BEAUTY & LE CHIC

Happy New year boys and girls! Hope you saw in 2016 in style. I had a pretty quiet one, but that didn't stop me rocking a cute brown smokey eye. It's not full-on new year glamour but it's an easy look that can easily be dialled up or down with added liner and lashes.

Eyes

All the shadows are from my new Tarte Holiday collection - I warned you i was going to be raving about this A.LOT! Using the brown/earthy quad I applied 'pop the cork' a warm, light brown all over the lid, up to and past the crease, 'feeling fizzy' a medium brown with a little shimmer over the lid and up to the crease and 'chocolate fountain' along the bottom of the lid close to the top lash line. You're basically layering your browns, light to dark to create a graduated effect. Then using a small dense brush, I applied a matte black shadow to the upper lash line and 'chocolate fountain' to the bottom lash line. You could do liquid/gel liner/cat flicks to up the amp. I finished with a little Urban Decay 24/7 liner in zero inside my waterlines and lashings of Lancome Volume-a-porter Mascara, fyi it's da bomb!

Brows

Dead simple, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown.

Base

Benefit Porefessional Primer, Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation applied with MAC 130 brush, MAC Prep&Prime Highlighter in Light Boost and HD Brows Translucent Finishing powder. I warmed up the face with Charlotte Tilbury's Ah-mazing Filmstar Bronze and Glow all over the face with a fluffy brush, then taking my new powder & Sculpt brush, applied to the contours of the face. For blush, a little of Tarte's Inviting from the same quad.

Lips

Contoured the lips with No7 Naked Lipliner with MAC Honeylove lipstick, the best matte nude!

See you soon with a full review on that amazing Tarte set and the Volume-a-porter mascara.

If nature didn’t bless you with Chizzled Cheek Bones, Charlotte Tilbury will.

When I went to Charlotte Tilbury for a lovely little make over, THE best thing about it, without a doubt, was the killer cheekbones I walked out with. The girl used the infamous Filmstar Bronze and Glow, which of course, I snapped up. Sadly, attempts recreate said cheekbones at home didn’t go well. I looked more bronzed than chizzled. Something was missing… THE BRUSH! I’m not normally a sucker for the ‘you have to use this brush with this product’ approach, but this tool makes all the difference.

Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush £35 makes contouring absolutely fool-proof. Small but oh-so perfectly formed it’s expertly tapered for perfect face sculpting. The precise tip enables perfect placement of the product whilst the length of the brush seamlessly buffs and blends. It’s long and skinny, so if you have a little face like me, it’ll still slip in those hard to find contours. Made from goat hair, it’s incredibly soft and not too densely packed which means your powder won’t look heavy handed and you can gradually build up the contour. I’d previously tried Real Techniques Setting Brush, which is just a little too small and soft for contouring, but great precision powder application and the Contour Brush, whilst very good for the price, isn’t tapered enough and made my contour look a bit muddy.

RT Contour Brush, CT Sculpt Brush, RT Setting Brush

The Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush picks up the right amount of product and blends like a dream – oh how many ways can I say it’s perfect! I would not change one thing about this brush… cept the price! £35 ouch, ouch, ouch – hence why it went on the Christmas list.

What are your go-to contouring tools?

Okay this is a bit late but I’m blaming the weather! I aint seen daylight this year, so getting some decent quality photos has been impossible! Still, it’s never too late for a round of up all things beauty. Here are 2015’s greatest hits…

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

My most loved/used/raved about product of 2015. It is unequivocally the best base I have come across. It’s my daily go-to. I’ve barely reached for any other since last April, and the ultimate acid test, I’ve already repurchased! For the full low down read my review, but in a nut shell it’s a lightweight base (think BB/CC) that gives the most radiant glow EVER.

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash £27 END

2015 was the year I finally acquired Aesop's cult hand wash. Most people will struggle to get excited over a hand wash but this aromatic blend is simply intoxicating. I look forward to washing my hands and it doesn't leave them feeling nasty and dry! The price tag, ouch I know, but it's a massive 500ml, which has lasted me half the year and still going strong. Confession - I hide it when friends comes round. Sorry.Not.Sorry.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Pillow Talk

I wasn’t much of a lip liner gal until I discovered this one. Plump, voluptuous, sexy lips with zero effort. Pillow Talk is a damn right colour match for my lips (see it here) so I can use it to contour/fill in the gaps, regardless of the lip stick shade.

James Read Sleep Mask Tan | £25 Marks&Spencer

THE first facial tanner that doesn’t clog the pores or cause black heads. Slap it on before bed and wake up with a realistic bronzed glow and better skin to boot. It's my winter saviour!

Nails Inc Swan Street | £14 House of Fraser

Back in March I called this the future cult classic. On paper I wouldn't love this near white polish, but in reality it's a beaut! A simple, pale, minty blue that just works! For me it's up there with Baker Street and Bikini so teeny.

