• Maybelline Colour Tattoos // review •

Everyone and their cat (not literally, I hope) has tried and reviewed this product, but for what it's worth, I thought I'd throw in my two cents. The Maybelline Colour Tattoos have been around for a while and I've loved them for a while, so let's me start by saying this review will be a very positive one.

They are currently £4.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

Packaging
The pots are dinky which make them perfect for travelling or just popping in your handbag for either a touch up or for a day to night look.

Colour
• Metallic Pomegranate - a deep burgundy, usually worn either in my crease or as a pop of colour in the center of my lid.
• On and On Bronze - a metallic-y bronze, perfect as an all over the eye colour.
• Permanent Taupe - a grey/taupe, I tend to wear it either smoked out onto my bottom lash line or very softly all over the eye.
The colours are buildable and you can either tone them down or build them up to your desired intensity - they cater to so many people, both for the natural make up lovers and for those who are more daring.

Finish
These colour tattoos form a great base as they're thick in consistency yet still creamy enough for powder shadows to adhere to; I use them in place of a primer nowadays as they do the job perfectly whilst enhancing the colour of my powder shadows. They vary in finish; the shade 'Permanent Taupe' is matte, whereas 'On and On Bronze' and 'Metallic Pomegranate' both have almost a metallic sheen to them. Although they look shimmery in the above photo, this doesn't transfer onto the lid.

Longevity
They just last..and last..and last. The colour doesn't fade throughout the day, they don't crease and they don't go patchy. As the name suggests, they are just like tattoos as they really do stick to the eye. It's hard to smudge them (I've tested this!) and it does take a good - but gentle - rub with make up remover to fully remove the product.

Opinion
I just reach for these allll the time. The colours are so wearable and I've never had a bad eye-make up day when I've used these. I trust these products as they always deliver, and I've not heard a bad word about them since they were released. I've read reviews that have said that these dry out after a short period of time, however I store mine upside down (with the colour of the product facing upwards) and I haven't experienced them getting any drier. I'm so excited to pick up some more shades as I'm seriously impressed with these, especially as they're so affordable; I've heard along the grapevine that there will be a nudes collection coming soon to the UK which is great as I'm really interested in trying the beige shade.

Have you tried any of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos? Which colours are your favourites?

PS. Don't forget to enter my MAC Giveaway!

Daniela

• benefit They're Real! // review and demo •

I've been wanting to try the benefit They're Real mascara since it was first released - the hype around it, the amazing reviews and the demos made me so excited to purchase the product, but I decided to play it safe and buy the benefit The Bronze of Champions set which included a mini of the mascara amongst other beauties. Since the mascara alone retails for £19.50, I thought it'd be a good idea to test it out before I commit to buying. Well... I'm committed. And if it was socially acceptable to have a relationship with a make up product, I would start one up with this mascara.

Review

Packaging // Wand

The product pictured above is obviously a mini, so the packaging is different for the full size. As usual, though, the benefit packaging is fun, colourful and cute. Now for the wand...I've never seen a wand like it. It has plastic bristles (and lots of them) of varying sizes in order to coat both the long and short lashes. The 'ball' of bristles on the end is used to get into the hard to reach parts of the eye (the inner and outer corner) to make it easier and less messy for the user.

Colour

The blackest of the black - the colour is strong and rich, and one coat will give you dark lashes.

Finish

Formula - The mascara itself is a wet formula, meaning that it seems quite liquid-y, but it dries pretty quickly so it's not a problem for me. I'm not used to wet formulas so when I first started using it I was slightly apprehensive, but for no reason - it dries to a finish that keeps it's hold.

Effect - after even one coat, the mascara provides masses of length and coats every single lash, even the ones that aren't visible to my sleepy, early-morning eye. The volume that I get is crazy and the mascara seems to make my lashes look lots thicker. It makes it look as if I have falsies on (I guess that's where the name of the product comes in) and I've never experienced length nor volume like it with any other mascara. 

