MAYBELLINE COLOR DRAMA LIP PENCILS

After hearing that the Maybelline Color Drama lip pencils were similar to the Nars lip pencils I just had to get my hands on a couple to test them out. Nars lip pencils currently have a permanent place in my make up bag and so a more affordable alternative was really exciting to me.

The Maybelline lip pencil shades that I own are Keep it Classy and Fuchsia Desire. Both are pretty shades and are highly pigmented, Keep is Classy is a red toned plum (that will be perfect for autumn) and if rubbed in as a stain, gives a beautiful berry tone to the lips. Fuchsia Desire is a pretty, wearable warm toned pink which looks great for the warmer months.

Like the Nars lip pencils, these pencils also need to be sharpened. Although Maybellines offerings are a lot more affordable than the Nars pencils, I would still prefer a twist up applicator in a bid to waste less product. Despite this, there's something so aesthetically pleasing about the packaging of the Maybelline lip pencils, they fit so well in my make up bag and are great for easy application on the go. 

The formula of these lip pencils are pigmented and creamy, they're easily to blend on the lips and last me a good 2 hours before having to reapply. The shades that I own tend to be a little drying on the lips but nothing that a layer of lip balm beforehand doesn't fix. My favourite way to apply them is to dab a little of the colour onto moisturised lips and then blend out with your finger to leave a pretty tinted stain. This way I can wear them as a subtle sheen or really build the colour up to a bold, velvety lip. 

Although similar, they don't quite beat the formulation and longevity of the Nars lip pencils for me. However, Maybelline Color Drama lip pencils are a lot more affordable and pretty close to the Nars pencils so they're definitely worth taking a look at, especially as the shades available are just dreamy. There's a beautiful deep red that has caught my eye (and looks similar to Nars Cruella) and a pretty pink that has a slightly glossy formula and looks perfect for spring.

Have you tried Maybelline colour drama lip pencils?

SPRING GOALS

Every year I like to set myself a few spring goals as I feel like spring is the perfect time for new things, beginnings and growth. Here are a few of my spring goals this year:

Lean something new - I currently have an overwhelming urge to study and learn. There are so many great free courses online, I would love to study nutrition, french or astronomy.

Spend money on experiences, not things.

Take more photos & use my lomography camera more.

Vlog little snippets of my life for memories.

Take up spinning.

Buy fresh flowers, often.

Spring clean my home.

Invest in some new make up brushes. I do own quite a few lovely brushes already and my professional brush kit is good quality but I really wanted to invest in some new brushes for myself. Earlier this week I finally took the plunge and ordered some Zoeva brushes, I am beyond excited for them to arrive and can't wait to see what they're like!

Wear more colour - I only ever really wear colour on my nails or with my make up but I've been really inspired by Carrie's posts recently. Even if I still stick to darker hues I'm going to try to branch out a bit and wear a little less black! I've ordered this pretty rust cami from newlook to start me off, it hangs really nicely and I love the shade!

Make more. I would love to DIY something like this beautiful rose garland. I love this one too, I'm hoping that I might be able to make a longer lasting version by using artificial flowers or knitted rose buds.

Do you have any spring goals?

HEALTH AND FITNESS

I mentioned briefly in my wedding planning post that I had started to make little lifestyle changes to be healthier after the indulgent winter months. I've also got into a little exercise routine that I'm really happy with and that has helped to make me feel so much healthier. Here are five small steps that I've been taking for a healthier lifestyle:

1. Drinking more water: I love water and try to drink at least 2 litres of filtered water a day. Drinking herbal tea is also a good way of getting water, Teapigs and Pukka make an amazing peppermint and licorice tea that really helps to satisfy sweet cravings.

2. Having an exercise routine: I get easily bored with exercise and so often switch between cardio, yoga or pilates and doing exercise videos on youtube. I've started a little routine recently that I'm really enjoying and it's something that I look forward to completing every day. It's fairly easy to do at home and not too monotonous, this is what I've been trying to do daily:

AM: 30 day squat challenge.

