Spring Favourites

Hey guys! I haven’t done a favourites post since November of last year, a huge 7 months ago, as this year I decided that I’d do my ‘Snippets’ videos instead of monthly favourites posts. So since it has been so long, I thought I’d share some of my favourites that I’ve been loving throughout Spring.Maybelline’s Colour Show Nail Polish in ‘Dusty Rose’ | When Maybelline released their ‘Blushed Nudes’ collection, I knew that I was going to love almost the entirety of the nail polishes, because I’ve been adoring lighter and more muted tones on my nails lately. The brushes of these polishes are a good size, not quite as big as Rimmel’s, but not thin and difficult to use. I love this colour in particular because it’s so pretty, goes with any colour outfit, and perfectly matches my new LYDC bag!

Rimmel’s Brow This Way Brow Gel | At the start of this year I decided to step up my brow game, as I occasionally filled them in, but they never stayed looking how I wanted them to throughout the day, so I decided to try out a brow gel, and with this product, I enjoy doing my brows every. single. day. This product has also inspired me to keep on top of my brow game by shaping them, so that when I use this gel, they look exactly as I want them to. This gel keeps them put all day long, and is slightly tinted so I don’t even need to pencil them in before using this product.

Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara | I know I’ve spoken about this mascara before, but I’ve been loving it again this year because it’s affordable, but really elongates and curls the lashes.Katy Perry’s Mad Potion Perfume | I recently got this perfume, and I’ve been wearing it every day since. I really feel like it’s light enough to be worn as a perfect Spring daytime perfume, but also sultry and deep enough to wear in the evenings. It’s a really unique but sweet scent, with the main accords of vanilla and peony.

MAC Lipstick in ‘Please Me’ | I had actually seen someone with similar colouring to myself wearing this lipstick, and it looked amazing, so naturally I decided to buy it. It’s a matte formula, but not like most matte lipsticks where it turns crumbly and just makes you want to lather your lips in lip balm. It’s surprisingly creamy, and a gorgeous medium pink shade, I’d recommend it to anyone with a fair to medium skin tone, as it’s not a distracting and overboard pink, it’s just really pretty and adds a touch of colour.Garnier’s Micellar Water | As I’ve been gradually growing my makeup collection, and therefore the amount of makeup I’ve been wearing daily, I often get to bed at the end of the day and can’t really motivate myself to get up and carry out my usual skincare routine, so I’ve been incredibly grateful to having this product (alongside a stack of cotton wool pads) right next to my bed. I can be half asleep, but I’ll always remember to take my makeup off with this handy and quick micellar water.

Rituals Miracle Balm | I’ve only just talked about this product to you guys, see that post HERE, but I’ve been loving this hand balm for a little while now, as it’s everything I’ve been looking for in a hand lotion, but haven’t found before.

John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Touch Up Creme | With dyeing my hair a fair few times this year already, I have seen something of a change in the condition of my hair, so I recently decided to improve my haircare routine, see a post on that HERE, but this product in particular has really been saving my hair on days when it is determined to be frizzy and kinky. This product acts as a leave in conditioner that you apply to dry and styled hair, working as a sort of moisturiser for the ends of your hair. I love applying it to my hair after blow drying it.

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Those are all of the things that I’ve been loving this Spring, I hope you enjoyed this post!

What products & things have you been loving throughout this half of the year?

Superdrug Haul

I’ve only ever shared Lush hauls on my blog, so today I wanted to share a little haul from a different shop, and what’s better right now than Superdrug, with their incredible 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics!?

I recently picked up some handbag essentials, alongside some other beauty treats for myself, so here’s what I picked up!Essentials

Maybelline Baby Lips Chap Stick | I’ve just ran out of all of my various lip balms, so I did need to pick another one up. I’ve definitely found that Baby Lips are by far the best to use, because they keep your lips moisturised for so much longer than any other lip balm. I decided this time to pick up an unscented and colour-free one because they are much more versatile, so I can wear this with anything.

Cuticura Antibacterial Hand Gel | In order to take full advantage of the 3 for 2 offer at Superdrug, I thought I’d pick up this because it is always so handy to have in your bag, and it can keep you from getting unwell! This particular one is ‘Fresh and Fruity’ and it does smell quite nice, still like an anti-bacterial hand gel, but nice.

