Cat-Eyes

 Collection Extreme Felt Tip Liner | MAC Fluidline | L'Oreal Superliner Carbon Gloss

Cat-eye flick liner is the sort of eye makeup I pretty much wear everyday. It takes me about 10 seconds to do, and makes me look much more 'done' than spending hours on eyeshadow. I do like going for just mascara every now and again but its safe to say its my foolproof makeup. Over the years, I've tried out lots of different products to do so, but my main criteria are pigment, ease of use and longevity.

My favourite for ease of use has to be Collection's EXTREME Felt Tip Liner. They claim this lasts 24 hours, but I have never tried it for that long. It lasts perfectly for about 7/8 hours then starts to fade a little, especially on the flicks, but that is partly down to me rubbing my eyes a little and it never smudges. Despite this, it comes off really easily with any makeup remover. I find felt-tips the easiest to use for a quick, precise flick but they don't give my favourite effect, however due to the ease of use and longevity this one is my go to daily.

The one I whip out for special occasions (or incredibly long days, today being one!) is MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack, which is just a plain matte black. This one (when applied correctly) gives the most gorgeous deep black matte line, and I'm talking really black. I normally apply it with a small angled eyeliner brush. This also lasts absolutely FOREVER. I'm wearing it now and I applied it over 12 hours ago and it still looks absolutely pristine. Perfect for when you have a bit of time, but if you're in a rush I wouldn't recommend this for speedy liner - although its easy to correct mistakes because its so creamy, it does take a bit more time than usual - save it for those long days and nights!

Last up is one that I haven't actually used in a while but this used to be my go to. Its L'Oreal's Superliner Carbon Gloss. As the name implies, it is a glossy black, and I prefer matte black, so it doesn't get as much use nowadays, but the nib/brush is so easy for beginners. It is the perfect width to create a medium line, not too thick or thin, and also really use to do a flick with as well. This one falls down in the longevity department for me though, I find it to smudge a little after a long day and it also can lose pigment if you apply it over eyeshadow; not too sure why but it doesn't go on as pigmented for some reason.

So that's a round up of my favourite eyeliners for cat-eye flick liner. Although it seems like more effort, in reality it takes just as much time as a slick of mascara because I tend to spend less time on mascara when I do this. What's your signature eye makeup?

KORRES Lip Butter

KORRES Lip Butter £5.60 | feelunique.com

After visiting New York in October last year, I've had an eye on these KORRES Lip Butters. They are marketed as a "buttery lip balm that offers a shiny, tinted finish". There are 6 shades on offer, and I went for Pomegranate (but I will definitely be picking Mango and Jasmine up soon!), which is a bright pink/red colour. As these are only tinted balms, don't be put off by the bright colours because they are very sheer, they just add a touch of tint to the lips. 

The packaging is nice too, white with a lid corresponding to the colour of product inside and is easy to take around with you for during the day. I prefer pots when it comes to lip products because you can be sure to use all of it up and you can reuse the pot afterwards as well! The smell is lovely too; sweet and fruity but you don't end up with the taste in your mouth. I would definitely recommend these, they are perfect for taking around with you. They don't break the bank at about £6 (but I got mine on offer for £5.60 from feelunique) and they will last forever.

I may just have to collect them all...

Tan Time

Garnier Summerbody £5.09 | St Tropez Gradual Tan £15 | St Moriz Instant Leg Tanning Spray £5 | Simple Sun-kissed Moisture Cream £4.99| Dove Summer Glow £5.69

I'm not a big fake tanner, nor real either, my skin just seems to enjoy staying a nice shade of dead for most of the year. Because I'm ever so slightly scared of fake tan, I usually stay safe with high street options of tan, just because I can't justify spending £20+ on something that could give me the skin tone of a satsuma.

My favourite fake tanner is definitely Garnier's No Streaks Bronzer Face Mist (not pictured, I've run out!). This comes in a larger bottle named 'Body mist' but I just slightly prefer the sprayer (good technical term) on this one. It diffuses the product really well and is definitely more of a mist than a direct spray. It builds a really natural looking glow to the skin and smells amazing. The most important thing about this to me is the fact it doesn't streak at all and looks really natural. Garnier are definitely a brand I recommend when it comes to tanning.

