Naked Heat and cool new tech | August Favourites

Beauty

A few beauty products in the love pile this month. First up is the eyeshadow palette of the moment - the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette. I've only had this palette for a week and a half but I'm already head over heels in love with it. A great selection of warm shades this is totally different to all the other palettes I have. I'm surprised at my favourite shades though. I thought I'd be all over the shimmery metallic shades but I've been drawn to the amazing mattes. I've been wearing Low Blow in the crease, blended out with Chaser and I've been loving that look, not too much but makes me not look half dead in the morning! I'm really excited to try out a serious smokey eye with this palette but for now I'm truly smitten. A new mascara favourite is the L'Oreal Paradise Mascara. One swipe and it's ba-bam, dream lashes! It reminds me a lot of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara which I was totally obsessed with a year of so ago when I had it. It fans out my lashes really well whilst still pumping up the volume. Definitely the best mascara I've tried in a while!

I'm a big fan of the Eylure Fleur de Force brow products and this month she released some new double ended brow products (see more of my thoughts here). My new favourite eyebrow pencil by far. I didn't think I would like the cool toned shade as much as my warm Soap and Glory Brow Archery in Brownie Points but I'm seriously impressed. I have the pencil in the shade medium and what I like is that it would be really hard to over do it with this product. Unlike something like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade, which although I love it can be really easy to give yourself slug brows, it doesn't really matter how much you apply it doesn't look overdone. The fact that it has two tones and there are so many different options - I could rave about this so much!

Tech

This is the most exciting thing that's happened this month. I am now the proud owner of an Apple Watch, I know! So exciting! I've been wanting one for a while and when the opportunity presented itself jumped at the chance to get one. I decided to go for the Rose Gold with the Pink Sand Strap because then it matches my phone, yep this is what the world has come to. I love the activity options with the watch. It gives you a little buzz every hour if you haven't moved which is great if, like me, you sit at a desk and can be glued to it for hours on end. A few trips up and down the stairs every 60 minutes will keep your watch happy and your health too! I might do a more detailed post after I've used it for a little bit longer but so far I'm loving it.

TV

Quick TV mention. We watched The Loch this month and is was SO good! It's an ITV drama about a murder in a small town in Scotland and everything that happens afterwards. We watched it over two nights and it was so gripping and there were many hide behind the pillow moments and there were multiple twists, ahh! I definitely recommend watching it if you like a good drama. Six episodes and it doesn't drag, really good! I've also started rematching Granchester, one of my favourites as it's easy watching but murder mystery-ey, love. Also, James Norton.

Giving my face a wake up call | Morning skincare routine

I love reading posts about people's skincare routines, partly because I'm nosy and partly because I want to know if there's some sort of miracle product that I need in my life. So, in case anyone is nosy like me, here's what I slap on my face in a morning in an attempt to perk up my skin and make me look half awake. For the record, my skin is blemish prone and oily but can be dehydrated (I've never had someone tell me so I could be wrong but that's what I think it is).

The first thing I do when I wake up is go and splash my face with water. Just a little bit to get the grease off and I rub it on my eyes because I always seem to have some mascara leftover from the day before, no matter how much I try and take it off! The first proper step is using the Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Water on a cotton pad over my face, just to make sure every last scrap of dirt is off my face from the day before (and also because it feels nice on my sleepy face). This is one of my favourite micellar waters along with the one from Garnier. They do the job and are really affordable, you can't really go wrong. Next I give my face a spritz with the Body Shop Vitamin C Face Mist - not because I think it does anything magical but because it feels great in the morning. As I'm writing this I'm realising that my entire routine is based around what feels refreshing on my face and I don't actually know if there are any benefits of putting it on my skin!

Next up I apply my latest eye cream of choice which is the Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream. I'm not loyal to any eye cream and I have to say so far nothing I've tried as ever blown me away. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know! I just get half a pea sized amount and slather it under my eye until it feels like it's sunk in. It's quite thick but I feel like my under eye area needs a bit more hydration. I mentioned this product in my July favourites post and you can read just how much I love it there but it's the Palmer's Coconut Oil Lipbalm. Tastes amazing and does the job at hydrating my lips. Yum! Last but certainly not least is my moisturiser. I've been using the Body Shop Vitamin C Moisturiser and I think it's been doing a pretty good job. It smells amazing! Zingy and delicious it feels cool on my face in a morning and really helps to brighten everything up. What I like about it most is that I can feel it sinking into my skin and not just sitting on top like some of the moisturisers I've tried previously. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy either which is a win win!

