Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Review

Contour Kit Review

I'm not one to buy something purely due to the hype of it... however I caved. Throughout the month of January I promised myself that I wouldn't buy anymore clothes therefore I decided I would just spend the money buying expensive make up instead, that's aloud isn't it?

I first actually saw this when I was in New York and I must say its a lot smaller than I thought it would be. When I saw this palette it was nearing the end of my trip so I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore make up. Although last week when I got paid I decided it was time to just bite the bullet so I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light and I can honestly say I have never been happier with a purchase.

So in my last blog post Bronzers and Highlighters (link can be found here) I mentioned that I hadn't tried it out however since then I have been using it everyday.

On the top row you have Vanilla, Banana and Sand. Vanilla and Banana are both matte highlights while Sand a lovely shimmer to it. Vanilla and Sand both have pink undertones to them while Banana has more of a yellow undertone. My favourite of the top row has to be Vanilla I love it for an inner eye and below the brow highlight, its the perfect shade.

On the bottom row you have Java, Fawn and Havana each of them wonderful matte shades. I have been using Java to bronze up my entire face it think its the perfect bronzer for me at the moment. I apply it with a Real Techniques blusher brush. Fawn is definitely the colour I will be using in the summer because its a little bit dusky which is perfect with a glow.

Now even though this is a contour kit I have actually been using Havana as an eyeshadow shade and I absolutely love it. I have noticed recently how a lot of Bloggers and YouTubers have been using bronzer as an eye shadow and I will have to agree its great.

These palette is incredibly pigmented with colours lasting all day. I would honestly recommend it as I think its great for every day use especially if you're a big fan of contouring.

All views are my own and this was bought with my own money.

Bronzers and Highlighters

There was once a time when I wouldn't go anywhere near Bronzers or Highlighters but fast forward a couple of years a seem to have gathered a little collection.

One of my favourites has to be the Sleek Contouring and Blush Palette as you can see from above this palette has certainly been well loved. This was the first bronzer I got and I can honestly I must have worn it everyday for about 6 months. I do see occassionally go back to this when I'm feeling a not so heavy make up look. If you are looking for a high street bronze and highlight this is the one get.

Another high street product is the Bourjois Délice de Poudre. I only actually bought this not too long ago when Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on and after seeing everyone go on about it I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I must say it smells amazing but I'm not too keen on the actual product at the moment purely due to how pale I am. I have it in shade 55 as I'm pretty sure this one only comes in one shade. I think this product is certainly a lot better when you have a tan. I'm definitely going to be using this in the summer.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you will know a lot about my next product which is Benefit - Hoola Bronzer. Which was featured in my Everyday Make Up (here) I honestly can't recommend this bronzer enough, it is by far the best bronzer I have ever used. It is perfect for every skin tone and as someone who is pretty pale it is perfect as it doesn't make me look orange in the slightest which is a must for me.  This bronzer is perfect whether you want an all over bronze or just something to contour your face. 

I've got to include a Mac product somewhere haven't I. I have the Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade. This is my favourite highligher at the moment and I have been using this everyday for quite some while. This is perfect for my pastly skin, it gives the tops of your cheeks the subtle glow that you need. The highlighter does look a bit strange which blue, orange and pink running through it however I just swirl this around on my brush and lightly dust it onto my face. 

Finally two new palettes that have come into my hands recently are of course Nars Virtual Domination and Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. The Nars palette has the very famous Laguna Bronzer which I absolutely love I find it very similar to the Benefit one where I can either use it for an all over bronze or just to contour. The highlight in the Nars palette is Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush Powder, this hightlighter is absolutely stunning with gorgeous sparkles running through it, amazing for a glow. The Anastasia Contour Kit is something I haven't actually had the chance to try yet however once I do there will be a review on it. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow. 

What are your favourite bronzers and highlights, let me know?

January Favourites

I am struggling to comprehend the fact that January is almost over. So I guess its time to round up my favourites throughout the month. 

Beauty

Mac Studio Fix Powder - NW20 

This product is a new holy grail for me. Since buying this in New York at the end of December I can officially say its a firm favourite. I can't honestly recommend this product enough, you can wear its on its own or with foundation. I love using this alongside my Studio Fix Foundation as its so high coverage. I think this going to be a favourite for a few more months yet.

