Lifestyle || My Best of 2017

How do we even begin to write up a post documenting the best of 2017? This past year has just flown by and so many things have changed. Not only did 2017 mark the year that I finally graduated from university and entered the world of work, but it was also the year that after years of wanting and waiting I finally introduced two little Kittens into my life. 

I thought it would be nice to look back on some of my favourite blogposts/photoshoots that I have done this year, as well as documenting some other important moments that I want to note down as doing in 2017.

2017 brought lots of fantastic blogging opportunities to my life that I never thought I would ever be able to do, plus I hit some incredible milestones as well which seemed hard to reach when I first started my blog. I have attended a couple of very exciting events and worked with brands such as Lush, Vision Express, Rimmel London, Technic, Apricot and Turtle Bay. My confidence of being infront of the camera has also grown this year, and although I still feel so much more comfortable behind the camera with my flat lays, I have grown to love the occasional OOTD posts and look books that have featured. 

I have so many blogging plans for 2018 and can't to, hopefully fingers crossed, achieve them! Here's to the past year, and hope you all have a happy and healthy 2018!

 

Until next time, 

Beauty || Glossybox December 2017

There are times when I think I have this blogging thing down, then life somehow manages to get in the way and I get weeks and weeks behind schedule. This post is one of these times. I always planned to write, photograph and publish this post at the beginning of December but here we are on the last weekend of the month. As much as I was going to just leave this post, I thought it would be nice to share considering I have done a review on this box every month this year! 

SO, December's Glossybox was designed by the Irish Lifestyle brand Dusty Boy who designed such a pretty box with the gold slogan of 'Mince Pies, Starry Skies'. If you have been reading my Glossybox review posts then you know how much I love the classic pink box. This month's box on the other hand is probably one of my favourite 'designed' ones and will be perfect to store all of my mini tree decorations in. The theme of the box, besides being ultra christmassy, is about having beauty products that will last long enough to see you through the party season.

Lets take a long inside December's box... 

NAOBAY Equilibria Gel to Milk Cleanser | £15.99 | Full Sized Product
The whole idea of this product seems interesting to me. First you apply the gel to dry skin, then you add a little bit of water until the product turns to milk before finally rinsing off leaving your skin feeling refreshed and moisturised. I am yet to try this, but can't wait to see how it leaves my skin feeling. 

LAQA & CO Cloud Lips in shade Daydream | £12.70 | Full Sized Product

I am always a fan of a matte lip, so was extremely excited to discover this product in this month's box. The shade is one that I have actually been using throughout the month of December. I love how long this lasts and how easy the bullet makes the product apply on the lips. I can't wait to purchase more of these in the future. 

Profusion Runway Eye Collection in Silver Moon | £3.75 | Full Sized Product

When I first saw this palette in the box I was excited. Glossybox quite often include individual eyeshadows, however having a full palette is rare! I really wished I was able to say I liked it but unfortunately I didn't! The shades were quite chalky and I found them quite difficult to blend when applied to the eyes, but I guess for £3.75 I shouldn't be that disappointed. 

Steve Laurant Precision Tip Eyeliner in Black | £18 | Full Sized Product

As soon as I saw the packaging for this product I got extremely excited! I don't tend to wear eyeliner on a daily basis so never really know what to look out for when buying one for myself. After using this for a couple of days I can already tell that it is going to become one of my favourites. The eyeliner tip allows you to apply product smoothly and neatly to the eye. The product itself lasts for a long period of time without smudging which is a big thumbs up! It's a must buy! 

Eco Denta Extra Black Whitening Toothpaste with Black Charcoal and Teavigo | £4.49 | Full Sized Product

This product is the only item in this month's box that I doubt I will actually use. The idea of using a black toothpaste freaks me out. I am going to give this to my brother in the hopes that he will find some use out of it! 

So that is all of the contents from this month's box! I am pleased with some of the products, but a little disappointed with others. The lipstick is a particular highlight and has become a staple, go to product throughout this month. The eyeliner is also incredible and a must have if you're on the look out for one! 

Let me know what you thought about this month's box. Did you receive the same products? Or did you get anything different? 

Apologies for the post being a little late, hope you enjoyed it all the same! 

Until next time, 

Beauty || Technic Makeup : New In

How are we already halfway through December? This month has been such a busy one for me so I'm glad I decided early on to skip Blogmas this year. This Christmas marks my first one post education so I have really enjoyed being able to spoil my family members this year with lots of lovely presents that I am SO excited to give to them! Anyway, onto the post...

A couple of weeks ago a little Technic package arrived on my doorstep, and I must say I was VERY excited to see all of the contents. If you have seen any of my other Technic makeup new in posts then you will know how much I rate Technic products and consider them one of the best affordable brands to me. If you can get your hands on the products then you really need to give them a try. 

