SELFRIDGES SUMMER BEAUTY BOX

There have been so many beauty boxes this month which have caught my eye that I don’t need to go beauty shopping for a very long time! I have brought Selfridges beauty boxes in the past, they normally put together 2 or 3 a year, but the most recent boxes haven’t made me want to buy them, until this one. This limited edition Summer Ready Beauty Box is exclusive to Selfridges and contains 13 beauty essentials including skincare and makeup products. I'm surprised this is still available online as I can imagine it being very popular!

The beauty box, came in a Selfridges presentation box and then all the product came inside a canvas make-up bag from Alphabet Bags. I couldn't believe the size of the bag and I love the summer quote on the side, ‘I've got 99 problems, but a beach ain't one’. I will be taking this on holiday next week with me for all my poolside essentials like sun cream and books.

The box includes the Starskin Instaglam Foam Peel Perfect and the Starskin After Party Brightening Face Mask which I have never tried before. Instaglam is a disposable, foaming, peeling puff that gets rid of dead skin cells to reveal radiant looking skin. After Party is a Coconut Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Brightening face mask that contains a powerful serum complex to leave skin luminous and brightened. The translucent, cooling sheet mask is packed full of Vitamin C and Herbal Medley which works to reduce visible dark spots and even skin tone, I'm very excited to use this one! Another skincare product included was the Rodial Dragons Blood Sculpting Gel. This is an anti-ageing formula which helps to volumise and defines facial contours. It reduces redness and is ideal for sensitive and stressed skin. There was also a product I have tried before, the Caudalie Grape Water which is designed to soothe and refresh the skin. It’s made from 100% natural organic grapes and is suitable for all skin types. This product is quickly absorbed and can be used multiple times per day, so great if you need to cool down in the heat.

Also inside were the Ribband Sorbet Hair Ties in gorgeous pastel colours. I have been after some of these for a while now, they come in a pack of four and I think they'd be great for tying my hair up on holiday by the pool. Another hair product in the beauty box was the Tangle Teezer in Original Blue. I have quite a few Tangle Teezers but I think they come in really handy and it’s great to have one in your handbag, one in your gym bag and one on your dressing table. It’s so easy to untangle your hair with these, I'll definitely be chucking this in my beach bag!

The next product I was excited about was the James Read Day Tan SPF15. This is a day cream that gives you colour as well as instant moisturisation. You can build up a subtle, sun kissed glow which can be used all year round as well as being protected from the sun at the same time. On the make-up side was the Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner, this eyeliner creates bold lines and long-lasting colour. The tip is flexible enough to create winged flicks, it delivers a smudge-proof finish but is easy to blend before drying for smoky eyes. Most beauty boxes seem to contain a Nails Inc Gel Nail Vanish at the moment. I received the shade Chiltern Street which is a lovely milky pink. The formula applies nicely and leaves a high shine finish, as well as being long lasting on the nails.

Something for the lips was the Illamasqua Lipstick in the shade Luster which a gorgeous candy pink. I have a couple of Illamasqua lip colours now from beauty boxes. These lipsticks are highly pigmented, long-lasting, moisturising on the lips and leaves a satin finish. There was also a mini Nars Lipgloss in the box in the shade Orgasm. This is so cute and a great handbag size. This lipgloss is really wearable and can be worn alone or look great over any lip product.

During the summer months, it can be a task to keep your makeup in place all day, that’s where the Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray comes in. I have been wanting to try this for a while now, since loving the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray. The stand out product for me in this box was the Clarins Eau des Jardins Smoothing Body Cream. When I first applied this I fell in love with the scent, it’s beautiful!

The content of this box has the combined value of £176, so for the retail price of £40.00 I think this is a great deal! It's a little pricer than other beauty boxes but the Alphabet Bag is worth £20.00 on its own. I know I will get great use from all the products inside, I wish Selfridges did more regular boxes.

Have you been tempted by the Selfridges Beauty Box?

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BEAUTY ICON HAIR & MAKE-UP INSPIRATION - AUDREY HEPBURN

My ultimate beauty icon of all time has to be Audrey Hepburn. I always tend to turn to the starlets of the past much more than today's celebrities for hair and make-up inspiration. Women of that era seemed more confident in their own skin, instead of using plastic surgery or caking on far too much makeup to make themselves feel beautiful or younger. Hepburn's make-up look was always so chic and polished. I could see an image of Audrey Hepburn's eyes and know they're hers straight away, I even have a canvas on my wall of her. She had a classic style, timeless beauty and an iconic look which still looks modern today. She was a minimalist, yet very feminine. I've always been obsessed with her as Breakfast at Tiffany's has to be one of my favourite films. I've created an inspired look which is ideal for everyday below using the following products.