I'm enjoying this routine at the minute, it seems to be working well for me. Stay tuned for the second part of my skincare routine next week.

What moisturiser are you using at the moment?

My willpower is non-existent | Urban Decay Naked Heat First Impressions

It happened.

I have zero willpower, I will always give into the hype and I should never be trusted with more than £5 at a time. BUT I haven't been this excited about a set of eyeshadows in a long time, probably since I got my Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita palette. But we're not talking about that today, oh no, we're talking about the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette. No doubt you all know what this is so I'm not going to bore you with the background all you need to know is I wasn't planning on getting it (well, not really), I bought it and I love it. Great packaging, sturdy, good sized mirror and an amazing shade selection, warm reds, just something totally different but still wearable.

I've tested it out for a couple of days so these are pretty much my first impressions of the palette. As I haven't given it a lot of testing yet I don't have any favourites so what I'm going to do is run through the shades and say if I love it, like it or take it or leave it.

Ounce | Like it. This is one that although I'm not gushing over I know for a fact that it'll be the most worn eyeshadow in this palette. A white with a bit of shimmer I'll probably use this all over my lid as a base and then as a brow bone and inner corner highlight.

Chaser | Like it. Another one that doesn't blow me away but I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. A light matte brown I'll use it in the crease day to day and as a transition shade on something more smokey.

Sauced | Love it. Similar to Chaser but a heck of a lot warmer this is such a different shade that I know I'll still get a lot of use out of. I'm excited to give this more of a test run.

Low Blow | Like it. Again I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this one, especially putting it through the crease and slapping on some winged liner, but it's quite a standard shade.

Lumbre | Like it. A gorgeous shimmer that will be great for something simple everyday I'm a big fan of this light warm toned pink that reflects rose gold. However, this is a more pinker version of Trick from the Naked 3 palette which I'm totally obsessed with so anything that resembles that shade will take a bit of beating.

He Devil | Take it or leave it. Not to say that I don't like it but this looks terrifying. I'm going to need to give this a trial because it's very warm and red and I'm going to have to concentrate to make it not look like I have an eye disease.

Dirty Talk | Love it. love it, love, love love! This swatch...I can't. Can we all just appreciate the warm shimmery amazingness that is this shade, thanks.

Scorched | Love it. Another stunning shade, very similar to the last one, just swatches like a dream. I'm so excited to give them a real try on my eyes but if I love the way they look no doubt I'll be posting on here about it.

Cayenne | Love it. This palette just keeps bringing these amazing mattes. I can tell this one is going to look great either with winged liner or in a seriously smokey eye.

En Fuego | Like it. A very autumnal cranberry colour I have nothing like this at the minute and it looks great but I just need to decide how I'm going to wear it - any tips?

Ashes | Love it. Autumn in a shade. If all of my clothes were this colour I would be one happy person. I'm thinking lower lash line goals so we shall see. I have high hopes for this one.

Ember | Love it. Look at this. Dark, shimmery, reflecting colours all over the place. Yes please put it on my eye thanks very much. Another one I may be too terrified to use on a regular basis but that swatch is so stunning I can't help but love it.

I may post an update in a few weeks about my actual favourite shades and what I've been gravitating towards but so far I'm in love with this palette and if you're not buying it because you're resisting the hype, don't. Let the hype consume you so you can feel the feels of the Naked Heat palette.

Do you have this palette? What are your favourite shades? 

(Please satisfy my nosiness I really would like to know)

One of the best meals ever | Bar Iberia Nottingham

Prepare yourself for one of the best tapas meals ever. I know, bold claims, but it's true. When I popped down to Nottingham on my visit a couple of weeks ago we went out for a meal and cocktails. Wanting to try something, we settled on Bar Iberico in Hockley. They didn't take bookings but because we really fancied tapas and wanted to try it out we risked it and turned up at 7.30pm on a Friday. There was no issue, we were straight in and there were plenty of tables free downstairs (however I would say by 8pm it was pretty full). The place itself was really cool. Lots of wood which made it feel cosy and at times it did feel like you could be eating delicious tapas abroad. 

