good is worth it in my opinion! I bought the shade custard which matches my skin tone perfectly, but I'm thinking of buying a shade lighter so I can use it more for highlighting as well.





4. Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks £16 each

I have a couple of these liquid lipsticks now and I really love them all! Two nude/brown shades - Mannequin & Celebrity Skin, a gorgeous orange shade - Pumpkin Pie and a deep burgundy red - Designer Blood (which has a beautiful gold sheen off it). The formula is pretty similar in all the shades I have, they last for ages on the lips and you can eat/drink and they don't wear off. I noticed Pumpkin Pie bled out a bit when I wore it without a liner so make sure you get one for this shade as it is such a stunning colour! I use Pumpkin by NYX.





5. MAC Liptensity Lipsticks £17.50

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I think I would go as far to say that these are my all time favourite lipsticks. I have a few of the nude shades: Driftwood (lilac beige), Doe (neutral brown) and Toast & Butter (peachy cinnamon). They feel amazing on lips (super velvety), naturally wear over time - they never look patchy as they are so pigmented andd they smell AMAZING! I love MAC Lipsticks in general but these really are at the top of the list! Plus, the packaging is fab with the top matching the shade of the lipstick.




6. Smashbox Photo Finish Lash Primer £17

This primer makes my eyelashes look really long and full with only one coat of mascara on top, giving that false eyelash effect. And who doesn't love that?



7. Morphe 35K Palette

With this palette you get 35 shadows for just over £20 - what's not to love?? They blend seamlessly and are really pigmented. I got mine from Beauty Bay, they are sold out at the moment, but keep an eye out on their Instagram as I'm sure they will get re-stocked!





8. Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita Palette £38

I've not got much to say about this palette, other than it's absolutely stunning! Even the burgundy & gold packaging is amazing. The colours are super pigmented and blend seamlessly. Despite there only being four colours within the palette you can create a number of different looks, which is great and it's small size means it's fab for travelling. The only downside is the price, definitely a higher end eyeshadow palette! I will definitely buy some of the other "looks" from CT in 2017 - "The Rebel" is next on my list!



9. Zoeva Rose Golden Complete Eye Set £65

My brother bought me these for Christmas and they are fantastic. I was hunting for some good eye brushes for while but didn't really like the expensive price tag attached to them. I found these very good value for money and they look stunning. Zoeva have many different sets so there is definitely one to suit everyone.



10. KMS Moist Repair

I've been using this product since May and I have to say it's done wonders for my hair. You apply just over a pea-sized amount into damp hair and it restores any moisture lost. I always just do my ends as I've got really greasy hair so nothing can touch my roots. It has kept my ends looking really healthy and prevented any breakage. It is also a great product to take on holiday as you can just fire some on after being in the sea or in the pool and helps to keep your hair healthy.

Be quick it's currently on offer at Feel Unique for £12.35 (25% off)



11. GHD Air Hairdryer

I know I said my top 10, but I just had to include my GHD Air hairdryer (I've already spoken about it on my blog so doesn't really count!) This is AMAZING! It literally takes me half the time to dry and style my hair. The hairdryer is very lightweight and the controls are located on the back of the handle making it more user friendly. It does have quite a hefty price tag - around £100 but it is most definitely worth it especially when you think how long you have it for (I think I had my last hairdryer around 8 years) and how often you use it (almost everyday).

GHD currently have £20 off on their hairdryers so invest now, I promise you won't regret it!


Comment your favourites of 2016 below & I can have a nosey!



x

Tuesday, 3 January 2017

That designer look for less - NYE


First off, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely night & weren't half as hungover as me on Sunday morning. I literally cannot cope with drinking anymore, the hangovers just are not worth it! So I thought I would share my NYE outfit with you all.


Heels - Christian Louboutin (Similar here)
Bag - Mulberry (Similar here)





As the title of this post suggests, this is a designer look for less as this dress is almost identical to those famous Self Portrait numbers (check them out here). I know I'm wearing Christian Louboutin heels & a Mulberry bag but these could be easily substituted with high street equivalents - you can't go wrong with black stiletto pumps & a mini bag! 
Now wait for it, you wouldn't believe where this dress is from... Pretty Little Thing!! It's from their premium range & cost £40 which is a bargain compared to the £250 price tag of the Self Portrait dresses. The quality is amazing, I've bought a couple of dresses from PLT but always found the material quite thin and sometimes almost see-through, this is dress is not like that at all! The material is very thick and I loved the length even though it wasn't petite. I literally can't wait to wear it again!

Just a little side note about the Louboutins. I've heard so many girls say they find them extremely uncomfortable. I found them absolutely fine! They started to get a bit sore later in the night, however not any more painful than other heels. These are the Pigalle Follies 100mm. I definitely think they are worth investing in - I know I will get the wear out of these and I think they can just make an outfit.

What did you all wear on NYE?

x


Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Christmas 2016

Happy Christmas everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing day. Mine's was perfect, spending it with all the famalam and of course I was surprised with some really lovely gifts as well, including a few nice beauty bits, which I can't wait try out!
This is just a quick post to share my Christmas day outfit and make up look.

The Outfit


Dress - Alter Petite from ASOS 
Heels - Topshop (last season, similar available here & here)
I also paired my metallic oxblood clutch from Mulberry with this is look as it matched it perfectly!

My little family (apologies for Rocco's demon eyes). I absolutely loved what Michael was wearing - tartan trousers ftw!

Make Up Look


Base
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light combined with Benefit POREfessional
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream in Vanilla
Bare Minerals Blemish Remedy foundation in Clearly Silk
NARS Radiant Creamy concealer in Custard
MAC Blot Powder in Medium

Contour/Highlight
YSL Touche Eclat
MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Highlighter in Soft & Gentle
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour palette

Brows
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown
Benefit Gimme Brow in 5 Deep

Eyes
MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre (primer)
Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette
Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner 
Smashbox eyelash primer
Bare Minerals Lash Domination mascara

Lips
MAC Lip Liner in Oh Honey
MAC Lipstick in Cherish


I got my first ever pair of Louboutins from my mum & dad - how did they know how much I would love them?! Can't wait to wear them (saving them for New Years) but I have the fear about ruining those famous red soles! They also got me this beaut leopard jacket from Zara (another favourite). My brother also nailed it with the Zoeva complete eye set in rose gold. Thank you so much! 

Michael got me lots of wee bits & bobs including the dress I wore on Christmas Day and some gorgeous Thomas Sabo earrings which are very like the Dior Tribale one's. His parents took us to London for the weekend at the start of December (I'm yet to write a wee post about this trip) which was amazing, and then we were even more spoiled as we still had presents to open on Christmas morning. Overall, it's safe to say I have been completely spoiled from everyone and a very lucky girl!