Wake Me Up Concealer - 010 Ivory 

In my updated every day make up routine I said that I used my Collection one every day however that has changed. I have been meaning to try this for so long and when I saw it in Boots I just had to get it. I think this concealer is a little bit more water based than the collection one. I would recommend this one for under the eyes. I honestly think its really similar to the Nars creamy concealer. Its an amazing price and one I would definitely recommend picking up

Zoeva 102 - Silk Finish

I hate to admit it but my beloved Real Technique buffing brush has been replaced by this little one. I love all of my Zoeva brushes but this is definitely my favourite it makes blending foundation so easy and quick. This one leaves no brush marks on the face and no hairs escaping from the brush which was happening with my buffing brush.

Nars Sex Fantasy Blush

How could I do a January favourites without mentioning my absolute favourite palette. Sex Fantasy is part of the Virtual Domination palette and I can honestly say its a new favourite. I must admit I do still switch it up between this and Nars Orgasm as an old favourite. I think this blush goes great with the Benefit Hoola Bronzer. Sex Fantasy is such a lovely baby pink colour and of course with being Nars its amazingly pigmented. I honestly can't recommend Nars blushers enough, there is honestly nothing that compares to it.

Beauty Favourites

Skincare 

Micellar Cleansing Water

This has been a firm favourite for a good couple of months. This is seriously the best thing to remove your make up with. I love this because its so gentle on the skin and is possibly the first make up remover that hasn't broke me out. Its only costs about £4 and lasts for ages. I honestly would not stop purchasing this.

Fashion

Topshop Denim Jacket 

I bought this a few months ago but however before Christmas is raining too much for me to wear it however since its the rain has seemed to calm down, well at least down here it has. I have been wearing this almost everyday. Its so warm and comfy, I think a black leather jacket is a must and I'm so in love I can't rave about it enough.

Topshop MOTO Black Super Ripped Jamie Jeans

For the past month my legs have been rather cold, which is all thanks to these Topshop jeans. I love how go can dress these up or just wear them with a pair of boots. Alongside that they are super comfortable I have to admit that these night be replacing my Joni Jeans.

The ultimate jeans 

I hope you enjoyed my favourites. University interviews start this week so I sincerely apologise for not updating as regularly. Anyway I hope you have a wonderful week.

Green Smoothie Recipe

In an attempt to get some what healthier I bought myself a Breville Blend Active. I saw everybody raving about these so I kinda caved in and got one myself. I love how practical it is, all you need to do is change the lid and all is done. The smoothie I made today was a Green Smoothie. This is a recipe that I found last night, it came from Tanya Burr YouTube Channel.

All of these ingredients are optional and you can just experiment and make the recipes your own.

I used:

Ginger (a tiny amount)
Pineapple chunks (a handful)
1 Celery Stick
1/5 of a cucumber
Spinach (a handful)
1 Banana
Coconut Water (how much depends on how much you like)

Green Smoothie

Hopefully I'll do more of these in the future. 

New York City - Day 4

I think New Years Day was my favourite day in New York. We left the hotel and went for some breakfast at Palace restaurant on 57th Street we then continued our walk over to Central Park. One of my favourite things about New York is definitely the parks because its insane because in about 20 minutes you can go from the insane panic of Times Square to the relaxing atmosphere of Central Park.

We walked round for a bit and then stopped off at the ice rink. Myself, Kieran, Daniella and Kris all went ice skating for about an hour. If was fun considering I hadn't skated in a good few years.  Once we had gone round a few times you get to used to it and then we were all comfortable on the ice. Nearing the end my mum wanted to go round once so I lent her my skates... my mum can't ice skate and it was probably the most hilarious thing I have ever seen, she managed to fall over the moment she stepped onto the ice... Alongside that she was being dragged around by Kieran and Kris who were trying their best to make sure she didn't knock anyone out. I think she might need some lessons in the gracefulness of figure skating.

Once we had finished ice skating we walked along the front of Central Park where the horse and cart were parked. I've been on the horse and cart before and its lovely because you can ride through Central Park which is so relaxing and you can ride through while taking photographs. When riding through the man will talk you through where films have been set around Central Park which is really quite interesting.

We then took a stroll to Fifth Avenue. Walking along Fifth Avenue is really something else. Fifth Avenue is also known as the designer avenue with designers after designers. The big designers along the avenue is Tiffany's and Co, Louis Vuitton and Prada. I must admit we did have a little nose into Tiffany's and its insane in there with different levels for each occasion, they even have a baby level with the most cutest bracelets.

