Although I am a huge lover of higher end beauty items, for me it just isn't a realistic lifestyle choice for me to constantly splurge on higher end makeup when high street makeup has always worked great for me. Having said that, every now and then when I feel like I deserve a nice treat I will usually purchase a perfume or a high end beauty item that i've been lusting after for quite sometime, and as lipstick is my favourite beauty item a higher end lipstick is usually my go to.

One of my all time favourite higher end makeup brands hands down has to be Nars. Although I haven't tried that many products from them overall, they are definitely a brand that go to especially when it comes to beautiful blush palettes and amazing limited edition collections. Last year Nars came out with a new range of Audacious Lipstick (£24), which I was all over and I am now the proud owner of two of these lipsticks. I love every aspect of these lipsticks, from the product themselves to the sleek packaging, they are literally a lipstick dream! As far as I know every shade of these lipsticks has a matte formula, of which is a comfortable matte formula that is beautifully pigmented with an intense colour, so a little definitely goes a long way with these lipsticks. As I mentioned the packaging of these lipsticks matches the formula, matte and sleek with a touch of elegance as this has a magnetic lid so there no worry of the lid coming off in transit. 

Another favourite high end lipstick that i've definitely gushed over in many a blog post is the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick (£26), which I think is well loved in the high end beauty world. For me personally what I love about this lipstick is not only the beautiful packaging, but also the silkiness to the formula of this lipstick. It applies like a dream and the creamy yet pigmented formula is so comfortable yet versatile in the sense that you can wear this for any occasion. Going back to the packaging, you cannot deny how stunning these lipsticks are as they are seriously like no other. If I could i'd buy these just for display purposes as they are beautiful!

The last but most recent favourite of high end lipsticks has to be the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (£23), which I was very lucky to win in a giveaway. That aside i'd been swooning over these lipsticks for such a long time and if you own one, you will know why everyone is falling head over heels for Charlotte Tilbury. Instantly the rose gold packaging of this lipstick is enough to make any beauty lover instantly want to get their hands on one of these lipsticks. Onto the lipstick itself, again this is a beautiful matte formula that is another that I find so comfortable to wear and lasts beautifully throughout the day. The shade I have I would say is a very wearable and versatile shade, but some of the shades are definitely more evening/daring depending on your personal lipstick choice.

So those are a few of my favourite high end lipstick brands, of which I would highly recommend anyone to try out!

What are your favourite high end lipstick brands?

I've been loving typing up these more chatty style posts recently and you guys seem to be enjoying them to, as I guess they are somewhat relatable and also offer a little advice that maybe you needed. Over the past year or so i'd definitely say i've grown up a lot, although I am already quite mature sometimes in life you just have to grow up and I thought i'd share a few things i've learnt over the past year or so with growing up and becoming more on an adult (or so I think).

A lot of you may relate to this where although you are pretty self dependant and you'd consider yourself pretty mature, some things in life really do make you grow up. Whether it be a relationship, a job or even having a child, there are many reasons in life that you just have grow up and for me it has mainly been my job. My previous job although I worked really hard, I worked with a lot of my friends where we could have a laugh and not take everything too seriously, whereas my job now is so much different and although I can have a laugh from time to time this job is actually the first job within my chosen career path, so it's a lot more serious and I have to be professional within my job role.

Within the past year of being in my job, so many things have changed and i've definitely learnt things that I didn't know before or never thought would happen to me, and I thought it would be fun to share some of these with you all, and hopefully offer some advice when dealing with these situations.

1. Friends come and go - This is something i've learnt a lot over the recent years, and it's so true. The people that you go through school and/or college with you think you'll speak to forever but in hindsight I only have one good friend from college. I've also had a couple friendships break down over the past couple of years, and it's mainly through those people not being a good friend to me, and you'll learn that it's okay to separate yourself from people like that. 

2. You don't know everything - This is one that I think everyones knows, but we still continue through thinking that we know everything and know how to do everything, when realistically Google is my best friend!  

3. Things won't turn out as you expected - Over the past few years this has been a major lesson learnt, and for me uni didn't turn out as I expected. Although I came out of it with a degree and i've gone on to land a job in the subject I studied, my overall uni experience was not what I expected at all! This can also work the other way, where things turn out so much better than first expected but I always try not to set standards or expectations too much, because I have learnt that things will go however they want to go.

