It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas 2019: Bombshell Holiday edp, by Victoria's Secret...

For my final post in 2019, I want to share a review for what I think is the ultimate finishing step when getting ready to out, as well as being a lovely accessory to work clothes, jeans, lounge-wear or pyjamas. 

Read on for more information on what has been my festive run-up fragrance this year and is going to be my Christmas Day 2019 fragrance...

Two palettes, one look: Emerald Obsessions & Ruby Obsessions, by Huda Beauty.

Here's the look I that I'll be recreating for Christmas Day this year (that's if I bother wearing any), as it's a very festive shade combo, that is also a quick & easy placement to do - after all, who wants to spend a lot of time on intricate makeup on Christmas Day, when you could be enjoying time with family + friends instead?

Last-minute Stocking stuffer: Huda Beauty Nude Obsessions Palette in Light.

Introducing 3 universal mini eyeshadow palettes [Nude Light, Nude Medium & Nude Rich]. Each palette features 9 seductive variations of the sexiest nude shades designed to be worn by absolutely everyone. It’s time for you to define nude for yourself!

Created to suit every skin tone and eye color, each palette contains an incredible shade range: From buttery mattes, super-shimmery shadows and complementary metallic shades, all with smooth and blendable textures.

NUDE Light: A beautiful balance of light and creamy praline hues in both warm and cool tones. Featuring peachy shades with unexpected pops of lavender and mauve. The champagne and brown shimmers will add unbelievable dimension to each and every look.

There's no rule that you can only use the palette in the Nude Obsessions collection that has been shade-matched specially for your skintone (though I do have doubts as to if deeper skintones will shine in the mattes here), but as I'm keeping my new purchases down, I'm keeping my focus on the lightest palette in the collection, rather than getting giddy and spurging on all three.

So if you are looking for a eyeshadow palette as a gift for someone [or yourself] in the fair-to-medium range, then keep on reading...

Last-minute Stocking stuffer: Haus Laboratories Le Riot lipgloss in Venus & RIP lipliner in Myth.

Today we're taking another look at products from Haus Laboratories; the new cosmetics brand by Lady Gaga.

For this post I'm focusing on the product combo to pick up this festive season, for either yourself or for those hunting for the perfect nude & glossy lip...

Last-minute Stocking stuffer: Haus Laboratories Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder in Aphrodite

So; Lady Gaga launched her own beauty brand in August and naturally I'd pre-ordered a three-piece set.

Today I want to focus on what I think is the star product in the selection, something I've worn quite a few times now and get compliments from strangers when I wear when out and about...

Last-minute Stocking stuffer: Far Away Rebel edp, by Avon.

Don't panic! There's still plenty of time to buy that perfect gift  - and not have to spend a ton of money to get it delivered to your door. I'm starting December with four [well five, but two will be reviewed together] reviews for under-£30 products I've been loving, to get us prepared for that final shop for gifts... 

I want to kick-start the season off with what has become one of my favourite autumn/winter perfumes, which I think would make a great gift this Christmas...

As red as Rudolph's nose [Reviewing the Obsessions Precious Stones Eyeshadow Palette in Ruby, by Huda Beauty].

Definitive proof that the best things do (sometimes) come in smaller packages, Huda Beauty’s Precious Stones Obsessions Palettes are here – and they’re absolutely exquisite! A dream come true for those Huda-holics who can’t squeeze their palettes into overstretched make up bags (or those yet to sample her game-changing shadows) this Ruby Obsessions Palette unites a spectrum of nine pigment-packed powders with duo-chrome and creamy matte textures in rich raspberry, blackcurrant and copper shades for the ultimate feminine lid looks.

Christmas and the party season is right around the corner, so I thought that it'd be the perfect time to check out Huda's red-themed palette - after all we've looked at the green one [which also contains a stunning golden shade], so adding this makes for the ultimate festive colour story...

EOTD: the Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette, by Kat Von D Beauty.

For the cheap seats at the back; I'm making the most out of the time that the new KvD Beauty Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette is still for sale by sharing one of my more recent looks using the palette. I'd originally been planning a three/four part Urban Decay Named palette countdown, followed by a countdown of my favourite Huda Beauty obsession palettes, however the Lolita Por Vida palette keeps on calling to me and I've been neglecting my other palettes. I don't want to cram in a load of rushed reviews just for the sake of having new posts, so please accept this EOTD entry instead...

After a little over a month... I clearly have been using this palette a bit too much.