PM: 1. Cardio and targeted area: I like to do two Blogilates videos, one cardio and one other,
            normally targeting arms or thighs. I absolutely love Cassey's workouts, she really motivates
            you to push harder and the workouts always make me sore the next day so I know they're
            working!

        2. Later in the evening I do Amberfillerup's ab exercises, there are so many great ones to do that
            it keeps me interested and I can increase my reps as I get better.

3. Yoga: I try and do yoga a few times a week, not only does it increase my strength and help tone, it really helps to relax my mind and lets me take around 20 minutes out to de-stress. I love Yoga with Adriene videos, Adriene is so inspiring, motivating and it feels like you're working out with a friend!

4. Snacks: I've made sure that the only snacks I have laying around are healthy and good for my body as I find it too tempting to snack on junk food when it's easily available. I love snacking on nuts, fruit, popcorn and vegetable sticks with houmous. My current favourite snacks are roasted Almonds, freshly picked blackberries and apple slices sprinkled with a dusting of cinnamon.

5. Meals: I'm becoming increasingly aware of what I put into my body and so I try to fuel my body with healthy and unprocessed foods. I initially found it quite difficult to change my diet, but it's becoming second nature to me now. I eat wholewheat pasta, brown rice and quinoa and I love using herbs and spices to jazz up vegetables. I use pink Himalayan salt (which is full of minerals) and I love using coconut oil (which is antibacterial, anti fungal and contains essential fatty acids) to cook with.

For a quick breakfast or lunch, I love to make a smoothie in my NutriBullet, it blends nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit so well and lets me make the most delicious smoothies!

I still like to indulge in a few treats, I just try to make sure that they're quite healthy and good for me. Some of my favourite treats include Almond milk hot chocolates using Alpro almond milk and Green & Blacks Cocoa Powder, Booja Booja chocolate ice cream (the most dreamy, dairy free ice cream made with creamy blended cashews), Gemma's healthy salted caramel sauce and squares of Lindt dark chocolate.

A book that I love reading to learn about great foods and the benefits of eating well is Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart. I've also flicked through Deliciously Ella, it contains some great recipes and will definitely be my next cookbook purchase.

SPRING BEAUTY

With my berry lipsticks and darker hues tucked safely away in my Alex drawers for another year, I've started to pull out pastels, brights and lighter bases ready for spring. I've had a little spring clean of my dressing table area and make up drawers and so with everything looking neat and fresh, I'm ready to embrace the lighter, brighter shades for spring.

I've switched out my thicker winter moisturiser in favour of Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser. The lightweight, gel like texture means that a little of this fresh citrus scented moisturiser goes a long way and it gives my skin a boost of radiance ready for the warmer months. I'm also putting my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer aside and instead opting for Seventeen Phwoarr Paint concealer, it still gives high coverage but feels a lot more creamy in texture and a little less drying than its counterpart.

For Blusher, Sleek Pixie Pink (swatched here) has been giving a pretty flush of colour to my cheeks. The vibrant pink blusher gives a fresh look to my make up and works beautifully with theBalm Mary Lou Manizer, a pigmented shimmery champagne highlighter that gives such a dewy glow. I've also started to introduce cream blushers back into my routine, I'm especially loving No7 Pop and Glow Cream Blush Stick in Mango Sorbet (swatch) which is a creamy pastel coral that's just perfect for spring.

On my eyes, I've been flitting between the L'Oreal Color Riche L'Ombre Pure Eyeshadows (these are the shades that I own) and the Maybelline Color Tattoos as an easy all over wash of colour to my eyes. I love the gel infused, buttery texture of the L'oreal shadows and have been enjoying wearing the lighter, shimmery rose and gold shades of the Maybelline cream shadows. I always drift towards cream or gel based shadows during spring and summer as they last so well on the eyes and rarely smudge or crease.
An eyeshadow palette that I've been loving recently is the Sleek Oh So Special Palette*. The shades are super pigmented, long lasting and it contains lighter mattes that work so well with bold spring lips.