Longevity

The mascara holds a curl and my lashes stay volumised all day. They don't drop at all as the mascara isn't heavy and my lashes look just as good as when first applied when I go to remove it in the evening! Talking of removing, it is a bit of a bugger but I guess that's what you'd expect from a good quality, long wearing mascara. After a few massages with coconut oil, the mascara is fully removed.

Opinion

It's incredible. I'm a massive mascara fan as my lashes are one of the most important parts to my routine so finding this gem is wonderful. I love the effect it gives and as you can see, the mascara really clings to every lash and opens up my eyes. I will definitely be purchasing the full size when I run out of this mini, but if there are any dupes lurking around, I'll also be sure to try those, too. I don't think I've ever spent more than a tenner on a mascara but I'd say this stuff is worth it. I've also had it since December and used it almost every day and it's still going strong.

Demo

(Please excuse the unruly eyebrows!)

Uncurled lashes

Curled lashes

One coat of They're Real!

Two coats of They're Real!

Two coats of They're Real! and tight lined

A direct comparison from not doing anything to my lashes to applying two coats of They're Real! and tightlining my upper waterline.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post :) I've had lots of requests to feature some of the products that I review actually on my face so hopefully you found this useful.

Let me know if you've tried They're Real! and what you've thought of it - I'd love to hear your opinions as I've only heard good things about it as of yet!

PS. Don't forget to enter my MAC Giveaway!

Daniela

• Tag // Procrastinating Beauty Blogger •

So I'm sitting here, with my cup of tea, when I stumble across this tag that I've never heard about. I absolutely love reading what Jen from From Head to Toe has to say so when I started reading her answers to the Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag, I was hooked. I've written lots of product reviews on this blog, and as much as I looove writing and reading reviews, I thought it would be fun to do a tag. This one really caught my eye as it's not the general "what product can you not live without/would you rather high-end or drugstore make up" kind of tag - it's more interesting and fun (in my opinion anyway!)

1) Name a beauty regimen that you rarely do.
Moisturise before I put my make-up on...terrible, I know. I rarely have time though, and would much rather spend a few extra seconds perfecting my mascara than putting moisturiser on my face. It may come as no surprise, then, that I don't wear SPF under my make up either. I feel like I can get away with this in cloudy England and my skin never sees the sun anyway - I leave at 7.30am for work and I get back at around 5pm, at which time I'm ready to cosy up at home, not go and sunbathe! I do try and use foundations with SPF, however they tend to break me out. Anyway, I digress - onto the next Q.

2) Is washing your make up brushes something that you do regularly?
Yes, every Sunday, religiously. I'm paranoid about spreading germs and bacteria on my face so I make sure my brushes are squeaky clean when I wash them every week. I also spot clean them with my LUSH Tea Tree Toner Water to fight any bacteria before I use my brushes - this might seem like quite an odd thing to do, but this works really well.

3) How long will you last with chipped nail polish?
About a day. I literally can't stand the look of chipped polish so I tend to make time as soon as possible to sit down and paint them.

4) How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it?
I'm quite good at putting off buying new products as I keep reminding myself that I have a whole cupboard full of make up, and I end up being unable to justify it to myself. I usually cave after around 2 weeks. Replacing a beauty product, however, is a different story - if I run out of something that I need, like a mascara, I will go and buy myself another one as soon as I get the chance. I usually only have one mascara on the go so when it's gone, it's gone. It becomes a desperate situation...

5) What is your worst beauty habit?
Biting my cuticles. Eugh, even writing this makes me cringe. But I do! And it's awful. They usually bleed and I try to cover them up by painting over them with nail polish. Oh this is getting worse isn't it...your opinion of me is going downhill. I do have lots of great beauty habits, though, honestly!

6) Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time.
I'm not really a putter-offer to be honest. I just like to get horrible things over and done with, so I usually put them at the top of my to-do list.