For today's look I decided to focus on a shade that wasn't featured on any of the demo looks on the review page for this palette. Plus I also wanted to give a shade, that in hindsight, I feel was overwhelmed by other intense shades in my original review demo, another chance to shine.

Shine bright like a diamond [Reviewing the Diamond Bomb II highlighter, by Fenty Beauty].

 "Glitz out from head to toe: This season, cult-favorite Diamond Bomb goes holographic pink with limited-edition Diamond Bomb II. Take your favorite iconic diamond-dusted look to the next level with this festive iridescent 3D shade that’ll leave your face and body looking veiled in peachy-pink crystals"

Today is the day; I'm reviewing a Fenty Beauty product that I like. It's a Christmas miracle!

Cherry picking [Reviewing the Naked Cherry eyeshadow palette, by Urban Decay].

If you've read a few of my other eyeshadow palette reviews, then you'll know that rosy tones are my favourites, so a palette focused around them is bound to grab my attention.

 Therefore it won't be a surprise that my top pick from Urban Decay's Naked line is last year's holiday release...

The Heat is on [Reviewing the Naked Heat eyeshadow palette, by Urban Decay].

I hadn't been going to bother reviewing Naked Heat here at all since there already hundreds of thousands of reviews out there, but enjoying Kat Von D Beauty's new Lolita Por Vida palette so much [also; finding old photos of when my palettes were new] has inspired me into taking a closer look at my favourite two Naked eyeshadow palettes from Urban Decay; I wanted to showcase another couple of  palettes with easily wearable & focused colour stories, with fantastic formulas and that aren't limited edition, so are readily available. 

Second place goes to the palette I think will make the perfect 'pretty but practical' makeup gift; a palette with a easily wearable colour story, that shades that someone can use every day and for any occasion...

EOTD: the Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette, by Kat Von D Beauty.

Today I'm doing another "making the most out of the fact that my new-favourite eyeshadow palette is still for sale by sharing an EOTD look" post for the Lolita Por Vida palette. My last post with this palette showed a lighter look that's appropriate for more conservative settings, so I wanted to feature the palette in a post when I was feeling more experimental with my look, rather than repeat the same style with different shades. 

I'd been watching YouTube through my TV whilst doing my makeup and BeautBean did another one of her 'reverse smoky eye looks' and made it look so easy to do, that I wiped off my spotlight eye and immediately tried to recreate the technique she had just used...

Sweet dreams or a (not so) beautiful Nightmare? [Reviewing Urban Dream Cover foundation, by Maybelline]

The big draw for me with this foundation is that here in the UK Dream Urban Cover is sold as being a lightweight full-coverage product specified for dry skin, so I was excited since all of the big foundation and concealer releases for the past few years have been suitable for every skin-type except those of us with dry skin. 

So will this foundation last though festive work stress, shopping for 'the perfect gift' for family & friends, and parties & other events?

EOTD: the Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette, by Kat Von D Beauty.

This is a simple 'everyday' look with my new-favourite eyeshadow palette. I use my KvD eyeshadows regularly, but very rarely share look ideas as the palettes are now-unavailable limited edition ones, so I'm making the most out of the time that Lolita Por Vida is still for sale by sharing.

True; there's nothing that's exciting/intricate about today's look, but I want to show how easily this palette fits in with your 'regular day to day' situations,  eg work, visiting relatives, attending church or other more formal events,  when you want to be polished,  but don't feel comfortable with something more bold/louder. 

Playing around again [reviewing Toy 2 edp, by Moschino]...

I bought the first Toy fragrance purely for the sake of owning the bottle and ended up really enjoying the actual fragrance too.

So Toy 2 had a lot to live up to when it was released earlier this year, other than just having a cute bottle. So after six months of wearing it in different seasons/weather conditions, it's time to find out if I think Toy 2 is worth placing underneath the Christmas trees of loved ones, or if you may just want to skip pass this fragrance...

EOTD: the Haunted House eyeshadow palette, by Revolution.

For my final EOTD post this month (I don't wear makeup more often than I do) we're revisiting the only Halloween 2019 eyeshadow palette that I picked up - the Haunted House palette. 

This look is great for those of us who want to join in with the festivities, but need something that is toned-down enough to wear out without a costume & in the general public during the day and/or work...

EOTD: Revolution x Kisu...

Today I'm wearing one of my most autumnal-toned eyeshadow palettes, which also has some Halloween-appropriate shade names - it was a choice that was a bit of a no-brainer really, but for unknown reasons I waited until it was closer to Halloween before using it...

No; I don't know what's going on in my head most of the time.

