Feeling Festive!

I am feeling super festive at the moment! I know it's a little early but if you don't start early you don't get to enjoy it for as long! Finally, all the shopping centres are decorated, the Christmas adverts are spilling out and all the festive coffees are being drank at a rapid pace (by me).

I have been Christmas shopping like crazy and watching endless Christmas films but these are the other ways I am getting in the festive feeling!

Firstly as previously mentioned, festive coffee. I honestly have an addiction and my bank account is not happy about it. I have been going to Starbucks at least once a day for my EggNog Latte fix (if you  haven't tried one you are missing out) I am also partial to a Gingerbread Latte or a Toffee Nut Latte if I fancy a change. I'm not the biggest fan of Costa this year but I do love the Christmas cups! Aren't they adorable!!! McDonalds Spiced Cookie Latte is also a winner!

Zoella's Christmas range from last year was my absolute favourite and I am still in love this year! This horribly cold weather is making my skin so dry and horrible so Zoella's Gingerbread scented Hungry Hand Cream has been my saviour this past month! Not only does it smell incredible but it works too. I can't wait to get this years Zoella Hand Cream. 

Another Zoella fave is the Bake My Day fragrance, it smells like sweet gingerbread and is the most festive thing on earth! My fiancé isn't a fan though so maybe it isn't for everyone but I adore it!

On the cosmetics front I am really enjoying using a few Tanya Burr things that I got in her beauty advent calendar last year, this lipgloss in Berry Pavlova is so lovely and red just screams Christmas! I sometimes can't face a sticky lipgloss though so on those days I go for a red matte lip also from Tanya's last year calendar (can't for the life of me remember the name of it though) 

That same calendar contained some incredible glitter nail polishes, this one was my favourite last year in the shade Sleigh Bells. I'm still loving it this year! It looks great on top of other polishes but I also like it for a more simple look just on its own in a thin layer. Perfect for a little everyday festive sparkle!

For the past few years now, this Collection Glam Crystals eyeliner in gold has been my everyday fave at Christmas time. It glides on so pigmented in one swipe which makes it super easy to use everyday when I want a little sparkle in a hurry. I only own this one shade currently but I'm thinking I will purchase a few more this year!

Lastly, Urban Decay Naked Heat. You have all seen this I'm sure, it is beautiful. The shades are very warm and autumnal but somehow I'm actually enjoying it more now that it is becoming more wintery.  The shade En Fuego is being smothered on my eye lids on the daily!

These are the little ways that I am getting in the festive feels, what have you been doing/using? 

MakeUp Revolution X Soph Eyeshadow Palette

Recently I posted a "glowing" review of the MakeUp Revolution X SophDoesNails highlighter palette and I couldn't resist nabbing the eyeshadow palette as well! 

The palette includes 24 shadows, a mixture of metallics and mattes in a wide variety of wearable yet unique shades.

I LOVE the packaging, as I said in the highlighter post, I am really not a fan of the typical MakeUp Revolution packaging so this matte look upgrade pleases me greatly. This palette is in a matte look pinky beige which really does give this palette a classier and in general more appealing modern look. I'm a fan. It looks comfortable alongside my high end palettes in my collection. 

The shade range at first looks a little mismatched, loads of different colours and variety which at first I thought might make this palette hard to work with but how wrong was I! 

This palette has everything, somehow there are so many options and everything works so well together. If you are new to makeup, this could potentially be the only palette you need and if you are a makeup junkie like me, well, its probably still the only palette you need. I've been using it literally everyday! There are even shades you could use for highlighters or brows!

These four shades are my favourite, they do have names, really adorable names actually but I've somehow lost the plastic insert that said them all, standard Amy. 

This gold is my most used so far, it is a typical gold but it goes on so smoothly and it is super pigmented so it has easily become my go to. 

This orange/red is glorious! I love it as an all over the lid shade, all smoked out and autumnal.

I'm pretty sure the next shade is called either Gasoline or Petrol. And it is obvious why, this shade is a gorgeous duo toned grey/blue/green/brown. So many colours all in one! So unique and amazing!

