Birthday Haul Y’all!

So this is a bit late and I wasn’t considering doing a haul, but in the spirit of variety on my blog I thought I would include this post. Also it is beauty related so it fits right in ;-) below are the wonderful things my boyfriend was kind of enough to buy me on my special day, and a few I couldn’t resist picking up for myself! I’m gonna do a little review on each now as I think enough time has passed for me to have an opinion on each, so here goes...

And the one and only...

(L-R) Narciso Rodriguez ‘for her’ 50ml

I put off buying this perfume for SUCH a long time as I couldn’t quite work out if I loved it or not. But as my previous post showed, my perfume collection is quite large and I feel this fragrance was different to any I already owned. I would describe this scent as ‘darling’, it is an undeniably feminine scent and the name says it all ‘for her’. Right now I find myself leaning towards more unique smelling scents in the sense you can’t quite work out what the top notes are but instead seem a more muddled combination of scents, as these I feel are the ones that set beautifully on the skin. I also love this perfume as every time you smell it, it smells different to the last time – which is all the different notes coming out at different times and I think contributes to the longevity of the fragrance.  

John Frieda 3 Days Straight

I only buy this when it is on offer, as I don’t feel you get enough product for the price but I would say it is definitely a product worth trying. I wouldn’t say it makes my hair remain straight for 3 days, but that is because my hair is naturally VERY curly, so only something more permanent would do that – however this product definitely assists my blowdryer in getting the job done when it needs to be straightened.

John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Sheer Mist

I really wanted to try this out as I was fairly impressed with the 3 days straight spray and I am equally impressed with this. It smells lovely and my hair does feel a lot softer when blowdrying with this. I would definitely recommend it for people whose hair tends to feel very dry and overprocessed after heat styling.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Duo (Original & Sin)

So as I mentioned in my primer post, I am mad for primers (particularly Urban Decay’s), and I needed to repurchase as mine were on their last legs. I saw this duo which includes the one I already have (but different packaging) and the Sin primer, which is a lovely champagne shimmery colour. It goes great under shimmery shadows, but also under darker or earthy toned shadows. Overall I do prefer the original as it has a more creamy consistency, whereas Sin is more like a paste, ideal for when you want a more deeper finish to your shadow.

Nars Concealer in Medium 2 Ginger

So I went to the Nars counter only after the Sheer Glow foundation and was duped into buying so much more. But I do not regret this one bit, this is the concealer the counter girl applied after colour matching my foundation and I loved the finish it gave. I have struggled with finding the right colour concealer and one that was blendable and this just fit the bill. It is a concealer stick, and the girl explained to me that these kinds of concealers last longer as it’s easier to apply as you just have to dab it to blend it in, which means more product remains where you placed it.

Nars Lipstick in Funny Face

This was a spontaneous buy. The girl serving me was wearing it and I just could NOT stop looking at her lips. She also had quite full lips like me and it complimented them well. It was very pricy (a lot more than I’d like to spend on lipstick), but the colour was just so unique and rich that I thought I would treat myself. It’s a beautiful cherry/plum colour and the finish is matte. It is also VERY pigmented, so I could imagine this lasting me as long as I needed it to. The reason I got such a bright colour and not a safe colour like a nude, is because I’m quite satisfied with my collection of nude/everyday lipsticks, but I am now trying to build my collection of reds and plums as I feel women look very dignified and classy when wearing these, and the Nars lipstick does just that! There are also a few by MAC I might just have to bite the bullet and purchase too!

Benefit ‘They’re Real’ Mascara

I have been hunting for the perfect mascara for YEARS now, and every time I find one I love, I get bored of it once I see an advertisement for another one. Before trying this mascara Rimmel’s Lash Accelerator definitely did the job, but it was mainly good for lengthening and separating lashes. However Benefit’s mascara does everything! I read a review on this where it got 10/10 for false lash effect, and that review did it justice. It lengthens, it volumizes and more importantly, it is buildable! So if you have the time to coat your lashes you will achieve beautifully structured flasesies!

L’Oreal Super Liner in Carbon Gloss

This was just a repurchase of my all time favourite liquid liner. It is excellent for precision, excellent for colour and excellent for when you are in a rush as it dries VERY quickly. Basically I can’t fault this liner, and for any of you who love the winged liner effect – this is the tool for just that!

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2

I wasn’t going to get this palette as I already have the first and am more than satisfied with it; however it was on offer and when I saw the shades in person I fell in love. I feel the first palette is perfect for the evening, as the shades are darker and more matte, whereas in the second palette the shades are lighter and more shimmery, so it is nice for the night time but even more lovely for the day. I would definitely recommend this palette for people who like heavier lashes with liner, as the lighter shadows contrast beautifully with that.

Real Techniques Core Collection brush set

Prior to buying this I had seen reviews of the brushes and they were all quite positive. I was mainly drawn to the set because of the bronzing brush, before finding this I was yet to find a brush that was good for getting into the right crevices for contouring. I have used all of the brushes apart from the foundation brush and I am more than impressed. The powder brush is great for buffing in my powder so that my face doesn’t look too cakey, and the concealer brush is great for evening out my concealer. I would definitely recommend this set for people trying to build their brush collection.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Syracuse

The day I tried out this foundation it was like the heavens opened. Aside from the perfect mascara I was ALWAYS on the hunt for the perfect foundation. My biggest issue was the colour match and then the consistency. This strikes off both. The woman at the counter matched me in Syracuse and Barcelona, but Barcelona seemed a teeny bit lighter than my face, and even though Syracuse is a tiny bit darker than my face, it matches the rest of my body perfectly! And as summer is around the corner, it was better I opted for the darker shade. The foundation itself is like velvet on my skin when applying, the colour blends so beautifully that it is impossible to have an uneven coverage and the staying power is all day for me. I will wear this all year round as it is perfect for all kinds of weather, and when I read the reviews for this foundation I knew it would be right for me and it really is a MATCH made in heaven ;-)

Thank you so much for reading!

Until next time x x x