Review: Garnier Moisture Bomb Day Cream

This month I haven't really reviewed a lot of products but this is one product I felt I needed to review. When this range was first released I was dubious about how the extra moisture in the range would react with my skin. The night cream was a disappointment but the sheet mask and the day cream have worked wonders.

The Moisture Bomb Range is designed to add and retain moisture for those with dry to dehydrated skin. It contains Pomergranate Extract and Hyaluronic Acid which work to lock in moisture and keep skin looking hydrated and plump throughout the day. If you have combination or oily skin I'd stay away from this as it'll only create more oil in the skin and make you look shinier than more.

My friend gifted this to me as it wasn't working for her skin and my current serum wasn't working for me. And I really like this. It sank into my skin quickly and left it looking hydrated and plump. It also smoothed out my skin and created a good base for my make up. Sometimes with hydrating products foundation and other base products can ball up on the skin and flake away. This however doesn't do that and makes foundation apply easier to the skin. Definitely a must have in my morning routine.

Overall I really like this as a day to day serum. It keeps my skin looking and feeling hydrated all day long which overall helps the look of my make up. It is suitable for people with sensitive skin and because it's based purely on hydrating shouldn't cause any adverse reactions. It also contains UVA/UVB protection that works in conjunction with the hydrating properties. I would suggest wearing a seperate SPF as well to make sure skin is completely protected.

November Favourites

Welcome back to the last monthly favourites of the year. I won't be doing a December favourites in favour of doing an a round up of my favourites of the year in one big post. This month I haven't had a lot of products that have really stood out for me but there were a few that did.

I've fallen back in love with my Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer. My Rosie For Autograph Concealer stopped working for me and wasn't giving me the coverage I wanted. I tried this on the off chance and was pleasantly surprised. It covers all signs of my dark circles and even covers at any remaining redness on my cheeks. Blended in with a damp beauty blender and it can last all day without creasing or disappearing completely.

A primer I've loved for the last couple of months is this one from Smashbox. It's their Original Photo Finish primer and it works wonders. For anyone with enlarged porse, oily skin or problems with keeping make up in place this is for them. It's a clear gel like substance but doesn't have that silicone feel like some primers do. It blurs the look of pores, keeps oil at bay and helps make my make up last longer. I'm dreading the day this comes to an end as a full size bottle of this is pretty pricey.

A lipstick I've loved this month comes from Maybelline. It's their Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Burgundy Blush. It's a really deep red shade with brown undertones. It's an absolutely stunning shade that'll really make any make up look stand out. It's matte in formula but it's not drying or hard to wear. It's really creamy so application and reapplication is easy and doesn't create any of those nasty dark patches where lips dry out. Definitely one I'll be picking up a lot during these colder months.

A skincare product I've been loving this month comes from Nip and Fab. It's their Bee Sting Toning Pads. Containing Bee Venom, Witch Hazel and Propolis these are designed to help tone, tighten and purify the skin. These are brilliant treatment pads. They make feel skin feel toned and plump but not dry and tight and work well in conjunction with hydrating facial mists and serums. These can be used every day but I've enjoyed using this every other day as part of routine with some of Nip and Fab's other treatment pads.

Finally I've found a hair product I've been loving. This Garnier Ultimate Blends Oil is amazing on my sometimes frizzy hair and is perfect for after I've washed my hair. Containing Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter this works to smooth frizzy hair and smoothness to dry hair. A pump run through wet hair is perfect for taming it before drying. It helps ease any fluffy or frizzy hair and really aids with styling. This can be used on either wet or dry hair and really helps smooth flyaways when you're doing an intricate style. Definitely one to try if you have problems with frizz.

Winter Lip Edit

It's getting colder, it's getting darker earlier and everyone is talking about the upcoming festive season. So it's clear Winter is here. It's also clear that it's time to get out all those dark berry lips, dark red lips and anything that screams cold winter vibes. If you're looking for winter lip inspiration then these five choices might be right up your street.

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Burgundy Blush
Last year I put Maybelline's Divine Wine in my edit. This year that's been pushed aside by their latest release. Burgundy Blush has a really deep almost brown undertone to it but still has hints of red running through it. It's just as creamy as Divine Wine but doesn't smudge or bleed at all. It's long wearing, non drying and easy to reapply. This is one of the easiest colours to wear as it goes with everything and anything. A brilliant choice for ladies of a fairer skintone that want to a bold statment lip.

