Green People Review | Cruelty-Free Beauty

I feel as though it's been the longest time since I sat down and wrote a post about an entirely new makeup brand. I say entirely new because until not too long ago I'd never actually tried anything from this brand, so therefore it's entirely new to me. The matter of the fact is they've been around for 20 years!

So who am I talking about?

Green People! For those of you who haven't yet heard of this brand, you're going to want to make a note of them (for reasons that will be touched upon within this post). Most importantly for myself, Green People is actually a completely cruelty-free beauty brand! Some of you may already be aware of the fact that I've gone cruelty-free with my beauty this past year and making that decision meant that I had to give up purchasing some of my favourite products from some of my favourite brands. At the same time it's meant that I'm trying to find new "favourites" in the process, so discovering another cruelty-free company opens up so many more options for someone like myself.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Review

Oh, don't you just love receiving new makeup products? Well this month I was fortunate enough to receive two Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliners as part of the latest Influenster VoxBox - I believe anyone is able to sign up for Influenster, so get on it if you're not yet a member and you too could be gifted some incredible beauty products.

I remember coming home one day to find out that a package had been left over our gate. Initially I was confused - I hadn't bought anything, so what on earth could this be? After noticing Lizzie on the address I quickly realised that it must've been something to do with blogging/YouTube (as I'll always use my full name for packages I personally buy), but I was still pretty much clueless as to what it was. Anyway, I opened the package to find a box labelled with Marc Jacobs Beauty - could the smile on my face have been any bigger? I think not. And sat inside were two of the beautiful Gel Eye Crayon Highliners. 

Twenty Things I'd Like To Do In My Twenties

I'm sure I'm not the only one saying this, but how is it already 2018; last year certainly went in the blink of an eye. And with a new year comes new year resolutions. I'm not usually one for new years resolutions; I made them one year, yet there's something about trying to squeeze in so many goals in a relatively short space of time that just doesn't appeal to me.

So instead I'm here with a list of goals that I'd like to achieve within my twenties, some easier than others! Being 23, I've got plenty of time left to achieve each and every goal I set in place; some are one-time events that I'd like to happen at some point or another, whilst others will be spread out over the entire seven years, something that I'll need to put the effort into, so that I can make a positive change. I want to vastly improve my life over my twenties, becoming healthier, happier and more independent in the process and I personally like this way of going about it; there's no rushing around trying to get something done before these 365 days are over - and trust me, they'll be over before we know it! 

Grab a drink, this is a long one!

What I Got For My Birthday 2017

Granted, by the time this post goes up my birthday would've been almost a month ago, but I still thought it was worth showing you some of the items I was lucky enough to receive for my 23rd. I'm an incredibly nosy person and so posts like this massively intrigue me. I picked out a selection of items to show you, (I guess the more photogenic items seeing as I'm a blogger), as whilst I love everything I was gifted, there are some things that just do not photograph very well; that or I'm not a great photographer - probably the latter in all honesty!

Top 3 Christmas Red Lips

As we roll ever so close to Christmas day, the red lips are certainly coming out in full force. I'm a big lover of a red lip for the festive season, as I'm sure many of you are too, but since making the decision to go cruelty-free, I've since realised how few products I actually own from cruelty-free brands. However, after having a scrummage through my entire collection, I managed to find some absolute gems; some which I have well and truly used and abused and others that I'm only just beginning to find love for.

What's On My Christmas Wishlist 2017?

Christmas is mere week and a half away (isn't that crazy?), and in preparation for the special day, I've been spotting a plethora Christmas wishlist blog posts over every corner of the Internet. I'm such a curious person and so these posts have always massively interested me; plus, their unintentionally great little gift guides too! Seeing as I enjoy Christmas wishlist posts so much, it seemed only right to create one myself.

I should mention that I do in fact know the majority of the gifts I'll be lucky enough to receive; it's not that I don't like surprises, I do, but in our family we like to clarify that we're buying gifts that the end-user will really utilise. That said, whilst I know some of the gifts mentioned within this wish list I will be receiving, I certainly know that I always won't be receiving many of them on the 25th too! 