RapidBrow | £31 Boots

2015 was the year of the brow. In fact, I’d say the last five years have been ‘all about the brows’ but last year, my brows grew back with avengence thanks to this lil’ wand of magic. This wonder serum coaxed back hairs I ain't seen since the 90s! Full review and before and after pics here.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow | £49 John Lewis

2015 was the year I went a little CT mad! Some hits. some misses, but this is the jewel in the crown. I'm yet to prize it out of my hands long enough to do a full review. Like all of CT's products, it's stupidly expensive but worth the dent.

Clarisonic Smart Profile* | £199 FeelUnique

I finally realised what all the fuss was about. So much more than a giant toothbrush, the Clarisonic Smart Profile is the nearest you'll get to a pro facial at home. It cleans deep, deep down and leaves my skin squeaky clean and radiant. See it here.

Please share your favourites and links below

New Year, new you? Nah, me neither, but New Year, NEW MAKE UP, now you’re talking. There’s tonnes of brand-spankin'-new beauty products coming our way in 2016, fabulous news, just as long as your New Year’s resolution isn’t to spend less on beauty.

Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation

Candleglow, soft, luminous – you’re talking my language, stick dewy in there and I’m cockahoot! An ultra-lightweight, medium-coverage foundation that mimics the reflective glow of just lit candles. Laura Mercier know good bases, so I’ll definitely be trying this when it hits the UK.

Available - Sephora now, released in the UK 05th February

Hourglass Ambient® Strobe Lighting Powder

Stobers go crazy! Hourglass, expert of non-powdery-powders, have launched a collection of illuminating strobing powders designed to sculpt the face with light, creating depth and dimension for a refined, natural-looking highlight. I didn’t jump on the strobing bandwagon last year (it’s basically highlighting) but these might just entice me.

Available online at Hourglass and Sephora now $38 Expected in the UK 01st February

James Read Tantour Sculpting Duo

We’re all down with regular contouring, but imagine if when you washed your makeup off, that contour remained! Imagine no longer, tan supremo James Read has made those dreams come true. The mineral bronzing and illuminating duo is infused with a hint of self-tan that develops into long lasting definition. Chizzled cheekbones here we come.

Launching - March 2016 £30

L’Oreal Infallible Matte Max Ombre Lip Pens

Stick in on Cheryl Cole and send her out on the X Factor – a sure fire way to create a buzz, bravo L’Oreal! The hotly anticipated Matte lip pens will be hitting stores this year, join the waiting list here.

Launching - Who knows!

BareMinerals BareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer

I for one cannot wait to try this. If it’s anything like the BareSkin foundation, it could be holy-grail in the making. Instantly hides dark circles and discolouration with high-definition mineral optics - for a bright and flawless finish.

Available Sephora now $20, available in UK stores 4 February, QVC limited stock in now!

Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks

The Matte madness continues. These beauties popped up at NY fashion week and caused matte mehem! Matte, yet creamy and available in 10 sassy-ass shades.

They’ve hit the US here, hopefully we won’t be far behind.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit

Highlight with attitude! Instagram is a wash with glow-tastic selfies from those lucky enough to have these in their possession already. Each kit contains four metallic velvetty powder highlighters for intense luminosity.

Available in the US $40 Anastasia Beverly Hills UK TBC

Which beauty launches are getting you excited this year?

If you’re looking for a one coat wonder, swipe n go kinda mascara with serious oomph, you just might love this…

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama £7.99 Boots is the latest magic wand from mascara know-it-all Maybelline. It's designed to lift the lashes to scandalous new heights and well, the pictures don't lie! It has a long, flexi rubbery wand that get right down to the root of the lashes, allowing you to give them a good ol' wiggle. The brush has tiny lash catchers that cup lashes and scoop them to new heights. The formula is a little on the wet side, but I like this! It coats the lashes very generously without the need to keep dipping and layering – we all know that’s just gonna dry it out. One quick coat is all your need for full lash drama and it’s the blackest of black. It gives length, volume and curl in absolute abundance and the best part, it lasts. I often find the curves flatten as the day goes on, but Push Up Drama keeps its shape. I’ve got to dock some points for separation, or lack of, if you have a lot of lashes like me it tends to clump them together, mainly just the outer corner, but if your lashes are on the sparse, you’ll love this. But other than that, it’s another good mascara from Maybelline.

Available now at Boots online, hitting stores in Feb.

Hi guys, if you follow me on instagram, you’ll already know the big news, if not, SURPRISE! As of today, I am 17 and a half weeks pregnant. You might be wondering why I’ve waited so long to announce the news? Like most pregnant women I was bursting with excitement and dying to share as soon as I found out and when I got over the magical 12 week stage I wanted to shout it from the roof tops BUT I wasn’t sure, I’m still not sure, how much of this I want in the public domain. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m actually quite a private person – I know, it’s the ultimate blogger contradiction but I’ve never been a tour around my knicker drawer, what’s in my belly kinda blogger. I don’t tend to share a whole lot about me and my personal life, it’s just the way I’ve always been. I admire those that do, but me, I think I'm too self conscious.