Gosh Matte Lipstick in Grape
How gorgeous is this shade from Gosh? It has the deep red tone to it but it isn't an in your face red shade. It also has some deep purple undertones running through it so depending on the rest of your make up, the undertones may show than the colour in the bullet. Gosh matte lipsticks are extremely creamy, easy to apply, long lasting and non drying. They don't transfer easily and reapplication is just as easy as application. There are so many beautiful winter shades in their line, if this doesn't appeal to you, I'm sure there is one that will.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Ricco 
Oh Stila how you've stolen my heart with this shade. This doesn't look very dark or deep in the tube but once it's on the lips it's a dark burgundy shade with purple undertones. It's a liquid lipstick so saying it doesn't dry the lips out would be a lie but it doesn't zap all the moisture out of lips like some liquid lipsticks do. The applicator on this is a standard doe foot applicator but has enough flex that it bends and moves fluidly against the lips. It's thinner formula means you can reapply or layer this and won't get that nasty cracked finish. Definitely a staple in my lipstick wardrobe this season.

Lime Crime Velvetine Liquid Lipstick in Wicked 
Another liquid lipstick I adore for this time of the year comes from Lime Crime. Wicked is yet again another deep burgundy shade that has a brown undertone running through it. It's not as forgiving on the lips as the Stila Liquid Lipstick but can still be worn for a prolonged period of time without transferring or cracking. It has a thicker formula that takes a while to dry but when it does you're left with a highly pigmented, opaque colour that'll definitely get people talking. Another great option for anyone who has farier skin as it'll really make a statement.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Rome 
The only neutral lipstick I've been enjoying is this NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Rome. It still has that slightly mauvey, purple undertone but also has a lot brown running through it. The Soft Matte Lip Creams are like velvet on the lips, you'll almost forget you're wearing them. It's doe foot applicator makes application even and sharp so you could even forego a lip liner with this one. If you're not feeling all the deeper shades I've shown then Rome could be for you. It has a deepness to it whilst still being neutral and can be worn with a variety of looks and outfits. Definitely my favourite for a paired down look.

What I Got For My Birthday

If you read Monday's post then you'll know it was my birthday last week. I've already shown you my look for the day so today I thought I'd share with you what I got for my birthday. A quick disclaimer though, this is not me showing off. This is just me sharing what my family was so kind to buy me and hope that if you're struggling for gift ideas it'll give you some help.

According to my mum I'm very hard to buy for this year. So after weeks of me saying I don't know, she went practical and just brought me a couple of bits she knew I wouldn't buy myself as I've had other things to buy (cough Christmas cough). And as I am a big Disney fan, she ever so kindly brought me a couple of their new releases that I hadn't had time to pick up yet. I got Zootropolis and the Good Dinosaur, both of which I've heard are very good. I can't wait to snuggle up with Stanley the cat and a coffee and enjoy these.

My mum also brought me an iTunes card as yet again it was something I needed to pick up but hadn't gotten around to it. It means I can now pick up the new Little Mix album which is brilliant. I highly recommend giving it a listen when you can.

There is a theme this year to what I recieved. Yet again as they didn't know what else to get me, my step-dad brought me a HMV gift card. If you didn't know I'm a huge movie and tv lover. When I can I pick up the latest film releases or the latest boxset of my favourite TV shows. I'm going to save this until after Christmas to use and then spoil myself in the January Sales.

My nan also struggled to find something to buy me so she gave me twenty pound. Bless her, she apologised for not giving a lot but I'm not worried about that. I wouldn't have be bothered if she hadn't put anything in though, a card would have been enough. I haven't decided what I want to use it for yet. If any of you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. I may just put it towards a nice jumper or a pair of Winter boots.

I know it's not the norm but I treated myself to a couple of things as a birthday present to myself. The first thing I brought was a full sized bottle of the Dior Star Foundation. I've been using a sample of this and absolutely loved it, so thought I'd treat myself to a full sized bottle as a present.

And I also picked up this lip combo from New Look. They've recently re-released their beauty range and added a few lines as well. When I saw this matte lipstick I knew I had to have it. It's in the shade Mulberry and is a gorgeous looking berry toned shade. It's perfect for this time of the year and paired with the matching lip liner which I also picked up I think it's going to make a beautiful statement lip. I will be getting more of these lipsticks so keep your eyes peeled for a review at some point.

GRWM: Happy Birthday To Me

Last week was I turned 24 (the 17th) and spent the day out shopping with my mumma. So I thought today I'd share the make up look I did for the day with you.

Prime: To prime my skin I went in with the Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water. This is very lightweight, moisturising and nourishing. I pat this into my skin before going in with a little bit of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer down the centre of my face. This helps blur the look of any enlarged pores I have and makes sure to lock anything I put over the top into place.

Base: For base I went in with my favourite Dior Star Foundation. This is very full coverage but allows skin to still look like skin without looking cakey. The shade Ivory is perfect for my complexion and blends seamlessly. I love how long this lasts on my skin and how even after a few good hours this still looks flawless. I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to buff this into the skin. It's such a wide topped brush that it blends everything in seamlessly.