I am almost certain my pinky finger shade is called Pug (adorable) it is quite literally the colour of a pug. This is a perfect crease shades which can be used for almost any look you might want to create with this palette. It'll be the first I hit pan on for sure!

Although, I liked Soph's highlighter palette, I LOVE this eyeshadow palette! I honestly think that EVERYONE needs it in there collection! Support Soph and yourself, go get this!

Soph has made a whole host of youtube videos using this palette so go take a look here!

Or purchase here!

Storage: Ugly but Effective

It has been forever and a day since I have done a makeup collection post... 

Last time I did one I had so much less makeup and I photographed EVERY SINGLE ITEM! Unfortunately that is just not possible now with the obscene amount of makeup that I currently own. 

Up until recently I was keeping everyday makeup to hand and everything else was stored away, meaning that I didn't ever use much of it simply because I couldn't see it. I needed a cheap, easy and quick fix so I ordered these hideous but highly effective pink draws from Amazon.com on Prime.  Mostly due to impatience, I'm not gonna lie.

My vanity is looking a little worse for wear but it does the job, currently on the top is my light up mirror which opens up to reveal jewellery storage which I bloody love so much. It also has a handy little draw underneath which is currently empty but I intend for that to be the new product draw. This draw will prove super handy as I can be sure to use new things rather than have them disappear into the makeup abyss. 

I then have three glasses full of makeup brushes (all filthy) and a smaller mirror which is pretty much the only one I use because you can get really up close with it.

On the attached shelf I have three clear boxes that have bits and bobs in such as electronics cables, makeup packaging (for blogging purposes) and random skin care that I don't use much. The white draws are empty to allow for inevitable makeup collection growth!

On top of the hideous pink draws in two copper baskets, I keep my most used and most loved palettes. 

A few Urban Decay favourites, Naked Smoky and Naked Heat! 

A few Too Faced favourites, Sweet Peach and Chocolate Bar. These bad boys are my absolute loves of my life, probably my most favourite things in my whole makeup collection.

Urban Decay Vice 3 and Vice 4, I love these guys because they are jam packed with so many unique eyeshadows and they are amazing quality. Although I don't reach for these daily, I like having them close for when I'm feel a little adventurous!

On to the contents of the hideous pink draws, the top draw is separated by smaller clear containers. Top left contains a variety of pencils and liners, so this includes eyeliners, lipliners, glitter liners and coloured liners. 

Next to that is skin stuff such as my fave foundation Revlon Color Stay and my go to concealer Collection Lasting Perfection.

Bottom left holds all my mascaras, I only really use the Urban Decay Perversion but I have a whole load of options!

Bottom right contains my brow stuff, I use the Models Own brow palette most days but occasionally I might use the MakeUp Revolution brow pomade. 

The second draw is my favourite draw, HIGHLIGHTERS! I have quite a lot of highlighters as you can see but my faves are probably the Tanya Burr Skin Illuminator, Soph X palette and all the Technic Get Gorgeous highlights. 

Third draw is the most neglected draw as I am just too lazy for lip products, all I do is eat so usually I don't bother. Somehow though, I have still accumulated quite the collection. Mostly reds and various shades of pink. I particularly like lip stains so I've got a lot of those, my favourites are mostly in my handbag though.

Blush! I don't have much blush, I have the Real Cheeky Party palette by Benefit which is great as it contains a selection of Box'O'Blushes which I use a lot. I really love a good cream blush, H&M do some great ones.

Single shadows and teeny tiny palettes. It's all about palettes these days so I don't have that many singles but as you can see, I really like the MUA singles, especially the metallic ones because they literally cost £1 and are the most pigmented things on earth. I keep my fave eyeshadow in here also, the Urban Decay Moondust single in Solstice.

The six draw is skin stuff such as cream contour, colour correctors, bronzer, contour and a few blushes and highlighters if they are apart of a face palette. I use my Collection Highlight & Sculpt loads. I also really love my Urban Decay Jean Michel Basquiat palette, it has two blushes, one highlight and a bronzer inside so I use this loads for travel as it hold my whole face.  I was also wearing this palette when Liam proposed so it's quite special! 