I will keep you updated along the way, as things grow I might share the odd “bumpy” and I can’t promise not to share some oh-so-cute-and-tiny baby clothes but I won’t be doing those weekly/monthly pregnancy updates. Who cares if my belly button is in or out or if I can still wear my rings? If they’re your thing, great, but they’re not mine. If you're going through the same thing at the same time, I think it is interesting, but for the rest of my readers it's like bore! I’ve also got no plans of turning this into a mummy blog (that’s what they all say), but seriously there’s plenty of great ones out there already and I’ve loved and lost many a favourite blog that way. There'll be changes ahead for sure, but the focus will always be beauty. I’m sure if you’re interested I may well throw in the odd stretch-mark oil review or look at these cute baby sneakers post, other than that, I’m still working it out.

For now I can tell you that I’m due late June. I’m not planning to find out the baby’s sex, although I’m totally gutted to be missing out on all the half price sale stuff and I’m feeling really well. I'm completely thrilled and very blessed.

I want to say a massive thank you for all of the likes and lovely messages we’ve had on social media. Dean (that’s the fiancé, yep I kept that quite quiet too) sat on Sunday night reading each one and we were totally overwhelmed. It really does mean a lot to me so thank you for your support.

Lots of love from this slightly bashful, definitely hormonal, kinda awkward beauty blogger x

Hello Tartelets! I’ve been teasing you with this one since Christmas, and here it is in all its resplendent glory. Just in case you don’t know Tarte, it’s a US brand with an eco-chic ethos – cruelty-free and full of good ingredients like plant extracts, essential oils and other naturally-derived ingredients. Not only does it look good, it feels good too! I got my first taste of Tarte from Sephora in NYC, when I bought the iconic Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful. When I spied this holiday blockbuster on QVC pre Christmas it took about 3 seconds before I was “tapping the app”.

The Holiday Blockbuster collection £35 is a treasure trove of make-up marvels. 16 Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow, 4 Amazonian Clay Blush, a Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara and LipSurgence Lip Crème. I don’t mean to sounds all QVC-y, but the individual retail price of this booty is well over £300 – ridiculous value. It’s basically a make up artist’s starter kit! The quality is sublime, more on that later, but it’s the easiest most usable kit I’ve ever come across. Even if you’re a makeup efficiardo, it can be a pain in the ass thinking up colour combos and working out what goes with what. The kit is broken down into colour coordinated eye shadow quads – a neutral/taupe one, a warm, browny bronze one, a plummy one and a grey one, each with corresponding blush. You can mix n match the shades as much as you want, but it gives you a stear of what looks good with what. AND the piece-de-resistance, the quads are removable and fit into a handy portable magnetic palette (Z-palette style). This makes all the difference for me. I go away a lot and it wouldn’t be practical to take the whole box, but the pop out palette makes it take-any-where-able or super portable in English.

The Neutral Nude Quad

The Warm Brown/Bronze Quad

The Plum Quad

The Grey Quad

The quality of the powders is exceptional!Incredibly rich and pigmented, so much so I looked like Aunt Sally the first time I applied the blush - a little goes a long way. The amazonian clay shadows are effortless, they blend beautifully, don't crease and last, and last! I love that there's a mixture of matte, satin and shimmers and the set contains only wearable colours - day to night it's got you covered. There's not a single shadow in here that I won't use.

Amazonian Clay Blush - inviting, jolly, cosy, swaky

Lights, camera, lashes mascara 7ml

LipSurgence Lip Cream in Ravishing 3g - a rose toned, pink creamy chubby.

I am actually stunned this is still in stock! Tarte Blockbuster Collection £35 QVC here Are you a Tartlet?

January’s a sloooow month when it comes to beauty purchases. We’re stocked up from Christmas and spent up from sale shopping, so splurges in January ain’t happening… that doesn’t stop us window shopping right? Here’s what I’ve got my greedy little eyes on...

Anastasia Brow Definer £16 BeautyBay

I love BrowWiz, adore DipBrow, chances are I’ll be a fan of ABH’s latest offering… Brow Definer. I’m desperate to see what all the fuss is about plus it contains way more product than BrowWiz so it might make for a more economical switch up. See, it’s not all fun and frivolity.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light £29.50 Boots

I’m blaming Vivianna for this one. I’ve long since wanted to be a devotee of beauty icon Double Wear, but it’s just too thick for me. Cue Vivianna’s recent raves about Double Wear Light and I’m thinking, oooo that looks good. I’ll be straight up, I really don’t need another base, but this would be a pretty empty blog if I only bought what I needed! See how I manage to justify these things.