4. People are selfish - Hate to say it, but it is so true! It is definitely good to be selfish once in a while, as looking after yourself is key but i've learnt that people will throw you under the bus to get to where they want in life and to be honest it sucks. I usually don't surround myself with people who literally just care about themselves, because in tail I know i'm going to get hurt one way or another and although that may sound selfish, it's a good kind of selfish. 

5. Your intuition is always right - This, I could preach until i'm blue in the face. You know when you have a gut feeling about someone, but you think you're probably wrong? - 99.9% of the time you are right! 

6. Money worry is so real - Oh how I miss the days of being young and having no responsibility, but it's definitely true that you will worry about money at some stage of your life. I'm not usually one to worry and I probably don't worry about money as much as other people out there do, but I now see and understand why my parents would worry about money, and that it doesn't just grow on trees.

7. Making mistakes is okay - This one is something I remind myself of on a daily, that nobody is perfect and it is totally okay to mess up. Everyone makes mistakes and it's what makes us human!

Coconut oil is a product that has definitely become a huge trend in many ways, mainly when it comes to healthy/clean eating as an alternative to using vegetable oils and granted if I were all about eating clean, i'd probably try cooking with it but i'm not a huge fan of the taste. However using coconut oil for many different beauty related things is also really good for you and your body, as you're not applying as many chemicals/ingredients to your skin that you don't know an awful lot about. Now I know i'm definitely not the first to post about the way you can use coconut oil and I definitely won't be the last, but I thought it would be a fun post to do and to share how I love to use it for a lot of beauty related things!

Hydrating hair mask - One of my favourite ways to use coconut oil is as a hair mask. Usually I will slather all of my hair including my scalp a good hour or so before i'm going to wash my hair in order for it to really soak in and do it's thing. I also sometimes sleep with coconut oil on my hair, as I find this allows it to really do some good and it just works really well to hydrate your hair, whilst also giving your scalp some much needed moisture. I also find that it makes your hair smell amazing, which is a massive bonus!

Nourishing body moisturiser - Now initially the thought of lathering my body in oil seemed a bit of a messy situation as i've never been one for oil based moisturisers, but I always found lotion based moisturisers to contain a lot of chemicals that in tail dried my skin out more in the long run. Although I do find using an oil messy, I usually lather this all over my body before going to bed and allowing it to soak in over night, giving it time to soak in and when I wake up my skin not only smells amazing but is so much more soft and glowing. I've been using coconut oil on my skin for quite some time now and i've noticed such a difference than if I were to use a standard lotion.

Silky shaving cream - Similarly to the last hack, coconut oil is amazing for an alternative to shaving foam/cream. I found this out when I was completely out of shaving gel and in desperate need of shaving my legs, so I decided to apply this to my legs to see how it worked when shaving. I find it really helps to loosen up any hair on the skin, making it easier to shave but it also doesn't leave your legs feeling dry as a usual shaving gel would.

Heavy duty eye makeup remover - One thing that I always struggle with is removing eye makeup, especially when it comes to waterproof or heavy eye makeup. Usually I use a makeup wipe, as I find that I usually get a lot of product in my eye when using an ordinary makeup remover and wet wipes dry out the skin around my eye. I've found using coconut oil works miracle as it breaks down eye makeup like no other without getting product into my eye and it gives the skin around my eyes a much needed burst of moisture that they often don't get.

Hydrating cleanser/face mask - Similarly to using this as a cleanser and body moisturiser I also love to use coconut oil as a cleanser and face mask as it works wonders at breaking down makeup and giving my skin an amazing boost of moisture. I also find it helps to give my skin a beautiful natural glow that a lot of other products don't.

So those are the ways that I love to use coconut oil and I cannot wait to find other ways to use coconut oil, including teeth whitening but I haven't quite mastered that yet.

Do you use coconut oil? How do you use it? Give me some tips and new ideas!

When it comes to base makeup my usual choices are from a few favourite high street brands that i've loved and used for years, and i've never really ventured into higher end brands mainly because i've never felt the need to. However, when the lovely team behind Claudia Louch got in touch to try out some new base products, I instantly knew I just had to as all of her products are derma-logically tested and hypo allergenic which is great for us sensitive skin gals.