There was plenty to choose from on the menu without it being overwhelming. There were three of us there and we got eight dishes in total, which worked out great for us. We pretty much all of the dishes, the only thing we left a lot of was the patatas fritas (we ordered two portions, we only really needed one). We went for:

Patatas fritas - two portions

Calamari

Chorizo

Sweetcorn fritters

Crispy chicken

Garlic and onion tortilla

Cheese board

First up, I didn't touch the cheese board but that's because I don't like raw cheese (as in cheese that isn't cooked and on like a pizza or something). Everything else I dabbled in and it was ALL delicious. My favourite were the sweetcorn fritters, they were sweet and crispy, a winning combination. The chorizo was also great. Lots of chunky pieces that were filled with the usual delicious chorizo flavour and they weren't at all chewy. Portion size wise there's plenty to go around. The crispy chicken was a perfect example of this - it was never ending! But because they were in smallish bowls we weren't over faced. Speaking of the crispy chicken that was amazing. Sticky and sweet but SUPER crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. I can't describe how good all of this was. I'm sure my friends agree with me, everything was delish.

Seriously if you're ever in Nottingham and fancy an amazing meal out, give this a go. Chilled atmosphere, buzzing vibes and delicious food. Win win win.

I'm heading off to Edinburgh in a couple of months, if anyone has any food recommendations of where to go please let me know!

All that glitters | The best sparkle for your eyes

I love glitter. To the point where I'd happily shower in the stuff. I love a bit of sparkle on my eyes, I just think it looks great packed onto the lid with winged liner - dreams! Here are my favourites to get that shimmer on my eyes and staying on through a night in the club, day trip out or slowing round the house (just sometimes like to bring a bit of glamour to life).

First up is the Pop shade from the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette, my first dip in the 'sophisticated glitter' pool. This pressed pigment sort of powder transforms any eye look from standard to something a bit more smokey. It's a dirty gold shade with lots of glittery flecks in it so  when swiped across the lid it's subtle but pretty. I like to apply using my finger just before I use mascara and really build it up so it's super sparkly.

Next up are the Collection Glam Crystals. I first heard about these on Lucy and Lydia's channel and haven't really looked back since. I mean these are £2.99 and they're pretty incredible. Basically a glitter eyeliner with flecks of different colours in it, it works great over other eyeshadows and lasts all day because of the wet formula that dries right down. When I use these I really layer them up, like eight coats, so there's so much glitter is blinding, but they don't feel sticky or thick on my eye lids. I have the shades Dancing Queen, a pink with silver flecks, and Funk, a bright gold. Love them both, they look so cool, I especially love them under the eye - although word of warning, they can sting a little when really close to the eyeball.

Now the last one is my favourite of all the glitters. I haven't had it for very long but it's so amazing that I have to share it. The NYX Glitter in Copper and the NYX Glitter Primer are a beautiful combination. Now, unlike the others, you should really put this on first before the rest of your makeup otherwise it will end up all down your face, but once it's on it's on. I put an eyeshadow down first, Sonic from the Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is good - a pinky red. Then I take a bit of the glitter primer and dab it on the top using my finger. After that I take a brush and pack on the glitter. Like the other two I pack a lot on but it looks great and is like a true glitter. Love it.

What are your favourite glitter products?

(Also can we just take a minute to appreciate this Primark cushion. I'm in love)

Left to right: NYX Copper | Collection Dancing Queen | Collection Funk | Charlotte Tilbury Pop

For the fleekiest brows | Fleur de Force Brow Products

I was so excited when I saw Fleur's instagram story where she said she was releasing brow pencils. Yes! I'm totally in love with the Eylure Fleur de Force Brow Tamer Brow Gel in Medium and use it everyday so my expectations for the pencil were sky high. In Boots all Eylure products were on three for two so I went all in and got another brow tamer (my tinted side had totally run out) and two pencils, one in medium for me and another one in light for my mum (because I'm so generous, also I seriously don't need any more products).