Nails Inc NailKale £14 Nails Inc

Getting bored of the berry/vampy vibes yet? Yeah me too. I’m totally ready to embrace to some pretty pastels, cue Nails Inc’s latest Nail Kale offerings – bagsy the mint green one (Royal Crescent Gardens).

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Iconic Nude £16 John Lewis

Pillow Talk reeled me in (see my review and pics here) and now I’m a hooked on lip cheats! As beautiful as Pillow Talk is, it’s a bit on the pink side and doesn’t go with all my lip shades. I’m thinking Iconic Nude will be more universal –that’s my justification and I’m sticking to it.

Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation Sephora

This is actually half on/half off the list now. Candleglow, soft, luminous, it was totally talking my language but early reviews are mixed with some calling it ‘heavy’ and ‘cakey’. Ummm, pause button pressed.

Urban Decay Naked Concealer £17.50 FeelUnique

This is one of those I’ve been meaning to try for ages products. Firmly rooted as a beauty blogger fave, it’s also a Kim K go-to, reason enough?

Diptque Rosaviola Scented Candle From £28 SpaceNK

Diptque why do you do this to me! I want this soooo bad, but I know I’ll only be buying it for the pot! Pretty in pink and just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter/ Palmers Stretchmark Lotion

And just because I can, I do fancy trying some pregnancy body care. Stretchmarks don’t bother me too much but it can’t hurt to slather myself in loveliness.

What’s on your payday wishlist?

On paper, this is about the least likely thing you’d expect to see in my collection. It was the LAST thing I expected to buy in my Charlotte Tilbury haul, but amazingly it’s the thing that wowed me the most. What this boring little pencil?

Who’s dabbled with the white pencil inside the eye trick? This “tip” is nothing new, in fact we were doing it back in my teens (more! Magazine anyone?) when we were told to use a white nail tip pencil to line our inner eyes. Thing is, it just looked obvious and lasted about five minutes. The Charlotte Tilbury ROCK 'N' KOHL Eye Cheat £19 is the grown up, actually-works version. I would never in a million years have picked this up, even looked in its direction, but it was used on me in my Charlotte Tilbury counter make over… divine intervention! To say I was blown away with the difference it made is an understatement. Even my fiancé, completely unprompted, noticed the difference as soon as he came to meet me!

Eye Cheat is a universal, super flattering nude toned pencil that, used in the upper and lower waterline and corner of the eyes creates an optical illusion of wider, fuller and more wide-awake eyes. Very subtle, but incredibly effective, it cheats the wide eye look and seriously makes them appear bigger, brighter and fresh as a daisy. The liquid pencil is soft and creamy, so doesn’t drag or irritate the eye and once it dries, it aint budging. It’s rich, incredibly pigmented and completely opaque.

As far as I can tell, there’s only one downside (other than the price) and this is true of all of Charlotte’s ROCK 'N' KOHL eye pencil’s – because they’re so creamy and soft you find you have to sharpen them a lot.

Multi-tasker

Eye cheat's skills don’t end there. You know the concealer-around-the-brows thang, which I’m not normally a huge of, on account of it looking cakey and obvious, well this works wonders on that! Since the flesh-coloured pencil is actually flesh coloured, it highlights the brow bone and accentuated the arches NATURALLY. Also use on the cupids bow to pop the pout.

Charlotte Tilbury Eye Cheat £19 Available Charlotte Tilbury | Selfridges | John Lewis

Have you tried Eye Cheat?

If you like your lashes long, thick, luscuios and perfectly fanned out, look.no.further.

Me and Lancôme Mascaras, we go waaaaay back! My first mascara was a Lancôme. Definicils, Amplicils, Sourcils, Hypnose, I had them all! THEN Maybelline falsies, Chanel volume de chanel and Benefit They’re Real happened and Lancôme and I parted ways. But with Hypnôse Volume-à-porter, the mascara queen has well and truly won me back.

Formula

The soft, creamy, luxurious formula glides on with easy. It feels super light. It’s not wet and it doesn’t weigh lashes down or go crispy. Effortlessly brushes on just the right amount of product without going clumpy and it doesn’t smudge, I repeat does not smudge (previous Lancôme mascaras have been guilty of this).

Brush

Lancôme’s first ever ‘elastomere’ brush. It’s flexible, but not wobbly and features 340 bristles to effortlessly coat each lash. It has super short bristles that get eye-wateringly close to the root allowing you to coat every last millimetre. It separates lashes perfectly, creating an even, fanned out look. I have this annoying clump of lashes on my outer right eye. Most mascaras stick them together. Volume-à-porter forces them apart.

Results

Thick, fluttery, wide-awake lashes. Super volumised, perfectly defined, subtly curled and completely clump free... all.day.long! For me it’s on a par with le Volume de Chanel and maybe even better than Benefit’s They’re Real. Kick ass volume but not OTT! I’m calling this mascara sassy-chic. It’s a classy girl's answer to false lashes.