The first product that i've been wearing nearly every single day for the past few weeks is the Claudia Louch High Defintion Foundation* (£52.50), which was a little unexpected as i'd not really come across any derma logical high definition base products, so I was quite intrigued. Now, I initially requested the lightest shade, but the shade that arrived is actually quite dark for my natural pale skin so I knew this would be perfect for when i'd fake tanned, so I whipped some fake tan on and boom, perfect match. What I really like about this foundation is that it has a really good amount of coverage with the smallest amount of product, and gives a lovely evem finish. It definitely lives up to it's HD name and it has a lovely dewy finish that makes my skin look so radiant, and this stays put so well throughout the day! I've also found that it works so well to hide any spots or blemishes that I have, which is always a bonus in my eyes!

Moving ontonthe second base product that i've been loving and this is the Claudia Louch Mineral Loose Powder* (£47.50). I'm a huge lover of loose powders especially when it comes to setting my makeup/base. This powder is different to my usual go to loose powder as it isn't translucent and I find it has a very small amount of shimmer running through it that gives a very subtle and natural highlight, whilst also working so well to set your foundation for the day. The only mistake I made with this was removing thr plastic film, so it can be a little messy but it is totally worth it! 

Using these two products together has beem an absolute dream, especially in this weather as the foundation gives a beautiful finish and a dewy glow, yet the mineral powder works to set the foundation whilst giving a very subtle highlight. If you're on the market for a more up market and derma logically tailored makeup then i'd highly recommend trying out Claudia Louch's products.

What are your current favourite base products?

Recently i've been in a really positive and happy mood (despite the fact i'm writing this tucked up in bed on a Saturday with a horrendous cold that i've been gifted), and i've seen a lot of bloggers sharing some really positive posts recently, so I thought i'd too share some good vibes also. Life is just good at the moment, no amazing but better than it has been and as this blog is sort of a journal, I wanted to not only document but share with you lovely readers.

It's been a long while since I could fully say I was happy, and although i'm not as happy as I could be i'm definitely a lot happier than I was when I started the year and the past few months have brought some good things to not only be proud of, but to also give me a little confidence and motivation boost that I will always happily welcome. So here are a few good things that have been happening recently...

1. Progressed within my job - A few weeks ago on what initially started out be a somewhat rubbish week at work, I received some really good news as i've now been within my job role for over a year. The dedication and hard work that I put into my job has been recognised over the past few weeks and any sort of progression within your career is always a positive, and has gotten me in such a happy mood!

2. Finally got my blog mojo back - You may have noticed that i've finally gotten my blogging butt back in gear and i've been posting a lot more regularly. I don't really know what was holding me back, as my work load hasn't changed in fact it's gotten harder, but I will say the fact that we have more time for photographing with decent light now that we're into the summer months has been a massive help!

3. Gotten back on the fitness bandwagon - If you follow me on Twitter, or if you caught my recent fitness post then you'll know that i've gotten back on the fitness bandwagon as i'm going on holiday and if i'm honest I not only want to look good but I want to feel good! I've never been that into fitness, but i've been motivating myself to go to the gym and to also eat better, and so far I feel so good! 

4. Booked a holiday - This isn't really all that new but I don't think i've properly mentioned about it on the blog, but i'm going on holiday to Ibiza with two of my really good girl friends and I cannot wait! I didn't go on a holiday last year, and I definitely am in need of one this year that is for sure! As it's just a little over two months away i'm really starting to look forward to it - although i'm going to come back looking like a lobster!

5. Surrounded myself with people I love - As of recently i've started to spend more time with old friends, ones I haven't seen all that much of due to work and just life. Being there for them and them being there for me has really brought me happiness and contentment with life. It's true what they say surrounding yourself with negativity only brings you down.

What positive things have been happening in your life recently?

Surprisingly my Mum introduced to me two of these lipsticks, as she loves her nude shades mainly more brown nudes whereas nudes just don't suit me, or so I think. Any who, she was wearing one of these shades and it really caught my eye as a shade that I would actually wear, and since then i've been converted into loving a more pinky nude shade. These shades that i've been wearing lately are such good quality and they are so affordable, so I just knew that I had to share them with you guys!

I've briefly spoken about Essence Lipsticks before as i'd seen a few bloggers raving about some their nude shades and funnily enough my Mum happened to jump on that bandwagon before me (beauty blogger in the making or what?!). I've recently been loving the Essence 'Come Naturally' Longlasting Lipstick (£2.30) which is the middle shade in the image and this is a beautiful mauve nude shade that is very different to any lipstick shade that i've ever owned. In certain lights this has a slight purple tint to it, that I really like. I've also been loving the Essence 'Cool Nude' Longlasting Lipstick (£2.30), which is a slightly more pinky nude shade and this is the one that i've been wearing on a daily basis as of late. I really like these lipsticks as they are SO creamy, but so long lasting throughout the day that anyone would be happy with for a lipstick that costs as little as these do! If you haven't checked out any products from Essence, then i'd definitely recommend checking them out!

