It’s Haul Time

So this happened. I don’t really have an excuse but in my defense I’ll say that some of these were gifts and plus, aren’t all beauty counters that much more exciting during the holidays? With all the fairy lights and festive mood around the shops they just lure you and make you want everything. I blame it on that, yes. And of course then the vouchers get involved and you just have to go back again and pick some more stuff and then there is the Christmas sales and you have to have a look at those bits and then… you know how it goes… I admit it though - I did get slightly carried away this year but hey, I am a beauty blogger, I need products to share with you and this is my justification. At least that’s what I like to tell myself haha. So here is what I got over the last couple of weeks: We have an excessive amount of lip products (call the lipstick rehab and send help asap!), a gorgeous set of rose gold brushes *swoon*, some beaut nail polishes and more…

Starting off with some skin care and body bits, I finally got my mitts on some First Aid Beauty products. I got their Fab Set (here) and I already tried the cleanser and the Facial Radiance Pads – love. I decided to give the brand Apivita a try and their Face Mask with Green Clay (here) got my eye. It’ made of 88% natural ingredients and I tried one sachet and it’s lovely. It really reminds me of my beloved Superfacialist Clay Mask and it left my skin feel clean and decongested. When I saw a mini of the famous GlamGlow Youth mask (here) it was a no brainer and I popped it in my basket. I haven’t used it yet but knowing how much I adore the Supermud one (review), my expectations and high. For body, I got the Aromatherapy Associates The Star and it comes with my favorite Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil (here). I adore these little bath oils as they are always so relaxing and pampering. Another quite luxurious body product I couldn’t resist getting is the L’occitane Almond Shower Oil (here), which I’ve been loving for years. It smells divine and injects moisture into my skin, making it feel supple and beautifully hydrated. It’s a winter must-have.

Keeping with the lovely-smelling things theme, Dior stroke again and made me fall head over heel in love with their Hypnotic Poison fragrance (here). It was a love at first sniff and the sweet vanilla notes of the perfume ensured it a safe landing in my shopping basket. This gem has written feminine and sophisticated all over and I’ve been using it every single day since I got it. It smells bloomin’ beautiful.

My favorite purchase of the bunch is without a doubt this gorgeous Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set (here). I’ve been wanting to try their brushes for ages and they didn’t disappoint. The quality is insane – the bristles are incredibly soft, pack product well and are a dream to use. A review of the set is coming your way very soon but as a little sneak peak I’ll just tell you that my heart is set on the 102/Silk Finish one (here). Best. Foundation. Brush. Ever.

My cheeks will be one happy pair from now on. Ever since a friend of mine got me this giant Sephora Bronzer my face has been nicely contoured and the Revlon Highlighting Palette in Rose Glow (here) has been beautifully illuminating my cheekbones. The MAC Dame blush (here) is patiently sitting on my dressing table, ready to be photographed and I can’t wait to dust this cool-toned pink beauty it on the apples of my cheeks! The star of the show though comes from Guerlain with their oh-so-popular Meteorites in Clair 02 (here). These little pearls of perfection are too good to be described in one sentence, so you’ll have to wait for the full review but let me tell you a little secret – they are literally like Photoshop in makeup form. LOVE.

I did cheat on my beloved Essie nail polishes this time but I fancied a little change. My weakness this time came from the Estee Lauder and YSL counters and I couldn’t walk away without picking some of their fab shades. Estee Lauder’s Insolent Plum (here) was glued to my tips for a week and I adore its burgundy shade with a hint of plum. The two YSL gems are #39 Beige Gallery (here) and #16 Mauve Naif (here). I’m currently sporting the latter and I cannot stop staring at my nails – gorgeous. Since I’m having a moment with blue tips at the moment it seemed only appropriate to finally treat myself to the iconic Nails Inc. Baker Street (here). It’s in the old packaging for some reason but who cares – just look at that shade!! I’ve been wanting to try the Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail Color for a while and when I saw Midnight Blue (here) I decided to give it a try. It’s a shade I haven’t seen before but the lovely blue-ish sheen immediately caught my eye. To set all my nail laquers in place, I picked a new bottle of my trusty Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat (here // review), which I adore.

I told you I had lip product problem and here is the aftermath… Kicking off the lip talk, I thought I’d start by announcing that I finally have the pleasure of owning MAC Soar Lip Pencil (here). If you’ve been caught in the Kylie Jenner lip craze you know that this beauty has been sold out for months and I still can’t believe my luck that I found it. It is everything I’d hoped for it to be, and more. It will be reviewed it details next week, so stay tuned! My lovely friend Antoinette (check out her incredible blog here) treated me to my first Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in the shade Pirate (here). It’s the most stunning classic red and the non-sticky, long lasting formula blew me away! My lips have been rather dry recently, so the purchase of new lip balm was in order. I got the Apivita Lip Care with Black Currant (here) since I liked the fact that it’ made of 99% natural ingredients. We didn’t bond though as it is too emollient and its hydrating properties are almost non-existent. The one I knew I’d be fond of, however, is the Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose (here). My love for these little pots is infinite and I love how moisturizing and buttery they feel on the lips.

Now for the exciting part – lipsticks! I went a bit overboard but I’ve no regrets haha. They are all too pretty and the only problem is that I can’t use them until I take photos of them *insert crying emoji* (bonus points for the good beauty blogger!). I can’t seem to be able to stay away from the YSL Rouge Volupte lippies and #11 Rose Culte (here) is a shade I’ve been trying to hunt down for yonks. Its bright fuchsia pink is right up my street. Then for more nude options I went straight to the NYX website and got Tea Rose (here) and Whipped Caviar (here) from their Matte range. Haven’t tried Whipped Caviar yet but Tea Rose is a gorgeous mauve pink, which peps up my skin tone beautifully. MAC seems to be always a good idea and three lipsticks in my bag went. I got Brave (again, blame it on the Kyle Jenner hype), Costa Chic (that peachy coral though!) and Heroine (here) - I am downright in love with that daring purple. Last but definitely not least, I treated myself to a Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in Melodieuse (here). From the beautiful bright coral red to the luxurious feel of the click packaging – I am smitten. Roll on spring!

I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you’ve tried any of these products before?

Lots of love,

Andrea

*Locks all her credit cards and embraces a one month spending ban* Oh wait, is this a new MAC collection? See ya later, bye haha! 

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