Halo Hand Wipes | Similarly to the hand gel, I’ve found that hand wipes are so perfect to keep in your bag (especially if you’re a beauty blogger and you can’t go into any Boots, Superdrug, or any shop that sells makeup without swatching lipsticks, highlights, eye shadows, blushes etc all over your hands, only to step out of the shop looking insane and running the risk of staining your clothes.)

Dual Pencil Sharpener | Recently I’ve also bought some new lip liners and waterline eyeliners, and I realised that while they are perfect right now, at some point I am going to need to sharpen them! So this was another obvious essential for me. I also like that as a dual sharpener, you can sharpen bigger things too, like eyeshadow pencils.

Nails

Maybelline Colour Show Blushed Nudes Varnish | Maybelline have just released their Blushed Nudes collection, so when I saw this particular colour ‘Dusty Rose’ I really liked it, as it seemed like another perfect neutral colour for me to wear.

Maybelline Colour Show 60 Seconds Clear Shine | I’m currently running a test to find the best top coat/gel coat for avid nail varnish wearers, so I thought this particular top coat sounded like a promising contender. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know how it goes and which ones comes out best!

Makeup

B. Blending Sponge | I recently had my eyes opened with makeup sponges. I found that no matter how much or how regularly I cleaned my makeup sponges, I could never remove what appeared to be tiny black dots, speckled in random places on the sponge. Like most people who own these sponges, I assumed it was just waterproof makeup that maybe I couldn’t remove. But it turns out, it’s actually mould. Doesn’t that freak you out?! So obviously, as soon as I found that out, I threw my sponges away, hence the new sponge.

Collection Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner | I’ve loved wearing winged liner for so many years now, and I’ve used liquid liner, pencils, and felt pens, but never a gel eyeliner. So because of it’s incredibly affordable price, followed by Superdrug’s amazing 3 for 2 offer, I thought I’d pick up a gel eyeliner, and see how I get on!

Makeup Revolution Pro Fix Makeup Setting Spray | Just like the gel liner, I have heard lots of things, both good and bad, about makeup setting sprays, so I thought it’d be a good idea to test out a drugstore one, and if I like it, I might try out one of the Urban Decay ones.

Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer | I’ll always be a sucker for various shades of pink lipsticks, so after swatching a fair few shades from Makeup Revolution, I decided that this shade, ‘What I Believe’, was a lot more vibrant than any shades I already own, and I really like it, especially for Spring and Summer looks.

Collection Colour Lash Colour Mascara | One of my very fabulous best pals (sneaky shoutout, you know who you are) told me that she actually uses a clear mascara to keep her brows tame throughout the day, and I thought this was a freaking genius idea! I know that you can buy clear brow gels, but this mascara is 3 times as big as those, so I thought this is definitely a better value for money.

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That’s everything for my Superdrug haul! I hope you guys enjoyed this post, and that you take advantage of the 3 for 2 deal that Superdrug are currently holding, it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss!

Is there anything I’ve talked about that you’ve tried? Let me know how you got on with it!

Beauty Products I Can’t Live Without

We’ve all got them, our ‘go-tos’, our ‘staples’, well today I’m calling them ‘Beauty products I can’t live without’ (simply because “Beauty Products That I Really Adore But Could Probably Live Without But I Would Rather Not Imagine That Existence” isn’t the catchiest of titles, so here we are.) and I’m sharing my most used and favourite products with you all!

Basics

Obviously a primer is a a sensible staple for everyone, because without a good base, your makeup just isn’t going to last. I consider this particular primer from Makeup Revolution a staple because it’s light, does the job for your entire face, and it’s incredibly affordable.

This Stay Matte pressed powder has also become a staple for me, because it’s perfect for matte-ifying any foundation or concealer, and it works wonders for oily areas, keeping them matte for up to 12 hours!

Collection’s Illuminating Touch Concealer is the only concealer for me, it’s so easy to use, and it has the perfect amount of coverage for me, it’s definitely a medium coverage, but it can be built up or worn very sparingly.