7) When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute?
Definitely not. I will always make sure I have enough time to relax whilst doing my make-up and hair because this is the part of the day that I have time to myself and do what I love doing the most. I tend to wake up in the morning and start my make up and hair right away and leave breakfast til the last minute - priorities!

8) Can you commit to spending bans?
It depends on how skint I am! If I reaaaally want to buy something, I usually check my bank balance - if I can justify it to myself (and if I have enough money in my account) then I'll break the spending ban. If I can't justify it, and if I check my bank balance and I cringe, then I will commit to my spending ban 100%.

9) How organised are your make up and nail polish collections?
It's an organised mess, put it that way. I, and only I, know where everything is. I tend to have my everyday make up in an old Glossybox on my vanity, then I have my most-used nail polishes in another Glossybox on my vanity. The boxes are pretty jumbled and I still have to root around in them to try and find what I'm looking for, so you could say they're semi-organised. I also try and switch around the products in these boxes about once a month or else I'll never use any of my other make up - I tend to get stuck in a rut sometimes if I enjoy the beauty routine I have!

I hope you enjoyed this tag, and I tag all of you to do it! I'd love to hear your answers so please feel free to leave a link to the post in the comments box - I feel like you can really get to know a lot about the blogger with this tag :)

PS. Don't forget to enter my MAC Giveaway!

Daniela

• The product I'll use for the rest of my life // LUSH Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser // review •

 Everything about this product makes it "holy grail" for me. The scent, the fact that it's natural, the way it performs on my skin...I've converted so many people to using this product, and they've all come back telling me how they can't live without it. That's the kind of effect it has.

I have combination skin (which is a bloody pain in the butt if you ask me) as I have a semi-oily t-zone and dry patches around my cheeks, sides of my forehead and around my nose. This makes for a pretty tricky skincare regime as I was never really sure what to go for, until I spoke to a lovely lady at LUSH (they're always lovely in there, aren't they?) about two Christmasses ago. She recommended me the new cleanser, LUSH Let The Good Times Roll, which is packed full of skin-loving goodies to refresh, cleanse and moisturise your skin. I'm started to get ahead of myself here, throwing out a few spoilers...so let's move onto the review.

Packaging
Recyclable, re-usable, classic black and part of the LUSH deal where you can take 5 of these babies back and receive a free Fresh Face Mask. The only downfall about this packaging is that I'm not sure I like the idea of dipping my fingers into the pot to get the product out, simply for hygiene reasons. I do wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap before I do this, though, so it's not too bad.

Texture
The texture is grainy as it contains maize flour. It feels slightly exfoliating on the skin which is lovely as I really like a light exfoliation when cleansing. When mixed with water, the cleanser turns into a paste, so you can make it as water-y or as rough as you like - you just cater it to your skin's needs.

How to use
I wet my face so it's slightly damp and I take just over a pea-sized amount of the cleanser out of the pot. I then mix it with a little water in the palm of my hand so it turns into a light paste, depending on how much exfoliation I need. I then rub it in circular motions all over my face and down my neck, making sure I use much of the product on my chin, nose and jawline. I then like to take a little more of the paste and work it into my cheeks as I have acne scarring in that area and like to ensure that I'm lightly scrubbing away the dead skin cells to encourage the renewal and turnover of new skin cells. When sufficiently cleansed, I wash away the cleanser using either just my hands with cold water or with a damp flannel.

Ingredients
Maize flour, glycerine, talc, water, corn oil, polenta, cinnamon powder, perfume, gardenia extract and popcorn. Yep, popcorn. This is a little gimmick which I personally love, as the product is inspired by Hollywood Box Office hits (grab your popcorn and watch the film...yeah, it took me a while, too). You'll notice that all of the ingredients bar one (perfume) are natural, and even the perfume occurs naturally in essential oils. LUSH are known for their natural ingredients which makes it all the more enjoyable to put on my face!