Is this THE Christmas 2019 palette? The Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette, by Kat Von D Beauty.

"Fall in love for life with 18 romantic shades in matte, shimmer, foil and super-glitter finishes. Just like Lolita, all the shades in this palette were created with just the right balance of undertones to look beautiful on a range of skin tones. With warm golds and browns, go-to neutral tones and ultra-romantic rosy purples, there are endless ways to make your look your own, whether it's elegantly subtle or beautifully bold..."

I was rearranging my KvD palettes at the end of September and was thinking that I hoped that she wasn't going to release another 24-colourful-shades-shoved-together palette for Christmas, because she's done that several times in a row and it's getting old & predictable now, so I wouldn't have bothered buying it as I'm much more into more focused colour stories nowadays [my Serpentina, Fetish & Vegan Love palettes went to new homes in The Great Declutter of 2019]. The very next day I saw the promo video for Lolita Por Vida and started to get excited...

... and then almost two weeks before the launch date for the palette, Debenhams accidentally sold some palettes through their site - and I happened to be one of the people who got their hands on the palette. So I've had time to try every shade at least once, and I'm ready to share my verdict.

EOTD: Revolution x Soph - Extra Spice

After using the first Soph eyeshadow palette the other day, I thought that it'd be the perfect opportunity to now make good use out of the second Revolution x Soph eyeshadow palette ‐ the Extra Spice palette. 

I wanted to do a grungy, smoked out look today, featuring a pumpkin shade, to keep it on season...

EOTD: Revolution x Soph

I wanted to retry the envisioned look I had in mind on my previous post, as I had liked the image I'd had in my head, but I was really frustrated at how it had turned out...

I again used a palette I'm not keen on for my attempt at the recreation - I'm trying to get more use out of my freshly trimmed down collection, so I want to see if different products makes this work better.

EOTD: Ring The Alarm, by Morphe/Jaclyn Hill.

For this autumnal/Halloween look, I decided to try again with a palette that I wasn't keen on, in the hope that different primer, a different technique and different brushes, will make a difference on my overall opinions of the palette...

EOTD: Armed & Gorgeous, by Morphe/Jaclyn Hill.

 Is yellow widely considered to be a Halloween-type shade, or is it just me? Anyway; today I'm posting autumnal/Halloweeny EOTD, that showcases an eyeshadow palette that is more affordable and widely available.

I was sorting through my palettes when I realized that this Morphe palette contains similar shades to the ones I used in my EOTD post with my ABH Subculture palette, so I decided to recreate that look, to see how similar they turn out to be... 

Speedy review... Eyeball Highlighter in Eye See You, by I 💗 Revolution.

Today I'm posting my final speedy review on a Revolution Halloween 2019 makeup product. I've already looked at two of the three new Halloween themed highlighters by I💗 Revolution, so today I'm looking at the third one...

Speedy review... Eyeball Highlighter in Eye Scream, by I 💗 Revolution.

Welcome  to part II of speedy reviews on the three new Halloween themed highlighters by I💗 Revolution.

 I was curious to find out how the formula compares to Revolution's skull Halloween highlighters of previous years, so I've been spending the past few weeks trying them all out, and now want to share my thoughts on them one by one...

Speedy review... Eyeball Highlighter in Terrif-eye, by I 💗 Revolution.

I've just decluttered a load of highlighters, but when I saw the palettes for the three Halloween 2019 highlighters,  I fell down the rabbit hole again.

This year Revolution have passed the Halloween highlighter reins over to their sister brand I 💗 Revolution, so I'm curious to find out how the formula compares to Revolution's skull ones of previous years...

Speedy review... Haunted House eyeshadow palette, by Revolution.

I've bought Revolution's Halloween eyeshadow palettes for the past two years,  when they get reduced for clearance in November (there had been no point reviewing them after Halloween) and didn't like them; the shadows were dry and under pigmented and I gave them to my younger nieces to play dress-up with.

This year they have a glitter palette, two Chocolate Bar palettes and two tin ones - and my inner horror-loving teen needed one of them, solely based on the packaging and shade names. As the tin packaging is new for this year, I picked one of them in the hope that the new packaging means that they have new formulas...

Could it be Magic? [Reviewing the Juvia's Place Magic eyeshadow palette]

Better late, than not at all... 

I'm finally getting around to reviewing one of my Juvia's Place eyeshadow palettes today.

I posted an EOTD using the Magic palette about 14 months ago and have now used every shade a few times (what can I say? I've been getting back into neutrals) and now feel confident in sharing my opinion on them.