I also can’t imagine applying my makeup with anything but a beauty blender now. I know a lot of people rave about them, and there is this insane amount of hype around them, but they really do live up to it all. Whether you like to use it wet or dry, applying your foundation with this tool makes your base look so much more flawless and ‘airbrushed’.

If I could only use one tool and absolutely no makeup, I would choose an eyelash curler, without question. I think that if you’re having a lazy day or you just don’t want to do your makeup, just curling your lashes really adds something to your eyes, making you feel and look fluttery and gorgeous.

Hair & Body

For my hair my holy grail products are this Salon Professional hairspray, and Vitapointe leave-in conditioner. This hairspray is a perfect mix between being lightweight and still having an incredible hold, and it actually smells really nice, which is rare to find in hairsprays. I also really like this leave-in conditioner because it’s perfect for smoothing dry ends and adding a sleekness and shine to straightened hair.

I’ve spoken about this body butter very recently, and it definitely lives up to the hype behind it. It’s softening and light, so it doesn’t leave you feeling greasy. Perfect for all over your entire body.

I also really like using any and all Babylips chapsticks, not only because they are highly moisturising and keep chapped lips at bay, but there are so many tinted options available now, that the possibilities are endless!

 

Lips

I thought I’d just quickly share my ‘go-to’ red and pink lip, because I feel like I’ve finally found my all time favourites. Rimmel’s Kate Moss 107 is is a perfect dark red shade, that I’ve found is suitable for all skin tones, and you know that it suits you well enough for you to wear it with confidence. I also really love this shade from Chanel, and I know it’s a lot pricier than your average drugstore lipstick, but this lipstick is definitely worth investing in because the formula is really moisturising and creamy, so it feels really nice to wear, but also, this particular shade ‘432’ is a beautiful and natural looking pink, so again it’s highly wearable.

 

Makeup

I’ve mentioned all three of these products before, so we all already know that I love them and find myself reaching for them constantly, so I’ll quickly run through them all. Collection’s Extreme 24 hour felt liner is my favourite liner on the market. The fact that I know its name without having to read it off of the product itself is telling of how often I not only use it, but talk about it. It’s everything anyone looks for in an eyeliner, and it’s only £2.99, foolproof. Maybelline’s Lash Sensational, I’ve been using this mascara for a long time now, and even recently I’ve been getting comments on how it looks like I’m wearing false eyelashes, only for me to emphasise to everyone that I really don’t have time/can’t be bothered with applying false eyelashes daily, and my look is entirely down to this mascara, I’d recommend it to everyone.

Finally, there’s the Estee Lauder All Over Face Compact, I use this compact in most of my makeup looks, because it contains everything that I need to put a look together, with a nicely pigmented bronzer, and three varying shades of blush, no matter what tone of look I’m going for, I can incorporate this palette.

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That’s it for my beauty staples, let me know in the comments what makeup items/tools you can’t live without!

2015 Highlights

Hello everyone! It’s the start of a new year, so that of course means I’m going to talk about my favourites from the last year!

I’ve included random favourites as well as beauty favourites, but I have limited myself, because if I was going to talk about everything I loved from this past year, we’d be here until Halloween.

So here we go with my 2015 (almagamated) favourites!BEAUTY

Urban Decay’s Naked 3 Palette | Yes, as this past year was the year I started my blog, I thus opened my eyes to the world of Urban Decay, and naturally, the famous Naked 3. I am so glad I invested in this palette because it has everything you could need in a palette, whether you’re new to makeup, or much more confident in it. These rose-gold hues really do live up to the hype, and the lasting power (when used in conjunction with Urban Decay’s primer) is unreal.

Estée Lauder All Over Face Compact | This compact is another great all-occasions-product. The bronzer is my favourite bronzer to use for contouriing and adding some dimension and colour to a base, and the variations of blusher colour are great to adapt to different looks.

Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara | I tried this mascara out reasonably early in the year, and I haven’t bought another one since. It creates a false-lash look, without the mess/hassle of applying falsies!

Collection’s 24 Hour Extreme Felt Liner | As if I haven’t already spoken enough about this eyeliner. It’s my lifetime favourite, not just from 2015. You can hear plenty more about it HERE, HERE and HERE.