A more recent addition to my nude lipstick collection, granted it's not very big is the Newlook Pure Colour Matte 'Sweet Rose' Lipstick (£3.99). I picked this up after a few friends of mine were raving about the Newlook makeup range, and for some reason i'd not heard anything about it so I just had to check it out for myself. My local store didn't actually have much stock, but from what was there it looked really impressive and I walked away with this lipstick, and so far i'm really pleased with it. The shade is somewhat similar to the Essence 'Cool Nude' Lipstick, but the formula is a lot more matte in comparison. What I like about this matte is that it is not uncomfortable what so ever and the colour lasts really well throughout the day. I'll definitely be picking up some more of these lip colours and trying out some more makeup products from Newlook.

What are you favourite nude shades?

Whenever it comes to dying my roots i'd always give my brows a touch up with whatever hair dye I was usimg, which I know a lot of people say not to but i've never had any issues and it gives my brows a good level of colour. Quite a lot of my friends have suggested getting my brows tinted but being the budget gal that I am, I can't really justify the cost of getting them retinted constantly but that was until I was introduced to the idea of at home brow tinting kits.

I'd heard of a few brow tint kits where you can tint your brows at home and achieve the same effect that you would in a salon, but I was always a little skeptical as to how good they were. I was recently sent over the Color Sport 30 Day Brow Tint* (£8.25) to try as I had seen a lot of bloggers and youtubers raving about how good this brow tint is, along with a few other products from the brand so I just had to try it for myself. 

A few weekends ago I was finally getting round to touching up my roots as they were quite dreadful to be honest and whilst my hair colour was developing I thought i'd give this brow tint a go and see how well it worked out for me. The kit itself is really easy and straightforward to use, it's kind of similar to a hair dye kit where you mix two formulas together to create your dye mixture, however this can be reused which is so handy! As the instructions stated, I lined any skin around my brows with some vaseline and combed the dye mixture through my brows and left this to develop for total time recommended, of five minutes.

Initially I was a little worried that five minutes wouldn't be long enough, as my brows aren't naturally dark and when I dye my brows usimg my hair dye, this only lasts for two weeks before my natural colour reappears. Having said that, all worries aside five minutes was actually enough time to give my brows a lovely natural tint that i'm really pleased with. So far it has lasted really well and the colour hasn't really faded at all which i'm really impressed with. Next time I do tint my brows I may be naughtly and exceed the maximum time just to see if this gives my brows a darker tint, nut I will report back on that.

Overall i'm totally sold on the at home brow tinting concept and i'm so happy with how this product makes my brows look! 

Have you tried any at home brow tinting products?

Body confidence is always something i've struggled with for as long as I can remember, as i've always been a little on the chubby side especially when I was going through my teenage puberty years. Today i'd probably say i'm in somewhat the best shape that I have ever been, but the thought of getting in a bikini does still somewhat terrify me. So i've really been motivating myself to push myself to eat well and get a good amount of exercise in each week, and I thought some of you who are maybe lacking some motivation will find some tips on how i've gotten back into fitness helpful.

Be aware of what your putting in your body - For me I usually just eat what I want, when I want and I never really paid attention to what I am eating, or whether it is good for me. I'd heard of a few friends using fitness apps to help understand a little more into what they are eating, so I went ahead and downloaded My Fitness Pal. Now I don't necessarily use this app to calorie count, instead I use to know the amount of protein, carbs and fats that I am eating within a day. Since downloading this app i've naturally started choosing more healthier choices of foods, but I also really enjoy using this to track my exercise and also weight loss. So far i'm really enjoying using this app, as it naturally motivates me and allows me to understand so much more about the foods that i'm putting in my body.

Set yourself a goal - Now I know this one is probably a little cliche, but setting goals is always a really good way to naturally motivate and push yourself. When I say goal, I don't necessarily mean a weight loss goal but for me i've set myself a goal of going to the gym 4 times a week, for a minimum of an hour, and so far i've been achieving this goal. Another goal I set myself is burning a certain amount of calories within each gym session, and again it is a great motivator.