Audrey had a fair few hairstyles in her time, from the pixie crop to the sleek beehives and she always looked so elegant. Philip Kingsley created the Elasticizer personally for Audrey Hepburn back in the 70's. She wanted a product that would keep her hair looking fantastic on set, due to the constant processing and styling. The Elasticizer is a pre-shampoo treatment which intensively conditions whilst adding elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine. This cult product is suitable for all hair types especially damaged hair. It also provides UV protection even after washing, helping prolong the life of colour treated hair. I really like the way this makes my hair feel so glossy, if it's good enough for Hepburn, it's good enough for me! I have yet to buy a full-size of this product as I receive so many samples in beauty boxes/magazines.

Audrey always had fresh, natural looking base make-up that really brought out her bone structure. Audrey wore very little foundation, but always opted for a lightweight base for a youthful, glowy complexion. I decided to use the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer which is a lightweight, creamy gel formula which creates the perfect even canvas for foundation. This helps to keep my make-up in place, as I have oily skin I always apply a primer before my base make-up so it doesn't slip off my face throughout the day. The gel formula leaves my make-up looking fresh and colour-true for the entire day. I then used the Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Foundation in the shade B10 Porcelain. I find this foundation gives a matte finish but still looks velvety and non-greasy on my skin. You can build the coverage up but I like that you can still see my freckles through the make-up. It blends away pores and it last for most of the day. I love the packaging, I just wish the bottle had a pump! I have reviewed this product in full here.

Thicker brows have come back in style and Audrey's brows were accentuated to look thicker and fuller. Her innocent doe eyes and large eyebrows were her trademark look leaving everything else quite simple and understated. I like to use the Benefit Gimme Brow in light/medium to fill in and shape my eyebrows. I haven't made my brows as thick as Audrey's but this product makes my eyebrows look stronger and creates that perfect arch. This brow gel is water resistant, long wearing and buildable. I like that the packaging is so compact and it's so quick and easy to use! I've created Hepburn's iconic little cat eye flick with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in the shade Stag which is a deep satin brown shade. I don't think you can beat Urban Decay eyeliners, they glide on so nicely and the shade range is fantastic! I applied the liner close to my lash line and smudged it out a little with a brush to soften the look. Audrey famously used a pin to separate each of her lashes after applying mascara, which is crazy!
Audrey's favourite colours were shades of pink, so of course I had to choose a nude pink lip. I've applied my lip liner a little outside my natural lip line to make them appear fuller. I have then applied the Dior Rouge Nude Dior Lipstick in Grege 1947 which is a lovely vintage, peachy nude. These lipsticks are creamy, pigmented and moisturising on the lips. Audrey always defined her cupid's bow which made her look more sophisticated and glamorous. She used very little colour on her cheeks, making the eyes and lips the focus. Audrey Hepburn's hollywood look is so iconic and I have made her look more wearable for everyday using some of my favourite beauty products. You can find most of the products I used on the House of Fraser website.

"I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."

Who is your Beauty Icon?
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URBAN DECAY NAKED ON THE RUN LIMITED EDITION PALETTE