Hypnôse Volume-à-porter RRP £22.50, 2 for £30, on selected Lancôme Mascaras Boots

It's not often a brush gets its own post around these parts. It's not that I don't love them, I DO!! It's just they kinda blend into the background... no pun intended. But this one, bareMinerals Smoothing Face Brush deserves its own platform and then some!

Put simply, this brush makes life easier! I bought it with bareMinerals Complexion Rescue (fave everyday base) which it works in perfect harmony with – obvs! but I’ve ended up using it for EVERYTHING – foundation, concealer, primer, cream blush, liquid and cream highlighter! It’s pretty much been an extension of my right hand since last April.

The bristles are extremely densely packed, unlike lots of duo fibre brushes (I’m thinking about you MAC 187) so there’s no lines or streaking. It’s perfectly designed to spread product smoothly and evenly – you hardly need to blend, it pretty much does it as it goes. It feels incredibly gentle and luxurious – It’s a pleasure to sweep around my face! And the dome-shape blends seamlessly for an airbrushed finish. Quick, zero effort and perfect results. If I could only have one face brush in my arsenal, this would be it!

And I can vouch for its longevity – 10 months down the line it’s still going strong, no shredding or deterioration.

bareMinerals Smoothing Face Brush £21.60 FeelUnique

What's your favourite face brush?

Lipgloss is having a come back… in my world at least. My Juicy Tube days may be well and truly behind me and you’ve probably noticed I’m lipstick mad, but recently I’ve been turning my attentions back to good old gloss. Why? Well, firstly my lips are crazy dry and cracked and lipstick just accentuates that, and secondly, I’d forgotten how good glossy lips look and feel! Favourite three in no particular order…

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie® Lipgloss £12.80 Feel Unique

It was love at first smell! Moxie’s have the most incredible scent – think mint choc chip ice cream, but unlike most minty fresh glosses, it doesn’t have an annoying tingle. It has a generous sized applicator that glides the gloss on with ease. Rebel is a beautiful cool toned pinky mauve with decent colour pay off. It’s the most pigmented of the bunch - You can totally wear this one alone. It’s super glossy, luscious and slightly wet looking. It definitely makes my lips look plumped and hydrated (in a natural, non-Kylie Jenner way)! It’s not sticky, more reassuringly slippy and packed with vitamin A, C and E complex helping to deliver antioxidant defense – just what I need right now.

L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Cream Lip Protest Queen £6.99 Boots

Protest Queen is a classic nudey pink with a crème gloss finish. It’s semi-opaque so you can totally rock it alone for a little pop of colour or pair it with a nudey pink lipstick like MAC’s Angel for a classic bridal look. It has a unique squiggly “lip shaper” applicator that applies perfectly to the contours of the lips. Formula wise it’s creamy, non-tacky and enriched with hyaluronic acid so it’s extremely moisturising. There’s a staggering 25 shades in this range and a tonne of different finishes, including matte, so whatever you fancy, this range has you covered.

Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss Bellini

An oldie but a goody! And sadly, following a quick search on Google, looks like it’s been discontinued (I’m regretting that wasteful arm swatch right now). Revlon seem incredibly quick to discontinue lines, this was already a replacement of my last favourite gloss that was discontinued. I guess we’re just not wearing gloss anymore. Anyway, Bellini is a beautiful milky, nudey peach. It’s basically me circa 2000-2003 – J-Lo wannabe days. It’s creamy, lusturous, shiny but not overly glossy and has a tiny bit of champagne shimmer. It’s not sticky or tacky in the least! It’s one of those perfect with a tan or smokey eye shades. There’ll always be a nude peachy gloss in my collection… as long as I can find one. .

Are you a glossy gal? What’s your favourite?

Kale, Matcha, Spirulina, Green Tea… no I’m not talking faddy diets, it’s Nails Inc’s latest Super Food range - products that look good and do good.

I was invited along to a Nails Inc event at Fenwick Newcastle to test and taste (literally - kale crisps and matcha tea) the treats for myself. If you love nail polish but suffer from weak, brittle nails you need to read on!

Overnight Detox Max £15 Nails Inc

I’ll be honest, when I first heard there was a mask… for nails, I did think “oh come on”. BUT it’s SERIOUS TLC for nails! Rich in a powerful antioxidants including green tea, acai berry and spirulina, it’s an intensive treatment that seriously tackles damaged and weak nails. I’ve got to eat humble pie and say WOW, this is amazing! It really works. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy, the winter, but my nails are seriously brittle right now. So I decided to brave the bare and send my nails to rehab. I’ve massaged in the Overnight Detox Max every night for the last 5 nights and my nails are transformed. We’re talking rock solid, shiny and hydrated.

Powered by Matcha £14 each

The new Matcha range is formulated with a sweet almond oil base and enriched with matcha powder – a powerful and potent antioxidant. Amazing colour and formula but with an intense moisture booster for optimum nail health and protection.