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide For Her

I'm probably the last blogger to start her Christmas posts this festive season, but hey ho, they're finally here! And in good time, because nows that time when more and more people begin to stress over what to buy their loved ones as the big day looms just around the corner. Can't find that perfect gift for your mum or maybe you have a friend who already has everything? Don't worry; I'm here to bring you a plethora of options suited for any and every female this season. Heck, you may even spot the perfect gift for some of the men in your life!

All About Brows: Soap & Glory Review

Ask me what beauty products I couldn't live without and brow products are bound to make it somewhere near the top of the list. I have a thing for good eyebrows, an obsession, so an incredible brow product is essential for someone of my ilk. I've tried a few these past years, but I always tend to run straight back to Soap & Glory. 

And for good reason.

Making The Decision To Go Cruelty-Free

It's a decision I've only recently made (just last week), yet one I'm really set on - I've decided to go cruelty-free! Going cruelty-free is something that has most definitely crossed my mind on the odd occasion and in total honesty, I'm gutted I didn't decide to make the change sooner.

Regardless of whether you only buy exclusively cruelty-free products or not, this post may help to enlighten not only some of the terrible things that happen during cosmetics testings, but also the extensive range of brands that you can still purchase as a cruelty-free brand supporter. 

Worth The Hype? Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette

It goes without saying that since its release last year, I've certainly been lusting over the ABH Modern Renaissance Palette. I tend to get a couple of high-end palettes a year; usually one when I pop over to the states and the other for a birthday or Christmas present. After roughly a year and a half without this palette in my life, on my recent Florida holiday I finally caved in and added this beauty to my ever-growing collection. But what do I genuinely think?

The Love List: Current Beauty Obsessions

Like every other self confessed beauty addict, I go through many stages where I continually obsess over a handful of incredible products, opting to use them over the endless amount of makeup stacked inside my drawers. It tends to be a seasonal thing; as a new season rolls along I test out different blushers and lipsticks or even rediscover old favourites. But which products have been gaining a bit (or should I say a lot) of tlc from myself over these past few months; budging their way into my everyday makeup routine?

Pink Parcel May Review

These past few months, I've found an unhealthy obsession for monthly subscription boxes. Whilst I've bought the odd generic beauty box here and there, I haven't really delved into much else. That was until recently. I was incredibly fortunate to receive the May edition* of the Pink Parcel monthly subscription box and share my thoughts with you. Although this is in a sense still a beauty subscription box, it differs in the fact that it also delivers your monthly period products directly to your door. Costing £10.50 (including postage), it not only saves you a trip to top up on your pads or tampons, but it also comes with a little pick-me-up in the form of a selection of different beauty products and food...what could be better than that?

KIKO Milano Nail Lacquer Bargain

I love buying a good beauty product, there's no doubt about that. But there's one thing that I seemingly always seem to skip out on - nail polish. It's not that I don't like nail polish, I just think it's the fact that I'm too lazy. Basically too lazy to sit there, apply multiple layers of nail polish and wait there for what seems like forever for them to dry. Plus it always seems as though those moments when I'm waiting for my nails to dry is when I actually need to do something...something that will no doubt mess up the polish on my nails! And because I'm generally not someone who paints my nails, I refuse to pay much to add new polishes to my collection. In fact, Poundland used to be my favourite place to purchase nail polishes a few years ago! Finding Sally Hansen polishes in Poundland was just incredible! And now I've stumbled across another bargain!

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette Review

Until recently, let's say about a year ago, I wouldn't quite call myself a highlight fanatic. I'd maybe used the odd one or two here and there, but would generally skip the step out of my everyday makeup routine. Now fast forward to the current day and highlight is a step that I cannot miss out on a typical makeup wearing day and is most certainly one of those products that I enjoy purchasing and testing on a more regular basis than beforehand.

Around about six months ago, I would hear bloggers constantly raving about one high street highlighting palette, the Sleek Solstice palette. I held off for a little while, but eventually decided that due to the all the positivity surrounding this palette that I just needed it in my collection. Sleek are in general one of my favourite drugstore brands for contouring and blush products and at just £10 for four beautiful highlight shades, it is honestly a steal!