Urban Decay has long been one of my favourite makeup brands since I was a teenager. I have loved Urban Decay eyeshadows and think they're the best formulation and have the best colour range on the market. The Naked palettes are some of my most used palettes, the newest palette is called Naked On The Run which is limited edition and includes a whole face of make-up in one. It contains five eyeshadows, a travel sized Perversion Mascara, a travel size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in the shade Stag, a full-size Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss in the shade Sesso, a bronzer, a blusher and a highlighter. This palette is perfect for travel as it means all you need is this and your base products, you can create quite a few different looks from day to night. I featured this in my Spring Beauty Wish List post here and finally caved and had to have it in my collection. Urban Decay actually say the palette comes with six eyeshadows, including an extra large dose of 5050 the perfect all-over shade but I like to use this as a highlighter as well. The eyeshadow shades from left to right are; Dive, Fix, Resist, Dare and Stun which are all new shades. Dive is a metallic rose/golden shimmer, Fix is a soft taupe matte shade, Resist is a medium metallic taupe, Dare is a medium brown matte shade and Stun is a metallic bronze/light gold shimmer. I like that you can create quite a few different eye looks, from pinks to golds and I even use the matte shades through my eyebrows. You can build the colour of these shadows, they're so buttery and easy to blend. I think it's great that you can change up the lip colour or eyeliner if you have other shades in your collection. And now Urban Decay have started selling the travel-sized mascara separately, which means when you run out of the current one you can replace the gap without leaving it empty. I also really like the Lipglosses (I have reviewed a different shade on my blog here), I love the unique longer applicator, the minty taste and the high shine finish they create, without feeling sticky. The shade Sesso is a lovely rose pink with shimmer and the Eye pencil is a deep brown satin shade, so nice to have something different to black. I was a little scared of the bronzer/blusher, the bronzer looks a little orange in the pan, but transfers beautifully onto my skin and blends out effortlessly. The blush creates a lovely pop of colour to the cheeks and this is a really wearable shade.

I really like the packaging, it is a little chunky but it's lightweight and does contain so many products! It includes a generous sized mirror and I really like the rose gold shiny Safari inspired outer packaging which is a bit more upmarket than the original Naked palettes. This would be ideal to take away if you only had room for a carry-on. Urban Decay have definitely got it right again! It's such a wearable palette, I can see myself getting so much use out of this. I like that their all new shades so you won't already own them in your collection and have duplicates. The palette is priced at £37.00 and is limited edition, so who knows how long it will be around for. I'm also so excited about Urban Decay's new Revolution High Colour Lip glosses and Afterglow Eight-hour Powder Blushers, I will definitely have to try these next!

Have you tried Naked On The Run?

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SPRING BEAUTY WISH LIST

I have been rather good with my Beauty spending recently and have been trying to use up what I already have. But I do have a Beauty Wish List the size of my arm and I'm trying really hard to resist. These are the products I have been lusting over the most and hopefully will get around to purchasing soon. Let me know if you have tried and loved any of them.
Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette, £37.00 – I am a big fan of Urban Decay Eye Shadows, they're probably the first ones I used as a teenager and haven’t strayed from them since. This palette has been on my wish list since it first came out, but I have so many palettes to use, I’m not sure if I can justify another one. This palette has it all, it includes; five Eye Shadows, a Bronzer, a Blusher, a Highlighter, plus a travel-size Perversion Mascara, a travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and a full-size Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss. So you can create a full look with one compact set, so ideal for travel. Urban Decay Eye Shadows are buttery, pigmented and last for ages on my lids. The shades are neutral for day or you could even smoke up the darker shades for an evening look. The palette currently has 20% off at Feelunique, so I may be tempted to put in a little order.
Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb, 30ml £32.00 – Origins is my favourite Skincare brand, I haven't found a product I didn't like. This is Origins latest release, I tried it on my skin the last time I was in a Boots and really liked it. This product helps to restore glowy skin, Willowherb restores glow, Algae helps reduce oil to help them appear to vanish and shrink pores. The formulation also smoothes roughness as Chestnut Seed Extract refines texture and Persian Silk Tree helps skin rebound and de-stress. It also minimizes flaws and blurs imperfections so is perfect to use under moisturiser in the mornings.
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, 100ml £28.00 – Cleansers are probably one of my favourite Skincare products to purchase. I have so many, this product has been on my wish list for a while. Again, this is a product I have heard so many good things about. I have tried the mask in the range before and loved that. The formulation is full of natural ingredients and vitamins. It helps to strengthen and revitalise skin whilst eliminating every last speck of residual and everyday grime. The formula has a lovely Chamomile & Rose scent that melts into the skin and turns milky when splashed with water, so perfect to use in the evenings.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk, 1.2g £16.00 – I haven't tried too many products from Charlotte’s range, but everything I have tried has been dreamy. I have heard so many good things about her nude lip liner that I need to try it for myself.  I don't wear lip liner very often but I'm looking for something to make my everyday lip colours last longer. The reason I haven't plumped quite yet is probably because I don't wear lip liner every day and they are £16.00 a pop. I can imagine the formulation is really creamy and easy to apply, I will definitely have to pick one up the next time I'm near a Selfridges.
Lush Hoppity Poppity Bath Bomb, £2.50 each – I always like to buy something from the Lush seasonal ranges. I have spotted this cutie, which is a rabbit shaped bath bomb on the website. It contains popping candy, violet leaf, lavender and lime oil, I really like the sound of the fresh scent. I will definitely have to pick up a few golden eggs too, as I loved those last year.