Conceal: Under my eyes I popped a little (a lot) of the Maybelline The Eraser Eye concealer. This is brilliant at covering my panda eyes and isn't too heavy or cakey. I bop this in with my damp beauty blender and take any excess over my eye lids to cover any veiny-ness I have. Then I take my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer to cover any redness that may be peeking through and to add a bit of highlight to the under eye area. This is also bopped in with my damp beauty blender, which I then take all over the face to make sure everything is blended in.

Set: To set everything into place I go in with my trusty Collection Pressed Powder in Ivory. This powder is perfect for setting both the under eye area and the whole face. I take my Real Techniques Setting Brush and pat it into place, patting it instead of brushing it helps with creasing and making concealer last longer. Then I take my B Beauty Powder Brush and sweep it down the centre of my face and along the edges. I don't take powder over my cheeks as it usually ends up looking cakey.

Brows: For brows I just swept a spoolie through them to give them a brush and remove any foundation that may have gotten in there. Then I just popped a bit of Benefit's Gimme Brow through them and left it at that.

Eyes: Eyes-wise I gave my lashes a good curl. I find these Wilkinson's eye lash curlers to curl my lashes better than any other curler I've tried before. Once my lashes are as curled as I want them to be, I popped a couple of coats of the Loreal Miss Hippie Mascara on. I love the amount of fanned out volume this gives my lashes whilst looking natural and clump free.

Lips: I lined my lips with this MUA lip liner in Caramel Nougat. This a paler nude than I'd normally wear but there's something about it that I really like. I was going to wear it on it's own but at the last minute I added the Rosie For Autograph lipstick in Silk Rose. This has a reddish undertone to it so added a bit more depth to the liner. These lipsticks are creamy, highly pigmented and long lasting without being drying. Some of my favourites to wear.

Setting Spray: To make sure everything stayed in place I set everything in place with the Barry M Matte Finish Setting Spray. This fine mist is lightweight, mattifying and helps to remove any cakey-ness from the face. A couple of spritzs of this and my face is locked into place.

Outfit: Clothes wise I went with my black skinny jeans from Primark. These are so soft and comfortable I could live in them, plus their high waisted so they suck me in right where I need them to. I paired them with my extra fluffy jumper from Primark which has the most stunning cut out at the back. A pair of converse along with my tan saddle bag and I was ready for the day. 

Christmas Gift Guide: Luxury Gifts

All I Want For Christmas Is You! That's what you'll be saying when you see the luxury items in today's final gift guide.

Dior Travel Brush Set £82
If you're thinking of really treating the make up love in your life this year I'd say these brushes would be right up there. This stunning Dior Travel set contains five brushes that can all be used for various purposes. It also comes with this beautiful travel case that'll protect them if you take them with you. It is only exclusive to Boots so I'd suggest grabbing it when you see it, I don't there will be many around.

Urban Decay Pro Essentials Brush Stash Bag £70
Another brush set which will definitely be spoiling any make up lover this Christmas is from Urban Decay. Yet again this set comes with five brushes and a bag where you can stash them and any other brushes you need to store. This is cheaper than the Dior brush kit so if that wasn't too your liking I'd check out Urban Decay's offering.

Urban Decay Urban Essentials Eye Kit £60
If brush sets aren't for you then check out this deluxe sized eye collection from Urban Decay. It comes with three of their single eyeshadows, three of their Glide On Eye Pencils and a tube of their Primer Potion. This is a brilliant box if you know someone who loves Urban Decay eyeshadows or wants to add more to their collection. It's pricey but when you break it down and work out the cost of every individual product it works out to be very good value for money.

Estee Lauder Colour Portfolio £58
Looking for a brilliant value for money palette then Estee Lauder is going to be the brand for you. This ultimate palette has 28 eyeshadows, 6 Pure Colour Envy Blushes, 2 Smoky Khol Eyeliners, 1 Pure Envy Lip Gloss and a variety of Pure Envy Lip Colours. At just uner £60 this is what I call an absolute bargain. If you know someone who's into their make up or someone who needs everything in one place then this is it.

Lancome Beauty Box £180
If you're doing one big present this year, try this amazing beauty box from Lancome. It comes with a mixture of skincare and make up along with a generous sized carry case. Some of it's highlights include two palettes, two lip products, two creams, two sample sizes of serum, a mascara and a travel sized brush. This is expensive but as one big present it's worth it.

Christmas Gift Guide: For Him

Step Into Christmas! Welcome back to my Christmas Gift Guides. Today we're tackling one of the trickier people to buy for. Yes I'm talking about the Gent's in our lives. If you're struggling, struggle no more I'm sure you'll find the perfect gift here.

 Loreal Barbershop Grooming Collection £25
If you're stumped on what to get the man in your life this Christmas then this set may just be perfect for you. It contains six full size Loreal products all a mixture from their various ranges for gents. It's £25 in total but once you work out the price of everything individually it works out to be quite a bargain. This is a great set for anyone who doesn't want to get their partner's, father's, son's or brother's a Lynx Set like they do every year. Definitely grab it while you can as it's not going to be around for long.