On the evening I was treated to a Matcha manicure and chose the shade Gloucester Crescent. It’s a stunning linen blue grey and a surprise hit on the evening. Most of us gravitated towards this shade and it seemed to suit everyone. Could just be a future classic.

I also came home with my own piece a matcha - King William Walk. An oh-so-pretty warmed pale pink. In terms of the formula, it’s not noticeably different to Nails Inc’s standard offering – great, no compromise on quality, but it’s secretly providing nails with some TLC. I adore the new wider/flatter brushes. They make diy manicures fool-proof.

Nailpure £14 each

Nailpure is a breakthrough formula with a revolutionary oxygen resin complex that is both air and water permeable. Now this range is really interesting to me. I’m passionate about painted nails but I do get concerned about the nasty chemicals, especially during the pregnancy. Nails Inc is already 4-free (free from Formaldehyde, DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde Resin) but the new Nail Pure range is 6-free (free from DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde resin, Animal derivatives, Camphor) plus it allows nails to breathe. Can’t wait to try iconic Tate in the pure formula. As soon as my nails are discharged from rehab I’ll be wacking this on… watch this space!

Check out all the new ranges here

Call it strobing, sculpting, highlighting… it all boils down to the same thing - faking that much coveted glowy, luminous complexion. In this two-parter I’m sharing with you everything in my highlight arsenal. First up, the powders.

for bad-ass highlight

MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish Soft & Gentle £24 Debenhams

The highlighter to end all highlighters! It’s a luxurious velvetty-soft, finely milled powder with high-frost metallic finish. It’s the perfect balance of natural beige, golden colour with a frosty shimmer finish that can be as natural or obvious as you as want it to be. If you want that J-Lo glow, look no further. You can even build it up for that almost metallic sheen.

for natural radiance

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder 01 Highlighter £24 UrbanRetreat

In my opinion, this one doesn’t get the love it deserves. It’s the most natural powder highlighter I’ve ever tried. The ultra-smooth baked face powder has a soft, silky, velvety texture that blends effortlessly. The shade “Highlight” is a natural beige that provides sheer to buildable coverage and a multidimensional matte finish that imparts a hint of soft luminosity. Basically it illuminates the face without looking shimmery or frosty.

the customisable kit

Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Series Contour Refills £14 each Cult Beauty

The two shades in the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit I reach for again and again – Vanilla, An off white/cream matte highlighting shade and Sand, a warm champagne with a frosty shimmer. With these two lovelies you can great any kind of highlighting/strobing look you like. The powders are exquisitely soft and bendable and they last all day. Vanilla is great for adding an iridescent glow and sand is perfect for spot highlighting

for subtle luminosity

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Luminous Light £38 Space Nk

Technically not a highlighter, more of a finishing powder, it creates a lit-from-within iridescence that never looks frosty or over-the-top. Luminous Light is a soft champagne/peach that’s designed to “create a soft, incandescent candlelight glow.” It manipulates how your skin looks under different lighting – highlighting and blurring at the same time. It brightens the complexion, blurring pores and imperfections and adding a tiny bit of warmth In short, it’s like being in soft focus!!! It’s magically subtle yet amazing powerful at this same time.

the dial up, dial down

The Glow in Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow John Lewis

Another champagne/beige highlighter but what sets this apart it can be as subtle or in-yer-face as you want. Despite looking kinda frosty in the pan, it blends to a soft, luminous, glowing finish. There’s a little shimmer in there but it’s not glittery or obvious, unless you build it up with a heavy hand. The soft, buttery powder is finely milled and never powdery – in fact no matter how many times I sweep my brush into this one, I never get a dusty fall out. It’s a real gem for bridal make up.

Come back soon for Part 2, The Liquids

If I was starting a make up brush collection from scratch (let’s pretend I haven’t already spent a small fortune on MAC ones) I would fill my collection with Zoeva. The quality and styling of their brushes blow the expensive ones out-the-water and for a fraction of the price! My newest addition is the ZOEVA 226 Smudger Brush– here’s the low down.

I’ll cut to the chase, if you like a smokey eye, you need this in your life. I’ve been searching for the perfect brush to apply and smudge product along the lash line for soooo long. MAC 219 pencil brush is fine for smudging pencil but a bit too fat for applying powder, Real Techniques Smudge brush from the collectors edition is a bit of a chunky monkey and too curved to exaggerate the lash line without looking heavy handed. Zoeva’s 226 is perfection! It’s slim but super sturdy. The Vegan Synthetic bristles are short and firm and provide maximum control. It hugs the lash line perfectly for close application. It applies and smudges pencil and powder for that perfect smoked out look and since it’s super slim it’s ideal for exaggerating the lash line – hello cat eyes. It looks, feels and performs like an expensive brush, it even comes presented in an individual zip-lock pouch (unlike MAC who stick a bit of plastic wrap over theirs, sorry MAC) and all for just £6.95. The 226 is also available as part of the Zoeva Rose Golden Complete Eye Set, which I was so tempted to buy to match my other Rose Gold brushes, but I stayed strong and bought the non-rose gold single. The 226 is definitely a staple in my collection now!

buy from Beauty Bay | Zoeva | Love Makeup

Have you tried Zoeva brushes? Let me know what you think.