The first product I took out of the envelope was this gorgeous Handheld VIP Mirror. I didn't know just how much I needed this until now. Despite the fact I have mirrored wardrobes, and plenty of mirrors available to use, there's just something about this handheld one that I find easier to apply makeup with. One side of the mirror is magnified which makes applying eye makeup and doing my brows a lot easier too! Next up was the Brow Buster set. This set included a magnifying mirror and precision tweezer tool that fits perfectly inside the mirror for storage. This set is great to have as the magnified mirror allows you to look extremely close at the brows. If I was to give one critic about this product its that the box that the mirror and the tweezers come in is boxier than it probably needs to be. Luckily I would never have this product in my makeup bag, but it may take up a lot of room if it was. Then I received the Brow-mazing Eyebrow Gel. This eyebrow gel is fast drying, long lasting, water resistant and workout proof. I was really really excited to give this product a try but sadly was sent the wrong shade. I did apply it to the brow to see how it would apply and love how bendable and easy it is to use. If only I had my colour! Next up is this gorgeous Face Fix Blush, Bronze and Highlight Trio. I was excited to see this palette as I love a set that you can use for a variety of things. I will own up to the fact I haven't really used blush on the cheeks for years. But after swatching the blush shade I think it would apply nicely when blending as an eyeshadow. The bronze and highlight duo are two shades which will look lovely and natural when applied to the face. I am going to give this a proper try and will get back to you! 

I was excited to see this gorgeous Black Makeup Bag with the quote 'I'm not perfect but my eyebrows are'. This makes the perfect present for someone who is makeup mad, or just for yourself! Inside the bag was the new Technic Tan Out Of Ten Self Tan Lotion and Instant Tan Shimmer. As an Essex girl, it may surprise you that not everyone is a big applier of fake tan 24/7. I am excited however to apply this tan as I am always on the hunt for something to give a natural appearance. The Tan shimmer is also something that excites me as, lets be honest, who doesn't love a little bit of shimmer! Next in the bag was a matte lipstick in #1 Cheerio Romeo. This shade is something that I would 100% buy for myself so I am pleased to have received it. When applied to the lips the lipstick lasts ages without feeling dry. The next product in the makeup bag was a Metallic Lipgloss in Aphrodite. I am always a bit sceptical with lip glosses and would rather favour something matte over glossy any day, but this product is something else. Not only does it smell like berries, but it applies quite thickly to the lips making it more of a liquid lipstick than a gloss. The colour is absolutely gorgeous and has made for the best festive colour over the last couple of weeks. The final item was the Ombre Lip Pencil in Plum. I will admit, I had absolutely no idea how you were supposed to use an ombre lip pencil. After a little bit of Youtube watching I saw how to apply it. From what I gather you use the darker colour to outline the edges of your lips. You then use the same colour to fill in the lips a little bit on the outer corners of the lips. You can then apply the lighter shade of the pencil in the middle OR find another lighter lipstick instead. I love the idea of this product and despite the fact I still need to practice applying it properly, I think it will be lovely at Christmas.  

So, what are we thinking about all of these new Technic products? I personally think they are great editions for Technic and as always, have been using a lot of the products everyday already. Let me know what you think in the comments, and if you have tried out any of these products for yourself! I would be extremely interested to hear what you think about the tan! 

To purchase Technic makeup, make sure you check out THIS link on their website to find the easiest stockist for you. 

Until next time,

*All of the products mentioned in this blogpost were kindly sent to me to try out. I am not being paid to review them but wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on them. As always the images, wording and opinions are my own and are 100% honest. 

Lifestyle || Sudio Sweden Review

Yay it's finally December which means the Christmas season is finally in full swing! This December marks the first year post education, so I have been working really hard to earn some money to buy the perfect gifts for my family. Out of everyone, my brother to me is by far the hardest person to buy for. He likes and is appreciative of everything, and he doesn't like to ask for anything which makes things so difficult when wanting to find the perfect gift. I was approached by the lovely brand Sudio of Sweden to review a pair of headphones and knew instantly that this was the perfect pre-christmas gift for him. I let him choose his 'perfect pair' from the website and he absolutely loves them. 

The pair he chose were the sleek Tre Black wireless headphones. Before I talk about the headphones, I need to touch upon the speedy delivery and packaging. The package arrived in such a quick amount of time which makes them perfect for the last minute shoppers. Every order also has the option to be complimentary gift wrapped which comes in the cutest white box with a bow. 

So the headphones my brother chose where the Tre Black wireless style which are designed to be fit for a active lifestyle and are sweat proof! My brother is very sporty which makes these the perfect gift for him. The headphones also come with three pairs of the wing tips, a leather carrying case, metal clip and charging cable. The headphones operate under a bluetooth connection so they are compatible with any devices which can operate in this way also. They also hold a 9 hour battery life which is amazing! 

I gave them to my brother early to test and try out and he absolutely loves them. He finds them easy to use, and likes that he has a leather case to hide them away and keep them safe when he is done with them. He has worn them a couple of times to the gym and finds them secure and comfortable for the duration of his work out. 

I will leave all the links below for these particular headphones, but make sure you check out the other designs that Sudio Sweden have to offer. My favourites are the Sudio Vasa white earphones, although I also love them in Pink! If you are interested in receiving 15% off a purchase from Sudio Sweden, then please feel free to use my code 'bellamomento15'.

Until next time, 

Sudio Sweden Website

Sudio Sweden Tre Black earphones

Sudio Vasa Earphones