I'm stuggling to let go of deep reds and berry nail polishes as they'll always be my favourite shades to wear, I've kept my Essie collection at easy reach for a range of shades to wear all year round. Essie Mint Candy Apple has been brightening my nails during the transition into spring and Essie Cute As a Button is a pretty coral pink that is so great for spring mani's.

The Nars Lip pencils from the Digital Lip Pencil Coffret have been a staple in my make up bag throughout winter and I'm bringing them with me through to spring. I've put Nars Cruella aside and opted for lighter shades like Yu, Iberico and Torres Del Paine. I'm so upset that Torres Del Paine is a limited edition shade as it's turned out to be my favourite of the bunch, it's a brightening creamy peach that looks so pretty for spring. Nars Yu, a bright cool toned pink luckily is part of the permanent range. It instantly freshens up your make up look and can be dabbed on for a pretty pink stain to your lips. See swatches here.

With all of these beauty products out, I feel so ready for spring. I just hope the weather picks up a bit now!

What are your beauty picks for Spring?

WEDDING PLANNING

There are so many things that I didn't realise I needed to do after getting engaged. I had browsed beautiful rings on pinterest before, watched tear jerking proposals and attended magical weddings but I wasn't sure where to even start after getting engaged! I insured my ring, read how to clean and care for it and then started to think about things I needed to plan for the day. I'm still not sure whether I should sleep with my ring on, how to even begin to look for a dress or when I should start to organise the paperwork for getting married! It's something that me and Alex aren't going to rush, we both want to get married on a beach, somewhere far away where we can also honeymoon and we really want to take time to save up and find the perfect location. We both want to keep it quiet low key and relaxed but even so there's still a lot to organise. Here are a few small things that I'm doing to slowly start the wedding planning process.

1. Buy Wedding Magazines: Not only is Elle Wedding magazine one of the most beautiful magazines that I own, it has a lot of great information such as flower types for the seasons, dress trend reports and travel locations. I think that I would have picked this magazine up even if I wasn't engaged as it's pinterest worthy, glossy pages are full of beautiful make up, decor, fashion and hair inspiration. It means a lot to me as it's my first bridal magazine and It's something that I'll treasure for a long time. I've also been browsing Brides magazine online which is from the publishers of two of my favourite magazines (glamour and vogue), they seem to have everything you need to know about wedding planning!

2. Invest in a nice notebook: I love making notes and writing absolutely everything down. I really love this Kate spade notebook, it's such a simple and nice design that would be perfect for noting down ideas. Some of the things I've written down so far include hair and make up products, honeymoon shopping lists (including this swimsuit, SPF and some Topshop Sunglasses), wedding ring ideas, bouquet ideas and I've also made a note to find out how to get a bouquet set into a paperweight like Millie Mackintosh did!

3. Collect Travel Brochures: One of mine and Alex's favourite things to do currently is to spend the evening surrounded by travel brochures, chatting and dreaming about possible locations and imaging ourselves on a beach far away. Some of the brochures contain wedding and honeymoon packages that help you with getting married abroad including the admin and the planning which looks so, so helpful!

4. Create Pinterest boards. I can already tell that Pinterest is going to be my best friend throughout wedding planning. I've had a pinterest wedding board for quite a while now (way before I got engaged!) and it's so useful for storing all my ideas. From bouquet arrangements to nail polish colours I've been using pinterest as a mood board and an area for ideas and things that I would like. It helps me to pin all my ideas and inspiration in one place which is so handy.

5. Starting a wedding healthy eating and fitness routine: Over the winter my normally quite healthy diet has slipped. I've overindulged in cinnamon apple crumbles, rich pasta dishes and far too many almond milk hot chocolates (my weakness!) I want to adopt a more healthy lifestyle and so I'm getting back into using my nutribullet to make healthy fruit, vegetable and chia seed smoothies. I'm drinking more water and trying to introduce a little bit of exercise into my daily routine, If you're following my instagram, you have probably seen a few snaps of my healthier meals!