What's on your Beauty Wish List?

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URBAN DECAY NAKED ILLUMINATED - AURA

This was one of my Boxing day online sales purchases this year. Urban Decay has to be one of my favourite make-up brands and I have had my eye on these highlighting powders for ages. Feelunique were offering this product for £16.50, (still in stock!! normally priced at £22.00) after Christmas, so I decided to treat myself. Obviously, I love the Naked eyeshadow palettes and I have tried the eye pencils and lipglosses, but there is so much more I need to try in the range, from foundation to powder to the blush palettes. Naked Illuminated comes in two shades, Aura and Luminious, I picked up Aura. Luminous is a champagne shimmer with iridescent shimmer running through it and Aura is more of a soft pink shimmer with a golden iridescent sparkle, which I thought would go better with my skin tone. The Naked Illuminated shimmering powder is for face and body and is a light weight, baked powder which has a microfine shimmer. You simply dust this product wherever you want to create an instant naked glow. I like to use this powder to highlight my cheekbones and my collarbone. I really like the silky, radiant look it leaves on my skin. It also provides the colour payoff of a loose powder, with the convenience of a pressed powder.
I really like the packaging, but I do find the box to be a bit bulky. I would prefer it to be slightly smaller but it has a generous sized mirror and a brush underneath the powder, but I’m not sure this will get much use as I doubt I will travel with this. It is a nice product to get out of your collection and use for an evening out. It would also make a lovely gift as the product itself is of a high quality, maybe it would be nice if they brought out a travel size version! I recommend using a light hand and my favourite brush to use with this product is a stippling brush for the most even application. Some people might feel this product is far too sparkly for them, but you don't need much product and it does last for a while on my cheeks. This shade Aura could also be used as an eyeshadow!

I would definitely be interested in trying the other shade and I need to get my hands on the Naked On The Run Palette!

What are your Urban Decay Naked recommendations?

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EVERYDAY MAKE-UP ESSENTIALS - SHOPPING MY STASH

This is the make-up that I'm currently wearing most week days, I like to mix it up a bit on weekends or evenings out but I do like to stick to the same products that I know work for me, so that they're quick and easy to reach for in the mornings. I store my everyday makeup in my Muji drawers and I shop my stash whenever I get bored of using a product. This is what my drawer currently contains;

Face

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer, 30ml £6.99 - The main reason I wear primer is to make my foundation stay around for longer. But this formula minimises pores, mattifies my oily skin and evens out skin before applying the rest of my make-up. I have nearly finished this tube, but you get a good amount of product for the price. I have already repurchased. YSL Fusion Ink Foundation, 30ml £30.50 - This is the newest foundation from YSL, I got a 7 day sample from a counter to try it before I buy the full-size. I'm really enjoying wearing it so far, it gives you a light to medium coverage, it drys matte which is great for my oily skin but is still glowing, really natural and leaves my skin super soft. Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer, 6.8ml £7.99 - This is great for dark circles, I do find it does crease if I don't set it with powder. But the formulation really does erase tiredness. The sponge applicator isn't very hygienic but the twist tube allows you to get every last drop of product out. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, £4.19 - This is my go to concealer for hiding blemishes and redness. It lasts a while on the skin and doesn't look cakey at all. Soap & Glory Kick Ass Powder, 7g £12.00 - I then matte my skin, using this weightless and translucent powder. It's great for retouching and feels smooth on the skin. I have hit pan on this and would definitely repurchase. See my full post here.

Cheeks

Soap & Glory Love At First Blush, 7g £11.00 - I have been using this blush for ages and still haven't hit pan. It's still in the old cardboard packaging, but it gives a lovely rosy sheen on the cheeks. It has a small amount of shimmer, but it's great for everyday. 

