Philosophy - Renewed Hope in a Jar

On a recent trip to Florida, I visited what can only be described as heaven on earth to a beauty lover like myself. SEPHORA. Rows and rows of makeup and skincare, hair and body products. To say I went a bit crazy would be an understatement. I made two trips to Sephora and I am already a VIB member.. 

I had a list made out of all the things I was looking to purchase although I can't say I stuck to it 100%.. One of the things I loved about Sephora was the stands near the tills. They were filled with all sorts of travel sized items and miniature products for you to try before buying the full size. Among the rows of products I found a little two pack cleanser and moisturiser from Philosophy. It came with the Purity cleanser and the Renewed Hope in a Jar moisturiser. 

Its described on the site as being a "breakthrough" moisturiser and "changing the face of skincare", and I have to say I agree. This stuff is amazing. Its super hydrating, and has a light but pleasant scent. I use it in the morning under my makeup and it sinks in fast leaving your face super soft and glowing. I had never tried anything from Philosophy before so it was nice to find something great first time around.

You can read more about this moisturiser and its ingredients here. I have a feeling I might have to repurchase this one!

Luxury Beauty at its best.

Christmas 2014 was filled with luxurious beauty products. Products fit for a princess which is exactly what I felt like when I opened my gifts on Christmas day. (Thanks Paul!) Here are just some of the products I received. 

Inside the box were three items I have been lusting after forever having seen them all over YouTube and other bloggers posts. One of the items I was desperate to get my hands on was the Magic Cream. This retails for €90 (50ml) making this a very expensive moisturiser indeed, but oh so worth it. This cream claims to fight the ageing process by stimulating collagen, it also contains hyaluronic acid which helps to bring moisture into the skin. 

Even after one use I could see the difference it made to my skin. I have never been able to achieve that glowing skin and this product was able to give me that in one go. I know its expensive but if you have dry/dehydrated skin then how about treating yourself to this luxurious product for your birthday or for Valentines Day which is just around the corner.

Next was the Luxury Palette (aptly named) which is too beautiful for words. I received mine in Fallen Angel and the colours are gorgeous. Excuse the terrible swatches, I also forgot to swatch them wet as these shadows can be used both wet and dry depending on what look you are after. The four shadows are a pale golden pearl, antique silver, velvet black and molten metallic bronze as described by Charlotte herself, and she couldn't be more right. I love how the shadows have stars on them, I love seeing designs like this on makeup. This palette is also limited edition so get your hands on it quick!

Last but not least was the Rock and Kohl liner in Bedroom Black. Wow. I have rekindled my love for black liner as this stuff is the business. It glides on like nothing else, is easily blended but stays put all day long! Need I go on? As far as I am concerned Charlotte Tilbury has blown me away with her great quality line of products (and I have only tried three!) Well worth the money in my opinion. All of these products can be purchased from Brown Thomas here.

Have you tried any Charlotte Tilbury products? And if so what do you recommend I try next?

♥

My Top Five Autumn/Winter Lipsticks.

From Left to Right: MAC - Pink Plaid // MAC - All Fired Up // Topshop - The Damned // Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss - 04 // Chanel Rouge Allure - Pirate

If there are any seasons that makes me want to break out my lipsticks, its Autumn and Winter. I cannot help myself when it comes to this time of year, I just want to wear all the berry toned lipsticks. Call me crazy, but you know I'm right. 

So this year is no different. Here are my top five lipsticks that I will be rocking right into january no doubt. 

MAC - Pink Plaid: This is the nudey one of the bunch. Everyone has to have a go to Autumn nude and this one is mine. It is quite a pinky nude which is exactly what I like especially in the colder months as it does not make me look as ill. Always a plus! It is a matte lipstick, which yes can be a little drying in Autumn but a good lip balm underneath and its fine. This kind of colour is great if you want to go a little more dramatic on the eyes. 

MAC - All Fired Up: Possible the brightest of the bunch, MAC's All Fired Up is one of those perfect bright Barbie pinks that I am so very drawn to. This is a 'Retro Matte" shade from MAC (any idea what that means?) I quite like matte lipsticks actually, especially in Winter when your hair is flying everywhere and a sticky gloss just wont cut it. 

Topshop - The Damned: First up, how cute is the Topshop packaging on their makeup? Too cute. This is quite new to my collection actually. I purchased this when I was in Dublin recently, if you follow me on Instagram you can keep up to date :). I already had four Topshop lipsticks in my collection so I knew they were great quality (you can read my other review here) This guy is quite sheer in comparison to the other colours I show, but the colour is gorgeous. This is a true "I've just eaten a handful of blackberries" colour and I love it. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss - 04: This lipstick is one of my favourites in the group. I am obsessed with this super dark plum shade. This one is a satin type finish I would say. Its comfortable to wear on the lips but isn't overly glossy which I am not a fan of. I love paring this lip colour with a strong winged liner. I think it just looks amazing on anyone and any skin tone. 

Chanel Rouge Allure - Pirate: I had to include this red shade from Chanel. I know myself that sometimes a little glamour is all you need and I think this lipstick definitely encompasses that. This is a great lipstick for all those christmas parties you no doubt will be attending. Nothing is more festive than a red lipstick and although its almost a pinky red I still think its a perfect Autumn/Winter shade. 

What are your favourite Autumn/Winter lipstick shades?

♥