Rimmel Lipstick in #700 ‘Naughty Nude’ | I’ve always been after a nude colour to suit my skin tone, and holy heck have Rimmel found it. So if you are also looking for the perfect nude, and we have similar colouring, definitely check out the ‘Only 1’ range.

Maybelline Baby Lips | The best chapstick on the market. I also really like that they are available in different colours, so you can have a slight tint to your lips without having to use a lipstick as well as a chapstick.

Makeup Revolution Highlighter in ‘Pink Lights’ | This is one of the prettiest and most affordable drugstore highlighters. It looks beautiful, and you only need a light swipe of it for it to really shine.

TREATS

Dead Sea Mud Masks | I picked these up one day because they are really cheap, and you get 2 masks in a pack, so I thought I’d try them out. In fact, you can generously get 4 masks out of these 2 packs, so it’s even better value for money! These masks are perfect for a pamper night while you’re in the bath, or just a quick mask before bed. They’re very refreshing and cooling, so also suitable for all skin types.

Lush’s ‘Shoot For The Stars’ Bath Bomb | Again, perfect for a pamper night. I think my love for the sea means I have a deeper love for blue bath bombs, because it turns your bath into a gorgeous clear-blue sea colour. An the added sparkle just makes the whole thing a dream, come on.

Bluetooth Speaker | These speakers are amazing. I know they’re nothing new, but I am now old enough to be fascinated by the fact that the music is being transported through the air from my phone/laptop to this speaker. It’s also surprisingly loud in comparison to it’s size!

Nivea Sensitive Day Moisturiser | Once I’d realised the error of my ways with using Nivea’s ordinary moisturiser in my regular skincare routine (clogged pores, greasiness, makeup sliding!) I wanted to find a much lighter and gentler moisturiser to use daily. And this moisturiser is the ideal one! It’s light enough to be used regularly, and not clog your pores.

LIFE

Sparkly Shoes | 2015 was the year I widened my shoe-horizon and discovered a world outside of dolly shoes and heels, and by far, these sparkly flats are my new favourite type of shoes. They are insanely comfortable, and look fabulous, let’s not deny that.

Makeup Brushes | What with starting my blog, I saw the taboo of using the makeup sponges that come with almost every eyeshadow palette, and discovered the world of makeup brushes. This set came with 15 brushes, everything you’d need to start out with makeup, from Amazon!Scarf | This scarf is amazing. It keeps you ridiculously warm when you need it, but also doubles as a blanket during lectures. So that’s all very good, and much more than you expect from a scarf, for sure.

Backpack | My little backpack is definitely my favourite bag from 2015. It’s practical and cute. All of the compartments and pockets means that even the contents of my bag are sorted into categories, how exciting!

Space Flask | Again, perfect for when you’ve got 10am lectures and your brain likes to come through at roughly 11am. I really like this design from Paperchase, and it’s available in multiple products, I’ve actually got a matching poster because I like to rep space, it’s pretty cool after all.

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THAT’S IT! Phew, well done everyone for making it through that, it was certainly a recount of an entire year if ever there was one. Again, I’m going to soppily thank you all for reading this lil site, it means a lot to me. At the end of this month, Organicbynerve is going to be turning 1, and I can’t wait to celebrate that with every one of you!

BLOGMAS Day 24 // Lady Writes Secret Santa

Hey guys! As we’re nearing the end of blogmas, I thought I would share with you all my experience with a bloggers secret santa!

So this year the lovely Lady Writes hosted a secret santa, and I couldn’t wait to get involved! Not only did I get paired up with a brand new blogger to discover and learn all about, but it meant that I would get an adorable little package from another blogger too!

