Kiko haul.

So I'm not sure when this happened but Bromley INTU shopping centre now has a KIKO shop. This is so exciting. I've never bought from KIKO before for the pure fact that their products would have only been available to me online or in their central London store but I'd rather try them out in person first. So when I was in the middle of my christmas shopping, I popped in a decided to try out a few things!

I already know they are a reasonably priced make up company but having their own shop really makes them seem more high end to me without ACTUALLY being so. In fact, this store is a couple of shops away from Mac in Bromley and I was more pulled in by here than I was to Mac.

One of my 'things' is that I generally always have to get a matte red lipstick with any cosmetics brand I try and I didn't feel any differently here. I first picked up this 606 Fire Red lipstick from the Velvet Mat range. The packaging is SO high end and priced at £6.90, it has to be one of, if not the most gorgeous high street lipsticks I have ever seen. The gorgeous rose gold packaging is a dream for any blogger I'm a sure, but for me, it's definitely on par with the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick I just bought - and for fraction of that price, you really cannot complain.

Now I decided I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and pick up a lipstick that was not only NOT in my usual matte formula but also a non-red colour. I quite like some nudes and brown colours on lips but I have been hesitant in picking them up.  My eye was caught by the Gossamer Emotion Creamy range because the packaging on the lipstick was so different it almost fascinated me a little bit. It looks like a bullet with it's metallic outer shell and a gold, logo embossed click button at the top which releases the lipstick from the shell. I went for the Pinkish Brown 105 shade which says what the lipstick shade is like right in the name. This lipstick is slightly more expensive than the Velvet Mat range, priced at £10.90. On first impressions, this lipstick is very rich and creamy and also works to leave your lips feeling smooth and silky, which is obviously a nice feeling when you spend most of your time wearing matte lipsticks which can leave your lips feeling dry. As for longevity, I'm not too sure yet but I'm going to be giving that a test over the next couple of weeks.

I've been lusting after a glittery red nail varnish for a little while now and none have particularly taken my fancy. My eye caught the nail lacquer 277 in 'Blueberry Glitter' as it looked the perfect christmas shade for me. As you can see, the polish is absolutely opaque and it took two coats which I find is pretty standard among nail varnishes for me. I know I'm not the best at applying nail colours and it's definitely not my forte but I'm going to see if I get better and less messy. I seem to be one of those people with really weak nails; I have no problem growing them but they snap really easily so I find it hard to have beautifully shaped nails! Well, that's my excuse for this anyway. First impressions though? I'm really pleased! The colour is absolutely gorgeous and applies so well so the only thing I've got left to test is the longevity. I no doubt will be purchasing more colours. For £2.50 (down from £3.90) who can resist?

I then picked up these two beauty and skin care accessories! I'm always trying to try new blending sponges and after enjoying ones from Primark and Real Techniques, I thought I'd give this one a shot as it's only £6.90. It's slightly different shape to the other two I already have, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that works with my foundation application. Another thing I saw that looked interesting was this Cleansing Face Brush retailing at £5.90. Recently, I'm trying to look at new ways of improving my skin and this brush looked really interesting to me. I've not used anything like this before so I'm looking forward to using it and see how it changes my skin, if it does. 

I absolutely loved my trip to Kiko although it was really hard to choose what I wanted to buy. The selection in their stores is incredible and it's so interactive so you know exactly what you're buying before you do. It's refreshing to have an actual make up store with high street prices and not just high end ones. The high quality feel and look from these products make me love them all the more. Until next time...

What are your favourite KIKO products?

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xo

Beauty: Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick and Palette

I haven't made an appearance to Oxford Street's Selfridges in such a long time that when I had a day off from work I decided I'd head up there and have a look at the Charlotte Tilbury counter. I've been wanting to try her make up for a long while now but I knew I could only make a decision on what to get if I tried the make up first in person before taking the risk of ordering online. 

I went full steam towards the concession stand and was utterly blown away by how beautiful it was. With the trademark burgandy/dark red and gold accents the brand is known for, you really feel fancy when you're having a nose around the make up. 