Jack Wills Body Spray Trio £15
If you're looking for something for that younger man in your life then try this Jack Wills Trio is perfect. Coming with three different scented body sprays, this trio is another great different present to the usual Lynx sets you see in most shops. Plus Jack Wills is probably a more popular brand amongst the younger lads than other body sprays.

Gift Stuff Power Bank £10
A more practical gift is this Powerbank from Superdrug. It comes well within any budget and can charge a number of devices whilst on the go. If you know someone who's phone is always running out of battery then this would be perfect for them. Plus if you get your male colleague during Secret Santa this is brilliant for the budget.

Joop Homme Aftershave Gift Set £30
A classic fragrance for any man is Joop. It's a unique scent that will be recognised by everyone, it's a classic. In this gift set you get a 75ml bottle of aftershave and a 50ml tube of Shower Gel. And it's only £30, which is cheaper than the aftershave on it's own.

Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male Gift Set £44
Another classic gent's scent is from Jean Paul Gaultier. It's distinct, it's classic and it's a firm favourite amongst many men. This set contains a 75ml Aftershave and 75ml Shower Gel. It's pricier than some gift sets out there but it's such an iconic fragrance you don't mind paying that bit extra for it. Plus the bottle and the tin can always be kept for decorative purposes afterwards.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Aftershave Set £48
A more luxury fragrance set is this one from Gucci. You recieve a 50ml bottle of Aftershave and two complimentary tubes of Shower Gel and Body Lotion. This is a very pricey set but it's very luxurious and definitely one for the that person you want to spoil the most.

The James Bond Collection £39.99
Is your man a fan of Bond? Yes? Then this complete collection is perfect for them. It contains all twenty three films and also has room to add Spectre to the collection. And it's only £40, which considering the amount you get in the set is brilliant value for money.

Breaking Bad The Complete Series £29.99
Another classic series is Breaking Bad. It's a cult classic and if you watch an episode with the man in your life, I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked as well. If you've been thinking about buying a series or two this Christmas then I'd suggest this box set. It'll work out cheaper and you can then binge watch the entire series all at once.

Fast and Furious 7-Movie Collectio £19.99
Your man a fan of cars. Then treat him to all seven Fast and Furious Films all in one box set. It comes in at under £20 and will keep him entertained for hours. And if you're not sure if your man will like it then all I'm going to say is action, car chases and fantastic soundtracks to give you an idea of what's in store. Definitely a present I'd prefer if I didn't already own all seven films.

Christmas Gift Guide Under £50

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. Welcome back to my Christmas Gift Guides. Today we're upping the budget even more and stepping towards the more luxury side of things. So here are my Top 5 Gift Picks for Under £50.

Origins 'Rest and Recharge' Gift Set £35
Origins always have interesting gift sets at Christmas and this set is no different. Containing a 50ml High Potency Night-A-Mins Cream, 30ml Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, 30ml Modern Friction and a 30ml Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. The size of the products in this set makes it an absolute steal with one moisturiser costing more than the entire set. Definitely one for Origins Fans.

Alpha H Skin Solutions Set £40
Heard a lot about Alpha H but never tried it before? Then get your hands on one of these sets. Containing five 30ml products including their bestseller Liquid Gold which only retails for over £40. This is aimed at normal to dry skin but can also be picked up in a sensitive version, perfect not just for people with sensitive skin but also for people who are wary about using new products on their skin.

Stila Eyes Are The Window Eyeshadow Palette £30
Stila always releases beautiful eye shadow palettes around this time of the year and this year's release is no different. This palette contains twelve gorgeous that contains a mixture of shimmers and matte finishes. The four furthest right has some absolutely stunning shades that are perfect for this time of the year. Know a die hard eye shadow fan? Yes? Definitely treat them to this palette this festive season.

Too Faced Grand Hotel Cafe Set £46
Too Faced have released this stunning palette trio in the most adorable packaging. The three palettes combined have a total of eighteen shadows; a mixture of matte and shimmer, two blushes, two bronzers and a deluxe bts. If you already know Too Faced as a brand then you'll know they like to scent all their palettes. And these three are the same. All three have a rich deep coffee scent which is absolutely divine. It's a little pricey but when you look at what you're getting it's well worth the money.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Mini Set £38
Kat Von D is a big thing over here at the moment and I think this Mini Liquid Lipstick set will be a big seller this season. Containing eight miniature versions of her famour Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks, including two brand new shades this is a pricier set than others but worth every penny. If you were looking at buying a couple of shades as pressies give those a miss and get your hands on this set. It'll definitely win you some brownie points this Christmas.

None these catch your eye? No worries I have more gift suggestions right here.