A KIKO Milano Haul

Evidently I am a makeup lover, hence why I created this blog in the first place. I like many others love to try out and experiment with new makeup and for so long I've been lusting after a variation of different products from Kiko, a brand that before now I had previously never tried before! 

That recently changed however, as rewind back to November when Black Friday sales were at their peak, I decided to place a pretty hefty order on Kiko's website. At the time they were having a Buy 6 Get 3 Free sale on and I quite simply couldn't pass on that incredible deal. As they were being shipped directly from Italy it ended up taking roughly two weeks to arrive, but I sat patiently and waited...well not literally!

Lipstick Standouts | YSL & L'Oreal

I'm not going to lie, I just took a photo of some random lipsticks that I had lying around and decided that I liked the photo so much that I should write a blog post around it. Regardless, these few lipsticks are some of my absolute favourites within my collection and I cannot stop raving and recommending these to so many people. And depending on your budget, whether you can splash as much can as needed or you need to be a little more restrained, I most certainly have you sorted here!

ColourPop Haul + Shipping & Customs Info

ColourPop has been one of those brands that for the past year or so I've been longing to try. And towards the last half of 2016 they began shipping to the UK. Great. But I was uhming and ahhing for such a long time due to the high shipping costs and the potential of having a disgustingly large customs charge delivered through my door. 

However fast forward to a couple of days after Christmas and I just decided to go for it. I'd heard a ridiculous number of people raving of multiple products from ColourPop and after months of holding off I picked out my favourite shades and placed my order. Sign up to their newsletter too and you get $5 to spend on your first order! In total, the delivery took a total of roughly two weeks, arriving nicely packaged with plenty of padding to prevent the powder products from smashing.

Top 5 Winter Lip Products

Lip products are certainly one of my favourite products out there. I personally love experimenting with all lip products and have possibly every finish and colour there is (aside from those very out there blues and greens)! And in my mind, I always have those specific products that are most suited towards each season...well, every season but Winter it seems. Whilst Spring screams pink to me, Summer is all about bright, tropical colours and Autumn is focussed on those darker berry tones, Winter just doesn't seem to have those shades that I seemingly have to wear throughout the season!

Evidently during Winter, we experience an entire month of Christmas festivities, red lips certainly make an appearance into my Winter lip essentials. With this said, I am unlikely to stick to a theme and you will certainly see me wearing some brighter pinks in the middle of January. But for the vast majority of my other lip choices, I tend to stick to warmer toned lips, incorporating some of the berry tones that we see ever so frequently in Autumn, as well as bringing in some more matte, nude shades.

Birchbox Review | My First Box

I've always been intrigued by the idea of beauty subscription boxes. You know, you pay a specified amount each month to have a box delivered to your door, filled with a selection of products. And whilst I've been yearning for one for the longest time, I've never taken the plunge and signed up for one. I contemplate far too much as to whether I will actually like the contents in the box and use each and every one of them, so I've been quite unsure if they'll actually be worth the money.

With that said, lets rewind back a few weeks ago. I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw an ad for Birchbox (darn ads...you got me again). I noticed that each box they were offering for December (which is unfortunately unavailable) came with a full size Ciate eyeliner priced at £15, and when the box itself costs £10 (plus £2.95 postage) it seemed like an absolute steal. I'm always one for trying new products and don't particularly like spending tons on higher-end ones that I may be unsure about. 

The Perfect Makeup Choices For Christmas Day

In three days time, yes you heard me correctly, it will be Christmas! How this year has flown by so quickly I'll never know - just the fact that 2017 will be here in a little over a week and I feel as though 2016 started about two months ago is quite simply crazy to me. But heigh ho! As Christmas Day begins to roll around, one thing on my mind is sadly "what makeup will I choose to wear" and whilst I've been sporting much more festive makeup in recent weeks, I decided to pull out some of the items I could very likely be using on Christmas Day itself to show each and every one of you.

I've also filmed a Christmas makeup routine video which will be making an appearance on my YouTube channel tomorrow - so keep your eyes peeled! These products were all used in that video, so you'll be able to see a true representation of how everything really looks when all put together! But no spoilers today!