The Best Highlighters - For That Popping Glow.

Everyone loves having that 'popping' highlighter and the shimmering look when the sun hits the top of their cheek bones perfectly. In my opinion, highlighters have definitely grown in the beauty industry over the past 6 months. I always notice someones popping cheek bones and chiseled nose if i stare long enough... creepy I know. I've been trying to find my favourite highlighter for so long now and I have finally narrowed it down to my top 3, which none the less look rather similar... apart from one being slightly more pink toned.

Champagne Pop by Becca Cosmetics has to be the most sought after highlighter of summer 2016. When I was over in the United States of America, I had to visit at least 4 different Sephora's before I could find one that had Champagne Pop in stock. Let me tell you, it was the best wait I had ever made. The rose gold shimmer and gold speckles, make such a beautiful colour. The highlighter blends so seamlessly onto the skin and is a subtle glow. The colour is definitely buildable and the more of a POP that you want then the more I'd recommend you apply! The texture of the Becca highlighter is so buttery like a cream highlight but is a powder.. it's so confusing but so beautiful so I don't mind. 

(swatches are at the bottom!)

Next has to be the Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm, which is the perfect golden shimmer. Not only is this highlighter the perfect shade it is also the most affordable highlighter I have ever found, especially when it goes on sale practically every month over at FeelUnique.com. The highlight is so powerful and pigmented you hardly need much but I still layer it on and go through so many of them (If you follow me on Instagram you would've seen I keep buying them). Like I said this highlighter is so affordable especially for something of such high quality and its long wearing durability like it is a high end highlighter.

(swatches are at the bottom!)

Dripping in Gold by Anastasia Beverly Hills from the That Glow, Glow kit is also one of my favourite highlighters because of the brightness that is given off. Dripping in gold is on the right hand side above and even though Bubbly has hit pan I never reach for it anymore I tend to go for Dripping in Gold because it comes off slightly warmer and is more golden. The Anastasia highlighters are all so beautiful but Dripping in Gold looks like you have a gold glittery bar on your cheek bones, its so beautiful. If you wanted something slightly pricier than this is definitely a good option but you do get four highlighters so it is worth it if you will you them all. The bright yellowy/gold highlight, Sunburst I only use in my inner corner of the eye for a pop but apart from that I think it would look best on paler skin.

(swatches are at the bottom!)

So if you skipped reading anything I wrote above then here are the swatches for all three of the amazing highlighters. The top photo is without a flash and the bottom is with a flash. As you can see Champagne pop is slightly pinker in colour than the other two however they are all so gorgeous I can't resist the temptation to wear them all.

-Abigail x

Photo Diary | New Jersey and Florida

In year 3 of primary school, Chloe (one of my best friends) left the United Kingdom to live in New Jersey, USA and in those 9 years till now we had only seen each other in person once...Once! So in July I was sat in Florida and thought to myself about flying 3,400+ miles to go surprise Chloe. I messaged Chloe's mum who loved the idea and from then on I just had to buy myself a ticket and somehow keep it a secret from the one person I tell everything to. I was due to fly out on the evening of Tuesday, 25th October 2016, to surprise Chloe who still had no idea.. I thought I had blown it when Chloe asked me to FaceTime Tuesday night however I said I couldn't as I was 'working'... I've never worked the late shift but hey, there is a fake first for everything.

I managed to get through the airport, hop on my flight (which was incredible, I loved all the food and the experience as it was my first time flying alone. I definitely would recommend Virgin I'd never flown with them before but I loved it) and before I knew it I was in America. Three months was too long to be apart from a place I love so dearly.

Surprising Chloe and seeing her reaction has to be the best thing I have ever seen. I posted a video on twitter which I now can't find rather annoyingly.. but I couldn't stop smiling or crying! While staying with Chloe and her family they surprised us both with a weekend trip down to Florida to soak up some rays which I was ecstatic for. Like when I've travelled before I always share my favourite pictures with you, so here are my favourites from New Jersey and Florida!

(If you want to have a nosey at Chloe... Here is her Twitter and Instagram)

-Abigail x

My Favourite Four Autumn/Winter Lipsticks.

I'm always excited for that time of the year, when the weather completely changes because it means I can wear my favourite bold lipsticks ALL the time and no-one can stop me. My top four favourites are all below!

Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid - 40 Berry Burst

Think of your favourite Matte Liquid Lipstick... is it drying? Opaque? Just a bit dull? Well it can't be one of the Maybelline Vivid Mattes then. I love all of the Vivid Mattes, especially because of their pigmentation. You can easily build up the colour and create a bolder look. Berry Burst, once on your lips, doesn't smudge or transfer onto a drink or piece of food. For such an affordable price, I love the Maybelline Vivid Mattes and have definitely put them at the top of my list of beauty products I've been loving. 

Charlotte Tilbury - Glastonbury

The Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Glastonbury has to be the most raved about product by bloggers. At this time of the year, everyone is seemingly talking about or wearing this lipstick. I originally heard about it on twitter with everyone going crazy about how gorgeous it was, this being the time where I thought wearing a nude pink was a bold move. I ordered the lipstick a few months ago now because I have become so much more adventurous and I am so glad I did. This is the perfect purple colour that goes with everything. Out of all the lipsticks it is definitely the most long-lasting but you do need a few coats to get the bold lip I always go for. The packaging deserves an award for how gorgeous it is. The gold with a rose gold tinge is beautiful and stands out in my makeup draws because it isn't black. 

Maybelline COLORSENSATIONAL - 435 Perfect Plum

Maybelline lipsticks have to be one of my favourites because of their gorgeous colours and the pigmentation, especially for a drugstore brand. I have featured this lipstick in quite a few blog posts previously and obviously had to bring it up again because I love it so much! The deep red colour is slightly different to all the others that are purple and pink which is why I love it so much. Like the other Maybelline lip product featured in this review the pigmentation is very high yet still has a build-able colour. It also has such a cute name so I can't argue! 

Mac Satin Finish - Rebel

I am and always have been a lover of mac lipsticks, always popping in to create a rainbow on the back of my hand from swatches. The lipstick itself is a deep pink however looks more purple on some people than others. The lipstick being a satin finish leaves it feeling very moisturising on the lips which you need in winter with the temperatures plummeting. Like the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick you need a few coats before it is a bold lip but after that it is gorgeous. It isn't very long-lasting which I was rather disappointed in because many of my other Mac lipsticks can last a lot longer but maybe  I only notice it because the lipstick is a darker shade!

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post where I showed you my favourite autumn/winter lipsticks. I included two drugstore and two high-street lipsticks so that they were affordable to everyone.

-Abigail x

The Prettiest Pinks*

The blush and the lipstick are definitely the prettiest pinks I've ever seen... however maybe the eyebrow pencil is a bit more of a brown. A couple of posts back I tried out W7 makeup for the first time and completely fell in love with it, since then I've ran out of the primer and not found one I love even nearly as much. 

Shade - Hot Gossip

Talk about being sparkly, shimmery and spectacular. This blusher comes in a brick form of a powder, contains 6 gorgeous shades that all work as one or as sextuplets separately (I googled what 6 twins is called and apparently its sextuplets and I felt like it just sat right). My favourite shade is the bottom left hand corner which comes out very similarly to Nars-Orgasm. The paler whites and pinks can even work as a soft highlighter if you were to dip a small enough brush into the colour, then it would work perfectly. The blushers are very pigmented and the glitter  transfers nicely from the brush to the cheek with minimal fallout.

Imagine if you could apply pink glitter to your lips, without the actual glitter the harsh scratchy feel or the dry texture. Oh wait... The shade Negligee by W7 is a gorgeous light/medium pink full of sparkle. The pink colour has a slight opacity to it however this isn't noticeable until up close. The glitter hides the fact the pink isn't a bold colour, however this is what I love about the lipstick. I've never found a lipstick that is full of glitter yet isn't dulled out by a bold, bright toned colour. It's a bonus that Negligee doesn't dry out your lips like any other glitter lipstick would have. For the price of this lipstick it is so affordable!

I am not yet mastered in the skill of getting my eyebrows to look good, no matter how hard I try or the amount of products I use, I cannot get eyebrows that look how I want them too! I used the W7 Super brows, when testing out makeup products late at night (who doesn't lets be honest) and so many people commented on my brows and I was amazed because I thought I'd done a job of a 5 year old. I followed my natural brow shape and added in 'fake hairs' or little lines in simple terms before brushing through with the spoolie so my brows were back in shape. The brush clearly is magical because it blended all these harsh lines that I had created together to create an eyebrow that didn't even look like mine. 

I hope you enjoyed exploring a few more W7 products with me, my favourite from this trio has to be the blusher brick,  I love the shimmery colours and high pigmentation!

- Abigail x