This pregnancy is flying by! I thought I’d do an update whilst I still have chance. I had the 20 week scan a couple of weeks ago and I’m thrilled to say everything is fine. Aside from the baby not do what the sonographer wanted it to – moi, with a disobedient child, who’d a thought! We didn’t find out the sex - although when you’re lying there with the baby on the screen it’s sorely tempting. Dean’s convinced he saw “boys bit”, but it was a leg! He’s just looking for an excuse to buy more sneakers. I started feeling movements around 18-19 weeks and that blew my mind. The most amazing experience so far, and after that anxious 12 week wait, the most reassuring!

Beauty

Not a whole lot has in my beauty routine changed. I’m finding my skin's less hydrated that usual, guess the baby’s stealing my nutrients. I got a sample of dermalogica’s skin hydrating booster and that’s doing a fab job of injecting some much need hydration – It’s so expensive though, not sure I can justify the price tag #MothersGuilt. For the most part my skin is glowing. By far, my favourite pregnancy side effect – thicker hair! Apparently you don’t shed hair during pregnancy, new ones grow but the old ones don’t fall out. I’ve finally got the thick, luscious tresses I’ve always coveted… sadly my body's hairier too. I’ve been slapping on the bio oil £5.99 and recently got some Palmers Stretch mark lotion 3.29. I think if you’re gonna get them, you’re gonna get them but it doesn’t hurt to keep skin soft and supple.

Fashion

I'm not gonna lie, I'm finding maternity fashion Difficult. I'm not joking, I burst out my regular jeans at around week 2. I’m carrying very low which makes fastening jeans (fyi I rarely wear anything else) impossible. The bobble trick got me by for a few weeks before turning to maternity jeans and now there’s no going back. Even after I’ve had the baby I’m not sure I’ll be able to give them up… BEST.THING.EVER! I’ve got one pair of under the bumps from asos and two over the bumps from Mothercare. Stretchy jeans aside, I’m finding maternity collections a bit too "mumsy". Just because you get pregnant, it doesn’t mean you want to start dressing like a 1950’s housewife. I still want to look like me! Topshop’s maternity collection is the most non-mumsy I can find, but it’s a small range. Asos have some decent picks, other than that I’ve mainly been wearing oversized h&m tees and open shirts with vests underneath. I’m looking forward to the weather warming up so I can throw on some maxi’s. If you’ve got any recommendations, please share!

Mood/health/wellbeing

So far, I’ve had a really good pregnancy. I’ve avoided sickness and nausea. I haven’t been especially hormonal/mood swingy - My nearest and dearest may tell a different tale, but I don’t think I’ve been affected much by the pregnancy hormones either – I’ve always been a moody cow  My nights are a bit restless, nature’s way of getting me ready, and the back ache’s setting in, but other than that and as corny as it sounds, I’m feeling nothing but happy and blessed.

Diet Fitness

I’m continuing with a healthy, balanced diet. I’m low on iron so I’ve been adding spinach and kale to my smoothies – not as grim as they sound. Sadly no cravings yet, except that one night I NEEDED tartar sauce.

Wow for someone that wasn’t sure she was going to do pregnancy updates, I’ve sure rambled on. Feel free to share your links and updates below, it's nice to know people who are going through it at the same time.

You’ll love this primer if… you like to fil in your pores without masking your natural glow

Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer* "Lightweight, non-greasy primer minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, mattifies against oily shine and imparts a silky, luminous finish to skin.."

Based on the description, I didn’t think I’d like this primer. It sounded like one of those paste-like polyfiller-type primers – Benefit PoreFessional, Maybelline Baby Skin et al. Which many people adore, but don’t really meet my needs.

However, Hydrablur Primer manages to perform like them – fills in the pores, blurs imperfections, provides a smooth canvas etc, without feeling thick and pasty. It’s actually surprisingly creamy. The texture melts into the skin like silk. It smoothes and sinks in immediately so you can pretty much put your base straight on. It provides a very smooth, even demi-matte canvas and doesn’t mask skin’s luminosity, if anything, it enhances it.

What I really like about this product, there’s a strong focus on skincare. Most primers only address the cosmetic benefits but this one has upped the ante with serious skincare benefits too. H2ORelease™ Complex and Abyssinian Oil help provide intense, sustained-release moisturisation that locks in optimum hydration levels. A micro-encapsulated tint releases upon application to provide neutral coverage while Whu-Zhu-Yu Fruit Extract enhances skin radiance. Naturally-astringent Mushroom Extract reduces pore size and appearance.

