I've been keeping a secret..

Today is a pretty special day for me. I've finally plucked up the courage to publish my first YouTube video. I've attempted to make several of these in the past. I've even gone as far as exporting the edited version from IMovie but I've never had the confidence to click the upload button.

Encouraged by a good friend who kindly "proof" watched to make sure I wasn't completely embarrassing myself (thanks Kim!), I've decided to keep it online.

It would honestly mean the world to me for you to check it out and let me know what you all think. 

Requests, comments and constructive criticism are all welcomed! I've caught the bug & am already planning video #2 which is coming soon!

Thanks so much for all your continued support xx

MAC Brooke Shields: Gravitas 15 pan Palette

I can honestly say I haven't been this excited for a MAC collection in a long time. When I first heard that MAC had collaborated with Brooke Shields and they were planning to release a 15 pan neutral palette I couldn't get it out of my head..

Boy, did Ms Shields deliver the goods. 15 earthy-toned eyeshadows with a deep plum, a light pink and an unusual golden-green colour thrown in for slight pops of colour (& ones that I will be saving for when I'm feeling particularly wild). The palette contains 6 permanent shades and 9 new, limited editions. I already own 3 of the permanent shades (Carbon, Satin Taupe & Antiqued), but seeing as these are staples in my collection I didn't mind having two of them. The best shade in my opinion? Easy, Soft Brown. A colour that has been discontinued in the UK. And finding it? Well that's proved to be about as difficult as finding the Lorac pro palettes.

Possibly the biggest rave about the palette is that it's price tag is £70 (worth £180 if purchased individually) especially when the quality of each shadow is on par with their permanent shades. I didn't have any pigmentation issues with any of the shades except Carbon which seems to be included in every palette. I understand the concept of having a matte black colour but the pigmentation could have been far better.

Yes it's expensive. You could argue that the Naked palette from Urban Decay is almost half price, but considering each shadow is full sized and has a product value of £10 and an individual palette including inserts is £16.50 - It's pretty good value for money.

The biggest draw back surrounding this palette is the availability (or rather lack of it) - having sold out online twice in one day, the chances are they won't be restocking. Your best bet is to try your luck in your local store.

This palette is a complete winner for me and despite owning a ton of neutral shades, I know I'm going to get my use out of this eyeshadow palette. What can I say? I'm a neutral-eyed girl through and through.

Zoella Beauty

Last Thursday saw the launch of "Zoella Beauty" the brainchild of Zoe Sugg's internet persona Zoella.
I have been a follower/subscriber of Zoe since 2010. Even before she started her YouTube career. Her blog was somewhat of an inspiration. I loved her style of writing and looked at her reviews as somewhat honest and reliable.
I made sure that my alarm was set nice and early last Friday (just in case Amelie decided to have a lay in) as I knew that the collection would be available the following morning after her launch party. With 6 million subscribers to her main YouTube channel alone I was sure the collection would be a complete sell out.

Zoe said that she had complete control and involvement over her collection and this is defiant in her packaing. The font, lace design and overall colour palette all play homage to her blog. 
I like the catchy wording and the name choice given to each product. It's refreshing to see a company that a collection that doesn't claim to have a body mist that will last all day and a candle with the burn time to last all of eternity.

I picked 4 items from her collection. The "Soak Opera" shower gel (I bought two of these), "Fizz Bar" fragranced bath fizzer, "Blissful Mistful" Body mist and "Glow all out" fragranced candle.
My favourite pick is the body mist which has Wild Strawberry and Grapefruit amongst its top notes. It's fruity and fun and lasts for around 1.5-2 hours. An honourable mention goes to the bath fizzer. The design is very inivative allowing the user to break off as much (or as little) product as they want before saving the rest for next time. Well done Zoe you did a great job!

Priced between £5 - £8 this collection would make great stocking fillers. It is only 12 weeks till Chrismas....