Effectiveness
This amazing stuff moisturises my dry bits but mattifies my oily bits. I seriously don't know how it does it, but it just does. My skin feels so soft after use and putting make up on after is an absolute dream. When applying my toner afterwards, the cotton pad is completely clear as this cleanser seems to remove the left-over traces of make up that my make up remover may have missed. I also notice that I've had minimal breakouts since I've been using this which is a massive treat as I'm prone to breakouts around my chin and jaw area. My redness has calmed down and my pores seem smaller - what more could you want, seriously. I'd say it's absolutely 100% effective in what it claims to do, which is why I'll repurchase it again and again and again and again and again and again.

Opinion
Never in my life will I replace this cleanser (unless LUSH decide to discontinue it, in which case I'll just stock up on about 1000 pots and freeze them all). It's everything you want in a cleanser and smells amazing - have I not mentioned that yet? It smells like caramel toffee popcorn and the smell lingers lightly on your face for a while after you've washed it off. To me, this is a bonus as I'm a sucker for sweet smells.
A product that controls my oils, whilst moisturising my skin and decreasing pore size, whilst calming my redness and minimizing the amount of breakouts I get is a real winner. I can't believe the stroke of luck I had that day that I first purchased this from LUSH - I was set on repurchasing the LUSH Angels on Bare Skin (another lovely cleanser) but the sales assistant steered me in the direction of this pot of perfection. And rightly so, because I've steered many friends and family members to the doors of LUSH with this product on their shopping list.
Anyway, I think I've raved about this enough now. I just really recommend this product (if you haven't guessed!) and for £6.35/100g or £15.87/250g you should definitely give it a go. I would spend so much more on this product as it has worked absolute wonders on my skin, and I will never stop using this in my skincare routine.

The cleanser is currently £6.35/100g from LUSH, click here to be directed to the site.

Have you tried this cleanser? Which skincare product can you not live without?

PS. Don't forget to enter my MAC Giveaway!

Daniela

• GIVEAWAY - MAC - 200 bloglovin subscribers! - CLOSED •

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED - 

THE WINNER HAS BEEN DRAWN.

I just wanted to start by saying that I am so incredibly overwhelmed by the lovely comments, tweets and emails I receive which really do brighten up my day. I've met some truly lovely people since starting my blog and I can't believe how large the beauty blogging community is.

200 bloglovin followers is absolutely amazing and I couldn't be happier that people enjoy reading about what I have to say :). When I started danielascribbles on December 31st 2013, I never thought that I'd reach 200 subscribers - and on 14th February, I received a bloglovin notification telling me so. What a wonderful Valentines present! To thank you all, I've decided to give away one MAC lipstick of your choice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The terms for the giveaway are:
• you must be over 16 OR have parental permission if you are under the age of 16
• you must live in the UK - this giveaway is not international (sorry!)
• you must get back to me within 48hours if I email you letting you know you're the winner - if you don't I will have to pick another winner at random.

Good luck lovelies :)

• The Fragrance Shop Discovery Box // review •

I'm not one to commit to a perfume, I admit, so I really enjoy sampling different perfumes to see which kinds of tones and notes that I like. From about the age of 18 I've worn the same two perfumes - Diesel Fuel for Life and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess (for the Summer months) - so I was really excited to receive and review The Fragrance Shop Discovery Box*.

Similar to Glossybox or Birchbox, The Discovery Box is a monthly subscription containing good sized samples in a cute little box. Now I say "good sized" because a big pet hate of mine is teeny tiny samples which only have enough perfume in for half a use, but these samples are definitely a decent size which is great. I received 9 samples of high end perfumes, including the popular scents Angel by Thierry Mugler and Gucci Guilty (which smell divine, by the way), some with spray tops and some with simple stoppers. I can't wait to start experimenting with new scents and will hopefully find the perfect match for me - taking a quick whiff of them right now, it looks like the Nina Ricci scent is going to be a winner for me.