The staying power of Hydrablur is what really knocks my socks off. The first day I wore it I was stunned by how intact my face was when I got home from work. I still looked pretty fresh for once.

The only con for me if the price. £38 a tube seems pretty eye watering, however you only need a pea sized amount, so the 22mls will keep you going, and going.

Available from Dermalogica | John Lewis | Amazon

What better way to start the day than with a good old cuppa chai! A post about tea may seem a bit off-piste around these parts, but I’m tea obsessed (it says so in my profile) and since I’m currently off the gin and prosecco, it’s my only liquid pleasure!

Up North, more specifically roond the toon (that’s Newcastle-upon-Tyne for for you out of towners) Ringtons is a local treasure. What I love about Ringtons is its charm. The family ran business started selling tea from a horse & cart in 1907 and still hand delivers to doorsteps today! I often see milk-style floats and vans driving around the streets delivering to doorsteps – there’s something special about seeing that these days. But you don’t have to be up North to get in on the action, Ringtons deliver all over the country… for free! Plus these days, they’re so much more than just tea - coffee, cake, Easter gifts, they've got it covered!

They sent me this gorgeous hamper full of tea, coffee and some of the best biscuits that have ever passed my lips. The extra fresh tea bags are strong and full bodied, just how I like it! The Chocolate Brazil nut biscuits are to die for and the shortbread just may be the death of me.

There’s few things in life that bring me more pleasure than a cuppa tea and some biscuits in the afternoon! Check out Ringtons delights here

Highlighters, we can’t get enough of them. In part one I shared my fave powders, it’s now time to shine a light on the lovely liquids! Liquid highlighters are a great way of achieving more of a natural glow. A great way to fake-it-to make it, they’re less obvious than powders and leave that much coverted dewy glow.

for all over, lit from within radiance

Laura Mercier Radiance Primer £29 John Lewis

Highlighter and primer in one! The flesh coloured cream imparts the most stunning lit from within, super-healthy glow. There’s no obvious shimmer or frostiness, just the most exquisite pearl tint that creates a soft focus effect and an all over dewy glow that lasts.

the bargain buy

17 Skin Wow Primer liquid highlighter £5.99 Boots

Personally I find it a bit too full-on to use as a primer, but perfect for spot highlighting, especially on the cheek bones and temples. Dab a little anywhere you want a pearlised glow - a great alternative to high beam and a snip of the price.

for show-stopping glow!

MAC Strobe Cream £10/30ml MAC

Mix a little with foundation for a fake it to make it glow or for added sheen and polish, lightly dab anywhere you want to highlight – cheek bones, brow bones, forehead etc– under foundation for a subtle look or over for amped up glow. And, as the name suggest, this one photographs beautifully.

for a girly glow

Benefit High Beam £5/5ml Boots

Super easy to use with the dab-n-go applicator. High Beam has a slightly pinky tint that gives the most pretty pearlised glow. There’s a barely detectable shimmer and an overall frosty finish and it.stays.in.place! The

for a sun-kissed glow

Benefit Sun Beam £19.50/13ml Lookfantastic

Bronzer and highlighter in one! The stunning warm champagne summer hues are perfect for adding a little depth of colour and the shimmery golden particles add a wham-bam glow. My summer holiday go-to!

What are your favourite liquid highlighters?

If there's one thing Charlotte Tilbury got absolutely right in her product range, it's Lip Cheats. These clever little sticks really do cheat the perfect pout. You know how much I adore Pillow Talk - review here. Now it's time for some iconic nude.

For me, what sets Lip Cheats apart is the ease of application. The product glides on effortlessly with no tugging or dragging. I recently tried the l'oreal infallible lip liners, they've got the shades (and price) down, but the colour pay off was pitiful and I had to keep pressing and going back over the get the product to transfer. Lip cheats are rich and velvety. The product glides on with complete control and what you see in the pencil is the colour you get on your lips. Let's talk colour - finding the "perfect" nude lip pencil is no easy task. Too light, you get concealer lips, too dark, you look like an 80s throw back. Iconic nude is that somewhere in the middle, just right shade I've been searching for. A Brigitte Bardot style medium warm beige with just enough brown to stop it looking like concealer. It's a fairly universal shade that goes perfectly with so many of my lip sticks - MAC Honeylove, Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink and in the picture I'm wearing it with a little Revlon Lip Butter Creme Brûlée.

It's a simple fact that clever lip lining can make lips look bigger but there's something extra special about Lip Cheats. They really do pump them up and create the illusion of fuller, fatter, va-va room lips - but in a natural way. I don't find them drying in the least and the staying power is fantastic. They're just all round bloody fantastic!

On the subject of Charlotte Tilbury and lips, have you heard about the new Hot Lips range? 12 new iconic shades inspired by empowering women - Penelope Cruz, Sienna Miller, Cindy Crawford et al... I'm not even going to pretend that I'm not excited about the Kim K one! Out late June, more info here.