The last draw (that isn't empty) contains other palettes that I just don't use that much. I did really like the W7 palettes but I haven't found myself reaching for them at all recently so they are just stored away with their other unloved mates should I ever fancy using one of them!

So that's my makeup collection and ugly but effective storage! It's so nice to have everything all together and easy to get at, I have found myself experimenting a whole lot more and actually using things that I had been neglecting previously. I have a little room for growth but I can always buy another set of pink draws when my collection gets bigger!

How do you store your makeup? 

MakeUp Revolution X Soph Highlighter Palette

I am a huge youtube fan, I watch minimum one hour of it a day and SophDoesNails has been a firm favourite of mine for quite a while! She is so unique, loveable and so talented with makeup so when she announced this collaboration with MakeUp Revolution I knew I had to support her and get myself something! 

Originally I had only purchased this highlighter palette but have since also bought the eyeshadow palette as I have been so impressed! 

Firstly, this palette cost £8.00 which honestly is mental for what you get. The packaging is lovely, same idea as all MakeUp Revolution palettes but in a gorgeous nude shade instead of the usual black and has Soph's signature on the front.

I really love it. Usually MakeUp Revolution palettes get so scratched up and look ten years old in a matter of hours but this palette doesn't do that at all. It looks so pristine still and much more expensive feeling than it actually is. 

Inside you get 8 shades, there are two different textures as well. Three are a more buttery pigmented formula and three are more powdery and natural. I do prefer the more buttery ones but both as great. The palette is also sort of split into two sections, half is aimed at pale girls and half for darker skinned ladies. I am pale but I do think I can comfortably use 6 out of 8. And the other two make nice eyeshadows so it's a win for me!

I adore that this palette can be used by anyone, ghostly pale to beautifully dark.

As you can see, all highlighters are so pigmented and all very different. There is so much variety! If you are new to makeup or new to highlight itself this is a great palette for you. Cheap and has a little of everything!

These four are probably my favourite ones, I love a golden/champagne shade and these all sit in that category for me.

I honestly couldn't choose a main fave but I have been reaching for these daily and also layering them to achieve even more looks!

This palette also includes two more unique shades in the pink and purple tones. Both are blooming glorious! So unique and pigmented, I have been using these but for me, they aren't everyday shades!

The two darker shades work really well as eyeshadows for me or I also like to gently layer them over my contour as a super shimmery bronzer! It can look intense but if your careful this works so well! 

Generally, I like to support youtubers I like by buying there products but somethings just don't live up. I did think this would be the case here but I was so wrong! 

This palette is a total babe!

Purchase Here

Check Out Soph Here

Benefit Double The Lip!

These have been out for ages and I've always wanted to try one but I was worried it was just a fad and wouldn't actually be worth the money! 

Despite mostly glowing reviews, I had my doubts.

When I saw that a mini version was a free gift in Elle Magazine this month, I literally squealed as I threw it into my basket! People actually stares at me like I was mental. 

I'll be honest with you, I haven't even read the magazine and I probably won't but it was worth the £4.00 just try try this!

I got the shade Nude Scandal, not out of choice, it was just the only one available but luckily it is probably the shade I would have chosen! 

The idea of Double the lip is that the lip liner and lip stick is all in one tube so when you apply the lipstick, the outer area is a darker shade creating a lip liner look and the inner area is a lighter creamier lipstick. Intended to make lips look fuller and prolong the wear. 

I would say it does both these things so well! My lips look so much more plump and even with this one, this shade is super wearable and the product itself feels really comfortable on the lips and lasts a really long time! I am so impressed!

The packaging is lovely as well, stylists and simple, it was a twist up feature which makes use super easy which I appreciate! 

I think I will be getting a few more maybe for Christmas, if I can wait that long! 