Has the wait been worth it, or has it been a build-up for nothing?

What’s your Promise? [Reviewing Promise edp, by Jennifer Lopez]

We all make promises to ourselves and one another, they are meant to be forever’ Introducing PROMISE the new fragrance by Jennifer Lopez. Promise embodies everything she  stands for today, it’s the essence of a multifaceted and powerful woman. Jennifer invites us to make our own promises, to be better every day, no matter what stands in our way.  

What’s your Promise? 

I haven't paid much attention to the Jennifer Lopez line of perfumes for around four years or so now, as it seemed liked they stopped getting regular UK releases for a long while.  So it was pure chance that I noticed Promise in Boots recently and took another blind-buy gamble, since two stores I went to said that testers aren't yet available...

I lost the gamble last time, so will this one be a failure too?

A closer look at... Maybelline's FaceStudio Chrome Extreme Highlighter in Molten Gold.

Looking for the appearance of a £30 highlighter,  with a 'drugstore' price tag?

Today I want to share a find that my sister found and then passed on to me, as I've been looking for something that could maybe be a replacement for the-much-lusted-after ABH Amrezy highlighter...

Is this a contender?

EOTD: KKW x Mario eyeshadow palette, by KKW Beauty...

Today we have the concluding half of my I-didn't-feature-a-certain-shade-on-my-original-review-page-so-here-you-go for the KKW x Mario eyeshadow palette, which I hadn't had on hand for a while, but now I'm starting to really get back into.

As my last post showed one of my minimal 'everyday' looks which is what I prefer using this palette for, I thought I'd dial up the glam factor for today's look. Well; I am using the perfect shade for that...

EOTD: KKW x Mario eyeshadow palette, by KKW Beauty...

There's no big story or event behind today's post; none of the shade combination photos I picked to illustrate the review page for the KKW x Mario eyeshadow palette featured the shade Miami (which is strange since it is my favourite and most-used matte shade in the palette), so I wanted to feature a fresh & clean 'everyday' look using the shadow, so it could get it's moment in the spotlight.

In fact, this is one of my go-to 'minimal effort' looks that I've repeated a fair few times in my day-to-day life for this palette, as it's quick and easy - perfect for when you get up early and don't have much time to get ready.

Will the sun shine out of this palette? Reviewing the Sunrise eyeshadow palette, by Natasha Denona...

I've been paying attention to Natasha Denona eyeshadow palettes ever since her first one was originally launched in the US. What can possibly make these shadows worth their price tags?!

I've almost given in to temptation and bought a palette a fair few times now, but the prices have always stopped me from making the commitment; the 5-pan strips are £41 and the palettes start at £82, with the ones that interest me the most coming in at £111 [Sunset & Lila] - oh, and we also have a nice one for £145, before finishing with the Big Daddies at £205. 

However, a few months ago, the brand released a 15-pan palette for £60. "What a bargain" my stupid brain exclaimed , and that was that - I was making my purchase. Have I just made an expensive mistake, or will this be a gateway drug?

EOTD: Subculture, by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

I did a few yellow-centered looks when testing my Natasha Denona Sunrise eyeshadow palette [which will be reviewed in my next post - I'm getting all mega posh 😜], which put me in the mood to look through my makeup collection for some of my favourite yellow tones for a similar look to what will be with the upcoming review...

Subculture is one of my favourite palettes for quality and the colour story, but I'd not used it for ages because it's being discontinued and I don't want to use it up. However, I do know that amounts to leaving the palette to go to waste, which is kinda dumb, so as you can currently still buy the palette, I want to share this new combo idea as inspiration to people who have or are thinking of getting Subculture.

EOTD: Revolution x Immogenation...

It's almost autumn; in fact it is already the season of PSL in my head, so I'm already turning to my autumnal colours in my collection and want to revisit a palette that is full of all the things I love - I'm getting a real little kick from these autumnal shades...

If you want to treat yourself to a new eyeshadow palette for the autumn season, but don't want to spend loads of money, then today's featured EOTD palette is a great option...

EOTD: The Norvina palette, by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

I thought I'd keep things real on the blog, by sharing a recent look that didn't really work out. Having clear photos of it available does help me see where I went wrong, so it's a good idea to post things like this for future reference...

I went to the live concert that is part of Manchester's Pride Festival weekend and decided to try to recreate the 'reverse smokey eye look' I'd just watched YouTuber BeautBean do, as it looked quick n easy, yet impactful on her - because recreating a look without having ever attempting the technique before, is a recipe for success. 

Sigh...