For lunch we went to Le Pain Quotidien which is the most gorgeous organic restaurant. I had a gluten free tomato soup which was seriously amazing. I am a big fan of organic restaurants and I must admit this was one of the best.

In the evening we caught the Subway to China Town and Little Italy. China Town is basically full of cheap souvenir gifts, I have honestly never seen so many key rings in my life... insane & yes China Town is full of Chinese people and only Chinese people. We had a meal in Little Italy which I'm going to admit wasn't the cleanest restaurant we have ever seen... although the meal was really good so we couldn't complain.

We then got the Subway back to central Manhattan and off to the Rockefeller  There is the most incredible view from the Top Of The Rock and especially at night because its magical to see the whole city lit up. It was so much better doing it at night because it wasn't as busy. I would recommend The Rock over Empire State in terms of view because you can see so much more.

That is it for Day 4, I hope you enjoyed it.

Everyday Makeup Routine

This is my third daily make up routine I have done since starting this blog 18 months ago. My two previous looks are here and here. I have to admit I absolutely love this make up. From day to day I do sometimes mix up but this is what I will usually wear to college and work.

Make Up Favourites. 

I think the first thing I need to mention is the change in my make up brushes. I got the Zoeva Rose Gold Brushes for Christmas and I absolutely love them. While from time to time I still do use my real technique ones these are what I reach for on a daily basis. My favourite brush has got to be the 102 silk finish, this brush makes it so easy to apply foundation as the foundation soaks into the brush it makes applying an absolute dream.

For just everyday I don't usually bother using a primer as its a bit unnecessary although if I do use it I will use the Benefit Porefessional. For base I use MAC Studio Fix in the shade NW13 with my two concealers Collection Lasting Perfection in Light & Studio Finish concealer in NC15. The Collection one is great for redness while the MAC is very bright so I use it under my eyes.

For the rest of my face I use a MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC20. This is a new product that I only bought a couple of weeks ago in New York but I have to admit its my favourite powder ever as it gives your make up such a flawless finish. To contour I use my favourite ever bronzer which is Hoola by Benefit.  It such a great colour and so easy to blend. While for blush I have used the same blusher for the past 18 months which is Nars Orgasm. This product is defintely my holy grail and I've only just hit pan which shows you just how long its lasted me for. Finally I like to finish off with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade which is the perfect highlight. 

For eyes I have switched from my Naked 2 palette that I still love to my Lorac Pro. I have been lusting after this product like every other blogger and their mother but since it's pretty pricey and hard to get hold of I kindly asked my brother to get it for me for Christmas, If anyone is intrested in buying it Amazon sell it but make sure you buy it on the American Amazon as its a lot cheaper. I love this palette because it has the same amount of matte and shimmer shades. I have to admit I am more of a matte lover myself so eight matte shades is amazing. My two favourite shades are Mauve and Pewter.  

My favourite part of my make up to do is my brows I just need to make sure that they look perfect (or as close to perfect eyebrows can be) I recently bought Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, I got it in shade Ebony and its a perfect match. I am so late to this Brow Wiz hype but its so good better than anything I've used before. On to eyeliner and it's something I don't wear everyday but sometimes I will just use it by itself and for these occasions I will use my L'oreal liner which is so easy to apply and looks great. For mascara I still stick to my trusty L'oreal Miss Manga although I have bought a Tarte mascara which I will start using once I finish using this one. 

Finally onto lipstick and back to MAC again. I have been wearing Sour lipliner and the Velvet Teddy lipstick most days since November. Although lipstick is one thing I will change up quite a lot especially for college. If I do change it i'll go for something a little bit more daring like MAC's Russian Red or Rebel. However for work I will always wear Velvet Teddy because its something neutral and truthfully its the only lipstick that will last the entire shift.

I would love for you to recommend some of your make up favourites that I should try. 

New York City - Day 3

Now our third day in New York was New Years Eve. We got up early and had breakfast in our hotel on the 12th Floor over looking the city. Once we had eaten, all of us (expect for my dad) decided to avoid the caffeine... you will find out later why. We left our hotel and headed for the shops.