An added extra is that there is a £5 off voucher for each scent in every box (totalling £45 worth of vouchers in this box). This means that once you've found the scent you love, you get a discount if you buy it at The Fragrance Shop. I absolutely love this feature as it obviously makes me more inclined to buy from the same company that sent me the box - and I'm saving myself £5, so it's win-win really, isn't it?

So to finish, I'll leave you with these little gems of information;
• you'll receive 5 good sized samples in each box
• you pay £5 quarterly for your subscription (so £20 a year, which is an absolute bargain if you ask me!)
• you can cancel your box at any time, so you're not committed at any point
• you'll receive both male and female samples in your box (which gets me some good-girlfriend points - and also keeps my boyfriend smelling rather fresh with the scents that I give him, which is a plus!)

If you're interested in subscribing to the Discovery Box, follow this link - http://www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/discovery-home.aspx alternatively, you can click here to be directed to the site.

Happy sampling! :)

Daniela

• benefit Most Glamorous Nudes palette // review •

Oh Lord, how stunning is the packaging? Let's just take a minute here to appreciate

 the sheer beauty of another benefit product...

(L-R) birthday suit, my two cents, call my buff, kiss me i'm tipsy, it's complicated, gilt-y pleasure

Currently £23.50 from benefit, click here to be directed to the site.

I received the benefit World's Famous Nudes: Most Glamorous Nudes Palette as a Christmas present and had mentioned it many-a-time (tactfully) for a few months before. I'd heard so much about it and, as always, was drawn into the marketing around the product and the gimick of having a palette that looked as though it belonged on my book shelf. I've been excited to review this ever since I got it, but for someone who likes to mix up their make up look everyday, I hadn't had much of a chance to test the product out and give an honest review up until now. After months of on-off use, I can safely say that I'm ready to give you the low-down of what I think.

Packaging

Blown away, as usual, with the packaging. benefit knocks it right out of the park every time, and if I'm ever on the hunt for a pretty-looking product to add to my vanity table, I would always turn to benefit. I love the fact that it looks like a book full of make up secrets, I love the colours of the packaging and how soft and neutral they are, I love the character Eyenessa and how she looks so beautiful on the cover (I want to look like her...) and I just think it looks stunning.

Colour

The set contains two cream shadows;

• birthday suit - described as a champagne, more of a sheer shimmery taupe.

• my two cents - copper-y gold colour.

And four powder shadows;

• call my buff - cream with a slight sheen.

• kiss me, i'm tipsy - rich chocolate brown.

• it's complicated - pink with a sheen.

• gilt-y pleasure - a lighter copper colour than my two cents (very similar colours).

The shadows are mostly shimmery but the flecks of shimmer are teeny tiny so it won't look like you've had fairy dust blown onto your eyelids. I think shimmer is perfect for a neutrals palette as it adds a little something extra to a look that can have the potential to wash you out (which happens to me every single time I go near matte neutral colours!)

Finish

Cream shadows - these are very sheer cream shadows. They seem 'thin' in comparison to MAC paint pots and Maybelline Colour Tattoos and are certainly not as pigmented as either of these other products. Saying that, they are buildable, and would therefore be perfect for either beginners or those who are looking for a very natural colour. They are honestly fantastic as eye shadow primers and do not budge, meaning that I don't have to worry about my powder shadows fading or creasing. I'm more likely to use them as primers than I am cream shadows as they work better that way, and I've found that applying them with fingers does not do them any justice - the best way to apply is with a stiff, densely packed synthetic brush, as it distributes the cream all over the eyelid whilst still giving maximum colour payoff. The swatch above on my arm is me adding more cream shadow about 3 or 4 times using my finger, with drying time in between - for me, this isn't really a problem as I don't mind taking time on my make up when I'm doing it properly.