Let's get into why these are my favourite brow products, ever. I love that the brow tamer has two ends, a tinted gel and a clear gel. The brush on the tinted end is really small and makes it really easy to fluff up my brows and fill them in a little bit more. I use this side more when I've just had my brows tinted and they just need a bit of something extra. Not crispy and doesn't make all the hairs stick together, great! The clear side has a slightly thicker brush so it's really easy to just swipe and go. I use this when I've filled my brows in with a pencil or a powder to set them into place. If you're in the market for a new brow gel I definitely recommend this one, two in one and they're both great.

Now onto the Eylure Fleur de Force Brow Define in Medium. What's not to love about this product (well maybe that it doesn't have a spooley thing but hey-ho). There are three shades, light, medium and dark and each of them have two ends, a lighter shade and a darker shade. I've never really attempted 'gradient brows' before so I was excited to give it a go. I have to say, I'm totally into it. The pencils are soft but not so soft that 1. I end up with really creamy brows and 2. they look like slugs. At first I thought the fact that it's quite cool toned would put me off as usually I go for quite a dark warm brown but so far I'm loving the way it looks. I go in with the lighter tone on the inner part of my brow then the darker tone on the rest. Love love love.

I seriously suggest checking these out. I haven't tried the powder yet, is it worth a go?

Medium -  Lighter tone | Darker tone

Castle and cocktails | What you should do in Nottingham

Nottingham will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where I spent three years of my life, on and off, making new friends, seeing new places and wandering around the streets after a few too many proseccos. So, I was very happy to find myself back there last weekend visiting one of my friends who has been there for the last 12 months doing something intelligent (go Nisha go!). When we arrived in the city it felt like we'd never left, like returning home. So I thought that this would be a good time to share a few of my 'must do' things if you ever find yourself in Nottingham.

Robin Hood Statue

So we're starting at something which I didn't actually visit until last weekend (I know, three years in the city and I didn't visit a statue which is just sat there). It's very close to the outside of the castle so you could go and pay Robin a visit and then go into the castle. He also makes for a very nice photo opportunity. Also somewhere to quickly pop when round here is

Coco Tang
Exposed brickwork. Dimmed lights. Underground. Got your attention? Probably not but hear me out anyway. Coco Tang is a cool cocktail bar that has something for everyone and makes a really good night out, from casual drinks to big celebrations. It's plonked in the middle of a row of shops and you would probably walk past it if you didn't know where to look. Once in you go down some stairs and are greeted by a dance floor, heavy house music and  We used to go all the time at uni, especially in first year, and if you decide to give it a visit I'd recommend going for a Toblerone. It's creamy and chocolate-y and something a bit different to your usual fruity drink. Although, this time I went for a Rhubarb Spritz and that was good too - quite strong but tasty.

Go for a meal
Nottingham has some AMAZING places to go and eat. I think I remember them telling us during our first week of uni that Nottingham has the most cafes, bars and restaurants per square metre than anywhere outside of London - don't quote me on that but there's definitely loads. From chains to independents there's something for everyone (plus it also has Deliveroo which is just what absolute dreams are made of). Some of my favourite places to eat in Notts are Fat Cats, Dinos and George's. 200 degrees is also a really nice cafe. Last weekend we went to Bar Iberico in Hockley and I cannot even tell you how good it was. There will be a post coming soon about my full thought but *spoiler alert* it was pretty special.

Market Square
The poster image of Nottingham. Market Square is just an empty space that houses the Christmas market in winter and, as I found out this weekend, a beach fun fair situation in the summer. Although there might be nothing on when you visit, it's just something you should probably do. Also there are shops nearby so why not.

(If you go to uni in Notts) Ocean
Just trust me on this one. Dress up as a lifeguard, go on your bar crawl of choice and enjoy. You can thank me later.

My favourite highlighters to make my face shine

In two years I've gone from having zero 'proper' highlighters to become an absolute shimmer fiend. 

