Elegant Touch House of Holland Nails - Bloodthirsty

This was another House of Holland Nails impulse buy - as I've said before I love the look of long, pointy (or tapered) nails but I can never be bothered to keep up maintenance on them. I'll get them done once and then remove them...really don't know why.

So, when I want fancy hands, it's much easier (and cheaper) for me to pop some nails on myself. Behold, Bloodthirsty:

I don't really have much else to say other than love the packaging, love the nails, easy to apply, they last well and come with glue. My fave part is that the underside of the black nails have red glitter on them, kind of like the Loub nails that were everywhere a couple of years ago with a twist.

I had loads of comments on them, including the fact that they're very Halloween-y which I suppose they are (just around the corner remember....)

You can buy House of Holland nails from Boots.

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette - an easy way to contour!

I absolutely love wearing make up but it's quite rare I do a full face unless it's for a big night out or special occasion and because of this I don't feel like my make up skills are that great. I can throw a pair of false lashes on or do a nice straight eyeliner flick like a pro but stuff like a decent smoky eye or serious contouring just mystifies me - so annoying because I'd love to be able to do this stuff, even following YouTube tutorials and stuff it just ends up really meh on me. I need to practice more but I just don't have time to perfect it the way I'd want.

Step in Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette. I'd noticed this recommended as an easy way to contour without needing a million different products. Gel Sculpt is a water based product.

It looks a little bit scary in the tube, a bit too dark and almost like a wine coloured lipstick (you can use it on lips or cheeks and some of the other colours would probably be pretty nice on eyes too) but it's actually really light, cooling product that goes on pretty sheer.

I used this on my cheekbones, nose and jawline then blended it with my foundation. I got so many compliments on my make up when I did this to the point where I actually want to do this every day! I watched this YouTube video by Jamie Genevieve which talks more about how to use gel sculpt.

I just need to master an easy smoky eye now...

You can buy Illamasqua Gel Sculpt here.

Godiva Speculoos Sablés Biscuits Review

In our house, the level of biscuit-eating is ridiculous. It's at the point where generally we just don't buy them as the speed at which we get through a packet is just embarrassing so yeah, if you come to our house we probably won't be able to offer you a biscuit with your tea, either because we've eaten them all or because we can't be trusted to buy any in the first place.

Anyway, excessive biscuit consumption aside, I was recently sent some Godiva Speculoos Sablés Biscuits to try.   Described as "Rich, buttery biscuits dipped in the finest Godiva milk chocolate, Sablés are the perfect treat with your cup of tea or coffee.  The Almond Speculoos biscuit combines a sprinkling of aromatic cinnamon with crunchy almonds, to create that sweet almond speculoos taste that is so loved in Belgium."

At first I couldn't remember what speculoos was (Ben & Jerry Cookie Core fans might know this) but as soon as I opened them I remember, it's kind of like a really mild ginger biscuits. I don't really like ginger biscuits so I was a bit like "damn" but I REALLY like these. The taste is really subtle and it all works well together, they're a decent size but I actually only got to eat one and a half as my husband polished them all off!

There's a little bit of nuttiness to and the chocolate on them adds an extra bit of richness/sweetness to it. They were ideal with a cup of tea. I really did enjoy this and I might actually buy some more to have in for Christmas as otherwise we would probably get through a packet a day.

You can buy them here.

Impulse beauty buys - Sleek Make Up Face Form Contouring & Blush Palette in Light and H&M Precision Eye Marker in Black

Both of these were two total impulse buys - I bought the palette solely because I wanted the darker pink colour as a blush colour (and it reminded me a bit of Nars blush). And I bought the eye liner because I've been using a normal liquid eyeliner but I actually prefer to use a pen type of liner, I find it much much easier.

I've actually fallen in love with the palette and would definitely recommend it/buy it again. It's really nice in terms of quality, especially for the price. I haven't really used the darkest shade but the two pinks are beautiful and look really great on the skin. Considering it cost a tenner for three shades I really think it looks way more expensive than it is.

The eyeliner is a decent one - nice firm nib, very wet, very black, lasts well without bleeding. Not much else I can say about it other than I'm happy with it and would definitely buy it again.

Links to buy:

Sleek Make Up Face Form Contouring & Blush Palette in Light

H&M Precision Eye Market in Black

Have you made any impulse buys lately that you'd recommend (y'know not that I need an excuse to spend any more money)?

TooFaced Born This Way Foundation Review

I've been looking for a new foundation as the one I've been wearing probably isn't quite the right colour now that we're getting into autumn/winter. I wanted something medium to full coverage as my skin is acting up a bit at the moment, long lasting and not drying. In winter I get a bit of dry skin around my nose and I want to make sure that my foundation works with this.

I did a bit of research and saw quite a few recommendations for the new TooFaced Born This Way Foundation for a full coverage foundation suitable for dry skin. The shade I got is Nude and it's the right colour for my winter skin once it's been warmed up a little with some bronzer.

It has a nozzle already on the bottle so it's much cleaner and hygenic than dipping into it. One pump of foundation is more than enough to cover my face.

The foundation itself is really nice to use - it blends well, feels cooling on my skin and covers everything I want it to without my face looking like a mask.  It's quite a dewy, natural finish especially for a full coverage foundation, it's not overly matte or flat. I find it lasts really well too - it still looks great at the end of the day and I just need to add a little bit of powder part way through the day to reduce any shine.

The first time I wore this I had a night out with some friends I haven't seen for a while and quite a few of them commented on how my skin/make up looked. One actually commented that I looked like I was glowing and raised her eyebrows. I was like...no. You know what I mean.

Overall I really, really like this foundation and it's definitely one that I'll repurchase in future. It makes me feel way more confident than what I was using previously and I'd totally recommend it for anyone looking for a new foundation.

Find out more at https://www.toofaced.com/bornthisway/