So here’s what I got from my blogger secret santa! This card is just too adorable. I love that it’s fun and playful, and not your average Christmas card, so we’re already scoring the highest points, Santa.The gifts themselves are all so incredibly thoughtful and exactly what I love! Naturally, the selection of face masks immediately made me the living embodiment of the heart-eyes emoji. I’m a real sucker for face masks, and I recommend them to everyone, so having some more to add to my collection is amazing.Next there’s a real wink towards my love for doing my nails/nail art. Santa really got it right here too, the Maybelline Colour Show duo is actually something I’ve never seen before, but I am obsessed with them. And the Nail Design DIY Stamp Kit is so unique, I can’t wait to play around with it and put some new designs together.I cannot tell you guys how long I’ve wanted a slim perfume that fits perfectly into any bag, be it a backpack or a clutch, and not take up a ridiculous amount of room. This Pure Blush perfume is what I’ve been looking for, but could never find it for myself, again Santa, you’re amazing. Plus it smells so pretty and lightly floral, it’s a definite favourite scent of mine.And finally, something I never would’ve picked up for myself, but I actually love it quite a bit. This St Tropez body lotion is tinted, but washes out, so if you’re going on a night out, but don’t have time/don’t want to commit to a spray tan or a sun bed, this is perfect for you! It gives you an all over glow and is actually really moisturising! I can’t believe how much I’ve grown to enjoy it!

I was so excited to get involved with this secret santa, and the whole experience really was so exciting and fun, I can’t wait for next year to participate in even more!

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That’s it for what I got from my Lady Writes Secret Santa, you can check out her blog HERE, I’d like to quickly thank her again for hosting something so fun and exciting, and I’ll see you guys tomorrow for the last day of Blogmas!

BLOGMAS Day 17 // Festive Makeup Look

Hey guys! Can you believe that today is exactly a week until Christmas eve?!

So today I thought I’d show you guys one of my favourite makeup looks for the festive season, with a little video!

I really love seeing everyone’s favourite festive looks, so that’s why I shared mine with you today, I hope you enjoyed it!

Drop me a little comment on the video if you did enjoy it, and let me know what kinds of videos you’d like to see from me in the coming year!

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What are your go-to products/looks when it comes to the party season?

BLOGMAS Day 16 // Christmas Themed Nail Polishes

WELCOME TO BLOGMAS DAY 16! Today I thought I’d take you guys through my favourite nail varnish shades for this time of year/the festive season in general. So here are my top picks for nails at Christmas time!Maybelline Colour Show | Let It Snow | This little duo kit is so perfect for this time of year, because you get a gorgeously festive red, and what may be one of the greatest inventions in the realm of nail varnishes: a snowy top coat. Of course you can switch up the base coat to whatever shade you like, but this top coat is amazing, turning your nails into a gorgeous snow flurry.Barry M | Gelly Nail Paint | I love these two shades in particular when it comes to this time of year, ‘Plum’ & ‘Watermelon’ because the dark green reminds me of Christmas trees, and the purple is so deep and gorgeous that I simply can’t resist it, do I need more of a reason to love it?! I find that this time of year is absolutely perfect for incorporating darker tones on your nails, which is a lot coming from me, because as I’ve mentioned before, I love light colours on my nails all year around.Rimmel | 60 Seconds Super Shine | I also love these three colours at this time of year, (well technically I adore ‘White Hot Love’ and ‘Lose Your Lingerie’ all year around) but I’ve recently discovered ‘Black Cherries’, and I’m so glad I decided to give it a go. It’s the deepest cherry red colour you can imagine, dries insanely quickly, while still remaining as pigmented as it appears in the bottle.Maybelline | Colour Show | I’ve mentioned this nail varnish in my previous favourites,as it’s perfect for this time of year, with it’s beautiful rose-gold tones and glitter! Just like the Rimmel 60 seconds varnish, this one dries quite quickly, and gives you a colour just like it’s presented in the bottle, none of that weaker toned rubbish that some glittery varnishes can give you.New Look | Pure Colour | Finally, I also really like this varnish for this time of year, because it’s a slightly different take on your average Christmas-themed nails. I usually like to go for a silver, but this varnish is a glistening black and gold combo, which I think is perfect for a slightly more sophisticated Christmas nail look, if you don’t want to go for anything overly festive and outrageous.

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That’s it for my Christmas themed nail polishes, let me know if you’ve tried any of these out before, or if you’ve got a go-to Christmas nail polish that you’re currently wearing!

 

November Favourites

Here we are once more, at the end of another two months, so that means I’m going to share with you guys what things I’ve been loving during this time.I don’t have a lot of products to talk about this time, because I’ve been loving lots of other cute little things too, so today’s favourites is a mix of everything I’ve been loving!