Eyes

MAC Eyeshadows Omega & Soba, £10.00 each - I use these eyeshadows in my eyebrows to make them look as natural as possible. Benefit Gimme Brow, 3g £17.50 - I then set my eyebrows with this, it gives them a bit of definition, shapes and tints. It's long wearing, water resistant and build-able. I wouldn't be without this now. Urban Decay Primer Potion, 11ml £16.00 - I always use a base for my eyeshadows, as I have oily skin it's difficult to find shadows that don't slide down my face. This helps to make my make-up stay around the longer and prevents creasing. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, £22.00 - This is a great neutral matte palette which is really wearable for everyday. It's the perfect size to just pop in your bag and the shadows are creamy and blendable. I have seen that Urban Decay are releasing a second Naked Basics palette, so I'm looking forward to that. Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, 11g £19.00 - I like a mascara with a big brush wand. This mascara is jet black, it lengthening and volumises lashes and holds a curl all day. I'm really enjoying using this at the moment.

Lips

Loreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick, £7.99 - This has to be my most wearable lip colour for everyday. It's a Loreal Caresse in the shade 101 Tempting Lilac, the formulation is so creamy and the colour is a subtle rose lilac. Sadly I'm nearly at the end of this.

Do you keep your everyday make-up separate? What are your recommendations?

URBAN DECAY REVOLUTION LIPSTICK & NAKED LIPGLOSS

Urban Decay was one of my favourite brands through my teenage years. I really liked the fun, playful side of the packaging (half naked men on lip gloss) and I always received an eye shadow palette for Christmas which was full of glitter shadows. My one regret is not really being obsessed with make-up when they released the Alice in Wonderland palette, as I’d love to have that in my collection.

Over the last few years, Urban Decay has revamped their packaging and has had a big cult following with the success of their Naked palettes.The brand has introduced Revolution Lipsticks to the range which comes in 23 different colours. The range includes many lovely nudes and bold brights, so there is something for everyone. I decided to choose the colour Lovelight which is a pale peachy pink shimmer which is perfect for everyday wear. The formulations of these lipsticks are creamy, pigmented and nourishing on the lips. They contain a blend of Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter which keeps lips moisturised and hydrated. The lipstick is long wearing but I do like to touch up after eating and drinking.

I love the new packaging, the lipsticks look more expensive than they are, in the gunmetal and deep purple tube. I would definitely pick another lipstick up from the range. The lipsticks are priced at £15.00 for 2.8g of product.

Urban Decay have also brought out Lip glosses in their Naked range. I chose the Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss in the shade Streak. The range has nine different nude shades to choose from which give a high-gloss finish. It’s ingredients include; Hyaluronic Filling Spheres, Rosehip Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Avocado Oil and Shea Butter to hydrate and condition your lips. I feel it helps to improve the volume of your lips and it claims to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

The packaging is very luxe again. I really like the extra long paddle applicator which you don’t see on many lipglosses. This means you can apply enough gloss in one application. I like to use both products separately or layer the lipgloss over the lipstick for a more coral lip. The lipglosses are priced at £14.00 for 4ml of product.

Have you tried Urban Decay Lip products?

CURRENT BEAUTY WANTS

As a new year has come round, I've held back (kinda) on the beauty spending but that doesn't stop me wanting more. There's always a product to lust over. Urban Decay Naked Skin Loose Finishing Powder £22.00 - I haven't heard too much about this product, but I'm looking for a new setting powder that will last all day. This product is great at creating the soft focus effect and helps your make-up stay looking flawless. I also want to try the Naked foundation from the brand. Smashbox Full Exposure Eyeshadow Palette £36.00 - I'm the first to say that I don't need anymore eyeshadow palettes, but this one is a beauty! Smashbox eyeshadows glide on like a dream, and this is the perfect combination of matte and shimmer. It comes with a double ended eyeshadow brush and a mini full exposure mascara. Ren Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser £16.00 - Ren has to be one of my favourite skincare brands, so when I heard they were bringing out a hot cloth cleanser I knew I had to try it. I have been enjoying the Rosa Centifolia range so far, great for all skin types and the scent is lush! Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher £30.00 - I recently watched a bunch of tutorials making me want everything from the brand! I'm in love with this blush and the bar of gold highlighter -  I've only heard good things. Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo £4.59 - I'm very faithful to my beloved V05 dry shampoo but I have heard great things and hope to pick it up the next time I'm in Boots as it's so affordable. I also want to try Bumble and Bumble's Pret-a-Powder, but for the price Dove is currently top of my list. Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Body Scrub £37.00 - I am currently using the And Other Stories Fig Fiction Scrub - which I love. When I run out of that I'm caving and buying this luxurious scrub for some serious pampering!

Let me know what your beauty wants are or if you've tried any of these products?