When I started university I used a shimmery champagne eyeshadow as my highlight, as I didn't see the point in spending money on something if I already had something similar. Since then I've gathered a collection of highlights for every eventuality and I just love them. The first 'proper' highlighter I bought was the Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in Aura. I went for this pink shade because I'm quite pale and thought this would be the best one for me. Looking back I should have got Sin, the champagne shade, as I suit warmer colours but it does still look nice. It's a very subtle highlight that catches the light nicely and shines purple. I imagine this would look amazing for a festival as a highlight underneath a tonne of glitter. Next up is The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer. This. Changed. My life. This will forever be one of my favourite highlighters. It's the perfect champagne, gold shade for my skin tone that never looks overdone. I take my fan brush, give it a swish and then slather it on the tops of my cheekbones. For the price - under £20 - you cannot go wrong, the pigment is amazing and it performs just as well as the one I'm going to mention in a minute. If this isn't already in your collection then go out and get it, now! My next highlight purchase is one that was totally hyped up and I lapped up that hype and put it in my basket. It's the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop. I bought this with my birthday money this year and I haven't looked back. It's intense, it's in your face but that's what it's meant to be. It looks better when I've had a tan as the shade is a little darker than my normal skin tone but I still love this. I am terrified of it breaking when I travel but so far the two cotton pads I've wedged inside it have done the trick (fingers crossed this continues). Last but not least, my most recent highlight purchase is the Tanya Burr Illuminating Powder in Champagne Sorbet. To read my full thoughts read this post but it's such a great everyday highlight that is in my current makeup stash. Good packaging, stunning colour and hard to overdo it. Lots of bang for you buck.

Any highlighters you think I need to try? Let me know!

L-R: Becca Champagne Pop | Tanya Burr Champagne Sorbet | The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer | Urban Decay Aura

L-R: Becca Champagne Pop | Tanya Burr Champagne Sorbet | The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer | Urban Decay Aura

Rose gold, podcasts and seasonal eating | July Favourites

Beauty

I have fallen in love with the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette all over again this month. I dip in and out of love with this palette but I'm seriously obsessed. Everyone knows how pigmented and bendable Urban Decay eyeshadows are so I'll gloss over that, these shades are beautiful. So easy to just slap something on on a workday but it can also do a nice, pink-ey smokey eye. My favourite way to wear it before shooting off to work is Trick on most of the lid, Buzz on the outer lid and Limit in the crease. If I'm feeling I bit fancy I'll smudge Blackheart into my upper lash line. I'm still debating whether I need the Heat Palette in my life but for now I'm pretty happy using this.

Bit of a small and random favourite but I haven't liked a lip balm this much in a while. It's the Palmer's Coconut Oil Lip Balm. It's hydrating, comes in a handy stick and smells and tastes amazing. I'm obsessed with this scent and I think I need to try more from the Coconut Oil range, smells like heaven and holidays!

Food

After listening to the episode of 'At Home With' (more on that later) with Madeleine Shaw, I thought I'd give one of her books a go as I liked the sound of eating well and eating what's in season. So, after a couple of weeks of looking in all my local shops (to find that we were looking in the wrong section, well done) I finally got my hands on it. It being A Year of Beautiful Eating. I am so impressed with this and I think I can say the rest of my family are too! The recipes are pretty easy to do (I say that but my mum has made both of them) and so tasty. I can't wait to make more and I've just recently bought her second book and can't wait to try recipes from that one too!

Lifestyle

I've listened to a few podcasts over the years but none as religiously as 'At Home With'. I've been hooked on every episode, even when I had no clue who the guest really was, and it was so entertaining I was longing for more when the 30 minutes was up. My favourite episode was Giovanna Fletcher but after listening to the one with Kate La Vie I've become a massive fan of her blog. As an avid follower of Anna and Lily I'm really pleased it has gone well for them and I really hope it comes back for a second series!

I bought the Nina Perfume from Nina Ricci when I was on holiday last month and this scent has just become the staple summer scent for me. Sweet but not sickly and in the cutest bottle it will brighten any sunny day.

One week ago today I decided to bite the bullet and finally watch Riverdale. Oh wow am I glad I did. It's the perfect mix between a gripping crime drama and a high school programme. I only had a brief idea of what it was it was about so I kind of went in blind and I was hooked from the first five minutes. I cannot wait for series two and if you haven't watched it yet, please do, you won't regret it and it won't take up too much of your time.

I'm in serious need of another series to binge, any suggestions?

Trick | Buzz | Limit