SPRING BLUSHERS

With crocuses and daffodils starting to spring up everywhere and pastels and dresses appearing in the shops again, I'm finally starting to feel excited for spring. I've switched out my berry blushers in favour of creamy corals and pinks. Here are the ones in my make up bag for Spring:

No7 Pop and Glow Cream Blush Stick in Mango Sorbet: Swatched here, this pretty peach blusher gives a natural flush to the skin and works so well in the warmer months. The twist up stick applicator makes applying this creamy blusher a dream and it dries to a powder finish which makes it fairly long lasting. These are great to pop in your bag for application on the go and come in a selection of pretty shades, I have my eye on the shade Watermelon to get next!

MAC Well Dressed: I'm carrying this beautiful pastel pink blusher through with me from winter to spring. It's a great transitional shade and is my most worn MAC blush. I love wearing this cool pink blusher when I'm going for a look that's a bit heavier on the eyes or lips, it works really well with bold spring lipsticks. See it swatched here.

Topshop Head Over Heels: I love the formula of these Topshop blushers as they blend so seamlessly onto your skin as a cream before setting in place as a powder. Head over heels is a beautiful coral/peach blusher that brightens the complexion, giving a pretty glow to your cheeks. It blends out to quite a light, pastel peach making it such a lovely spring blusher.

Bourjois Rose Pompon: This light peachy pink blusher gives a natural, subtle flush of colour to your cheeks. It has a slight glow to it, produced by flecks of golden/coppery micro shimmer running through it. I love wearing this paired with a shimmery peach lipgloss and It fits nicely in my make up bag. Although it isn't the most pigmented blusher i own, I've been getting so much wear from it on natural make up days.

Sleek Pixie Pink: This pretty, highly pigmented and vibrant pink blusher is so brightening for the complexion. It gives a lovely flush of pink to your cheeks and works perfectly for spring, see me wearing it here.

What are your favourite blushers for spring?

FEEL GOOD BEAUTY PICKS

There are a few products that really help to lift my mood and set me up for a great day when i'm wearing them. Whether you like to spend a lot of time on your beauty routine, use luxurious products to pamper with or incorporate some of your favourite products into your everyday routine, theres a few products that just make you feel good. Here are a few of my feel good beauty picks;

Lush It's Raining Men: Probably my all time favourite product from Lush, this sweet honey/toffee scented shower gel instantly makes me feel happy and brightens up my day. The wild orange oil and bergamot lifts your mood whilst the honey and rosehip oil leaves your skin feeling silky soft and moisturised. Like a lot of Lush shower gels, the scent lingers on your skin and fills the bathroom with a delicious fragrance. 

Essie Summit of Style: There's something about wearing glitter nail polish that just makes me feel happy. Either on your fingers or toes, a coat of this chunky copper glitter add's a such a pretty metallic sparkle to your nails. 

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu: This, paired with a shimmery wash of eyeshadow, L'oreal Miss Manga mascara and a cosy grey jumper makes such a great combination. There's something about popping on a bright pink lipstick that freshens up your make up look and makes you feel good. See my full review and swatches here.

Origins Ginger Souffle: This whipped body cream contains a combination of oils that moisturise and soften the skin. The warming, spicy and slightly sweet ginger scent is just dreamy and lingers on the skin for hours. It contains lemon, lime and bergamot which lifts spirits and leaves you feeling cheerful and refreshed.

MAC Soft & Gentle: Swept over the tops of your cheekbones and on to the brow bone, this golden champagne highlighter adds a luminous glow to your skin. If my make up is feeling a bit flat then a light dusting of this mineralised highlighter helps to pull everything together to give me a dewy, glowing look. See me wearing it here.

What are your feel good beauty products?