A new contender in the face tanner category is Simple's Sunkissed Moisture Cream. It's basically a gradual tanner with a bit of moisturiser for your face. This one is definitely on the natural side of proceedings and slowly builds a bit of colour on your face but nothing over the top; perfect for the winter months when you can embrace a bit of pale! This one is pretty cheap too and a good option for people who are wary of using body products on their face.

I have three in the body gradual tan category, those being Dove's Summer Glow, Garnier Summerbody and St Tropez Gradual Tan. They are all very similar, but I prefer the St Tropez smell and consistency, and the St Tropez is probably ever so slightly darker, but they are all pretty similar and can produce fairly quick results but do be careful of streaking because they are all clear lotions. The St Tropez pictured is a travel size by the way.

My only instant tanner is St Moriz Instant Leg Tanning Spray. I'm not huge in this one to be honest, I find it takes forever to dry and if you touch your skin after applying it at all it smudges but if you can be careful, this is a good one for applying on your arms and legs for nights out for a quick tan!

Foundation by Maybelline

Dream Fresh BB  £7.99 | SuperStay 24h £9.19 | Dream Satin Liquid £8.19 | Dream Matte Mousse £7.69

Despite trying out several MAC foundations, I still stick by the belief that Maybelline make the best range foundations for very decent prices. I have tried 4 of their foundations and I do think all of them have their own good points and specific uses, much in the same way as MAC do (Sculpt, Fix, Face + Body etc).

My all-time favourite has got to be Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation. It has a light-medium/buildable coverage but looks so natural on the skin. Definitely leaves more of a dewy finish but I like to powder my skin so you can choose. It definitely doesn't make my skin look oily or shiny, but (hence the name) there is definitely a satin, skin-like finish. It lasts well on my skin too, and doesn't look cakey or oxidise during the day.

Another one which I'm currently testing, is Maybelline Superstay Foundation. This was recommended by Tanya Burr as a high coverage, long lasting foundation and I thought this could just be a long awaited high street dupe for Estée Lauder Double Wear, but it definitely has more of a medium-buildable coverage and I don't think the lasting power is outstanding: its fine, but nothing unusual. It leaves more of a matte/natural finish on the skin so I prefer this for the evening but it is a very good match for my skin tone (aka, pretty pale).

The Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream has definitely had mixed reviews, but I love it. The shade is a little too dark now but it is perfect in the summer months. It provides a sheer to light coverage, definitely a higher coverage than your typical tinted moisturiser. I have heard people say that it is quite oily but I didn't find that was the case, but as I say, I do pretty much always powder my skin, but even in summer when I didn't, I didn't think it was shiny, but it definitely has a dewy finish. It also has SPF15 which is perfect  for sunny weather.

Last of all is the Dream Matte Mousse, and this has had its fair share of hate over the years but I think there are some skin types that this foundation can certainly work on. If you have very oily or oily skin or even normal this is definitely workable. It actually has a fairly light coverage but isn't very buildable as too much of this and it will cake. It is perfect for someone who has clear but oily skin however, as it leaves a good matte finish but doesn't mask your skin.

I'm interested in trying the Fitme range, what are your views on it?

What's On The Menu?

So for my first post I wasn't sure whether to dive right in or to do a little hello to any potential readers out there, but I figured its nice to get an idea of what to expect on a new blog.

I've actually had a couple of blogs before, but I've never really got into my topic or I've struggled with my layout or hated my blog name...the list goes on. As we enter the New Year, I decided this is the time to just bite the bullet and get writing. This blog is my little corner of the internet to share with you my recommendations and picks on the vast 'menu' that is the Fashion and Beauty industry. In addition, I will throw a few lifestyle and travel posts in for good measure, but I will also just see where the blog goes!

So if you think this blog sounds something you would like, go ahead and follow it, either via Bloglovin, GFC or Email; I can promise you know you will get no junk mail offering you free iPhones or anything of the sort!