Powder shadows - I really love these shadows. I find them easily blendable and the colour easily buildable, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a high-end palette.The colour payoff is great, they feel soft to the touch and don't look powdery at all. I would recommend using a primer with them as, like most powder shadows, they have the potential to crease, but they work perfectly with the cream shadows in the palette.

Longevity

I've created numerous looks with this palette that have lasted me all day. On Christmas day, I wore a really fresh neutral look from 8am until 1am and it still looked great when I went to remove my make up before bed. As you would expect with most high quality brands, the shadows tend not to budge when paired with a primer (or cream shadow) so in terms of staying power, I can vouch for that.

Opinion

This palette includes some of the most beautiful colours I've seen in a long time; they all go together perfectly and are the solution for those days when you can't decide which eye look to go for. The range of neutral taupe/beige to warm brown and shimmery pink make this a palette that can cater to many different make up needs and skin-tones which is a difficult thing to achieve when you're creating a palette with only 6 colour options. I think the price is spot on for what you're getting - two mini creaseless cream shadows and 4 mini powder shadows and I'm now really interested in the other palettes in the World Famous Nudes trilogy (I might add that to my wishlist for future splurges). 

I'm highly impressed with the palette and would definitely recommend it to anyone, particularly those who are just starting to dabble in make up and want to add an easy-to-use, pretty-looking, high-end palette to their stash.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to start using this palette more as it's so stunning, but I just find myself grabbing a different product most days. Perhaps if I leave it open on my vanity, I'll remind myself to use it!

What do you think of the benefit World Famous Nudes range? Would you recommend any other products from benefit?

Daniela

• Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser // review •

I went into the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser with an open mind. As I said in my previous beauty haul post, I wasn't going to compare it to the benefit Porefessional Primer as I wanted to give it an honest review in it's own right. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this but I've been trialing the product for a good week and a half, everyday, so I feel like I'm ready to give you all my opinion.

You can purchase this product for £7.99 at Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

Packaging
The colours are cute, I like the blue and pink, it's simple which I like. It definitely matches with the whole "Maybelline Baby" range. I was surprised at how tiny this tube is, but for £7.99 it's not too bad, especially considering that you use less than a pea-sized amount for a T-zone amount of application. I just assumed that the packaging would be larger from the reviews I had read on the product. But hey ho, let's get into the nitty gritty.

Finish
The product finish is matte and you certainly have to leave it for a good 5 minutes for it to dry before putting on your make up. For some, this would annoy, but for me, it doesn't bother me too much (I just get started on my eye make up). The product is silicone based and has an almost gel-like consistency which is very light on the skin. My face feels soft to the touch after using it, which is rather nice.

Effectiveness
After 5 hours of wear, my T-zone starts to look oily. I know that might seem a long time to some people, but I think that the whole point of a primer is to keep you matte all day long. In terms of longevity, then, I have to say that it's not great. I would say, however, that I would start to get oily after 3 hours without a primer, so it does increase the time it takes me to get oily. The primer is also meant to "vanish pores" but I can safely say that it does not do that. I've tested the product by using half on one side of my face, and nothing on the other, and my pores looked exactly the same on both sides. This is a shame, but I do have large pores, so I wasn't too surprised by this.

Opinion
So in all honesty, I'm thinking "what does this product actually do?!" Instead of starting with negativity, though, I will start by giving you it's pro's - it keeps me matte for a few hours longer than if I had not worn a primer, the packaging is small so handy to travel with, and it's silicone based which I like. Now onto the negatives...I'm not sure what this product really does. It's certainly not a "can't live without it, holy grail, love you to the moon and back" type of product. For £7.99 it's not bad, but I was kind of expecting more from Maybelline, since I love them as a brand in general. There isn't much to the product and it isn't anything to write home about. I'm still in search for the perfect, do-it-all primer!

What do you think of the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer? Have you found your perfect primer?