The first place we went was this Christmas shop, now something I didn't know about was the amount of Christmas shops in New York... it was slightly insane. However everything in this shop was reduced to half price so I bought the cutest ice skates decoration for the tree I have ever seen and even better as it only cost me $4. Although I am going to have to wait till the end of the year until I am able to put it on the tree but I think it is worth it.

My stunning Christmas decoration. 

Once we had finished in there we headed back down to Macy's, this time it was slightly quieter considering it was only about half 9. As there was eight of us we all went into our little groups for an hour. My cousin Daniella and I headed for the MAC counter in need of some goodies. Anyone that knows me will know that my favourite make up brand is MAC. Although the one thing I found in Macy's compared to at home is that it is a lot harder to get served and so you need to know exactly what you want else you aren't going to get anyone. Daniella picked up the Studio Sculpt foundation in NC15 & two nude lipsticks. I picked up the Studio Fix powder in NC20 which I must say I absolutely love & two matte lipsticks in Russian Red & Heroine. Once we had finished we popped out of Macy's and ran across the road to Victoria Secret and I'm not kidding it was the biggest Victoria Secret I have ever seen. We picked up a few things in there and headed back over to Macy's.

MAC Make up...

All of us went and had a look in Urban Outfitters and I was a little bit disappointed because they didn't have a lot in there for such a massive store. So once we were done we headed back to our hotel to get changed to head out for New Years Eve. Once we got back to the hotel it was 1ish so we went into Subway and had some lunch... yes I know what you're going to say, Subway? really. We were in a rush.

We got changed back in the hotel and put on our hundreds of layers... not even exaggerating I had on  300 denier tights, thermal leggings and my joni jeans. We filled our pockets with chocolate and had a drink each and then we headed over to Times Square. At this time it was only about 2pm however we knew that it was important to get there early and while you may think we were crazy, seeing the ball drop was the main reason for coming to New York for New Years. Earlier in the day we spoke to a couple of New Yorkers who said hardly any of them do it... after a few hours we learnt why.

My New Year attire. 

Once we got to Times Square you could understand why security is so tight as I have never seen so many people nor police officers in my life. We got talking to one police officer who was one of the most friendliest people I have ever met. He was telling us about everything that was happening tonight and what we were going to have to deal with... especially not being able to pee for 10 hours, hence the no caffeine.

Family with the police officer!

While we were talking outside of the pen we got speaking to a couple of New Yorkers; Jacqueline and Aneesa who were from New York and if you ever go to watch the ball drop you will learn so much about the people you speak to because they are literally the only people you speak to while in the pen.

I will skip the boring part of waiting for 6 hours absolutely freezing, I couldn't actually feel my feet.

Our lovely New York friends.

Around 8pm Idina Menzel came on and sung Let It Go; she is seriously incredibly talented and of course over a million people were singing it as well because lets be real who doesn't know Frozen? After that Magic came on a performed a few times and there was a lady presenting throughout until Taylor Swift came on and sung Shake It Off and Welcome to New York. I absolutely love Taylor Swift and she really was incredible and certainly worth the wait.

As by this time it was 10 minutes till midnight the mood changed a little as people were excited to finally ring in the New Year as we saw the ball drop there was balloons thrown out of buildings and confetti everywhere, it really was incredible.

The most incredible evening!

I would say that I really think standing in Times Square for New Years is something that everybody should experience even though it was absolutely freezing it was most certainly worth it.

I really hope you're enjoying reading these! Let me know. 

New York City - Day 2

On our first full day (or day 2) in New York we started it off by going for breakfast at Morning Star which is on 2nd between 50th & 51st. I had the most yummiest pancakes with strawberries and syrup. This American diner is pretty small but has a lovely family friendly atmosphere.

Pancakes at Morning Star

Once we had eaten we were eager to head off and start our day. We decided to hit the city and do a little bit of sight seeing. We started off by going to see the Chrysler Building which is a stunning Art Deco skyscraper which is located on the east side of Manhattan which is on Lexington and 42nd. The inside of this building is absolutely stunning. As you walk in you can see the America flag swaying as people walk past it & everyone having photos with it... including me. While I don't think this is something you necessarily have to visit while in New York I do believe it is a beautiful building that won't let you down. 

Blending in well with the background!

Once we had a good look around at all of the Art Deco, off we went again and we walked over to Grand Central Station. I know to New Yorkers Grand Central might not seem like much but to us it's insane the station is bigger than my local mall. I think it's the perfect place to just people watch because there is so many people! There is a vast number of restaurants and a couple of shops, including a MAC. We had a good look at Grand Central and then we walked over to Times Square.