I ended up choosing the 'Red Carpet Red' lipstick in the Matte Revolution range which I found to be a beautiful deep red. I almost went for Glastonberry but I knew I couldn't stray away from my staple colour. The rose gold packaging is absolutely divine and so luxurious; so whilst the £23 price tag may be a bit expensive, you definitely get what you pay for. I do feel so posh when I pull this out of my hand bag to apply / reapply, it's so gorgeous. In terms of longevity, I find that it doesn't last as well as my cult favourite's MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red but the formula is so creamy and not at all too drying, that's it's forgivable. You get what pay for with high end lipsticks like these; great pigmentation, creamy, non-drying and fairly long lasting. It's worth noting that the tip of the lipstick is fantastic and it's shaped to be similar to a lip brush to ensure precise application. We know how important it is to apply matte lipsticks very precisely as to not look messy, so this little bonus is a great help.

I then saw this palette called The Vintage Vamp which I absolutely fell in love with upon looking at it. The colours are beautiful and for me, I was utterly drawn to the shimmery gold shade and already couldn't wait to play around the with the palette to create some beautiful, sultry evening looks with it. The gorgeous burgundy and rose gold packaging screams luxury and although it's not everything I look for when I want to spend a lot of money on a beauty product, it does help to be very to look at. I often find that with some high end brands, they focus on making the packaging look luxurious and the product can end up being a bit rubbish as a result of it. However, these two products are absolute perfection and a dream to own. 

I took some photos to show you all how they look on. I know I'm a little bit rubbish at applying eyeshadow at the moment but since buying the palette, I've been practising more and more and getting a lot better. I'm really excited to improve my eyeshadow application and this palette has really gotten me motivated!

My favourite red lipsticks.

I'm usually seen wearing red lipstick so I thought I'd make a post on my favourite kinds.

Red lipstick is my absolute favourite and only very rarely do I wear a different colour. Sometimes, I might wear pinky colour to tone it down a bit depending where I am; but mostly I usually sod it, even if I'm doing an early start at work I might still wear my strongest red.

So apologies for the terrible photos, the lighting is awful so you can't really see the shades of the lipsticks at all.

A new one I've decided to try recently, is from the Color Riche collection by L'oreal. This is the 'Julianne's Pure Red' edition. In a way, it's quite similar to MACs Ruby Woo in the matte texture and colour. However, it goes on a lot smoother. It retails at £6.99 in Boots and is such a good price for the quality of the lipstick. 

This is the Chanel - Rouge Allure lipstick in Pirate 99. Whilst it retails at £26, I recently got this from www.cohorted.co.uk for a discounted price of £18. I felt so chuffed with this bargain! I've only worn this once since I've bought it and it's the first item from Chanel I've ever purchased, but I wore it at work and I received so many compliments from customers. So chuffed! I cannot wait to wear it more often. 

MAC - Russian Red - I first noticed this colour on a friend's friend and I couldn't stop staring at it. It's so intense and a matte that lasts and is very easy to apply.  It's a slightly creamy, darker red and so pigmented this lipstick will you for ages! 

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MY FAVOURITE LIPSTICK OF ALL TIME

MAC - Ruby Woo is my staple red and the one I use most often. The first lipstick I bought by MAC and the one I will always go back to. I think the thing that a lot of people have a problem with this lipstick is, is that it can be very dry and a struggle to put on. However, I love it! To me, the drier and mattier (I will make that world) a lipstick, the more I love it. I particularly enjoy this because it NEVER goes on my teeth and lasts such a long time. 

Lime Crime's Red Velvet Velvetine is fantastic. Despite looking like a lip gloss (which I hate ew ew ew), it applies on to your lips wet and then dries into a matte. It's BRILLIANT. It's got a waterproof formula so the colour can last all night through drinking and eating. The red is such a strong and bold colour, you really stand out but for me, the fact you really don't need to reapply to it for hours, makes it such a good investment.

I bought this along with actual Lime Crime lipsticks and the pigmentation in all of their products is so fantastic, they do really last such a long time.

What are your favourite lipsticks and colours?

*This post is not sponsored or written in partnership with any brands. All words are my own and products I genuinely love