Daniela

• Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner // review •

I was really chuffed to purchase the Stila Seeing Stars Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner set for £6.25 considering the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliners alone are £14 (click here to be directed to the Boots site) and was really excited to review them since the first application a few weeks ago. I thought I'd try them all before writing up a post about them because I wanted to see if they all had the same formula, finish, pigmentation and staying-power - in short, they do.

Packaging

I love the sleek and tiny packaging but most of all I love the fact that the eyeliners are wind-up. There's no need for a sharpener which is perfect for me because I never seem to have one on hand. Another plus is that the eyeliner comes to a point so you can get a really thin line!

Colour

The set contains five shades:
stargazer - a black/charcoal with a silver shimmer
angelfish - a champagne colour with a metallic-like sheen
tetra - a purple with silver shimmer
moray - a khaki with fine gold shimmer
oscar fish - a dark brown with fine gold shimmer

Finish

When you first apply the eyeliners, they are creamy and soft to use. They blend beautifully and are very easy to work with - you do have to work fast, though, as they set pretty quickly to a budge-proof, smudge-proof finish. Although the eyeliners have shimmer in them, this doesn't translate strongly to the lids which is great.

Longevity

They literally do not come off, which is absolutely amazing for someone with watery eyes (and for someone who constantly rubs her eyes...) so I can definitely vouch for the waterproof-ness of the product. Although they set really well, it doesn't take long to remove the product with make up remover which is always a bonus.

Opinion

I think these liners are really gorgeous. Before trying this product, I would have avoided the Stila aisle in Boots as I thought that the products were pricey and that I would never spend £14 on one eyeliner, however after trying these out I'm now really interested in the rest of the brand. When the dreaded day of running out of eyeliner arrives, I will quite merrily skip on down to Boots and take my purse out of my bag because for £14 you really are getting a good quality product. I'm in love with these eyeliners and they're definitely smudge and waterproof. Products that do what they say on the tin really do tick all of my boxes.

Have you tried anything from the Stila range?

Daniela

• Origins Mask Marvels gift set // review •

A limited edition Christmas special that includes 3 of the best-selling Origins face masks. This is my kind of gift set.

You get three generous tubes in the set (75ml, to be exact) and the set comes beautifully packaged inside this green packaging with some pretty leaf detailing. The face masks are formulated without parabens, phthalates, proplene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, petrolatum, paraffin, DEA, synthetic fragrance and animal ingredients. So, in English, all of the nasty stuff. This is rather lovely as I don't like the idea of putting a load of chemically-crap on my face :) In short, I'd repurchase 2 out of the 3 masks...and I'll go on to explain why.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask 75ml

This mask smells like fresh fruit and is really really creamy, which are two of the things that I look for in a face mask. I cleanse my face before massaging this into my skin and leave it on overnight, concentrating on my really dry bits. I'm usually left with a light layer of the mask left on my skin which soon sinks in (and probably rubs off on my pillow, but oh well!) When I wake up in the morning it feels as though I've just applied a thick layer of heavy duty moisturiser and it's so so soft. It makes make up application a lot nicer and I can't find a fault with this mask. The fact that it doesn't make my face feel greasy is also a plus as I was slightly worried about using a hydrating mask when my skin is playing up a bit. I'll definitely repurchase this when I run out because it's turning into my most used face treat.

Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask 75ml

This is a lighter version of the overnight intensive mask and is really good for an on-the-go mask. It smells amazing and again, slightly fruity, and does the job of hydrating my skin really well. It's nothing like I've tried before, as I usually go for deep pore cleansing masks to clear my skin, so I was quite surprised at how much I enjoy it. My skin feels plumper and softer when I've washed it off and is really nice for this time of year. If I'm honest, I'm not sure I'll repurchase this mask, as I just love the Intensive Overnight mask a lot more and they are really similar.

Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask 75ml

I looooove this product. My skin isn't great at the moment and this mask works so well at unclogging my pores and tightening them up. A light layer of this on your skin will suffice, so you end up using a little bit for each application, and it dries to a kind of matt-ish finish. It's a really odd feeling when you wash it off as you need to rub quite a bit, as it's a smooth mask. I think it's done wonders on calming my redness down and at soothing my under-the-skin spots (the really bloody annoying ones). I really recommend this mask and will definitely repurchase as soon as I've used this one up - which will be in the next few weeks, I'm sure, because I seem to be using it 3 or 4 times a week at the moment.

I hope you enjoyed this little review and found it useful. If you haven't gathered, I really like this set, and it's such a shame that it's only around at Christmas. If memory serves me correctly, it was £25 from Boots in November. Lets hope it's around this year!

Daniela

• January lusting // February wish list •

I thought I'd start a new series to let you all know the products I've been lusting over for the past month and what I'll be popping on my shopping list for the next month :) It's just kind of a fun way to show you the kind of products I'm into! I created this image using Polyvore and I would be really interested in seeing what you guys lust over beauty/fashion-wise, so if you decide to make monthly lust lists, please do leave the link in the comments box.

1. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

Currently £15 from Cultbeauty, click here to be directed to the site.

I'm a massive brows gal, so this product really excites me. It's been described as having a gel-mousse consistency which is really unusual and nothing like I currently own. It's waterproof, smudgeproof, and adheres to your eyebrow hairs making them look really natural but really defined. There's a waiting list for this product as it's not out instores/online yet - I'm very tempted to sign up to that list this weekend.

2. La Roche Posay Effaclar DUO Dual Action Treatment

Currently £23.95 from Lavishchoice, click here to be directed to the site.

I've acquired a few little friends-of-the-face recently which can't really be covered up with make up. I'm not sure if it's stress, hormones or the weather, but my skin has been majorly acting up. I've heard so much about the La Roche Posay range and I think that February will be the month that I finally give it a go.

3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow

Currently £28 from Space NK, click here to be directed to the site.

Just look at it...any sane beauty-lover would want this, surely. There are a range of shades to choose from but I don't have any blush shades that are light/baby pink, so I thought this one would be the best shade to go for. I never jumped on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders as I thought that £38 was a bit steep for a face powder, however I don't mind spending that little bit more on a blush as I could use it sparingly if needed.

4. Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins

Currently £23 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

I'm a sucker for plum shades so this duo is perfection for me. When I saw this product on Zoella's beauty favourites I knew I had to have it - the lighter shade is perfect for highlighting the inner corner of the eye and the plum shade is gorgeous in the crease. I've wanted this for far too long now so I may just have to bite the bullet and go for it!

5. Bourjois Happy Light Foundation
Currently £11.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
If you're a big blog reader and YouTube watcher, you'll have heard about this product. Bourjois just bring it when it comes to bases and this one's no different. The amount of times I've swatched it in-store is bordering no ridiculous...I'm just waiting for my Bourjois Healthy Mix to run out before I purchase this beauty.

6. Diptyque Philosykos Eau de Parfume
Currently £85 from Space NK, click here to be directed to the site.
This scent is unlike anything I've ever smelled before. Just writing this is difficult as I can't even find the words to describe it. It's a fig scent, quite musky and woody, and just smells heavenly. It's a perfume that lingers, which seals the deal for me - I hate it when perfumes fade away after an hour or so. This is one of those perfumes that you try once and don't stop thinking about. I will definitely be purchasing this one in the near future.

7. Benefit They're Real Mascara
Currently £19.50 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
I received a sample of this mascara in my stocking for Christmas and as soon as I wore it for the first time, I knew it was the best mascara I'd ever used. I'm being very stingy with my sample bottle as I don't want to use it all up too quickly - I definitely recommend it and will be purchasing the full size tube as soon as my other mascaras run out!

There's a round-up of what I'm hoping to purchase in the month of February. I hope you like the idea of a little series, I'm looking forward to writing them - hopefully these posts will be a constant reminder that I need to treat myself throughout the months (not that I need any reminders...)

Daniela