Treat yourself to some new gym gear - It is so true when they say that buying new clothes for the gym will motivate you to go, because looking good in your funky gym leggings is always a must! I find that Primark and H&M have amazing ranges of gym wear that is not only affordable, but also so cute and so practical. Also a killer pair or two of trainers is a must for me and i've always been a fan of Nike trainers, but as long as they look good and give your ankles the support they need then you're sorted!

Get yourself an exercise buddy - For me getting an exercise buddy is the main answer to motivation to work out as you with motivate one another to not only go to the gym or go for a run etc, but to also push yourself with whatever physical activity you're doing. It also means you can catch up on the weekly gossip whilst giving your body a good adrenaline rush.

Try out new beauty products - Being a beauty obsessor that I am, i'm always into trying out new products and ones that are targeted towards not only making yourself feel better, but also to look better i'm always up for. I was recently sent the CelluBlue Anti-Cellulite Cup* (£19) to try out as it is proven to help reduce the appearance of cellulite. As I will never go down the route of plastic surgery,  mainly because I don't really like the thought of it, nor can I afford it so trying a non surgical alternative was really appealing to me. I've been using this for over a month now and so far i'm actually impressed with the results. I have a long way to go but I find that the skin on my stomach and thighs is looking a lot firmer that before, and i'm excited to see what results I get with continuing to use this.

Treat yourself once in a while - For me, when I know i've had a really good week of going to the gym and eating generally well, treating myself to a cheat meal or two always makes me feel rewarded for my hard work. You have to remember it's all in moderation, and it is okay to eat a cheat meal once in a while.

So those are a few of my tips for motivating yourself to get back into fitness, but to also make yourself feel better. So far i've really been enjoying going to the gym, which I never have before and I generally feel so much better about myself, as i'm more awake and I have so much more energy just by switching up a few things, so if I can do you definitely can!

What do you do to motivate yourself when it comes to fitness?

Freedom Makeup are a relatively new brand brought to us by the ever so amazing team behind Makeup Revolution, who in my opinion have conquered high street makeup like no other brand out there and have since gone onto launch Freedom Makeup. The whole idea behind the brand is that they give you the tools and products at a professional performance level to be completely free with your makeup. I've recently been trying out a few of their well loved products, products that i've wanted to try for quite some time so i'm really excited to share my thoughts on such a wonderful and affordable brand.

Now i'm not a professional makeup kind of girl, but I can fully appreciate amazing quality makeup and so far i'm really impressed with these few products from Freedom. Starting with base products, and these two products i've not really tried anything similar so I was intrigued to see how they worked for me. First up is the Freedom Pro Studio Priming Water* (£6) and i've used several primers in my time but i've never ever tried a priming water. Initially I thought it would be a little bit like a face mist but this primer is actually really good! I've been using this for quite some time now on most days, giving my face a good spritz and allowing it to soak into my skin, and then going ahead applying my makeup as usual. Usually my foundation would dry into my skin really bad throughout the day, but i've found that this prolongs my foundation doing this and overall my foundation just sits well on my face throughout the day.

The second base product that i've been enjoying quite a lot is the Freedom Pro Studio Strobe Cream* (£8), which again is a product that i've never used before. I've used a highlighting primer previously but never any product aimed towards strobing, and being the total strobing virgin that I am I was very baffled by this product. The first few times I used I didn't really understand how it worked, as it is basically a white cream that has very subtle highlight within it that you apply to the natural highlight areas of the face, and works to attract light to those areas. I kind of use this as I would a primer, applying it to the natural highlight areas of my face but then using any excess on the remainder of my face, and again it just makes my foundation look so much better! I can't really comment on it's highlighting capabilities as I need to practice using it more, but I love the way it makes my foundation look.

The last product that i've been rather loving from Freedom is the Pro Artist Pad Black Arts Palette* (£15) and I really like this palette for a few different reasons. Firstly, it looks like an iPad which I think is such a fun and quirky packaging idea, and the packaging is really sturdy meaning the palette is well protected. Secondly the range of shades within this palette are so perfect for my eyeshadow needs, with an array of neutral shades ranging from bronzes, golds, browns etc. Now I know my image doesn't do this palette much justice, but I will be doing a more in depth review on this palette so keep your eyes peeled for that!

So those are a few products that i've been absolutely loving from Freedom Makeup and i'm so happy that i've been introduced to such an affordable and high quality makeup brand, that is so readily available!

Have you tried any makeup products from Freedom?