Purchase Here

PINTEREST: Wedding Dresses

This is the part of planning a wedding that terrifies me the most. I don't hate my body necessarily, I am a size 16, curvy but nothing really wobbles and generally I'm pretty happy but I'm short and my boobs are huge which can make clothes shopping really hard. 

Especially for dresses. 

It is hard to tell how a dress might look once the length is altered because when I'm looking in the mirror I have a pile of fabric on the floor due to my dwarf legs. Or I try on a style that conceals my boobs meaning I look really frumpy or I have them on show and end up looking like a porn star. I can't win so I know wedding dress shopping isn't going to be easy, there will be tears I'm sure and not happy ones!

What makes it worse is that the style I like most definitely won't suit me! But I have decided that to begin with ill just pin what I like and hopefully some inspiration will come from it! 

These are the dresses that have caught my eye so far...

As you can see, I'm being drawn to the low cut back/front styles which I don't think will work for me but maybe so clever tit tape will make it possible! What I have learnt from initial research is that I love lace, embroidery and a full length skirt with some volume but certainly not a puffy princess dress! I don't know the terminology but you know what I mean!

I'm also thinking that id like to consider not wearing white, I really like the idea of a pastel coloured dress or a more unusual shade like the ones above. 

Lots to think about!

Miss Sporty Insta Glow Highlighter

Miss Sporty is a bargain brand and I've liked a few things from them before such as the InstaGlow blusher which I think I may have reviewed here on EverydayAmy a while back?! 

So when the brand released a highlighter in the same InstaGlow range I thought I best buy it so that my blusher could have a friend. Logic right?

The packaging is the in a clear plastic compact same as the blusher, it is cheaper looking because it does cost only £2.99 but it doesn't look bad, it is sturdy and I love that you can see the products through the packaging. It is simple and too the point which I actually appreciate it!

It is a unique shade of champagne gold with a peachy undertone, I really like it. I don't have anything else like it so I am so pleased to have it as part of my collection, it bothers me so much when budget brands all bring out the same same standard champagne highlighters. Like, WHY ARE THEY ALL THE SAME!

As you can see on my bizarre thumb swatch above, this a very sexy highlight. Very pigmented and can be build up in layers super well so you could wear this as a subtle glow or built up to blinding! 

There is also a bronzer in the same range which I am now most definitely going to go buy!

Another Technic Palette...

I'm sure by now you all know that I really love Technic, they are such an underrated brand so whenever a new palette comes out. I buy it.

I'm not certain if this powder highlighter palette is actually new or not but it has only just become available on amazon which is where I buy Technic from. 

Purchase Here

The packaging is the standard Technic palette, same as all the others. I personally love the packaging as all the palettes (I have many) stack together perfectly! 

I was a little concerned about the shade selection before I receive this and I think I was right to think that the shades would be a little too dark and a little too orange. As you can see from the above swatches, the highlighters are very orange toned but there are still a good few colours that I can and will use, if you have a darker skin tone than me you might get more use out of these.

The actual highlighters themselves are wonderfully buttery, smooth and ultra pigmented! The swatches above are just one swipe of my finger over the product, just the quality that I have come to expect from Technic. 

All the lighter shades are fantastic and I will certainly wear a whole lot, the darker ones won't work for me as highlighters but I think I'm going to give them a go as eyeshadow!

Overall, I am super impressed as I knew I would be! If you don't already own all the Technic palette, why the hell not?!?!

Alsoooooo, just to make you all aware. Ive just started a new job which means that I am super busy, stressed and tired right now and likely for the foreseeable future! So I will only be posting one post a week for a little while! Hope you don't mind! x

HighEnd Wishlist

One                    Two                    Three

I am a youtube/blog addict so I often lust after high end beauty, especially things that have been raved about or been all over social media! 

This wishlist is very cliche in my choices but I am dying to get my hands on all of them!

1. Urban Decay Naked Heat Vice Lipstick In Scorched 

Naked Heat is such a big thing right now, everyone wants it and most people already have it. I have the Heat palette and am in love so I am desperate to add to my Heat collection, look at the packaging on these lipsticks! It is the same style as the existing Vice collection but in a stunning burnt orange/copper colour and I bloody love it! There are three shades to choose from but I'm lusting after Scorched, it is a gorgeous metallic burnt orange shade, I'm not sure it will suit me but that doesn't stop me wanting it!

2. Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops in Celestial 

We have all heard of these! They are very expensive but I have heard to damn much about them but I have finally decided that I do in fact need one and it will be worth the money! They are very versatile, as a highlight, under a powder highlight, mixed into foundation... the possibilities are endless! Celestial is calling my name and it will be mine!

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette

This is a tricky one because there are so many diabolical reviews! Such a huge amount of people saying this a bad palette but on the flip side there are many saying that it is amazing! I personally think the shade selection is amazing, very me and I think it is worth trying it for myself! 

Lastly, Urban Decay have recently been teasing a new mascara on social media.

TROUBLEMAKER!

I am a massive fan of Perversion so if this is even half as good as that, I need it. The packaging is bloody incredible as well, I am a sucker for swanky packaging! 

I don't think this has a release date yet but I know, Ill be buying it the day it comes out! I am very excited!!!

What high end lovelies are you guys lusting after right now?

Urban Decay Naked Heat Review

A warm smokey eye is one of my favourite go to eye looks. I have a good few eyeshadow in various palettes that I use to create this look but it is so nice to have one palette with everything I need to do it.

When Naked Heat was announced I knew it would be that palette, I have a few criticisms but overall this palette has really delivered!

The packaging is pretty much the exact same as the Naked Smokey which I also own so the perfectionist in me loves that they fit perfectly on top of each other but aside from that it is quality packaging. A good size, large but not unnecessarily so, protective which is very important and looks wise, its great as well. It reflects whats inside well with the amazing sunset of colour, I personally think the packaging is spot on.

Inside you are greeted with 12 large pans, a large mirror and a double ended brush.

I never used in palette mirrors but I know people rate them so yeah, this is a good one.

The pans are typical of a Naked palette and the brush isn't bad either, I preferred the brush in the Smokey palette as it had a fluffy end which was great for blending which I feel is missing from this palette but you can interchange your brushes to suit though so I might just pop my Smokey brush in here!

I will be talking about the shades from the left of the palette to the right and I have swatched the shades from the top of my wrist to the bottom

Ounce

While I am pleased that this palette has a highlight shade, I wish it was more pigmented. I'm not sure you can even see it in the photo! It is at the top of my wrist. I do use it and I'm glad it is included but it could be better.

Chaser

This is one of my faves actually, it looks pretty basic in the swatch but on the eye it is actually a lot darker. I like it as a crease shade, I feel like it works with all the other shades in the palette so well so I do tend to use it in the crease no matter what eye look I'm going for.

Sauced

Sauced is my most used as of yet, I apply this all over the lid, smoke it out with a little smoked on the lower lash line. Really simple look but I've been loving it on the daily.

Low Blow

Low Blow really is just a slightly darker variation of Sauced, this is where my slight issue with this palette starts. Some of the shades seem to blend into one, many are so similar that once you start blending you can't tell the difference. 

Lumbre

The shimmers are where Heat really starts to shine! Lumbre is bloody lovely, best applied with a finger to achieve full impact.

He Devil

He Devil is much more red than the shades we have seen so far. I haven't experimented with this one much yet but the quality is amazing.

Dirty Talk

Dirty Talk is the nicest most shimmery, glittery red. It is certainly not an everyday shade but I am really excited to try it out!

Scorched

I love this shade! It is such a beautiful intense coppery red, I am yet to try this on my lids but it swatches perfectly, This would be great all over the lid for a night out with some black liner!

Cayenne 

Cayenne is a slightly deeper version of He Devil, they are so similar that it seems pointless that they are both in one palette. I do prefer He Devil but Cayenne is perfectly nice too. 

En Fuego 

This shade didn't swatch well as you can see but on the lid it actually works quite well, It is a great shade to add definition, once I have done my eye makeup I like to use either En Fuego or Ashes to deepen the outer corner. 