Times Square - is without a doubt is my favourite place in New York. Times Square was pretty empty but crowded with police officers due to it being the day before New Years Eve. Once we got to Times Square we noticed that one of the big screens was obviously in collaboration with Revlon's and the hashtag #loveison. We had so much fun taking photos of ourselves and trying to get into the little heart. Whilst in Times Square I spotted a Sephora to the left of me. I quickly popped in there looking for one thing and one thing only... Nars Virtual Domination Palette and I found it! Alongside that I also picked up a Tarte mascara. (Will be in a separate blog post a little later.)  

I'm far on the right hand side, with my mouth open... no surprise. 

Our next stop was the Empire State, I must say this was one of the things I was looking forward to the most. The first time I came to New York we didn't go up the Empire State so this time it was a must. After a good hour and half of queuing we finally made our way into the lift and up to the top. Once you get to the top there really is the most incredibly view and a little bit scary. It's insane how much you can see from so high up. I could see pretty much everything in New York and you can really see how tall these skyscrapers are which I really felt like put everything into perspective because it shows how small we actually are. I think the scariest part was definitely looking down, now I'm not scared of heights however this did freak me out a little bit especially when you could only just make out the yellow cabs. 

A small part of the absolutely insane view. 

We spent just over half an hour up there and it even started snowing... incredible! Once we got down we went to get some lunch at Pret, everyones favourite! After that we took a little stroll over to Bryant Park where we actually spotted two people from True Blood (I'm not sure who they were sorry any avid True Blood fans) anyway we took a look at some of the little stalls and there was this one that really caught my eye which was a little Jewellery stall and some of it was really incredible, the lady made things such as leaf and snowflake necklaces and earrings. Her website is http://www.graceoliver.com if anyone is interested in checking it out. I think one of the most stunning things about Bryant Park is the famous ice rink and being an avid figure skater when I was younger I got rather excited when I saw it. Unfortunately it was super rammed so we didn't go on it instead we walked over to Macy's. Going to Macy's at 5pm isn't something I would recommend as it was absolutely manic inside, we only had a quick look around because we decided we would have a better look later on in the week. 

A quick change and we went out again this time it was to this lovely Irish Pub 'Pig N Whistle' which has the most friendliest owner. The food in there was absolutely delicious and just a lovely atmosphere, there was also a bloke playing guitar and singing which was nice to hear for a change instead of music just playing out of a music player. Once we ate we went for a nice little stroll around the shops before heading off to bed before our New Years Eve celebrations the following day.

New York City - Day 1

I have a series of blog posts coming up about my trip to New York City - so keep an eye out. However my first blog post is of my first day in the city.

So we flew out to New York last Monday (29th December) which also happened to be my birthday. We got to Heathrow airport very early in the morning and once we got through security and bag drop we didn't have much time to spare so while we were waiting for our breakfast to arrive I quickly ran off to Duty Free to get my favourite perfume YSL Black Opium which smells absolutely divine. Once we had our breakfast we had to sprint to our boarding gate as we were running pretty late... don't worry this isn't unusual for us.

Nicest smelling perfume, ever! 

Once we got on the plane my mum sneakily told the cabin crew that it was my birthday and at the end of the flight they wished me happy birthday with everyone on the plane clapping... was slightly awkward.

We arrived in New Jersey at about 2'o clock and took the hour drive to New York City. It was lovely to drive around the city before getting to our hotel as our taxi driver was absolutely lovely and pointed everything out to us. Although this was my second time in the city it's nice to be reminded of places. We drove past The New York Times building... dream job! Which was slightly insane for me to see it for real.

Slightly blurry photo of The New York Times. 

We then arrived at out hotel Courtyard Marriott which was on 3rd & 52nd. It was about a 20 minute walk from Times Square. On our first night we went for a walk around the City and for the first time walked through 5th Avenue, which if you aren't familiar it is where all of the designer shops are... heaven.

Always time for a birthday selfie

Although surprisingly we couldn't find anywhere to eat so we went to TGI Fridays... which is hilarious considering we probably walked past hundreds of restaurants... oh well!

That was it for my birthday & first evening in New York I look forward to sharing the rest of the week in the upcoming weeks.