This Book Loves You | Exactly what I needed this past month. Exactly what everyone needs in their life. How many times has a book told you it loved you? Never. Well that’s all about to change with this innovative book. Breaking all book-norms, this book will talk directly to your heart, and improve the rest of your life.

YSL Deluxe All-Over Face Compact | I really love this compact, because not only does it have a built in mirror (which quite frankly is a life saver sometimes!) but the bronzer is incredible, and I love the variety of blushes that it has. So you can slightly alter the shade of your blush, depending on what kind of look you’re going for.

Star Master | It’s no secret that I’m a major fan of the moon, or the sky, or galaxies/space in general, so when I discovered that I could project a night-time sky in my bedroom, I don’t think I’ve ever bought something that quickly.

Sparkle Shoes | As most of my friends know, I already own these shoes in a pink/gold combo, so this month I decided to pick up a black pair, so I always have a choice of fabulous-ness.Flutter Compact Mirror | This mirror is one of the cutest things I own, and it perfectly fits in my makeup bag. I’m obsessed with it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder | This product does exactly what it sets out to do. Keeps your look matte for up to 12 hours, managing grease and products that don’t like to stay put.

Maybelline Colour Show Nail Varnish in #232 ‘Rose Chic’ | I’ve actually been looking for an accurate rose-gold nail varnish for quite some time now, so during a late night Tesco shopping trip, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw this shade there. It is the perfect rose-gold hue I’ve been wanting for so long!

Collection Eyeshadow Pencil in #3 ‘Vintage Blush’ | I’ve already mentioned this product before in my Travel Essentials, but I’m going to talk about it again because it really is incredible. This product is perfect for when you don’t have the time/effort to create a dramatic eye-look, you simply swipe this across your eyelids, and smudge out with your finger.

Rimmel London Lipstick in #700 ‘Naughty Nude’ | This is it. The nude colour I’ve been searching my entire life for. It’s a natural pink, with brown undertones so that it doesn’t look like you’re wearing a lipstick, rather that your lips are naturally flush with colour. This lipstick is also moisturising and long lasting, so I’d heartily recommend it for anyone still searching for that perfect nude colour.

Rimmel London Nail Varnish in #345 ‘Black Cherries’ | I love this colour for autumn/winter, because it’s a gorgeous deep, well, cherry colour. I think it’s perfect for a casual autumnal look, and suitable for Christmas!

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SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS, as it’s the 1st of December tomorrow, that means BLOGMAS STARTS HERE TOMORROW! Stay tuned for a brand new blog post every day for the next 25 days, and join me in my countdown to Christmas!

Victoria Secret-Inspired Halloween Makeup Tutorial

Hey guys! As it’s Halloween tomorrow, I thought it would be only fitting to squeeze one last Halloween themed makeup post in!

So I went for a look that I have been wanting to do for a long time now, a Victoria Secret Angel-inspired makeup look.Check out my video below to see how I achieved this look!

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And that’s it for my Halloween themed posts for this year! I hope you guys enjoyed this series, let me know if you did in the comments, and if you’d like more themed series’ in the future. (For example, Blogmas anyone?)

Autumnal Date Night Makeup

That’s right, it’s nearing autumn now, which can only mean that berry and golden tones are creeping their way back into our makeup looks!

So today I decided to put together an autumnal look that you could wear out in those delightful autumn evenings!

I started out by brushing and filling in my brows, then covering my lids with Trick from the Naked 3 palette. After that, I put Mugshot in the outer crease, then Factory on the very bottom of the outer corner. Once I had finished all of that, I put a dab of Strange in the inner corners, just to brighten up the eyes and cancel out any darkness that might have collected there.

Next I did my favourite makeup addition of all time, a cat eye. I used my Collection Extreme Felt Liner to do line along the top of my upper lash line, and then did a little wing. Then I curled my lashes and added Maybelline’s Lash Sensational mascara.

Now to make this look very fit for autumn, I used my favourite autumnal lipstick, Rimmel’s Kate Moss lipstick in 107.

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And you’re done! I hope you guys enjoyed this look, let me know if you give it a go!

What are your favourite makeup colours for autumn?