Ashes

Ashes is a gorgeous matte deep purple, fantastic for adding definition. I think it would make an amazing all over smokey eye but I am yet to try it. 

Ember

This might be my favourite of the shimmers, so pigmented, so sparkly, so beautiful. Not that I ever have night out but if I do in the near future this will be my go to lid shade. 

My lovely fiancé treated me to this palette because he's the best and he knew how much I wanted it, so I am pleased to announce that it was money well spent! 

Purchase Here

PINTEREST: Recent Wedding Pins

Pinterest is literally my best friend right now, I AM ADDICTED!

We are still very much just in the gathering ideas stage and we have no real direction but these are a few things that have caught my eye recently...

We don't currently know what our budget will be but I am a saver at heart and I love to DIY so this wedding itinerary really caught my eye. Liam is a fantastic drawer so I would love for him to hand draw something like this for the big day! He is desperately saving to buy an iPad Pro so when he gets it he would be able to draw something like this so easily, it would be so cheap to have printed and it looks so personal and artistic. 

We love food, I mean, a lot. There is no doubt in our minds that some kind of huge food display will be at the heart of our wedding, we have been considering hiring an ice cream truck but in case our budget doesn't stretch quite that far, there are so many lovely DIY alternatives. How adorable is this cookie bar?! We could maybe even add a big vat of hot chocolate to it for dipping!

Along the same theme, POPCORN BAR! We are big cinema lovers, we go regularly and have a huge film collection at home so this feels very us. The only issue is that personally I think that popcorn you flavour yourself never tastes as good but thats something we could explore and maybe rectify. Adorable though! 

Both our families are massive tea drinkers so when I saw this I fell in love. Also something we could do pretty cheaply, dresser from a second hand store and we have loads of tea pots already so we really would just need the decorations and the tea itself. I really think this would be a hit!

Can you tell I'm loving the vintage furniture? It is such a fresh idea I think, so easy to do but looks so much more personal and quirky. Obviously the sweets cart is very done, we did it for our engagement party but none the less, it is popular and you can't beat the cute factor! 

I have always hated flowers, they die and then thats it but in recent years I've really started to love them and I will certainly have some flowers at our wedding but I really like the idea of alternative materials for my bouquet as ill be able to keep it forever! This one is made entirely on brooches and buttons and isn't it incredible! I'm not sure Liam agrees with me but he'll come around! This particular one is extremely expensive but if it will last forever and can be passed down onto our children one day then surely its worth it?

Bringing me onto paper buttonholes! These are actually much cheaper, at about £10 each via many etsy stores and I may even like to try making them myself as I am pretty handy with this sort of thing! I think I could do it! Might be a nice thing to do with the ladies in my life, wine and buttonhole making evening! 

I just think these are lovely! Still very classic in style but with the quirky edge of the paper! Could even use books that we love or even scripts for our favourite films!

Feel free to head over to my pinterest and have a look at my other pins! 

Tanya Burr Cosmetics Chasing The Sun Illuminator

Purchase Here

When Tanya released the Chasing The Collection and I found out that it included highlighters, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed at least one!

I had intended to get the shade Champagne but every time I looked in store, it was out of stock! Eventually I got fed up of looking and decided to give Bronze a go. 

Now, these are actually skin illuminators but I can't imagine how you would be able to put these all over your face, they are so blinding! I guess you would dust these gently over the skin and they would look great but I think that when layered they are so incredibly shimmery and stunning that it would be a waste not to highlight with it. 

I mean, just look at how lovely and intense that glow is?!?!

Being that this is shade Bronze, I genuinely thought it would be way to dark for my pale skin but actually that is not the case at all, this gives me such a natural yet intense looking glow and I am in love it! 

I have worn this everyday since I bought it!

The packaging is lovely, sturdy, simple and it has a large pan of product so I can imagine this will last a very long time which is of great importance to me as I love it so much that I never want it to run out! 

I actually would go as far as to say that this is my favourite Tanya Burr Cosmetics product to date! A must buy!